Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will mandate the Health and Safety Executive to audit businesses employing outdoor workers to ensure that high factor sunscreen is provided on site.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recognises the health risks posed by working in the sun in industries such as agriculture and construction. HSE’s guidance is informed by the NHS’s position and is available here: Skin at work: Outdoor workers and sun exposure - HSE.

The information in HSE's guidance encourages employers of outdoor workers to include sun protection advice in routine health and safety training and advises workers to keep covered up during the summer months. Where possible direct exposure to the sun should be avoided, for example by working in the shade. Employers should assess the risks and determine the best control measures.

Sunscreen with a protection factor of SPF30 or above, as per NHS guidelines, should be used to complement these measures and deal with any residual risk, but not as the primary protective measure.

HSE has a range of tools as its disposal to ensure employers are acting in accordance with their legal duties.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will respond to the correspondence of 16 July 2025 from the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon regarding the Woolmead site in the Farnham and Bordon constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

A response to the hon. Member was issued on 20 October 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what vetting processes are in place to prevent people with a history of violence or extremism from being granted asylum, in the context of recent developments in the Middle East.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks to establish their identity and to link it to their biometric details for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks. These checks are critical to the delivery of a safe and secure immigration system.

In line with the Refugee Convention, we will apply the relevant exclusion criteria and deny the benefits of refugee status to those who commit serious crimes and are a danger to the community or those who are a threat to national security.

Extremists and other criminals who are denied protection status who cannot be removed because doing so would breach our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, may be granted shorter more restrictive leave and will be subject to regular review. They are not eligible for the same range of benefits as those with protection status and cannot qualify for settlement. Such individuals are not welcome in the UK and will be removed at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Israeli authorities on the sharing of (a) intelligence, (b) biometric data and (c) watchlists in relation to people released under prisoner agreements related to conflict in the Middle East.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

It is the long-standing policy of successive governments not to comment publicly on discussions related to the UK sharing intelligence with international partners. The Home Office uses various tools to detect and disrupt travel by terrorists, by criminals and by individuals excluded from the UK; previously deported from the UK; or using lost, stolen or revoked documents and visas. This includes the use of domestic and international watchlists. It is a longstanding policy that HMG does not comment on the specific data held on the watchlist, how the data is used, or its source, as to do so would be harmful to the national security of the UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help prevent patients being treated in (a) corridors, (b) converted office spaces, (c) gyms and (d) other inappropriate spaces in winter 2025-26.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are doing everything we can as fast as we can to tackle and eliminate corridor care. The Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so patients can be treated with dignity.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out the steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

We have been taking key steps to ensure that the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try to reduce the demand pressure on accident and emergency departments, increase vaccination rates, and offer health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care board and trust winter plans to confirm they are able to meet demand and support patient flow.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken with international partners to support imprisoned human rights supports in China, in the context of reports of (a) torture and (b) denial of medical treatment.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 70115.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help consistent teaching of (a) safe and unsafe exposure to the sun and (b) how to reduce the risk of sun damage as outlined in the mandatory PHSE curriculum for primary schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of the revised relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance, published on 15 July, schools must now teach facts about safe and unsafe exposure to the sun, and how to reduce the risk of sun damage, including skin cancer. In secondary school, the curriculum builds on this, and in addition covers the importance of pupils taking responsibility for their own health.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to extend the teaching of sun safety to secondary schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of the revised relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance, published on 15 July, schools must now teach facts about safe and unsafe exposure to the sun, and how to reduce the risk of sun damage, including skin cancer. In secondary school, the curriculum builds on this, and in addition covers the importance of pupils taking responsibility for their own health.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to support (a) religious freedom and the (b) protection of minority faith groups.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right. Everyone in Britain has the right to feel safe and at ease where they live. The Government is committed to protecting individuals’ right to practise their religion freely and will not tolerate religious hatred in any form. Those who incite religious hatred will face the full force of the law.

