Written questions by Pritchard.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing Business Rates relief to nurseries.

The early years system has a central role to play in driving economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity, which is why the Government wants to make childcare more affordable and accessible. At the Budget in October, the Government committed to increasing spending on early years and family services to over £8 billion in 2025-26. This includes an additional £1.8 billion which will be paid to early years providers to continue the expansion of government-funded childcare and help more parents, particularly women, stay in and return to work. Business rates are a broad-based tax on the value of non-domestic properties including nurseries. To protect small businesses, the government announced at the Autumn Budget that it would freeze the small business multiplier for 2025-26. Taken together with Small Business Rates Relief, this intervention ensures that over a million properties will be protected from inflationary increases. In addition to this support, standalone nurseries are also eligible for charitable rate relief where they have a ‘charitable purpose’.

If she will commission research on (a) productivity, (b) sickness rates and (c) absenteeism in the (i) public and (ii) private sectors where employers offer mental health support (A) by phone, (B) online and (C) in-person through an employee assistance programme.

In January 2025, the department launched “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and promoting healthy and inclusive workplaces. The review is being led by the former Chair of John Lewis, Sir Charlie Mayfield. The recently published discovery report sets out that interventions such as employee assistance programmes are an area of focus for the review over the next few months. The discovery report calls for organisations providing employee assistance programmes to get in touch to share information and evidence about these programmes during the review’s engagement phase, which is ongoing until the end of May. The discovery report can be accessed here: Keep Britain Working Review: Discovery - GOV.UK The department has previously conducted research on self-reported employee sickness absence rates in 2021. The research can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Employee research Phase 1 and 2 - GOV.UK. The research did not explore whether respondents had access to mental health support through an employee assistance programme, or mode of access to this. The department has also previously published results from a survey which explored how employers manage mental health conditions within their organisation, although it did not collect data on productivity, sickness rates or absenteeism: Department for Work and Pensions Employer Survey 2022: research report - GOV.UK. The department has since commissioned further surveys of employers and employees about their experiences of managing health and wellbeing in the workplace, and the findings will be published later this year.

If she will increase the powers of local education authorities to take action against parents who threaten teaching staff over decisions taken under school disciplinary procedures.

No teacher should feel unsafe or face violence or abuse in the workplace. The department will always support teachers to ensure they can work in safe and calm classrooms. All school employers, including trusts, have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees.Schools should have their own clear processes in place for dealing with issues of bullying or harassment from parents. All incidences of bullying or harassment by a parent should be reported immediately to the designated lead and head teacher or governing body or proprietor.Should the incident constitute a potential criminal offence, it would be for the school to consider involving the police, having followed the advice contained in the ‘When to call the police’ guidance for schools and colleges by the National Police Chief’s Council, written in partnership with the department and Home Office.For staff who are experiencing bullying or harassment from any source, support is available from sources including Education Support, a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and education staff in schools, colleges and universities.

If she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on (a) domestic extremist threats and (b) other terror related threats against primary and secondary schools; and what assessment she has made of the potential measures of putting new measures in place to strengthen (i) entrances and (ii) perimeter boundaries in schools.

The Prevent duty safeguards children and young people from extremist ideologies to prevent them from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. The department publishes over 150 resources to support schools, parents and pupils in protecting children from extremism. These resources can be found at: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/.For any new school building the department recommends a security risk assessment is completed which will set out any necessary safeguarding and security requirements, where they are suitable.The department publishes comprehensive and well-established ‘Protective Security and Preparedness’ guidance which helps staff prepare for and respond to terrorist and other significant threats. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-security-and-preparedness-for-education-settings.The government will further strengthen the national security response through measures included in the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill. The Bill will require all education settings to take forward public protection procedures. This will establish a legal requirement which specifically relates to the response to a terrorist attack.

If she will ensure all schools have (a) lock down plans which all teaching staff are taught, (b) direct feed panic alarms to local police stations, (c) security bollards at the main entrances and exits and (d) two door interlocking systems.

This government is committed to ensuring that children, young people and adult learners are safe from terrorist incidents and attacks. This is why the department publishes comprehensive guidance alongside a range of high-quality resources to support education settings in their protective security, and their preparedness and response to incidents and attacks.The ‘Protective Security and Preparedness for education settings’ guidance, developed in collaboration with the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office, offers a comprehensive approach to enhancing safety and preparedness, ensuring that educational settings can provide a secure and supportive environment for learning. This includes planning for a number of different response options such as lockdown, evacuation and invacuation, communicating during an incident, having plans in place to respond effectively to different types of incidents and testing out those plans.

Innovation and Technology, if he will commission research into (a) the types of (i) messages and (ii) videos promoted by TikTok to UK children and teenage users and (b) the role of promoting such content by malign state actors .

