Written questions by Ribeiro-Addy.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken to issue visas on the ability of Commonwealth citizens to participate effectively in proceedings before UK courts.

UKVI will always seek to ensure those who need to attend court are able to do so in line with the Immigration Rules and wider court instructions.All short term visit visas are governed by our published service standards. These can be found here: Visitors and transit: customer service standards - GOV.UKCustomers are advised to allow enough time to receive their visa before applying. Customers in certain locations have the option to apply for a premium paid service to allow them to receive a decision quicker than the advertised times. Information on premium paid services can be found here: Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application: Applying for a faster decision - GOV.UKVisa processing times are constantly monitored to ensure that visas are being delivered within our published service standards. Where an application will not be processed within service standards due to the complex nature of the application, the applicant is informed their application will take longer.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of criminal legal aid fees in ensuring sufficient numbers of publicly funded barristers are available to meet demand.

This Government recognises the vital importance of legal aid and the need to ensure an adequate supply of suitably qualified criminal barristers and solicitors. Since 2022, funding for defence advocates has increased by 17%. In December 2024, we also announced that criminal legal aid solicitors will receive up to £92m more a year, subject to consultation, to help support the sustainability of the criminal legal aid sector. The consultation has now closed, and we will publish the response in due course. This is in addition to our response to the earlier Crime Lower consultation on solicitor fees, confirming an uplift to the lowest police station fees, introducing a new Youth Court fee scheme, and paying for travel in certain circumstances. Together, these changes provided a £24m investment for criminal legal aid providers .This is a significant investment to reflect the valuable and tough work undertaken by advocates criminal legal aid practitioners, helping to make sure that justice is served. The Ministry of Justice runs a Data Sharing Project with the Law Society, Bar Council, Legal Aid Agency, and Crown Prosecution Service to monitor the criminal legal services provider base. Latest data shows that overall criminal barrister numbers appear to be stabilising. The number of “self-declared full practise barristers”, those whose workload is at least 80% criminal work, was 2,726 in 23/24 compared to 2,424 in 20/21. Recruitment and retention remain crucial to maintain a sustainable, diverse workforce, and a pipeline through to the judiciary. The Government is committed to working with the Bar leadership through the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board to understand the market, priorities and opportunities for reform, to support the sustainability of the barrister profession.

If she will review restrictions on the number of sitting days available to retired judges under the age of 75.

The number of days that a retired judge can sit is governed by HM Treasury’s abatement policy which ensures that pension benefits and ongoing income do not exceed a judge’s pre-retirement income. Abatement applies to pension benefits from the final salary legacy schemes. The newer judicial pension schemes are career-average revalued earnings schemes, and abatement and sitting day limits do not apply to those schemes.

Whether her Department has issued guidance on expediting visa applications for (a) witnesses, (b) litigants and (c) legal representatives required to attend court hearings in the UK.

UKVI will always seek to ensure those who need to attend court are able to do so in line with the Immigration Rules and wider court instructions.All short term visit visas are governed by our published service standards. These can be found here: Visitors and transit: customer service standards - GOV.UKCustomers are advised to allow enough time to receive their visa before applying. Customers in certain locations have the option to apply for a premium paid service to allow them to receive a decision quicker than the advertised times. Information on premium paid services can be found here: Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application: Applying for a faster decision - GOV.UKVisa processing times are constantly monitored to ensure that visas are being delivered within our published service standards. Where an application will not be processed within service standards due to the complex nature of the application, the applicant is informed their application will take longer.

What steps her Department is taking to expand the use of virtual hearings for short matters.

We recognise the importance of utilising technology to improve the efficiency of criminal and civil court proceedings. That is why, in May 2025, HM Courts & Tribunals Service published its Remote Participation Approach, setting out its principles for enabling remote attendance at hearings where appropriate: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmcts-remote-participation-approach/hmcts-remote-participation-approach. Additionally, as part of the second phase of the Independent Review of Criminal Courts, Sir Brian Leveson is reviewing court processes to consider how both new and established technologies could be used to enhance productivity and efficiency in the criminal courts. We expect Sir Brian to finalise his report later this year. Virtual hearings are extensively used in civil courts as well. For example, as part of the Virtual Region initiative judges with spare capacity from outside of the London and Southeast remotely hear cases from London and Southeast helping reduce pressure on judiciary in those regions and enable cases to be determined quicker.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the Privy Council remains adequately resourced to deal with cases from Commonwealth jurisdictions in a timely manner.

