Written questions by Hussain.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed disability benefit reforms on people with (a) post-traumatic stress disorder, (b) bipolar disorder, (c) severe depression and (d) other mental health conditions; and what steps she is taking to ensure that entitlement to support will reflect the level of need.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of advanced AI systems on (a) recruitment, (b) performance management and (c) other employment practices; and whether his Department is considering safeguards to reduce this impact.

We are already witnessing AI’s impact within the labour market. We are working to harness the benefits that AI can bring – such as productivity gains, rising living standards, and improved worker wellbeing; while mitigating the risks. DSIT has developed guidance for industry on the responsible adoption of AI in recruitment processes, utilising AI assurance techniques.The Get Britain Working White Paper from DWP, HMT and DfE also sets out how government will address key labour market challenges. We will continue to work closely with these and other government departments through the AI Opportunities Action Plan on this rapidly developing area.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has considered including transparency and public accountability requirements as part of any regulatory model for advanced artificial intelligence systems.

The government is clear in its ambition to bring forward legislation which allows us to safely realise the enormous benefits and opportunities of the most powerful AI systems for years to come.These proposals will be highly targeted, will build on the voluntary commitments already secured at the Seoul and Bletchley AI Safety Summits, and will be designed to be future-proofed and effective against this fast-evolving technology.The government is continuing to refine its proposals, which will incentivise innovation and investment, and will launch a public consultation in due course.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential for artificial intelligence policy to support inclusive economic growth and safeguard good work.

AI is at the heart of the Government’s plans to kickstart economic growth and improve public services.Earlier this year the Prime Minister announced the AI Opportunities Action Plan - a roadmap setting out how we will achieve our AI ambitions by laying the foundations for AI growth, driving adoption and building UK capability at the frontier.The Secretary of State has had discussions with Cabinet ministers, including with the Secretary of State for the Department for Business and Trade, regarding how the Government can maximise the potential of AI.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of granting regulatory powers to the UK Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute; and whether such powers could include oversight of frontier AI models, safety testing, and enforcement mechanisms.

The government is clear in its ambition to bring forward legislation which allows us to safely realise the enormous benefits and opportunities of the most powerful AI systems for years to come. The government is continuing to refine its proposals and will launch a public consultation in due course.As part of its plans to boost AI security, the government is committed to supporting and growing the AI Security Institute.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the Right to Choose pathway for ADHD patients; and what steps he is taking to ensure that patients' access to (a) assessments and (b) treatment is maintained after NHS England is abolished.

Ministers will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead this transformation. As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. We will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, driving productivity up and getting waiting times down.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff are employed by the Marine Management Organisation to carry out (a) catch certificate verifications and (b) refusals for seafood consignment imports to the UK; and whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of staffing levels to ensure effective oversight of high-risk seafood imports.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Port Health Authority (PHA) are the competent authorities for the purposes of the Sea Fishing (Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing) Order 2009. PHAs are responsible for receiving and checking catch certificates and other supplementary IUU documents that accompany consignments of fishery products at the UK border and have the power to stop and detain consignments for further investigation and refuse imports where necessary. There is a total of 28 PHAs that receive fishery products from the EU and the rest of the world, each of which assess their own resource requirements. MMO's IUU Team comprises of 10 FTE who provide advice and training to PHAs on the UK’s IUU Regulation for importation and are the conduit for further information needed on an import through formal verification between the PHAs and 3rd country authorities.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that access to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme will continue for all those who need it.

The Government is committed to tackling the burden of diabetes in England and to reducing the variation in access to diabetes prevention services across the country. A central mission of the Government is to build a health and care system fit for the future. To achieve this, it is crucial that we tackle preventable ill health, such as diabetes, by ensuring those at risk of developing, or already living with the disease, are identified, and can in turn be effectively treated. We are continuing to deliver the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, which is highly effective for those who attend. More than 840,000 people have been supported through this programme, and it has been found to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37%, compared to those who did not attend.

What steps his Department is taking to expand dietitian-led diabetes prevention programmes in (a) Bradford East constituency and (b) other constituencies with high prevalence rates.

The Government is committed to tackling the burden of diabetes in England and to reduce the variation in access to diabetes prevention and treatment services across the country.A central mission of the Government is to build a health and care system fit for the future. To achieve this, it is crucial that we tackle preventable ill health, such as type 2 diabetes, by ensuring those at risk of developing, or already living with, the disease are identified and can in turn, be effectively treated.We have committed to develop a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with diabetes, as we develop the plan.The Department is taking steps to reduce overall prevalence of type 2 diabetes through programmes such as the NHS Health Check and the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP).The NHS DPP is highly effective for those that attended. More than 840,000 people have been supported through this programme, and it has been found to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37% compared to those who did not attend. NHS England has responsibility for delivering the programme.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on trends in the number of people who have been evicted from their homes following rent increases in each of the last five years.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 34191 on 10 March 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps through the next Spending Review to increase the level of funding for the provision of social housing for homeless people.

The government is committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 30393 on 24 February 2025 for more detail on the steps we have already taken to increase social and affordable housebuilding.We will set out 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.

What plans her Department has to extend universal free school meals to all children in (a) Bradford East constituency and (b) other areas of high child poverty.

