Written questions by Ribeiro-Addy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the emissions reductions required in agriculture to deliver the sixth carbon budge.

The Government is absolutely committed to our net zero targets. We will publish an updated Carbon Budget Delivery Plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all the sectors in due course. This will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver Carbon Budgets 4-6 and our Nationally Determined Contribution commitments on a pathway to net zero.

What steps he is taking to ensure the revised sixth carbon budget plan reduces economic inequality and poverty.

Decarbonising the UK economy and scaling up clean energy industries brings an opportunity to reduce regional inequalities by creating new, high skill jobs in our industrial heartlands. Delivering net zero also means improving the energy performance of homes – the support provided through the Warm Homes Plan helps tackle fuel poverty and supports those struggling most with their energy bills. The Government considers the impact on inequality of each policy in our plans through Public Sector Equality Duty assessments. We will also deliver an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Ghanaian counterpart on strengthening UK-Ghana diplomatic relations.

The UK has a close relationship with Ghana, underpinned by a shared history, shared Commonwealth values and a respected and important Ghanaian diaspora. The recent visit of the Deputy Prime Minister to Ghana signals the importance this Government places on strengthened diplomatic relations, underscored in her meetings with President Mahama and the Ghanaian Foreign Minister. The Foreign Secretary has also written to Foreign Minister Ablakwa following his appointment, to extend his warm wishes and desire to strengthen our bilateral partnership. Finally, we see real potential in forging a mutually beneficial partnership for growth with Ghana, and we look forward to working with the UK Trade Envoy to Ghana to deliver this.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of Ghana’s role in promoting regional security in west Africa; and what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on supporting that role.

The UK and Ghana have a long-standing security and defence partnership, built upon Ghana's role as an exporter of security and stability. The UK welcomes the commitment by President Mahama to address regional security challenges and Ghana's appointment of an envoy to the Alliance of Sahelian States. During the Minister for Africa's recent visit to Ghana in January 2025, he welcomed President Mahama's intention to play an active role in bringing more security and stability to the region, whilst highlighting the UK's readiness to maintain close security cooperation.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of British Airways' recent performance on the UK-Ghana route.

British Airways operate direct routes between the UK and Ghana from London Gatwick Airport and London Heathrow Airport.UK aviation operates in the private sector, and airlines are responsible for ensuring they reach an acceptable level of performance for their passengers.The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) publishes flight punctuality statistics and is responsible for ensuring the industry meets relevant regulatory requirements.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of visa processing times for Ghanaian nationals applying to visit or study in the UK.

The Home Office publishes data on its performance against its service level agreement for visas, which can be found on the GOV.UK webpage: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)We are currently operating within published service standards for both tourism and study routes and continue to prioritise urgent compelling or compassionate cases across all workstreams. Where applications are complex and we require further information or checks, decisions may take longer.UKVI encourages all customers to apply in good time ahead of intended travel dates.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure funding for education is protected in the planned reduction of ODA.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is a thought-leader in education and we continue to support harnessing educational opportunities for long-term growth and prosperity. We work in partnership with Global South governments to share policy expertise and pioneering education research and evidence to improve foundational learning, strengthen education systems, and improve quality of education particularly for the most marginalised. We are also unlocking additional education finance through mechanisms such as the innovative International Finance Facility for Education.Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review.

What steps she is taking to increase awareness of legal aid services for people entering the asylum process.

The Ministry of Justice has undertaken a comprehensive review of civil legal aid and recently concluded a consultation on uplifts to housing & debt and immigration & asylum legal aid fees, which when implemented, would inject an additional £20 million into the sector each year. We are currently reviewing consultation responses and will publish the Government’s response in due course.Migrant Help will signpost users to the Legal Aid Agency. Legal aid applicants can use the ‘Find a legal aid adviser’ search tool on GOV.UK to access a list of legal aid solicitors near them: Find a legal aid adviser or family mediator (justice.gov.uk). They can also contact the Civil Legal Advice Helpline, who will provide contact details for legal aid providers.

What steps she is taking to increase access to legal aid for people entering the asylum process.

The Ministry of Justice has undertaken a comprehensive review of civil legal aid and recently concluded a consultation on uplifts to housing & debt and immigration & asylum legal aid fees, which when implemented, would inject an additional £20 million into the sector each year. We are currently reviewing consultation responses and will publish the Government’s response in due course.Migrant Help will signpost users to the Legal Aid Agency. Legal aid applicants can use the ‘Find a legal aid adviser’ search tool on GOV.UK to access a list of legal aid solicitors near them: Find a legal aid adviser or family mediator (justice.gov.uk). They can also contact the Civil Legal Advice Helpline, who will provide contact details for legal aid providers.

Whether her Department plans to publish information on profits made by Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts providers (a) Serco, (b) Mears and (c) Clearsprings through those contracts.

The providers of the Home Office’s Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts are held to account on their performance against an agreed set of key performance indicators throughout the course of each contract to ensure that the taxpayer receives value for money, and that the standards of service required by the department are met.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on increasing awareness of legal services for people entering into the asylum process.

It is a routine part of the asylum process to inform asylum seekers of their legal rights, and of the support available to them.

Whether her Department plans to introduce exemptions or adjustments to National Insurance Contributions for social enterprise nurseries.

