Written questions by Law.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing an employer pays principle to help tackle (a) debt bondage and (b) labour exploitation of workers on the Seasonal Worker visa.

Together with the Seasonal Worker Scheme Taskforce, Defra jointly funded an independent investigation into the feasibility of applying the ‘employer pays principle’ to the horticulture sector, to understand how financial risks faced by workers can be mitigated. The Government has considered the findings of the report but has no plans to mandate implementation of the employer pays principle in the horticulture sector. Welfare protections are already in place through the licensing and inspection processes provided by the Home Office and its agencies: the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and UK Visas and Immigration.

If he will hold discussions with his US counterpart on removing the 10% levy on Scottish whisky during forthcoming discussions on the UK-US trade deal.

We have already secured preferential access for Scotch whisky to the US market compared with other major economies and continue to have discussions on getting the best possible deal for all UK businesses and sectors.

How many people who were detained in illegal working raids were entered into the National Referral Mechanism in the last 12 months.

Immigration Enforcement made 2,809 referrals to the National Referral Mechanism and 429 Duty to Notify reports in 2024. Modern slavery: National Referral Mechanism and Duty to Notify statistics UK, end of year summary 2024 - GOV.UK. We are unable to provide data on how many of these referrals followed an illegal working visit.

What recent steps she has taken to help prevent the exploitation of workers on the Seasonal Worker Visa in food supply chains.

Protecting workers from exploitation is paramount in the design and operation of the Seasonal Worker route. The Home Office undertakes extensive assurance action across the route, including significant numbers of boots on the ground visits, including interviews with randomly selected workers. Since March 2023, we have visited 387 farms and conducted 2560 interviews of both farm managers and workers.Defra’s Annual Seasonal Worker survey showed that the vast majority of respondents (94.2%) reported a positive experience from their time in the UK and 96.9% expressed a desire to return.Scheme Operators are required to have a clear employer transfer pathway in place as a condition of holding their sponsor licence, including transparent criteria for making a transfer request and a process for considering such requests. This is set out in published Home Office guidance, available at: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors: sponsor a seasonal worker - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)We currently have five scheme operators for horticulture and poultry workers who are responsible for 43,000 employees. We carefully manage the allocation each operator receives to ensure that it is commensurate with their scale, capabilities and experience as a scheme operator. Allowing workers to move freely between operators is incompatible with this important safeguard as it could place individuals at greater risk of exploitation.If a significant issue was identified with an individual employer, a Scheme Operator will promptly relocate any workers placed with that employer to a more appropriate farm. This can be done immediately with no need to for further visa applications or any interruption to the workers immigration status. The gives workers a safety net which explicitly ensures that they are not tied to their employer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterparts on the denial of entry of UK doctors to Gaza.

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the denial of entry to Gaza for UK medical personnel. We have raised these cases with Israeli counterparts and continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access and for aid workers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to support doctors from IDEALS Charity who have been denied entry to Gaza.

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the denial of entry to Gaza for UK medical personnel. We have raised these cases with Israeli counterparts and continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access and for aid workers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the level of humanitarian medical access in Gaza.

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the denial of entry to Gaza for UK medical personnel. We have raised these cases with Israeli counterparts and continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access and for aid workers.

How much revenue has been generated by his Department by private aircraft landing at Leuchars Station since 30 October 2023.

Private aircraft use of Leuchars Aerodrome has generated revenue of circa £204,420, since 30 October 2023.

How many private aircraft have landed at Leuchars Station since 30 October 2023.

100 private aircraft have landed at Leuchars Station since 30 October 2023.

Whether his Department will suspend (a) trade preferences and (b) procurement contracts with entities (i) operating in or (ii) profiting from settlements in (A) East Jerusalem and (B) the West Bank.

