Claire Hazelgrove

Employed adoptive parents have broadly the same rights and protections as birth parents. Paternity Leave and Pay already enables employed fathers and partners (including same sex partners) to take up to two weeks leave during the first year following their child's placement for adoption.

Depending on the nature of the individual’s employment, victims of sexual assault may be able to access a range of leave entitlements allowing them to take time off from work when they need it. There is also practical support employers can offer which can make a real difference, such as signposting, financial assistance and supporting safety in and around the workplace.

The Government is clear that fans should be kept at the heart of live events, and we are concerned to see vastly inflated prices excluding many fans from having the opportunity to enjoy their favourite musicians.

We have committed to introducing new protections for consumers on ticket resales, and we will launch a consultation in the autumn to seek views on potential options. Alongside the consultation we will publish a call for evidence on price transparency for live events tickets which will include dynamic pricing.

We recognise that this is a complex area, and will work with artists, industry and fans to create a fairer system that ends the scourge of touts, rip-off resales and ensures tickets are available at fair prices.

Financial education currently forms a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for mathematics (at key stages 1 to 4) and citizenship (at key stages 3 and 4). The primary mathematics curriculum includes arithmetic knowledge that supports pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money, including, for example, calculations with money and percentages. In secondary mathematics, pupils are taught topics such as how to calculate compound interest, which is relevant for personal finance. In citizenship, pupils are taught the function and uses of money, how to budget and manage credit and debt, as well as concepts like insurance, savings and pensions.

High and rising school standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The government‘s ambition is for a broad, rich and cutting-edge curriculum that equips children and young people with the essential knowledge and skills required to thrive as citizens, in work and throughout life. This is why the government announced a Curriculum and Assessment Review on 19 July 2024, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review group has launched a call for evidence. The review group has set out a number of key questions and themes where it would particularly welcome evidence and input from the sector and stakeholders to help direct the focus of the review and engagement with the sector over the autumn term.

The views of young people, parents, teachers, lecturers, leaders and other education staff and experts are pivotal to the recommendations, so that the panel can draw on the wealth of expertise and experience across the sector. Anyone can access and respond to the call for evidence.

Ensuring every child has the best start for life is a central priority for this government, including putting in place early family support services to help families to thrive in children’s first crucial months of life.

Children under 9 months are not eligible for government-funded childcare hours. Since September 2024, eligible working parents of children aged from nine months can access 15 hours of government-funded early education and childcare a week, over 38 weeks a year. This is available the term after the child turns nine months and the child's parent has a positive determination of eligibility from HMRC. So far over 200,000 parents have secured a place, and the department expects this to continue to rise in the coming weeks.

Defra monitors animal welfare offences on a national basis based on data provided by the Ministry of Justice. Defra regularly meets the RSPCA and other stakeholders to discuss animal welfare issues affecting the sector including any trends in animal welfare offences.

Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is an offence under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. In 2021, the maximum sentence for this offence was increased to five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

In addition, the Online Safety Act 2023 requires social media firms to remove online content that could facilitate animal cruelty. Ofcom is currently consulting on how these new requirements should be implemented.

No assessment has been made.

The Government does not provide an exhaustive list of recognised or protected disabilities. Rather, the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) defines disability as “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”. The Act describes “long-term” as an impairment that has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least 12 months, or where the impairment is likely to last for the rest of a person’s life; while “substantial” is defined as an impairment that is more than minor or trivial.

The Act is clear that it is not necessary for the cause of the impairment to be established, nor does the impairment have to be the result of an illness. A disability can therefore arise from a wide range of impairments, and any person that falls within this definition - which may include those with ulcerative colitis - will already be protected as having a disability.

No assessment has been made of the impact of prescription costs on people with chronic health conditions. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. The scheme provides income related help to people who are not automatically exempt from charges but who may be entitled to full or partial help if they have a low income and savings below a defined limit.

To support those with greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three month and 12-month certificates available.

People with brain tumours have access to various treatment options on the National Health Service, including surgery, radiotherapy and systematic anti-cancer therapies, depending on the nature and stage of the tumour.

The Government is committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment, so that people with brain tumours can get access to the care they need more quickly. We will start by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.

Lord Darzi is currently undertaking an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for regulating the consumer credit market. It is part of a robust regulatory system which is driving the Government’s vision for a well-functioning and sustainable consumer credit market that meets consumers’ needs.

Prior to entering into an agreement, a firm must provide a consumer with a range of information, allowing them to compare the features of different credit products, and to ensure they understand the key terms of the agreement they are entering into. This includes Adequate Explanations required by FCA rules, as well as Pre-Contractual Credit Information set out in the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

Lenders are also required to adhere to rules and guidelines set out in the FCA’s Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC) on responsible lending. These rules are based on the principle that money should only be lent in circumstances where it is affordable and appropriate for the consumers’ needs. Such rules mandate firms to undertake affordability and creditworthiness assessments against consumers to assess their ability to repay the credit without causing financial difficulty.

You may also be interested to know that the Government is committed to reforming the Consumer Credit Act 1974 to make it fit for purpose and bolster consumer protection. As part of this, the Government will consider how to ensure consumers are better informed about the costs and conditions of credit products and can make informed decisions. The government will be publishing proposals in due course.

As tax and pay slip processes cover a significant range of HMRC activity, HMRC have not been able to provide a specific impact assessment for individuals with dyscalculia.

The HMRC Charter and Principles of support set out HMRC’s commitments to identifying and supporting all customers who need extra help. The need for extra help can cover a range of circumstances which could include individuals with dyscalculia.

The government offers support for individuals to help with the cost of glasses through NHS optical vouchers. Those eligible for help include children and those on certain income-related benefits. The value of optical vouchers varies from £42.40 to £233.56, depending on the level of a patient’s glasses prescription.

While spectacles attract the standard rate of VAT, health and welfare services, including opticians and eye tests, are exempt from VAT made by qualifying opticians.

One of the key considerations for any potential new VAT relief is whether the cost saving is likely to be passed on to consumers. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates.

VAT is a broad-based tax that applies to most goods and services. Any new VAT relief must be considered in the context of the current fiscal position. As set out at the end of July, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has pledged to restore economic stability after revealing £22 billion of unfunded pressures in 2024-25 inherited from the previous Government.

Restoring fiscal responsibility and economic stability are critical to getting our economy growing and keeping taxes, inflation, and mortgages as low as possible.

As with all taxes, the Government welcomes representations on how the tax system can be improved.

HMRC had two unrelated incidents during August impacting the online Self-Assessment service, one for 21 hours and one for 8 hours. As part of HMRC’s standard process, both incidents were resolved as quickly as possible and analysed in post incident reviews where we took learnings and put in place actions to avoid future incidents.

In 2021, the English Private Landlord Survey showed that almost half of landlords were unwilling to let to tenants with pets. The Government wants to ensure more tenants can experience the benefits of pet ownership – including the benefits to mental and physical health. The Renters’ Rights Bill will give tenants the right to request a pet and ensure landlords cannot unreasonably withhold consent. Landlords will be required to respond to any requests by a tenant to keep a pet within 28 days, instead of the 42 that had been proposed by the previous Government. Tenants will be able to challenge unfair decisions.

The Government recognises that the current home buying and selling process in England is slow, costly and stressful, and that transactions falling through can contribute to this.

On average, around one in three transactions fall through before completion, costing consumers around £400 million in direct costs alone.

We continue to consider how to drive improvements most effectively across home buying and selling for both consumers and the sector.