Written questions by Smart.

What steps his Department is taking to improve regulatory oversight of company directors with a history of multiple liquidations.

Company and insolvency law already provides relevant authorities with the ability to investigate the conduct of directors of liquidated companies and to act upon misconduct. Imposing prescriptive prohibitions risks penalising the innocent and we have no plans to introduce such measures. However, following the passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 we are taking additional steps to strengthen investigation and enforcement capabilities in this area and Companies House has been using new powers under the Act to assess company incorporations more stringently. Later this year we will introduce compulsory identity verification for directors, further improving transparency.

Whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce stricter limits on the number of businesses that an individual can (a) incorporate and (b) manage after multiple company liquidations within a defined period.

Company and insolvency law already provides relevant authorities with the ability to investigate the conduct of directors of liquidated companies and to act upon misconduct. Imposing prescriptive prohibitions risks penalising the innocent and we have no plans to introduce such measures. However, following the passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 we are taking additional steps to strengthen investigation and enforcement capabilities in this area and Companies House has been using new powers under the Act to assess company incorporations more stringently. Later this year we will introduce compulsory identity verification for directors, further improving transparency.

Whether her Department has plans to review the application of (a) National Insurance contributions and (b) home responsibilities protection in cases where an individual was contracted out of the Additional State Pension.

Before 6 April 2016, people were able to contract-out of the Additional State Pension. For the years they were contracted-out, they would be entitled to the basic State Pension only. When assessing State Pension eligibility under both the pre-2016 and new State Pension systems, the Department takes into account the impact of past contracting-out. There are no such plans to review this approach which is in accordance with legislation.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that (a) GCSE and (b) equivalent assessments in (i) Mathematics and (ii) English prioritise the evaluation of students' analytical and problem-solving skills.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. This is reviewing the existing national curriculum and qualification pathways, including GCSEs, to ensure they are fit for purpose and prepare young people for life and work.The review group has now published a well-evidenced, clear interim report, which sets out its interim findings and confirms the key areas for further work. This highlights the successes of the current system, making clear that the most trusted and valued aspects of our system will remain, whilst setting a positive vision for the future. This report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report.The Review is committed to ensuring a high quality, knowledge-rich curriculum that drives excellence in education across a broad range of subjects and pathways. The next phase of work will consider whether there is sufficient coverage of knowledge and skills in the current curriculum and associated qualifications that are essential to sufficiently prepare children and young people for future life and to thrive in a fast-changing world.The government will consider any changes it wishes to make to the curriculum, assessment and qualifications whilst the Review is conducted, and will respond to the final recommendations in autumn.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the requirement for children born in the UK to parents with refugee status making separate asylum claims to obtain refugee status on asylum application backlogs.

Under the Immigration Rules protection status can only be granted when an individual’s protection needs have been considered and they are found to be eligible for refugee status in their own right.All asylum decisions must demonstrate that the child’s best interests have been a primary (albeit not necessarily the only) consideration. In many cases the basis of a child’s claim for asylum is the same as that of their parent(s), and we can assess a child’s claim for asylum based on the information the parent provides to us, applying the same principles as the Family Asylum Claim process. Further information about the Family Asylum Claim process is available here: Family asylum claims: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.There may be cases where a child has no protection needs and would not be at risk on return to their country of origin. In these cases, parents can apply for leave-in-line on behalf of their child. Further information can be found in the dependants and former dependants guidance here: Dependants and former dependants: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.We keep all of our policies under review and the Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives to focus on speeding up decision making and reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes made by exam boards on pupils (a) with SEND and (b) with poor working memory.

It is vital that students with special educational needs and disabilities can access exams and assessments without disadvantage. The Equality Act 2010 requires exam boards to make reasonable adjustments where a student with disabilities would be at a substantial disadvantage in undertaking an exam or an assessment.Ofqual, who are the independent regulator of qualifications, exams and assessments in England, require exam boards to publish their arrangements for making adjustments, including how a student qualifies for an adjustment, and what adjustments might be made.The Joint Council for Qualifications sets out the guidance on access arrangements and reasonable adjustments on behalf of the exam boards. This guidance is updated for each academic year.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the requirement for children born in the UK to parents with refugee status to make a separate asylum claim to obtain refugee status on people with that status.

