Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kate Osamor this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 186 · this parliament
What assessment his department has made of the potential impact of Investor-State Dispute Settlements on the transition away from fossil fuels.
The Government is aware of the interest in ISDS, and is engaging with energy and climate stakeholders on its impact on UK priorities. In line with HMG’s Trade Strategy, the UK will continue to work with partners through multilateral forums, including the OECD and the UN system, to identify opportunities to improve ISDS practice.
Which Departments are able to grant developed vetting clearance against the recommendation of UK Security Vetting.
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what considerations her Department has made on the potential merits of supporting the reconvening of a United Nations Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Sudan.
One of the key principles of the International Sudan Conference in Berlin on 15 April was to take collective action to protect civilians, including children, from the horrendous atrocities taking place in Sudan. This is outlined in the Conference Co-Chairs' statement, linked below, issued by the UK, Germany, France, the EU, US, and African Union. A proposal to reconvene the Diplomatic Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Sudan is under consideration by the Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice, launched by the UK and partners on 26 February. A meeting between the members and Non-Governmental Organisation partners will take place in due course to discuss and evaluate the proposal. The UK remains firmly committed to the Children and Armed Conflict agenda and we will continue to champion it, ensuring that the rights, safety and future of Sudanese children remain at the forefront of the international response.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/third-international-sudan-conference-april-2026-co-hosts-statement/third-international-sudan-conference-berlin-co-hosts-statement-15-april-2026
What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of alternative measures to blanket nationality-based suspensions of student visas, such as targeted enforcement measures based on individual risk assessment.
The decision to introduce the visa brakes was driven by clear evidence of high levels of visa-linked asylum claims across all four nationalities. By year ending September 2025, asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan had risen to over 470% of their 2021 level. This continued and rising asylum risk from this cohort necessitated swift and decisive action through the introduction of a visa brake on a nationality basis.The brake does not apply to those who already hold a valid Student visa, nor to applications submitted before it came into force on 26 March. In order to allow those prospective students with an offer from a licensed sponsor and a valid Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) to apply for visas, we provided 21 days’ notice of the implementation of the visa brakes. There are no plans for any further exceptions to the brake.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that freedom of religion or belief is integrated into aid programmes.
The championing of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all is a key element of the UK's human rights work overseas, for the funding of that work, and for the reporting to Parliament that we do on that work. For further detail, I refer the Hon. Member to the strategy for the Government's international FoRB work set out by the UK Special Envoy for FoRB in July 2025:https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-approach-to-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-uk-special-envoy-on-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-speech-july-2025
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prioritise issues concerning freedom of religion or belief in future Human Rights and Democracy Reports.
The championing of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all is a key element of the UK's human rights work overseas, for the funding of that work, and for the reporting to Parliament that we do on that work. For further detail, I refer the Hon. Member to the strategy for the Government's international FoRB work set out by the UK Special Envoy for FoRB in July 2025:https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-approach-to-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-uk-special-envoy-on-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-speech-july-2025
Whether the Parental Leave and Pay review is considering the ability for individuals with severe illness, such as cancer, to postpone maternity leave.
A cancer diagnosis is distressing at any stage of life, and especially for mothers on maternity leave, at a time that should be focused on recovery, bonding and family life.The Department of Health and Social Care’s National Cancer Plan sets out how people with cancer, including pregnant and postnatal women, are supported before, during and after treatment, including supporting mothers to stay in work.Alongside this, the Parental Leave and Pay Review is examining how maternity leave and the wider parental leave and pay system can better support working families. The Review will report in early 2027.
What plans he has to support local post offices in the High Streets Strategy.
I refer the member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill to the response I gave to UIN 125751 on 20 April.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending the business rate relief granted to pubs and music venues to post offices.
The Government recognises the vital role that the Post Office plays in the economy and wider society. At the Budget, the Government acted to limit increases in business rates bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion. The Government has also introduced new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties. Post offices are also eligible for 100 per cent rural rate relief if they meet certain conditions. There are a wide range of factors that the Government needs to consider when introducing new tax reliefs, for example whether these support wider Government objectives, or add disproportionate complexity into the tax system. It is likely that a new relief would have to be paid for, at least in part, by increased taxes for other taxpayers or reducing expenditure on public services. The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process. The Chancellor will announce any changes to the tax system at fiscal events in the usual way.
What steps her Department is taking to protect (a) visa-holders and (b) those holding university offers from being affected by the suspension of study visas from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.
The decision to introduce the visa brakes was driven by clear evidence of high levels of visa-linked asylum claims across all four nationalities. By year ending September 2025, asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan had risen to over 470% of their 2021 level. This continued and rising asylum risk from this cohort necessitated swift and decisive action through the introduction of a visa brake on a nationality basis.The brake does not apply to those who already hold a valid Student visa, nor to applications submitted before it came into force on 26 March. In order to allow those prospective students with an offer from a licensed sponsor and a valid Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) to apply for visas, we provided 21 days’ notice of the implementation of the visa brakes. There are no plans for any further exceptions to the brake.
In what way asylum applicants are informed about the use of artificial intelligence; and what process is in place to address any errors.
The Home Office is investing in innovative techniques, including the use of AI, to explore how we can improve productivity and continue to maintain order in the asylum system.No process and/or tooling details are currently released to asylum claimants - this has not changed with the incorporation of AI elements into caseworking.AI technology does not make decisions on Asylum applications, instead, it helps analyse data and provides insightful information that can further inform choices. This is in line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle. The Home Office does not currently use AI software to transcribe asylum interviews or other components of the asylum decision making process.Existing quality control processes are followed alongside data capture, development and two-way feedback mechanisms.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of using artificial intelligence in asylum (a) interviews and (b) casework on those processes.
