Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to publish the (a) Data Protection Impact Assessment and (b) Equality Impact Assessment for the (i) Asylum Case Summarisation and (ii) Asylum Policy Search tools.

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

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Department intends to publish a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for either the Asylum Policy Search tool ([ii] APS; fully rolled out) and/or the Asylum Case Summarisation tool ([i] ACS; full roll out due April 2026) after both have been operationalised.

The Equality Impact Assessments for APS and ACS [i, ii] are being updated following the completion of pilots for both tools, and the current intention is to publish them in due course, after ACS has been fully operationalised in April 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure non-refoulement in its migrant return policy with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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

No one who is found to be at legitimate risk of persecution or serious harm will be expected to return to their country of origin. Individuals are only returned to their country of origin when the Home Office and, where applicable, the courts deem it is safe to do so.

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 data management and privacy concerns of Palantir’s Federal Data Platform which were highlighted in the report from the health charity Medact, titled “Concerns Regarding Palantir Technologies and NHS Data Systems”.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

Privacy by design is a core principle of the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP). NHS England constantly assesses privacy and data management through strict information governance processes detailed in the NHS Federated Data Platform Information Governance Framework. Data in the NHS FDP remains under National Health Service control at all times.

Palantir does not control the data in the platform, nor are they permitted to access, use, or share it for their own purposes.

The contract has strict stipulations about confidentiality, and there is governance in place to monitor delivery and usage. NHS England is the data controller of the national instance of the NHS FDP. Every hospital trust and integrated care board who has their own instance of the NHS FDP has complete control over who has access to their data platform.

NHS England maintains continuous monitoring of the NHS FDP contract, to ensure it meets expectations. The NHS FDP is a major national digital infrastructure programme and is formally part of the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). The NHS FDP programme is subject to the scrutiny, assurance, and value for money standards required of all GMPP programmes. NHS FDP’s whole life costs and benefits are assessed through the annual GMPP process.

The NHS FDP is subject to scrutiny by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the major projects review. NISTA’s latest data, published on 11 August 2025, sets out the projected benefits of NHS FDP at £777 million. The data records the Senior Responsible Owner Delivery Confidence rating as Green, the highest rating. The report is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of using artificial intelligence in asylum (a) interviews and (b) casework on those processes.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office is investing in innovative techniques, including AI, to explore how we can improve productivity and continue to maintain order in the asylum system. AI technology does not make decisions on Asylum applications, instead, it helps analyse data and provides insightful information that can further inform choices. This is in line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle. The Home Office does not currently use AI software to transcribe asylum interviews or other components of the asylum decision making process.

Comprehensive Equality Impact Assessments and DPIAs were carried out for our AI caseworking tools during their development and ahead of pilots – this applies to both the Asylum Policy Search tool (APS; fully rolled out) and Asylum Case Summarisation tool (ACS; still in development and testing). Feedback loops and comprehensive monitoring is in place to continuously assess usage and impact for users and overall purpose.

The Equality Impact Assessments for APS and ACS are being reviewed and updated following the pilots for both tools and will be published in due course, after ACS has been fully operationalised.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will conduct an equalities impact assessment for student loan repayment freezes.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill, to the answer of 27 March 2026 to Question 112385.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of alternative measures to blanket nationality-based suspensions of student visas, such as targeted enforcement measures based on individual risk assessment.

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

The decision to introduce the visa brakes was driven by clear evidence of high levels of visa-linked asylum claims across all four nationalities. By year ending September 2025, asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan had risen to over 470% of their 2021 level. This continued and rising asylum risk from this cohort necessitated swift and decisive action through the introduction of a visa brake on a nationality basis.

The brake does not apply to those who already hold a valid Student visa, nor to applications submitted before it came into force on 26 March. In order to allow those prospective students with an offer from a licensed sponsor and a valid Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) to apply for visas, we provided 21 days’ notice of the implementation of the visa brakes. There are no plans for any further exceptions to the brake.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect (a) visa-holders and (b) those holding university offers from being affected by the suspension of study visas from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.

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

The decision to introduce the visa brakes was driven by clear evidence of high levels of visa-linked asylum claims across all four nationalities. By year ending September 2025, asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan had risen to over 470% of their 2021 level. This continued and rising asylum risk from this cohort necessitated swift and decisive action through the introduction of a visa brake on a nationality basis.

