Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussion with his counterparts in (a) France, (b) Germany and (c) Sweden to learn on steps to reduce plastic waste.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra officials have had discussions with their counterparts in other countries to learn lessons on tackling waste, including plastic waste. For instance, officials have had discussions with the German Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) administrator to assist in developing the DRS in the UK.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has targets for the (a) recycling and (b) reuse of textiles.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has asked his department to convene a taskforce of experts from across Government, industry, academia and relevant non-governmental organisations. The Taskforce will help to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis. The Taskforce will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and as such the Taskforce will evaluate what interventions may need to be made in the textiles sector as it helps to develop the Circular Economy Strategy.

In the meantime, we continue to fund action in this area through the Textiles 2030 voluntary initiative which supports businesses and organisations within the fashion and textiles industry to transition to more sustainable and circular practices.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to reduce the amount of post-consumer textiles discarded annually.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has asked his department to convene a taskforce of experts from across Government, industry, academia and relevant non-governmental organisations. The Taskforce will help to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis. The Taskforce will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and as such the Taskforce will evaluate what interventions may need to be made in the textiles sector as it helps to develop the Circular Economy Strategy.

In the meantime, we continue to fund action in this area through the Textiles 2030 voluntary initiative which supports businesses and organisations within the fashion and textiles industry to transition to more sustainable and circular practices.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has targets for the elimination of post-consumer plastic waste.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics - a future where we keep our resources in use for longer; waste is reduced; we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs; our economy prospers; and nature thrives. As a part of this transition, managing and reducing plastic waste will be crucial.

While the Government has not yet set targets for the elimination of plastic waste, we will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reducing the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encouraging reuse solutions.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) VAT reductions, (b) tax breaks and (c) other financial incentives for businesses engaged in (i) upcycling and (ii) the sustainable production of textiles.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has inherited a challenging fiscal position, with debt near 100% of GDP and borrowing more than double what it was before the pandemic. In addition to this, a Treasury audit in July 2024 revealed an additional £21.9 billion pressure on departmental spending.

As a result, the Government will have to take difficult decisions in relation to tax, spending and welfare at the budget.

Defra are convening a taskforce of experts to help to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Taskforce will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and as such the Taskforce will evaluate what interventions may need to be made in the textiles sector as it helps to develop the Circular Economy Strategy.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish a strategy for the promotion of a circular economy.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has asked his Department to prioritise the development of a Circular Economy Strategy for England, to be published in 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing stricter sustainability guidelines for medical clothing procurement.

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

The Department’s Design for Life Programme is dedicated to the exploration and delivery of a circular economy for medical devices, including consumables, through greater reuse, remanufacture, and recycling. Its work includes exploring regulatory, commercial, digital, policy, and research environments that support delaying products becoming waste for as long as possible. This includes working closely with the MedTech industry to determine sustainable ways of manufacture and reducing waste. More details on the Design for Life programme will be published shortly.

The NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap sets out the steps suppliers must take to align with the National Health Services’ net zero ambition between now and 2030. NHS England will continue to work closely with regulators, suppliers, and industry bodies to shape our approach to further milestones, including product-level requirements, and give all suppliers the opportunity to align with our net zero ambition. This roadmap is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/get-involved/suppliers/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish a strategy on promoting a circular economy in medical textiles, including targets for the elimination of post-consumer plastic waste.

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

The Department’s Design for Life Programme is dedicated to the exploration and delivery of a circular economy for medical devices, including consumables, through greater reuse, remanufacture, and recycling. Its work includes exploring regulatory, commercial, digital, policy, and research environments that support delaying products becoming waste for as long as possible. This includes working closely with the MedTech industry to determine sustainable ways of manufacture and reducing waste. More details on the Design for Life programme will be published shortly.

The NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap sets out the steps suppliers must take to align with the National Health Services’ net zero ambition between now and 2030. NHS England will continue to work closely with regulators, suppliers, and industry bodies to shape our approach to further milestones, including product-level requirements, and give all suppliers the opportunity to align with our net zero ambition. This roadmap is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/get-involved/suppliers/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department plans to integrate the National Programme for a Greener NHS with (a) the use of upcycled and reusable medical garments and (b) other unsustainable initiatives to help the NHS meet its net zero targets.

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

The National Health Service has committed to reaching net zero by 2045 for the emissions it influences through the goods and services it buys from its partners and suppliers. This includes a greater focus on procuring and using sustainable and reusable medical garments where this is safe and effective, such as reusable sterile gowns.

To support this, NHS England is working with NHS organisations to share best practice and evidence-based approaches, understand operational challenges, for example, requirements for laundry infrastructure, and support the inclusion of lots to procure reusable medical textile services within relevant procurement frameworks. NHS England supported the Royal Surgical Colleges to develop and promote the Green Theatre Checklist to encourage sustainable theatre approaches, including medical garments. The checklist is available at the following link:

https://www.rcsed.ac.uk/professional-support-development-resources/environmental-sustainability-and-surgery/green-theatre-checklist

NHS England is also supporting innovation through the Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare programme, which has funded a project to support reuse of surgical textiles. More information is available at the following link:

https://sbrihealthcare.co.uk/impact-case-studies/case-studies/revolution-zero

The Department continues to work closely with the Greener NHS programme in NHS England to support the NHS to meet its net zero targets, including a focus on procuring and using sustainable and reusable products where this is safe and effective.

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 help ensure the use of (a) reusable and (b) otherwise sustainable medical garments within the NHS.

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

The National Health Service has committed to reaching net zero by 2045 for the emissions it influences through the goods and services it buys from its partners and suppliers. This includes a greater focus on procuring and using sustainable and reusable medical garments where this is safe and effective, such as reusable sterile gowns.

To support this, NHS England is working with NHS organisations to share best practice and evidence-based approaches, understand operational challenges, for example, requirements for laundry infrastructure, and support the inclusion of lots to procure reusable medical textile services within relevant procurement frameworks. NHS England supported the Royal Surgical Colleges to develop and promote the Green Theatre Checklist to encourage sustainable theatre approaches, including medical garments. The checklist is available at the following link:

https://www.rcsed.ac.uk/professional-support-development-resources/environmental-sustainability-and-surgery/green-theatre-checklist

NHS England is also supporting innovation through the Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare programme, which has funded a project to support reuse of surgical textiles. More information is available at the following link:

https://sbrihealthcare.co.uk/impact-case-studies/case-studies/revolution-zero

The Department continues to work closely with the Greener NHS programme in NHS England to support the NHS to meet its net zero targets, including a focus on procuring and using sustainable and reusable products where this is safe and effective.

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 encourage the NHS to procure (a) sustainable and (b) upcycled medical garments.

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

The National Health Service has committed to reaching net zero by 2045 for the emissions it influences through the goods and services it buys from its partners and suppliers. This includes a greater focus on procuring and using sustainable and reusable medical garments where this is safe and effective, such as reusable sterile gowns.

To support this, NHS England is working with NHS organisations to share best practice and evidence-based approaches, understand operational challenges, for example, requirements for laundry infrastructure, and support the inclusion of lots to procure reusable medical textile services within relevant procurement frameworks. NHS England supported the Royal Surgical Colleges to develop and promote the Green Theatre Checklist to encourage sustainable theatre approaches, including medical garments. The checklist is available at the following link:

https://www.rcsed.ac.uk/professional-support-development-resources/environmental-sustainability-and-surgery/green-theatre-checklist

NHS England is also supporting innovation through the Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare programme, which has funded a project to support reuse of surgical textiles. More information is available at the following link:

https://sbrihealthcare.co.uk/impact-case-studies/case-studies/revolution-zero

The Department continues to work closely with the Greener NHS programme in NHS England to support the NHS to meet its net zero targets, including a focus on procuring and using sustainable and reusable products where this is safe and effective.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the Community Benefits guidance for electricity transmission network infrastructure will be published.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We are committed to ensuring that communities who live near new clean energy infrastructure can see the benefits of this and are currently considering how to most effectively deliver this. This includes developing guidance on community benefits for electricity transmission network infrastructure, which we will publish in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing procurement rules to ensure that NHS medical garments are not linked to forced labour.

