Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there have been any further considerations over the uprating of frozen pensions for UK citizens abroad.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for uprating.
The policy on uprating UK State Pension paid overseas is a longstanding one and has been in place for over 70 years. Over many years, priority has been given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international partners on establishing independent international monitoring of attacks against Kurdish civilians in Aleppo and Northern Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026, and I can assure her that we continue to raise the protection of Kurdish civilians as a constant subject of concern with the Syrian Government.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the protection and political inclusion of Kurdish communities form part of the UK’s conditions for diplomatic engagement with the Syrian Government.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026, and I can assure her that we continue to raise the protection of Kurdish civilians as a constant subject of concern with the Syrian Government.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of recent attacks on Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods in Syria including civilian casualties and displacement.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026, and I can assure her that we continue to raise the protection of Kurdish civilians as a constant subject of concern with the Syrian Government.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve public awareness and understanding of the 2022 updates to the Highway Code; and whether she plans to introduce a national public information campaign to support the implementation of the new Road Safety Strategy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users.
That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.
Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes.
Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations.
However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.
As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding provisions his Department has made in relation to the forthcoming National Tuberculosis Action Plan 2026–2031.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is currently developing the Tuberculosis National Action Plan for 2026 to 2031. The content of the plan, including any associated funding requirements, has not yet been finalised. Any proposals with financial implications will be subject to the usual cross‑Government processes, including agreement with HM Treasury. Details, with funding commitments, will be included when the plan is published.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to review the treatment of assumed and notional income in Universal Credit calculations for self‑employed claimants.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department routinely keeps its policies under review and we are always interested in views from customers and stakeholders.
The current review of Universal Credit is looking closely at how the benefit supports self-employed people.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterpart on the alleged forced disappearances of Muhammad Bakhsh Sajidi, Naeem Sajidi and Rafeeq Baloch.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned by reports of enforced disappearances in Pakistan, including in Balochistan. We regularly raise concerns about human rights with the Government of Pakistan at senior levels and continue to underline the importance of upholding civil and political rights and the rule of law. We urge the Pakistani authorities to investigate all allegations of enforced disappearances promptly, transparently and effectively, to hold those responsible to account, and to provide justice to victims and their families.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's consultation entitled Late payments consultation: tackling poor payment practices, when he plans to publish his response to that consultation; and whether that response will include an assessment of the potential impact of late payment practices on self‑employed workers.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government will legislate to end the scourge of late payments, ensuring small businesses and the self-employed are paid on time. On 23rd October 2025 we concluded a 12-week public consultation on our legislative proposals. On 16th January 2026 we published an update on GOV.UK, restating our intention to publish our response early this year. We will publish a Government response to the consultation soon and intend to take forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows. In line with the Better Regulation Framework, we will also publish an Impact Assessment that considers the impact on small and medium-sized businesses.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of long-term potential impacts of the mandatory disclosure of criminal records on access to (a) employment and (b) education for offenders.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
We recognise the importance of removing barriers to employment for ex-offenders. Employment reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points in the year following release, and a similar percentage point reduction for prisoners who take any form of learning activity. The criminal record regime has a role in this process, striking a balance between providing employers with the information they need to make safer recruitment decisions, while enabling ex-offenders to rebuild their lives.
We recognise that disclosure requirements and the approach of employers and learning institutions can have a significant impact on an individual’s employment opportunities and access to education. This is also an area that Sir Brian Levenson’s recent independent review of the Criminal Courts highlighted. The Deputy Prime Minister confirmed in his Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 2 December 2025 that we are considering Sir Brian’s recommendation, including opportunities to simplify the regime to ensure it is clear and proportionate, particularly in relation to childhood offences.