Written questions by Fox.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Renter's Rights Bill on the number of court-adjudicated evictions.

My Department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunal Service to ensure that the county courts are ready for the implementation of the Renters' Rights Bill. This includes an ongoing assessment of any additional burdens on the justice system arising from the Bill.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill on levels of private rented housing availability.

The government published an Impact Assessment for the Renters' Rights Bill on 22 November 2024. It received a 'Green' rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee, indicating that it is 'fit for purpose'. While we acknowledge that it will take time for the sector to adjust to a significant change in regulation, we do not believe that our Renters’ Rights Bill will have a harmful impact on future rental supply. Although landlords have been aware of successive governments’ plans to reform the private rented sector since 2019, the size of the sector as a whole has remained broadly stable since 2013-14. The Bill will make sure good landlords have the confidence they need to continue to invest and operate in the sector. We will continue to work with good landlords and their representative associations throughout implementation.

What proportion of staff in his Department did not meet the minimum office attendance target in the latest period for which data is available; and what sanctions his Department issues to staff who do not meet this target.

On 24 October 2024, the Cabinet Office announced that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Senior managers will continue to be expected to be in the office more than 60% of the time.If people do not meet that reasonable expectation, as with any management instruction, it will be dealt with via existing performance management processes and ultimately with disciplinary action should there be sustained failure to comply.Data on office attendance is published on the Government website and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data

What proportion of staff in his Department have flexible working arrangements; and how many of those work compressed hours.

The information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The Department is committed to delivering its business effectively and sustainably, by creating workplaces that enable smart, flexible and hybrid working. Flexible working is a broad category which refers to any type of working arrangement that gives some degree of flexibility around how long, where or when an individual works.Individuals can request informal arrangements which, if implemented, would have no impact on an employee's pay or other terms and conditions, or as a formal request. Compressed hours, for example, may be an ad hoc arrangement that doesn’t involve a contractual change to the employee's daily working hours, or a formal arrangement. Both formal and informal arrangements are agreed between the employee and line manager, and therefore there is not a central record of all the arrangements that exist. There would be disproportionate cost involved in reviewing all employee files and collating information on all informal and formal flexible working arrangements, including compressed hours.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of staff in his Department have flexible working arrangements; and how many of those work compressed hours.

As of July 2025, 6.2 per cent of Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office UK-based staff have formal flexible working arrangements. These include part-time hours, job sharing, and compressed hours. The Department does not currently hold separate data on compressed hours, as flexible working is recorded using Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) metrics. Staff may work compressed hours informally, but such arrangements are not centrally tracked unless part of a formal agreement.Informal compressed hours are typically agreed locally between staff and line managers, reflecting the Department's commitment to flexible working and alignment with Civil Service-wide practices that support work-life balance and operational needs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of staff in his Department did not meet the minimum office attendance target in the latest period for which data is available; and what sanctions his Department issues to staff who do not meet this target.

The Department does not routinely issue sanctions for not meeting the office attendance expectation. However, where a staff member refuses a reasonable management instruction - such as attending the office when required - this may be addressed through the Department's disciplinary procedures, in line with established HR policy. Such cases are rare and typically resolved before formal action is considered.

Innovation and Technology, what proportion of staff in his Department did not meet the minimum office attendance target in the latest period for which data is available; and what sanctions his Department issues to staff who do not meet this target.

Employees are expected to spend a minimum of 40% of their working hours in the office. Office attendance requirements are managed locally to ensure employees are meeting the requirements, and no central data is held on this.Line Managers are responsible for ensuring the requirements are met and taking steps to address any non-compliance, including consideration of disciplinary action should that be necessary.

What proportion of staff in her Department have flexible working arrangements; and how many of those work compressed hours.

Flexible working arrangements are a core part of the Civil Service employment offer. These arrangements play a vital role in attracting top talent to government roles and support the delivery of high quality public services.Whilst comprehensive data on all flexible working arrangements across the department is not currently available, the table below provides a snapshot of staff working part-time or compressed hours as at 31 August 2025.Full-time employees5,58868.6%Part-time employees1,35116.6%Employees working compressed hours1,21114.9%

What proportion of staff in her Department did not meet the minimum office attendance target in the latest period for which data is available; and what sanctions her Department issues to staff who do not meet this target.

On 24 October 2024, the Cabinet Office announced that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Senior managers will continue to be expected to be in the office more than 60% of the time. If people do not meet that reasonable expectation, as with any management instruction, it should be dealt with via existing management processes and, ultimately, with disciplinary action should there be sustained failure to comply.Decisions on the working arrangements within individual departments are delegated matters, but the department’s approach is aligned with this wider expectation and managers are empowered to address non-compliance through informal conversations or formal warnings depending on the nature and seriousness of the issue.Data on average office occupancy is available on a quarterly basis at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-headquarters-occupancy-data.

Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of staff in his Department have flexible working arrangements; and how many of those work compressed hours.

Based on the information recorded centrally about working patterns, Defra can report that 13.5% of employees work compressed hours. Additionally, working from home is a form of flexible working and almost all roles in Defra include some flexibility to work from home for up to 40% of their hours, in line with wider Civil Service policy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of staff in his Department did not meet the minimum office attendance target in the latest period for which data is available; and what sanctions his Department issues to staff who do not meet this target.

