Written questions by Osamor.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to establish an independent UN investigation into civilian casualties and possible war crimes in the US conflict with Iran.

The UK has maintained the position over several decades that all parties in all conflicts should comply with International Humanitarian Law and take every possible step to minimise harm to civilians. We continue to support the remit and independence of the established bodies who monitor compliance with these principles.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to take steps to accelerate the process for implementing the new duties on fraudulent advertising contained in the Online Safety Act.

Under the Online Safety Act, services designated as Category 1 and 2A (large user-to-user and large search services respectively) will have additional duties to tackle paid-for fraudulent advertising.Categorisation of online services is a statutory duty for Ofcom and one that is important to get right. Ofcom’s assessment process is still ongoing, and the regulator aims to publish its register and consult on the additional duties – including on fraudulent advertising – in summer 2026. The Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom in October and November last year urging the independent regulator to look at where its categorisation process could be expedited.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UK fulfils its obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to ensure that public authorities do not engage in or support any act or practice of racial discrimination.

We recognise the importance of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination to combat and eradicate racial discrimination worldwide, and we will continue to uphold our obligations. We are committed to upholding Britain’s long-standing record of protecting the rights of individuals against unlawful discrimination. The Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 requires public authorities, and those carrying out public functions, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people.

What assessment he has made of the data management and privacy concerns of Palantir’s Federal Data Platform which were highlighted in the report from the health charity Medact, titled “Concerns Regarding Palantir Technologies and NHS Data Systems”.

Privacy by design is a core principle of the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP). NHS England constantly assesses privacy and data management through strict information governance processes detailed in the NHS Federated Data Platform Information Governance Framework. Data in the NHS FDP remains under National Health Service control at all times.Palantir does not control the data in the platform, nor are they permitted to access, use, or share it for their own purposes.The contract has strict stipulations about confidentiality, and there is governance in place to monitor delivery and usage. NHS England is the data controller of the national instance of the NHS FDP. Every hospital trust and integrated care board who has their own instance of the NHS FDP has complete control over who has access to their data platform.NHS England maintains continuous monitoring of the NHS FDP contract, to ensure it meets expectations. The NHS FDP is a major national digital infrastructure programme and is formally part of the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). The NHS FDP programme is subject to the scrutiny, assurance, and value for money standards required of all GMPP programmes. NHS FDP’s whole life costs and benefits are assessed through the annual GMPP process.The NHS FDP is subject to scrutiny by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the major projects review. NISTA’s latest data, published on 11 August 2025, sets out the projected benefits of NHS FDP at £777 million. The data records the Senior Responsible Owner Delivery Confidence rating as Green, the highest rating. The report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025

Whether the Parental Leave and Pay review is considering an implementation of the statutory right to paid leave for kinship carers.

The Government’s Parental Leave and Pay Review will conclude in early 2027 with a set of findings which outline next steps for implementing any reforms.In addition to considering all current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements, the Review is considering the needs of other working families who do not qualify for existing leave and pay entitlements, such as kinship carers.The Government is also supporting kinship carers through other mechanisms and has recently launched a kinship pilot to support up to 5,000 children by paying eligible carers an allowance equivalent to the Fostering National Minimum Allowance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if her Department will take diplomatic steps to support an independent investigation into allegations of abuse of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 October in response to Question 80474.

What steps his Department is taking to improve education and training on endometriosis among healthcare professionals.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.The Government also acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.The General Medical Council (GMC) has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health, including endometriosis.Women's health is included the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) curriculum for trainee general practitioners (GPs), including gynaecology, sexual health, and breast health. The curriculum also covers the healthcare needs of women across all diseases seen in primary care as it is important women are treated holistically. This ensures that all future GPs receive education on women’s health.The RCGP has also published a Women’s Health Library which brings together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health from the RCGP, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. This resource is continually updated to ensure GPs and other primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date advice to provide the best care for their patients.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a women’s and reproductive health topic suite, and updated guidelines on endometriosis in 2024 to make firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. These clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to provide care for women with endometriosis.Generally, employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect Palestinian (a) children and (b) services which support them.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided by my colleague, Minister Chris Elmore MP, in Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions on 3 March, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:Tens of thousands of children have been killed, injured, orphaned, or separated from their family during this conflict. The UK has medically evacuated 50 children for treatment in the UK, but help on the required scale can only be delivered on the ground in Gaza. We are providing £81 million in humanitarian and early recovery support this year, including social protection services, which have so far supported over 335,000 Palestinian children.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Saudi counterpart on child defendant executions.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 December in response to Question 97116.

