Written questions by Aldridge.

Whether his Department plans to introduce a statutory right to paid menstrual health leave for individuals suffering from (a) endometriosis and (b) adenomyosis.

The Government has set out its immediate priorities for reforming employment law in the Plan to Make Work Pay. The Plan includes a number of measures which may help people manage endometriosis and adenomyosis at work - including making sure people can benefit from flexible working. Our plan aims to deliver change so that people are more able to balance working life with their personal circumstances.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's revised code of practice for services, public functions and associations on the tourism industry.

We welcome the clarity that the revised code of practice brings to service providers on navigating the implications of the Supreme Court ruling. While there is no current assessment of the potential impact of the revised code of practice on the tourism industry, the Office for Equality and Opportunity within the Cabinet Office is collating Government feedback for the OEO to provide to the EHRC on their public consultation on the code of practice following the UK Supreme Court ruling on 16 April 2025.

Whether it is her Department's policy to increase the capital budget to schools to support them in implementing the proposed EHRC changes to the Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is updating its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations and is seeking views from affected stakeholders through their consultation which closes on 30 June. We would encourage people to ensure their views are heard by submitting a response to the consultation. The department will then consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it.

What recent estimate she has made of the cost of legal advice for small businesses of the proposed changes to the Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions, and Associations by the EHRC.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent of government. The purpose of the EHRC’s Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations is to ensure or facilitate compliance with the Equality Act 2010 or an enactment made under that Act. The EHRC has opened its consultation on the draft updated statutory Code of Practice, seeking views from affected stakeholders. We encourage all those affected stakeholders to submit a response to the consultation. We will then consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it.

What estimate she has made of the cost of implementing the proposed EHRC Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions, and Associations on academies; and whether she has had discussions with academy providers on this issue.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Weston-super-Mare to the answer of 09 June 2025 to Question 55359.

What estimate she has made of the legal costs of implementing the EHRC’s proposed Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations for schools.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Weston-super-Mare to the answer of 09 June 2025 to Question 55359.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with diabetes are not impacted by the shortage of Ozempic.

The Department has worked intensively with pharmaceutical industry, NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and others in the supply chain to largely resolve the supply issues with GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), including Ozempic (semaglutide). Currently all strengths and presentations of Ozempic are available. We continue to monitor the supply of GLP-1 RA’s closely to ensure these medicines remain available for patients. Any patient concerned about their condition, or access to these medications, should speak to their prescriber in the first instance.

What steps her Department is taking to simplify the Court of Protection’s Deputyship application process for families of disabled children who lack capacity to access Child Trust Funds.

No such assessment has been undertaken. In many cases, no fee is payable for a court order to access a Child Trust Fund where this is the sole asset.Where a young adult lacks mental capacity, including due to a disability, legal authority is required to make decisions on their behalf about financial assets or property. This requirement applies to all assets, including Child Trust Funds, and is vital in ensuring that vulnerable people are safeguarded and protected. Guidance on completing the court form when access to a Child Trust Fund is required can be found at How to apply to make property and finance decisions on someone’s behalf (including Child Trust Funds) - GOV.UK.In February 2023, the Court of Protection introduced an online process to simplify the making of property and affairs applications. This has reduced errors and omissions and reduced administration handling times.We are considering options for further improving access to matured Child Trust Funds while balancing the need to maintain safeguards which protect the best interests of individuals that lack capacity.

Whether she has made an assessment of the financial impact of the Court of Protection’s Deputyship application process on families of disabled children who lack capacity to access Child Trust Funds.

No such assessment has been undertaken. In many cases, no fee is payable for a court order to access a Child Trust Fund where this is the sole asset.Where a young adult lacks mental capacity, including due to a disability, legal authority is required to make decisions on their behalf about financial assets or property. This requirement applies to all assets, including Child Trust Funds, and is vital in ensuring that vulnerable people are safeguarded and protected. Guidance on completing the court form when access to a Child Trust Fund is required can be found at How to apply to make property and finance decisions on someone’s behalf (including Child Trust Funds) - GOV.UK.In February 2023, the Court of Protection introduced an online process to simplify the making of property and affairs applications. This has reduced errors and omissions and reduced administration handling times.We are considering options for further improving access to matured Child Trust Funds while balancing the need to maintain safeguards which protect the best interests of individuals that lack capacity.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that national sports governing bodies enforce compliance with statutory safeguarding guidance; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of enforcement mechanisms for failing to act in the absence of direct harm.

