Written questions by Wilkinson.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the plastic bag levy at lowering use; and whether she plans to introduce further measures to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags.

The Government’s assessment is that the single-use carrier bag charge has been highly effective in reducing the use of single-use plastic bags in England. Since the charge was introduced in 2015, sales of single-use plastic carrier bags sold by the main supermarket retailers have fallen by almost 98%, a reduction from 7.6 billion bags in 2014 to 164 million in 2024/25. The charge has also helped reduce the littering of plastic bags. Reports from the Marine Conservation Society indicate a fall from an average of 13 bags found on beaches in 2013 to just 3 in 2021. In May 2021, the Government increased the minimum charge from 5p to 10p and extended it to all retailers to reinforce this progress and create a level playing field across the sector. The Government remains committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics and will continue to take a systematic, evidence-based approach to reducing unnecessary single-use plastics and encouraging reuse solutions. We will continue to review the latest evidence on single-use plastic carrier bags.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of student loan repayment thresholds, tax thresholds and fiscal drag on incentives to work for people with plan 2 student loans.

The Government is making fair and necessary choices on tax so it can deliver on the public’s priorities. Everyone is being asked to contribute to support these goals, but the Government is keeping the contribution as low as possible by pursuing a programme of reform to fix longstanding issues in the tax system – modernising it, and addressing unequal and unfair treatment, while ensuring the wealthiest contribute more.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the £100,000 earnings threshold for free childcare on incentives to work.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.The working parent entitlement aims to support parents to return to work or to work more hours if they wish. To be eligible, parents must expect to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage and less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year. The minimum income threshold rises in line with National Minimum Wage increases at the beginning of the financial year.The government needs to use public funds in a way that provides value for money and considers it reasonable to target this funding at those individuals earning under £100,000 adjusted net income. Only a small proportion of parents earn over the £100,000 adjusted net income maximum threshold. Parents who earn over the maximum income threshold can still claim the universal 15 hours for three and four-year-olds in England.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to women's State Pension age on retirement insurance schemes for vulnerable individuals.

The precise design of any benefits under an insurance policy is a matter for the insurer and the policy holder and is not covered in Department for Work and Pensions legislation.

What steps his Department is taking to prevent fraud relating to Universal Credit recipients claiming for properties they no longer occupy.

Since Autumn Budget 2024, the Government has committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in GB, which includes savings from the new powers contained within the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act, an extension to continue Targeted Case Reviews to check accuracy of Universal Credit (UC) claims at risk of being incorrect until 2031 and the introduction of periodic redeclaration for UC claims to ensure claim accuracy, reduce fraud and error, and prevent avoidable debt.

Whether the Child Maintenance Service's arrears department is (i) office based and (ii) staffed through home working; how many people work for that team; what their response time is; and whether that response time is in line with their service level agreement.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) arrears department operates using a combination of office‑based and hybrid working arrangements. CMS currently offers the opportunity to work a minimum of 60% of time in the office with 40% at home, although staff can choose to work more time in the office if they wish. Some choose to work in the office full time. The only exceptions to this are individual requirements as part of a reasonable adjustment. Hybrid working is not a contractual right and is therefore subject to change. There are currently 771 employees working in the arrears team. CMS monitors the performance of the arrears function. Caseworker response times remain consistent across both office‑based and home‑working arrangements and continue to operate fully within the Service Level Agreement for the arrears function.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to enable homeowners to challenge increases in fees from management companies.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 4 July 2025 (HCWS780) and 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to enable leaseholders to hold management companies to account for service charges.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 4 July 2025 (HCWS780) and 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the importance of the upgrade to junction 10 of the M5 to the Cheltenham Tewkesbury and Gloucester Strategic Local Plan.

The deliverability of local plans, including in relation to the provision of essential infrastructure, is tested by Inspectors during local plan examinations. It will be for the inspectors to determine the importance of different infrastructure required to deliver the plan. In my letter to the Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate on 9 October 2025, which can be found on gov.uk here, I stressed the importance of Inspectors approaching examinations of plans prepared in the current plan-making system with the appropriate degree of flexibility. Expectations around the evidencing of whether the legal and soundness tests have been met should be proportionate to the context in which plans in the existing system are being prepared.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of its policies on the right to work for irregular migrants on levels of irregular migration.

The Home Office has developed new legislation to expand the scope of right to work checks to a wider range of businesses. This activity aims to prevent illegal working and to further reduce the opportunities for individuals in the UK illegally to gain employment. An impact assessment on this legislative change was published on 7 May 2025 and can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/681b86c93f1c73824ee3e561/Illegal_Working_-_Regulatory_Impact_Assessment_07052025.pdf

What data her Department collects on how migrant survivors of trafficking in the National Referral Mechanism entered the UK.

The Home Office does not publish data on the method of entry to the UK, where relevant, for individuals referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). However, there is published data on small boat arrivals who have been referred into the NRM, including a snapshot of the NRM decision outcome at the time of data extraction. This information is available in the irregular migration statistics data tables, which can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#irregular-migrationThis dataset only covers small boat arrivals and does not include other methods of entry. The published figures currently cover arrivals up to the end of September 2025.The Home Office does not publish age-related statistics for individuals supported under the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC).