What steps his Department is taking to support the provision of endometriosis services in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill constituency.

We are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for gynaecological conditions including endometriosis, and we have already taken action to address this.Residents in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill have access to a well-established Enfield-wide community gynaecology and women’s health hub. The North Central London Integrated Care Board invests approximately £1 million per year in delivering this type of care in community settings across Enfield, including provision at the Winchmore Hill Practice itself. The service provides support across a range of gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, and sees approximately 470 women each month. Care delivered through the community hub is increasingly integrated with both primary care and local acute services, helping women receive earlier assessment and support, with an average wait time of approximately four weeks, significantly shorter than typical hospital waiting times.Where women require more specialist investigation or treatment via a hospital, the North Middlesex University Hospital is currently the best performing acute site in North Central London for gynaecology services against the 18-week referral-to-treatment standard, with around 64% of women waiting less than 18 weeks. However, we recognise there is more to do and continue to work with providers to reduce waits as part of our wider elective recovery programme.Primary care is the key point of access for many women in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill, and we are supporting general practitioners (GPs) to access rapid specialist advice where endometriosis may be suspected. Local GPs can use Advice and Guidance services provided by experienced gynaecologists from local trusts and through a national network via a platform called Consultant Connect. This allows GPs to seek expert advice quickly, with 99% of responses received within five days, helping women receive appropriate support sooner and, where possible, closer to home.

Communities and Local Government, if he will consider the potential merits of increasing access to council tax exemptions for foster carers to enable them to continue their care responsibilities.

Local authorities are responsible for the administration of council tax and have discretionary powers to apply exemptions or council tax discounts. This could include offering discounts to foster carers where they consider this appropriate. The government has recently consulted on modernising and improving the administration of council tax. This included seeking views on the current range of council tax disregards provided in the system. The government will publish its response to the consultation in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish in full the legal basis of the decision to allow the United States to use British military bases to attack Iranian missile sites.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 March in response to Question 117440.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the United States executive order of 29 January 2026 on new sanctions against any country supplying oil to Cuba.

The UK continues to follow developments in Cuba closely, including the impact of the 29 January US executive order. The UK has maintained a consistent and long-standing position on the US embargo, voting for the annual UN resolution calling for its end every year since 1996.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Israeli counterpart on the bulldozing of parts of The Gaza War Cemetery in al-Tuffah.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 13 February in response to Question 111058.

Whether there have been any further considerations over the uprating of frozen pensions for UK citizens abroad.

UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for uprating. The policy on uprating UK State Pension paid overseas is a longstanding one and has been in place for over 70 years. Over many years, priority has been given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international partners on establishing independent international monitoring of attacks against Kurdish civilians in Aleppo and Northern Syria.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026, and I can assure her that we continue to raise the protection of Kurdish civilians as a constant subject of concern with the Syrian Government.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve public awareness and understanding of the 2022 updates to the Highway Code; and whether she plans to introduce a national public information campaign to support the implementation of the new Road Safety Strategy.

Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. 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 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, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of recent attacks on Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods in Syria including civilian casualties and displacement.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026, and I can assure her that we continue to raise the protection of Kurdish civilians as a constant subject of concern with the Syrian Government.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the protection and political inclusion of Kurdish communities form part of the UK’s conditions for diplomatic engagement with the Syrian Government.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026, and I can assure her that we continue to raise the protection of Kurdish civilians as a constant subject of concern with the Syrian Government.

With reference to his Department's consultation entitled Late payments consultation: tackling poor payment practices, when he plans to publish his response to that consultation; and whether that response will include an assessment of the potential impact of late payment practices on self‑employed workers.

This Government will legislate to end the scourge of late payments, ensuring small businesses and the self-employed are paid on time. On 23rd October 2025 we concluded a 12-week public consultation on our legislative proposals. On 16th January 2026 we published an update on GOV.UK, restating our intention to publish our response early this year. We will publish a Government response to the consultation soon and intend to take forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows. In line with the Better Regulation Framework, we will also publish an Impact Assessment that considers the impact on small and medium-sized businesses.