The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel.There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity. UK citizens and businesses should be aware of the potential reputational implications of involvement in economic and financial activities in settlements, as well as possible abuses of the rights of individuals that such activity may entail. Those contemplating any economic or financial involvement in settlements should seek appropriate legal advice.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to reinstate multi-year core funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.

In July 2024, this Government reinstated funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and has since committed £27.5 million for 2025/2026 financial year. This funding will provide emergency food, shelter and other support for over 2 million people across the region. Future funding decisions will be taken in due course, and announced in the normal way.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to suspend new military export licences to Israel, in the context of the findings of the report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel entitled Legal analysis of the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, published on 16 September 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 September to question 72500.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the number of Palestinian institutions in (a) the West Bank and (b) East Jerusalem that are no longer able to provide services due to (i) Israeli demolitions, (ii) closures and (iii) funding restrictions.

The Government does not hold the requested estimates, but we work closely with civil society, international organisations, and the Palestinian Authority to assess the situation facing Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

What discussions he has had with NHS England on adopting the MS Optimum Clinical Pathway for people with multiple sclerosis.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services, including hospital care, for their local population, including for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Government expects ICBs to assess the demand for service provision in designing their local services.Whilst there hasn’t been a specific discussion with NHS England regarding the MS Optimum Clinical Pathway, there are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions, such as MS, across England. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the NHS to address variations in care and promoting best practices. The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care. NHS England has also recently updated its Specialised Neurology Services (Adults) Service Specification, which includes services for people with MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care. The refreshed service specification is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-neurology-services-adults/ The three shifts outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with MS, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.

With reference to the MS Society’s report entitled A Different Path: Rethinking MS hospital care, published in September 2025, what steps he is taking to improve hospital care for people with multiple sclerosis.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services, including hospital care, for their local population, including for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Government expects ICBs to assess the demand for service provision in designing their local services.Whilst there hasn’t been a specific discussion with NHS England regarding the MS Optimum Clinical Pathway, there are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions, such as MS, across England. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the NHS to address variations in care and promoting best practices. The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care. NHS England has also recently updated its Specialised Neurology Services (Adults) Service Specification, which includes services for people with MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care. The refreshed service specification is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-neurology-services-adults/ The three shifts outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with MS, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her policy is on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

That is a matter for the US and the nations of those detained at the facility, which does not include the UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the US Government on closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

That is a matter for the US and the nations of those detained at the facility, which does not include the UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to publicly support a global initiative to stop the trade of goods used for torture during the first committee stage of the UN General Assembly in 2025.

The UK Government remains committed to preventing torture and tackling impunity for those who torture others. It is essential for safeguarding our security and integral to a fair legal system and the rule of law.At the UN General Assembly, we will continue to work with allies to encourage all states to uphold their international human rights obligations. As a member of the Global Alliance on Torture Free Trade, the UK supports the initiative to stop the trade of goods used for capital punishment and torture. Goods are subject to export restrictions if they can be used for torture, capital punishment, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Export licence applications are considered against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Government will not grant a licence for items where we determine there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate internal repression.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the creation of Israeli settlements inside occupied East Jerusalem by Israeli settler organisation Ateret Cohanim.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 3 September to Question 71442.

What guidance his Department has provided to assessment providers on whether Work Capability Assessments for new claims should have priority over claimants who report a change in their circumstances.

It is well-established government policy to prioritise Work Capability Assessments for new benefit claims to determine their capability for work at the earliest possible opportunity. Reassessments occur when there is capacity in the system which has been limited due to an increase in demand for WCAs for new benefit claims. As a result, over recent months, reassessments have not been done in large numbers. We are aware of delays in reassessing cases where the claimant has advised us that their health condition has worsened. We understand that this is a very important issue. This is why we are putting in place a process to expedite the reassessment of these cases. The government has made it clear in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we will turn on WCA reassessments at scale as we build capacity to do so. We continue to work on options to make the WCA process more efficient and responsive, which includes accelerating healthcare professional recruitment to increase capacity for reassessments