Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of banning asylum claims from foreign national offenders convicted of sexual offences in their country of origin on LGBTQI+ people from countries where same-sex relationships are criminalised.

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

The Government has introduced an amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill which will strengthen existing provisions by creating a new presumption that convictions for all sexual offences in Schedule 3 to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (sex offences which are subject to the notification requirements) are considered particularly serious for the purposes of Article 33(2) of the Refugee Convention.

The same provision will only apply to convictions received overseas where we are able to show that an individual has received, from a foreign court, a conviction for a sexual offence that would have resulted in the notification requirements had they committed it in the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's publication entitled Restoring Control Over the Immigration System: White paper, published on 12 May 2025, whether the changes to the qualifying period for settlement from five to 10 years will impact people on the skilled worker route who are already in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and will provide further details at that stage.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support women in the workplace with flexible working.

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

The Government knows how important flexible working can be to help women with caring responsibilities manage their work and personal commitments. It can also be equally important for carers of vulnerable adults as well as employees with long-term physical or mental health conditions.

That is why the Government, through the Employment Rights Bill, is increasing access to flexible working by making it the default except where not reasonably feasible. These measures will support all employees, including women, to access flexible working. The changes in the Bill will require employers to accept flexible working requests where it is reasonably feasible to do so.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the establishment of Great British Railways on funding for the British Transport Police.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set currently set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry.

We anticipate that the level of funding for the BTP during the transition to and commencement of Great British Railways will similarly balance the needs of the industry and the force against public sector affordability.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for the British Transport Police.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%. BTP work closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget.

The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) provide guidance to, (b) help seek redress for and (c) otherwise help support people affected by HSBC historically deducting a portion of its workers' occupational pensions when they reached State Pension age.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Integrated pensions are intended to provide people who retire before their State Pension age with a similar pension income before and after their State Pension comes into payment. A member’s scheme pension is calculated so that the scheme pays a higher pension before the person reaches State Pension age, which is then reduced at State Pension age to take account of their State Pension.

If members of an integrated pension scheme believe that the scheme has not followed its rules or the relevant law, they should use the scheme’s internal dispute resolution service, which every scheme is required to have. If they are not satisfied with the outcome, they can take the matter to the Pensions Ombudsman.

They may also find it helpful to contact Money Helper, which provides free advice on all aspects of occupational pension schemes and personal pension schemes. Money Helper can be contacted by telephone on: 0800 011 3797 and more information is available on its website at: www.moneyhelper.org.uk

Import of goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

UK Government recognition of the state of Palestine

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month 2025

Madleen Freedom Flotilla Ship

Israel’s interception of the British-flagged Madleen boat

Accountability in the water industry and proposals for the reform of Ofwat

Climate Finance Fund (Fossil Fuels and Pollution) Bill

Real Living Wage Campaign

Arms exports to Israel

Impact of No Recourse to Public Funds on child poverty

Benefit reforms and Personal Independence Payment consultation

Fee waivers for ILR applications

Support for the trans community

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Barry Gardiner

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Barry Gardiner

Found: Ann Davies Chris Bloore David Baines Tom Hayes Mr Lee Dillon Luke Taylor Zöe Franklin Olivia Blake

Found: Not called_NC1 Nadia Whittome Bell Ribeiro-Addy Zarah Sultana Olivia Blake Ian Byrne Rachael Maskell