On 24 October 2024 the Cabinet Office announced that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Senior managers will continue to be expected to be in the office more than 60% of the time. Occupancy rates in our London HQ are given in the published Civil Service Headquarters occupancy data.

What proportion of staff in his Department did not meet the minimum office attendance target in the latest period for which data is available; and what sanctions his Department issues to staff who do not meet this target.

Central data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments. In Cabinet Office, Line Managers are expected to be aware of, and ensure compliance with, the minimum 60% attendance expectation for their direct reports. Data on workforce attendance is not collated centrally by the department. Where employees fail to reach or maintain expected attendance levels, beyond what is agreed with their line manager as part of workplace adjustments or caring responsibilities, due consideration is given as to whether it is reasonable to take disciplinary action. The level of sanction will be dependent upon the individual circumstances of the case.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of acceptation of the recommendations of the Leng review on the number of (a) Physicians Associates and (b) Anaesthesia Associates.

The principal question of the Leng Review was to assess whether the roles of physician associates and anaesthesia associates, now to be known as physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia, are safe and effective. The review’s findings were clear that, with changes in line with its recommendations, there remains a place for these roles to continue as supportive, complementary members of medical teams. While decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers at a local level, physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia will continue to play an important role in the NHS. Our forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will look at how to get the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care, and we will consider the findings of the Leng Review when developing the plan.

Whether the future role of Physician Associates and Anaesthesia Associates has been within the scope of discussions (a) he and (b) his Department have had with the British Medical Association in relation to potential strike action.

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and Departmental officials regularly discuss a wide range of matters with the British Medical Association (BMA) in relation to the working conditions of doctors and specifically in relation to the current dispute with the Resident Doctors Committee. The BMA has raised the issue of the differential in starting salaries between some resident doctors and physician associates and anaesthesia associates both in discussions and publicly.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Spending Review 2025 on the safeguarding of victims of (a) sexual and (b) domestic abuse.

The Government recognises the scale of violence against women and girls and is treating it as a national emergency. A new cross-government strategy to tackle this will be published this summer.Action has already been taken by piloting Domestic Abuse Protection Orders; introducing new offences for sexually explicit deepfakes, intimate image abuse and spiking and providing free transcripts of sentencing remarks to victims of sexual offences in the Crown Court.We will also establish specialist rape and sexual offences teams in every police force and introduce free independent legal advice for victims of adult rape.

Whether the budget for victim and witness support services will be lower in 2025-26 than 2024-25.

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to supporting victims and witnesses of crime. For the 2025–26 financial year, the Department has protected funding levels for ringfenced sexual violence and domestic abuse support, maintaining them at the same level as in 2024–25.There has been a small reduction to the core budget allocated to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), who are responsible for commissioning local victim support services based on assessed need. This decision was taken in the context of a challenging fiscal environment left behind by the previous Government.The Department continues to work closely with PCCs and sector partners to support the delivery of high-quality services.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Spending Review 2025 on funding allocated to national Violence Against Women and Girls (a) helplines and (b) charities supporting victims in 2025-26.

In May 2025, the Home Office announced a £19.9m investment in the 2025/2026 financial year to provide vital support to victims of VAWG as well as other projects across the country that help prevent these crimes.This includes over £6 million for national helplines supporting victims of domestic abuse, 'honour'-based abuse, revenge porn and stalking. This is in addition to £2.5m on prevention and early intervention to help stop VAWG happening in the first place, to identify what works to prevent VAWG and improve multi-agency working.The upcoming VAWG Strategy will be published later this year and will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s VAWG ambition.

What steps she has taken to ensure that the (a) quality and (b) accessibility of support services to victims of (i) sexual and (ii) domestic abuse are not adversely impacted by the Spending Review 2025.

The Home Office has increased victims’ funding from 24/25 to 25/26, including providing support for specialist services. In May 2025, the Home Office announced an additional £19.9m investment in the 2025/2026 financial year to provide vital support to victims of VAWG as well as other projects across the country that help prevent these crimes.This includes over £6 million for national helplines supporting victims of domestic abuse, 'honour'-based abuse, revenge porn and stalking. This is in addition to £2.5m on prevention and early intervention to help stop VAWG happening in the first place, to identify what works to prevent VAWG and improve multi-agency working.The upcoming VAWG Strategy will be published later this year and will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s VAWG ambition.

Whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that newly qualified nursing associates are (a) guaranteed appropriate Band 4 roles and (b) are not left without employment opportunities after completing their training.

Decisions on the availability of job opportunities for newly qualified nursing associates and other healthcare professionals trained in the United Kingdom are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

If he will make it his policy to introduce (a) clear and (b) nationally-recognised progression pathways for nursing associates for (i) leadership, (ii) specialist and (iii) educational roles beyond top-up registered nurse training.

The Government is committed to supporting flexible progression opportunities to ensure that nursing associates (NAs) can grow their careers across the National Health Service. NAs are trained to work across a range of health and care settings. Once qualified, NAs are supported to continue to build their skills and knowledge within their chosen specialist area. Besides the opportunity to complete a shortened nursing degree or nursing degree apprenticeship, NHS England funds a range of post-registration education programmes, including leadership development.