Written questions by Whittome.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support human rights in J(a) Jammu and (b) Kashmir.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 31 March 2025 to Question 39395.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of her Department's changes to the eligibility criteria for funding for master’s degree-level apprenticeships on (a) disabled adults and (b) people whose education has been delayed or interrupted by (i) health, (ii) social and (iii) economic circumstances.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Nottingham East to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57823.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of the DWP office employees in Lincoln; and whether flexible working arrangements will be offered to staff who cannot relocate.

The department currently has excess space. All decisions around estates are driven by departmental strategy to deliver a smaller, better and greener estate. Equality Analysis has been undertaken as part of the decision-making process. Since the announcement, all affected colleagues in Lincoln have been supported through a detailed conversation between each individual and their line manager to assess the personal impact of any closure, and inform consideration of all alternative employment options. Redeployment activity is now underway, looking at vacancies in other DWP locations and other government departments. As a responsible employer, DWP offers flexibility including hybrid working, workplace adjustments and other support, but like other government departments, DWP is not a home working organisation.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a tiered Office for Students registration fee structure that reflects the size and turnover of higher education providers.

​​In line with the recommendation set out in the Independent Review of the Office for Students (OfS), led by former Interim Chair of the OfS David Behan, the government plans to consult on the structure of fees charged to the sector by the OfS. The consultation will allow us to work with the sector to ensure that the system is fair, proportionate, and sustainable. We will be inviting views from across the sector as part of this process. An assessment of financial impacts upon all types of providers will be made as part of this work.​

If she will make an assessment of the financial impact of Office for Students regulatory fees on small higher education providers.

​​In line with the recommendation set out in the Independent Review of the Office for Students (OfS), led by former Interim Chair of the OfS David Behan, the government plans to consult on the structure of fees charged to the sector by the OfS. The consultation will allow us to work with the sector to ensure that the system is fair, proportionate, and sustainable. We will be inviting views from across the sector as part of this process. An assessment of financial impacts upon all types of providers will be made as part of this work.​

If she will make an assessment of the proportionality of data return requirements placed on small higher education providers compared to large universities.

​​Whilst the department recognises that effective regulation brings a certain amount of data burden to those being regulated, we must ensure that English higher education (HE) remains world class, financially stable and good value for students.​The department continues to work with the Office for Students to reduce unnecessary data burden, ensure a proportionate and risk-based approach to regulation, and to ensure the HE regulatory system is clearer, more effective, and more accountable.​

What steps she is taking to enable Ukrainians who arrived via the (a) Homes for Ukraine and (b) Ukraine Family Scheme to settle permanently in the UK.

I refer the Hon Member to the Statement made to the House by the Home Secretary on 1 September 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq on the detention of journalists Sherwan Sherwani and Omed Baroshki.

In August, officials from our Consulate General in Erbil attended the trial of Sherwan Sherwani. This sent a clear signal that the UK Government is closely monitoring the situation and remains engaged in advocating for due process and media freedom.Freedoms of expression, media and association are key parts of the democratic process. Journalists in the Kurdistan Region must be able to operate without fear of harassment, detention, or violence.The UK, alongside international partners, will continue to raise these issues with the Kurdistan Regional Government and press for accountability and reform.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the purchase of Plesan Sandcat armoured vehicles by the Metropolitan Police.

The Foreign Secretary has not had any conversations with his Israeli counterpart on the purchase of Plesan Sandcat armoured vehicles. Questions of police procurement are for the Home Secretary.

What discussions her Department has had with the Metropolitan Police on the (a) purchase and (b) deployment of Plesan Sandcat armoured vehicles.

Decisions around the procurement of equipment, including armoured vehicles, are a matter for operationally independent Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, or Mayoral equivalents, who are best placed to consider the needs of their police force and take decisions in line with their existing budget.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of reducing employer National Insurance contributions for employees returning to work after a year or more of unemployment.

There are a wide range of factors to take into consideration when introducing a tax relief. These include how effective the relief would be at achieving the policy intent, how targeted support would be, whether it adds complexity to the tax system, and the cost. The Government is committed to providing people who are out of work with the personalised support they need to find work, aiding the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. At the Spending Review, the Government increased funding for employment support to over £3.5 billion by 2028-29, helping people to access the skills they need to progress, tackling unemployment and inactivity and ensuring more people are in better jobs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress he has made in developing a new strategy for children in armed conflict.

