David Burton-Sampson

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.

The UK Government is fully committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and will support Ukraine for as long as it takes. As a part of this commitment, tariffs on all goods under our Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine are temporarily removed until March 2029, except poultry and eggs where tariffs are removed until March 2026.

This is a reciprocal agreement, with tariffs also removed on UK exports to Ukraine. Before the end of the liberalisation period both the UK and Ukraine will review options and jointly decide whether to extend the liberalisation commitments further.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) is fundamentally reforming Companies House, enabling it to play a greater role in improving corporate transparency, improving the quality of data and information on the company register and giving Companies House greater powers to contribute to our efforts in tackling economic crime.

The reform of Companies House is backed by £63 million of investment from the Department for Business and Trade and fees have been increased to fund greater investigation and enforcement capabilities.

The first phase of reforms came into force in March 2024. Further measures, including the introduction of Identity Verification, are in the process of being implemented.

Through the department’s Plan for Change, we are committed to giving every child the best start in life. On 28 August 2025, we confirmed over £600 million for the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme for the next three financial years (from 2026/27).

Defra is working with the police, local authorities and animal welfare groups to explore measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible dog ownership. We have reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce and look forward to receiving their findings and recommendations in due course.

The three shifts outlined in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with migraines, to better manage their conditions and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.

In addition, by 2028/29, neighbourhood health teams will be organised around the needs of their patients. The plan will create joined-up working across hospitals and into community settings, with multi-disciplinary teams which can provide wrap-around support services.

By 2030, one million patients with long-term conditions will be offered Personal Health Budgets, which will enable them to use National Health Service resources and determine the care that best suits their needs.

Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through the My Specialist section on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support. The NHS App will provide access to advice, guidance, self-care support, and appointment management. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access and preference over the services they need.

As part of the NHS App, the My Medicines section will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and the My Health section will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place.

The Government recognises that migraine is a serious neurological condition and that poor access to care and services can be exacerbated by stigma among healthcare professionals around the condition, while some employers may also not fully understand the condition and its impact on employees too. We are committed to ensuring that people suffering from migraines are supported effectively.

Comprehensive information on migraine, including symptoms and treatment options, is available on the National Health Service website. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also published clinical guidance, Headaches: Diagnosis and management of headaches in young people and adults, which sets out evidence based best practice for healthcare professionals in the care, treatment and support of people who suffer from migraines.

We expect integrated care boards to have regard to NHS England’s RightCare Headache and Migraines Toolkit, which aims to improve the diagnosis and management of headache disorders in primary and community care settings.

The three shifts outlined in the recently published 10 Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with migraines, to better manage their conditions and access services closer to home. Shifting care to community-based Neighbourhood Centres, expanding the role of pharmacy, the expansion of care plans, and the use of digital tools to help patients manage their condition and understand their attack patterns, will all provide for earlier, more consistent, and more accessible care for people with migraine.

The Government offers tailored guidance to employers on supporting disabled people and people with health conditions in the workplace, through its Support with Employee Health and Disability Service. This includes guidance on disclosures and having conversations about health and disabilities, plus guidance on legal obligations and making reasonable adjustments.

To encourage uptake of lung screening, we are directly targeting activity at areas that we know will make a difference. This includes awareness campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms, including lung cancer, and encourage people to get checked.

Latest data shows early diagnosis for lung cancer is eight percentage points higher than pre-pandemic. This improvement has largely been driven by roll out of Lung Cancer Screening Programme. The Lung Cancer Screening Programme is a national screening programme in the National Health Service designed to identify cancers at an earlier stage and has led to over 3,000 more lung cancers being diagnosed at an earlier stage. When fully rolled out, the Lung Cancer Screening Programme will detect around 9,000 cancers earlier each year and support the NHS Long Term plan to detect more cancers earlier.

Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a wide variety of organisations, including insurers, on an ongoing basis.

Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics.

However, the Government is committed to ensuring that insurers treat all customers fairly and insurance companies are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules.

The FCA is the independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value. The FCA monitors firms to make sure they provide products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.

The courts, as the cornerstone of the civil justice system, play a crucial role in supporting economic growth, enabling businesses and citizens to resolve disputes in a timely fashion and uphold their rights.

Though most civil claims made in the county courts result in a default judgment or out-of-court settlement, there have been long standing challenges with delays in the 3% of claims that require a full trial. HM Courts & Tribunals Service is working in partnership with the judiciary to address this.

We have increased the use of mediation, making mediation a requirement in all defended claims for under £10,000. This enables more claims to reach a consensual resolution at an earlier stage and frees up resource to deal with those claims that require judicial determination. In addition, increased digital working through our reformed systems allow money claims, including those involving businesses with legal representation, to reach trial readiness over three times quicker than paper claims.

Last year, seven women were killed in Northern Ireland and rates of violence against women are higher in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the UK.

In January, I was pleased to welcome the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls to Northern Ireland to meet Executive Ministers and the Police Service, and to visit the excellent Foyle Family Justice Centre. We discussed ways we can work together and share best practice to tackle violence against women and girls.