Under the Immigration Rules protection status can only be granted when an individual’s protection needs have been considered and they are found to be eligible for refugee status in their own right.All asylum decisions must demonstrate that the child’s best interests have been a primary (albeit not necessarily the only) consideration. In many cases the basis of a child’s claim for asylum is the same as that of their parent(s), and we can assess a child’s claim for asylum based on the information the parent provides to us, applying the same principles as the Family Asylum Claim process. Further information about the Family Asylum Claim process is available here: Family asylum claims: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.There may be cases where a child has no protection needs and would not be at risk on return to their country of origin. In these cases, parents can apply for leave-in-line on behalf of their child. Further information can be found in the dependants and former dependants guidance here: Dependants and former dependants: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.We keep all of our policies under review and the Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives to focus on speeding up decision making and reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.

Whether she plans to introduce an (a) expedited and (b) automatic process for granting refugee status to children born in the UK to parents with existing refugee status.

Under the Immigration Rules protection status can only be granted when an individual’s protection needs have been considered and they are found to be eligible for refugee status in their own right.All asylum decisions must demonstrate that the child’s best interests have been a primary (albeit not necessarily the only) consideration. In many cases the basis of a child’s claim for asylum is the same as that of their parent(s), and we can assess a child’s claim for asylum based on the information the parent provides to us, applying the same principles as the Family Asylum Claim process. Further information about the Family Asylum Claim process is available here: Family asylum claims: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.There may be cases where a child has no protection needs and would not be at risk on return to their country of origin. In these cases, parents can apply for leave-in-line on behalf of their child. Further information can be found in the dependants and former dependants guidance here: Dependants and former dependants: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.We keep all of our policies under review and the Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives to focus on speeding up decision making and reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.

What assessment she has made with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the potential implications of changes to disability benefits on health and social care services.

We are investing almost £26 billion of extra funding for the Health and Social Care System so people can get the treatment they need to get back to work instead of being stuck on waiting lists, delivering over 2 million extra appointments 7 months ahead of schedule. Baroness Louise Casey, a cross-bench peer, has been commissioned to develop options for immediate action to improve adult social care in England before charting a course for longer term reform as announced in January. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will support this review – and work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) – as we take forward the proposals in this Green Paper. In the short term, up to £3.7 billion of additional funding will be made available for social care authorities in 2025/2026, including an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant. To support unpaid carers to combine caring responsibilities with some paid work, from April 2025 the Carers’ Allowance earnings limit will be pegged to 16 hours work at National Living Wage (NLW) levels (rounded to the highest pound), and in future it will increase when the NLW increases. This is an increase from £151 to £196 a week. DHSC are also commissioning research on the link between the adult social care system and PIP.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing disability benefit on the health of people with long term and fluctuating conditions.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course. An important consideration in the case for abolishing the Work Capability Assessment is the inappropriateness of its binary distinction between “capable of work” and “not capable of work” for people with fluctuating health conditions. A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

Media and Sport, whether her Department produced an impact assessment prior to the announcement of changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

DCMS Ministers received advice on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme including careful consideration of the impacts of the changes.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on levels of economic growth.

DCMS Ministers received advice on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, including consideration of the potential impacts of various options to scale the scheme. We believe that the changes announced will continue the widest distribution of the scheme’s benefits within the available means. Based on previous scheme data, we expect 94% of claims to be unaffected by this change.

Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to enable the completion of projects (a) partly and (b) fully funded through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme that are (i) soon-to-start and (ii) part of phased work commenced prior to the changes to that scheme.

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme gives grants covering VAT costs only on repairs of over £1,000 to listed buildings used as places of worship.Guidance has now been published on changes to the Scheme from 1 April 2025.Listed places of worship with ongoing projects should ensure that all claims for work already carried out are submitted before or at 23:59 on 31 March 2025. They can submit invoices after this, but the £25,000 cap applies to all claims submitted from 00:00 on 1 April 2025 regardless of when the work was carried out.

What steps his Department is taking to provide symptom management treatments to support people with multiple sclerosis to (a) manage their condition and (b) remain in employment.

The majority of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of MS care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure that patients can access a range of health professionals, including specialist nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support according to their needs.There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with MS in England, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme.The Government recognises that long-term sickness continues to be the most common reason for economic inactivity among the working age population. As part of the Get Britain Working plan, more disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.

What steps his Department is taking to support the mental health of parents of (a) twin and (b) multiples.

