Written questions by Yasin.

Whether his Department has received representations concerning allegations of misleading or inaccurate citation of case law in a recent Employment Tribunal judgment; and what processes exist for referring such allegations to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office.

In the event that the Ministry of Justice receives a complaint about the handling or outcome of a particular case the correspondent would be advised to seek advice regarding any right of appeal and, if the complaint is about the conduct of a member of the judiciary, provided with information about the relevant complaints process. This is because the judiciary are entirely independent and must be free to decide the outcome of cases without fear of interference from Government or its administration.Decisions of the Employment Tribunal can be appealed on a point of law to the Employment Appeal Tribunal.Complaints about the conduct of an Employment Judge sitting in England must be made to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office: https://www.complaints.judicialconduct.gov.uk/For an Employment Judge sitting wholly or mainly in Scotland, complaints must be made to the President of the Employment Tribunal (Scotland): https://www.complaints.judicialconduct.gov.uk/rulesandregulations/Employment%20Tribunal%20(Scotland)%20%E2%80%93%20Making%20a%20complaint%20of%20Judicial%20Misconduct%20about%20an%20Employment%20Judge

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with operators of housing-with-care schemes on the potential impact of tenure reform on growth in the sector.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 87630 on 11 November 2025.

Whether the planned increase to the basic State Pension will apply to additional pension payments.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the basic State Pension will increase by 4.8% in April 2026, in line with the increase in average earnings in the year to May-July 2025. The additional State Pension will increase by 3.8% in line with the increase in the consumer prices index in the year to September 2025.

What funding is available to support (a) local authorities and (b) police forces with initial installation costs for fixed speed-enforcement cameras.

Part of the money received from drivers attending courses under the National Driver Offending Retraining Scheme (NDORS) goes to the local Road Safety Partnership, where one exists, which includes the local authority, the police and other partners. This is ringfenced to be used for road safety purposes, including the installation and maintenance of safety cameras. Local authorities and the police are also able to use other unringfenced grants to fund additional road safety activity in their area. In areas with no road safety partnership, the funding from NDORS courses goes to the police.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of recent changes to the Motability scheme, including the removal of certain vehicle brands, the introduction of VAT on advance payments and Insurance Premium Tax on scheme insurance, and operational changes to breakdown cover and mileage allowances, on disabled people’s access to suitable vehicles; and if he will publish the estimated cost savings arising from each change, the criteria used to determine which vehicle categories were removed, and which Ministers approved these decisions.

We are protecting the taxpayer through changes to the Motability scheme, ensuring it supports disabled people whilst delivering efficient use of taxpayers’ money. This includes the removal of some luxury vehicles from the leasing scheme while maintaining a range of vehicles to support disabled people. Tax changes will not impact vehicles substantially adapted for wheelchair users, or existing leases, and Motability will continue to provide vehicles at no additional cost to the value of eligible disability benefits. Decisions on tax were made in the usual way by HM Treasury ministers, in close consultation with DWP Ministers and based on extensive advice with due consideration of equalities impacts. Estimated cost savings were published in the budget documentation: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK

Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that telecommunications operators engaging in permitted development applications for 5G infrastructure adequately consult and engage with local communities, particularly in residential areas; and what guidance is provided to local planning authorities on assessing siting and appearance under permitted development rules.

Electronic communications code operators using permitted development rights are required to follow the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England. The code has an important role in making sure that appropriate engagement takes place with local communities and other interested parties. Guidance on permitted development rights is available on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether the long-term housing strategy will include steps to grow the Integrated Retirement Community sector.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 87630 on 11 November 2025.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of corn allergies; whether he plans to include corn on the list of major allergens emphasised on food labels; and what steps he is taking to ensure that people with rare but clinically significant allergies can safely identify allergens in packaged foods and when eating out.

