Written questions by Denyer.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 52519 on Public Places: Non-binary People and Transgender People, if she will issue guidance on steps organisations should take (a) whilst the Government is considering the implications of the Supreme Court's recent judgement and (b) prior to the decisions to determine the final updated statutory Code of Practice for service providers and organisations.

The Government has set out our expectation that employers and other duty bearers follow the clarity the Supreme Court ruling provides. Where necessary, they should take appropriate specialist legal advice.The EHRC have opened their consultation on the draft updated statutory Code of Practice, seeking views from affected stakeholders. We encourage people to ensure their views are heard by submitting a response to the consultation by Monday 30th June. We will consider the final draft Code once it has been submitted and engage EHRC to ensure it provides the further certainty and clarity service providers need, in line with the ruling.

With reference to the Government's Code of Practice on consultations, if she will hold discussions with the Chair of the EHRC of the potential merits of extending the EHRC's six-week consultation to 12 weeks.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent of government. It is for the EHRC to ensure that the consultation process is appropriate and meaningfully engages with a variety of stakeholders. The Government expects them to do this widely and broadly, listening to diverse voices, and has engaged EHRC on this. We will then consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it.

Whether she is taking steps to ensure that the views and experiences of older women are reflected in (a) decision-making processes and (b) policy development across departments.

The Government is clear that equality and opportunity for all are at the heart of our programme of national renewal. This includes actively considering the needs of older women and ensuring that they are not discriminated against. The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requires organisations in scope to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people.The scope of the PSED is set out in the Equality Act 2010 (the Act). It extends to all public authorities listed in Schedule 19 of the Act and all parties carrying out public functions. This includes private sector and voluntary organisations when carrying out public functions. The Government expects regulating public authorities to ensure organisations comply with their legal requirements.The Government recognises the challenges some older women can face and is committed to ensuring that support systems are in place. These include improving older people’s participation online through the new Digital Inclusion Action plan, employment support through Jobcentres, and addressing healthcare inequality in the 10 Year Health Plan, to ensure the NHS is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2025 to Question 50992 on NHS: Contracts, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the number of staff working in the National Health Service for non-NHS providers; and whether his Department monitors differences in the terms and conditions of staff working (a) directly for the NHS and (b) in the NHS for non-NHS providers.

Neither the Department or NHS England intend to centrally collect data on the number of staff working in the National Health Service for non-NHS providers, or information on the differences in terms and conditions between NHS and non-NHS providers, due to the additional resources involved in such an exercise. Independent, non-NHS organisations are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment. This includes the pay scales that they use, the extent to which pay awards are made, and when those awards are paid. We expect such employers, providing NHS services, to offer a total reward package that supports recruitment and retention and reflects the skills and experience of their staff.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 28901 on Taxation: International Cooperation, what recent discussions she has had with international counterparts on a UN framework convention on global taxation.

The UK is committed to strengthening international tax cooperation, and works closely with our international partners from all regions, both bilaterally and multilaterally through international organisations. The UK believes that a UN Framework Convention has the potential to advance international tax cooperation, but it will only be successful if it seeks to build upon rather than reinvent existing initiatives, and seeks to secure the broad support and participation of members.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 46236 on NHS: Contracts, what assessment he has made of the number of staff working in the NHS for non-NHS providers (a) nationally and (b) in the Bristol Central constituency area.

Neither the Department nor NHS England hold data on the number of staff working in the National Health Service for non-NHS providers.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 47931 on Tenants' Rights, what steps she plans to take to raise awareness among renters in rent-to-rent schemes of their new rights following passage of the Renters' Rights Bill.

The government intends to provide tenants and landlords – including those operating within rent-to-rent arrangements – with a full suite of guidance to help them prepare for the commencement of the Renters’ Rights Bill.We expect our guidance to be sufficiently comprehensive that all landlords affected by the reforms it contains will know what their responsibilities are, and tenants across the sector will feel empowered to hold landlords to account when things go wrong.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Renters' Rights Bill on renters in rent to rent schemes.

Tenants living under rent-to-rent arrangements should have legal protections and the same right to redress as other private renters.Rent to rent arrangements can be abused to make it more difficult to identify landlords and hold them to account.The Renters’ Rights Bill addresses this in several ways:To improve enforcement against criminal rent to rent schemes, we are expanding rent repayment orders to cover superior landlords in rent-to-rent arrangements. This will mean all landlords involved can be held to account by tenants.We are also extending liability for rent repayment orders to company directors. This will help to ensure that where the rent-to-rent company has committed an offence, the individuals behind it cannot escape liability.Complex ownership arrangements for rent-to-rent agreements should not impede effective enforcement. We intend to pass secondary legislation which will require the details of others associated with the property, such as the owner or superior landlord, to be recorded on the Private Rented Sector Database.

If he will make it his policy for contracts awarded to non-NHS providers to require those providers to provide pay and conditions on NHS Agenda for Change terms for staff that deliver such services.

The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 allow for terms and conditions of service to be protected or frozen as they stand on the date of transfer to a non-National Health Service employer. This may also cover any pre-agreed contractual future entitlements if a deal is negotiated and agreed prior to the date of transfer. However, this does not cover any future changes to NHS terms and conditions of service which may be negotiated under the collective bargaining process after the date of transfer, and where the employer receiving transferred staff is not a participant to the collective bargaining process. This includes annual pay increases under Agenda for Change. We would encourage employees to raise any issues relating to their terms and conditions directly with their employing organisation and/or trade union representative. The Department and NHS England would expect any proposal to outsource work contracts such as the provision of facilities management services to be supported by a business case which, pursuant to the Government’s public interest test, should clearly demonstrate that the service is delivered in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce; and delivers better value for money as part of the broader commitments on procurement, as set out in the ‘Make Work Pay’ programme. More information on the program is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/next-steps-to-make-work-pay/next-steps-to-make-work-pay-web-accessible-version

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the availability of (a) suitably skilled contractors and (b) materials to allow local authorities to meet the 31 March 2027 deadline for investing City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements.