The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount. National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm, including through adherence to statutory safeguarding guidance. In order to be in receipt of public funding all sport’s organisations need to be in adherence with the Code for Sport Governance, authored by Government’s Arm’s Length Bodies, UK Sport and Sport England. The code includes provisions in relation to welfare and safety which all organisations are required to adhere to. Sport England also provides support to the sport and physical activity sector around safeguarding, including funding the Ann Craft Trust and the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit.

Whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of safeguarding legislation in ensuring that organisations outside of formal education settings comply with statutory guidance.

This government is committed to safeguarding children. We believe the majority of the out-of-school settings sector does a good job, providing safe and enriching education and activities for children.Providers have a legal duty of care to ensure the safety of children who attend their setting and protect them from harm. Local authorities are also legally responsible for safeguarding children in their areas and, when there are concerns, the department expects them to intervene using the wide range of powers available to them.In December 2023, the department updated the statutory safeguarding guidance 'Working together to safeguard children' to strengthen multi-agency working across the whole system of help, support and protection.We have already acted to improve sector safety by updating the safeguarding code of practice for out-of-school setting providers and accompanying guidance for parents and carers, both in September 2023. We will also publish new e-learning for out-of-school providers and strengthened guidance for local authorities.In addition, the department will publish a call for evidence in due course to help us improve our understanding of safeguarding in out-of-school settings and to gather information on potential approaches to enhance the safety of these settings.

Whether her Department plans to reduce the rate of VAT for the hospitality and tourism sector.

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations. The exceptional VAT relief for tourism and hospitality during the Covid-19 pandemic cost over £8 billion. The Government has no current plans to change the VAT rate for the hospitality and tourism sector.

What measures his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) regulate care home fees.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes commissioning a diverse range of care and support services that enable people to access quality care.Section 4.31 of the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) guidance states that when commissioning services, local authorities should assure themselves and have evidence that the contract terms, conditions, and fee levels for care and support services are appropriate to provide the delivery of the agreed care packages with the agreed quality of care. Further information on the CASS guidance can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-statutory-guidance/care-and-support-statutory-guidance.Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge.As part of our monitoring of the Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund grant conditions, and to understand fee rates more generally, local authorities are required to provide an annual return to the Department which includes data on the fee rates they pay care providers. The Government publishes this data annually, with the latest being available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-2024-to-2025-care-provider-fees/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-msif-provider-fee-reporting-2024-to-2025Please note this does not include data on fee rates for those that pay for their own care, known as self-funders.

If she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to increase taxation on (a) higher-polluting vehicles and (b) tax pickup trucks used for personal purposes as private vehicles.

The Government uses the tax system to support a variety of objectives including our legally binding climate targets, including the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced changes to the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) first year rates from 1 April 2025, to introduce higher rates for hybrid and petrol/diesel vehicles for 2025-26, and freeze the rate for zero emission vehicles until 2029-30. The Budget also announced new company car tax rates for 2028-29 and 2029-30, which gradually increase the rates for both petrol/diesel and electric vehicles whilst restricting incentives for hybrid vehicles, which research has shown are over three times more polluting than previously thought. Cars are treated according to their emissions under the capital allowances system; and company cars made available for private use are also taxed according to their CO2 emissions under the benefit in kind regime. From April 2025 this includes some pick-up trucks such as double cab pick-ups and extended cab pick-ups. These vehicles will be charged a higher rate for the benefit in kind, and be eligible for lower capital allowances reflecting their generally higher emissions.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to prevent children from receiving (a) harmful content and (b) misinformation from chatbots.