The brake does not apply to those who already hold a valid Student visa, nor to applications submitted before it came into force on 26 March. In order to allow those prospective students with an offer from a licensed sponsor and a valid Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) to apply for visas, we provided 21 days’ notice of the implementation of the visa brakes. There are no plans for any further exceptions to the brake.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what way asylum applicants are informed about the use of artificial intelligence; and what process is in place to address any errors.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office is investing in innovative techniques, including the use of AI, to explore how we can improve productivity and continue to maintain order in the asylum system.

No process and/or tooling details are currently released to asylum claimants - this has not changed with the incorporation of AI elements into caseworking.

AI technology does not make decisions on Asylum applications, instead, it helps analyse data and provides insightful information that can further inform choices. This is in line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle. The Home Office does not currently use AI software to transcribe asylum interviews or other components of the asylum decision making process.

Existing quality control processes are followed alongside data capture, development and two-way feedback mechanisms.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to support local post offices in the High Streets Strategy.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

I refer the member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill to the response I gave to UIN 125751 on 20 April.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prioritise issues concerning freedom of religion or belief in future Human Rights and Democracy Reports.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The championing of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all is a key element of the UK's human rights work overseas, for the funding of that work, and for the reporting to Parliament that we do on that work. For further detail, I refer the Hon. Member to the strategy for the Government's international FoRB work set out by the UK Special Envoy for FoRB in July 2025:

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-approach-to-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-uk-special-envoy-on-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-speech-july-2025

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that freedom of religion or belief is integrated into aid programmes.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The championing of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all is a key element of the UK's human rights work overseas, for the funding of that work, and for the reporting to Parliament that we do on that work. For further detail, I refer the Hon. Member to the strategy for the Government's international FoRB work set out by the UK Special Envoy for FoRB in July 2025:

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-approach-to-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-uk-special-envoy-on-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-speech-july-2025

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what considerations her Department has made on the potential merits of supporting the reconvening of a United Nations Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

One of the key principles of the International Sudan Conference in Berlin on 15 April was to take collective action to protect civilians, including children, from the horrendous atrocities taking place in Sudan. This is outlined in the Conference Co-Chairs' statement, linked below, issued by the UK, Germany, France, the EU, US, and African Union. A proposal to reconvene the Diplomatic Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Sudan is under consideration by the Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice, launched by the UK and partners on 26 February. A meeting between the members and Non-Governmental Organisation partners will take place in due course to discuss and evaluate the proposal. The UK remains firmly committed to the Children and Armed Conflict agenda and we will continue to champion it, ensuring that the rights, safety and future of Sudanese children remain at the forefront of the international response.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/third-international-sudan-conference-april-2026-co-hosts-statement/third-international-sudan-conference-berlin-co-hosts-statement-15-april-2026

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Parental Leave and Pay review is considering the ability for individuals with severe illness, such as cancer, to postpone maternity leave.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

A cancer diagnosis is distressing at any stage of life, and especially for mothers on maternity leave, at a time that should be focused on recovery, bonding and family life.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s National Cancer Plan sets out how people with cancer, including pregnant and postnatal women, are supported before, during and after treatment, including supporting mothers to stay in work.

Alongside this, the Parental Leave and Pay Review is examining how maternity leave and the wider parental leave and pay system can better support working families. The Review will report in early 2027.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending the business rate relief granted to pubs and music venues to post offices.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the vital role that the Post Office plays in the economy and wider society.

At the Budget, the Government acted to limit increases in business rates bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion. The Government has also introduced new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties.

Post offices are also eligible for 100 per cent rural rate relief if they meet certain conditions.

There are a wide range of factors that the Government needs to consider when introducing new tax reliefs, for example whether these support wider Government objectives, or add disproportionate complexity into the tax system. It is likely that a new relief would have to be paid for, at least in part, by increased taxes for other taxpayers or reducing expenditure on public services.

The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process. The Chancellor will announce any changes to the tax system at fiscal events in the usual way.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Departments are able to grant developed vetting clearance against the recommendation of UK Security Vetting.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his department has made of the potential impact of Investor-State Dispute Settlements on the transition away from fossil fuels.

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

The Government is aware of the interest in ISDS, and is engaging with energy and climate stakeholders on its impact on UK priorities. In line with HMG’s Trade Strategy, the UK will continue to work with partners through multilateral forums, including the OECD and the UN system, to identify opportunities to improve ISDS practice.

78 years of the Palestinian Nakba