Written questions by Sullivan.

What percentage of injuries that occurred in the workplace were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive 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 reportable occupational diseases, and certain 'dangerous occurrences' (incidents with the potential to cause harm). The purpose of RIDDOR is to inform the relevant enforcing authority (Health and Safety Executive (HSE), local authorities or other enforcing authorities) that a work-related accident or event has happened to enable an appropriate regulatory response where required. This is to ensure businesses maintain compliance with their duties and responsibilities under health and safety law. HSE does not investigate everything that is reported. When a RIDDOR report is received, each report is considered against HSE’s published Incident Selection Criteria to help determine what will be investigated. Consideration is also given to the seriousness of the incident and the level of risk, or potential risk, that exists along with any previous enforcement history of the duty holder. The following data is for RIDDOR reports received by the HSE relating to work-related fatalities, work related injuries (workers and non-workers) and over-7-day absences. YearRIDDOR reportsAccidents investigated% investigated2022/2359,9101,9493%2023/2461,8461,9563%

How many actions the Health and Safety Executive took against companies for failing to meet personal protective equipment legal standards in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

The requirement to provide suitable and sufficient personal protective equipment is addressed in different health and safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, The Personal Protection Equipment at Work Regulation 1992. Where breaches of health and safety legislation are identified, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will consider enforcement action in line with its Enforcement Policy Statement and Enforcement Management Model. Enforcement action includes verbal warnings, letters of Notification of Contravention, Enforcement Notices and prosecution. The data provided below is the number of enforcement notices served for breaches of the Personal Protection Equipment at Work Regulation 1992. Information on all enforcement taken by HSE relating to the provision of personal protective equipment is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.YearNotices served2022/23162023/2411

How many investigations the Health and Safety Executive undertook into companies for failing to meet personal protective equipment legal standards 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.

How many personal protective equipment products were tested against regulatory standards by the Office for Product Safety and Standards in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

Under UK law, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturers and importers are responsible for the compliance of PPE placed on the market. As an intelligence-led and risk-based national regulator, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) prioritises its regulatory activity, which includes product testing, border targeting, market surveillance, enforcement and advice, to best tackle non-compliance and protect consumers. Numbers of notifications to OPSS and published product safety alerts and reports for non-compliant PPE since 2021 are: YearPPE Product Safety Database notifications to OPSSPPE Product Safety Recalls or Reports published by OPSS2024-25671102023-24278942022-2382182021-223837 During targeted PPE testing conducted by OPSS between October 2021 and September 2022, 276 out of 315 products did not meet regulatory requirements.

How many personal protective equipment products tested by the Office for Product Safety and Standards failed regulatory standards in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

Under UK law, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturers and importers are responsible for the compliance of PPE placed on the market. As an intelligence-led and risk-based national regulator, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) prioritises its regulatory activity, which includes product testing, border targeting, market surveillance, enforcement and advice, to best tackle non-compliance and protect consumers. Numbers of notifications to OPSS and published product safety alerts and reports for non-compliant PPE since 2021 are: YearPPE Product Safety Database notifications to OPSSPPE Product Safety Recalls or Reports published by OPSS2024-25671102023-24278942022-2382182021-223837 During targeted PPE testing conducted by OPSS between October 2021 and September 2022, 276 out of 315 products did not meet regulatory requirements.

How many personal protective equipment products were tested by the Office for Product Safety and Standards in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

Under UK law, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturers and importers are responsible for the compliance of PPE placed on the market. As an intelligence-led and risk-based national regulator, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) prioritises its regulatory activity, which includes product testing, border targeting, market surveillance, enforcement and advice, to best tackle non-compliance and protect consumers. Numbers of notifications to OPSS and published product safety alerts and reports for non-compliant PPE since 2021 are: YearPPE Product Safety Database notifications to OPSSPPE Product Safety Recalls or Reports published by OPSS2024-25671102023-24278942022-2382182021-223837 During targeted PPE testing conducted by OPSS between October 2021 and September 2022, 276 out of 315 products did not meet regulatory requirements.