Support is already available for parents, including those of twins and multiples, who experience mental health difficulties during the perinatal period. Perinatal mental health services are available in all 42 integrated care system areas of England, and offer specialist psychiatric and psychological assessments and care for women with moderate/severe or complex mental health problems during the perinatal period. These services have also expanded to provide care to women up to two years after birth, improve access to evidence-based psychological therapies, and provide a mental health assessment and signposting support for partners as needed.In January 2025, the Department announced £126 million for the continuation of the Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes in 2025/26 in 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation. This includes £36.5 million for bespoke perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support.In addition, NHS Talking Therapies services are also available for parents who need support with any mental health problems during the perinatal period. Anyone can refer themselves online via the National Health Service website or by contacting their general practitioner.

What steps his Department is taking to support workers in the North Sea Oil and Gas industry in the transition towards net zero.

The consultation on ‘Building the North Sea’s energy future’ sets out the Government’s plans for accelerating investment in net zero, creating high-quality jobs for oil and gas workers. It seeks views on how to best support workers and communities through the transition and closes 30 April. The Government has worked with industry and unions to launch the 'Energy Skills Passport’ for oil and gas workers transitioning to offshore wind roles and announced that Great British Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen, to reflect the commitment that communities which powered our country’s energy past will power its clean energy future.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the health risks for mothers giving birth to (a) twins and (b) multiples.

The Government is determined to ensure that all women receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care and continues to work with the National Health Service as it delivers its three-year maternity and neonatal plan to achieve this.The latest data shows that 1.4% of maternities result in multiple births, however pregnancies for twins and multiples are associated with significantly higher risks for stillbirth and preterm birth, and many multiples spend time in neonatal care. We are ensuring high quality care is implemented across England to improve these outcomes. The NHS is rolling out version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with detailed guidance to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injuries, neonatal deaths, and preterm births, including specific guidance for multiple pregnancies. This has been fully implemented by over 100 providers.Additionally, last year, we launched a £50 million National Institute for Health and Care Research challenge fund to task researchers and policymakers with finding new ways to tackle poor pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of closing the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund on organisations engaged in suicide prevention activities.

The Suicide Prevention Grant Fund came to an end on 31 March 2025, as planned from the outset of the grant. There are currently no plans to run another grant fund.Voluntary and community sector organisations play a valuable role in suicide prevention, including supporting the delivery of the cross-sector national suicide prevention strategy for England. We will be evaluating the impact of the fund, and the services that have been provided by the grant-funded organisations. Learning from this evaluation will help to inform the delivery of the Government’s mission to reduce the lives lost to suicide.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support disabled people living in private rented accommodation to secure adaptations to make their homes (a) safe and (b) suitable for their needs.

Government recognises how important home adaptations are in enabling disabled people to live as independently as possible in a safe and suitable environment. People of all ages and tenures, including in the private rented sector, can apply to their local authority for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). The DFG is a capital grant administered by local authorities in England that can contribute towards meeting the cost of adapting an eligible person’s home. Government has awarded an £86 million in-year uplift to the DFG for 2024-25, bringing the total funding for 2024-25 to £711 million. Government has also confirmed £711 million for 2025/26.The Renters’ Rights Bill, currently before Parliament, will empower disabled tenants to request the home adaptations that they need and to complain if their requests are unreasonably refused. By abolishing section 21, the Bill will remove the threat of retaliatory eviction. It will also establish a new PRS Landlord Ombudsman, which will have strong powers to put things right for tenants where their landlord has failed to resolve a legitimate complaint.

Whether her Department has considered broadening the range of foster care representative bodies it engages with on policy development.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is keen to ensure that the department meets with stakeholders from across the fostering sector, so that a variety of voices are heard. Departmental officials meet with foster carers and young people who have experienced the fostering system, as well as fostering charities, unions and those who represent and oversee fostering services.The department also runs a fostering advisory board, which brings together strategic leaders and people with lived experience of fostering to advise on government policy. This is just one of the ways that the department interacts with fostering stakeholders when considering policy. Departmental officials also meet bilaterally with several fostering organisations and have recently hosted a roundtable meeting which had representation from a wide range of stakeholders.Finally, the department also ensures that the voices of children and young people are heard when formalising policy. This includes our Children and Young People Advisory Board, which aims to give children and young people a say in the services that directly affect them. This provides an opportunity for them to feed into policy development and create a feedback loop to show them where their views are being incorporated. The Board is run by the National Children’s Bureau on behalf of the department, with membership for those aged 11 to 25.