The Commonwealth countries which continue to use the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) as their final court of appeal are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Brunei, Cook Islands and Niue, Grenada, Jamaica, Kiribati, Mauritius, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tuvalu. The Department has not had discussions with Commonwealth partners on future arrangements for JCPC jurisdiction. The JCPC relies on the continuing consent of independent countries for its jurisdiction in those countries. These independent states, which have a historical connection with the United Kingdom, are free to make a pragmatic judgement on whether they derive benefit from what the JCPC has to offer. The JCPC is funded from the UK Supreme Court (UKSC) budget. The Lord Chancellor has an obligation under section 50 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 to ensure the UKSC is provided with the resources appropriate to carry on its business, but under the Department’s concordat with the UKSC, the court’s chief executive, as accounting officer, negotiates with HM Treasury directly. The court’s bid for funding is shared with the Lord Chancellor, who may comment on it without altering it. The Lord Chancellor then submits it to HM Treasury for consideration.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in air pollution levels in Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency.

Air quality management in London is devolved to the Mayor of London. Officials from Defra maintain regular engagement with the Greater London Authority to discuss and collaborate on air quality initiatives.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has carried out a health-impact assessment on the levels of air pollution in Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency.

Air quality management in London is devolved to the Mayor of London. Officials from Defra maintain regular engagement with the Greater London Authority to discuss and collaborate on air quality initiatives.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on the health impact of air pollution levels in Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency.

Air quality management in London is devolved to the Mayor of London. Officials from Defra maintain regular engagement with the Greater London Authority to discuss and collaborate on air quality initiatives.

What steps her Department is taking to support (a) local transport authorities and (b) bus operators to increase use of (i) hybrid, (ii) electric and (iii) hydrogen buses on local transport networks.

The full transition to zero emission buses (ZEBs) is a vital part of the Government’s plan to make buses better for passengers and to realise the benefits of lower running costs, cleaner air and smoother, quieter journeys. The Department has supported the bus sector with almost £500m in direct funding support for ZEBs in recent years, including £38m announced in April to deliver an additional 319 ZEBs through the ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas) programme. The Government has reduced the number of different funding streams we pay to Local Transport Authorities. Major city regions will benefit from the £15.6bn Transport for Cities fund to improve local transport in some of our largest city regions, allowing local leaders to play a more active role in the delivery of local bus services, in partnership with our bus operators, and allocate some funding toward decarbonising their local fleets. Our smaller cities, towns and rural areas will receive £2.3bn from the Local Transport Grant and over £800m bus capital funding. Local leaders can use this funding to invest in local priorities, such as investment in new ZEBs. To support our domestic ZEB industry, the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel was established in March 2025. A key objective of the Panel is to help create a steady pipeline of manufacturing orders. This pipeline involves gathering the necessary data on bus orders over the next ten years into one place so that it is accessible to all ZEB stakeholders. This will offer greater planning certainty to both local transport authorities and bus operators as they develop future decarbonisation strategies. Equally, UK-based manufacturers are well placed to benefit from this stability.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with the Mayor of London to reduce air pollution levels in (a) Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency and (b) London.

Air quality management in London is devolved to the Mayor of London. Officials from Defra maintain regular engagement with the Greater London Authority to discuss and collaborate on air quality initiatives.

When the Housing Benefit earnings disregard for young people in supported accommodation was last reviewed; and whether her Department plans to reassess its adequacy.

There is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those residing in supported housing and temporary accommodation. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. Currently, a broad spectrum of customers receive their rent support through Housing Benefit. This includes pensioners, residents in Supported or Temporary Accommodation and customers who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper rules would apply to all these groups. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context.

If she will take steps to review cases of people born in the UK before 1 July 2006 to a British father and a non-British mother where the parents were not married, who sought registration under section 4G of the British Nationality Act 1981, particularly where they had (a) disabilities and (b) faced financial hardship.

All applications made under section 4G of the British Nationality Act 1981 are considered against the statutory criteria. Customers are only required to pay the citizenship ceremony fee; no registration fee is payable. In the White paper – restoring control over the immigration system, we committed to consider removing all financial barriers to acquiring British citizenship for young adults who have lived their entire lives in the UK.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve the quality of maternity care for women across the country.

