Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has assessed the extent to which criminal record disclosure questions used by employers are accessible to neurodivergent applicants.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to helping ex-offenders overcome barriers and find employment to help turn away from reoffending and reintegrate into society. The criminal records regime is designed to play a role in this process, striking a balance between providing employers with the information they need to make safer recruitment decisions and enabling ex-offenders to rebuild their lives.

A criminal record, spent or otherwise, should not be an automatic barrier to employment. We have produced guidance for applicants and employers explaining how criminal record disclosure works, including the rules governing spent and protected convictions and cautions, and how employers should use information disclosed in making recruitment decisions. This guidance states that employers should discuss the disclosed information with the applicant and make a balanced judgment on whether someone’s convictions make them unsuitable for a particular role.

The Government also provides support through the online Disclosure Checker tool, which helps individuals understand what cautions and convictions they are required to disclose in different circumstances, and we signpost to a number of third sector organisations which can provide tailored, individual support to people with criminal records.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) promotes the fair and appropriate use of criminal record information through its online guidance and outreach activity and encourages employers to discuss disclosed information with applicants where appropriate.

The Government committed to consult on a targeted, proportionate package of reforms to the childhood criminal records regime in the Youth Justice White Paper by the end of this year. We also work with employer groups and third sector charities supporting people with criminal records to promote best practice, reduce stigma and inform policy decisions. We will continue to use this engagement to ensure that guidance and support for employers and individuals remains clear, accessible and proportionate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of a standardised national system for criminal record declarations for applicants and employers.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to helping ex-offenders overcome barriers and find employment to help turn away from reoffending and reintegrate into society. The criminal records regime is designed to play a role in this process, striking a balance between providing employers with the information they need to make safer recruitment decisions and enabling ex-offenders to rebuild their lives.

A criminal record, spent or otherwise, should not be an automatic barrier to employment. We have produced guidance for applicants and employers explaining how criminal record disclosure works, including the rules governing spent and protected convictions and cautions, and how employers should use information disclosed in making recruitment decisions. This guidance states that employers should discuss the disclosed information with the applicant and make a balanced judgment on whether someone’s convictions make them unsuitable for a particular role.

The Government also provides support through the online Disclosure Checker tool, which helps individuals understand what cautions and convictions they are required to disclose in different circumstances, and we signpost to a number of third sector organisations which can provide tailored, individual support to people with criminal records.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) promotes the fair and appropriate use of criminal record information through its online guidance and outreach activity and encourages employers to discuss disclosed information with applicants where appropriate.

The Government committed to consult on a targeted, proportionate package of reforms to the childhood criminal records regime in the Youth Justice White Paper by the end of this year. We also work with employer groups and third sector charities supporting people with criminal records to promote best practice, reduce stigma and inform policy decisions. We will continue to use this engagement to ensure that guidance and support for employers and individuals remains clear, accessible and proportionate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the clarity and accessibility of terminology used in criminal record disclosure questions on job application forms, including references to convictions that are "protected" or "eligible for filtering".

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to helping ex-offenders overcome barriers and find employment to help turn away from reoffending and reintegrate into society. The criminal records regime is designed to play a role in this process, striking a balance between providing employers with the information they need to make safer recruitment decisions and enabling ex-offenders to rebuild their lives.

A criminal record, spent or otherwise, should not be an automatic barrier to employment. We have produced guidance for applicants and employers explaining how criminal record disclosure works, including the rules governing spent and protected convictions and cautions, and how employers should use information disclosed in making recruitment decisions. This guidance states that employers should discuss the disclosed information with the applicant and make a balanced judgment on whether someone’s convictions make them unsuitable for a particular role.

The Government also provides support through the online Disclosure Checker tool, which helps individuals understand what cautions and convictions they are required to disclose in different circumstances, and we signpost to a number of third sector organisations which can provide tailored, individual support to people with criminal records.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) promotes the fair and appropriate use of criminal record information through its online guidance and outreach activity and encourages employers to discuss disclosed information with applicants where appropriate.

The Government committed to consult on a targeted, proportionate package of reforms to the childhood criminal records regime in the Youth Justice White Paper by the end of this year. We also work with employer groups and third sector charities supporting people with criminal records to promote best practice, reduce stigma and inform policy decisions. We will continue to use this engagement to ensure that guidance and support for employers and individuals remains clear, accessible and proportionate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the his Department has considered establishing a national criminal record disclosure portal through which applicants could access information about the convictions and cautions they are required to disclose to employers.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to helping ex-offenders overcome barriers and find employment to help turn away from reoffending and reintegrate into society. The criminal records regime is designed to play a role in this process, striking a balance between providing employers with the information they need to make safer recruitment decisions and enabling ex-offenders to rebuild their lives.

