Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the document entitled Fair pay agreement consultation impact assessment, published in October 2025, if he will award an interim uplift to the pay of frontline care workers in the 2026-27 and 2027-28 financial years to address the immediate workforce recruitment and retention challenges before a negotiated fair pay agreement is implemented in the 2028-29 financial year.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Under the Employment Rights Bill, the Government will set up the Fair Pay Agreement, establishing a form of sectoral collective bargaining which will empower employers, worker representatives, and others in partnership to negotiate fair pay, and terms and conditions.

The Government is taking steps to establish Fair Pay Agreements. These steps are essential to getting this right and ensuring meaningful reform for the adult social care sector. This includes our public consultation, which closes on 16 January.

This will support the delivery of our Plan to Make Work Pay, which is already delivering for care workers through changes to the minimum wage, putting more money into their pockets. The Employment Rights Bill will also end exploitative zero-hours contracts, with one in five carers on a zero-hour contract, and give workers rights to statutory sick pay from day one of absence due to illness.

Currently, most workers are employed by private sector providers who set their pay and terms and conditions, independent of the Government.

We know this is an issue now, and in the meantime the Government is making available approximately £4.6 billion of funding for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements. This includes £500 million for the Fair Pay Agreement, the most significant investment in improving pay and conditions for adult social care staff to date.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the evaluation of the serious violence reduction order pilot.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.

The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the National Planning Policy Framework to require a minimum of 20 per cent social rent housing in all new residential developments.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

National planning policy is clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require social and affordable housing, and reflect this in planning policies.

In December 2024, the government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which made clear that local authorities should consider the particular needs of those who require social rent.

The government is currently consulting on further reforms to the NPPF, including proposals designed to further support the delivery of social housing. These include reforms to the viability system and specifying a minimum proportion of social rent housing that would be required of major development unless otherwise specified in development plans. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to review the definition of affordable housing within planning policy to ensure it is aligned with social rent levels to better reflect local income levels.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

National planning policy is clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require social and affordable housing, and reflect this in planning policies.

In December 2024, the government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which made clear that local authorities should consider the particular needs of those who require social rent.

The government is currently consulting on further reforms to the NPPF, including proposals designed to further support the delivery of social housing. These include reforms to the viability system and specifying a minimum proportion of social rent housing that would be required of major development unless otherwise specified in development plans. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of social rent provision within the proposed 2,350-home Peel Waters development in Liverpool.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

National planning policy is clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require social and affordable housing, and reflect this in planning policies.

In December 2024, the government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which made clear that local authorities should consider the particular needs of those who require social rent.

The government is currently consulting on further reforms to the NPPF, including proposals designed to further support the delivery of social housing. These include reforms to the viability system and specifying a minimum proportion of social rent housing that would be required of major development unless otherwise specified in development plans. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the publication of the Colombian Ombudsman’s Alert on 2 December 2025, what analysis her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the security situation of the Wayuu indigenous peoples in la Guajira.

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

The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the publication of the Colombian Ombudsman’s Alert on 2 December 2025, what analysis her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the security situation of the Wiwa Indigenous Peoples.

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

The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has increased or reduced its funding to Colombia for the implementation of the Peace Accord.

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

The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made any cuts to Colombia’s allocation in the ODA budget.

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

The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding her Department is providing to Colombia to tackle violence against women and girls.

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

The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of violence and forced recruitment of indigenous girls in Colombia.

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

The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department have made of the potential implications for her policies of the upsurge in the forced recruitment of children in Colombia in 2024 and 2025.

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

The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Colombian counterpart on the increase in child recruitment by illegal armed groups in Columbia.

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

The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to grow the children’s health workforce.

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

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. A child health workforce that is fit for the future will be critical to delivering on this ambition.

In spring, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan, to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. The plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, including children, when they need it. We will also be publishing a new strategy to set the long-term professional direction for nurses, midwives, and nursing associates, which all form an important part of the children’s health workforce.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to grow the children’s health workforce.

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

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. A child health workforce that is fit for the future will be critical to delivering on this ambition.

In spring, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan, to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. The plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, including children, when they need it. We will also be publishing a new strategy to set the long-term professional direction for nurses, midwives, and nursing associates, which all form an important part of the children’s health workforce.

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 trends in the level of geographic variation in access to tissue-freezing services; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to advanced treatments, accurate genome sequencing and research participation.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the funding required to ensure equitable access to tissue-freezing services for cancer patients across England; and whether his Department is taking steps to reduce regional disparities.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offences linked to supporting Palestine Action by (a) date, (b) police force area, (c) section of the Terrorism Act used, and (d) outcomes (charged, released without charge, released under investigation, bailed) for each arrest since 5 July 2025.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Home Office does not hold data breaking down arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 by date or by police force area. Data on arrests, charges and convictions under the Terrorism Act 2000, including under different sections of the Terrorism Act, are published in the Home Office’s quarterly ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ and can be accessed on GOV.UK.

The most recent publication covering the year ending 30 September 2025, was published on 18 December 2025 and can be accessed here : Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to September 2025 - GOV.UK. In this data, arrests and charges relating to supporting Palestine Action have been shown separately.

The next quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ is due to be published on 12 March 2026 and will cover the period up until the 31 December 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 for allegedly showing support for Palestine Action at demonstrations since its proscription; and what proportion of those arrests relate to people taking part in non-violent protest.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Home Office does not hold data breaking down arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 by date or by police force area. Data on arrests, charges and convictions under the Terrorism Act 2000, including under different sections of the Terrorism Act, are published in the Home Office’s quarterly ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ and can be accessed on GOV.UK.

The most recent publication covering the year ending 30 September 2025, was published on 18 December 2025 and can be accessed here : Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to September 2025 - GOV.UK. In this data, arrests and charges relating to supporting Palestine Action have been shown separately.

The next quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ is due to be published on 12 March 2026 and will cover the period up until the 31 December 2025.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of its business rates policies on small hospitality businesses.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down next year. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. However, because of the support the Government has put in place, this has fallen to just 4%.

More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto.

The Government is doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

The Government is paying for this tax cut through higher rates on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. Large distribution warehouses, such as those used by online giants, will pay around £100m more in 2026/27, with this going directly to lower bills for in-person retail.

The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since COVID. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.

The Call for Evidence, published at Budget, focuses on how reform of the business rates system can be used to incentivise and secure more investment by Britain’s businesses. This Call for Evidence builds on the findings of the Transforming Business Rates: Discussion Paper and asks stakeholders for more detailed evidence on how the business rates system influences investment decisions.

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