Written questions by Anderson.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that deaf people are not wrongly identified as lacking mental capacity due to communication barriers.

The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 already provides a legislative basis for providing interpreters, including British Sign Language interpreters, for people with specific communication needs. One of the foundational principles of the MCA is that individuals must be given all possible support to make, or participate in making, their own decisions. This includes taking "all practicable steps" to help them understand, weigh up information, and communicate their choice. Section 3.11 of the MCA Code of Practice provides detailed guidance on this.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will also launch a joint consultation with the Ministry of Justice on the Liberty Protection Safeguards in the first half of next year. This consultation will seek the views of those affected, including members of the deaf community and experts who work with deaf individuals. The responses from this consultation will be used to inform a final MCA Code of Practice which will be laid in Parliament.

How many deaf individuals have been wrongly assessed under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 as a result of communication barriers in the last 12 months.

The Department does not hold the requested data.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) staff training on support for and (b) support available to deaf residents in care homes.

The Government is taking steps to improve the quality of adult social care, which will include deaf people in care homes.The Department is committed to enhancing the skills of staff working in adult social care. To this end, the Department launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme in September 2024, providing funding for eligible care staff to complete training courses and qualifications. In April 2025, the Department also published the expanded and revised Care Workforce Pathway. The pathway guides workers in building their careers in adult social care by signposting training and development opportunities, highlighting routes for progression, and giving proper recognition to the highly skilled, complex care and support they provide.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to the access and provision of care and support for deaf people. The CQC also monitors, inspects, and regulates adult social care services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. For deaf individuals, this includes providing care that is responsive to their communication needs.

What data her Department holds on the number and proportion of (a) foreign and (b) UK nationals who were able to find jobs within (i) one, (ii) three and (iii) six months of starting Universal Credit in each of the last three years.

The requested information is not held and to produce it would incur disproportionate costs. Information on the number of people on UC by nationality including their employment status is published in DWP statistics here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statis-tics/universal-credit-statistics-29-april-2013-to-10-july-2025

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024-2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future. Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition. My Department has not run any internship schemes in the last year.

Communities and Local Government, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

RecruitmentAs set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, MHCLG are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition Going Forward into Employment (GFiE, pronounced gif-ee) accredits life chance recruitment pathways across government. GFiE pathways recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio-economic backgrounds, prison leavers, veterans, carers and care leavers. People recruited by GFiE develop skills, gain experience and build a career, contributing to the Opportunity Mission and to the wider economy.MHCLG participated last year in the Care Leavers GFiE scheme, offering work experience in government to those entitled to a leaving care package.In February 2025, MHCLG also gained accreditation to deliver Civil Service Masterclasses as a new life-chance pathway. This is a unique two-week face to face programme designed to support candidates aged 19+ from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The programme breaks down barriers and helps participants in a practical learning setting to develop skills and knowledge to access Civil Service roles at AO or EO level. The scheme is available to all departments and supporting bodies based in the Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester, and County Durham/Darlington areas.InternshipsIn this period, MHCLG participated in the following internship schemes with a focus on increasing representation of under-represented groups: The Autism Exchange Internship Programme, recruited by Cabinet Office in partnership with Ambitious about Autism, which aims to support young autistic people by providing work experience opportunities that help prepare them to enter the workplace. Change 100, recruited by Leonard Cheshire, which offers professional development and mentoring for talented students and graduates with a disability or long-term condition. The Summer Internship Programme, recruited by Cabinet Office, which provides work placements for individuals in their final two years at university.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024-2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition.Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) accredits life chance recruitment pathways across government. GFiE pathways recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio-economic backgrounds, prison leavers, veterans, carers and care leavers.People recruited by GFiE develop skills, gain experience and build a career, contributing to the Opportunity Mission and to the wider economy.Over the past year, the Ministry of Justice has delivered targeted recruitment initiatives to support underrepresented groups through our Life Chance Pathways. These schemes are:Going Forward into Employment scheme and the Probation Employment Pathway, which provide opportunities for prison leavers and individuals with convictions;Going Forward into Employment Care Leavers pathway, designed for care-experienced individuals; andAdvance into Justice programme, which supports service leavers and veterans.These pathways provide tailored support and fair access to employment opportunities across the Department for individuals who face barriers to work.In addition, the Ministry of Justice participates in the Civil Service Care Leaver Internship Scheme (‘Launch’), a cross-Government initiative led by the Department for Education. This scheme provides 18-month Administrative Officer (AO) or Executive Officer (EO) internships to help young care-experienced individuals gain valuable work experience and progress into employment.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future. Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition. Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) accredits life chance recruitment pathways across government. GFiE pathways recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio-economic backgrounds, prison leavers, veterans, carers and care leavers.People recruited by GFiE develop skills, gain experience and build a career, contributing to the Opportunity Mission and to the wider economy.The Cabinet Office participates in the Great Place to Work for Veterans scheme which offers a guaranteed interview if a veteran meets the minimum criteria for the role. The department also welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction for specific offences. In the last year, the Cabinet Office has participated in internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce. These were: Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme (Cabinet Office runs on behalf of the whole Civil Service)Care Leavers Programme (Run by Department for Education)Career ready workplace scheme (Run by Cabinet Office Glasgow colleagues)Cabinet Office/Barnardos internship partnership (Run by Cabinet Office Glasgow colleagues)

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future. Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition. The Ministry of Defence is committed to reviewing and improving its recruitment model to ensure we are attracting a skilled and diverse workforce. This includes supporting central Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) pathways, which focus on recruitment from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio-economic backgrounds, prison leavers, Veterans, carers and care leavers. and. We are also committed to supporting schemes such as a Great Place to Work for Veterans and the cross-Government Summer Internship Programme.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

