Written questions by Kearns.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance (a) her Department has and (b) its predecessor Departments have issued to councils on including within their constitutions provision for public participation at council meetings.

We have been clear that it is not for Government to micromanage local authorities. We do not provide guidance on allowing public participation, such as deputations, at formal local authority meetings; it is for individual authorities to decide what public participation they may permit and to put in place procedures that work for them and their residents. In support of open and accountable local government, formal council meetings must be open to the public except in limited defined circumstances where legislation requires or allows the meeting to be closed to the public.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to Councils on the process for residents to issue deputations at meetings; and whether residents are required to provide the full text of their deputation in advance.

We have been clear that it is not for Government to micromanage local authorities. We do not provide guidance on allowing public participation, such as deputations, at formal local authority meetings; it is for individual authorities to decide what public participation they may permit and to put in place procedures that work for them and their residents. In support of open and accountable local government, formal council meetings must be open to the public except in limited defined circumstances where legislation requires or allows the meeting to be closed to the public.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of exempting people that have British National Overseas status and hold a UK passport from the Electronic Travel Authorisation requirement.

Electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) have been introduced to enhance our ability to screen travellers upstream and stop those who pose a threat from travelling to the UK.ETAs were expanded to BN(O) passport holders on 27 November 2024 and are currently a requirement for this population when travelling to the UK. This aspect of the policy remains under review and we will update the House on any changes in due course.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of holding a public consultation before implementing the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill.

DWP continues to seek feedback on the Bill through regular engagement with key stakeholders, including at official and ministerial level. This will ensure the measures are designed to be effective and take into consideration wider feedback from the financial sector, welfare organisations, business representative organisations and others. There will be Codes of Practice for the Eligibility Verification Measure, Information Gathering and Debt Recovery powers, which DWP will publicly consult on before publication.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning the use by officials in her Department of the DeepSeek artificial intelligence model.

The Government has a robust set of security policies in place to oversee how information is handled, within our buildings, on our IT and by our staff.We keep these policies under constant review to ensure they are applicable to new technologies.The Government's Generative AI framework outlines that only corporately assured Generative AI tools should be used to process HMG information. Everyone who works with government has a duty of confidentiality and a responsibility to safeguard any government information or data that they process, access or share, and all government departments are required to meet a range of mandatory security standards.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning the use of the DeepSeek artificial intelligence model (a) on government devices, (b) in government buildings and (c) by government employees.

Everyone who works with government has a duty of confidentiality and a responsibility to safeguard any government information or data that they process, access or share, and all government departments are required to meet a range of mandatory security standards.Government has a robust set of security policies in place to oversee how information is handled, within our buildings, on our IT and by our staff. We keep these policies under constant review to ensure they are applicable to new technologies.In conjunction, the Government's Generative AI framework outlines that only corporately assured Generative AI tools should be used to process HMG information.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his (a) American, (b) European Union and (c) NATO counterparts on the DeepSeek artificial intelligence model.

We maintain regular dialogue with our international partners on all aspects of policy including the emergence of new technologies.

If she will ban the DeepSeek artificial intelligence model in educational settings because of its built-in censorship.

The government has a robust set of security policies in place to oversee how information is handled. We keep these policies under constant review to ensure they are applicable to new technologies. The government's Generative artificial intelligence (AI) framework outlines that only corporately assured Generative AI tools should be used to process governmental information. Everyone who works with government has a duty of confidentiality and a responsibility to safeguard any government information or data that they process, access or share, and all government departments are required to meet a range of mandatory security standards. It is for educational bodies to make their own decisions on how to manage the use of Generative AI in their specific organisational and technology contexts.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress he has made on the Mass Atrocity Prevention Hub.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continues to strengthen its capacity dedicated to identifying and responding to atrocity risks, drawing on expertise across government departments and working with civil society, academia, bilateral partners, and multilateral organisations.This includes progress on strengthening global early warning and country risk assessments, expanding programmes with partner organisations and building the FCDO network's capabilities to prevent atrocities through technical training, central guidance and capturing learning. We will continue to invest in ways to improve policy and practical interventions to act earlier to prevent atrocities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to provide an answer to Question 24486 on Republika Srpska and Serbia: Politics and Government, tabled on 16 January 2025.

The answer to this written parliamentary question was published on 31 January.

How many alleged (a) rapes or (b) sexual assaults have taken place in hospitals since 1 January 2024.

