Written questions by Kyrke-Smith.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the national spinal cord injury database.

The effectiveness of the National Spinal Cord Injury Database (NSCID) is kept under review and is subject to small incremental improvements to reflect changes to spinal cord injury services, and to maintain compliance with legislation. NHS England has been working with spinal cord injury charities to provide them with data within the parameters of information governance, UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), data security, and data protection legislation, and data sharing agreements are in place.Plans to enable patients to connect with charities are in development, which will require working in close collaboration with clinicians who will discuss the option of connecting the patient with a charity at the appropriate moment in their treatment pathway. NHS England has processes in place which enable stakeholders to request access to data held in the NSCID. These processes are compliant with existing information governance, UK GDPR, data protection, and data security legislation and policies. Each request for access to data is assessed in accordance with legislation and accompanying policies.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing access to the national spinal cord injury database to (a) charities and (b) other stakeholders.

The effectiveness of the National Spinal Cord Injury Database (NSCID) is kept under review and is subject to small incremental improvements to reflect changes to spinal cord injury services, and to maintain compliance with legislation. NHS England has been working with spinal cord injury charities to provide them with data within the parameters of information governance, UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), data security, and data protection legislation, and data sharing agreements are in place.Plans to enable patients to connect with charities are in development, which will require working in close collaboration with clinicians who will discuss the option of connecting the patient with a charity at the appropriate moment in their treatment pathway. NHS England has processes in place which enable stakeholders to request access to data held in the NSCID. These processes are compliant with existing information governance, UK GDPR, data protection, and data security legislation and policies. Each request for access to data is assessed in accordance with legislation and accompanying policies.

What steps she is taking to support the integration of refugees.

The Government is committed to ensuring that refugees can integrate in the UK. The Immigration White Paper introduced reforms designed to improve integration and community cohesion. Further details will be set out in due course.Ministers across Government, including MHCLG, DWP and DfE, are working closely together to improve outcomes for refugees, the economy and society as a whole.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including essential safeguarding aspects of the law in the curriculum.

Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) has a vital role to play in supporting pupils’ wellbeing, health and safety. Pupils are taught a range of topics in relation to safeguarding, and guidance sets out that they should be made aware of the relevant legal provisions when relevant topics are being taught.The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence.

What discussions she has had with her international counterparts on preventing violence against women and girls.

The Government has set an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.The cross-government violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on this ambition, informed by the best available evidence, including from other countries.As part of our evidence-gathering, we have engaged extensively with a wide range of international partners and stakeholders to share perspectives and learning regarding the prevention of VAWG. We have also engaged with countries that look to the UK to understand and observe effective practices that we implement to prevent VAWG.

Whether her Department plans to respond to findings of the consultation on Managing Pavement Parking which closed on 22 November 2020; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of granting local authorities outside London more enforcement powers to manage pavement parking.

The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. As soon as the Government has decided its preferred way forward, we will announce the next steps and publish our formal response.  In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to restrict and enforce pavement parking.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of funding available for Music Hubs.

The government has committed £79 million per year for the Music Hubs programme, inclusive of the 2024/25 academic year. The 43 Music Hubs partnerships across England offer a range of services, including musical instrument tuition, instrument loaning and whole-class ensemble teaching. To widen access to musical instruments, the government is investing £25 million in capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology from the 2024/25 academic year. This funding enables Music Hubs partnerships to better cater to the needs of the children and young people they work with.The government believes creative subjects like music, art and drama are important elements of the rounded and enriching education every child deserves. Future programme budgets will be considered as part of the spending review and subsequent business planning process.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of his Department's consultation on The licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, published on 2 September 2023.

The Government is committed to taking action to address longstanding concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector and is exploring options for further regulation in this area. This includes considering the proposals that the Department previously consulted on for the introduction of a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England. We will set out the details of our approach at the earliest opportunity.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring all (a) teachers and (b) support staff in SEND settings receive training on dysphagia.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Some children with medical conditions may be considered to be disabled under the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010. Where this is the case, governing bodies must comply with their duties under that Act.Governing bodies should ensure that all schools develop a policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions that is reviewed regularly and is readily accessible to parents and school staff. They must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and should ensure that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented.

What recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of incidents relating to dysphagia in SEND settings; and what steps she is taking to manage dysphagia safely in those settings.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Some children with medical conditions may be considered to be disabled under the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010. Where this is the case, governing bodies must comply with their duties under that Act.Governing bodies should ensure that all schools develop a policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions that is reviewed regularly and is readily accessible to parents and school staff. They must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and should ensure that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on tackling irregular migration to the UK.

The Foreign Secretary has made migration a top Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office priority. On 31 January, the Foreign Secretary travelled to Tunisia to see UK programming addressing the upstream drivers of migration. On 15 February, the Foreign Secretary met key European partners at the Munich Security Conference to discuss how to use sanctions to tackle people smuggling and Organised Immigration Crime.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes made to her Department's guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 10 February 2025, on (a) refugees already granted indefinite leave to remain and (b) the integration of people with refugee status.

The previous government's Illegal Migration Act introduced a statutory ban on granting citizenship to anyone who has arrived in the country through irregular routes, a measure that proved completely unworkable, contained minimal discretion to recognise exceptional circumstances, and was never properly implemented. That measure is being repealed, and replaced with clearer rules in the caseworker guidance, including provision to exercise discretion where appropriate.For many generations refugees who have arrived on resettlement and who have settled in the UK have been able to apply for British citizenship if they meet the conditions, and that continues to be the case. The UK must always do its bit to support those fleeing persecution. But we are also clear that we must also do all we can to prevent people making dangerous small boat crossings, risking their lives in the arms of criminal gangs.This government is absolutely committed to fostering and supporting integration; that will be an important area of focus for the White Paper currently under development.

What steps he is taking to provide military support to Ukraine.

As we approach the third anniversary of this unprovoked attack, our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people is absolute. This year the UK will give more military support to Ukraine than ever before, with a £4.5 billion boost. This will see the UK procure hundreds more air defence systems, drones and essential equipment support to sustain Ukrainian forces on the front line. This week the Secretary of State will host the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, galvanising international support to Ukraine.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help support grassroots football.

The Government is investing £123 million this year to deliver pitches for grassroots football across the UK.Alongside this, Sport England has a Movement Fund, which offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to support grassroots sport, including f...

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2024 to Question 8936 on Religion: Education, whether locally agreed syllabuses on religious education must also take into account the teaching and practices of (a) humanism

Following the ruling in the Bowen vs Kent County Council case, the department published additional guidance for local authorities regarding the membership of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (SACREs). The guidance sets out the department...

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2024 to Question 8936 on Religion: Education and with reference to her Department's Guidance for local authorities about membership of Standing Advisory Councils for Religio

Following the ruling in the Bowen vs Kent County Council case, the department published additional guidance for local authorities regarding the membership of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (SACREs). The guidance sets out the department...

What steps her Department is taking to ensure decisions on whether to grant Indefinite Leave to Remain under Appendix VDA are made (a) correctly and (b) with reference to appropriate evidence.

All applications are decided by a dedicated and specialised casework team in accordance with Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse which sets out the requirements to be met to qualify for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) where a relevant relationship h...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of Official Development Assistance is spent on (a) fragile and (b) conflict-affected states.

In 2023, 64 per cent (£1.4 billion) of the of the UK's country-specific bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) was of scored to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) 2022 States of Fragility which provides a list fra...

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2024 to Question 9543 on Housing: Construction, what steps her Department is taking to encourage the fitting of solar panels on new homes and

The Government’s approach to building regulations remains technology-neutral, to ensure housebuilders have the flexibility to choose the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions for their site. However, we appreciate the benefits of solar panels, inc...

Whether her Department has carried out research into the impact of AI in education settings on children's wellbeing.

Artificial intelligence (AI) represents an opportunity to give our schools’ leaders and teachers a helping hand with classroom life, but only if the technology is safe and reliable and risks are managed appropriately.The department has undertaken a range ...