AI generated content is regulated by the Online Safety Act where it is shared on an in-scope user-to-user or search service and constitutes illegal content or content which is harmful to children. This includes mis- and dis- information where it is assessed to present material harm to a significant number of children. Providers of pornographic content must also prevent children from accessing that content.Chatbots with functionalities that bring them into scope of the Online Safety Act will be required to comply with the relevant duties including preventing children from encountering harmful content – whether that is real or synthetic.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Ofcom requires all user-to-user services to remove child sexual abuse content from their platforms.

The Online Safety Act creates new duties on online services to tackle illegal content and activity. The strongest duties are to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation (CSEA) and to stop child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from being shared. The illegal content duties have been in effect from 17 March. Ofcom is the regulator for the regime and has set out steps providers can take including strong automated content moderation and takedown measures. Ofcom will continue to develop their codes iteratively, including additional measures to detect, prevent and remove CSAM.

Innovation and Technology, what (a) guidance and (b) resources he is providing to (i) small and medium enterprises and (ii) other businesses to help (A) prepare for and (B) mitigate quantum cyber risks.

The government recognises the cyber threats posed by quantum computing. The NCSC recently issued new guidance to help organisations prepare for and protect against threats posed by future developments in quantum computing [https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/pqc-migration-timelines]. The guidance is focused on migrating to post-quantum cryptography to mitigate the potential future quantum threat to encryption services, and identifying and mitigating cyber risks during the migration.The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and NCSC have also commissioned external research to understand industry barriers and incentives to migrate to post-quantum cryptography. This will be used to inform future policy interventions to drive the transition.The government continues to monitor developments in quantum computing and uptake of post-quantum cryptography, including working with other countries to keep UK citizens and organisations secure. The government continues to assess wider cyber risks from critical and emerging technologies on an ongoing basis.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increased use of AI by (a) cyber-criminals and (b) nation state actors on cyber security risks to the UK.

Cyber security is a priority for the government. We are taking action to protect businesses, citizens and essential services against cyber threats. Last year the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said AI will almost certainly increase the volume and heighten the impact of cyber attacks over the next two years, however the impact on the cyber threat would be uneven. The full report is at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/report/impact-of-ai-on-cyber-threat .The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will require regulated organisations to adopt cyber security measures which protect against a wide range of cyber threats, including AI-enabled threats. Further details on the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will be published in due course.Cyber attacks cost the UK economy billions of pounds per year, resulting in serious disruption for businesses and individuals, and disruption to supply chains and public services. Cyber attacks harm confidence and investment in UK technology, while intellectual property can be stolen which has cost billions of pounds to develop. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cyber-security-breaches-survey] sets out further details on the impact of cyber threats and we will publish further research on this in due course.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) AI-enabled and (b) other cyber attacks on economic (i) security and (ii) competitiveness.

Cyber security is a priority for the government. We are taking action to protect businesses, citizens and essential services against cyber threats. Last year the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said AI will almost certainly increase the volume and heighten the impact of cyber attacks over the next two years, however the impact on the cyber threat would be uneven. The full report is at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/report/impact-of-ai-on-cyber-threat .The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will require regulated organisations to adopt cyber security measures which protect against a wide range of cyber threats, including AI-enabled threats. Further details on the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will be published in due course.Cyber attacks cost the UK economy billions of pounds per year, resulting in serious disruption for businesses and individuals, and disruption to supply chains and public services. Cyber attacks harm confidence and investment in UK technology, while intellectual property can be stolen which has cost billions of pounds to develop. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cyber-security-breaches-survey] sets out further details on the impact of cyber threats and we will publish further research on this in due course.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including measures to require boards to report on cyber resilience in the draft Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill.

All large and medium-sized companies are already required to report on their material risks within their annual strategic report, including on cyber risk where this is a material risk. Recognising the important strategic role that boards of directors play in risk management, the Government intends to launch a Cyber Governance Code of Practice, and cyber governance training, to support boards in governing cyber risks and building cyber resilience. We will bring forward the draft Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill shortly, with which we intend to provide the audit and governance regulator with important new powers and objectives relating to the audit and reporting duties of directors.