Written questions by Khan.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of child mortality rates among children living in temporary accommodation in England in each of the last five years; and what steps his Department is taking to improve the safety and suitability of temporary accommodation for families with children.

It is unacceptable that living situations are contributing to the tragic deaths of children. The Child Poverty Strategy and our National Plan to End Homelessness set out our commitments to eradicate unsuitable or poor-quality accommodation and ensure children in temporary accommodation do not experience gaps in health care provision. These include our commitment to eliminating the unlawful use of Bed & Breakfast accommodation for families by the end of this Parliament, introducing a clinical code to improve data and prevent incidents in temporary accommodation, ending the practice of discharging newborns into B&B or other unsuitable shared accommodation, and providing proactive outreach to families in temporary accommodation. Through our Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, we have been driving place-based good practice by working with local authorities with the highest use of B&B accommodation, backed by £10.5 million over two years. We will expand this work through an Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme, backed by £30 million over three years. The government is providing £950 million of investment for the fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund – the largest investment in the fund to date - to support local authorities in England to increase the supply of good quality temporary accommodation and drive down the use of costly B&B and hotels. Alongside this, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will provide the strongest protections in a generation, making sure vulnerable children are identified and supported. We are also introducing a new temporary accommodation notification duty, to inform schools and specified health providers when a child is placed in temporary accommodation, to allow additional or different support to be provided to these children.

What steps her department is taking to support autistic students with Pathological Demand Avoidance in mainstream school settings.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Manchester Rusholme, to the answer of 15 April 2026 to Question 121149.

What steps he is taking improve outcomes and survival rates after heart and lung transplants.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring timely and equitable access to heart and lung transplantation services and of improving patient outcomes.Access to transplantation is based on nationally agreed clinical criteria, with organs allocated through a national system managed by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to ensure equity according to clinical need. NHSBT publishes data annually on access and outcomes in its organ-specific reports, which are available at the following link:https://www.odt.nhs.uk/statistics-and-reports/annual-activity-report/This data shows good overall post-transplant survival rates, alongside some variation between centres. In addition, the data shows no evidence of geographical variation beyond chance for heart and lung transplantation rates, and some variation in lung registration rates. Further work is needed to understand and address unwarranted variation in access to transplantation.Variation in patient outcomes, including longer‑term survival and listing outcomes, are reviewed through established NHSBT and NHS England clinical governance processes, including routine outcome review and centre‑specific follow‑up where indicated. The National Transplant Clinical Panel has been established to provide expert clinical interpretation of transplant outcome data to support oversight where issues of statistical variation are identified.To improve access and outcomes, NHS England has established a national improvement programme, informed by the Implementation Steering Group for Organ Utilisation’s Cardiothoracic Information Collation Exercise. This programme, alongside NHS England’s commissioning structures, includes work to improve referral pathways, organ utilisation, and service consistency, through strengthened peer review processes, an audit of organ acceptance practices, and work with transplant centres to support consistent decision-making. Further information on NHS England’s national improvement programme and the Implementation Steering Group for Organ Utilisation’s Cardiothoracic Information Collation Exercise is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/blog/from-ambition-to-action-improving-heart-and-lung-transplant-services-in-england/https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/34815/report-on-uk-heart-and-lung-transplantation-services.pdfWhile progress has been made, including increases in transplant activity and reductions in waiting lists, NHS England continues to work with partners to ensure services are consistent, resilient, and able to meet patient need across the country.

What assessment he has made of regional disparities in England for access to and outcomes of heart and lung transplants.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring timely and equitable access to heart and lung transplantation services and of improving patient outcomes.Access to transplantation is based on nationally agreed clinical criteria, with organs allocated through a national system managed by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to ensure equity according to clinical need. NHSBT publishes data annually on access and outcomes in its organ-specific reports, which are available at the following link:https://www.odt.nhs.uk/statistics-and-reports/annual-activity-report/This data shows good overall post-transplant survival rates, alongside some variation between centres. In addition, the data shows no evidence of geographical variation beyond chance for heart and lung transplantation rates, and some variation in lung registration rates. Further work is needed to understand and address unwarranted variation in access to transplantation.Variation in patient outcomes, including longer‑term survival and listing outcomes, are reviewed through established NHSBT and NHS England clinical governance processes, including routine outcome review and centre‑specific follow‑up where indicated. The National Transplant Clinical Panel has been established to provide expert clinical interpretation of transplant outcome data to support oversight where issues of statistical variation are identified.To improve access and outcomes, NHS England has established a national improvement programme, informed by the Implementation Steering Group for Organ Utilisation’s Cardiothoracic Information Collation Exercise. This programme, alongside NHS England’s commissioning structures, includes work to improve referral pathways, organ utilisation, and service consistency, through strengthened peer review processes, an audit of organ acceptance practices, and work with transplant centres to support consistent decision-making. Further information on NHS England’s national improvement programme and the Implementation Steering Group for Organ Utilisation’s Cardiothoracic Information Collation Exercise is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/blog/from-ambition-to-action-improving-heart-and-lung-transplant-services-in-england/https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/34815/report-on-uk-heart-and-lung-transplantation-services.pdfWhile progress has been made, including increases in transplant activity and reductions in waiting lists, NHS England continues to work with partners to ensure services are consistent, resilient, and able to meet patient need across the country.

