Written questions by Khan.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2025 to question 98902 on the Environmental Improvement Plan, whether her Department plans to publish a formal consultation on domestic combustion.

As outlined in the EIP, we will consult on further measures to reduce emissions from domestic burning.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of ending the Energy Company Obligation scheme on employment in the North West.

ECO4 has played a part in delivering clean heat technologies; however, issues identified by the NAO and PAC support a shift to a more direct, publicly-funded approach focused on technologies that cut bills and accelerate the transition to clean heat such as heat pumps, solar PV and batteries. The government is providing an additional £1.5 billion—taking planned capital investment to almost £15 billion—to upgrade low‑income homes and scale clean home‑energy technologies. Deployment will be further supported through wider policies and details of this will be set out soon in the Warm Homes Plan.

Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration she has given to designating the Trans Pennine Trail a National Trail.

The Government is committed to increasing access to nature and leaving a lasting benefit for future generations. Although we do not currently plan to designate the Trans Pennine Trail as a National Trail, we remain committed to improving safe and appropriate access to green and blue spaces. In 2026 we expect to launch both the 2,700-mile King Charles III England Coast Path and Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route across the north of England as a National Trail. We are also progressing plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region and will share further details in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 47655 on Sexual Harassment, what progress she has made on implementation of the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023.

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government and we have committed to an unprecedented ambition to halve VAWG within a decade.Public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is an integral part of our mission on VAWG.The VAWG Strategy will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s VAWG ambition, including action to tackle public sexual harassment.

What steps he plans to take to help ensure that respiratory research challenges funded by National Institute for Health and Care Research will help tackle respiratory disease in adults.

The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In the last five financial years it has invested £152 million directly into research funding on respiratory health conditions in adults. In addition, investment through NIHR infrastructure also supports the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality early translational, clinical, and applied health research across a range of research areas. The NIHR Respiratory Translational Research Collaboration is a network of leading universities, National Health Service trusts, and research centres in the United Kingdom who carry out early translational respiratory research. It works with life sciences companies, charities, and other funders to design and deliver complex, multicentre studies that accelerate research to benefit patients. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/what-we-do/infrastructure/translational-research-collaborations/respiratory

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of consulting on reforms to Smoke Control Areas.

We continuously review the evidence around emissions and the most effective way to tackle smoke controlled areas.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Environmental Improvement Plan, when her Department plans to publish the consultation on measures that cut emissions from domestic wood combustion.

The Government is currently developing proposals for measures to tackle emissions from Domestic Combustion.

What steps he is taking to tackle health inequalities experienced by people affected by homelessness.

The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the structural inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups, including those experiencing homelessness. We are working with integrated care systems, local authorities, and directors of public health to embed regional and local solutions to reducing inequalities, ensuring communities have the power and resources to improve health outcomes.NICE guideline 214, Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness, sets out clear expectations for services to be accessible and tailored to individual needs. This guideline is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng214/chapter/Recommendations#intermediate-careWe are exploring how best to encourage integrated care boards to adopt and embed this guidance within their commissioning processes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to review UK National Archive material relating to Britain’s administration of the Mandate in Palestine between 1917 and 1948.

Available materials from the era in question can be accessed by any member of the public who wishes to do so via the National Archives.

What steps he is taking to support young people into employment, education or training.

The government is investing £820m to help young people earn or learn through the Youth Guarantee. This includes a Jobs Guarantee where eligible 18–21-year-olds, who have been on Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months, will be guaranteed six-months paid work. We are also investing £725m for the Growth and Skills Levy will help support apprenticeships for young people, alongside reforms that will simplify the apprenticeship system.

When she plans to enact the socioeconomic measures in the Equality Act 2010.

The Government will set out its timeline for commencement of the socio-economic duty in due course. We are currently drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. As part of this process, public bodies will have the opportunity to engage on the guidance to make certain that we understand how to best implement the duty.

What steps his Department is taking to improve public confidence in performing CPR on women experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

NHS England runs training sessions on first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and the use of defibrillators both in the community and in schools, under the Restart a Heart programme. This training should help to increase confidence in performing CPR on women. NHS England has trained over 35,800 adults and children in CPR and defibrillation in the last 13 years, and 2,134 this year so far. NHS England delivers the sessions via their resuscitation team and via their community first responders.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the lack of female-form CPR mannequins on survival rates for women experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

The Government is continuing to take action to increase cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) awareness and training, including NHS England leading sessions on first aid, CPR, and the use of defibrillators both in the community and in schools, under the Restart a Heart programme. This training should help to increase confidence in performing CPR on women.NHS England has trained over 35,800 adults and children in CPR and defibrillation in the last 13 years, and 2,134 this year so far. NHS England delivers the sessions via their resuscitation team and via their community first responders.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help improve public transparency and local awareness of the implications of freeports.

