Written questions by McDonnell.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether an impact assessment was carried before withdrawing Government Procurement Cards from staff working in the Forestry Commission.

The Cabinet Office required all Civil Service organisations to cancel or freeze all Government Procurement Cards (GPC) by 31 March 2025. In response, the Forestry Commission set up a review panel to assess which GPCs should be retained. A limited number of cards considered essential for operationally critical, health and safety, or legal compliance purposes were allowed to continue. All cardholders were notified of the decision regarding their GPC, and staff have been given guidance on alternative purchasing methods including using the travel management system, expense reimbursement, cash advances and other supplier contracts. This ensured that necessary operational activity could continue without disruption.

What assessment she has made of the triggers for violence perpetrated on the rail network.

Train operating companies must comply with the law, which includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent railway safety regulator for the UK, oversees these legal requirements. Its enforcement powers derive from the 1974 Act, and range from giving advice and information, through to prosecution in the courts. This covers issues such as lone working, violence at work etc. The Secretary of State also requests, through National Rail Contracts, that train operating companies measure perceptions of staff safety and develop action plans accordingly.

What instructions has she given to the train companies contracted to her Department on the need to undertake violence at work risk assessments.

Train operating companies must comply with the law, which includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent railway safety regulator for the UK, oversees these legal requirements. Its enforcement powers derive from the 1974 Act, and range from giving advice and information, through to prosecution in the courts. This covers issues such as lone working, violence at work etc. The Secretary of State also requests, through National Rail Contracts, that train operating companies measure perceptions of staff safety and develop action plans accordingly.

What instruction she has given to the train companies contracted to her Department on the lone working of rail staff and the impact on staff safety and security.

Train operating companies must comply with the law, which includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent railway safety regulator for the UK, oversees these legal requirements. Its enforcement powers derive from the 1974 Act, and range from giving advice and information, through to prosecution in the courts. This covers issues such as lone working, violence at work etc. The Secretary of State also requests, through National Rail Contracts, that train operating companies measure perceptions of staff safety and develop action plans accordingly.

What assessment has she made of the training provided to frontline rail workers on dealing with conflict at work.

Train operating companies must comply with the law, which includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent railway safety regulator for the UK, oversees these legal requirements. Its enforcement powers derive from the 1974 Act, and range from giving advice and information, through to prosecution in the courts. This covers issues such as lone working, violence at work etc. The Secretary of State also requests, through National Rail Contracts, that train operating companies measure perceptions of staff safety and develop action plans accordingly.

What assessment has she made of the adequacy of reporting procedures for workplace violence at the train companies contracted to her Department.

Train operating companies must comply with the law, which includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent railway safety regulator for the UK, oversees these legal requirements. Its enforcement powers derive from the 1974 Act, and range from giving advice and information, through to prosecution in the courts. This covers issues such as lone working, violence at work etc. The Secretary of State also requests, through National Rail Contracts, that train operating companies measure perceptions of staff safety and develop action plans accordingly.

Whether she requires the train companies contracted to her Department to include trade union health and safety representatives in post violent incident activity including safety inspections, violence at work policy reviews and reviews of safety risk assessments.

Train operating companies must comply with the law, which includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent railway safety regulator for the UK, oversees these legal requirements. Its enforcement powers derive from the 1974 Act, and range from giving advice and information, through to prosecution in the courts. This covers issues such as lone working, violence at work etc. The Secretary of State also requests, through National Rail Contracts, that train operating companies measure perceptions of staff safety and develop action plans accordingly.

What assessment she has made of the sharing of violence at work data with trade unions by the train companies contracted to her Department.

Train operating companies must comply with the law, which includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent railway safety regulator for the UK, oversees these legal requirements. Its enforcement powers derive from the 1974 Act, and range from giving advice and information, through to prosecution in the courts. This covers issues such as lone working, violence at work etc. The Secretary of State also requests, through National Rail Contracts, that train operating companies measure perceptions of staff safety and develop action plans accordingly.

