Written questions by Sullivan.

What plans she has to enact Section 106 of the Equality Act 2010.

The Government is committed to commencing section 106 of the Equality Act 2010, requiring registered political parties to publish anonymised data relating to the diversity of their candidate selections in accordance with regulations.Office for Equality and Opportunity officials are currently exploring when and how to commence the provision under section 106.Careful consideration needs to be given to how it might be implemented, the necessary supporting regulations and whether any phasing might be needed in implementation.We will engage with stakeholders, including political parties, in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure freight drivers have adequate secure facilities for overnight and welfare stops.

Through the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme the Department for Transport and industry partners are projected to deliver up to £35.7m of joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. This significant investment is in addition to joint investment by National Highways and industry of up to a further £30 million, aimed at improving lorry parking facilities along the strategic road network. The scheme is supporting operators across 30 counties in England to improve driver facilities such as security measures, toilets, showers, refreshment facilities and increasing lorry parking spaces.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has investigated and reviewed licenses of arms components in the context of arms used by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided in the Urgent Question debate on this issue held on 15 December 2025.

What his proposed timeline is for introducing regulations for online retailing of Personal Protective Equipment under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025.

As required by Regulation 2016/425, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must meet essential health and safety requirements before being placed on the market, including online. The Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 provides the framework to enforce these regulations.We recognise the challenge of non-compliant products sold online. Government will consult on major reforms to the core product safety legislative framework in early 2026. This will include proposals to modernise and clarify responsibilities of online marketplaces using the powers in the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that UK-funded mine action and demining programmes include (a) child-focused victim assistance, (b) access to prosthetics, (c) physical rehabilitation, (d) psychosocial support, and (e) education for children injured by explosive weapons.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's main humanitarian mine action programme, the Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP), prioritises preventing casualties, increasing access to basic services, and improving livelihoods, including through targeted interventions that benefit children. Over half of GMAP's beneficiaries are children, which includes mine risk education to over 540,000 children since 2024. It does not provide direct victim assistance, as our assessment is that improving health systems through wider UK funded health programmes is a more effective and equitable way of helping all injured civilians. Where practicable, we do require GMAP's implementing partners to refer victims on for medical care and rehabilitation, and GMAP's work does enable access to medical support and facilities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will call for an end to the military detention of Palestinian children on the basis international juvenile justice standards.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 20 January to Question 907383.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of endometriosis healthcare services on the waiting times for receiving such services in the past year.

Reducing waiting lists, including for endometriosis and other gynaecological conditions, is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission. We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. As of the end of December 2025, the gynaecology waiting list stands at 577,232, with 57.3% of patient pathways waiting less than 18 weeks, an improvement of 1.9% since December 2024.We know there is more to do to improve access to endometriosis care and waiting times against the 18-week standard. We are expanding the number of dedicated and protected surgical hubs, of which gynaecology procedures are a key offering, and commissioning research focussed on endometriosis diagnosis, treatment, and pain. We are also introducing an “online hospital”, NHS Online, which from 2027 will provide additional appointments to cut waiting times for certain pathways. This includes people who are experiencing menstrual problems, a potential sign of endometriosis, who will be given the choice of receiving at least some of their specialist care from the convenience of their own home. Across all specialities, NHS Online will deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, four times more than an average trust.We are improving the standards of care for women with severe endometriosis by ensuring specialist endometriosis services have access to the most up-to-date evidence and advice on diagnosis and treatment. In 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved two new pills to treat endometriosis, Relugolix and Linzagolix. Both are estimated to help approximately 1,000 women with severe endometriosis.

What discussions on trading standards has the Office for Product Safety and Standards had with the British Safety Industry Federation on Personal Protective Equipment.

The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) regularly discuss Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) matters, including trading standards’ market surveillance of PPE. BSIF and OPSS engage through direct dialogue, BSIF’s attendance at OPSS’ business reference panels and other events, and OPSS attendance at BSIF’s PPE Test and Certification Bodies Group meetings.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that there is adequate lorry parking provision and welfare facilities for freight drivers.

Through the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme the Department for Transport and industry partners are projected to deliver up to £35.7m of joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. This investment is in addition to joint investment by National Highways and industry of up to a further £30 million, aimed at improving lorry parking facilities along the strategic road network. The scheme is supporting operators across 30 counties in England to improve driver facilities such as security measures, toilets, showers, refreshment facilities and increasing lorry parking spaces.

What progress he has made on reducing gynaecological waiting times in the last year.