There are a large number of potential food ingredients that may cause allergic reactions in sensitised individuals. The current 14 regulated allergens are recognised as the most common and potent allergens of public health concern across Europe. They must be clearly identified on prepacked foods and communicated effectively when eating out.Available evidence, though limited, suggests corn allergy remains rare in the United Kingdom, with no indication of an increasing trend, and it is not part of the current list of regulated allergens.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) ensures that labelling requirements enable consumers to make informed choices about all ingredients, including corn.Food businesses must provide clear and accessible allergen information. For prepacked and prepacked for direct sale foods, this means naming the food and listing all ingredients so consumers can identify allergens before purchase. For non-prepacked foods, such as meals served in restaurants or cafés, the FSA’s Best Practice Guidance, published March 2025, recommends written information supported with a clear conversation with customers about their allergy requirements. Businesses should keep accurate ingredient records and inform consumers if they cannot confirm allergen content. Consumers should declare their allergies when ordering food to help businesses take appropriate steps and reduce risk.At present, the FSA has no plans to amend the list of 14 allergens. It continues to monitor trends through research projects, including National Health Service data analysis and the Patterns and Prevalence of Adult Food Allergy study, and works with the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology and other stakeholders to gather evidence on hidden and emerging allergens.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the personal data of members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme is (a) stored, (b) processed and (c) protected in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Details of how personal data is processed and stored are outlined in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) privacy notice which is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/-/media/documents/member/factsheets/gdpr/dfe-privacy-notice-gdpr-v12-march-2023-for-web.ashx?rev=a6788c6aa67e4ac7b3d3f4df74462add&hash=ACAAEF10BB57B5814744376B519FABA1.The TPS complies fully with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018 and the Data Protection Act 2018.For members requiring additional communication support, the contact us page provides alternative communication options. The scheme also meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and is committed to ensuring accessibility for all members and employers. The accessibility statement on the TPS website explains how the site is designed to be inclusive and is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/public/accessibility.aspx. To maintain service standards, the department monitors the administrator against agreed performance metrics, set out in the TPS administration contract, through established governance arrangements. If contract administration fails to meet established standards and performance metrics, the department can impose financial penalties on the administrator. Where members believe service standards have not been met, they can use a dispute resolution process to raise this. If dissatisfied with the outcome, they may escalate their complaint to the Pensions Ombudsman for independent review.

What performance monitoring and enforcement mechanisms are in place to ensure that the administrative provider of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme delivers services to the agreed standard, and what recourse is available to members should those standards not be met.

Details of how personal data is processed and stored are outlined in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) privacy notice which is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/-/media/documents/member/factsheets/gdpr/dfe-privacy-notice-gdpr-v12-march-2023-for-web.ashx?rev=a6788c6aa67e4ac7b3d3f4df74462add&hash=ACAAEF10BB57B5814744376B519FABA1.The TPS complies fully with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018 and the Data Protection Act 2018.For members requiring additional communication support, the contact us page provides alternative communication options. The scheme also meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and is committed to ensuring accessibility for all members and employers. The accessibility statement on the TPS website explains how the site is designed to be inclusive and is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/public/accessibility.aspx. To maintain service standards, the department monitors the administrator against agreed performance metrics, set out in the TPS administration contract, through established governance arrangements. If contract administration fails to meet established standards and performance metrics, the department can impose financial penalties on the administrator. Where members believe service standards have not been met, they can use a dispute resolution process to raise this. If dissatisfied with the outcome, they may escalate their complaint to the Pensions Ombudsman for independent review.

Whether the service standards and accessibility requirements for the administrator of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme will include provisions to support members with hearing impairments or communication needs when accessing helpline or case-management support.

Details of how personal data is processed and stored are outlined in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) privacy notice which is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/-/media/documents/member/factsheets/gdpr/dfe-privacy-notice-gdpr-v12-march-2023-for-web.ashx?rev=a6788c6aa67e4ac7b3d3f4df74462add&hash=ACAAEF10BB57B5814744376B519FABA1.The TPS complies fully with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018 and the Data Protection Act 2018.For members requiring additional communication support, the contact us page provides alternative communication options. The scheme also meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and is committed to ensuring accessibility for all members and employers. The accessibility statement on the TPS website explains how the site is designed to be inclusive and is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/public/accessibility.aspx. To maintain service standards, the department monitors the administrator against agreed performance metrics, set out in the TPS administration contract, through established governance arrangements. If contract administration fails to meet established standards and performance metrics, the department can impose financial penalties on the administrator. Where members believe service standards have not been met, they can use a dispute resolution process to raise this. If dissatisfied with the outcome, they may escalate their complaint to the Pensions Ombudsman for independent review.

