Written questions by Osamor.

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, 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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

What plans his Department has to review the treatment of assumed and notional income in Universal Credit calculations for self‑employed claimants.

The Department routinely keeps its policies under review and we are always interested in views from customers and stakeholders. The current review of Universal Credit is looking closely at how the benefit supports self-employed people.

What funding provisions his Department has made in relation to the forthcoming National Tuberculosis Action Plan 2026–2031.

The Government is currently developing the Tuberculosis National Action Plan for 2026 to 2031. The content of the plan, including any associated funding requirements, has not yet been finalised. Any proposals with financial implications will be subject to the usual cross‑Government processes, including agreement with HM Treasury. Details, with funding commitments, will be included when the plan is published.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterpart on the alleged forced disappearances of Muhammad Bakhsh Sajidi, Naeem Sajidi and Rafeeq Baloch.

The UK is deeply concerned by reports of enforced disappearances in Pakistan, including in Balochistan. We regularly raise concerns about human rights with the Government of Pakistan at senior levels and continue to underline the importance of upholding civil and political rights and the rule of law. We urge the Pakistani authorities to investigate all allegations of enforced disappearances promptly, transparently and effectively, to hold those responsible to account, and to provide justice to victims and their families.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of requiring disclosure of offences committed by children once they reach adulthood.

We are committed to supporting children to turn their lives around and recognise that having a criminal record can have a significant impact on children and adults who offended as a child. Sir Brian Leveson, in his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, noted the importance of ensuring that the impact of a criminal record is proportionate to the offending. In response, the Deputy Prime Minister committed to exploring opportunities to reform the criminal records regime, particularly in relation to childhood offences, so that it is clear and proportionate, while continuing to prioritise public safety. We will set out our plans for doing so in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of long-term potential impacts of the mandatory disclosure of criminal records on access to (a) employment and (b) education for offenders.

We recognise the importance of removing barriers to employment for ex-offenders. Employment reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points in the year following release, and a similar percentage point reduction for prisoners who take any form of learning activity. The criminal record regime has a role in this process, striking a balance between providing employers with the information they need to make safer recruitment decisions, while enabling ex-offenders to rebuild their lives. We recognise that disclosure requirements and the approach of employers and learning institutions can have a significant impact on an individual’s employment opportunities and access to education. This is also an area that Sir Brian Levenson’s recent independent review of the Criminal Courts highlighted. The Deputy Prime Minister confirmed in his Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 2 December 2025 that we are considering Sir Brian’s recommendation, including opportunities to simplify the regime to ensure it is clear and proportionate, particularly in relation to childhood offences.

If her Department will consider adopting the recommendations set out in Refugee Action’s report Laying the Foundations: Making asylum housing work by investing in communities, published in November 2025.

We are actively working with local authorities to develop several potential accommodation models that could ‘pilot’ a more sustainable, flexible and collaborative outcome. These ‘pilot’ models will examine potential alternative accommodation sources – in collaboration with councils – promoting community cohesion and joint initiatives.The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), in partnership with the Home Office, is investing millions in a new locally led accommodation model. This funding will support local authorities to make available basic alternative accommodation to be used on a temporary basis to house asylum seekers waiting for their cases to be processed. The ambition is that this investment will leave a lasting legacy of housing for local communities and reduce pressure on local housing markets. MHCLG and the Home Office are committed to continue working closely with devolved governments and local government to co-design this new model, building on the work undertaken to date.This new funding will complement ongoing Home Office reforms to the asylum accommodation estate, including pilot schemes to repurpose derelict buildings and to develop other community-led alternatives to the use of hotels.

Whether she has considered alternative models for funding the duties of the Head of State, including a fixed annual budget subject to Parliamentary approval.

The requirements for reviewing the Sovereign Grant have been set by Parliament in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011, sections 6 and 7. The Government has also committed to bring forward legislation to reset the Grant to a lower level from 2027-28 once Buckingham Palace Reservicing works are completed.

What the scope is of the review of the Sovereign Grant scheduled for 2026; and whether that review will include consideration of abolishing the Grant.

The requirements for reviewing the Sovereign Grant have been set by Parliament in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011, sections 6 and 7. The Government has also committed to bring forward legislation to reset the Grant to a lower level from 2027-28 once Buckingham Palace Reservicing works are completed.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has undertaken any impact assessment in 2025 ahead of decisions to reduce, maintain or increase financial support in 2026 to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW) multilateral funds.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) published an Equalities Impact Assessment related to Official Development Assistance (ODA) in September 2025. The UK's future commitments to both the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait are being determined as part of our multi-year budget allocation process, the outcome of which will be set out in due course. The GPE remains committed to supporting children's access to safe, quality education, and the FCDO has been working closely with the GPE on their new Strategic Plan for 2026-2030, including support for safe-school initiatives, and the prevention of violence against women and girls.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with the Global Partnership for Education to ensure safe schools and reduce violence against girls around the world.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) published an Equalities Impact Assessment related to Official Development Assistance (ODA) in September 2025. The UK's future commitments to both the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait are being determined as part of our multi-year budget allocation process, the outcome of which will be set out in due course. The GPE remains committed to supporting children's access to safe, quality education, and the FCDO has been working closely with the GPE on their new Strategic Plan for 2026-2030, including support for safe-school initiatives, and the prevention of violence against women and girls.