Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of psychometric and personality testing on autistic job applicants and other disabled groups.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Employers have a responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled job applicants where required, including to recruitment and assessment processes
The Buckland Review of Autism Employment (2024) highlighted that autistic people can have significantly more negative experiences of interviews, group tasks and psychometric tests. More recently, the independent Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity (2026) highlighted that recruitment processes can unintentionally exclude neurodivergent talent. In light of this, the Government recognises that there are gaps in the evidence base and is taking action to strengthen our understanding and support more inclusive employment practices.
Firstly, the Department is funding a further programme of ACAS-led masterclasses for line managers in small and medium-sized employers, aimed at improving their knowledge, skills and confidence to recruit, retain and support neurodivergent people at work. These masterclasses will take place in early 2027
Further, the Department is developing an ‘Employer Hiring Toolkit’, which will be piloted with employers over the next six months. The toolkit includes evidence-based resources to support more inclusive and effective hiring practices across all candidate groups
Alongside this, we continue to engage with employers, neurodiversity organisations and people with lived experience to better understand the barriers to creating neuroinclusive workplaces, including recruitment practices, and to inform our approach to improving employment outcomes for neurodivergent people.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of guidance for employers in addressing the needs of neurodivergent candidates.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Employers have a responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled job applicants where required, including to recruitment and assessment processes
The Buckland Review of Autism Employment (2024) highlighted that autistic people can have significantly more negative experiences of interviews, group tasks and psychometric tests. More recently, the independent Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity (2026) highlighted that recruitment processes can unintentionally exclude neurodivergent talent. In light of this, the Government recognises that there are gaps in the evidence base and is taking action to strengthen our understanding and support more inclusive employment practices.
Firstly, the Department is funding a further programme of ACAS-led masterclasses for line managers in small and medium-sized employers, aimed at improving their knowledge, skills and confidence to recruit, retain and support neurodivergent people at work. These masterclasses will take place in early 2027
Further, the Department is developing an ‘Employer Hiring Toolkit’, which will be piloted with employers over the next six months. The toolkit includes evidence-based resources to support more inclusive and effective hiring practices across all candidate groups
Alongside this, we continue to engage with employers, neurodiversity organisations and people with lived experience to better understand the barriers to creating neuroinclusive workplaces, including recruitment practices, and to inform our approach to improving employment outcomes for neurodivergent people.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the answer of 3 November 2026 to Question 35573, what steps the Department is taking to ensure that public bodies other than local authorities, placing people in supported exempt accommodation in Birmingham from outside the city (a) notify the receiving authority, (b) assess the suitability of the accommodation and support and (c) make arrangements for continuity of care.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Ministers meet with their colleagues regularly to discuss housing and homelessness issues and consider how to support effective joint working between public bodies.
The Government is strengthening safeguards for people living in supported housing through implementation of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023. The Act requires all local housing authorities to introduce a licensing regime for supported housing, which will include new national support standards, as well as a requirement for local authorities to assess the suitability of landlords. These reforms will strengthen local authority oversight of supported housing, including in areas such as Birmingham.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will make it his policy to review the adequacy of existing powers to stay assigned insolvency claims where a related investigation may produce evidence materially relevant to their determination.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The courts have broad case management powers under the Civil Procedure Rules, including the power to stay proceedings where appropriate. The Government keeps the operation of the civil justice system under review, however, decisions on the exercise of those powers in individual proceedings are a matter for the court. Neither the Department, nor the Civil Procedure Rules Committee, have any plans for a specific review focused on powers to stay proceedings.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the accessibility and cost of procedures for defendants to seek an early determination of the validity of an assignment of an insolvency claim.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The general principle in England and Wales is that the unsuccessful party will usually be ordered to pay a proportion of the successful party's legal costs (known as recoverable costs), in addition to their own legal expenses. As with any civil proceedings, there are costs involved with seeking an early determination of the validity of an assignment of an insolvency claim, including court fees, legal advice or representation and, where applicable, liability for the other party's costs.
The affordability and accessibility of civil litigation have been considered more broadly through Lord Justice Jackson's review of civil litigation costs, which led to a package of reforms designed to promote access to justice while ensuring that litigation costs remain proportionate to the issues at stake. These reforms included changes to costs management, proportionality and, more recently, the introduction and expansion of Fixed Recoverable Costs in certain categories of case.
More recently, the Civil Justice Council (CJC) completed a review of litigation funding and made a series of recommendations. On 17 December 2025, the Government announced plans to accept the CJC’s primary two recommendations and introduce legislation when Parliamentary time allows to: a) mitigate the impact of the PACCAR judgment with prospective effect, and b) introduce light-touch regulation of litigation funding agreements (LFAs). The Government is carefully considering the Council’s wider recommendations on litigation funding, including consideration of issues relating to the affordability of litigation, and will set out its plans in due course.
The Government is confident the CJC and Jackson Reviews have suitably reviewed litigation funding and civil costs. As such, we have not made our own formal assessment of the accessibility and cost of civil claims.
