Kate Osamor

The loss of a child at any age is incredibly difficult. Parental Bereavement Leave is available to parents who suffer a bereavement from 24 weeks of completed pregnancy up to the age of 18.

Under existing laws, women are protected against any discrimination regarding pregnancy, including miscarriage. We expect employers to treat their employees experiencing miscarriage with compassion, and we encourage them to where possible go further to support their employees. More broadly, the Employment Rights Bill will strengthen protection for new mothers and establish a new right to Bereavement Leave for other loved ones.

The Government is committed to reducing emissions from road transport, aviation and high carbon products in support of our national missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower. This includes overhauling public transport services to make sustainable choices more convenient for more transport users, turbocharging the rollout of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and making the UK a world-leader in the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels. The government will set out further detail on its plans for reducing emissions from all sectors later this year.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK across traditional forms of media (print, radio, TV) and online. The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sister organisations to the ASA, are responsible for codifying the standards for advertising to the marketing industry as part of their UK Broadcast Advertising Code (‘BCAP Code’) and UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (‘CAP Code’), which include standards regarding environmental claims. The government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA.

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. The Government will also be hosting a roundtable shortly with representatives from animal welfare organisations to discuss the strategy.

As fraud offences are ‘priority offences’ under the Online Safety Act (OSA), all user-to-user services in scope must prevent illegal fraudulent content from appearing on their platforms and swiftly remove if it does. They must also effectively mitigate the risk of their service being used to facilitate fraud.

The OSA also requires in-scope platforms to provide accessible complaints and appeals procedures for their users. Additionally, those services over the designated threshold (Category 1 services) must uphold their terms of service.

Supporting our teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child, as the within-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high quality teaching.

The department wants to improve the experience of being a teacher and re-establish teaching as an attractive profession, one that existing teachers want to remain in, former teachers want to return to, and new graduates wish to join. Fair pay is key to this, which is why we accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools for 2024/25.

​In addition, new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing in the first five years of their careers will now receive a targeted retention incentive of up to £6,000 after-tax if working in disadvantaged schools. These targeted incentives are helping schools to retain those specialist teachers in the shortage subjects and schools that most need them.

Our ‘Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders’ study also shows the importance of reducing teacher workload, improving wellbeing and increasing opportunities to work flexibly in retaining more of our excellent school staff. Already we have taken action to remove the requirement for schools to use Performance Related Pay from September 2024 and clarified that teachers can undertake their Planning Preparation and Assessment time at home.

The department is also making available workload and wellbeing resources that were developed with school leaders, through our new improving workload and wellbeing online service, and continuing to promote the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, which currently has nearly 4,000 school and college signatories. The department is funding mental health and wellbeing support for school and college leaders, which includes professional supervision and counselling for those who need it. More than 2,000 leaders have benefitted from the support so far. Support continues to be available and can be accessed by visiting Education Support’s website.

High quality continuous professional development is also key to ensuring we have and retain an effective teaching workforce. That is why we have committed to introducing a new teacher training entitlement, to ensure teachers stay up to date on best practice with continuing professional development. This builds on the work the department already does to ensure teachers can access high quality development at key points in their careers, underpinned by our Initial Teacher Training and Early Career frameworks, and onwards through our suite of national professional qualifications.

We are committed to resetting the relationship with the profession and will continue to work with partners to tackle retention issues.

Supporting our teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child, as the within-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high quality teaching.

The department wants to improve the experience of being a teacher and re-establish teaching as an attractive profession, one that existing teachers want to remain in, former teachers want to return to, and new graduates wish to join. Fair pay is key to this, which is why we accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools for 2024/25.

​In addition, new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing in the first five years of their careers will now receive a targeted retention incentive of up to £6,000 after-tax if working in disadvantaged schools. These targeted incentives are helping schools to retain those specialist teachers in the shortage subjects and schools that most need them.

Our ‘Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders’ study also shows the importance of reducing teacher workload, improving wellbeing and increasing opportunities to work flexibly in retaining more of our excellent school staff. Already we have taken action to remove the requirement for schools to use Performance Related Pay from September 2024 and clarified that teachers can undertake their Planning Preparation and Assessment time at home.

The department is also making available workload and wellbeing resources that were developed with school leaders, through our new improving workload and wellbeing online service, and continuing to promote the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, which currently has nearly 4,000 school and college signatories. The department is funding mental health and wellbeing support for school and college leaders, which includes professional supervision and counselling for those who need it. More than 2,000 leaders have benefitted from the support so far. Support continues to be available and can be accessed by visiting Education Support’s website.