Child online safety is of the utmost importance to the government. Under the Online Safety Act, user-to-user services likely to be accessed by children must protect them from harmful content. Ofcom’s draft codes of practice include recommendations for services to meet these duties, including ensuring that algorithms do not target children with harmful content.Any attempt by malign state actors to interfere in the UK’s information environment is unacceptable. The Foreign Interference Offence is a priority offence in the Online Safety Act, it requires all in-scope companies to take action against a range of state-linked disinformation and interference online.

If he will take steps to prevent the illegal (a) online sale and (b) importing of skin (i) whitening and (ii) lightening products which cause skin damage.

Cosmetics products must comply with some of the strongest safety standards in the world before they can be placed on the GB market. Government works with local enforcement authorities to take effective action when products are identified that do not meet these safety requirements, ensuring unsafe items are removed from sale.Government has introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, which explicitly recognises the role of online marketplaces to ensure consumers are protected from unsafe products. We intend to use the powers in the Bill to introduce requirements on e-commerce models to help prevent the sale of unsafe products online.

If he will increase (a) criminal sanctions and (b) financial penalties for breaches of Trading Standards laws.

Local authority trading standards services oversee numerous pieces of legislation, including consumer protection, product safety, weights and measures, food standards, animal health and welfare, environmental protection, estates and lettings, and age-restricted products such as alcohol and tobacco, among other legislative responsibilities.The Department of Business and Trade is responsible for the consumer protection function. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 updated and strengthened civil enforcement powers for public designated enforcers, including the ability for trading standards services to apply to the court for an enforcement order with a monetary penalty of up to 10% of turnover.

What estimate his Department has made of trends in the level of employment in the car manufacturing sector between July and December 2024.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 21st March is attached.

What steps he is taking to protect UK defence personnel at RAF Akrotiri from regional ballistic missile attacks.

The UK takes the security of all our overseas bases seriously and takes appropriate measures for their protection. The UK employs a broad approach to deterring and defeating air and missile threats. We pursue counter-proliferation and military activities to counter threats before an attack is ever launched. However, if those approaches fail, we can employ a range of active and passive defence measures to intercept the threat and increase our resilience. This process remains continually under review. We are committed to enhancing our capabilities and modernising our air and missile defence approach to ensure our Armed Forces, including those in places such as RAF Akrotiri, have the capabilities they need to meet current and future threats. As part of this commitment, a Strategic Defence Review is being conducted with missile defence capabilities forming an important part of our inputs to this review.

What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Defence to encourage young people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance to seek employment in the armed forces.

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to working closely alongside the Ministry of Defence to identify and support anyone in receipt of benefits with transferable skills to move into careers within the Armed Forces, with a particular focus on younger customers. We are also committed to promoting and advertising career opportunities across the Armed Forces at our regular recruitment events, dedicated armed forces recruitment days and through our offer of account managing vacancies. This allows us to ensure we are signposting customers to the available opportunities within the Armed Forces.

How many (a) in person and (b) online meetings she had with organisations representing children with special educational needs between 14 July 2024 and 14 October 2024.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education meets with a wide range of external stakeholders who represent children’s interests as part of her ministerial work. Details of ministers’ external meetings are published in quarterly ministerial transparency returns.

If she will introduce increased criminal sanctions for crypto exchange companies who (a) launder stolen crypto currency and (b) allow (i) criminal gangs and (ii) hostile states to trade cryptocurrencies for other assets.

Cryptoassets exchanges, like all businesses who launder funds, can be prosecuted under the money laundering offences in Part 7 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and fined accordingly. In April 2024, new powers came into force to enable law enforcement to more effectively investigate, seize, and recover the proceeds of crime within the cryptoasset ecosystem.Since 2020, businesses providing cryptoasset services that fall under the scope of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLRs) in the United Kingdom have also been required to register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and comply with the requirements of the regulations. They must also comply with the UK sanctions regime and are obliged to report any breach of these regimes to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI). They should further consider their obligation to submit a suspicious activity report (SAR) to the UK Financial Intelligence Unit.More widely, the government has bolstered law enforcement’s capacity and capability to tackle money laundering through cryptoassets. This includes new specialist capability in the NCA and partner agencies, funding public-private crypto collaboration teams in police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, and the development of a multi-agency operational crypto cell to ensure that knowledge and abilities in investigating cryptoassets are pooled together and all available tools and powers are exploited efficiently.

If she will commission research into the (a) role of (i) Russia (ii) Belarus (iii) Iran (iv) China and (v) Yemen in the migration of people and (b) potential impact of that migration on national security.