What instructions has she given to the train companies contracted to her Department on the consideration of violence at work as part of workplace stress risk assessments.

Train operating companies must comply with the law, which includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent railway safety regulator for the UK, oversees these legal requirements. Its enforcement powers derive from the 1974 Act, and range from giving advice and information, through to prosecution in the courts. This covers issues such as lone working, violence at work etc. The Secretary of State also requests, through National Rail Contracts, that train operating companies measure perceptions of staff safety and develop action plans accordingly.

What assessment has been made of the adequacy of training in the use of body worn cameras for rail staff on Train companies contracted to her Department.

Train Operating Companies (TOCs) must comply with the law, which includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent railway safety regulator for the UK, oversees these legal requirements. Its enforcement powers derive from the aforementioned 1974 Act, and range from giving advice and information, through to prosecution in the courts. This covers issues such as lone working, violence at work etc. The Secretary of State also requests through National Rail Contracts that TOCs measure perceptions of staff safety and develop action plans accordingly. We encourage rail operators to consider the personal safety of its rail staff, including encouraging greater use of Body Worn Video (BWV), which was proven in a 2019 trial to reduce violence against BWV wearing staff at railway stations by 47%.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made recent representations to her Pakistani counterparts on reports of escalating human rights violations in Balochistan.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given on 2 June to Question 51410.

What steps his Department is taking to consult on the implementation of Unemployment Insurance Benefit.

We announced the introduction of a new contributory benefit, provisionally called ‘Unemployment Insurance' (UI) in the Pathways to Work green paper, and consulted specifically on the time limit and what support should be available whilst on UI. We published our summary of responses to the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation on 30 October 2025. We are now considering responses and will set out our plans in due course.

Whether his Department plans to review Gurkha pay and pensions in accordance with the 1947 Tripartite Agreement.

The Government holds the Gurkhas in the highest regard and deeply values their unique and enduring contribution to the United Kingdom. Their bravery, loyalty, and dedication have been an integral part of the British Armed Forces for over two centuries. The Government remains fully committed to recognising their service and ensuring they are treated with fairness and respect. Gurkha terms and conditions of service were originally established under the 1947 Tripartite Agreement and have been adapted over time to reflect changes in the Brigade’s circumstances. Since 2007, Gurkhas have served under the same terms as the rest of the British Army, with certain provisions retained to preserve the unique identity of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Defence Secretary has not engaged in discussions with Cabinet colleagues regarding the uprating of legacy Gurkha pensions, as retrospective changes or enhancements are generally not applied to public service pension schemes. This principle is consistently upheld across the public sector.

Whether the Government has authorised any export licences for military equipment or dual-use items to Pakistan that could be used in drone operations or internal security actions in Balochistan.

The UK remains deeply concerned by reports of human rights abuses in Pakistan, including in Balochistan. Advocating for civil and political rights is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement with Pakistan. To that end, the Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan has raised human rights issues on several occasions with Ministers in Pakistan. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan in accordance with its constitution and international standards.All export licences for military and dual-use equipment are assessed on a case-by-case basis against our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. Once granted, all our licences are kept under close and continual review and can be revoked or suspended if necessary.As our most recent data on export licences show, last year licences have been refused to Pakistan both where there has been a risk of diversion for an undesirable end use, and due to concerns the items may be used to commit or facilitate internal repression.

What assessment he has made of the level of the risk that UK-supplied equipment could contribute to human rights violations in Balochistan.

The UK remains deeply concerned by reports of human rights abuses in Pakistan, including in Balochistan. Advocating for civil and political rights is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement with Pakistan. To that end, the Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan has raised human rights issues on several occasions with Ministers in Pakistan. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan in accordance with its constitution and international standards.All export licences for military and dual-use equipment are assessed on a case-by-case basis against our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. Once granted, all our licences are kept under close and continual review and can be revoked or suspended if necessary.As our most recent data on export licences show, last year licences have been refused to Pakistan both where there has been a risk of diversion for an undesirable end use, and due to concerns the items may be used to commit or facilitate internal repression.