We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients are treated within 18 weeks of referral to consultant-led care, including gynaecology, by March 2029. As of the end of December 2025, the waiting list for gynaecology services stood at 577,232. Of these patient pathways, 57.3% were waiting within 18 weeks. This an improvement from December 2024 where the waiting list for gynaecology services was 586,202, 55.4% of which were within 18 weeks.There is clearly more progress to be made. The Government will continue to develop innovative models of care in the community, including piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding, and increasing the relative funding available to incentivise providers to take on more gynaecology procedures.We are committed to expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide valuable and protected capacity across elective specialities, including gynaecology. Currently, over half of the 125 operational elective surgical hubs in England provide gynaecology services.We are also introducing an “online hospital”, NHS Online, which aims to provide additional appointments to cut waiting times. From 2027, people on certain pathways, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that may be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will have the choice of being referred to NHS Online to receive at least some of the specialist care they need from the convenience of their home.

If he will review the status of endometriosis as a possible condition for the NHS outcomes and registry programme.

The NHS England Outcomes and Registries Programme (ORP) was set up to collate device level information that is not easily accessible elsewhere, with the aim of improving patient safety and device recall procedures.There has recently been an expansion of this data platform to receive non-device-related data in exceptional circumstances, prioritising registry support to clinical services where there are gaps or existing data would otherwise be lost. As endometriosis can be identified through existing means, such as diagnostic coding, we have no plans to bring it in scope of the ORP at this time.

What information his Department holds on the weighting that Ofgem gives (a) social value, (b) domestic economic impact and (c) onshore manufacturing when allocating the first round of the cap and floor contracts.

Ofgem has published a Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework to determine which Long Duration Electricity Storage projects will be awarded a cap and floor regime. This framework examines each project across an economic, strategic and financial assessment. Ofgem will assess the impact of each project on the Socio-Economic Welfare of consumers, producers and the LDES asset owners themselves, alongside wider impacts on the GB electricity system and wider social and economic impacts. Ofgem plans to take an in-the-round approach of not setting weightings in advance between these assessments.

Whether there has been any uptake of BS30417 standards in Government procurement specifications.

The Government strongly supports the principle of provision of inclusive PPE. PPE should be suitable for all workers, including groups who may be disproportionately impacted by ill-fitting equipment. The British Standards Institution have been invited to present on BS30417 to officials working in construction procurements. Central government commercial teams have seen increased provision of inclusive PPE across our strategic suppliers, and on our major projects and programmes.

Whether he has had recent discussions with community groups on the implementation of the Local Power Plan.

My Department and Great British Energy have engaged extensively with the community energy sector in developing the Local Power Plan.I will shortly be making a statement to this House about the Local Power Plan which represents an unprecedented £1bn investment in community energy across our country.

Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Future funding of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme beyond March 2026 will be considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and Departmental business planning process. An announcement will be made once this decision is finalised.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions she has had with colleagues in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the long-term future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

All faith communities with listed buildings are still waiting for clarity from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on what will happen when the current scheme ends in March 2026. Over 200 MPs have raised concerns in the past year about the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. This uncertainty is already delaying essential repairs and community projects. In the Hon Lady for Bathgate and Linlithgow’s constituency, for example, St Michael’s Church is preparing major repairs to its roof and walls, which the Kirk anticipates costing £1.1 million.In my role as the Second Church Estates Commissioner, I met the Minister for Heritage just before Christmas and was assured that the Government will publish the evaluation report and provide an update on the future of the scheme soon. I continue to work closely with the Church Buildings Department of the Church Commissioners, other partners, and faith communities to ensure a sustainable long-term solution for our buildings. I also discussed with the Minister how historic churches serve as anchors of local identity and community life. Historic places of worship contribute an estimated £55 billion in social value, and the National Churches Trust has shown that every £1 invested in a church generates £16 in community benefit.While I am not responsible for churches in Scotland, I will write to the hon. Member for Bathgate and Linlithgow to introduce her to the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office, which can offer more tailored local advice and support.

If he will endorse the new BS30417 standard on PPE.

The Government strongly supports the principle of provision of inclusive personal protective equipment (PPE). While the Government does not routinely endorse individual standards, it may designate certain standards to confer a presumption of conformity for regulatory purposes, or sponsor fast-track standards such as PAS and FLEX to support specific policy objectives.BS 30417 is a guidance standard to help organisations procure inclusive and appropriate PPE. It does not set testing or design specifications and is not intended for designation under current product regulations.

How many fatalities occurred in the workplace in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) puts duties on employers and other people in charge of work premises to report and keep records of all work-related fatalities, work related injuries, diagnosed cases of re-portable occupational diseases, and certain 'dangerous occurrences' (incidents with the potential to cause harm). The table below shows the number of fatal injuries sustained in work-related accidents for both workers and members of the public in each of the last two financial years. Data for 2024/25 has not yet been finalised. YearNumber of worker deathsNumber of member of the public deaths2022/23136732023/2413886

How many checks of the adequacy of the provision of personal protective equipment were carried out by the Health and Safety Executive in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

What percentage of injuries that occurred in the workplace and were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive involved inadequate provision of personal protective equipment the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.