Tackling irregular migration is a key focus for this government and we regularly research and review the drivers behind it to inform our response. National security, including security at our border, is of the highest importance which is why the Border Security Command was launched and works with colleagues across government and with a range of international partners to disrupt the activity of criminal smuggling gangs.

Communities and Local Government, if she will require housing developers to promptly complete remedial works required to new build properties after completion.

Most new build warranties cover damages caused by structural defects for a 10-year term. The developer is often held accountable for the first two years of this period. The terms of warranty should give more detail on what developers would be expected to cover in this timeframe, but generally this will cover most aspects of workmanship carried out by the developer.New build homeowners can also contact the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) (Homepage (nhqb.org.uk) if they are dissatisfied with the standards of conduct or quality of work in their new build homes. While the scheme is currently voluntary for developers, just over half of all developers have signed up. The full register of developers is held on the NHQB website.New build homeowners can also contact a consumer code scheme provider if their developer has signed up to one. There are several codes, the largest of which is the Consumer Code for Home Builders. The code the developer signs up to is determined by the warranty provider. The consumer code scheme provider will handle complaints about the conduct or workmanship of a developer, provided that the developer is a member of the relevant code.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his Georgian counterpart on the detention of the Mzia Amaghlobeli.

The Foreign Secretary and I have consistently raised our concerns about the violence used by the authorities against protesters and journalists in the course of ongoing protests in Georgia. We will continue to do so. Mzia Amaghlobeli's detention is another worrying example of how journalists are intimidated in Georgia in a way which limits media freedom and freedom of expression. Our Embassy in Tbilisi is following Amaghlobeli's case very closely. On 30 January 2025, our Embassy led a statement on behalf of 14 Media Freedom Coalition members, calling for her immediate release and a review of her case.

If she will increase sanctions for people who make fake (a) bomb threats and (b) calls to the emergency services.

Making a bomb threat or other any other type of hoax phone call to the emergency services is a criminal offence. All calls to the emergency services are recorded and the number can be traced, even if withheld. Local services regularly remind the public of the serious consequences of hoax calls.Emergency services may also request a Communications Provider to place a temporary restriction on the account of the hoax/nuisance caller. However, contact management, including the management of hoax calls, is an operational matter for services. Any decision is for the emergency authority to take.There are existing mechanisms in place for emergency services to share information on hoax callers and where hoax calling is deliberate, policing may use legislation to prosecute persistent offenders.The Home Office currently has no plans to review the sanctions against those making bomb threats or hoax calls to emergency services.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will bring forward proposals to agree sanctions against (a) hon. Members and (b) members of staff employed by (i) the House of Commons and (ii) hon. Members who share security advice received from House authorities with (A) media organisations, (B) third parties and (C) other external audiences.

The security of Parliament and its Members is a priority for the Commission, and it expects everyone in the parliamentary community, including Members, Members’ staff and House Administration staff, to support this aim and manage sensitive information appropriately. As the Commission and parliamentary authorities have repeatedly made clear, unauthorised disclosure of confidential security advice can pose a direct risk to the security of those we are trying to protect.The House of Commons Commission has not discussed sanctions on Members who share security advice. However, unauthorised disclosures may also amount to a breach of the Code of Conduct for Members, in which case it would be for the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards or the Committee on Standards to consider penalties on a case-by-case basis.House Administration staff who make an unauthorised disclosure would be subject to disciplinary action as set out in the House of Commons staff handbook.Staff employed by Members are not the direct responsibility of the Commission, as they are employed by their Member. However, the Commission would call upon the Member to set standards for conduct and behaviour, and to determine disciplinary action where appropriate. Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information by their staff could be considered gross misconduct.Beyond formal sanctions, the Parliamentary Authorities engage extensively with Members, their staff and House Administration staff to ensure they understand the crucial role they have to play in the security of the parliamentary community, including information security.

If she will take steps to increase competition among airlines operating in the UK.

The Government is committed to an open and competitive aviation sector, ensuring choice and value for passengers. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are responsible for the effective operation of the aviation market for consumers. The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airports invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines take their own decisions on the routes and services they provide. Prioritising UK-based shareholdings within this private market is not planned as international agreements ensure fair competition. What matters most is that companies operate safely, securely and are properly regulated.

If she will take steps to ensure domestic companies with UK-based shareholdings are prioritised to offer (a) ground and (b) air services for potential expansions at (i) Heathrow and (ii) Gatwick airports.

The Government is committed to an open and competitive aviation sector, ensuring choice and value for passengers. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are responsible for the effective operation of the aviation market for consumers. The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airports invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines take their own decisions on the routes and services they provide. Prioritising UK-based shareholdings within this private market is not planned as international agreements ensure fair competition. What matters most is that companies operate safely, securely and are properly regulated.