What steps he is taking to improve access to heart and lung transplants across England.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring timely and equitable access to heart and lung transplantation services and of improving patient outcomes.Access to transplantation is based on nationally agreed clinical criteria, with organs allocated through a national system managed by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to ensure equity according to clinical need. NHSBT publishes data annually on access and outcomes in its organ-specific reports, which are available at the following link:https://www.odt.nhs.uk/statistics-and-reports/annual-activity-report/This data shows good overall post-transplant survival rates, alongside some variation between centres. In addition, the data shows no evidence of geographical variation beyond chance for heart and lung transplantation rates, and some variation in lung registration rates. Further work is needed to understand and address unwarranted variation in access to transplantation.Variation in patient outcomes, including longer‑term survival and listing outcomes, are reviewed through established NHSBT and NHS England clinical governance processes, including routine outcome review and centre‑specific follow‑up where indicated. The National Transplant Clinical Panel has been established to provide expert clinical interpretation of transplant outcome data to support oversight where issues of statistical variation are identified.To improve access and outcomes, NHS England has established a national improvement programme, informed by the Implementation Steering Group for Organ Utilisation’s Cardiothoracic Information Collation Exercise. This programme, alongside NHS England’s commissioning structures, includes work to improve referral pathways, organ utilisation, and service consistency, through strengthened peer review processes, an audit of organ acceptance practices, and work with transplant centres to support consistent decision-making. Further information on NHS England’s national improvement programme and the Implementation Steering Group for Organ Utilisation’s Cardiothoracic Information Collation Exercise is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/blog/from-ambition-to-action-improving-heart-and-lung-transplant-services-in-england/https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/34815/report-on-uk-heart-and-lung-transplantation-services.pdfWhile progress has been made, including increases in transplant activity and reductions in waiting lists, NHS England continues to work with partners to ensure services are consistent, resilient, and able to meet patient need across the country.

What recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of support provided to patients before and after heart and lung transplants, including follow-up care and psychological support.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring timely and equitable access to heart and lung transplantation services and of improving patient outcomes.Heart and lung transplant services provide multidisciplinary assessment, ongoing follow‑up, and access to psychological support where clinically indicated, ensuring that care addresses both physical and mental health needs across the patient pathway, before and after transplantation. The quality and effectiveness of care are monitored through national audit, service review, and patient feedback.Evidence has identified variation in how aspects of service specifications and patient engagement are implemented across transplant services. This was highlighted in the Implementation Steering Group for Organ Utilisation’s Improving Patient Engagement in Organ Transplantation: Recommendations for Best Practice report, which sets out areas for improvement in consistency and patient experience. This report is available at the following link:https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/36473/improving-patient-engagement-in-organ-transplantation_recommendations-for-best-practice.pdfNHS England is working with patient representatives, NHS Blood and Transplant, and transplant centres through a national improvement programme which includes work to address unwarranted variation and strengthen holistic, patient‑centred care before and after transplantation, in addition to wider work to improve access, workforce sustainability, and service resilience.

Whether his Department has issued guidance to businesses relating to the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on Israel's occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, published in July 2024.

The UK is clear that Israel's illegal settlements and decisions designed to further them are a flagrant violation of international law. The overseas business risk guidance, available on gov.uk, states there are clear risks to UK operators related to economic and financial activities in the settlements. We discourage such activity and advise that those contemplating any economic or financial involvement in settlements should seek appropriate legal advice.We are fully committed to international law and respect the independence of the International Court of Justice, and we are carefully considering the Court’s advisory opinion.

What recent assessment she has made of the effect of fuel taxation policy on low income households.