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

As part of the recommendations from the Department and NHS England’s Review of risk of modern slavery and human trafficking in the NHS supply chain, published in December 2023, it was recommended to lay regulations with a view to eradicate modern slavery, supporting the amendment of Section 12zc in the NHS Act 2006. The regulations cover all goods and service procurements on behalf of the health service, which includes medical garments. Further information on the review is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-risk-of-modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking-in-the-nhs-supply-chain

The Department and NHS England have also collaborated to develop detailed guidance to support the embedding of the regulations and policies throughout the procurement exercise. This ensures alignment to procurements conducted under all legal regimes including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

A public consultation for the content and approach of those regulations is to be launched in Autumn 2024. This will support my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to develop the regulations to ensure the National Health Service eradicates modern slavery in supply chains.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made towards setting targets for waste reduction in the NHS.

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

In 2023, NHS England published a new Heath Technical Memoranda (HTM) titled Safe and Sustainable Management of Healthcare Waste, as well as a new clinical waste strategy. Further information on the HTM is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/B2159iii-health-technical-memorandum-07-01.pdf

Contained within the documents are targets and goals for improved clinical waste segregation, elimination of landfill waste, and increased waste recycling programmes. These measures will continue to reduce waste, and provide better value for money to the National Health Service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's policy is on (a) maternity and (b) paternity leave for public appointments.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There is a wide variety of public appointments which are made by Ministers. Typically they consist of non-executive positions of a public body, or a member of an advisory committee. A person appointed to such a position is an office holder. Office holders tend not to be employees.

By operation of law, statutory maternity and paternity leave is only available to employees, who are employed under an employment contract and meet the necessary eligibility criteria.

A particular Office holder may be eligible for a form of discretionary leave, but this would be a matter for the relevant appointing authority to determine.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the sixteenth report of session 2017-19 of the Environmental Audit Committee entitled Fixing fashion: clothing consumption and sustainability, HC 1952, published on 19 February 2019, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of accepting the recommendation to impose a charge on clothing garments to fund clothing collection and sorting services.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

No recent assessment has been made of the Environmental Audit Committee’s recommendation for a charge on garments to fund collection and sorting services. However, the Secretary of State has asked his department to convene a taskforce of experts from across the Government, industry, academia and relevant NGOs. The Taskforce will help to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis. The Taskforce will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and as such the Taskforce will evaluate what interventions may need to be made in the textiles sector as it helps to develop the Circular Economy Strategy.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to require retailers to publish data on microplastics used in their clothing.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has asked his department to convene a Taskforce of experts from across the Government, industry, academia and relevant NGOs. The Taskforce will help to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis. The Taskforce will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and as such the Taskforce will evaluate what interventions may need to be made in the textiles sector as it helps to develop the Circular Economy Strategy. In the meantime we have no plans to require clothing producers or retailers to publish additional data.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent children in Lowestoft constituency being exposed to pornography.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Under the Online Safety Act platforms must proactively tackle the most harmful illegal content including extreme pornography, much of which disproportionately affects women and girls. The Act requires services in scope to understand risks from illegal content online and take mitigating action.

Separate to provisions in the Online Safety Act, the Independent Pornography Review, led by Independent Lead Reviewer Baroness Gabby Bertin will explore the effectiveness of regulation, legislation and the law enforcement response to pornography. The government expects the Review to present its final report by the end of the year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of recognising (a) non-formal and (b) experiential learning alongside academic achievements in the curriculum review.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) is being independently conducted by a group of education leaders (the review group) and chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Terms of Reference were published in July 2024.

