Written questions by Naish.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) encourage and (b) mandate that universities provide life-long career guidance and support to alumni.

Universities in England are autonomous, and as such it is for each provider to determine the nature and extent of the services they offer to their students and alumni, including any careers guidance or ongoing support after graduation. The government encourages all higher education providers to offer high‑quality careers advice that supports students to progress into successful employment or further study. Whilst the Office for Students, the regulator for Higher Education in England, does not prescribe detailed careers guidance requirements to meet certain registration conditions, providers must ensure students can progress successfully into employment or further study. Doing so requires providers to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and information necessary for effective career decision-making. Many universities already choose to provide career support to their graduates as part of their wider employability strategies, but decisions on the scope and duration of this provision remain a matter for individual providers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans her Department to demonstrate leadership on Women, Peace and Security in the programme of the UK's UN Security Council Presidency.

Details of our plans for the UK's Presidency of the UN Security Council will be set out in the usual way in due course. In the interim, I refer the Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's speech on 24 November 2025 confirming the importance that this Government attaches to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, which is available at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/twenty-five-years-of-women-peace-and-security

What discussions he has had with Royal Mail on the adequacy of delivery services (a) in Rushcliffe constituency and (b) nationally.

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider. In November, I met the CEOs of Royal Mail and International Distribution Services and raised concerns about Royal Mail’s performance. They reported continued targeted action to improve reliability. I will continue to raise concerns with Royal Mail if quality of service does not improve. Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and implement a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement.

What steps her Department is taking to increase public awareness of changes to the Highway Code as part of the new Road Safety Strategy.

Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes. Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations. However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course. As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will include Women, Peace and Security as a core theme of the UK's Presidency of the UN Security Council.

Details of our plans for the UK's Presidency of the UN Security Council will be set out in the usual way in due course. In the interim, I refer the Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's speech on 24 November 2025 confirming the importance that this Government attaches to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, which is available at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/twenty-five-years-of-women-peace-and-security

Pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 22112, what progress she has made on assessing the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to create a new category for vehicles that park four wheels on pavements.

On 8 January 2026, the Secretary of State announced the publication of the government’s formal response to the 2020 public consultation 'Pavement parking: options for change' which sets out the legislative measures to tackle pavement parking. In the first instance we will give local authorities powers in 2026 to issue Penalty Charge Notices for vehicles parked in a way that unnecessarily obstructs the pavement. At the next opportunity we will also introduce the necessary primary legislation to make powers available on an opt-in basis to local transport authorities to prohibit pavement parking across their whole area. They will also have powers to exempt locations where pavement parking would still be necessary to maintain traffic flow, such as in narrow streets. Where there is no strategic authority, unitary authorities and county councils would also have the choice to opt in.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle health disparities amongst people who lived in the most deprived areas of the UK.

The Government is committed to increasing the amount of time people spend in good health and to preventing premature deaths, with a vision of ensuring that all individuals, regardless of background or location, live longer, healthier lives. Our 10-Year Health Plan for the National Health Service in England sets out a reimagined service designed to tackle inequalities in both access and outcomes, as well as to give everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, the means to engage with it on their own terms.For example, we know that the Carr-Hill formula is considered outdated, and evidence suggests that general practitioners (GPs) serving in deprived parts of England receive on average 9.8% less funding per needs-adjusted patient than those in less deprived communities, despite having greater health needs and significantly higher patient-to-GP ratios. This is why we are currently reviewing the formula to ensure that resources are targeted where they are most needed.Additionally, much of what determines health and wellbeing is influenced by factors other than health services. As a result, we are taking bold action across Government on the social determinants of health to build a fairer Britain. Recent cross-Government action has included the introduction of Awaab’s Law and reform of the Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sector, the English Devolution Bill, and a new statutory health and heath inequalities duty for Strategic Authorities.

What steps the Minister will take to ensure that the Timms Review adequately takes account of the needs of those living with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions.

For the Timms Review to be a success, lived experience must be at the heart of its work. To do this, we are co-producing the Review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs, and other stakeholders. In October last year, I published the revised Terms of Reference on GOV.UK setting out further details about the Review’s scope. I also announced I will co-chair the Review alongside Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We will oversee a steering group responsible for leading the co-production process, setting the Review’s strategic direction and will determine how it runs and what it recommends. To recruit the steering group, we ran an open and accessible expression of interest from 30 October to 30 November. I will provide an update on its membership in the coming days, ahead of its first meeting later this week. The steering group will not work alone, once in place, it will shape a programme of participation that brings together the full range of views and voices.