The Government recognises that investment in transport infrastructure is of critical importance to unlocking national growth and the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) programme has a key role to play in continuing to transform local transport across the country. DfT is working closely with Local Authorities and other Government departments on understanding and mitigating any potential barriers to delivery, including supply chain or capacity constraints, as part of our ongoing Spending Review discussions.

What her planned timetable is for publishing finalised City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements 2.

Funding in future years is being considered as part of the current Spending Review, the outcome of which will be confirmed in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of combining City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements CRSTS 1 and 2.

Discussions are underway between the department and MCAs, including West of England, on how the transition between CRSTS 1 and CRSTS 2 can be delivered. Some MCAs are also moving towards Integrated Settlements which will enable greater flexibility for planning and decision making at a local level.

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for (a) introducing a registration scheme for short-term lets, (b) removing the furnished holiday let rules to ensure all income from property will be treated the same for tax purposes and (c) concluding her consideration of what additional powers she might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.

The government remains committed to introducing a national mandatory registration scheme for short-term lets. The initial phase of digital development is now complete, and public testing is planned to start in the next 12 months. Further details about the implementation of the scheme will be announced in due course. The furnished holiday lettings rules cease to apply in tax years commencing on or after 6 April 2025 for Income Tax and for Capital Gains Tax, and 1 April 2025 for Corporation Tax and for Corporation Tax on chargeable gains. This was enacted by the Finance Act 2025. We are considering what further powers we might give to local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by second homes and short-term lets. We will announce further details on this in due course.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.62 of the Office for Budget Responsibility Economic and Fiscal Outlook, published on 26 March 2025, CP 1289, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the estimated increase in the housing stock on private rents.

The factors affecting affordability in the private rented sector are complex and difficult to disentangle. As well as the size of the total housing stock, they include the movement of tenants into homeownership and social rented housing, house prices, taxation policy, and interest rates. While it is difficult to isolate the specific impact of each of these factors, the government recognises that boosting supply is critical to improving housing affordability. This is why we are committed to achieving our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament.

If she will take legislative steps to require independent schools to (a) identify SEND pupils and (b) provide support to those pupils in line with the (i) SEND Code of Practice and (ii) Children and Families Act 2014.

Independent schools are regulated against The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, which set out the standards for the education, welfare and safety for pupils attending an independent school. These standards can be accessed at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3283. The standards related to ‘quality of education provided’ (curriculum and teaching) require independent schools to ensure their written policy, plans and schemes of work take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all their pupils, including those with special educational needs.Section 85 of the Equality Act 2010 prohibits schools, including independent schools, from discriminating against pupils with certain protected characteristics. This includes a requirement that schools must not discriminate in the way they provide education for pupils; the way they afford pupils access to benefits, facilities or services; or by not providing education for pupils.

What steps she is taking to develop new country information for Syria; and when she plans to begin processing (a) asylum claims and (b) settlement cases.

Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Home Office has withdrawn the Country Policy Information Notes and Guidance relating to Syria and has temporarily paused all asylum interviews and decisions. However, we continue to register new claims from Syrians in the UK who wish to claim asylum.The Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) are continuing to monitor and review the situation in Syria. CPIT are gathering evidence from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.The pause is being kept under constant review and when there is a clear basis upon which to make decisions, we will resume the processing of them.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to align with changes to the EU Honey Directive on labelling published on 14 May 2024.

Defra, alongside the Food Standards Agency in Wales and Food Standards Scotland, are working together to assess and address issues arising from the EU’s recent amendments relating to the Honey Directive 2001/110/EC. Any decision on future policy will focus on maintaining our existing high food standards, protecting consumers, and supporting businesses and consumer choice.

If she will publish an impact assessment of the updates to her Department's guidance entitled Good character: caseworker guidance, updated on 10 February 2025.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 25 February to Question 31371.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 902576 on Employment: Asylum, what the gender balance of dependents of asylum seekers is; what assessment she has made of the impact of the rules that do not allow those dependants to work on the Government’s (a) aim to deliver an asylum process that is gender sensitive and (b) wider strategy to tackle violence against women and girls.

We are committed to delivering an asylum process that is gender sensitive, building on the Government’s wider strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. All decision-makers receive mandatory training on considering asylum claims and must follow published Home Office policy guidance, including guidance on gender issues, which covers specific forms of gender-based persecution.The Home Office also continues to invest in a programme of transformation to speed up decision making and therefore reduce the time people spend in the asylum system. This approach will ensure that genuine asylum seekers can be accepted quickly and gain access to the labour market, and those who are not can be removed to their home country.The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum claims by applicant type and sex is published in table Asy_D01 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. The latest data relates to the year ending September 2024.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the value of the Bereavement Support payment.

Bereavement Support Payment is intended to help people through the immediate period following a bereavement. It is not a cost-of-living benefit like Universal Credit, which is generally increased in line with inflation. The rate of Bereavement Support Payment is reviewed on a discretionary basis as part of the annual uprating process, but there is no legal requirement to uprate it. Whilst we have no plans to uprate BSP from April, the Government keeps all benefits including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.