Written questions by Whittome.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate mental health support is provided to Physician Associates following the publication of the Leng Review.

The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is hugely important. Following the publication of the Leng Review, NHS England has written to NHS trusts, integrated care boards, and primary care networks reiterating their responsibilities to their staff as employers, including treating them with compassion and providing pastoral support where required. Importantly, it has also written directly to the staff most affected by the recommendations, setting out where they can find support if required. Employers across the NHS have their own arrangements in place in line with their duty of care for supporting their staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and board level scrutiny through health and wellbeing guardians.

Whether she consulted people with direct experience of the immigration system prior to designing the (a) settlement and (b) citizenship changes proposed in the Immigration White Paper.

The Government will consult on the settlement and citizenship changes, proposed in the Immigration White Paper, later in 2025. Changes to the citizenship system will align with changes being made in respect to settlement. Any changes to statutory requirements for citizenship will require an amendment to the British Nationality Act 1981, which will go through the usual parliamentary process.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of Saudi Arabia on the death sentences given to (a) Rami Gamal Shafik al-Najjar, (b) Ahmed Zeinhom Omar, (c) Hesham Al Teles, (d) Abdelfattah Kamal, (e) Issam Al Shazly, (f) Mohamed Saad and (g) Omar Sherif.

The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and circumstances. We regularly discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities, including individual cases of concern. I raised the cases of several Egyptian nationals with the Saudi authorities this year. The Government will continue to engage on this matter.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will place restrictions on the trade of British-manufactured equipment with Israel in circumstances where there is evidence of a risk that such equipment will be used to facilitate the construction of illegal settlements.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 3 July to Question 62975.

When she plans to publish guidance on cross-pavement electric vehicle charging solutions.

In December 2024, the Government published cross-pavement guidance to help local authorities understand what they need to consider for the roll-out of cross-pavement solutions. This includes relevant permissions, minimum existing standards, responsibilities and case studies. In addition to the guidance, in July 2025 Government announced the £25 million Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels Grant to further support local authorities to adopt pavement channels as part of their local charging strategies.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities have adequate resource capacity to enforce the Renters' Rights Bill.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 32068 on 5 March 2025.

What steps she is taking to ensure that SMEs (a) are not misled by banks (b) are not unfairly charged and (c) can access the financial services they need.

The Government recognises the vital role that financial services play in supporting millions of SMEs across the UK. We are committed to ensuring that SMEs are treated fairly by banks and have access to the financial services they need.The provision of business banking services is largely a commercial matter, but there are certain regulatory and statutory protections afforded to SMEs. Notably, Consumer Credit Act protections apply to certain small businesses (sole traders, unincorporated bodies and two or three person partnerships). The FCA is able to investigate issues where this falls within their regulatory remit and the application of the Consumer Duty to micro-enterprises.In addition, the Financial Ombudsman Service has jurisdiction over 99% of business banking disputes, providing a wide safety-net for businesses and an important avenue for redress if SMEs feel they have been misled, unfairly charged or mistreated.Earlier this year, the Government also legislated to strengthen customer protection standards in cases where banks and other payment service providers close accounts or terminate services. As a result, under the new requirements, both personal and business customers will be given more notice of closures and will be entitled to a sufficient explanation for their provider’s actions. More widely, the Government is committed to encouraging competition in financial services to help stimulate a strong and diverse market for SMEs and improve access to finance. While we continue to monitor issues relating to accessing financial services, service provision and charging models remain commercial matters for individual firms.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing the annual Cash ISA allowance on older savers.

ISAs incentivise saving and investment for future goals by providing tax advantages to individual taxpayers. The Government recognises the important role that cash savings play in helping households build a financial buffer for a rainy day. The Government continues to consider reforms to ISAs and savings to achieve the right balance between cash savings and investment and ensure better outcomes for both savers and the UK economy.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the transparency of business bank account fees.

The Government recognises the importance of transparency in business bank account fees, enabling businesses to make informed choices when selecting banking services. It is important that businesses shop around for their banking needs as this drives competition, improves choice and helps keep prices competitive. There are a number of policies that help facilitate this: small businesses with fewer than 50 employees and an annual turnover of less than £6.5m are able to use the current account switch service – designed to make it easier to shop around for their business current account. The Financial Conduct Authority, as the independent regulator, sets requirements for banks to ensure that fees and charges are communicated clearly and fairly to customers, where such activity falls within its regulatory remit.

What assessment she has made of (a) the potential impact of the benefit cap on poverty rates among larger families and (b) the potential merits of its abolition.

No assessment has been made. This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in autumn, that will deliver fully funded measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. We are considering all available levers, including considering social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy.

Whether it is her policy to retain the fair and reasonable remit of the Financial Ombudsman Service, in the context of fraud complaints.

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) plays an important role in providing consumers with a cost-free and quick route to resolve disputes with financial services firms. My recent review of the FOS concluded that the framework in which it operates has resulted in it acting as a quasi-regulator in a small but significant minority of cases. That is why, as part of the Leeds Reforms, the Chancellor announced the most significant package of reforms to the FOS since its inception. The review concluded that the ‘fair and reasonable’ test should be retained and adapted, to align it with the overall regulatory approach for financial services and provide greater predictability and consistency to consumers and firms. The government is currently consulting on proposed legislation to adapt the ‘fair and reasonable’ test to make clear that, where conduct complained of is in scope of FCA rules, compliance with those rules will mean that a firm has acted fairly and reasonably. It also proposes a mechanism for the FOS to refer a case to the FCA where there is ambiguity about FCA rules, to request a view on how its rules are intended to be applied, to ensure consistent application of regulatory standards by the FOS. Regarding fraud, victims of fraud who wish to make a complaint about their financial services provider will continue to be able to bring complaints to the FOS, and the proposed changes to the legislative framework under which the FOS operates will not affect the FOS’s role in handling these complaints.

