Written questions by Osborne.

What steps are being taken to address reports of homophobic bullying and exclusionary cultures in school and youth rugby.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Media and Sport, how does the Government plan to support the development of inclusive frameworks that respect both participation rights and competitive fairness for the LGBTQ+ community in rugby union.

Sport must be open to everyone. There is absolutely no place for homophobia, or discrimination of any kind, in sport or society.The Government expects sports bodies, including rugby governing bodies, to take robust action to tackle discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. The Government will continue to work with National Governing Bodies and sector organisations to fight all forms of discrimination at all levels of sport.Through the Sports Council’s Equality Group, UK Sport and Sport England provide guidance on transgender inclusion in domestic sport to our National Governing Bodies. It makes clear that inclusion, fairness, and safety cannot always be balanced in gender-affected sport.Under the UK Sport and Sport England Code for Sports Governance, National Governing Bodies at Tier 3 are required to publish and maintain a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to receive public funding. This framework serves as the accountability mechanism to demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Media and Sport, what engagement the Government Equalities Office has had with rugby governing bodies regarding their inclusion policies for transgender and non-binary players.

Sport must be open to everyone. There is absolutely no place for homophobia, or discrimination of any kind, in sport or society.The Government expects sports bodies, including rugby governing bodies, to take robust action to tackle discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. The Government will continue to work with National Governing Bodies and sector organisations to fight all forms of discrimination at all levels of sport.Through the Sports Council’s Equality Group, UK Sport and Sport England provide guidance on transgender inclusion in domestic sport to our National Governing Bodies. It makes clear that inclusion, fairness, and safety cannot always be balanced in gender-affected sport.Under the UK Sport and Sport England Code for Sports Governance, National Governing Bodies at Tier 3 are required to publish and maintain a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to receive public funding. This framework serves as the accountability mechanism to demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Whether he has made an estimate of the potential cost to the NHS from Earned Settlement proposals.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects, including immigration policy.The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on public service exemptions for Earned Settlement proposals.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects, including immigration policy.The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's draft Code of Practice on services, public functions and associations.

The EHRC revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following its consultation after the UK Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland, and submitted it to Government. The Government is considering the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, I will lay it before Parliament. Parliament will then have a 40 day period to consider the draft Code.

Pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2026 to UIN 111208, whether tobacco duty increases since October 2024 and the application of the RPI+2% tobacco duty escalator will preserve the retail price differential between tobacco products and vaping products without the £2.20 one-off increase due to take effect on 1 October 2026.

To discourage non-smokers and young people from taking up vaping, and to raise revenue, the government is introducing Vaping Products Duty with effect from 1 October 2026. This will be accompanied by an equivalent one-off increase in Tobacco Duty, to preserve the price differential and maintain the financial incentive for existing smokers to switch from tobacco to vaping. Further information can be found in the Tax Information and Impact Note published at Budget which can be found here:Changes to tobacco duty rates from 26 November 2025 and 1 October 2026 - GOV.UK

Pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2026 to UIN 111207, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of applying the £2.20 one-off tobacco duty increase in addition to the RPI+2% escalator on CPI inflation.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) are responsible for estimating the impact of Government policies on inflation. The OBR did not include an assessment of the contribution of tobacco excise duty including the one-off increase to inflation in the November 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Football Supporters Association regarding proposed changes to the Women’s FA Cup.

The Football Association (the national governing body for football) is independent of the Government and independently determines how they organise their competitions.Karen Carney’s 2023 Independent Review of Women’s Football made a series of recommendations for key stakeholders in the game to take forward which included a recommendation that the FA make a clear commitment to equalising FA Cup prize money as soon as is feasible. Following the review, the Minister for Sport has convened the Women’s Football Taskforce with industry stakeholders including the FA and Football Supporters’ Association, to drive forward the recommendations of Karen Carney’s review.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the FA regarding proposed changes to the Women’s FA Cup.

The Football Association (the national governing body for football) is independent of the Government and independently determines how they organise their competitions.Karen Carney’s 2023 Independent Review of Women’s Football made a series of recommendations for key stakeholders in the game to take forward which included a recommendation that the FA make a clear commitment to equalising FA Cup prize money as soon as is feasible. Following the review, the Minister for Sport has convened the Women’s Football Taskforce with industry stakeholders including the FA and Football Supporters’ Association, to drive forward the recommendations of Karen Carney’s review.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to the Women’s FA Cup on (a) domestic women’s leagues, (b) player welfare and (c) fans.

