Written questions by Hamilton.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to continue to provide support for the building of shared ownership properties.

The government will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.

Whether he plans to introduce nationally commissioned services for the treatment of primary progressive aphasia.

There are no current plans to introduce such nationally commissioned services. We are committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia, and central to this is the provision of personalised care and support planning for post diagnostic support.Provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). It is the expectation that ICBs commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work within their geographical area to offer services that meet the needs of their population.Local authorities are required to provide or arrange services that meet the social care needs of the local population under the Care Act 2014.

Whether she has made assessment of the potential merits of waiving the Skilled Worker Visa sponsorship salary threshold requirements for civil servants.

The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, and will set out our policies in each relevant area in the upcoming Immigration White Paper.

What steps he is taking to increase NHS patient choice within the field of ophthalmology.

The Government is committed to giving patients greater choice and control over their care and throughout their elective care pathway, including those referred to ophthalmology services.Patients have an existing legal right to choose where they go for their first appointment, when referred to consultant-led care as an outpatient. Currently, less than a quarter of patients recall being offered a choice of provider. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the work needed to empower patients with greater choice and control, in order to make informed choices. This includes improving the information available to patients to support their decisions, such as improved waiting time information.We also published a Partnership Agreement between the National Health Service and the independent sector, which sets out the support needed to drive patient choice, which can include choosing provision from independent providers.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of ending compulsory written national curriculum assessments for key stage one students.

End of key stage 1 national curriculum tests and teacher assessments have been non-statutory since the 2023/24 academic year. Following the 2017 consultation on primary assessment, a decision was made by the previous administration to make these assessments optional to reduce the overall number of tests children have to take in primary school and move the baseline for primary school progress measures from key stage 1 to reception. The Standards and Testing Agency continues to develop test papers for schools to use on an optional basis as part of their ongoing assessment of pupils. The phonics screening check is the only statutory assessment administered to pupils in key stage 1. This is a short, light-touch assessment which assesses pupils’ ability to decode and read words using phonics. In respect of future assessment policy and associated arrangements, the government has established an independent curriculum and assessment review, covering key stages 1 to 5, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy. The national curriculum assessments administered to primary pupils are in scope of this review, which will look at whether the current assessment system can be improved.

With reference to the consultation entitled 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme, published on 30 January 2025, what steps his Department is taking to seek views from people living with ADHD through that consultation.

NHS England is following standard procedure in its consultation on the NHS Payment Scheme. NHS England consults on changes to the payment scheme every year, as they are required to by law. While the legal requirement is just for NHS England to consult commissioners and providers, they do accept responses from other interested parties and members of the general public.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing the proposals of the Better Business Act campaign.

The Better Business Act campaign seeks changes to Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 to provide for company directors to deliver benefits to shareholders, society and the environment. Section 172 already enables companies to amend their articles of association to provide for this purpose, or any other corporate purpose. Section 172 also requires directors to have regard to a range of interests, including those of employees and the community and the environment. Large companies must report each year on how this has informed their directors’ decision-making. Therefore, the Government has no plans currently to amend Section 172.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the Government taking over sponsorship of migrant care staff from employers.

It is a fundamental principle of sponsorship that those who benefit most directly from employing migrant workers play their part in ensuring the immigration system is not abused, and the Government therefore has no plans to take over sponsorship of migrant care staff from employers.

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the ruling by the Unitary Agrarian Court Number 28 in Mexico that the company Fresnillo PLC must pay damages to farmers in El Bajío for illegal extraction of gold on the community's land from 2005 to 2013.

The Department for Business and Trade is aware of the case between the Unitary Agrarian Court and Fresnillo PLC. This is a domestic legal matter for Mexico.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the safety of the Syrian Kurdish population in Northeast Syria.

We are concerned by increased tensions in northern Syria and the impact this may have on civilians and stability in the region. Our priority is de-escalation, and we are in regular contact with both Turkey and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to this end. We are urging all sides to refrain from activity that will lead to further loss of civilian life, or damage to civilian infrastructure, to avoid further destabilisation and civilian suffering in the region. We continue to advocate for an inclusive political transition process that is representative of all Syrians, including Kurdish communities.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the Dasgupta Review, published on 2 February 2021.

The Government agrees with the central conclusion of the Dasgupta Review that nature, and the biodiversity that underpins it, sustains our economies, livelihoods and wellbeing. It is therefore committed to integrating nature into economic and financial decision-making, and the institutions and systems that underpin it. As set out at the Budget, the Government is investing in the natural environment, confirming £5 billion over two years to support the transition to a more productive and environmentally sustainable agricultural sector in England, and at least £400m for tree planting and restoration to protect soils, rivers and biodiversity. The Treasury continues to explore ways to strengthen processes for assessing the climate and environmental impacts of fiscal decisions and improve the Green Book in line with emerging evidence and best practice, building on the extensive guidance already provided for evaluating and monetising natural capital impacts.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to manage the potential impact of AI on (a) illustrators and (b) creatives.

The government recognises the importance of the UK’s copyright regime to the economic success of the creative industries, one of eight growth-driving sectors as identified in our Industrial Strategy. We are committed to supporting rights holders by ensuring they retain control over and receive fair payment for their work, especially as technology advances to include AI. We are actively working with stakeholders to ensure copyright protections remain robust and fit for purpose.On the impact of AI, our next step is a 10-week consultation, published on Tuesday 17 December and closing 25 February, to engage AI and creative industries stakeholders widely on the impact of AI on the copyright regime.Consultation responses will inform our approach to the design and delivery of a solution to the current dispute over the use of copyrighted material in AI training. Our aim is to clarify the copyright framework for AI – delivering certainty through a copyright regime that provides creators with real control, transparency, and helps them licence their content, while supporting AI developers' access to high-quality material.Following the consultation we will continue to develop our policy approach in partnership with creative industries, media and AI stakeholders - supporting our brilliant artists and the creative industries to work together with the AI sector to harness the opportunities this technology provides.