The regulatory framework for LFAs is still being finalised, but given litigation funding by its nature relates to the third-party funding of claim, it will not apply in cases where a party is funding the claim themselves.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether planned regulation of litigation funding agreements will extend to commercial entities which purchase insolvency claims outright and pursue those claims in their own names.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The general principle in England and Wales is that the unsuccessful party will usually be ordered to pay a proportion of the successful party's legal costs (known as recoverable costs), in addition to their own legal expenses. As with any civil proceedings, there are costs involved with seeking an early determination of the validity of an assignment of an insolvency claim, including court fees, legal advice or representation and, where applicable, liability for the other party's costs.
The affordability and accessibility of civil litigation have been considered more broadly through Lord Justice Jackson's review of civil litigation costs, which led to a package of reforms designed to promote access to justice while ensuring that litigation costs remain proportionate to the issues at stake. These reforms included changes to costs management, proportionality and, more recently, the introduction and expansion of Fixed Recoverable Costs in certain categories of case.
More recently, the Civil Justice Council (CJC) completed a review of litigation funding and made a series of recommendations. On 17 December 2025, the Government announced plans to accept the CJC’s primary two recommendations and introduce legislation when Parliamentary time allows to: a) mitigate the impact of the PACCAR judgment with prospective effect, and b) introduce light-touch regulation of litigation funding agreements (LFAs). The Government is carefully considering the Council’s wider recommendations on litigation funding, including consideration of issues relating to the affordability of litigation, and will set out its plans in due course.
The Government is confident the CJC and Jackson Reviews have suitably reviewed litigation funding and civil costs. As such, we have not made our own formal assessment of the accessibility and cost of civil claims.
The regulatory framework for LFAs is still being finalised, but given litigation funding by its nature relates to the third-party funding of claim, it will not apply in cases where a party is funding the claim themselves.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, further to the Answer of 26 October 2026 to Question 36382, what plans his Department has to introduce an expedited complaints procedure where alleged misconduct in the assignment of a claim is causing continuing financial loss or serious hardship.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has no plans to introduce an expedited complaints procedure.
The existing complaints system including the Insolvency Practitioner Complaints Gateway provides a means of investigating concerns about the professional conduct of insolvency practitioners and, where appropriate, taking disciplinary action.
The regulatory process is distinct from legal disputes, including where the dispute relates to a claim in an insolvency. Where action is taken to pursue a claim in insolvency this is a matter for the courts to determine.
There are no plans to change this framework.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, further to the Answer of 26 October 2026 to Question 36382, whether the Department will introduce an expedited complaints procedure where alleged misconduct in the assignment of a claim is causing continuing financial loss or serious hardship.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has no plans to introduce an expedited complaints procedure.
The existing complaints system including the Insolvency Practitioner Complaints Gateway provides a means of investigating concerns about the professional conduct of insolvency practitioners and, where appropriate, taking disciplinary action.
The regulatory process is distinct from legal disputes, including where the dispute relates to a claim in an insolvency. Where action is taken to pursue a claim in insolvency this is a matter for the courts to determine.
There are no plans to change this framework.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking with Skills England, the West Midlands Combined Authority and life sciences employers to develop training and employment pathways into laboratory, clinical research and advanced manufacturing roles for people who are not in education, employment or training.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to improving opportunities across the skills system, with a particular focus on young people and those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Skills England works closely with employers, sector bodies and regional partners to support the development of technical education and apprenticeship pathways that align with labour market demand.
Life sciences is an industrial strategy sector for which a range of progression routes are available, including via apprenticeships, T Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs). Pathways are designed to support progression, with entry into life science roles through level 2 apprenticeships such as engineering operative or level 3 apprenticeships including laboratory technician and metrology technician. Skills England also worked with the West Midlands Combined Authority last year to develop a new HTQ to fill a critical skills gap in MedTech. Additionally, T Levels offer an alternative entry through the science or healthcare science T Levels.
Following publication of the final Milburn Review report, Skills England will work with relevant government departments, agencies, and local partners to support the implementation of recommendations aimed at reducing the number of young people who are NEET and improving access to high-quality training and employment opportunities.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how he monitors inclusivity within the Disability Confident scheme; and whether he is considering (a) guidance and (b) regulation to ensure recruitment assessments do not disadvantage disabled applicants.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Disability Confident is a voluntary scheme that supports employers to recruit, retain and develop disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. DWP does not hold data on employees working in Disability Confident organisations to monitor inclusivity. In a Disability Confident Employers survey - GOV.UK (DWP, 2023) when asked about their approach to recruitment, the vast majority of employers (93%) had disability recruitment practices in place, with the most common activities being making adjustments for disabled people during the recruitment process (84%) and ensuring staff involved in the recruitment process had appropriate disability training (81%).
The scheme provides employers with practical guidance to support inclusive recruitment, including making reasonable adjustments and adapting recruitment and assessment approaches where appropriate to remove barriers for disabled applicants. We set out our plan to reform the scheme - GOV.UK earlier this year, and these reforms, will strengthen this support through clearer expectations, guidance and tools for employers
The Equality Act 2010 already provides statutory protections for disabled job applicants. Employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments where a disabled applicant would otherwise be placed at a substantial disadvantage, and this duty applies to recruitment processes, including assessments and interviews. Disability Confident complements these existing legal responsibilities by providing employers with guidance and support to improve their recruitment practices.