HMT has not run any recruitment or internship schemes specifically aimed at increasing the number of people from underrepresented groups. HMT has participated in some cross-government internship schemes such as the Cabinet Office run Summer Intern Placement (SIP), Autism Exchange Internship Placement and the Department of Work and Pensions’ Movement to Work Scheme.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has not run recruitment or internship schemes with the sole focus of increasing the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year. However, we have offered a range of recruitment and internship schemes designed to attract and develop talent.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, published under the previous government, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, DESNZ are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero recruitment must follow the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 legislation, which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition. Whilst recruitment into DESNZ does not focus solely on underrepresented groups we want to ensure all groups feel supported during the recruitment process and see DESNZ as an employer of choice. As part of our recruitment process, we: Run the Disability Confident Scheme and are a Disability Confident LeaderAnonymise applications (including removing the name of educational institutions)Run attraction events targeted at underrepresented groups (ethnic minorities, women and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds) DESNZ has run or supported the following programmes aimed at supporting underrepresented groups in the workforce in the past year: Autism Exchange Internship Programme - supporting young autistic people to gain meaningful work experience in the Civil Service.Care Leavers Programme - a programme run by Department for Education and a GFiE accredited programme, is an internship designed to improve outcomes for young people who have spent time in care.Change 100 Summer Internship Programme - a collaboration with the charity Leonard Cheshire to provide an internship for disabled students and graduates.upReach Summer Internship Programme - a collaboration with the charity upReach to offer an internship for university students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.Release on temporary licence programme (ROTL) - a programme that supports individuals who are eligible to be released from prison on temporary licence to work.Summer Internship Programme - the new revised programme for 2026 will support individuals in their final 2 years from a lower socio-economic backgrounds into placements in the Department, which aims to build a diverse pipeline into Fast Stream.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

(a) As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024-2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future. Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition. Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) accredits life chance recruitment pathways across government. GFiE pathways recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio- economic backgrounds, prison leavers, veterans, carers and care leavers. People recruited by GFiE develop skills, gain experience and build a career.The Northern Ireland Office has not run a GFiE accredited scheme in the last year. (b) The Northern Ireland Office has not recruited for any internship schemes in the last year.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

All staff that join the Scotland Office, do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other Government bodies, principally the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government, who remain the employers. As such, the Scotland Office actively participates with the employers in any recruitment and internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce.In the past year, the Scotland Office has participated in the Civil Service Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme.

Media and Sport, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition.Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) accredits life chance recruitment pathways across government. GFiE pathways recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio- economic backgrounds, prison leavers, veterans, carers and care leavers. People recruited by GFiE develop skills, gain experience and build a career, contributing to the Opportunity Mission and to the wider economy.In the last year, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport participated in the Care Leavers Internship Pathway.In relation to internships in the last year, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport participated in the Civil Service Summer Internship Programme and the Autism Exchange Internship Programme.

Innovation and Technology, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

In the past year, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has actively supported and hosted two internship schemes.DSIT welcomed 35 interns through the Summer Internship Programme (SIP) and 17 candidates via the Autism Exchange Internship Programme (AEIP). These schemes are specifically designed to provide work experience to individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those who are neurodivergent, from ethnic minority communities or from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.Several of our interns were also offered extended placements following their initial internships, reflecting our department’s commitment to providing long term development opportunities. Additionally, all our SIP interns were paired with DSIT Fast Streamers who mentored them throughout their placements, supporting their growth and guiding them through the Fast Pass process into the Civil Service Fast Stream.The AEIP, delivered in partnership with Ambitious about Autism, has always been a cornerstone of DSIT’s inclusive internship offer. The 2025 cohort were provided with tailored onboarding and workplace adjustments support, including communication guidance for line managers to ensure a positive and accessible experience.These programmes reflect DSIT’s ongoing efforts to foster a more inclusive workforce and to create pathways into government careers for individuals who may face systemic barriers to employment. The department remains committed to exploring and implementing alternative entry routes that continue to prioritise diversity and inclusion.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

All Civil Service departments work within the Recruitment Principles, as regulated by the Civil Service Commission, to recruit using a fair and open process and appoint on merit.As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds, to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.The Home Office have run Internship schemes aimed at increasing representation of underrepresented groups within the Home Office workforce in the last year:Summer Internship Programme (SIP): placements for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.Autism Exchange Internship Programme (AEIP): internships for neurodivergent candidates.Care Leaver Internship Scheme: paid internships for care leavers.The Home Office also support Government Employment Programs that utilse an exception within the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. This allows departments to appoint individuals temporarily for up to two years, providing fixed-term Civil Service roles for those whose circumstances and previous life chances make it difficult to compete for appointments on merit, and on the basis of fair and open competition, without further work experience and/or training opportunities. The programs the Home Office have employed over the last 12 months are:Pathway to Employment Social Mobility Programme: fixed term appointment of individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds.Pathway for Autistic People: fixed term appointment of individuals with autism.Civil Service Master Class: fixed term appointment of individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds.Stepping into Communications: an internship pathway for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

The Civil Service People Plan 2024–2027 commits to attracting and retaining diverse talent. Recruitment follows the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, ensuring fair and open competition based on merit.Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) supports inclusive recruitment pathways, welcoming individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds, and other categories. GFiE helps participants gain skills, experience, and career opportunities.From October 2024 to October 2025, the Department supported the Autism Exchange Internship Programme, offering eight placements.The Department guarantees interviews for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria under the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future. Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition. DWP offers several schemes to support disadvantaged groups to gain valuable work experience and employment opportunities. Most schemes offer fixed-term employment under Exception 2 of the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. Some also allow for conversion to permanency after 12 months under Exception 10 of the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.