What estimate he has made of how much the NHS budget will need to grow to keep pace with patient need, drug prices, inflation and private finance debt in each of the next five years.

The financial pressures and the cost of new commitments for the National Health Service are analysed as part of the Spending Review process. The outcome of the most recent Spending Review is given in the policy paper Spending Review 2025, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document/spending-review-2025-htmlAs set out in the document, this level of funding growth will support the NHS to deliver on the Government's priorities, including delivery of the Government’s Plan for Change commitment, meaning that by the end of this Parliament, 92% of patients will start consultant led treatment for nonurgent conditions within 18 weeks of referral. At the 2025 Autumn Budget, the Government protected the NHS envelope announced at the 2025 Spending Review. This will see the NHS in England receive an over £15 billion real terms increase in annual resource budgets by the end of the period, between 2025/26 and 2028/29.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of renegotiating current private finance debt to fund neighbourhood health centres with any potential savings.

Private finance initiative contracts are not held by the Department. Contracts are held between the local National Health Service trust and their respective private finance company.The Department’s Private Finance Centre of Best Practice (CoBP) team, together with the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, provides expert support and advice to public authorities with private finance initiative contracts, to improve the performance of existing contracts and manage their expiry.The Department focuses on supporting trusts to assess the costs and performance of their contracts, to help maximise support for frontline services and make every penny of our NHS funding count. The Department supports trusts on a case-by-case basis considering all options available whilst maintaining contractual compliance. The contracts were let for a prescribed period of time, with the terms set at the outset with limited areas for renegotiation. The CoPB team, however, continues to assess opportunities to refinance debt where possible and where it would provide value for money.As set out in the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy (the Strategy) and the 10-Year Health Plan, in addition to significant capital investment, the Government would explore the feasibility of using new Public Private Partnership (PPP) Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs).The Budget, published on 26 November 2025, builds on the Strategy and the 10-Year Health Plan by confirming that the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme will deliver new NHCs through upgrading and repurposing existing buildings and building new facilities through a combination of public sector investment and a new model of PPPs.To ensure the NHC PPPs are managed transparently and are fiscally sustainable, these partnerships will be budgeted for as if they are on a balance sheet.Delivering new NHCs through a combination of public investment and PPPs will also allow, for the first time, for evidence to be built and compared between different delivery models.

What are the findings of the department’s business case on new private finance in the NHS.

As set out in the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy (the Strategy) and the 10-Year Health Plan, in addition to significant capital investment, the Government would explore the feasibility of using new Public Private Partnership (PPP) models for taxpayer-funded projects in very limited circumstances, where they could represent value for money. This included the potential use of PPPs to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs).A business case was developed by the Department and supported by National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA). The business case was considered by ministers and has resulted in the announcement in the Budget published on 26 November 2025.The Budget builds on the Strategy and the 10-Year Health Plan by confirming that the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme will deliver new NHCs through upgrading and repurposing existing buildings and building new facilities through a combination of public sector investment and a new model of PPPs.This new PPP model is being developed by NISTA, and is supported by the Department, and will ensure private sector expertise is harnessed to deliver these assets on time and on budget.The new model will build on lessons from the past and other models currently in use, and will draw on lessons learnt, including the National Audit Office’s 2025 report on private finance.To ensure the NHC PPPs are managed transparently and are fiscally sustainable, these partnerships will be budgeted for as if they are on a balance sheet.Delivering new NHCs through a combination of public investment and PPPs will also allow, for the first time, for evidence to be built and compared between different delivery models.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish the (a) due diligence and (b) vetting reports produced for the appointment of members of staff at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.

It has been the longstanding policy under successive governments not to comment on personnel and security matters in relation to individual members of staff.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will conduct an urgent inquiry into the continued employment of Gila Ben-Yakov Phillips at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv; and if she will publish the findings of the inquiry.

It has been the longstanding policy under successive governments not to comment on personnel and security matters in relation to individual members of staff.