Faith Groups in England and Wales that are particularly vulnerable to religiously or racially motivated hate crime are eligible for funded protective security measures through the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme. This scheme offers physical security enhancements, such as CCTV, intruder alarms, and secure perimeter fencing.

An Antisemitism Working Group has been established to advise the Government on effective strategies to tackle hate against Jewish communities. Additionally, the government continues to work with the independent advisor Lord Mann in combating antisemitism through meaningful engagement with diverse communities.

The Government has also established an independent working group to advise on a non-statutory definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred. The working group have engaged widely to ensure their proposed definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of communities across the United Kingdom.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of Enhertu for the treatment of (a) HER2-positive and (b) HER2-low breast cancer.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an evaluation of a treatment’s costs and benefits. These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is important that they are made independently and based on the available evidence. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE.

NICE has been able to recommend Enhertu for treating HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic breast cancer after one or more anti-HER2 treatments and for treating HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic breast cancer after 2 or more anti-HER2 therapies. Enhertu is now available for NHS patients in line with NICE’s recommendations.

On 29 July 2024, NICE published final guidance on Enhertu for use in the treatment of HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, and it was unable to recommend this life-extending treatment. The only obstacle to access for NHS patients to Enhertu is price, and my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, met the manufacturers of Enhertu, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo to encourage them to re-enter discussions with NHS England with a view to reaching a price at which NICE would be able to recommend Enhertu.

However, despite NICE and NHS England offering unprecedented flexibility, the companies were unable to offer Enhertu at a cost-effective price. NICE’s guidance will therefore remain unchanged for the moment. However, NICE remains open to being as flexible as possible with commercial partners and are willing to enter into a new NICE appraisal if there is movement on pricing.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to encourage the formation of an independent investigation into the 10 October 2025 attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Rabwah, Pakistan.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are aware of the recent attack at Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah and continue to monitor the situation with concern. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, and has raised this incident with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. I raised my concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community in a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to fully investigate incidents of violence, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families. On the international stage, the UK continues to highlight freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) violations and abuses through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure that (a) the Border Force and (b) UK national security agencies are aware of the identities of high-risk individuals released in prisoner exchanges in the Middle East.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Home Secretary has not had any engagement with Israeli authorities to discuss these matters. Since October 2023, a specialist team of experts from the FCDO have been providing support to family members in the UK and Israel. Officials have offered support to the hostage families forum, including through ministerial and senior official engagement.

We have also connected the families with specialist agencies and organisations that can offer practical and psychological support, including FCDO-funded partner Hostage International.

The Home Office uses various tools to detect and disrupt travel by terrorists, by criminals and by individuals excluded from the UK; previously deported from the UK; or using lost, stolen or revoked documents and visas. This includes the use of domestic and international watchlists.

It is a longstanding policy that HMG does not comment on the specific data held on the watchlist, how the data is used, or its source, as to do so would be harmful to the national security of the UK.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Pakistani counterpart on the (a) safety and (b) protection of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, in the context of the recent attack in Rabwah.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are aware of the recent attack at Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah and continue to monitor the situation with concern. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, and has raised this incident with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. I raised my concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community in a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to fully investigate incidents of violence, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families. On the international stage, the UK continues to highlight freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) violations and abuses through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her polices of the armed attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Rabwah, Pakistan, on 10 October 2025.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are aware of the recent attack at Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah and continue to monitor the situation with concern. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, and has raised this incident with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. I raised my concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community in a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to fully investigate incidents of violence, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families. On the international stage, the UK continues to highlight freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) violations and abuses through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to raise recent violence against Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are aware of the recent attack at Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah and continue to monitor the situation with concern. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, and has raised this incident with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. I raised my concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community in a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to fully investigate incidents of violence, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families. On the international stage, the UK continues to highlight freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) violations and abuses through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.

Found: Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Alex McIntyre; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford

Found: Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Alex McIntyre; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford