Written questions by Anderson.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will publish a list of projects focusing on improving equality, diversity and inclusion abroad that have received UK (a) foreign aid and (b) international development funding in the last two years.

Data on Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend is available in the Statistics on International Development publications, which are available for 2023 and provisionally for 2024. Data is available broken down by sector for the 2023 publication, including social sector spending on health and education, and humanitarian aid.Further information on specific programmes, including those with a specific focus on equalities, can be found on GOV.UK's Development Tracker.

In what region Afghans resettled through the Afghanistan Response Route have been located.

The regular quarterly Immigration System Statistics provide details on how many individuals have been resettled to the UK broken down by resettlement route, region and local authority area. The number of people resettled under the Afghanistan Resettlement Programme (which includes consolidated data on the ‘Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy,’ ‘Afghan Citizens Relocation Scheme’ and ‘Afghan Response Route’) can be accessed at tab ‘Reg_D02’ of the following table: Regional and local authority data on immigration groups, year ending June 2025.

Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to reduce animal testing in the UK.

I refer the hon. Member for Ashfield to the answer of 12th May 2025 to Question 49421.

Media and Sport, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

We do not collect data on the number of workdays that were completed remotely.Our London headquarters office occupancy is monitored via anonymised entry pass swipe data and is published on gov.uk on a monthly basis starting October 2024, and to date is as follows:Oct-24Nov-24Dec-24Jan-25Feb-25Mar-25Apr-25May-25Jun-2573%71%59%76%78%71%69%72%62%

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to review his Department's policies on distributing foreign aid to Afghanistan.

We are working through detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29. We plan to publish indicative allocations for the next three years in the coming months. This will provide the predictability our teams need to effectively manage the transition to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI).UK aid to Afghanistan is subject to strict monitoring and verification to ensure it is only used to help those in need. All funding is provided directly to implementing partners who are highly experienced at delivering in difficult circumstances. We do not give aid to the Taliban.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to review his Department's policies on distributing foreign aid to Pakistan.

We continuously examine all levers at our disposal to deliver for UK interests overseas, including foreign aid. We are currently reviewing allocations to all countries as part of the UK Government's move to reduce aid spending to 0.3 per cent of gross national income by 2027. Pakistan is an indispensable partner in keeping the UK safe from terror threats and organised crime, and some of the technical assistance we provide through UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) is integral to these efforts.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria his Department uses when selecting recipients for international climate finance.

International Climate Finance is spent in countries according to their vulnerability to climate change, ability to fund their own adaptation, and high emissions or high future emissions pathways where climate mitigation, poverty reduction, and development co-benefits potential are greatest.

How many people will become eligible for indefinite leave to remain in the next five years.

Eligibility for indefinite leave to remain is assessed upon application, by individual caseworkers, and as such, there are no fixed estimates of the number of individuals who will become eligible at any point.

What information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

The Home Office operates in over 250 different workplaces across the UK as well as having a large number of mobile teams working in other locations.Heads of Department have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Office occupancy data for the period July - September has been published, with further publications to happen on a quarterly basis. The data is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on responding to non-binding rulings of the United Nations International Court of Justice where they relate to the UK.

While not legally binding, rulings such as the International Court of Justice's advisory opinions carry significant weight and are likely to be highly influential on any subsequent court or tribunal considering the same issues, so the UK will take them into account when formulating relevant policies.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure women’s shelters are in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

Duty bearers must follow the law and should take appropriate specialist legal advice where necessary.The EHRC has submitted the draft updated Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations to the Minister for Women and Equalities. This will provide guidance to service providers, including those who run women's shelters.The Government will consider the draft updated Code and, if the Minister approves it, lay it before Parliament.

Innovation and Technology, what recent conversations he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the introduction of a universal digital ID card.

The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.We are looking at whether a new digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration, transform public services, and bring benefits to people’s everyday lives. No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to introduce a universal digital ID card.

The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.We are looking at whether a new digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration, transform public services, and bring benefits to people’s everyday lives. No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.

Innovation and Technology, if he will hold a consultation on the introduction of a digital ID system; and if she will publish the results.

The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.We are looking at whether a new digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration, transform public services, and bring benefits to people’s everyday lives. No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.

If he will undertake a review of the adequacy of targets based on the staging of solid tumours for the early diagnosis of blood cancers in patients.

The Department continues to support the National Health Service to diagnose and treat cancer as early and fast as possible. There have been improvements in the prognosis of blood cancer patients, with patients now living twice as long. However, we recognise that because of the damaged NHS this Government inherited, patients with cancers with non-specific symptoms such as blood cancer, are waiting too long for diagnosis and subsequent treatment.There are no current plans to introduce a specific proxy staging measure or a corresponding national target to support the earlier diagnosis of blood cancers. However, the Department will continue to engage with blood cancer charities and key stakeholders to determine how to support the best outcomes for blood cancer patients.At this time no current assessment has been made on the potential merits of a proxy measure for early diagnosis in unstageable blood cancers. However, we remain committed to making improvements across different cancer types and reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the NHS’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities. The NHS currently track early diagnosis in stageable blood cancers by combining the percentage of diagnoses within stage 1 or 2, as it would for any other stageable cancer.Furthermore, to tackle late, emergency setting diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. There are currently 115 NSS services operating in England with blood cancers being one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS), through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services, collects information on how many people in England have cancer. Blood cancer is included as a distinct category, labelled haematological neoplasms. The NDRS website also shows the number of people treated for different tumour types by treatment type, as well as survival rates, mortality rates, and data on urgent suspected cancer referrals. Further information is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/data/data-outputs/cancer-data-hubThe National Cancer Plan will include further details on improving outcomes for cancer patients in England, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment. It will ensure patients, including those with blood cancer, have timely access to the latest treatments and technology.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) education about and (b) awareness of endometriosis.

The Government recognises the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.On 15 July, the Department for Education published the revised Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance, which stipulates that secondary school RSHE lessons should cover menstrual and gynaecological health, covering aspects such as what is an average period, conditions including endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, and when to seek help from healthcare professionals. This revised guidance emphasises the importance of ensuring that pupils have a comprehensive understanding of women’s health topics.The General Medical Council has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content map for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health, including menstrual problems, endometriosis, menopause, and urinary incontinence. This will encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK.Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for trainee general practitioners, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists. In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated their guideline on endometriosis which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with a suspected diagnosis, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73)www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Office for National Statistics’ dataset entitled Business demography quarterly, UK Quarter 2 April to June 2025 edition, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of (a) agriculture, (b) forestry and (c) fishing business closures on the supply of food.

The Government assesses a whole variety of factors that affect UK food supply using readily available data. Two examples include: the Production to Supply ratio last updated in July 2025 (found here Chapter 14: The food chain - GOV.UK) and analysis of the UK’s Seafood Consumption (found here Seafood Consumption 2025 — Seafish and published annually).

Food and Rural Affairs, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

The Department does not hold data or information centrally on the number of workdays completed by staff remotely.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ban foreign supertrawlers from UK waters.

The UK is committed to protecting our marine environment and ensuring sustainable fisheries. We are taking action through Marine Protected Area management and Fisheries Management Plans, which apply to all vessels in UK waters. Any policy changes must be evidence-based and consistent with our international obligations, including the non-discrimination provisions of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. We continue to monitor fishing activity closely and will act where there is evidence of harm or non-compliance.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Office for National Statistics’ dataset entitled Business demography quarterly, UK Quarter 2 April to June 2025 edition, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of (a) agriculture, (b) forestry and (c) fishing business closures since 2017.

Defra is aware of the Office for National Statistics' quarterly business openings and closures data. There are many factors unrelated to government policy that might explain why businesses would be shown as "closing" in the data source, including purely statistical factors. Defra monitors data on the number of farm businesses registered with Defra for England published here Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June - GOV.UK. This Government is committed to supporting economic growth. We continue to work closely with our agriculture, fishing, seafood and forestry sectors to ensure they are vibrant, profitable, and sustainable.