Written questions by Cooper.

What discussions his Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the effectiveness of artificial intelligence-led safety systems in reducing workplace fatalities in the (a) construction and (b) logistics sectors; and if he will make a statement on the development of industry protocols for these systems.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has undertaken research into how businesses are adopting AI and its implications for workplace health and safety. This research has examined the use of AI in developing health and safety provisions across a wide range of sectors, including construction and logistics. HSE is working with industry partners to develop benchmarks that enable best use of AI in workplaces. It is also contributing toward the development of international standards for AI interaction with machinery and functional safety.

If he will consult with industry leaders in the safety-tech sector to develop a unified data standard for the reporting of safety near-misses captured by Human Form Recognition AI-enabled systems on industrial sites.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) provides the established statutory framework for reporting work-related fatalities, injuries, occupational diseases, and certain dangerous occurrences, including near misses. RIDDOR ensures that significant work-related incidents are reported to the relevant enforcing authority so risks can be identified, trends monitored and appropriate regulatory action taken where necessary to improve health and safety standards in Great Britain. RIDDOR applies regardless of how an incident is identified or recorded by duty-holders. Employers and others with duties under RIDDOR are responsible for reporting incidents that meet the legal criteria, and there is already a standardised national reporting process in place. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a public consultation on 7 April 2026 seeking views on possible amendments to RIDDOR. This consultation includes proposals based on recommendations from its second postimplementation review, such as updates to occupational disease definitions and potential opportunities to streamline aspects of the reporting process. Stakeholders are invited to provide views on additional areas they believe should be considered, and we would encourage anyone interested in work-place incident reporting to engage with the consultation over the next 12 weeks.

What steps her Department is taking to support young people into sustained employment after education.

As part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we are launching a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education are working closely with the eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England which began mobilising the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in April 2025. The eight areas delivering Trailblazers are: the West of England, Tees Valley, East Midlands, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands and two areas within the Greater London Authority. The trailblazers will run for 12 months, and we will use the learning to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls-out across the rest of England. This is part of a broader package of reforms, including introduction of a new jobs and careers service to help get more people into work, the development of work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, and the launch of Skills England to open up new opportunities for young people. We will work in partnership with organisations and businesses at the national and local level to offer exciting and engaging opportunities to young people. This could include work experience, training courses or employability programmes. In addition, DWP provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners. At Jobcentres, young people receive tailored support from youth work coaches. Those facing multiple barriers to employment are assisted by a Youth Employability Coach.

What recent estimate her Department has made of the average time taken to process claims for transport support through the Access to Work scheme; and what steps she is taking to reduce that time.

We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work and are considering the best way to deliver that for customers. Access to Work does not differentiate between applications. Applications are processed in date order except for applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing, these are prioritised. We are continuing to streamline delivery practices and have increased the number of staff processing claims. Since May 2024, 118 additional staff have been redeployed to support Access to Work. In March 2025, DWP published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, to consult on the future of Access to Work. Alongside this, we are considering further changes within the existing policy framework to reduce the backlog of applications.

What recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people in employment who are living in poverty in Mid Cheshire constituency.

Statistics for the total number of people in employment living in relative and absolute poverty are not available at a constituency level.Statistics on the total number of people in employment living in relative and absolute poverty both before and after housing costs at regional level are published annually in the Households Below Average Income statistics Households below average income (HBAI) statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).

Whether her Department plans to revise the (a) limits on earnings and (b) number of hours that can be worked for people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance.

The Government recognises the challenges unpaid carers are facing and is determined to provide them with the help and support they need and deserve. It is looking closely at how the benefit system currently does this. The Secretary of State undertakes a statutory annual review of benefit and pensions, and the level of the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit will be considered as a part of this review.

What support her Department provides to older jobseekers in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England who are looking to (i) reskill and (ii) change careers.

Improving employment support and employment outcomes for people of all ages, including older jobseekers will play an important part in the government’s growth mission. We will reform jobcentres, so they match people to the right job and combine employment, skills and career focused support to help individuals build their careers. A new national jobs and careers service will also help get more people into work and we will set out further detail in the upcoming Labour Market White Paper.77 50PLUS Champions are working in all Districts across England, Wales and Scotland, to support older workers, including helping customers to reskill or change career.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of child poverty in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce has started work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring and will explore all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty. The Strategy will be published in the Spring and will be UK-wide. In September, the Taskforce heard from local leaders about the challenges faced in their communities, and how they can best work with Mayors, local authorities and other bodies to develop innovative solutions to tackle child poverty. This marked the first of a series of thematic sessions with key organisations, charities and experts on specific topics that will help to shape the Strategy. The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside the Government’s commitments to roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, setting every child up at the start of the day ready to learn, expanding childcare to deliver work choices for parents and life chances for children, provide stronger protection for families who rent privately as well as deliver our plan to make work pay.