Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory disability pay gap reporting for companies with over fifty employees.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We recently held a public consultation on introducing mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting. Our consultation closed on June 10th and we are now considering those responses, including views on which employers should be in scope of the requirements, and we will report back to Parliament in due course.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of her Department’s proposed refugee and asylum policies on community cohesion.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The principle that people genuinely fleeing danger and persecution should be welcomed, is one this government will always defend. The Asylum Policy Statement sets out a fair and firm approach to restoring order to the system, which is essential for building community cohesion. By increasing public confidence in the integrity of the asylum system, the reforms will help build trust and reduce tensions within communities. At the same time, they support successful integration for those granted protection, enabling them to contribute positively to society. Integration brings significant benefits for individuals, taxpayers, and communities. These measures will encourage and enable people granted protection to become self-sufficient, law-abiding members of UK society.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the document entitled Windrush Lessons Learned Review by Wendy Williams, published in March 2020, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of that review on her Department’s refugee and asylum policies.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We are grateful for the recommendations and insights provided in the Windrush Lessons Learned Review by Wendy Williams.
The UK has a long-standing commitment to protecting those in need, in line with our international obligations. We will never remove anyone to a country where they would face persecution or serious harm, and we remain firmly committed to this principle.
The reforms set out in the Asylum Policy Statement (Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy - GOV.UK) introduce a comprehensive package of measures designed to restore order, control, fairness, and public confidence in the system. These reforms are fully compliant with our international obligations.
Further policy development is needed on the details of these reforms. We will consult meaningfully with affected stakeholders and carefully assess equalities impacts.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of removing the 9:30am restriction on the Disabled Person’s Bus Pass.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those of state pension age, currently sixty-six, and those with eligible disabilities. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as removing the 9:30am restriction, would need to be carefully considered for their impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.
Local authorities in England have the power to offer additional concessions beyond the statutory scheme, funded from local resources, for example, by allowing concessionary passholders to travel before 9:30am.
The Government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Local authorities can use this funding in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including enhancing concessionary travel locally.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
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 her Israeli counterpart on the role of the Israeli Defence Force in allowing adequate aid to enter Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the responses I gave during the Urgent Question debate on Gaza in the House of Commons on 29 October.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
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 trends in the levels of aid being allowed into Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the responses I gave during the Urgent Question debate on Gaza in the House of Commons on 29 October.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
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 potential implications for her policies of reports of the torture of Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 6 August 2025 to Question 58600.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the introduction of mandatory digital ID cards on (a) marginalised and (b) digitally excluded communities.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
To design and deliver digital ID, this government will undertake the biggest digital inclusion drive in our country's history. This will ensure everyone eligible can access and use this new digital ID, including those more likely to be digitally excluded.
We are considering options like a digitally enabled physical alternative for those without access to technology, help for those who are partially sighted, in-person support for those who struggle to engage digitally, and a dedicated team of case workers to support those who may struggle to initially prove their identity and access the system.
We will launch a public consultation in the coming months and have already started to engage with a range of expert organisations and community groups, including the Digital Inclusion Action Committee.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the introduction of mandatory digital ID cards on blind and partially sighted people.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
To design and deliver digital ID, this government will undertake the biggest digital inclusion drive in our country's history. This will ensure everyone eligible can access and use this new digital ID, including those more likely to be digitally excluded.
We are considering options like a digitally enabled physical alternative for those without access to technology, help for those who are partially sighted, in-person support for those who struggle to engage digitally, and a dedicated team of case workers to support those who may struggle to initially prove their identity and access the system.
We will launch a public consultation in the coming months and have already started to engage with a range of expert organisations and community groups, including the Digital Inclusion Action Committee.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with students on the potential impact of the removal of non-specialist spelling and grammar software from Disabled Students’ Allowance funding.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department engaged with disability experts who support disabled students to gather feedback on the removal of non-specialist spelling and grammar software from Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) funding. While there have been no recent direct discussions with students, the department conducted an Equality Impact Assessment to consider potential impacts and appropriate mitigations. This policy applies to new DSA recipients only and does not affect any spelling and grammar software already awarded to existing students.
The decision followed a detailed review which found that there are now free to access versions available with the required spelling and grammar support functionality to meet students’ disability-related support needs. DSA will continue to fund such software in exceptional cases where a robust disability-related justification is provided.