Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support the Government is giving to families in the Family Court who have suffered abuse by non-resident parents.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to ensuring that victims of domestic abuse, including children, are properly supported in the Family Courts. This is regardless of whether the abusive parent is resident or non-resident at the time of the case.

Family Courts have a range of tools available to support and protect victims of domestic abuse. The court must assume that the ability of victims of domestic abuse to participate in family proceedings is diminished by vulnerability, and as such can make special measures available to support them in court. Special measures are designed to ensure victims are fully supported throughout proceedings and can include giving evidence by video link or from behind a screen or using separate waiting areas or separate entrances and exits. Additionally, a victim of domestic abuse cannot be cross-examined by their abuser in family proceedings. The court can appoint a qualified legal representative to undertake the cross-examination

To further support victims, court procedures, set out in Practice Directions, make it clear that Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs), who provide practical, emotional or moral support, can accompany parties in proceedings.

Where Family Court proceedings would risk causing harm to parents or children the court can make an order to prevent a person from making further applications without permission of the court, such as a civil restraint order or, in relation to proceedings under the Children Act 1989, an order under section 91(14) of that Act.

Legal aid is also available for private family matters such as child arrangements, financial remedy proceedings and divorce if an individual is a victim of domestic abuse or at risk of being abused. Legal aid is also available for individuals in some private family orders, such as prohibited steps orders, if the child subject to the order is a victim of child abuse or at risk of abuse. Funding is subject to providing evidence of abuse and passing the means and merits test.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of widening the eligibility of COVID vaccines to people with Multiple Sclerosis.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme is targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

The Government has accepted the JCVI advice for spring 2026 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in care homes for older adults; and

- individuals aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed, as in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book.

The JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Noah Law

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Noah Law

Found: Practitioner 07909 530 730 Sent to: Jayne Kirkham MP Perran Moon MP Ben Maguire MP Anna Gelderd MP Noah Law

Found: the meeting Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law

Found: the meeting Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law