The Chancellor considers a wide range of impacts when taking decisions on tax policy. At Budget 2025, the Government announced that the 5p cut in fuel duty would be extended until the end of August 2026, with rates then gradually returning to March 2022 levels by March 2027. The planned increase in line with inflation for 2026/27 will also not take place, with RPI uprating resuming from 2027/28 onwards.Since Autumn Budget 2024, the Government's decisions to freeze fuel duty will save the average motorist over £90 – or 11 pence per litre - compared to the plans inherited from the previous government. The Government published distributional analysis on decisions taken at Budget 2025, including fuel duty, at GOV.UK: : https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69269c6222424e25e6bc31bb/Impact_on_households.pdf

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of market concentration in the food retail industry on (a) consumers and (b) suppliers.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provided an updated assessment of retail competition and profitability in July 2024 which did not find that groceries inflation was being driven at an aggregate level by weak competition between retailers. There was overall growth in revenues, profits, and margins for retailers in the 2023/24 financial year. However, operating profits and margins remained broadly at or below financial years 2019/20 to 2021/22 level. The CMA’s November 2024 analysis of supermarket loyalty pricing also found limited evidence of price changes which could indicate that supermarkets may have inflated prices to make their loyalty prices appear misleadingly attractive. Supermarkets relations with suppliers are guided by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. This imposes various obligations on the largest retailers such as dealing fairly and lawfully with suppliers, not varying supply agreements retrospectively, and providing reasonable notice of any significant changes to supply chain procedures.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support employment, vocational training, and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people in Syria, particularly in areas affected by conflict and sanctions.

The UK has long recognised the importance of education for Syria's long-term resilience, stability and prosperity. Since 2022, the UK's Syria Education Programme has trained over 15,000 school staff and provided foundational literacy and numeracy materials to primary school children in Idlib and Aleppo. In the past year, the UK has funded the rehabilitation of 90 schools in Idlib and Aleppo and provided £2.5 million to UNICEF for school rehabilitation across the country.The UK also places the inclusion of women and girls at the centre of its approach to Syria's recovery. Syria is a priority country under the UK's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and we are supporting agricultural livelihoods, vocational training and entrepreneurship opportunities with a focus on young people, female-headed households and conflict‑affected communities in economically marginalised regions.The UK's Global Mine Action Programme is supporting mine clearance and livelihoods programming in North East Syria and our Syria Education Programme provides safety information to children in Idlib and Aleppo, promoting safe behaviours and encouraging the reporting of suspicious or hazardous objects.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the rebuilding of schools, the training of teachers, and the provision of learning materials in Syria.

The UK has long recognised the importance of education for Syria's long-term resilience, stability and prosperity. Since 2022, the UK's Syria Education Programme has trained over 15,000 school staff and provided foundational literacy and numeracy materials to primary school children in Idlib and Aleppo. In the past year, the UK has funded the rehabilitation of 90 schools in Idlib and Aleppo and provided £2.5 million to UNICEF for school rehabilitation across the country.The UK also places the inclusion of women and girls at the centre of its approach to Syria's recovery. Syria is a priority country under the UK's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and we are supporting agricultural livelihoods, vocational training and entrepreneurship opportunities with a focus on young people, female-headed households and conflict‑affected communities in economically marginalised regions.The UK's Global Mine Action Programme is supporting mine clearance and livelihoods programming in North East Syria and our Syria Education Programme provides safety information to children in Idlib and Aleppo, promoting safe behaviours and encouraging the reporting of suspicious or hazardous objects.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help support the inclusion of Syrian youth and women in post-conflict reconstruction and decision-making processes including funding for locally-led initiatives and civic empowerment programmes.

The UK has long recognised the importance of education for Syria's long-term resilience, stability and prosperity. Since 2022, the UK's Syria Education Programme has trained over 15,000 school staff and provided foundational literacy and numeracy materials to primary school children in Idlib and Aleppo. In the past year, the UK has funded the rehabilitation of 90 schools in Idlib and Aleppo and provided £2.5 million to UNICEF for school rehabilitation across the country.The UK also places the inclusion of women and girls at the centre of its approach to Syria's recovery. Syria is a priority country under the UK's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and we are supporting agricultural livelihoods, vocational training and entrepreneurship opportunities with a focus on young people, female-headed households and conflict‑affected communities in economically marginalised regions.The UK's Global Mine Action Programme is supporting mine clearance and livelihoods programming in North East Syria and our Syria Education Programme provides safety information to children in Idlib and Aleppo, promoting safe behaviours and encouraging the reporting of suspicious or hazardous objects.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action she is taking to support mine clearance, risk education, and safe access to schools, agricultural land, and residential areas in Syria.

The UK has long recognised the importance of education for Syria's long-term resilience, stability and prosperity. Since 2022, the UK's Syria Education Programme has trained over 15,000 school staff and provided foundational literacy and numeracy materials to primary school children in Idlib and Aleppo. In the past year, the UK has funded the rehabilitation of 90 schools in Idlib and Aleppo and provided £2.5 million to UNICEF for school rehabilitation across the country.The UK also places the inclusion of women and girls at the centre of its approach to Syria's recovery. Syria is a priority country under the UK's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and we are supporting agricultural livelihoods, vocational training and entrepreneurship opportunities with a focus on young people, female-headed households and conflict‑affected communities in economically marginalised regions.The UK's Global Mine Action Programme is supporting mine clearance and livelihoods programming in North East Syria and our Syria Education Programme provides safety information to children in Idlib and Aleppo, promoting safe behaviours and encouraging the reporting of suspicious or hazardous objects.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many people did her department sponsor Chevening scholarships for from (a) Sudan, (b) Cameroon, (c) Myanmar and (d) Afghanistan in each of the last ten years.