The government is committed to public transparency, accountability, and oversight for all Industrial Strategy Zones (ISZs), the collective term for Freeports and Investment Zones. The ISZs Action Plan and the latest Freeports Programme Report, both published in June 2025, set out the steps being taken to deliver upon these requirements, including by holding at least one public meeting a year and publishing all meeting minutes.To ensure elected local leaders have oversight, all ISZs in England have a local authority or Mayoral Strategic Authority acting as their accountable body, providing public transparency and accountability for the management of funding and their ongoing development. These mechanisms underpin a programme that has attracted £6.4 billion in private investment to date, unlocking regeneration and new jobs for local communities, and delivering upon the government's number one priority of economic growth.

What recent assessment he has made of the power, noise levels, and explosive force of consumer fireworks currently permitted for public sale compared with products available in previous decades.

The Government published The Firework Noise testing report on 2 February 2023. The project measured the noise levels of fireworks commonly sold for public use in the UK. There has been no recent assessment of the power and explosive force of consumer fireworks. The Government is continuing to engage with stakeholders including consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues of fireworks to inform any future action.

What assessment she has made of the recommendations set out in the Law Commission's review of disabled children’s social care law, published on 16 September 2025.

On 16 September 2025, the Law Commission published its final report following an extensive review of the legal framework governing social care for disabled children in England, commissioned by the department in April 2023. The report sets out 40 recommendations aimed at improving how the law operates, with a focus on simplifying and strengthening the system to better support disabled children and their families. In line with the Protocol agreed between the Lord Chancellor and the Law Commission, the department is expected to provide an initial response to these recommendations within six months of publication, and a full response within one year. This full response will set out which recommendations have been accepted, rejected or will be accepted in a modified form. It may also include a timeline for implementation. We will have regard to the views outlined in the report and we will engage relevant stakeholders at appropriate points as we consider our response.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of unpredictable firework noise on people with autism, sensory processing conditions, and other neurodivergent conditions; and whether he has held discussions with Cabinet colleagues on mitigating those impacts.

There has been no recent assessment or discussion with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of unpredictable firework noise on people with autism, sensory processing conditions, and other neurodivergent conditions. Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on fireworks-related issues and inform future action.I launched a public campaign for this year's fireworks season. The campaign features guidance for those running events to reduce the impact on the community, and social media materials that emphasise the risks from misuse, and the promotion of low noise fireworks.

What assessment his Department has made of the capacity of police forces to enforce existing fireworks regulations; and what steps he is taking to improve enforcement where police resources are limited.

There has been no recent assessment of the capacity of police forces to enforce existing fireworks regulations. The 2025-26 police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement. Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers, based on their specific circumstances.

Whether his Department plans to introduce a North West Living Wage, similar to the London Living Wage premium.

This government is committed to building an economy that delivers for working people. It sets the statutory minimum National Living Wage (NLW) which applies to all employers. When recommending rates for the NLW, the Low Pay Commission considers a range of factors, including the cost of living.Defining multiple regional economies presents significant challenges and the complexities of enforcing multiple rates would likely impact upon unintentional non-compliance. Furthermore, businesses highlight a strength of the NLW is the simplicity of its administration, with the same rates applying across the country.The Living Wage Foundation set voluntary London and National Living Wages, but we have not considered implementing a statutory regionally adjusted NLW in the Northwest or any other region in the UK, including London.

Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms are in place to ensure effective public and local authority oversight of freeports and their ongoing development.

The government is committed to public transparency, accountability, and oversight for all Industrial Strategy Zones (ISZs), the collective term for Freeports and Investment Zones. The ISZs Action Plan and the latest Freeports Programme Report, both published in June 2025, set out the steps being taken to deliver upon these requirements, including by holding at least one public meeting a year and publishing all meeting minutes.To ensure elected local leaders have oversight, all ISZs in England have a local authority or Mayoral Strategic Authority acting as their accountable body, providing public transparency and accountability for the management of funding and their ongoing development. These mechanisms underpin a programme that has attracted £6.4 billion in private investment to date, unlocking regeneration and new jobs for local communities, and delivering upon the government's number one priority of economic growth.