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 adequacy of the level of financial support provided to medical students through the NHS bursary.

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

The NHS Bursary funding arrangements are reviewed annually ahead of the start of each academic year.

We have applied an uplift of 2% to all NHS Bursary maintenance grants and allowances for the academic year 2024/25. This is the first time the maintenance grant has been uplifted since 2015.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing national restrictions on pavement parking on pedestrians with a visual impairment.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In 2020, the Department undertook a public consultation on options for changing the way pavement parking is managed outside London. The consultation asked specific questions about impacts on people with protected characteristics and we will use the information to undertake an equality analysis of the chosen policy option, in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty. Our plan is to publish a formal response to the consultation, summarising the views received and announcing the Government’s next steps for pavement parking policy.

The formal consultation response will be available to view at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a standalone employment right to disability-related leave.

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

The Government is invested in protecting and enhancing the rights of vulnerable groups in the workplace.

The Equality Act 2010 requires employers to accommodate the needs of disabled em-ployees through reasonable adjustments. This is likely to include provision for disability-related absence.

In addition, changes proposed by the Employment Rights Bill include making it easier for employees to negotiate a flexible working arrangement which suits their needs. This will benefit, among others, employees with long-term physical or mental health condi-tions and disabilities.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of time limits to bring discrimination cases under the Equality Act 2010.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The time limit to bring discrimination cases to a tribunal is being extended from 3 to 6 months through the Employment Rights Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament. This measure will allow certain claims to be made that currently are either (a) being made but which require, at the tribunal’s discretion, an extension over the 3-month period or (b) not being made as a result of the length of the time limit.

This supports the Government’s commitment to making work pay by strengthening employment rights and providing quicker and more effective resolutions, to the benefit of all parties. The change will align the timelines across different cases, simplifying the process for applicants and employers.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to Legal Aid for discrimination claims in the Employment Tribunal.

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

Legal aid is available for legal advice and assistance in relation to discrimination cases which fall under the Equality Act 2010 or previous discrimination legislation, subject to passing the means and merits tests. Legal aid for other employment matters may be available through the Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) Scheme, if a failure to provide legal aid would breach, or likely risk a breach of, an individual’s rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Ministry of Justice has recently undertaken a comprehensive review of civil legal aid and, having considered the evidence collected, we acknowledge that the sector is facing a number of challenges. We are committed to improving the experience of users and providers and, as an important first step towards this, we intend to consult on uplifts to housing and immigration legal aid fees in January 2025. We will continue to consider the fees paid in other categories of civil legal aid, including as part of the second phase of the Government’s Spending Review.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services in England and Wales. There are currently 20 providers who offer legal aid services in relation to the Discrimination category of legal aid operating out of 24 offices across England and Wales. The LAA monitors supply across its legal aid contracts on an ongoing basis. Where additional supply is needed it takes action within its operational remit to ensure access to legal aid-funded services.

The LAA also maintains the Civil Legal Advice (CLA) Helpline. This is a national telephone helpline that helps members of the public check whether they may be eligible for civil legal aid and triages them to appropriate sources of advice. The CLA Helpline provides specialist remote advice though legal aid in four categories of law, including discrimination, for any individual that is determined to be eligible for these services. The majority of advice and assistance cases in the discrimination category are currently delivered by the CLA service.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that vehicle recycling sites are established across the country; and what steps he is taking to publicise incentives to ensure participation in scrappage schemes.

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

Under the End-of-Life Vehicles (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005, vehicle manufacturers and importers have a responsibility to establish free collection systems.

The regulations require that by weight, at least 85% of the materials from end-of-life vehicles must be reused or recycled. Additionally, another 10% by weight must be reused, recycled or used for energy recovery, bringing the overall target to 95%.

Vehicle manufacturers must ensure that the vehicles they place on the market are recyclable to those levels.

Currently, there are some city level scrappage schemes operating in the UK, which are administered and publicised by the relevant local authorities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's regional office closures on (a) staff who are unable to relocate and (b) all staff.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department is consulting staff and Trade Unions on the decision to close six offices over the next two years. This consultation will consider the impact on the individuals affected with a view to putting in place measures to mitigate that impact and enable all staff affected to continue to perform their roles effectively.

Import and sale of real fur

Detainment of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya

Right to protest outside the BBC

Pesticides in public spaces

Prison maintenance insourcing

Sale of the Observer newspaper

Review into breast cancer screening

Certificate of Common Sponsorship

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