The table below provides the number of Chevening Scholarships awarded to individuals from Sudan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Afghanistan in the last ten years.Country2016201720182019202020212022202320242025Afghanistan18151415232918211310Cameroon1816131512105888Myanmar121515129168101014Sudan12131216171817171610

What assessment he has made of the need to introduce transparency requirements for the funding of nutrition research.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including nutrition.The Department is committed to funding research that has robust ethical oversight and independent governance. The NIHR ensures this by requiring studies, where appropriate, to gain approval from the Health Research Authority, which is responsible for overseeing ethical, governance, and legal aspects of research in England. Studies must also comply with the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research, which outlines the principles of good practice in the management and conduct of health and social care research in the United Kingdom.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 94116 on FirstPort: Standards, what discussions he has had with FirstPort since 17 November 2025.

Neither the Secretary of State nor I have regular discussions with individual property management companies regarding effective communications with leaseholders. I have had no further direct discussions with FirstPort subsequent to my meeting with Martin King on 17 November 2025 and the exchange of letters that followed it as referenced in my answer to Question UIN 94116 on 1 December 2025. My Department continues to actively monitor standards and quality of service among property management companies, including FirstPort. I otherwise refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 85213 on 4 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether he is having discussions with property management companies on effective communications with leaseholders.

Neither the Secretary of State nor I have regular discussions with individual property management companies regarding effective communications with leaseholders. I have had no further direct discussions with FirstPort subsequent to my meeting with Martin King on 17 November 2025 and the exchange of letters that followed it as referenced in my answer to Question UIN 94116 on 1 December 2025. My Department continues to actively monitor standards and quality of service among property management companies, including FirstPort. I otherwise refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 85213 on 4 November 2025.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure local and regional government leaders have sufficient information about the Better Futures Fund application process ahead of the Summer 2026 bidding round opening.

DCMS is currently in the design stages of the Better Futures Fund and is currently in dialogue with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to assess their capacity for participation in delivery. DCMS intends to launch a dedicated capacity and capability building programme in the autumn this year, that will include ongoing support and information for regional and local commissioners.DCMS intends to publish eligibility criteria alongside an invitation to bidders in Summer 2026. This will be aimed at projects where all partners have a track record of successful social outcomes partnership delivery. The bidding will target projects and commissioners that are able to launch quickly, with a commensurate application process.Round 1 bids will be aimed at projects where all partners have a track record of successful social outcomes partnership delivery. DCMS will ensure that appropriate information sharing and engagement is included in the application process, but anticipates working with commissioners with good foreknowledge of social outcomes partnerships.

Media and Sport, when her Department plans to publish eligibility criteria and target outcomes for the first phase of the Better Futures Fund so that local authorities can begin preparing applications in good time.

DCMS is currently in the design stages of the Better Futures Fund and is currently in dialogue with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to assess their capacity for participation in delivery. DCMS intends to launch a dedicated capacity and capability building programme in the autumn this year, that will include ongoing support and information for regional and local commissioners.DCMS intends to publish eligibility criteria alongside an invitation to bidders in Summer 2026. This will be aimed at projects where all partners have a track record of successful social outcomes partnership delivery. The bidding will target projects and commissioners that are able to launch quickly, with a commensurate application process.Round 1 bids will be aimed at projects where all partners have a track record of successful social outcomes partnership delivery. DCMS will ensure that appropriate information sharing and engagement is included in the application process, but anticipates working with commissioners with good foreknowledge of social outcomes partnerships.

Media and Sport, what engagement her Department plans to undertake with local and regional government leaders ahead of the Summer 2026 Better Futures Fund bidding round to maximise the quality and diversity of applications received.

DCMS is currently in the design stages of the Better Futures Fund and is currently in dialogue with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to assess their capacity for participation in delivery. DCMS intends to launch a dedicated capacity and capability building programme in the autumn this year, that will include ongoing support and information for regional and local commissioners.DCMS intends to publish eligibility criteria alongside an invitation to bidders in Summer 2026. This will be aimed at projects where all partners have a track record of successful social outcomes partnership delivery. The bidding will target projects and commissioners that are able to launch quickly, with a commensurate application process.Round 1 bids will be aimed at projects where all partners have a track record of successful social outcomes partnership delivery. DCMS will ensure that appropriate information sharing and engagement is included in the application process, but anticipates working with commissioners with good foreknowledge of social outcomes partnerships.