Written questions by Swayne.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will review the adequacy of her Department's travel advice for Hong Kong, in the context of recent reports of enforcement actions, under the National Security Law, regarding electronic devices in the possession of travellers; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of those reports on UK travellers and journalists operating in the territory.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office keeps its travel advice under constant review, and last updated its advice for Hong Kong on 1 April to reflect its assessment of the situation on the ground.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of using the specialist sector to complement the inclusive mainstream sector; and what steps she is taking to (a) support and (b) invest in special schools and specialist colleges.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Whether her Department plans to ensure that children and young people will have a right to be educated in a specialist placement if their complex needs cannot be met in a mainstream educational setting.

In line with our proposed reforms, children with complex needs, who need a Specialist Provision Package(s) and a placement within a specialist setting, will have their provision guaranteed in their education health and care plan. Specialist Provision Packages will provide comprehensive, evidence-based and nationally consistent support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she is taking diplomatic steps to hold the recently inaugurated President of Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing, accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 April in response to Question 124592.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will increase humanitarian support to Myanmar’s refugees, internally displaced people and civil society in 2026.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 April in response to Question 124595.

What estimate she has made of the potential impact of the exclusion of refined products from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism from January 2028; and what estimate she has made of the potential impact on the UK economy were refined products to be included in the mechanism.

The government recognises the role that refineries play in energy security and the UK’s industrial base. The Government published a call for evidence (https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/future-of-the-uk-downstream-oil-sector/future-of-the-uk-downstream-oil-sector-call-for-evidence) on the future of the fuel sector on 23rd February 2026 in order to help understand the current state of the refining sector. Following a strategic and technical assessment by HMG, it has been decided not to expand the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to refined oil products in January 2028. Assessing the case for and feasibility of including refined oil products within the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism at a later date is a priority. We are continuing to work with the sector to assess the options.

Whether she plans to include refined products in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism at a future date; and if she will take measures to support the fuels sector whilst it is excluded from a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

The government recognises the role that refineries play in energy security and the UK’s industrial base. The Government published a call for evidence (https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/future-of-the-uk-downstream-oil-sector/future-of-the-uk-downstream-oil-sector-call-for-evidence) on the future of the fuel sector on 23rd February 2026 in order to help understand the current state of the refining sector. Following a strategic and technical assessment by HMG, it has been decided not to expand the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to refined oil products in January 2028. Assessing the case for and feasibility of including refined oil products within the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism at a later date is a priority. We are continuing to work with the sector to assess the options.

What plans she has for the National Inclusion Standards to include (a) speech and language therapists, (b) any other experts on speech, language and communication challenges.

New National Inclusion Standards will set out evidence-based tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with additional needs. This will include evidence for targeted support to address barriers to learning and participation related to specific areas of development. One of these proposed areas of development is Speech, Language, and Communication.We will establish an independent, expert panel to develop National Inclusion Standards. The panel will be composed of a range of experts across both research and practice in supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. They will also engage wider experts to test the development of the Standards. This will include, for example, ensuring expertise from speech and language therapists and other relevant experts is incorporated.

What plans she has for SEND practitioners to be provided with training on how to support children with speech, language and communication challenges.

The department recently announced an investment of £15 million to establish new speech and language therapist (SaLT) advanced practitioners in every integrated care board geographical area, to get more SaLTs working in educational settings. These advanced practitioners will be qualified speech and language therapists.The government is also investing £200 million to give all staff in schools, colleges and early years settings the training they need to better support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, including those with speech, language and communication needs in mainstream settings.This is in addition to £3.4 million being invested this year in the Early Language Support for Every Child programme, helping to identify and respond to speech and language needs, continued investment in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, which has demonstrated significant impact on speech and language skills particularly for disadvantaged pupils, and an expansion of English Hubs programme from the 2026/27 academic year to include intensive language and literacy support.

What steps he is taking to support the resumption of inquests that were discontinued by previous legislation.

The Troubles Bill will restore the small number of Troubles-related inquests that were already in progress but then halted by the previous government’s Legacy Act. Inquests that had not started will be subject to an assessment by the Solicitor General to independently consider whether each case is most appropriately dealt with by the reformed Legacy Commission or the coronial system.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to the Government of China on the potential merits of the release of Pastor Ezra Jim Mingri.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 75048 on 16 September.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the proposed application of electric vehicle pay-per-mile taxation on people living in rural communities in Scotland.

