Written questions by George.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Government of Israel regarding the killing of Palestinian aid official Mohammed al-Wahidi on 7 July 2026.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to secure the release of (a) Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and (b) other healthcare workers held in arbitrary detention by Israel.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Government of Israel to facilitate immediate access by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and other detained Palestinian healthcare workers.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made representations to the Government of Israel regarding reports that Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya faces an imminent threat to his life due to torture and other ill-treatment to which he has been subjected while in Israeli detention.

Awaiting answer.

What recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of the disability employment gap; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce that gap.

Awaiting answer.

Whether her Department has assessed employer attitudes towards disabled employees and the extent to which such attitudes affect recruitment and retention.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of mandatory disability pay gap reporting on the disability employment gap.

Awaiting answer.

Whether the Government plans to introduce mandatory disability pay gap reporting; whether this will be included within the scope of the proposed Equality (Race and Disability) Bill; and what the expected timet

We will bring ethnicity and disability pay gap legislation forward as soon as parliamentary time allows. In March 2026 we published the government response to the mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting consultation, which included indicative...

What assessment she has made of the reasons for the delay in bringing forward the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill; and whether she plans to include this Bill in the forthcoming parliamentary timetable.

We will bring ethnicity and disability pay gap legislation forward as soon as parliamentary time allows. In March 2026 we published the government response to the mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting consultation, which included indicative...

What priority the Government has assigned to extending pay gap reporting beyond gender to include race and disability.

We will bring ethnicity and disability pay gap legislation forward as soon as parliamentary time allows. In March 2026 we published the government response to the mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting consultation, which included indicative...

What estimate he has made of the legal costs that may be incurred by the Department in relation to ongoing litigation regarding compensation for women affected by maladministration in State Pension Age

Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd (WASPI) are seeking permission from the High Court to bring a Judicial Review on our response to the Ombudsman’s report. We do not comment on live litigation.

What estimate he has made of the comparative cost to the public purse of compensating women affected by maladministration in State Pension Age communications, as identified by the Parliamentary and Heal

Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd (WASPI) are seeking permission from the High Court to bring a Judicial Review on our response to the Ombudsman’s report. We are not able to comment on live litigation, but full details of our decision in this cas...

How much his Department has spent on legal fees and associated costs defending judicial review proceedings brought by the WASPI Campaign since December 2024.

Based on the information held, since December 2024, the recorded legal costs on litigation brought by WASPI including disbursements and VAT and costs paid to WASPI are £348,566.14.

On how many occasions Ministers or Officials from his Department have met representatives of the WASPI Campaign since September 2024.

During this time, the previous Minister for Pensions met with representatives, the first Minister to do so in eight years.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with a) international environmental governance bodies, including the United Nations Environment Programme, and b) other countries on regulating

Defra is committed to our obligations under international environmental agreements and, as a global scientific leader on chemicals management, will use science diplomacy and expertise to influence global environment policy. The UK is actively working with...

Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department plans to update the UK’s water quality monitoring frameworks to ensure that persistent pollutants, including PFAS chemicals and microplastics, are monitored across al

The Government is committed to ensuring the UK’s water quality monitoring frameworks are fit for purpose; improving environmental protection by setting clear and enforceable standards for water quality and ecological health. Through the Clean Water Bill, ...

Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department is advocating for strengthened international regulation of persistent pollutants, including PFAS chemicals and microplastics, on the international stage.

Defra is committed to our obligations under international environmental agreements and, as a global scientific leader on chemicals management, will use science diplomacy and expertise to influence global environment policy. The UK is actively working with...

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing an Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for fishing gear.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has been assessed, including through a study commissioned by Defra and the devolved governments, available here, which indicated EPR could be a complex and costly intervention. Defra officials have previously engaged...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate funding is made available for local initiatives which support the responsible disposal and recycling of discarded fishing gear.

The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS) is a grant scheme in England that supports more sustainable fishing and seafood businesses, including potential support for recycling end of life fishing gear. Through FaSS, Defra funded KIMO UK’s Fishing for Litter...

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with a) port and harbour authorities, b) fishers, and c) producers on free disposal facilities for end-of-life fishing gear waste in ports and h

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has been assessed, including through a study commissioned by Defra and the devolved governments, available here, which indicated EPR could be a complex and costly intervention. Defra officials have previously engaged...