How many personal protective equipment products were reported to the Office for Product Safety and Standards in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

Under UK law, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturers and importers are responsible for the compliance of PPE placed on the market. As an intelligence-led and risk-based national regulator, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) prioritises its regulatory activity, which includes product testing, border targeting, market surveillance, enforcement and advice, to best tackle non-compliance and protect consumers. Numbers of notifications to OPSS and published product safety alerts and reports for non-compliant PPE since 2021 are: YearPPE Product Safety Database notifications to OPSSPPE Product Safety Recalls or Reports published by OPSS2024-25671102023-24278942022-2382182021-223837 During targeted PPE testing conducted by OPSS between October 2021 and September 2022, 276 out of 315 products did not meet regulatory requirements.

What percentage of fatalities that occurred in the workplace and were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive involved inadequate provision of personal protective equipment 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.

How many injuries 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 reportable occupational diseases, and certain 'dangerous occurrences' (incidents with the potential to cause harm). The purpose of RIDDOR is to inform the relevant enforcing authority (Health and Safety Executive (HSE), local authorities or other enforcing authorities) that a work-related accident or event has happened to enable an appropriate regulatory response where required. Not all injuries that occur in the workplace are ‘work-related’ and not all work-related injuries are reportable under RIDDOR. Only certain specified work-related injuries, injuries to member of the public where they are taken to hospital for treatment and injuries resulting in employees being absent from work for over 7 days are reportable. Therefore, RIDDOR only provides a partial picture of injuries occurring in the workplace.The following data is the number of RIDDOR reports relating to specified injuries to employees, work-related injuries to members of the public and over-7-day absences for HSE only i.e. it does not include injury reports notified to local authorities, the Office of Rail and Road or the Office of Nuclear Regulation who also regulate under RIDDOR. 2022/23 – 59,7742023/24 – 61,708 [Figures for 2024/25 have not been finalised yet.]

How many reports of inadequacy in the provision of personal protective equipment were received by the Health and Safety Executive in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

This data is not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

What percentage of fatalities that occurred in the workplace were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive 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). When reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) all fatalities undergo an initial triage investigation to determine whether the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 applies or not. An assessment is made to determine whether a full investigation is appropriate. Consideration is given to whether all reasonably practical precautions were taken, evidence is still available, the death was ‘work-related’ or it resulted from natural causes. Where appropriate, this will result in a full investigation by an Inspector. The table below only shows the number of RIDDOR reportable fatal injuries in HSE enforced premises and investigated by HSE. YearNo. RIDDOR reportable fatalities enforced by HSE2022/231562023/24166 (r)2024/25154 (p) Note:Figures for 2024/25 are provisional and are marked as 'p' in the tables. They will be finalised in July 2026 following any necessary adjustments. Figures for 2023/24 have been revised (finalised) and are marked as 'r' in the tables. Data on all fatalities in the workplace including for example, deaths from natural causes, is not available.

How many incidents of companies failing to provide adequate personal protective equipment to their employees were reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

This data is not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

What steps he is taking to help ensure the safety of Afghans living in the UK, in the context of the data breach relating to the Afghan relocations and assistance policy in 2022.

Anyone potentially affected by this data incident, and whose contact details are known by the Ministry of Defence, in the UK and elsewhere, has been notified and provided with security advice. The Government has taken appropriate actions in line with the level of risk, and the recent Rimmer Review concluded that it is unlikely that those impacted by the data incident are at an increased risk. Further information regarding the incident and the security advice can be found on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/data-incident-affecting-applicants-to-the-afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-scheme-and-afghanistan-locally-employed-staff-ex-gratia-scheme. More broadly, we continue to work closely with the Home Office, police, local authorities and partners to ensure that there is support and information available to keep all new Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) arrivals, including for those affected by the data incident, safe in the UK.

What assessment her Department has made of the availability of (a) safe, (b) secure and (c) good quality truck parking; and what plans her Department has to reopen the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme to new applicants.

