Written questions by Hamilton.

If she will amend Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to prevent irrelevant previous disclosures being used as bad character evidence in sexual offence trials; and if she will issue guidance to the (a) CPS, (b) police and (c) judiciary on this.

This Government is absolutely committed to improving the experience of victims at court.The Law Commission has concluded its comprehensive review into the use of evidence in sexual offence prosecutions. This is a helpful report, and an important opportunity to consider how we can make changes to the criminal justice system, so that practitioners and juries do not rely on so-called rape myths and misconceptions when making decisions in court.The review has made recommendations on the admissibility of evidence related to previous disclosures, as well as the admissibility of other evidence – for example sexual behaviour evidence. We are carefully considering these recommendations and will set out our approach in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS staff who are assaulted at work do not face (a) loss of pay, (b) punitive attendance management processes and (c) risk of dismissal while recovering from injuries sustained in the course of their duties.

NHS trusts are independent employers that have their own policies and procedures for managing staff sickness absence. Sickness absence policies and procedures should be fair, reasonable and comply with existing employment legislation. For all NHS staff, including those on the Agenda for Change (AfC) contract and medical contracts, the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook provides entitlement of up to 6 months full and six months half occupational sick pay when staff are too ill to work. The Handbook also states that when calculating an employee’s sick pay entitlement, absence caused by injuries attributable to NHS employment will be disregarded and should not count toward sickness absence totals.Where NHS staff are off work due to a work-related injury or illness, they may be eligible for NHS injury allowance. Injury allowance tops up pay to 85% of an individual’s earnings for up to 12 months when on reduced pay or half pay.To address variance in how NHS organisations manage sickness absence attendance, NHS England is currently working to develop a ‘Supporting Attendance’ Human Resources policy framework. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/future-of-human-resources-and-organisational-development/nhs-people-policy-frameworks/

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Tunisian counterpart on (a) the detention of political figures in Tunisia in recent years and (b) compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The UK monitors the situation in Tunisia closely. As noted in a statement by the UK at the Human Rights Council last October, the space for political participation in Tunisia has shrunk considerably and the way legitimate political actors have been arrested raises serious questions about the independence of the judiciary.During my visit to Tunisia in July, I raised our concerns on the human rights and civil society environment with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met with representatives of Tunisian civil society to understand more about the situation. The Foreign Secretary also noted the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government in January. Our Ambassador in Tunisia regularly raises individual cases of concern in discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UK actively explores a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open society.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department's review of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance guidance will include consideration of specific cases in which assistance was provided despite credible risks of torture or the application of the death penalty.

The Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessment is an essential tool to ensure that the UK's overseas security and justice assistance meets our human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) obligations, increases respect for the rule of law, and supports UK values.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently reviewing the Government's guidance for OSJA assessments so that it remains robust, effective and fit for purpose. As part of that review, we have engaged a range of stakeholders - including civil society organisations and Parliamentarians - through structured discussions. We are considering all the feedback received, including country examples that will help to inform the review process.With countries whose practice raises questions about their compliance with international legal obligations, we ensure that our co-operation accords with our own international and domestic obligations; the UK unreservedly condemns the use of torture and is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for UK counter-terrorism cooperation of the detention of Bechir Akremi; and whether he has considered the findings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in relation to his case.

The UK is aware of the ongoing detention of Mr Bechir Akremi. We are clear on the importance of continued public commitment to respect for the rule of law, and all Tunisians' civil, political, social, and economic rights, including the right to a fair trial. The UK respects Tunisia's judicial processes and calls for all cases to be tried in an independent, transparent manner.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Tunisian counterpart on (a) the mass trial of political figures in April 2025 and (b) the need for (i) due process and (ii) humane treatment for political detainees in Tunisia.

The UK monitors the situation in Tunisia closely. As noted in a statement by the UK at the Human Rights Council last October, the space for political participation in Tunisia has shrunk considerably and the way legitimate political actors have been arrested raises serious questions about the independence of the judiciary.During my visit to Tunisia in July, I raised our concerns on the human rights and civil society environment with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met with representatives of Tunisian civil society to understand more about the situation. The Foreign Secretary also noted the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government in January. Our Ambassador in Tunisia regularly raises individual cases of concern in discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UK actively explores a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open society.

What assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report by Bite Back entitled Fuel us, don't fool us, published in July 2025; and what steps she is taking to strengthen compliance with the School Food Standards across all education settings.

To ensure the quality and nutrition of school meals, the department is working with experts across the sector to revise the school food standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance.We are aware of Bite Back’s ‘Fuel Us, Don’t Fool Us,’ School Food report. We are engaging with stakeholders, including Bite Back, on revising the school food standards, to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history.School governors and trustees have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the school food standards and should work with the headteacher and senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.In November 2024, the department and the National Governance Association launched an online training course on school food for governors and trustees. This training is designed to improve understanding of the school food standards and give governing boards confidence to hold their school leaders to account on their-whole school approach to food.As with all aspects of the school food standards review, we will keep our approaches to compliance under consideration.​

What plans she has to reform specialist provision for children with SEND.

This government’s ambition is that every child or young person in our country deserves the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child or young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work. There will always be a legal right to the additional support that children with SEND need.This government is determined to deliver reform that stands the test of time and rebuilds the confidence of families, which is why we are launching a further period of listening and engagement, testing our proposals with parents, teachers and experts in every region of the country, so that lived experience and partnership are at the heart of our solutions.We know that families need change, and that is exactly why it is critical we get this right. The department will set out the full Schools White Paper in the new year, building on existing work to create a system rooted in inclusion, where children receive high-quality support early on and can thrive at their local school.

