Asked by: Dan Aldridge (Labour - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to mandate the use of AI labelling tools to differentiate between real and synthetic content.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises that solutions to enable users and institutions to determine what media is real and what is AI-generated can help in tackling a range of AI risks, and are examining the robustness of a range of such solutions in this space.
The Government is also making sure our statute book is ready for the age of AI and its huge opportunities. The Government will update Parliament in due course.
Asked by: Dan Aldridge (Labour - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the sale or promotion of merchandise linked to (a) the Wagner Group and (b) other proscribed terrorist organisations on (i) UK-based and (ii) UK-accessible websites; and what enforcement action is being taken against companies found to be doing so.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is a matter for the operationally independent police and Crown Prosecution Service to determine if a crime has been committed under Sections 11-13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT), and what action should be taken in response.
Under the Online Safety Act, tech companies are accountable to Ofcom, an independent regulator, to keep their users safe, and they need to remove and limit the spread of illegal content, including terrorist material. Tech companies can be held liable for unlawful terrorism-related content on their services once they have knowledge of it. It is on this basis that the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit in the Metropolitan Police refers terrorism content to companies for removal.
Asked by: Dan Aldridge (Labour - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to accelerate the registration process for overseas-trained dentists to help extend the provision of NHS dental care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I have asked the General Dental Council (GDC) to urgently develop an action plan of concrete measures to reduce the GDC’s Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) waiting list, and I will be regularly meeting with them to monitor progress.
I have welcomed the additional sittings of both parts of the ORE that the GDC has put in place, as well as their ongoing procurement of new ORE provider contracts. I will continue to discuss the new arrangements with the GDC, with a focus on understanding how they will further increase the availability of the ORE exam in the short and longer term.
The Department not be proceeding with providing the GDC with any additional legislative powers for international registration at this time. Having considered options for a provisional registration scheme, the Government’s view is that other, more cost-effective and efficient routes to registration should be the immediate priority.
Meanwhile, we expect the GDC to make full use of the flexibility afforded by the international registration reforms introduced in 2023 to ensure that those who have the right skills and experience are able to join its registers as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Asked by: Dan Aldridge (Labour - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will provide an update on when HM Revenue & Customs will restart processing IHT30 clearance requests.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC have not stopped processing IHT30 clearance requests. HMRC have prioritised the processing of IHT400 forms to minimise any delays for customers applying for probate through HM Courts & Tribunals Service, and this has meant that some IHT30 requests are currently being processed outside of service standard.
HMRC have trained and are recruiting more staff in this area so that they can reduce wait times
Asked by: Dan Aldridge (Labour - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to introduce a statutory right to paid menstrual health leave for individuals suffering from (a) endometriosis and (b) adenomyosis.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has set out its immediate priorities for reforming employment law in the Plan to Make Work Pay. The Plan includes a number of measures which may help people manage endometriosis and adenomyosis at work - including making sure people can benefit from flexible working. Our plan aims to deliver change so that people are more able to balance working life with their personal circumstances.
Asked by: Dan Aldridge (Labour - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's revised code of practice for services, public functions and associations on the tourism industry.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We welcome the clarity that the revised code of practice brings to service providers on navigating the implications of the Supreme Court ruling. While there is no current assessment of the potential impact of the revised code of practice on the tourism industry, the Office for Equality and Opportunity within the Cabinet Office is collating Government feedback for the OEO to provide to the EHRC on their public consultation on the code of practice following the UK Supreme Court ruling on 16 April 2025.
Asked by: Dan Aldridge (Labour - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is her Department's policy to increase the capital budget to schools to support them in implementing the proposed EHRC changes to the Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is updating its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations and is seeking views from affected stakeholders through their consultation which closes on 30 June. We would encourage people to ensure their views are heard by submitting a response to the consultation. The department will then consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it.
Asked by: Dan Aldridge (Labour - Weston-super-Mare)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent estimate she has made of the cost of legal advice for small businesses of the proposed changes to the Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions, and Associations by the EHRC.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent of government. The purpose of the EHRC’s Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations is to ensure or facilitate compliance with the Equality Act 2010 or an enactment made under that Act. The EHRC has opened its consultation on the draft updated statutory Code of Practice, seeking views from affected stakeholders. We encourage all those affected stakeholders to submit a response to the consultation. We will then consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it.
Asked by: Dan Aldridge (Labour - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the legal costs of implementing the EHRC’s proposed Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations for schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Weston-super-Mare to the answer of 09 June 2025 to Question 55359.
Asked by: Dan Aldridge (Labour - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost of implementing the proposed EHRC Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions, and Associations on academies; and whether she has had discussions with academy providers on this issue.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Weston-super-Mare to the answer of 09 June 2025 to Question 55359.