Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to review sentencing guidelines for extreme misogyny.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. We will use every tool within our power to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence. We will also work with key partners and organisations that support victims of these crimes.

Sentencing guidelines are developed and reviewed by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so. The guidelines produced provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. They set out different levels of sentence based on the harm caused and how culpable the offender is. As an independent body, the Council decides its own work plan and priorities.

The Government has launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke. The review has been asked to specifically examine the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to encourage uptake of the SafeLives Independent Domestic Violence Advisor training course.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Under Section 16(1) of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (“the Act”), the Secretary of State is required to issue guidance on victim support roles which are specified in regulations. The Government will shortly consult on draft statutory guidance on Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs). The IDVA guidance aims to improve the consistency of support delivered to victims by providing best practice recommendations, including on minimum training requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to amend police funding to help tackle extreme misogyny.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office announced the 2025-2026 police funding settlement before Christmas. It provides funding of up to £19.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales, an overall increase of up to £1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement, and equating to a 5.5% cash increase, and 3% real terms increase in funding. Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.4 billion, an increase of up to £987 million compared to the 2024-25 settlement. Decisions on how funding is used is an operational matter for Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

We are also working closely with the policing sector to deliver improvements in the police response to violence against women and girls (VAWG), including by embedding domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what timetable she has set for establishing specialist rape and sexual offences teams in every police force.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

This Government recognises the devastating impact of sexual violence and that’s why tackling rape and sexual offences is a key part of our mission to halve Violence Against Women and Girls.

It is essential for police forces to have the right specialist capability to support victims and bring perpetrators to justice. This is why we are working closely with policing to ensure every force has a specialist rape and sexual offences team.

Further details will be announced in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what timetable she has set to introduce domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

From early this year, under a new approach named ‘Raneem’s Law’, domestic abuse specialists will begin to be embedded in 999 control rooms to advise on risk assessments, work with officers on the ground and ensure that victims are referred to appropriate support services swiftly. Exact timings will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for introducing measures to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

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.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. The department will also strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, including through Ofsted, and encourage schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

We are already making progress by investing £1 billion into SEND and £740 million for councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools.

Additionally, the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers over the course of this Parliament. To support all teachers, we are also implementing a range of teacher training reforms to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND.

This support includes a new mandatory leadership level qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) which the government introduced in September 2024. The qualification will play a key role in improving outcomes for pupils with SEND, by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training on how best to support children with SEND.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to implement inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

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.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. The department will also strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, including through Ofsted, and encourage schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

We are already making progress by investing £1 billion into SEND and £740 million for councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools.

Additionally, the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers over the course of this Parliament. To support all teachers, we are also implementing a range of teacher training reforms to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND.

This support includes a new mandatory leadership level qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) which the government introduced in September 2024. The qualification will play a key role in improving outcomes for pupils with SEND, by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training on how best to support children with SEND.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what timetable she has set to introduce a victims’ legal advocate in every police force area.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We remain committed to delivering our manifesto commitment to introduce free independent legal advisors for victims and survivors of adult rape.

The Government plans to launch a single national service which will serve all police force areas. Once the service is rolled out in full, every victim of adult rape will have the opportunity to access a legal advisor no matter where they live.

We plan to introduce the service later this year, with a phased rollout. A phased rollout will enable us to better understand the costs, demand, benefits for victims, and wider impacts on the justice system. We are currently in the process of designing how this phased rollout will take place.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department’s sentencing review will consider the potential merits of designating misogyny as a hate crime.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.

The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.

Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.

The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department’s sentencing review will consider the suitability of sentences for honour-based violence.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.

The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.

Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.

The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department’s sentencing review consider the suitability of sentences for doxing offences.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.

The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.

Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.

The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department’s sentencing review will include domestic abuse offences.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.

The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.

Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.

The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department’s sentencing review will include sexual violence offences.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.

The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.

Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.

The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department’s sentencing review will consider the suitability of sentences for stalking offences.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.

The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.

Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.

The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what her planned timetable is for establishing specialist rape courts in every Crown Court location in England and Wales.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We know that, due to the complexity of the cases, victims of rape can wait longer than victims of other offence types for their case to complete in court. We remain committed to delivering our manifesto pledge to fast-track rape cases.

The fast-tracking of rape cases has dependencies with, and impacts on, the rest of the criminal justice system, including the wider Crown Court caseload and the capacity of the rape and serious sexual offences specialist legal workforce. We are carefully considering how best to deliver this. We plan to work closely with the judiciary and will be able to say more in due course.

We are also considering what changes could make victims feel better supported at court. Over 400 professionals, including court staff, CPS and the police, have already received trauma-informed training at Snaresbrook, Leeds and Newcastle Crown Courts. In some courts, witness waiting rooms and in-court technology have also been upgraded.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to allow local authorities to influence inclusivity guidelines for schools under their jurisdiction.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

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. The department is committed to improving expertise and enabling high-quality and inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life.