The review has been asked to consider how to remove barriers to learning and remove ceilings to achievement. It will support the innovation and professionalism of teachers, enabling them to adapt how they teach the curriculum to their students’ lives and life experiences.

The review will also look at whether the current assessment system can be improved for both young people and staff. It will seek to deliver an assessment system that captures the strengths of every child and young person and the breadth of curriculum with the right balance of assessment methods whilst maintaining the important role of examinations.

The role of the review group is to consider the evidence, the responses to the call for evidence and widespread engagement with the sector over the coming months, and then make recommendations for the government to consider.

The review group will publish an interim report in the new year setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final review with recommendations will be published in autumn 2025.

The government will consider changes to the National Curriculum and assessment in light of the recommendations of the review.

A link to access the CAR’s call for evidence can be found below: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/improving-the-curriculum-and-assessment-system.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the harmful effects of pornography in Lowestoft constituency.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must proactively tackle the most harmful illegal content including extreme pornography, much of which disproportionately affects women and girls. The Act requires services in scope to understand risks from illegal content online and take mitigating action.

Separate to provisions in the Online Safety Act, the Independent Pornography Review, led by Independent Lead Reviewer Baroness Gabby Bertin will explore the effectiveness of regulation, legislation and the law enforcement response to pornography. The government expects the Review to present its final report by the end of the year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent organised crime groups advertising victims of trafficking and other sexual exploitation offences on websites advertising prostitution in Lowestoft constituency.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out an ambition to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this.

The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational intensifications to target prolific perpetrators.

We have several ways to estimate the scale of sexual exploitation. Victims of sexual exploitation make up a significant proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support). The most recent statistics show that in 2023, sexual exploitation accounted for 10% (1,679) of all referrals, a 2% increase from the previous year, with 9% (1,470) of referrals relating to women. The Home Office does not hold data specific to Lowestoft. However, from January to June 2024, 6 potential victims of modern slavery referred to the NRM who reported (either part or wholly) sexual exploitation disclosed that their exploitation occurred in Suffolk. As we both know this will not be the extent of sexual exploitation in this area.

Online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.

To help support victims, we are providing £1.36m over three years to Changing Lives for their Net-Reach project, which provides early intervention and targeted support for women and girls at high-risk of commercial exploitation. We are also providing £378,811 to Trevi Women who provide trauma-informed support to women wishing to exit on-street prostitution.

In addition, the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. This support includes safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help them access wider support services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.

Home Office Ministers regularly meet with stakeholders, including NGOs and law enforcement partners, to promote the better identification and prosecution of perpetrators, and to enhance support for victims who are trapped within commercial sexual exploitation under the guise of prostitution.

The Government will set out next steps in this area in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the scale of commercial sexual exploitation in Lowestoft constituency.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out an ambition to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this.

The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational intensifications to target prolific perpetrators.

We have several ways to estimate the scale of sexual exploitation. Victims of sexual exploitation make up a significant proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support). The most recent statistics show that in 2023, sexual exploitation accounted for 10% (1,679) of all referrals, a 2% increase from the previous year, with 9% (1,470) of referrals relating to women. The Home Office does not hold data specific to Lowestoft. However, from January to June 2024, 6 potential victims of modern slavery referred to the NRM who reported (either part or wholly) sexual exploitation disclosed that their exploitation occurred in Suffolk. As we both know this will not be the extent of sexual exploitation in this area.

Online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.

To help support victims, we are providing £1.36m over three years to Changing Lives for their Net-Reach project, which provides early intervention and targeted support for women and girls at high-risk of commercial exploitation. We are also providing £378,811 to Trevi Women who provide trauma-informed support to women wishing to exit on-street prostitution.

In addition, the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. This support includes safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help them access wider support services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.