What discussions his Department has had with local authorities on the effectiveness of the implementation of Individual Service Funds under the Care Act 2014.

Under the Care Act 2014, everyone whose needs are met by the local authority (LA) must receive a personal budget as part of the care and support plan. The budget sets out how much of the cost of care will be met by the LA and how much will be met by the adult.Individual Service Funds (ISFs) are one of the ways in which the personal budget can be deployed. It allows for a third-party provider to hold and manage the budget on behalf of the individual.Guidance on ISFs is set out in the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) Guidance, issued under the Care Act 2014. The CASS guidance sets out that LAs should offer ISFs where possible and provide clear information on how they work. Where an ISF arrangement is not available locally, the LA should explore arrangements to develop this offer and should be receptive to requests to create arrangements with specified providers.In addition, and supported by the Department, Think Local Act Personal has produced guidance for LAs on ISFs, which can be found on their website, at the following link:https://thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/resources/individual-service-funds-isfs-and-contracting-for-flexible-support/The Care Quality Commission is assessing how well LAs in England are delivering adult social care by looking at how they are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. The assessments identify LAs strengths and areas for improvement, facilitating the sharing of good practice and helping us to target support where it is most needed.The Department has not had discussions with LAs specifically on the effectiveness of the implementation of ISFs under the Care Act 2014.

Whether she has had discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the regulation of financial promotion content on social media linked to so-called pump-and-dump investment schemes; and what steps her Department is taking to protect consumers from misleading online investment advice.

The UK has a robust regime for identifying and tackling market abuse. It provides the FCA the ability to impose both criminal and regulatory sanctions against perpetrators of market manipulation and insider dealing.The UK’s financial promotions regime is designed to ensure that consumers are provided with clear and accurate information that enables them to make appropriate decisions for their individual circumstances. As a technology-neutral framework, the regime holds financial promotions on social media to the same standards as those on any other channel. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are responsible for enforcing against any financial promotions that are illegal or which do not comply with its rules. The provision of financial advice is an FCA regulated activity and those who provide financial advice need to be authorised by the FCA and have the appropriate qualifications. The FCA can take action against firms or individuals who carry out regulated activity without authorisation. Earlier this year, the FCA led a global week of action against unlawful finfluencers resulting in 650 take down requests on social media platforms in the UK. The government is committed to ensuring that all consumers can access regulated and high-quality sources of advice and support. That is why, together with the FCA, we are developing a new regime called targeted support. This will enable regulated financial services firms to provide more support to give people the confidence to invest. The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), an arm’s length body of the government, also provides comprehensive guidance to support consumers at every stage of their financial lives. Its MoneyHelper website offers information on a wide range of financial topics, including how to assess online and app-based investments, whether to trust investment recommendations on social media, and the risks of following unauthorised financial advice found online.

What guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on offering Individual Service Funds to patients.

Under the Care Act 2014, everyone whose needs are met by the local authority (LA) must receive a personal budget as part of the care and support plan. The budget sets out how much of the cost of care will be met by the LA and how much will be met by the adult.Individual Service Funds (ISFs) are one of the ways in which the personal budget can be deployed. It allows for a third-party provider to hold and manage the budget on behalf of the individual.Guidance on ISFs is set out in the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) Guidance, issued under the Care Act 2014. The CASS guidance sets out that LAs should offer ISFs where possible and provide clear information on how they work. Where an ISF arrangement is not available locally, the LA should explore arrangements to develop this offer and should be receptive to requests to create arrangements with specified providers.In addition, and supported by the Department, Think Local Act Personal has produced guidance for LAs on ISFs, which can be found on their website, at the following link:https://thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/resources/individual-service-funds-isfs-and-contracting-for-flexible-support/The Care Quality Commission is assessing how well LAs in England are delivering adult social care by looking at how they are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. The assessments identify LAs strengths and areas for improvement, facilitating the sharing of good practice and helping us to target support where it is most needed.The Department has not had discussions with LAs specifically on the effectiveness of the implementation of ISFs under the Care Act 2014.