This includes building a robust and credible evidence base on what works to drive inclusive education. To support this, an expert advisory group for inclusion has been established, led by Tom Rees, that consist of experts across the SEND sector. This group will advise Ministers on how to drive inclusive practice across the whole system and improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND. Members of the group will use their collective expertise to ensure children and young people are effectively supported to achieve and thrive.

To support the department's ambition to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive practice, we have commissioned evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.

The department will also work with Ofsted to strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage local authorities and schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether local authorities will be responsible for providing inclusivity training to schools within their jurisdiction.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

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. The department is committed to improving expertise and enabling high-quality and inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life.

This includes building a robust and credible evidence base on what works to drive inclusive education. To support this, an expert advisory group for inclusion has been established, led by Tom Rees, that consist of experts across the SEND sector. This group will advise Ministers on how to drive inclusive practice across the whole system and improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND. Members of the group will use their collective expertise to ensure children and young people are effectively supported to achieve and thrive.

To support the department's ambition to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive practice, we have commissioned evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.

The department will also work with Ofsted to strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage local authorities and schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to allow schools to set their own inclusivity guidelines.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

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. The department is committed to improving expertise and enabling high-quality and inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life.

This includes building a robust and credible evidence base on what works to drive inclusive education. To support this, an expert advisory group for inclusion has been established, led by Tom Rees, that consist of experts across the SEND sector. This group will advise Ministers on how to drive inclusive practice across the whole system and improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND. Members of the group will use their collective expertise to ensure children and young people are effectively supported to achieve and thrive.

To support the department's ambition to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive practice, we have commissioned evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.

The department will also work with Ofsted to strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage local authorities and schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to issue statutory guidance on improving (a) inclusivity and (b) expertise in mainstream schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

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. The department is committed to improving expertise and enabling high-quality and inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life.

This includes building a robust and credible evidence base on what works to drive inclusive education. To support this, an expert advisory group for inclusion has been established, led by Tom Rees, that consist of experts across the SEND sector. This group will advise Ministers on how to drive inclusive practice across the whole system and improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND. Members of the group will use their collective expertise to ensure children and young people are effectively supported to achieve and thrive.

To support the department's ambition to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive practice, we have commissioned evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.

The department will also work with Ofsted to strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage local authorities and schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to issue guidance on improving (a) inclusivity and (b) expertise in mainstream schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

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. The department is committed to improving expertise and enabling high-quality and inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life.

This includes building a robust and credible evidence base on what works to drive inclusive education. To support this, an expert advisory group for inclusion has been established, led by Tom Rees, that consist of experts across the SEND sector. This group will advise Ministers on how to drive inclusive practice across the whole system and improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND. Members of the group will use their collective expertise to ensure children and young people are effectively supported to achieve and thrive.

To support the department's ambition to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive practice, we have commissioned evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.

The department will also work with Ofsted to strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage local authorities and schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to remove minimum wage age bands.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to ensuring that every adult worker benefits from a genuine living wage, and we will remove the discriminatory age bands for adults.

From April 2025, we are boosting the National Minimum Wage for 18–20-year-olds by 16.3% or £1.40 to £10.00 per hour, a record increase and a significant step towards our commitment.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he sought external legal advice when drafting the Employment Rights Bill.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

With respect to the Employment Rights Bill, the Department has been supported by legal advice from the Government Legal Department and, where appropriate, external legal advice. Legal advice provided to the Government is privileged.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has carried out a proportionality assessment on clause 16 of the Employment Rights Bill.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new day one statutory right for all employees who have experienced the loss of a loved one. The measures in the bill set a framework for the entitlement, and the details will be set out in secondary legislation.

The Government has published an Impact Assessment, which covers the impacts on businesses and workers. Due to the sensitive and personal nature of bereavement, we will be consulting stakeholders on the specifics of the entitlement to ensure that Bereavement Leave is sculpted by the needs of employees and employers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to create a single enforcement body to ensure employment rights are upheld.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Creating the Fair Work Agency (FWA) is a complex process that requires primary legislation. The Employment Rights Bill is the first phase of delivering the FWA and implementation will occur in phases following Royal Assent. We will set out more detail on this in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hotels are (a) providing and (b) in negotiations to provide accommodation to asylum seekers in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

This government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.

We took immediate action to resolve that chaos by restarting asylum processing, establishing the new Border Security Command to tackle the people-smuggling gangs, cracking down on illegal working across the country, and increasing the return and removal of people with no right to be here.

Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Home Office has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. But this is not a permanent solution, and the small increase in the number in use at the end of last year was just a temporary but necessary step to manage pressures in the system, which is now in the process of being reversed.

It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs. In the interim, we are also continuing to increase our operational activity against smuggling gangs and illegal working, and we have increased returns to their highest level since 2018, with 16,400 people removed in the first six months this government was in charge.

Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.