High quality continuous professional development is also key to ensuring we have and retain an effective teaching workforce. That is why we have committed to introducing a new teacher training entitlement, to ensure teachers stay up to date on best practice with continuing professional development. This builds on the work the department already does to ensure teachers can access high quality development at key points in their careers, underpinned by our Initial Teacher Training and Early Career frameworks, and onwards through our suite of national professional qualifications.

We are committed to resetting the relationship with the profession and will continue to work with partners to tackle retention issues.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill to the answer of 29 October 2024 to Question 10190.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. We will strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive including through Ofsted, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage schools to set up Resourced Provision or special education needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

High quality teaching and support is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for pupils, including those with autism or other SEND.

All mainstream schools must have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who must be a qualified teacher, or the head teacher, working at the school. On 1 September 2024, the government introduced a new mandatory leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high quality, evidence-based training. This is crucial given the central role SENCOs play in supporting pupils with SEND.

Universal SEND Services brings together SEND-specific continuing professional development and support for the school and further education workforce. The programme aims to improve outcomes for children and young people, including those with autism. The contract offers autism awareness training and resources. Over 200,000 professionals have received autism training from an Autism Education Trust training partner since the programme launched in May 2022.

Our universities are autonomous bodies, independent of government, and are therefore responsible for managing their own budgets. Student Support Regulations ensure that the support provided by British taxpayers is targeted at those who have a substantial and recent connection with the UK.

Higher education (HE) providers operate their own hardship funds to support students who have financial issues. Like domestic students, international students can apply to their provider to request support. HE providers also offer dedicated support to their international students pre-arrival, on-arrival and during their studies. Students experiencing financial difficulties should contact their university to discuss their circumstances.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs offers information and guidance for international students who may be experiencing unexpected financial hardship, which is available here: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/Fees-and-Money/Unexpected-financial-hardship.

This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy – 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. This Government is currently considering the actions that can be taken to promote repair and reuse and address the challenges associated with excessive consumption and waste reduction.

Defra recognises the importance of assessing the impacts of high carbon advertising and the work of AdGreen in this space. As we develop our Circular Economy Strategy for England, we will consider the evidence for action from right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed. Sheffield Council has already introduced policy on this issue.

This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy – 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. This Government is currently considering the actions that can be taken to promote repair and reuse and address the challenges associated with excessive consumption and waste reduction.

Defra recognises the importance of assessing the impacts of high carbon advertising and the work of AdGreen in this space. As we develop our Circular Economy Strategy for England, we will consider the evidence for action from right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed. Sheffield Council has already introduced policy on this issue.

The Department provides extensive information on Universal Credit including on GOV.UK that supports customers to identify what support may be available. Additionally, we signpost potential customers to external benefit calculators where they can identify what they are likely to be eligible for. We also work closely with Citizens Advice who provide Help to Claim support by phone and on-line for customers to apply for Universal Credit.

Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government. The Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy looking at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government.

This Government values the insights provided by Action for Children and their recommendations have been noted.

The Child Poverty Taskforce is continuing its urgent work and is exploring all available levers, including considering social security reforms, to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty. The Strategy will look at four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments.

Our focus is on bringing about an enduring reduction in child poverty in this parliament, thereby reversing the trend that is seeing forecasts of child poverty continuing to increase. More details, including on the time horizon, will be set out in the strategy publication.

The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside our commitments to triple investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, introduce a Fair Repayment Rate for deductions from Universal Credit, improve the adequacy of the standard allowance with the first sustained above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced and increase the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour to boost the pay of three million workers.

There are no current plans to negotiate a reciprocal social security agreement with Taiwan.

Tackling the terrible state of child poverty in this country is our priority every day and the Taskforce is looking at every lever we can pull across Government to do this.

The Taskforce has already heard from charities, experts and families and will publish its strategy in the Spring.

In developing a Child Poverty Strategy, the Child Poverty Taskforce is considering all children across the United Kingdom. We recognise the distinct challenges of poverty faced by migrant children. The causes of child poverty are deep-rooted, with solutions that go beyond government, and the Taskforce is exploring all available levers in response.

The Home Office sets the immigration rules and grants immigration leave to individuals which allows them to live and work in the UK. DWP cannot pay public funds benefits to individuals where the Home Office has applied a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition to their immigration status.