What steps she is taking to help tackle the backlog of possession proceedings in court (a) in advance and (b) on implementation of the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The most recent published statistics show the median time from claim to order falls within the Civil Procedure Rules stipulation that possession claims should be listed within 4 to 8 weeks. HMCTS is making improvements to bailiff recruitment and retention practices to ensure staffing resources are available to enforce judgments made by the County Courts in those cases where it is subsequently needed.The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the justice system is fully prepared for the implementation of the Renters Rights’ Bill.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to issue guidance to local authorities on when they should accept that there is a housing duty after the abolition of Section 21 notices.

Following Royal Assent of the Renters’ Rights Bill, the government will make any necessary amendments to the Homelessness Code of Guidance.Ahead of these changes, we will engage closely with local authorities and other relevant stakeholders to help them prepare for the Bill’s implementation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Israeli government's E1 settlement plan.

On 21 August, the Foreign Secretary and 26 international partners joined a statement condemning the E1 settlement development. The Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom was also summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in response to the plans. The decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, East of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution. We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms. The Israeli government must stop settlement construction in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve air quality.

The Government is developing a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced. This includes action to reduce harmful emissions from domestic burning and reforms to the industrial permitting regime. We remain committed to working closely with local authorities, industry, and the public to shape practical, proportionate policies that deliver cleaner air and improve public health.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of using tablets for the Reception Baseline Assessment on children's (a) cognitive and (b) social development; and what guidance her Department has issued to schools on ensuring that the use of tablets in the classroom is balanced with traditional learning methods.

The digital elements of the reception baseline assessment (RBA) have been in development since 2019 and subject to extensive trials with teachers and pupils, using the Standards and Testing Agency’s internationally recognised assessment development approach. This has included item validation trials in 2020, 2021 and 2023 involving 2,801 pupils across 277 schools, and a technical pre-test trial in 2022 where 2,406 assessments were completed across a nationally representative sample of 254 schools. In November and December 2024, a voluntary trial involving over 1,000 schools took place, and participating schools undertook key activities needed to administer the assessment, including completing a sample assessment with three pupils. Input from the trials and extensive review by early years experts and teachers has helped shape the content and the digital platform to meet the needs of schools and pupils.The revised RBA remains interactive and play-based, retaining the use of small toys and verbal responses for other questions. Pupils can respond verbally to on-screen questions if they do not wish to interact with the screen, and a paper-based alternative is available where this is more suitable for the pupil.Schools, trusts, and local authorities are responsible for making decisions that best meet their educational and operational needs regarding the use of technology in the classroom. The department does not set specific requirements for how often schools should use tablets. To help schools make informed decisions when procuring technology, the department has published advice and guidance to schools through the digital and technology standards and the plan technology for your school service.

What steps he is taking to (a) improve awareness and understanding of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy among healthcare professionals across all regions of England, and (b) ensure earlier and more accurate diagnosis of the condition.

Under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as progressive supranuclear palsy. This includes helping patients get a final diagnosis faster and increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals.With over 7,000 rare diseases, it is not possible for healthcare professionals to receive comprehensive training on every condition. It is therefore important that they are aware of rare diseases more broadly and are alert to considering them. The 2025 England Rare Diseases Action Plan updates on progress to increase awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals, including:- Launching new resources on the innovative digital educational resource, GeNotes;- Developing a communication skills resource to aid healthcare professionals in having sensitive conversations to ensure the patient feels supported in their diagnosis of a rare condition; and- Developing a range of training and educational resources on rare diseases to include rare diseases in UK health professional education and training frameworks.Another priority of the Framework is to help patients get a final diagnosis faster. Progress has been made over the last year, including research commissioned to better understand what causes delays in diagnosis, the Generation Study to pilot whole genome sequencing of newborns in the NHS being launched, and the work of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service.

What estimate her Department has made of the long-term (a) economic, (b) environmental and (c) operational costs of pausing the next phase of the electrification of the Midland Main Line.

Midland Main Line electrification was considered as part of the Spending Review, which prioritised investment across all government spending, taking account of business cases and affordability. Continuing electrification to Nottingham and Sheffield is lower value for money, due to rising costs and as a consequence of the environmental and operational benefits already delivered through electrification of the route. Electrification between Kettering and Wigston was completed earlier this year and, together with enhancements south of Bedford, will enable the bi-mode intercity services being introduced by East Midlands Railway to operate using electric traction.

What steps she is taking to (a) improve rail capacity and (b) reduce railway-related emissions in the East Midlands.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) will introduce new bi-mode Class 810 Intercity ‘Aurora’ trains with a phased rollout running through 2026. These new trains will support greener travel making use of the Midlands Main Line electrification between London and Leicester, significantly reducing emissions compared to the diesel Class 222 trains they replace. When fully operational the Class 810 trains will provide a 46 per cent increase in capacity to passengers through a combination of more seats and train carriages.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of limiting the right to jury trial on civil liberties.

The right to a fair trial is a well-established common law principle in England and Wales to which this government remains committed. A fair trial can be achieved by alternative modes of trial and currently over 90% of criminal cases are heard in the magistrates’ courts, without a jury. Jury trials are a cornerstone of our justice system and will remain in place for the most serious cases, however, we must consider bold action to tackle the rising backlog. Sir Brian Leveson has published the first part of his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, setting out a number of recommendations on the use of jury trials in the Crown Court.The right to a fair trial is a well-established common law principle in England and Wales to which this government remains committed. A fair trial can be achieved by alternative modes of trial and currently over 90% of criminal cases are heard in the magistrates’ courts, without a jury. We are carefully considering Sir Brian’s proposals before setting out the Government’s full response in the autumn.