Written questions by Osamor.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report entitled A Clean Start in Life, published by In Kind Direct on 2 May 2025.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The Child Poverty Taskforce is continuing its urgent work and is exploring all available levers, including considering social security reforms, to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty. The Strategy will tackle overall child poverty as well as going beyond that to focus on children in deepest poverty lacking essentials, and what is needed to give every child the best start in life. We are focused on reducing and alleviating the effects of child poverty to improve children’s lives and life chances now and tackle the root causes of child poverty in the long term. The Strategy will look at four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments. The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside our commitments to triple investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, introduce a Fair Repayment Rate for deductions from Universal Credit, improve the adequacy of the standard allowance with the first sustained above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced and increase the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour to boost the pay of three million workers. To further support struggling households, we have provided funding of £742 million to extend the Household Support Fund from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 in England, plus additional funding for the Devolved Governments.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 40483 on Mahmoud Khalil, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on the detention of pro-Palestinian protestors by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

As previously stated in response to Question 40483, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not comment on personal matters relating to former members of staff. Discussions surrounding the detention of non-British nationals are not for the FCDO to comment on, because it is a matter for the US and the nations of those detained.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling local authorities to use CCTV enforcement to address unlawful pavement parking; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to permit such enforcement.

No assessment has been made of the use of CCTV cameras to address pavement parking. The use of CCTV for civil enforcement of parking restrictions is currently limited to contraventions occurring in ‘keep clear’ zig-zag areas outside schools, red routes, bus lanes and mandatory cycle lanes, and at bus stops and bus stands. More broadly on the issue of pavement parking, the Department has been considering responses to the consultation on pavement parking conducted in 2020 and potential policy options. We will announce our formal response to the consultation and next steps shortly.

What steps her Department is taking to meet the demand for (a) special and (b) mainstream school placements for children with SEN in the London Borough of Enfield.

The department has published allocations for £740 million in high needs provision capital allocations for the 2025/26 financial year. The funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs, and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.Enfield Council has been allocated £6.2 million high needs capital funding for 2025/26. It is up to local authorities to prioritise their funding to meet local needs.

How many children are on the SEND waiting list in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill constituency.

The department does not hold information on the number of children waiting to be assessed for an education, health and care (EHC) plan.The department collects information from local authorities on the number of requests for an EHC needs assessment, the number of EHC needs assessments carried out, and the number of EHC plans issued within the statutory 20-week timeframe. This data is published annually in the statistical release ‘Education, health and care plans’. The release can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2024.

What steps her Department is taking to support UK citizens with relatives impacted by the human rights situation in Balochistan.

Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. We advise people to consider the most appropriate visa route for their own circumstances.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on ending enforced disappearances.

The UK is clear that the freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. We remain deeply concerned over reports of human rights violations, including enforced disappearances. Our High Commission in Islamabad continues to raise this with the Pakistani authorities at the highest levels and has raised the recent case of the detention of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, with Pakistan's Minister for Law and Justice.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on the human rights situation in Balochistan.

The UK is deeply concerned about reports of human rights abuses and violations in Pakistan, including in Balochistan province. Our High Commission in Pakistan regularly raises these issues with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level, including the need to address allegations of enforced disappearances. I underlined the importance of upholding civil and political rights to Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Azam Tarar, in November 2024. Lord Khan of Burnley discussed the protection of human rights, including the rights of protesters, in a meeting with Minister Tarar in April 2025. The UK will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee individuals' rights as laid down in Pakistan's Constitution and in accordance with international standards.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with animal protection groups on phasing out animal experiments.

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. The Government will also be hosting a roundtable shortly with representatives from animal welfare organisations to discuss the strategy.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what was discussed during his most recent meeting with his Israeli counterpart.

The Foreign Secretary met with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 15 April during his visit to London to discuss the need for an end to the aid blockade in Gaza and for all parties to push towards an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages who remain in Gaza. He also raised his concern for aid worker safety and pushed Foreign Minister Sa'ar for the Military Advocate General to provide a response on the World Central Kitchen strike in April 2024. The UK Government continues to engage with Israeli counterparts on a variety of issues, including the conflict in Gaza. This engagement is vital for the UK as we continue to press towards a long-lasting ceasefire which is the only credible pathway towards a sustainable peace, a two-state solution and the reconstruction of Gaza.

What steps her Department is taking to support victims of AI-generated intimate images.

The Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade.Our VAWG strategy will be published this year and will include joint steps to tackle image-based abuse across England and Wales and protect victims. We are delivering on our manifesto commitment to ensure that perpetrators who create a deepfake intimate image of someone without their consent face prosecution, and criminalising asking someone to create an intimate image deepfake for you, regardless of where that person is based or whether the image is created. In addition, under our new offences in the Crime and Policing Bill, anyone who takes or records intimate images without consent or installs equipment with intent to do so will face up to two years’ custody.In the year 2024/25, the Home Office increased the amount of funding provided to the Revenge Porn Helpline from £150,000 to £210,000, to provide free, high-quality support and advice to adult victims of intimate image abuse. This funding has been increased for the year 2025/26. The Ministry of Justice also provides funding for vital victim and witness support services that includes funding to Police and Crime Commissioners to commission local support services for victims of all crime, including victims of intimate image abuse, to cope and recover.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of banning the advertising of (a) sports utility vehicles, (b) flights and (c) other high carbon products on levels of carbon emissions.

The Government is committed to reducing emissions from road transport, aviation and high carbon products in support of our national missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower. This includes overhauling public transport services to make sustainable choices more convenient for more transport users, turbocharging the rollout of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and making the UK a world-leader in the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels. The government will set out further detail on its plans for reducing emissions from all sectors later this year. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK across traditional forms of media (print, radio, TV) and online. The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sister organisations to the ASA, are responsible for codifying the standards for advertising to the marketing industry as part of their UK Broadcast Advertising Code (‘BCAP Code’) and UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (‘CAP Code’), which include standards regarding environmental claims. The government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that buy now pay later schemes protect consumers from fraud.

This Government is continuing to work closely with industry, including payment service providers, to prevent fraud and we welcome the actions of the financial services industry to date.We committed in our manifesto to introduce an expanded Fraud Strategy. The new strategy will cover a range of harms including those committed through payment services. Development of this Strategy has begun, and we are engaging with stakeholders across law enforcement, industry, and civil society to identify new measures to better protect the public and businesses.However, work continues to ensure that the public are better equipped to spot and avoid frauds, through our Stop! Think Fraud campaign. Similarly, as of March 2025, the Online Safety Act’s illegal content duties are now enforceable by Ofcom. This has the potential to cut off key online channels by which criminals are able to identify and communicate with potential victims.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle fraud through buy now, pay later schemes.

This Government is continuing to work closely with industry, including payment service providers, to prevent fraud and we welcome the actions of the financial services industry to date.We committed in our manifesto to introduce an expanded Fraud Strategy. The new strategy will cover a range of harms including those committed through payment services. Development of this Strategy has begun, and we are engaging with stakeholders across law enforcement, industry, and civil society to identify new measures to better protect the public and businesses.However, work continues to ensure that the public are better equipped to spot and avoid frauds, through our Stop! Think Fraud campaign. Similarly, as of March 2025, the Online Safety Act’s illegal content duties are now enforceable by Ofcom. This has the potential to cut off key online channels by which criminals are able to identify and communicate with potential victims.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the ten year route to settlement to five years.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders, and we will set out our overall approach to reforming the immigration system in our upcoming white paper.

What steps he is taking to improve tuberculosis (a) screening, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment services for (i) people experiencing homelessness and (ii) asylum seekers.

The Department works collaboratively with Government departments, local authorities, and third-sector organisations to overcome barriers to healthcare access for people seeking asylum and those experiencing homelessness, ensuring they can access and receive necessary care.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) collects and publishes data on tuberculosis (TB). The UKHSA and NHS England’s joint TB Action Plan for England 2021 to 2026 outlines outcomes and indicators to achieve a 90% reduction in people with TB by 2035, which is aligned with the World Health Organization’s elimination targets.There are specific actions within the collaborative UKHSA and NHS England TB Action Plan 2021 to 2026 to strengthen the prevention and detection of active disease in groups at higher risk of TB, such as those experiencing homelessness and seeking asylum, through targeted screening and active engagement with local authorities, their public health teams, and the third sector.

Whether he is taking steps to increase the number of entry-level positions for newly qualified physiotherapists.

Decisions about the employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting migrants in employment from the Immigration Health Surcharge.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders, and we will set out our overall approach to reforming the immigration system in our upcoming white paper.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to direct the Circular Economy Taskforce to promote (a) repair and reuse and (b) other waste reduction measures.

This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. This Government is currently considering the actions that can be taken to promote repair and reuse and address the challenges associated with excessive consumption and waste reduction. Defra recognises the importance of assessing the impacts of high carbon advertising and the work of AdGreen in this space. As we develop our Circular Economy Strategy for England, we will consider the evidence for action from right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed. Sheffield Council has already introduced policy on this issue.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on whether the Circular Economy Taskforce plans to examine (a) excessive consumption and (b) high carbon advertising.

This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. This Government is currently considering the actions that can be taken to promote repair and reuse and address the challenges associated with excessive consumption and waste reduction. Defra recognises the importance of assessing the impacts of high carbon advertising and the work of AdGreen in this space. As we develop our Circular Economy Strategy for England, we will consider the evidence for action from right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed. Sheffield Council has already introduced policy on this issue.