An independent Investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services has been launched to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care. Baroness Amos has been appointed as Chair of the Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation and will be supported by a team of esteemed expert advisers, who will be selected following further engagement with families. The Chair is working with families to finalise the terms of reference for the investigation, and these will be published shortly. The Investigation will produce an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025.The Government is also establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to be made up of a panel of experts and family, charity and staff representatives. The Taskforce will use the recommendations from the independent Investigation to develop a national plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care. The Taskforce will work closely with families in developing the action plan, ensuring their voices are central to this work.Immediate action is also being taken to improve accountability and better identify safety concerns within maternity services. This includes: measures to hold the system to account;  a system to better identify safety concerns; rolling out a programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism; and new best practice standards in maternal mortality.

What steps he is taking to support the development and expansion of Women’s Health Hubs.

Women’s health hubs are an effective model for improving access to and experiences of care for women. The women’s health hub in Tower Hamlets was included in the 10-Year Health Plan as a best practice example to guide the shift to neighbourhood health.We are supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to continue improving their delivery of women’s health hubs, in line with their responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of their local populations. This includes support through the Network of Women’s Health Champions to share learning from existing women’s health hubs.

Whether the Prime Minister's has considered establishing a framework enabling asylum-seeking students to access (a) internships, (b) placements and (c) other forms of work experience that support their university courses.

Asylum seekers are eligible to apply for permission to work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own. Those permitted to work are restricted by the Home Office to apply for jobs on the Immigration Salary List (ISL).When considering permission to work applications that forms part of a further education course such as certain apprenticeships, the individual must meet the requirements under Paragraph 360 or 360C or that the role in question meets the volunteering requirements set out in the policy guidance published on gov.uk.

What steps he is taking to ensure that women’s health is included in the Government's plans to reform the NHS.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future.Our focus is on turning the commitments in the Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as: providing emergency hormonal contraception free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS from October 2025; setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan; and taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan.Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are delivering our commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected. The three shifts will improve the care women receive. Hospital to community will mean women can access convenient, coordinated care closer to home through Neighbourhood Health Centres, by building on best practice examples such as Tower Hamlets women’s health hub. Analogue to digital will put more power and data in women’s hands and will make it easier to get more personalised support, book appointments and stay healthy. Treatment to prevention will mean faster and fairer access to life-saving prevention through human papilloma virus (HPV) self-sampling kits, and access to the HPV vaccine through community pharmacies.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing waiting times for gynaecology services on women’s ability to return to or remain in work.

The Joint Work and Health Directorate is collaborating with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to improve the evidence on the relationship between health and labour market outcomes. The ONS plans to link NHS waiting times data (that they recently acquired access to) to Census, DWP Benefits and HMRC PAYE records to analyse the relationship between waiting time duration (for various health conditions and procedures) and labour market outcomes (such as employment status, gross pay and benefit receipt) in England. This should help identify the potential impact of trends in waiting lists for various healthcare services, including gynaecology services, on the number of people out of work. In the short-term, the ONS is supporting NHS England and HM Treasury to produce estimates of the employment impacts of reducing waiting times for elective hospital treatment. The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated our intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. The Plan sets out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs. Furthermore, it outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on increasing the women's healthcare workforce to ensure services can meet rising demand and deliver the NHS 10-Year Plan.

The Ministers for Women and Equalities work closely with colleagues from DHSC on a number of areas to improve women’s health, as we put women’s equality at the heart of our missions. Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are delivering our manifesto commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected, and we set out how the NHS will meet the health needs of women. This includes turning the commitments in the existing Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan and setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on tackling racial disparities in maternity care in the UK.

Officials in the Office for Equality and Opportunity and the Department of Health and Social Care are working collaboratively to tackle this issue. The government is clear there is a need to reform maternity and neonatal care to tackle the systemic issues that entrench inequalities and contribute to poor care for women and babies. This is why a key area of focus for the National Maternity Investigation will be addressing the devastating inequalities that women from Black, Asian and deprived backgrounds face. On 28 August the Office for Equality and Opportunity published research into the drivers of confidence in maternal care services in England to gain evidence from ethnic minority women on their experiences of using maternal care services. This can be found on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/confidence-in-maternity-care-services-engagement-with-ethnic-minority-women-and-maternity-staff