A criminal record, spent or otherwise, should not be an automatic barrier to employment. We have produced guidance for applicants and employers explaining how criminal record disclosure works, including the rules governing spent and protected convictions and cautions, and how employers should use information disclosed in making recruitment decisions. This guidance states that employers should discuss the disclosed information with the applicant and make a balanced judgment on whether someone’s convictions make them unsuitable for a particular role.

The Government also provides support through the online Disclosure Checker tool, which helps individuals understand what cautions and convictions they are required to disclose in different circumstances, and we signpost to a number of third sector organisations which can provide tailored, individual support to people with criminal records.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) promotes the fair and appropriate use of criminal record information through its online guidance and outreach activity and encourages employers to discuss disclosed information with applicants where appropriate.

The Government committed to consult on a targeted, proportionate package of reforms to the childhood criminal records regime in the Youth Justice White Paper by the end of this year. We also work with employer groups and third sector charities supporting people with criminal records to promote best practice, reduce stigma and inform policy decisions. We will continue to use this engagement to ensure that guidance and support for employers and individuals remains clear, accessible and proportionate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with employers, representative bodies and disclosure services on improving the consistency of criminal record disclosure practices across recruitment processes.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to helping ex-offenders overcome barriers and find employment to help turn away from reoffending and reintegrate into society. The criminal records regime is designed to play a role in this process, striking a balance between providing employers with the information they need to make safer recruitment decisions and enabling ex-offenders to rebuild their lives.

A criminal record, spent or otherwise, should not be an automatic barrier to employment. We have produced guidance for applicants and employers explaining how criminal record disclosure works, including the rules governing spent and protected convictions and cautions, and how employers should use information disclosed in making recruitment decisions. This guidance states that employers should discuss the disclosed information with the applicant and make a balanced judgment on whether someone’s convictions make them unsuitable for a particular role.

The Government also provides support through the online Disclosure Checker tool, which helps individuals understand what cautions and convictions they are required to disclose in different circumstances, and we signpost to a number of third sector organisations which can provide tailored, individual support to people with criminal records.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) promotes the fair and appropriate use of criminal record information through its online guidance and outreach activity and encourages employers to discuss disclosed information with applicants where appropriate.

The Government committed to consult on a targeted, proportionate package of reforms to the childhood criminal records regime in the Youth Justice White Paper by the end of this year. We also work with employer groups and third sector charities supporting people with criminal records to promote best practice, reduce stigma and inform policy decisions. We will continue to use this engagement to ensure that guidance and support for employers and individuals remains clear, accessible and proportionate.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of sand battery thermal energy storage technology; and what funding programmes are available to support pilot and commercial deployment of that technology in the UK.

Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department technical experts assess the potential of different energy technologies to understand their merits. There are two forms of thermal energy technology with different merits, using either “real” heat where a material is heated without a phase change, and “latent” heat where a material is melted using heat. Sand battery thermal energy storage is an example of the former technology and frequently is combined with other electricity storage technologies such as compressed air to increase efficiencies. To support development of all types of storage, the UK government and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) launched the £28 million Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage (Ultra-LDES) Challenge on August 20^th.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on updating refugee family reunion provisions, including expected timescales for implementation following the suspension of previous refugee family reunion routes.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government recognises the importance of family unity and acknowledges that people who seek protection in the UK may have been separated from their families by conflict, persecution or circumstances beyond their control.

Our reforms to the asylum system, announced last autumn, mean that those granted protection will not have an automatic right to family reunion. Those who successfully move off Core Protection and enter a Work and Study visa route could become eligible to sponsor family members to come to the UK.

Our new approach will strike a fair balance between the circumstances of individual families and the wider public interest. It will be flexible enough to protect the most vulnerable while ensuring the system remains controlled and sustainable. Detailed future arrangements for family members of people with protection status remain under development.

Applications made under Appendix Family Reunion before the suspension continue to be considered under the rules in place at the time they applied.

During the suspension, other family routes, including Appendix FM, are available for family members of sponsors with protection, if they consider they meet the relevant immigration rules. More information on family visas can be found on GOV.UK at: Family visas: apply, extend or switch: Overview - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether 999 call handlers and members of the Ambulance service will have access to the Single Patient Record to help them respond effectively to callers with life-threatening rare diseases, such as Addison's Disease.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Yes, they will. On my recent visit to the London Ambulance Service, which already uses the London Care Record to share information securely amongst providers across London, I spoke about the benefits that the Single Patient Record would bring about for their work in future, saying:

“When someone calls for an ambulance, every minute matters. During my visit today, I saw first-hand how important access to patient information can be in an emergency. Having details such as a patient’s medical history, medications and urgent care plans can make a real difference when time is precious. The Single Patient Record will help ensure frontline clinicians have the information they need when it matters most. And that means being able to deliver safer, more informed and more personalised care from the moment they arrive.”

Found: Questions 1-10 Representations made I: Scott Arthur and Clive Jones II: Scott Arthur and Julie Minns

Found: Derbyshire Clay Cross S45 9LX Voluntary, charity and social enterprise Employer Central Midlands Julie Minns