The Department for Transport published the National Survey of Lorry Parking on 29th September 2022 which highlighted what improvements to lorry parking facilities were most needed. The survey showed an average shortage of around 4,500 HGV parking spaces for the month of March 2022 and identified driver concerns with the quality of welfare facilities and security of lorry parks. The Department and industry are significantly investing to upgrade truckstops across England. This is on top of up to £26 million joint investment by National Highways and industry in lorry parking facilities along the strategic roads network. Drivers are now seeing the improvements that the scheme has been able to support with more in development. 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. A decision on future funding for HGV parking is subject to further departmental business planning.

Whether he plans to coordinate the new Fair Work Agency with the Health and Safety Executive to enforce better-fit PPE standards.

We are creating the Fair Work Agency to deliver a much-needed upgrade to enforcement of employment rights.Its core function will be to enforce specific employment legislation, set out in Part 1 of Schedule 7 of the Employment Rights Bill.We have taken steps to ensure the Fair Work Agency can work closely with the Health and Safety Executive, including sharing information that is relevant to the Health and Safety Executive’s statutory role. This is provided for by Schedule 9 of the Employment Rights Bill.

What data his Department holds on the amount of theatre time provided to gynaecology in comparison to other specialties; and in what way this has changed since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The data requested is not held by the Department.

Whether he plans to review regulations and enforcement of PPE standards for sale through online marketplaces.

PPE must meet the essential health and safety requirements as set out in Regulation 2016/425, as assimilated into UK law. The Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 provide the enforcement framework for that Regulation.The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 allows us to update the product safety framework, including by explicitly recognising online marketplace businesses. We plan to consult on new requirements for online marketplaces to take steps to improve product safety on their sites. Product safety specific sector legislation, including the PPE legislation, will be reviewed in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle increasing levels of freight crime; and if she will meet with (a) the Road Haulage Association and (b) other relevant stakeholders to increase awareness of the danger of unsafe parking.

This Government understands the significant and damaging impact freight crime has on businesses and drivers and we are aware of worrying increases in its frequency.We work closely cross-Government to tackle the problem. The Minister for Police and Crime Prevention recently met with Rachel Taylor MP, and Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads at the Department for Transport (DfT) to discuss this very matter. Parking for HGVs is led by the Department of Transport. The DfT also hosts the Freight Council; this group regularly discusses crime against freight companies, and the Home Office works closely with DfT to engage with the sector on this issue through the Freight Council.There are strong links between freight crime and serious organised crime, which is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK and estimated to cost the economy at least £47 billion annually.This Government is committed to tackling serious and organised crime in all its forms. We work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, which has multiple thematic desks, including a vehicle crime intelligence desk which covers freight crime.We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and other invested stakeholders to change the unacceptable perception that freight crime is low risk and high reward and find solutions which will tackle it.

With reference to FOI2024/01172, whether she plans to review payment agreements made with businesses.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the government committed to an independent review of the Loan Charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers. The Government will respond by Autumn Budget 2025. During Oral Questions on 1 July 2025, Greg Smith MP referred to comments made by an external stakeholder that were shared under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. HMRC Officials do not recognise the allegation that HMRC agreed deals with large employers allowing them to settle disguised remuneration liabilities for less than was legally due.

If she will provide (a) support and (b) resources to schools to help them deliver the revised Relationships and sex education and health education guidance, published on 15 July 2025, in an (i) evidence-based and (ii) age-appropriate manner.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The statutory guidance is clear that schools are accountable for what they teach and should ensure that all relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) content is factual, age-appropriate and suitable for their pupils.The government has commissioned Oak National Academy (Oak) to make lesson materials freely available. Oak is an independent arm’s length body that provides free, optional and adaptable curriculum and teaching resources to schools. As part of its RSHE curriculum resources, Oak has recently published new online safety lessons, covering topics such as misogyny, the prevalence of deepfakes, and reporting unsuitable content, amongst many others. Oak will publish its full RSHE curriculum resources from autumn 2025.To further support teachers with taking on these important topics, we will be piloting a teacher training grant, starting early 2026.