What steps the National Crime Agency is taking to investigate organised financial crime networks coordinating fraud schemes involving overseas equities and UK-based victims; and whether she is making additional enforcement resources available to support those investigations.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) continuously assesses the origin of organised financial networks targeting UK based victims from overseas and does so through in-depth analysis of intelligence from across the public and private sectors.This analysis enables the identification of key jurisdictions of risk which in-turn determines the prioritisation of resources and enrichment of partnerships with international law enforcement, the latter being afforded by the NCA’s niche capability of an international network comprising officers deployed in 50 countries worldwide.Through these relationships, the NCA seek to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups using various tools including protracted joint investigations, capacity building and information sharing. Efforts this year, have resulted in a significant uplift on executive action being undertaken in source countries which have specifically targeted UK victims through high-harm fraud threats types.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients with multiple weight-related health conditions who fall below the current NHS eligibility threshold for tirzepatide, also called Mounjaro, are not excluded from other forms of treatment.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the NHS on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NICE estimated that approximately 3.4 million people are eligible for tirzepatide to treat obesity.The National Health Service is currently rolling out tirzepatide in primary care, prioritising those with the highest clinical need first. NHS England has worked with clinical experts, integrated care boards, patient and public representatives, healthcare professionals, charities and royal colleges on its prioritisation approach, which it set out in its interim commissioning guidance. This is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/interim-commissioning-guidance-implementation-of-the-nice-technology-appraisal-ta1026-and-the-nice-funding-variation-for-tirzepatide-mounjaro-for-the-management-of-obesity/As part of the rollout plans, the NHS will look at different service models, including digital and community options and will speed up roll out if possible. Progress on the NHS rollout of tirzepatide will be reviewed by NICE in three years.For those not currently eligible for tirzepatide, there are a variety of weight management services provided by the NHS and local government. These range from multi-component behavioural programmes to specialist services for those living with severe obesity and associated co-morbidities. All weight management services will have some form of eligibility criteria to ensure that they are targeted at those most likely to benefit. For example, the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme is a behavioural programme primarily aimed at adults living with obesity who also have type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension.

If she will hold discussions with the Equality and Human Rights Commission revise on amending its draft Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations to include guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The EHRC has revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following the consultation and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The EHRC is an independent regulator, and we respect its independence and the role it plays as the equalities regulator. The Government is considering the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the Code will be laid before Parliament for a 40 day period.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure full mobile phone signal in (a) Bedford and (b) Kempston.

In Ofcom’s Connected Nations Spring Update, published on 8 May 2025, it is reported that 4G is available across 100% of the Bedford constituency from all four mobile network operators (MNOs), while 5G is available outside 72% of premises in the constituency from all four operators. Ofcom do not report on coverage at the town level.Communities and businesses right across the UK should rightly expect to have the mobile connectivity they need to participate in the modern digital economy.Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. Government continues to work closely with the MNOs, ensuring that we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment into mobile networks that delivers benefits to communities right across the UK.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including older people in receipt of Attendance Allowance who have significant mobility needs and who are not eligible to claim Personal Independence Payment due to having reached State Pension age in the Motability Scheme.

Qualifying benefits for the Motability Scheme are the enhanced rate mobility component Personal Independence Payment (enhanced rate mobility component Adult Disability Payment in Scotland), higher rate mobility component Disability Living Allowance (higher rate mobility component Child Disability Payment in Scotland), Armed Forces Independence Payment and War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement. Attendance Allowance is intended to help those with a severe disability who have long term care or supervision needs which arise after reaching State Pension age. It has never included a mobility component, and so cannot be used in payment for a leased Motability Scheme vehicle. There is no constraint on what an award of Attendance Allowance can be spent on, and a recipient may choose to use this benefit to fund mobility aids.

Whether he plans to issue revised guidance on the placement of people with Gender Recognition Certificates who have undergone surgery on hospital wards.

NHS England is currently reviewing its Delivering same-sex accommodation guidance and will ensure that it reflects the Supreme Court’s For Women Scotland Ltd v. The Scottish Ministers ruling, and is aligned with the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s statutory Code of Practice (the Code) when that becomes available.