The Home Office is investing in innovative techniques, including AI, to explore how we can improve productivity and continue to maintain order in the asylum system. AI technology does not make decisions on Asylum applications, instead, it helps analyse data and provides insightful information that can further inform choices. This is in line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle. The Home Office does not currently use AI software to transcribe asylum interviews or other components of the asylum decision making process.Comprehensive Equality Impact Assessments and DPIAs were carried out for our AI caseworking tools during their development and ahead of pilots – this applies to both the Asylum Policy Search tool (APS; fully rolled out) and Asylum Case Summarisation tool (ACS; still in development and testing). Feedback loops and comprehensive monitoring is in place to continuously assess usage and impact for users and overall purpose.The Equality Impact Assessments for APS and ACS are being reviewed and updated following the pilots for both tools and will be published in due course, after ACS has been fully operationalised.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the GP contract in England on (a) minoritised ethnic groups and (b) those with less visible and chronic conditions.
The Department and NHS England assessed the potential impacts of the proposed changes to the GP Contract for 2026/27 throughout the policy-development process, including Equality Impact Assessments, which consider the impact of policy changes against protected characteristics, in line with the public sector equality duty. In relation to minoritised ethnic groups, the assessment found no evidence that the proposed changes would result in adverse impacts. The Department considers that several elements of the contract changes may support more equitable outcomes, including improvements to vaccination programmes and refinements to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), where uptake and disease prevalence are known to vary across different ethnic groups.In relation to people with less visible and chronic conditions, we do not anticipate any adverse impact from the changes. Measures to improve access, continuity of care, and proactive management of long‑term conditions are expected to benefit patients with ongoing and complex health needs. In particular, the introduction of continuity of care as a core requirement will require practices and primary care networks to use risk‑stratification tools more systematically to target continuity where it is most beneficial, supporting more consistent clinical relationships, and better outcomes. The updated QOF requirements for long term and chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart failure, and obesity, align indicators with updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, and support earlier intervention and preventative care to improve clinical outcomes for patients. In addition, clarifying expectations around not asking patients to call back another day, and clinically urgent and non‑urgent requests, will support timely management of requests, reduce repeat contacts, and will help to avoid any patients being left without appropriate follow-up.The Department and NHS England will continue to monitor the impact of the GP Contract through workforce data, patient access metrics, and patient experience data, including demographic information collected through the GP Patient Survey, in order to identify and respond to any emerging differential impacts.
Whether her Department plans to publish the (a) Data Protection Impact Assessment and (b) Equality Impact Assessment for the (i) Asylum Case Summarisation and (ii) Asylum Policy Search tools.
It has not yet been confirmed whether the Department intends to publish a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for either the Asylum Policy Search tool ([ii] APS; fully rolled out) and/or the Asylum Case Summarisation tool ([i] ACS; full roll out due April 2026) after both have been operationalised.The Equality Impact Assessments for APS and ACS [i, ii] are being updated following the completion of pilots for both tools, and the current intention is to publish them in due course, after ACS has been fully operationalised in April 2026.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure non-refoulement in its migrant return policy with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
No one who is found to be at legitimate risk of persecution or serious harm will be expected to return to their country of origin. Individuals are only returned to their country of origin when the Home Office and, where applicable, the courts deem it is safe to do so.
If she will conduct an equalities impact assessment for student loan repayment freezes.
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill, to the answer of 27 March 2026 to Question 112385.
If he will publish an impact assessment of changes to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellent (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon on 4 March 2026 to question 114047.
What plans are in place to ensure any changes to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellent (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold are subject to parliamentary and public scrutiny.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has implemented a new cost-effectiveness threshold in its technology appraisals of £25,000 to £35,000 which is an increase from the previous threshold of £20,000 to £30,000. The new threshold is in line with the commitments made in the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal announced in December 2025.The Government has engaged extensively with NICE, NHS England, the pharmaceutical industry and other parties throughout the process. The Government’s intended approach was set out in a Written Ministerial Statement on 13 April 2026, which is available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-04-13/hlws1493In addition, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, wrote to the chairs of the Health and Social Care Committee and the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee to inform them of the regulatory changes.
What steps her Department is taking to address the disproportionate number of Black and Black mixed heritage young people who are reported missing in the UK.
The Government is committed to working to ensure that children and young people are kept safe from harm, including when they are reported missing. This includes working to ensure that police forces are equipped to respond appropriately and working effectively with other multiagency safeguarding partners.I recognise the concerns previously raised about unconscious bias in the police response to missing persons from BAME communities. Following NPCC research to explore disproportionality and discrimination in police missing persons investigations, forces across England and Wales continue to improve practice and responses to address this. The report can be found here:Disproportion and decision: Ethnic minority overrepresentation and police risk assessment in missing persons casesWe will continue to work across government and with partners to ensure an effective whole-system response when someone goes missing, while also working to address the underlying harms that lead to these complex situations.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Israeli government on its land registration process in Area C of the West Bank.
We condemn the decision to expand land registration requirements in Area C of the West Bank, and other recent Israeli Security Cabinet decisions that extend Israel's control over the West Bank, and accelerate illegal settlement activity.