Home Office Ministers regularly meet with stakeholders, including NGOs and law enforcement partners, to promote the better identification and prosecution of perpetrators, and to enhance support for victims who are trapped within commercial sexual exploitation under the guise of prostitution.

The Government will set out next steps in this area in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce demand for trafficking for sexual exploitation in Lowestoft constituency.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out an ambition to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this.

The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational intensifications to target prolific perpetrators.

We have several ways to estimate the scale of sexual exploitation. Victims of sexual exploitation make up a significant proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support). The most recent statistics show that in 2023, sexual exploitation accounted for 10% (1,679) of all referrals, a 2% increase from the previous year, with 9% (1,470) of referrals relating to women. The Home Office does not hold data specific to Lowestoft. However, from January to June 2024, 6 potential victims of modern slavery referred to the NRM who reported (either part or wholly) sexual exploitation disclosed that their exploitation occurred in Suffolk. As we both know this will not be the extent of sexual exploitation in this area.

Online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.

To help support victims, we are providing £1.36m over three years to Changing Lives for their Net-Reach project, which provides early intervention and targeted support for women and girls at high-risk of commercial exploitation. We are also providing £378,811 to Trevi Women who provide trauma-informed support to women wishing to exit on-street prostitution.

In addition, the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. This support includes safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help them access wider support services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.

Home Office Ministers regularly meet with stakeholders, including NGOs and law enforcement partners, to promote the better identification and prosecution of perpetrators, and to enhance support for victims who are trapped within commercial sexual exploitation under the guise of prostitution.

The Government will set out next steps in this area in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department provides to help victims of sexual exploitation in Lowestoft constituency exit prostitution.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out an ambition to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this.

The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational intensifications to target prolific perpetrators.

We have several ways to estimate the scale of sexual exploitation. Victims of sexual exploitation make up a significant proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support). The most recent statistics show that in 2023, sexual exploitation accounted for 10% (1,679) of all referrals, a 2% increase from the previous year, with 9% (1,470) of referrals relating to women. The Home Office does not hold data specific to Lowestoft. However, from January to June 2024, 6 potential victims of modern slavery referred to the NRM who reported (either part or wholly) sexual exploitation disclosed that their exploitation occurred in Suffolk. As we both know this will not be the extent of sexual exploitation in this area.

Online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.

To help support victims, we are providing £1.36m over three years to Changing Lives for their Net-Reach project, which provides early intervention and targeted support for women and girls at high-risk of commercial exploitation. We are also providing £378,811 to Trevi Women who provide trauma-informed support to women wishing to exit on-street prostitution.

In addition, the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. This support includes safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help them access wider support services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.

Home Office Ministers regularly meet with stakeholders, including NGOs and law enforcement partners, to promote the better identification and prosecution of perpetrators, and to enhance support for victims who are trapped within commercial sexual exploitation under the guise of prostitution.

The Government will set out next steps in this area in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote a circular economy.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

To enable delivery of a Circular Economy Strategy for England, the Secretary of State has asked his department to convene a taskforce of experts from industry, academia, civil society, and the civil service.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a garment trading adjudicator to regulate the purchasing practices of domestic fashion retailers.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK fashion industry is famed for its historic creativity and this government recognises the important role the sector plays both in our domestic economy and on the global stage.

It is important to take an evidence-based approach to considering policy options. As well as the garment trade adjudicator or fashion watchdog idea, there have been other proposals including licensing and increased guidance on managing supply chains. We will continue to review measures to drive up standards across the sector and monitor global regulatory proposals in the sector.

The purpose of this short inquiry is to hear from representatives of those affected by the Department's review of post-16 qualification reforms; to influence the Department's review before it concludes by the end of the year; to establish the full extent of the Department's plans for level 3 qualifications reform; and to provide clarity to schools, colleges, and students who face uncertainty about which courses will be available to them in the coming years.