The Department works collaboratively with Government departments, local authorities, and third-sector organisations to overcome barriers to healthcare access for people seeking asylum and those experiencing homelessness, ensuring they can access and receive necessary care.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) collects and publishes data on tuberculosis (TB). The UKHSA and NHS England’s joint TB Action Plan for England 2021 to 2026 outlines outcomes and indicators to achieve a 90% reduction in people with TB by 2035, which is aligned with the World Health Organization’s elimination targets.

There are specific actions within the collaborative UKHSA and NHS England TB Action Plan 2021 to 2026 to strengthen the prevention and detection of active disease in groups at higher risk of TB, such as those experiencing homelessness and seeking asylum, through targeted screening and active engagement with local authorities, their public health teams, and the third sector.

We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.

We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

Decisions about the employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

Department officials continue to engage with Taiwanese officials. Any new reciprocal healthcare agreement between the United Kingdom and Taiwan would be subject to negotiations.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has policy responsibility for food safety, including food allergen labelling, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and is working to improve the availability and accuracy of allergen information for non-prepacked foods, which includes foods made to order in restaurants.

Last year, the FSA board agreed that businesses selling non-prepacked foods, such as cafes and restaurants, should be required to provide allergen information to consumers in writing, as well as having a conversation.

As a non-ministerial department, the FSA cannot make legislation, but has written to ministers in England and Wales, the Executive in Northern Ireland, and Food Standards Scotland, who would ultimately decide whether to change the law.

Any new legislation needs to be carefully considered, taking into account the views of all stakeholders and the balance of costs and benefits, and the FSA will provide more information to support a decision on legislation if needed.

To make improvements more quickly, the FSA is creating best practice guidance for businesses, which makes it clear that they should provide both written allergen information and support this with a conversation. A public consultation on this guidance has recently concluded and the guidance, along with tools to assist businesses in following it, will be published early next year.

The FSA has conducted a number of research projects looking at the provision of allergen information by businesses, including those in the hospitality sector. The FSA is currently carrying out another two research projects, a consumer survey and a food business survey, to understand the allergen information provision landscape and allow for evaluation of change.

Food business operators are legally required to ensure that food handlers are supervised, instructed, or trained, or both, in food hygiene and safety measures.

The FSA provides support for food businesses through guidance and training to help drive up knowledge and compliance with allergen regulations and safe practices. For example, free allergen e-learning was launched in 2020 and has over 700,000 users to date.

The Foreign Secretary met with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 15 April during his visit to London to discuss the need for an end to the aid blockade in Gaza and for all parties to push towards an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages who remain in Gaza. He also raised his concern for aid worker safety and pushed Foreign Minister Sa'ar for the Military Advocate General to provide a response on the World Central Kitchen strike in April 2024. The UK Government continues to engage with Israeli counterparts on a variety of issues, including the conflict in Gaza. This engagement is vital for the UK as we continue to press towards a long-lasting ceasefire which is the only credible pathway towards a sustainable peace, a two-state solution and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments.

We plan to publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts this summer.

The UK has played a significant role with international counterparts to tackle tuberculosis (TB) in recent decades.

Since 2002, Tuberculosis deaths have been reduced by 36 per cent in countries where the Global Fund invests. The UK is a leading donor to the Global Fund and will this year co-host the 8th replenishment of the Global Fund together with South Africa.

The killing of 15 rescue workers and paramedics, including at least eight Palestinian Red Crescent medics, on 23 March was horrific. We have made clear to the Government of Israel that we expect those responsible to be held to account and for this to be done transparently, and for lessons to be learned that prevent such tragedies occurring in future.

The Foreign Secretary raised attacks on aid workers when he met Israel's Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 15 April. With our French and German counterparts on 23 April, we publicly expressed our outrage at Israel's strikes on humanitarian personnel. At a UN Security Council meeting on 3 April, we called for this incident to be investigated fully, transparently and for those responsible to be held to account.

It is appalling that at least 418 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of this conflict. We will continue to make both public and private representations to the Government of Israel to ensure that humanitarian workers and medics are protected, and able to carry out their vital work safely.

We have regularly made clear that the Government of Israel must ensure protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, most recently during a joint statement that the Foreign Secretary issued with his French and German counterparts on 23 April. We have also been clear that Israel must not reduce Palestinian territory in the course of its operations, and that permanent Israeli control of buffer or security zones is unacceptable.

The UK is clear that the freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. We remain deeply concerned over reports of human rights violations and abuses against human rights defenders in Balochistan. The British High Commission in Islamabad continues to raise the human rights situation in Balochistan with the Pakistani authorities at the highest levels and has raised the detention of Dr. Mahrang Baloch with Pakistan's Minister for Law and Justice.