The Government is committed to tackling the appalling crimes of rape and sexual assault. NHS England has introduced a comprehensive package of measures to improve sexual safety across the NHS.NHS providers have a mandatory duty to notify the Care Quality Commission of all incidents that affect the health, safety, and welfare of people who use services, including allegations of sexual abuse.NHS England is investing in improving the collection and analysis of sexual violence data to support organisations to implement policies that reduce incidents of sexual misconduct in the NHS.Data relating to rape and sexual assault would be held at NHS Trust level. There is no single national dataset in the NHS which captures information on rape and sexual assault for all combinations of staff, patients or visitors to NHS hospitals. Local police forces hold data where there has been a report to the police of rape or sexual assault.For assaults on staff, the most recent NHS Staff Survey includes questions about staff experiences of sexual misconduct. Results from the 2024 staff survey are expected to be available after March 2025. Results are made available for each NHS Trust, and they are not broken down into hospital and non-hospital settings and do not include patient, carer, or visitor reports.

What information his Department holds on the number of reports of (a) rape and (b) sexual assault that have taken place in hospitals since 1 January 2024.

The Government is committed to tackling the appalling crimes of rape and sexual assault. NHS England has introduced a comprehensive package of measures to improve sexual safety across the NHS.NHS providers have a mandatory duty to notify the Care Quality Commission of all incidents that affect the health, safety, and welfare of people who use services, including allegations of sexual abuse.NHS England is investing in improving the collection and analysis of sexual violence data to support organisations to implement policies that reduce incidents of sexual misconduct in the NHS.Data relating to rape and sexual assault would be held at NHS Trust level. There is no single national dataset in the NHS which captures information on rape and sexual assault for all combinations of staff, patients or visitors to NHS hospitals. Local police forces hold data where there has been a report to the police of rape or sexual assault.For assaults on staff, the most recent NHS Staff Survey includes questions about staff experiences of sexual misconduct. Results from the 2024 staff survey are expected to be available after March 2025. Results are made available for each NHS Trust, and they are not broken down into hospital and non-hospital settings and do not include patient, carer, or visitor reports.

Whether she has plans to consult the indoor play sector before future business rates reform.

HM Treasury releases a quarterly record of Minister’s meetings with external individuals and organisations. This can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travelAt the Autumn Budget, the government published the Transforming Business Rates Discussion Paper, which sets out priority areas for reform. This paper invited stakeholders to help co-design a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century.As set out in the Discussion Paper, the government is open to receiving written evidence to transformingbusinessrates@hmtreasury.gov.uk until 31 March 2025.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of giving a VAT exemption on admissions fees for children under 12 for the indoor play sector.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. One of the key considerations when assessing a new VAT relief is whether the cost saving is likely to be passed on to consumers. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates. The Government therefore has no plans to zero-rate VAT on admission fees for indoor play facilities. The Government keeps all taxes under review.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on the Aarhus Convention.

The Aarhus Convention concerns access by the public to environmental information, to participation in environmental decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. Defra does not issue specific guidance to local authorities on the Convention.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the letter from him and the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the Planning Inspector in relation to the planning and listed building consent applications by the Chinese Embassy in the UK for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court site in Tower Hamlets is dated 14 January 2024.

It was human error that caused the joint Foreign Secretary/Home Secretary letter to the Planning Inspector to be dated 14 January 2024. The letter was sent to the inquiry on 14 January 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to provide additional (a) interventions and (b) support to areas with higher rates of asthma.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the British Thoracic Society, and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network published a new collaborative guideline for asthma in November 2024.The guideline covers diagnosing, monitoring, and managing asthma in adults, young people, and children. It aims to improve the accuracy of diagnosis, help people to control their asthma, and reduce the risk of asthma attacksThe recommendations offer the opportunity to simplify the diagnostic processes and improve the treatment of people with asthma, and NHS England is working with specialist groups and partners to encourage a joined-up approach to implementation.Through its national respiratory programme and focused work on children and young people with asthma, NHS England is already supporting systems to improve outcomes for people with asthma.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter from the Secretary of State for the Home Department and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the planning and listed building consent applications by the Chinese Embassy in the UK for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court site in Tower Hamlets, dated 14 January, whether that letter will be admissible to the examination, in the context of being submitted after the deadline of 2 December 2024 for comments by interested parties.

The conduct of the public inquiry is a matter for the Planning Inspectorate.

If she will publish any correspondence between her Department and the (a) Planning Inspectorate and (b) Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in relation to the application to build a new Chinese Embassy.

The planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and she will make this quasi-judicial decision independent from the rest of Government.The Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary submitted written representations to the Planning Inspector on 14 January. That letter is publicly available and it explains the factors the Home Office have considered.We have no plans to publish any further information relating to these.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with (a) Ministers and (b) hon. Members on the application for a proposed Chinese Embassy.

As has been the case under successive administrations, government does not normally disclose details of internal discussions or discussions with Members of Parliament.