At the Budget, the Chancellor confirmed the introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2028 - recognising that electric vehicles contribute to congestion and wear-and-tear on our roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty. While those living in rural areas tend to drive more than those living in urban areas, they are also more likely to have a dedicated home charger for their electric vehicle - with the lowest charging costs. Our electric vehicles consultation provides further detail on how the duty will work and seeks views on its implementation from stakeholders across the UK.

What assessment he has made of the risk of carbon leakage for refineries before and after January 2028, compared to other industrial sectors.

The UK ETS Authority recently concluded a review into free allocation policy which confirmed refining is at risk of carbon leakage and will continue to be eligible to receive support through free allocation, measured against an efficiency standard. The review also determined that the efficiency standard used to set free allocations would be maintained in 2027, providing operators in the sector with the necessary certainty to plan for the forthcoming allocation period. This will provide continuity and additional time for industrial sectors to plan for future benchmark updates, which are expected in 2028. Ahead of this the UK ETS Authority will perform and assessment of impacts on businesses, including those in the Refining sector.

If he will grant EII status to the Horticulture Sector in the Energy Intensive Industries exemption scheme.

Currently, the Controlled Environment Horticulture (CEH) sector is ineligible for the British Industry Supercharger, which the Energy Intensive Industry (EII) Exemption Scheme is a part of. The CEH sector does not meet the necessary thresholds of electricity and trade intensity, nor does it have an eligible Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code to be classed as an EII. The Department for Business and Trade intends to review and publicly consult on the sector eligibility for the British Industry Supercharger in 2026. I encourage the CEH sector to engage with this consultation when the opportunity arises.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK carbon pricing on the refinery sector; and whether her has made an assessment of the potential merits of carbon price linkage to the EU.

The UK’s refining capacity is very important to our energy security, resilience, as an industrial base to the continued growth of our regions. This government recognises the wider challenges facing the sector and know that tackling these together is vitally important.Under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, free allocations are provided to the refining sector to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage and reduce exposure to the carbon price.Linking the UK ETS and EU ETS is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the UK, including a cheaper path towards decarbonisation by providing businesses with access to a larger, stable carbon market and creating the conditions for mutual CBAM exemptions, removing a major barrier to trade and lowering costs for UK firms.

If she has plans to include the horticultural sector in the CBAM from January 2028.

The government is introducing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) from 1 January 2027. It will apply to imported goods from the aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen, and iron and steel sectors. When considering which sectors should be included in the scope of the CBAM, the government looked primarily at three factors: inclusion in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), carbon leakage risk, and feasibility and effectiveness of applying the CBAM. It has been considered that currently the horticultural sector does not meet these factors. The sectoral scope of the CBAM will be kept under review beyond 2027 as new evidence comes to light to reflect methodological and technological advances.

If he will amend the electricity fixed-cost banding rule to permit evidence-based band migration based on actual usage and capacity within the permitted band limits.

By law, network charging is a matter for Ofgem, the independent regulator.Fixed charge banding rules, including migration, are set out in the DCUSA industry code (Schedule 32). They limit migration to exceptional circumstances, including significant change in capacity or consumption. There are some proposals to change banding rules (DCPs 412, 420, 454, and 466), which will be subject to final Ofgem approval. The DCUSA Secretariat can provide information about these rules/ proposals.Ofgem has launched the Cost Allocation and Recovery Review (CARR), which is assessing whether there are more efficient and fairer ways to allocate and recover system costs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of attacks on places of worship for Christian communities in Ethiopia.

We remain concerned about attacks on places of worship in Ethiopia, and their impact on civilians. We note the 4 November statement of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia condemning recent attacks on Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Muslim communities. We continue to call on all parties to engage in dialogue to address the underlying causes of conflict. Through our Human Rights and Peacebuilding Programme, the UK supports dialogue efforts by local peacemakers, women's groups and the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia. The UK also supports the investigative capacity of Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to follow up on reports of violations affecting civilians.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the proposed visit to China later this month is planned to be proceeded with irrespective of the outcome of His Majesty’s Government’s determination of the planning application for China’s new embassy.

The Prime Minister's travel will be confirmed in the usual way.This Government is taking a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can and challenge where we must.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria to address violence and discrimination affecting Christians in northern Nigeria.

I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 27 November 2025 (HCWS1105).