How many working-age people are on the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract through the National Referral Mechanism.

The Home Office does not publish data on the method of entry to the UK, where relevant, for individuals referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). However, there is published data on small boat arrivals who have been referred into the NRM, including a snapshot of the NRM decision outcome at the time of data extraction. This information is available in the irregular migration statistics data tables, which can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#irregular-migrationThis dataset only covers small boat arrivals and does not include other methods of entry. The published figures currently cover arrivals up to the end of September 2025.The Home Office does not publish age-related statistics for individuals supported under the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC).

How the Fair Work Agency will assist migrant domestic workers experiencing abuse in private households.

The Fair Work Agency will enhance the UK's ability to respond to exploitation of migrant domestic workers. It will bring together labour market enforcement functions and include new powers to investigate and take action against offences under the Fraud Act 2006. These powers, when operational, will allow the FWA to pursue certain cases of deception, abuse of position or withholding pay, where conduct does not meet the higher modern slavery threshold.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by Kalaayan’s entitled 12 Years of Modern Slavery, published on 14 June 2024.

The Home Office keeps all policies and immigration routes under review. Ministers regularly meet with internal and external stakeholders, including Kalaayan, to discuss a wide range of issues, including the Overseas Domestic Worker route.The Overseas Domestic Worker visa only grants permission for up to six months and cannot be extended. The Home Office publishes statistics relating to individuals who extend their stay here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables. The number of people extending their stay on the Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa is available from Table Exe_D01 of the Extension data tables (listed as “Overseas Domestic Worker”).

What estimate she has made of the number of domestic workers who renew their visas each year.

The Home Office keeps all policies and immigration routes under review. Ministers regularly meet with internal and external stakeholders, to discuss a wide range of issues, including the Overseas Domestic Worker route.The Overseas Domestic Worker visa only grants permission for up to six months and cannot be extended. The Home Office publishes statistics relating to individuals who extend their stay here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables. The number of people extending their stay on the Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa is available from Table Exe_D01 of the Extension data tables (listed as “Overseas Domestic Worker”).

What information his Department holds on the number of overseas domestic workers who have been able to enforce their rights to fair pay and working conditions through an employment tribunal over the last decade.

The Department publishes regular statistics on Employment Tribunals claims, which includes claims relating to pay and working conditions (such as unauthorised deductions, minimum wage, working time, and equal pay) which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025.The published data does not break down claims by claimant characteristics (such as nationality or visa status), or the type of work conducted by claimant.

What meetings she has had with expert stakeholders on reviewing the Overseas Domestic Worker visa.

The Home Office keeps all policies and immigration routes under review. Ministers regularly meet with internal and external stakeholders, to discuss a wide range of issues, including the Overseas Domestic Worker route.The Overseas Domestic Worker visa only grants permission for up to six months and cannot be extended. The Home Office publishes statistics relating to individuals who extend their stay here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables. The number of people extending their stay on the Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa is available from Table Exe_D01 of the Extension data tables (listed as “Overseas Domestic Worker”).

If he will publish a schedule of differences between the trade deal with South Korea announced on 15 December 2025 and the previous trade deal with South Korea which applied when the UK was a Member State of the EU.

As part of this negotiation the UK and the Republic of Korea have agreed a range of improvements to the existing agreement. These cover goods and services trade, in addition to underpinning broader cooperation between the UK and Republic of Korea on a variety of topics. A summary of the key changes is included in the “UK-Republic of Korea trade deal: conclusion summary” published on Gov.uk at conclusion. We will publish further documentation and the full legal text, alongside a full assessment of the economic impact of the UK-Korea FTA, when the agreement is formally signed.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential cumulative impact of the UK's trade agreements with South Korea, India and the United States on GDP in the next ten years.

Our impact assessments, published on gov.uk, set out the potential long-run impacts of new FTAs on the United Kingdom’s GDP. It would not make sense to agglomerate the estimates published in individual impact assessments for these deals as the analyses are not directly comparable due to differences in model structure, data, and scenarios.Our assessments of trade agreements with India and South Korea suggest the deals are expected to have significant benefits for the UK economy. Negotiations with the US are ongoing, and we will publish our analysis of that as soon as practicable after signature.

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the Carnegie UK report entitled Life in the UK 2025.

This government is already strongly committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. Our mission-led government is delivering on our Plan for Change to secure opportunity for all, economic stability, and improved living standards. We are progressing our mission on opportunity for all to break the link between background and success. We are fixing the foundations of our education and care systems, hiring more teachers, social workers and nursery staff. We have also launched our Best Start in Life strategy and are rolling out Best Start Family Hubs investing £1.5 billion. More widely, this government is investing £820 million creating 350,000 workplace opportunities to support young people not in education or training under the Youth Guarantee; and £5bn in the Pride of Place programme to empower local people to shape the future of their neighbourhoods. Work is also underway to deliver our manifesto commitment to commence the socio-economic duty in England. The duty will require specified public bodies to actively consider how their strategic decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.