If she has considered the potential merits of requiring schools to have (a) allergy policies, (b) staff training on allergy management and (c) adrenaline auto-injectors available on site.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Policies should set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training.Schools can purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors from a pharmacy without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation.The department intends to consult on updated statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions later this year. The full guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending transitional protection under Universal Credit to include couples who form a household which becomes eligible for Universal Credit and consequently (a) reduce the overall level of welfare expenditure and (b) free up social housing.

No assessment has been made. Transitional Protection was introduced as part of the Move to UC journey to ensure legacy benefit customers maintain the same level of entitlement on moving to UC at the point of transition. Transitional protection is considered for both single and couple households that manage migrate to UC. It is not extended to customers in receipt of the transitional element that have a significant change of circumstances or where a couple forms and makes a new claim to UC. The Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 made provision for transitional protection. DWP has no plans to amend the regulations to extend transitional protection to include couples who form a household after they have moved to Universal Credit.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support an international agreement that includes targets to reduce plastic production ahead of the next round of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in August 2025.

The Government is committed to reaching an agreement on a global legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution when negotiations resume in August 2025. At the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on a treaty to end plastic pollution, the UK endorsed a statement calling for all countries to commit to achieving sustainable levels of primary plastic production and for a global target. Ahead of negotiations we are engaging with other countries to push for an effective treaty that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, including sustainable production and consumption.

Whether her Department plans to introduce legislative proposals to extend the ban on pavement parking outside of London.

The Department held a consultation on pavement parking in 2020 and has been considering all the views expressed in response to the consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the possible legislative opportunities for delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible. In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to restrict and enforce pavement parking.

With reference to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking's report entitled Unregulated and unsafe: the threat of illegal e-Bikes, published in June 2025, whether her Department plans to support the introduction of scrappage schemes for unsafe (a) e-bikes and (b) conversion kits.

While there are no plans to introduce a scrappage scheme, the Government is bringing forward the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. This will enable the UK product safety framework to keep up with innovative products and technological progress, giving Ministers the power to update relevant product safety laws accordingly to tackle products that pose greater risks.

Whether she has considered the potential merits of a certification scheme for e-bikes to be carried on public transport; and whether she has had discussions with Transport for London on such a scheme.

It is for transport operators to decide on their conditions of carriage, as safe duty holders, including whether to allow people to bring e-bikes onboard. While I have therefore not discussed any form of certification scheme with Transport for London, Ministers and officials have regular discussions with TfL on a variety of issues, including on e-bike safety.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that online marketplaces are held accountable for the sale of (a) unsafe and (b) non-compliant e-bike products.

UK product safety law is clear: all products must be safe before being placed on the market, including e-bikes.The Office for Product Safety and Standards leads a national Online Marketplaces Programme of regulatory action to reduce risks from unsafe and non-compliant goods sold online. This involves a range of activities, including regulatory engagement with online marketplaces on products such as e-bikes and enforcement action where necessary.The Government has also introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill to allow updates to the product safety framework and ensure consumers are protected; recognising the increasingly important role of online supply chains.

Whether her Department plans to include measures to tackle the use of (a) illegal and (b) unregulated e-bikes in its Road Safety Strategy.

Only e-bikes that are fully compliant with the requirements of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 are legal to use on the roads, and we recognise the risk to road safety of those e-bikes that are not compliant with regulations. The Government treats road safety very seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more detail in due course.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Office for Product Safety and Standards on the enforcement of standards for e-bike (a) batteries and (b) conversion kits.

Under existing UK product safety law, all consumer products, including e-bike batteries and conversion kits, must meet legal requirements for safety when placed on the market. Tackling unsafe e-bikes is a priority for the Office for Product Safety and Standards, in my Department. They and Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to enforce the law including removing non-compliant products from sale. OPSS has prohibited the supply of certain models of unsafe e-bike batteries, and published 22 separate product recalls for non-compliant e-bikes and similar products since 2022.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support local authorities to ensure Travellers are not able to access public green spaces.

It is the responsibility of local authorities (LPAs) to assess the need for Gypsy and Traveller sites in their area and then plan to meet that need, in the same way that they plan for all forms of housing.In doing so, LPAs should promote peaceful and integrated co-existence between the site and the local community, and aim to reduce the number of unauthorised developments and encampments.In relation to local planning authority enforcement powers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 46336 on 30 April 2025.

With reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, updated 6 June 2025, what steps she is taking to ensure that reforms will allow recognised refugees to become British citizens.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement and citizenship scheme later this year, and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to to Amnesty International's report entitled No one guarantees my safety: the urgent need to strengthen Mexico’s federal policies for the protection of journalists, published in March 2024, what discussions he has had with his Mexican counterpart on (a) strengthening Mexico’s Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists and (b) the need for its effective implementation.

The UK is committed to Media Freedom, and to championing democracy and human rights around the world. Independent media is essential to a healthy democracy. The danger facing journalists in Mexico is highly concerning and Amnesty International's report rightly raises concerns about the effectiveness of the Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists. Our Embassy in Mexico City works closely with the Mexican Government and civil society organisations on understanding and reducing the risks faced by journalists and human rights defenders due to their professions. Representatives from the UK Government and the Mexican Government held their second Multilateral and Human Rights Dialogue on 13-14 May 2025 where both Governments reaffirmed their commitment to human rights. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials met with representatives of Amnesty International on 17 June in London to understand their concerns around the mechanism.