The Football Association (the national governing body for football) is independent of the Government and independently determines how they organise their competitions.Karen Carney’s 2023 Independent Review of Women’s Football made a series of recommendations for key stakeholders in the game to take forward which included a recommendation that the FA make a clear commitment to equalising FA Cup prize money as soon as is feasible. Following the review, the Minister for Sport has convened the Women’s Football Taskforce with industry stakeholders including the FA and Football Supporters’ Association, to drive forward the recommendations of Karen Carney’s review.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s assessment of the impact of tobacco prices on CPI inflation in December 2025 on her (a) plan to apply an uprating of RPI+2% and a one-off tobacco duty increase on 1 October 2026 and (b) other tobacco duty policies.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government renewed the commitment to a tobacco duty escalator, which increases duty by 2 per cent above RPI inflation at each Budget, until the end of the current Parliament. Budget 2025 announced tobacco duty will rise in line with the escalator as well as an additional one-off increase alongside the introduction of Vaping Duty on 1 October 2026. This is to preserve the price differential between vaping and tobacco products to maintain the incentive to choose vaping over smoking. A Tax Information and Impact Note setting out the expected impacts was published at Budget and can be found here: Changes to tobacco duty rates from 26 November 2025 and 1 October 2026 - GOV.UK The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) are responsible for estimating the impact of Government policies on inflation. The OBR did not include an assessment of the contribution of tobacco excise duty to inflation in the November 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of applying only one of the (a) RPI-linked uprating and (b) one-off tobacco duty increase scheduled to take effect from 1 October 2026 on inflation.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government renewed the commitment to a tobacco duty escalator, which increases duty by 2 per cent above RPI inflation at each Budget, until the end of the current Parliament. Budget 2025 announced tobacco duty will rise in line with the escalator as well as an additional one-off increase alongside the introduction of Vaping Duty on 1 October 2026. This is to preserve the price differential between vaping and tobacco products to maintain the incentive to choose vaping over smoking. A Tax Information and Impact Note setting out the expected impacts was published at Budget and can be found here: Changes to tobacco duty rates from 26 November 2025 and 1 October 2026 - GOV.UK The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) are responsible for estimating the impact of Government policies on inflation. The OBR did not include an assessment of the contribution of tobacco excise duty to inflation in the November 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

Whether her Department plans to respond to the submission by the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights to her and to parliamentary committees on the human rights situation of trans people in the UK; and what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that the (a) principles and (b) practicalities of the human rights of trans people are protected.

This Government supports dignity and respect for everyone. We are clear that there are laws in place to protect trans people from discrimination and harassment, and we proudly uphold a robust legislative framework, including the Gender Recognition Act and the Equality Act. We are considering the letter sent by the Commissioner, and we will follow up with his office on the points raised.

What assessment has he made of the adequacy of the availability of ear wax removal services in community and primary care settings.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes the arrangement of services for ear wax removal.ICBs are responsible for commissioning ear wax removal services in line with the recommendations for ear wax removal as set out in guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng98/chapter/RecommendationsManual ear syringing is no longer advised by the NICE, due to the risks associated with it, such as trauma to their ear drum or infection, so general practitioners (GPs) will often recommend home treatment remedies to alleviate ear wax build-up.However, in line with NICE guidance, a person may require ear wax removal treatment if the build-up of earwax is linked with hearing loss. A GP could then consider referring the patient into audiology services, which ICBs are responsible for commissioning.When ICBs exercise their functions, including commissioning healthcare services such as ear wax removal, they have a duty to reduce inequalities between people with respect to their ability to access health services, and to reduce inequalities between patients with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025, on costs of litigation to local authorities.

We have not yet made an assessment of the cost and impact on local authorities of implementing the proposed updates to the Equality and Human Rights Commission Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, which is still open for consultation.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the potential costs of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025, to local authority-run buildings.

We have not yet made an assessment of the cost and impact on local authorities of implementing the proposed updates to the Equality and Human Rights Commission Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, which is still open for consultation.

What recent estimate he has made of the legal costs of implementing the EHRC’s proposed Code of Practise for GPs.

No assessment has been made of the cost, including any associated legal costs, of implementing the Code of Practice. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on text for an updated statutory Code of Practice. The English language version closes on 30 June. The Welsh language survey closes on 15 July.The Supreme Court’s ruling gives clarity to service providers, and we expect all providers to follow the clarity it provides.

What recent estimate he has made of the legal costs of implementing the EHRC’s proposed Code of Practise for Primary Care Networks.

No assessment has been made of the cost, including any associated legal costs, of implementing the Code of Practice. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on text for an updated statutory Code of Practice. The English language version closes on 30 June. The Welsh language survey closes on 15 July.The Supreme Court’s ruling gives clarity to service providers, and we expect all providers to follow the clarity it provides.

What estimate he has made of the potential cost of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025, in context of the provision of single-sex spaces in healthcare settings.

No assessment has been made of the cost, including any associated legal costs, of implementing the Code of Practice. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on text for an updated statutory Code of Practice. The English language version closes on 30 June. The Welsh language survey closes on 15 July.The Supreme Court’s ruling gives clarity to service providers, and we expect all providers to follow the clarity it provides.