The Government has taken a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability after the situation we inherited from the previous administration. The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all next year. Early years providers play a crucial role in driving economic growth and that is why we have committed to delivering the expansion of government-funded childcare and opening 3,000 new school-based nurseries in this parliament. At the Budget, the Chancellor announced that total funding will rise to over £8 billion in 2025-26 to support providers. On top of this, the Department for Education confirmed an additional £75 million of funding in 2025-26 to support the sector deliver the final phase of expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025, alongside a further £25 million to support childcare for disadvantaged children through the early years pupil premium.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of incoming stamp duty thresholds on first-time buyers in (a) London and (b) other high cost areas.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is an important source of Government revenue, raising around £12 billion each year to help pay for the essential services the Government provides. In September 2022, the previous Government announced a change to the level at which first time buyers start paying SDLT from £300,000 to £425,000, with the purchase price limit for accessing the relief set at£625,000. These changes were made temporary in November 2022. After the rates reverted on 1st April 2025, first time buyers can still benefit from paying no SDLT up to £300,000 and will be able to claim relief on purchases up to £500,000. At Autumn Budget 2024, the higher rates of SDLT for additional dwellings were increased by two percentage points from three per cent to five per cent. This will ensure that those looking to purchase their first property or move home have a greater advantage over second home buyers, landlords, and companies purchasing residential property.

What steps he is taking to ensure that ethnic minority women are adequately represented in the development of national maternity care (a) policies and (b) guidelines.

It is unacceptable that there are stark inequalities for women and babies. It is a priority for the Government to make sure that all women and babies receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.We recognise the importance of ethnic minority women being adequately represented within the development of policies and guidelines. Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships are one such forum in place that ensures these voices are at the heart of the decisions made in maternity and neonatal services. These partnerships listen to the experiences of women and families, and bring together service users, staff, and other stakeholders to plan, review, and improve maternity and neonatal care. At a local level, 27% of Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships leads are from ethnic minority groups. NHS England has provided support to improve the ethnic diversity of Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships.NHS England also has in place a National Service User Voice Group, which informs the development of national maternity care policies and guidelines. 35% of NHS England’s National Service User Voice Group leads for maternity and neonatal care are from an ethnic minority group.

If she will add public interest duties to her Department’s open consultation entitled A railway fit for Britain's future, published on 18 February 2025.

The consultation is clear that Great British Railways (GBR) will run our rail infrastructure and passenger services in the public interest. The consultation has not specified GBR’s exact duties and functions, and we welcome views on these. All responses to the consultation will be considered ahead of introduction of the forthcoming Railways Bill.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) NHS stakeholders on the potential impact of the Data (Use and Access) Bill on protections for personal health data.

The Secretary of State meets regularly with Health Ministers to discuss a range of topics. The Secretary of State has not met with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to specifically discuss impacts of the Data (Use and Access) Bill on protections for personal health data. Ministers have held discussions on the Bill with a wide range of stakeholders, including NHS stakeholders, providing opportunities to emphasise that the Bill does not impact on existing protections for personal health data. An impact assessment for the Bill can be found here.

If he will introduce a fund to support young cancer patients and their families in access to treatment and care.

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.The Department has not made an estimate of the potential cost to the NHS of missed appointments by children and young people with cancer due to travel costs. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The Taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The Taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

What steps he is taking through (a) recruitment and (b) retention practices to ensure the diversity of the maternity healthcare professional workforce.

Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual National Health Service employers. NHS England’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion plan, published in 2023, includes a commitment to embed fair and inclusive recruitment processes and talent management strategies that target under-representation and lack of diversity.It is important that the NHS workforce feels valued and well supported. NHS England is leading on a range of initiatives to boost the retention of existing staff, including building a compassionate and inclusive culture.Targeted retention work for midwives is being undertaken by NHS England and led by the Chief Nursing Officer. This includes a midwifery and nursing retention self-assessment tool, mentoring schemes, and targeted efforts to improve the diversity of the workforce through four nationally run programmes to develop staff from ethnic minority backgrounds.

What steps her Department is taking to support prisoners leaving prisons with drug addiction.

The Ministry of Justice works closely with the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England to ensure that people leaving prison with a drug or alcohol problem stay in treatment and can get the support they need to recover from addiction.To support prison leavers to continue their recovery journey in the community, we have Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide, who strengthen links between prisons, probation and treatment providers. We also have secure laptops across the prison estate to enable prisoners to meet with community treatment providers virtually, prior to release, and the Probation Notification Actioning Project makes probation aware of prison leavers who have been referred to community treatment, so they can support them to engage with treatment.We have also established the new Drug and Alcohol Recovery Expert Panel, where panel members with wide-ranging expertise will help to identify ways to strengthen our approach.

What steps he plans to take to ensure that (a) all and (b) ethnic minority women have effective access to (i) postnatal care, (ii) mental health support and (iii) support for new mothers.

The National Health Service’s Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services sets national measures to improve maternity and neonatal services through all stages of pregnancy and beyond. Measures include making care more personalised and equitable, covering both physical and mental health, and extending postnatal care and support for new mothers.There is now a range of postnatal and mental health support, as well as broader support available for new mothers. For example, all women who have given birth should be offered a check-up with their general practitioner (GP) six to eight weeks after giving birth. The check-up will cover a range of topics such as mental health, physical recovery, breastfeeding, and support with family planning. This check provides an important opportunity for women to be listened to by their GP in a discreet, supportive environment, to provide personalised postnatal care for their physical and mental health.NHS England is also rolling out perinatal pelvic health services and maternal mental health services to support women with the physical and mental impact of birth. Bespoke mental health pathways support women who experience mental health difficulties as a result of labour. These services are provided through specialist perinatal mental health services, maternal mental health services, and mother and baby units.As part of the plan, all local areas have now also published Equity and Equality Action Plans, setting out tailored interventions that will tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic backgrounds and those living in the most deprived areas.