What steps he is taking to engage with UNISON to resolve disputes on the NHS pay structure.

The Government is committed to resetting relationships with the National Health Service workforce and its trade unions, and health ministers have met UNISON officials to discuss their concerns. The Government has been clear that it remains committed to providing a funded mandate to the NHS Staff Council to negotiate changes to the Agenda for Change pay structure.The Department intends to deliver this mandate in 2025/26, and we have asked the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) to provide a view on the level of funding that should be provided. Once we receive the NHSPRB’s report and the funding has been confirmed, the Department will work closely with the NHS Staff Council, including UNISON, to agree the changes to the pay structure.

Innovation and Technology, if he will provide an update on cross-departmental plans to phase-out animal testing in the UK.

The Government has committed to partnering with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the requirements for phasing out of animal testing, and supporting the uptake and development of approaches that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs).We are currently engaging with partners from sectors with interests in animal science and on a cross Government level as to how we will take this commitment forward, including the publishing of a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods. We expect to publish this strategy later this year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on plans to ban the import of hunting trophies.

The Government committed to banning the import of hunting trophies in its Manifesto. We intend to deliver on this and are currently considering the most effective way to do so.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question 8352 on Surrogacy, whether he plans to publish details of the meeting of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health with the Law Commission; and whether he plans to implement the recommendations of the report.

Ministerial meetings attended by third parties are declared in the quarterly transparency publication on GOV.UK. The Government will publish a response to the Law Commission’s report on surrogacy in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support mine clearance programmes in Sri Lanka.

The UK has funded landmine clearance programmes that make land safe since 2002. This supports livelihoods and encourages a return to normalcy for citizens in conflict-affected areas of Sri Lanka. Since 2016, our delivery partners at the HALO Trust and Mines Advisory Group have collectively cleared 3,361,647 square metres of land which is now used for agriculture, collection of natural resources, infrastructure, public services and residential purposes. The UK is one of the founding signatories of the Mine Ban Treaty, and these projects demonstrate the UK's continued leadership with others to make Sri Lanka landmine-free.

What steps her Department is taking to improve staff wellbeing and retention in the education sector.

Supporting our expert education workforce is critical to this government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for children and young people at every stage.Improving the wellbeing of staff in the education sector, including teachers, is key to this. The department is working in partnership with the sector, and mental health experts, to make commitments to improve staff mental health and wellbeing and boost retention.These commitments include the creation of the education staff wellbeing charter which sets out shared commitments to protect and promote the wellbeing of staff in schools and colleges. The charter can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter.The charter can be used to inform a whole school or college approach to wellbeing or to develop a staff wellbeing strategy. So far, over 3,900 schools and colleges have signed up to it. In January 2024, the department published a progress report on its commitments in the charter, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-staff-wellbeing-and-teacher-retention.The department is funding mental health and wellbeing support for school and college leaders, which includes professional supervision and counselling for those who need it. More than 2,000 leaders have benefitted from the support so far. Support continues to be available and can be accessed by visiting the Education Support website, which can be found at: https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/.The department has made available a range of resources to help schools address teacher workload issues, prioritise staff wellbeing and support schools to introduce flexible working practices. For example, the department’s improve workload and wellbeing for school staff service, which was developed alongside school leaders, includes a workload reduction toolkit to support schools to identify opportunities to cut excessive workload. More information about this service can be found here: https://improve-workload-and-wellbeing-for-school-staff.education.gov.uk/.The department also recently clarified that planning, preparation and assessment time can be done from home. The department has also removed the requirement for performance related pay and bureaucracy that went with it and has abolished one-word Ofsted judgements to deliver a system which provides better information for parents and is proportionate for staff.Fair pay is key to ensuring teaching is an attractive and respected profession, which is why this government has accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September 2024. This will be fully funded at a national level.School support staff play a vital role in all our schools. They are crucial to ensuring we give children the best possible life chances and the department wants to ensure they are paid fairly for the work they do. This is why the department set out its plans to reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) through the Employment Rights Bill, which was introduced on 10 October. Establishing the SSSNB will help ensure that schools can recruit and retain the staff needed to deliver high-quality, inclusive education.Additionally, to boost recruitment and retention of teachers, the department has agreed to double the targeted retention incentive from 2024/25, which will give eligible early career teachers in key science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and technical shortage subjects, working in disadvantaged schools and in all colleges, up to £6,000 after tax annually, on top of their normal pay.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the Government plans to ratify the Global Oceans Treaty.

The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the Global Oceans Treaty or the High Seas Treaty), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Work is in hand on the measures needed to implement the detailed and complex provisions of the Agreement before the UK can ratify.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the (a) national unity government and (b) ethnic revolutionary organisations in Myanmar on the delivery of aid to people most in need.

We continue to discuss the humanitarian situation and the delivery of aid in Myanmar with a range of opposition stakeholders, including the National Unity Government (NUG) and a number of Ethnic Resistance Organisations (ERO). Since the coup, the UK has provided more than £150 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance, emergency healthcare and education support, and we continue to support civil society and local communities on the ground. The UK is committed to supporting a plurality of voices in Myanmar, and we are clear that any future settlement for Myanmar must be inclusive and involve a wide range of opposition actors, including EROs and the NUG. The Myanmar military must engage with them and all other opposition groups.