The government has a central mission to break down barriers to opportunity for every child. The government has inherited a trend of rising child poverty, which has increased by 700,000 since 2010, with over four million children now growing up in a low income family. That is why the government is committed to delivering an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, tackling the root causes and giving every child the best start at life. To support this, a ministerial taskforce has been set up to begin work on the Child Poverty Strategy.Under current programmes, disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools, as well as 16 to 18 year-old students in further education, are entitled to receive free meals on the basis of low income. 2.1 million disadvantaged pupils are registered to receive free school meals (FSM) and a further 90,000 are registered to receive further education free meals. In addition, all children in reception, year 1 and year 2 in England's state-funded schools are entitled to universal infant free school meals, which benefits around 1.3 million pupils.Additionally, the government is committed to introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school, to set children up for the day and ensure they are ready to learn, while supporting parents and carers to work.As with all government programmes, the department will keep the approach to FSM under review.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to enable people on low incomes to buy healthy food.

We are committed to supporting vulnerable households access healthy food. We support over 365,000 pregnant women and young children to buy healthy foods like milk or fruit through Healthy Start, provide Free School Meals to over 3 million children, are tripling investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, and last year invested over £200 million into the Holiday Activities and Food Programmes. We also continue to provide substantial funding to Local Authorities to support those most in need, and are extending the Household Support Fund (HSF) by a further year until March 2026, providing funding of £742 million in England. This will ensure low-income households can continue to access support towards the cost of essentials, such as food.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential cost savings to the NHS arising from the implementation of the Hub and Spoke model in community pharmacy.

The Impact Assessment was published alongside the consultation of the proposed hub and spoke reform, which was published on 13 May 2024. The assessment is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hub-and-spoke-dispensing/outcome/government-response-to-the-consultation-on-hub-and-spoke-dispensing#impact-assessment-and-equality-considerations No costs savings were attributed to the National Health Service in that assessment. The monetised benefits relate to the reduction in operating costs at the spoke pharmacies due to the savings in dispensing time. The Impact Assessment will be updated when the Government lays the proposed legislation in Parliament.

What name has been given to the operation of RAF surveillance flights over Gaza; and what the cost of this operation was in the period between October 2023 and October 2024.

Our mandate is narrowly defined to focus on securing the release of the hostages only, including British nationals.We are unable comment further on detailed intelligence matters for operational security reasons.

If he will publish a list of items licensed for sale to Israel for (a) military and (b) dual-use which are being used in the West Bank by the Israeli (i) military, (ii) police and (iii) other government body.

We publish annual and quarterly reports on export licences issued, refused, or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the products covered by these licences. They are available to view on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data. Summary data on our current export licences to Israel was also published on 11 June 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-control-licensing-management-information-for-israel.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing Israel from the list of approved recipients for the Open General license.

Following the decision by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on 2 September 2024 to suspend licences related to use by Israel in the current military operations in Gaza, a number of open general export licences were amended. Further detail on the affected licences can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-to-exporters-202420-suspension-of-licences-for-israel. The OGEL for exports in support of the F-35 programme has been amended to exclude exports direct to Israel. Any broader suspension with respect to this OGEL is not possible without undermining the programme overall, which would have a significant negative impact on international peace and security.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a visa scheme to enable displaced Palestinians living in (a) Gaza, (b) Egypt and (c) other countries to be reunited with family members in the UK.

The Government is determined to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and rapidly increase aid, ensuring humanitarian support is reaching people there. The government is keeping existing visa pathways under review in response to events. Palestinian nationals who wish to come to the UK can do so via the existing range of visa routes available. Our embassy staff are ready to provide support as appropriate. They continue to support British nationals and other eligible persons who have exited Gaza to access the necessary medical, consular and administrative support. Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. Immediate family members of British citizens and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes. There are also routes available for dependants of those who are in the UK on most work routes and certain postgraduate student routes. Individuals with protection status or settlement on a protection route maysponsor their partner or child (under 18), to join or stay with them in the UK,providing they formed part of the pre-flight family unit before the sponsor fledtheir country to seek protection. Where a relevant application is made, consideration will be given to compelling compassionate factors that are raised.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the resources available to process family visa applications from British-Palestinians.

The Government is assisting British nationals to leave Gaza. The FCDO is also providing consular assistance to those with British nationality, or dual nationality including British, who are in Gaza or who have left Gaza to a third country. Dual national British-Palestinians are not required to make a visa application as they have the right of abode in the UK. Our embassy staff are ready to provide support as appropriate. They continue to support British nationals and other eligible persons who have exited Gaza to access the necessary medical, consular and administrative support.Immediate family members of British nationals and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of (a) the human rights situation in (i) the Occupied Palestinian Territories, (ii) the West Bank and (iii) East Jerusalem and (b) the position paper entitled Legal analysis and recommendations on implementation of the International Court of Justice, Advisory Opinion, Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, published by the United Nations Palestinian Rights Committee on 18 October 2024.

We continue to work with our international partners, including at the UN, to put pressure on Israel to show the world it is complying with international humanitarian law. The UK does not disagree with the central findings of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on the 'Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem'. We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as rapidly as possible - but we are clear that every effort must be made to create the conditions for negotiations towards the two-state solution. Our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering. The UK abstained on the UN General Assembly resolution in September because it did not provide sufficient clarity to advance a negotiated two-state solution. The UK respects the independence of the ICJ.