Whether her Department has made any assessment of the potential merits of lowering the costs of settlement visas for spouses of British citizens.

The Home Office keeps fees for immigration and nationality applications under regular review. Fees are set in accordance with the powers in Section 68 of the Immigration Act 2014, which allow the Department to take account of a range of factors, including the cost of processing applications, the benefits and entitlements associated with a successful application, and the wider costs of operating the migration and borders system.The Home Office does not make a profit from these fees; income generated above the estimated unit cost contributes to the operation of the migration and borders system, helping to reduce the burden on UK taxpayers.The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. The consultation seeks views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

What action is being taken to reduce the waiting times for a decision on Access to Work claims.

The Department is committed to reducing the Access to Work waiting times. We have increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practices. To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, or cases that are up for renewal. In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the consultation has closed. We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives, on all aspects of our proposals.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has considered banning prong collars in addition to shock collars as part of the Government's Animal Welfare Strategy published 22nd December 2025.

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, we will consult on whether to ban the use of electric shock collars later in this Parliament. We will carefully consider the scope of the consultation ahead of its publication.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has any plans to legislate to ban the sale, and not just ownership, of shock collars as part of the Government's Animal Welfare Strategy published 22nd December 2025.

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, we will consult on whether to ban the use of electric shock collars later in this Parliament. We will carefully consider the scope of the consultation ahead of its publication.

Food and Rural Affairs, in reference to question UIN 43714 tabled on 2 April 2025, what recent progress her Department has made in public guidance for a process of withdrawing certificates of exemption for dogs wrongly registered as XL Bullies.

We are continuing to develop a withdrawal scheme so that owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully can apply to have their certificate of exemption for their dog withdrawn. This work is still in progress, and further details will be shared once finalised.

What steps his Department is taking to update healthcare professional regulation.

The Government is committed to modernising the regulatory frameworks for all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom.As a first step, we aim to consult on secondary legislation to modernise the General Medical Council’s regulatory framework early this year and to lay this legislation before Parliament in the same year. We also plan to update the governing legislation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Health and Care Professions Council within the current parliamentary period.

What consideration his Department has given to repealing S2(4) of the Law Reform (Personal Injuries) Act 1948.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office report.We welcome the report by the National Audit Office. The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to address the rising legal costs of clinical negligence.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office report.We welcome the report by the National Audit Office. The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to improve workplace catering and break facilities for healthcare workers.

Good physical working environments are important for staff wellbeing and retention. Staff need to be given the time and space to rest and recover from their work, particularly when working on-call or overnight. This is recognised as a priority in the NHS People Promise which sets out the importance of employers prioritising spaces for staff to rest and recuperate, and ensuring access to hot food and drinks.In May 2024, NHS England and NHS Charities Together launched a £10 million Workforce Wellbeing Programme to support National Health Service staff in England. It will provide tailored health and wellbeing support to NHS staff, including grants to improve facilities. A three-year programme of work named Great Food, Good Health, led by NHS England, aims to improve the experience and quality of nutritious food that patients, staff, and visitors receive in hospital. As part of this, the NHS made clear that NHS organisations must be able to demonstrate they have suitable 24/7 food service provision.

What steps his Department is taking to establish Staff Treatment Hubs.

Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the Staff Treatments Hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, timeframes and capacity

What assessment her Department has made of the potential socio-economic merits of a VAT relief scheme for Further Education colleges.

The Government recognises that Further Education (FE) funding is vital to ensure people are being trained in the skills they need to thrive in the modern labour market. The 2025 Spending Review provided an additional £1.2 billion per year by 2028-29 for skills and £1.7 billion of capital funding to help colleges maintain the condition of their estate. In addition, the Government is providing £375 million of capital investment to support the FE system to accommodate increasing student numbers. For their non-business activity, FE colleges are unable to reclaim VAT incurred. We operate several VAT refund schemes for schools and academies. FE colleges do not meet the criteria for either scheme. In relation to business activity, FE colleges enjoy an exemption from VAT which means that they do not have to charge VAT to students, but cannot recover it either. The Government is not currently planning to introduce a VAT refund scheme for FE institutions.

What recent progress his department has made on the parental leave and pay review.

The Parental Leave and Pay Review’s Call for Evidence closed on 25 August 2025 after receiving almost 1500 responses, which are currently being analysed and will go on to inform the review. We are engaging with a range of stakeholders, including advocacy groups, trade unions and business representatives, including through a series of thematic roundtables to inform our ongoing work. We intend to continue this engagement in 2026. The Review will be concluded in early 2027 and the Government will outline next steps for taking any reforms forward to implementation.