The latest UN Secretary General's report on Children and Armed Conflict is shocking. It shows that children are being harmed and denied lifesaving aid on an unprecedented scale.In the UN Security Council, the UK has called on all parties to armed conflict to immediately end and prevent grave violations against children, and for perpetrators to be held to account. The UK remains committed to promoting and defending the UN's Children and Armed Conflict mandate.We are engaging with stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of our current approach.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he had discussions with his Syrian counterpart on a timetable for democratic elections in Syria during his recent official visit; and whether it remains his policy to support national elections in Syria.

The Foreign Secretary visited Damascus on 5 July where he renewed UK-Syria relations and discussed the need for an inclusive political transition which delivers for the Syrian people. We welcome the Syrian President Al Sharaa's commitment to hold free and fair elections, and the recent announcement of the Supreme Electoral Committee for the People's Assembly Elections. This is an important step in building legitimate legislative and electoral processes. It is vital now that the process is genuinely inclusive, representative and respects the rights of all Syrians.

What steps his Department is taking to help prevent supply chain disruption for automotive retailers.

We regularly keep the resilience of our automotive supply chains under review to ensure a strong and viable automotive sector. As part of our plan for growth, we will continue to work with investors to build a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK, including through new strategic investments such as DRIVE35 and export support for automotive and battery manufacturing.In parallel, we will explore how to maximise supply chain resilience, including by collaborating with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to cluster electric vehicle manufacturing across our regions starting with pilot projects in the North East and West Midlands.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of new visa requirements on travellers from Trinidad and Tobago; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an exemption for cultural workers from Trinidad and Tobago with confirmed professional work in the UK.

Nationals of Trinidad and Tobago are now required to obtain a visa prior to travelling to the UK. The UK introduced a visitor visa requirement for nationals of Trinidad and Tobago on 12 March 2025 due to the number of nationals of Trinidad and Tobago travelling to the UK for reasons other than those permitted under the Immigration Rules for visitors. This included a significant increase in asylum claims made on arrival at the UK border. Full reasons for the introduction of the visa requirement and a summary of the impact were provided in the Explanatory Memorandum to the changes in the Immigration Rules.We have no plans to introduce a visa exemption for cultural workers. The Creative Worker visa concession is available to individuals who do not require a visa to enter the UK as a visitor. Nationals of Trinidad and Tobago can apply for the Creative Worker route, but are required to obtain a visa before travelling.

What steps she is taking to ensure that HMRC processes tax refunds within a (a) reasonable and (b) transparent timeframe.

HMRC recognises that tax refunds are important for customers, and aims to process repayments as a priority. HMRC’s correspondence service standard is to respond to 80% of priority post within 15 working days. Monthly performance against this standard is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports HMRC’s online services include a ‘Where’s my reply’ tool which provides estimated response times. The tool is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-you-can-expect-a-reply-from-hmrc

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the planned obsolescence of (a) video games and (b) other consumer digital products.

The Government is aware of concerns relating to the continued access to video games, including licensed, online-only video games, and we appreciate the frustrations of players of some games that have been discontinued. The Government has responded to a recent petition on this issue.There are no plans to amend existing consumer law on disabling video games. Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), giving clear advice to consumers. Video game sellers must not omit or hide material information, or provide it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner.

What recent assessment she has made of the financial sustainability of the higher education funding model.

Higher education (HE) providers are independent from government and as such are responsible for making the financial decisions that support their long-term sustainability.To support providers in stabilising their finances, the Office for Students (OfS) continues to dedicate significant resources to ensuring the sector's financial sustainability. We have appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, and he will play a key role in strengthening this commitment while also expanding opportunities in HE.Additionally, we have made the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits by 3.1%, in line with inflation, from the 2025/26 academic year.The government also provides funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) on an annual basis to support teaching and students. This includes funding to support teaching of expensive-to-deliver subjects such as science and engineering, access and participation of students from under-represented groups, and world-leading specialist providers. The total SPG for the 2025/26 financial year will be £1,348 million in recurrent (programme) grant and £84 million for capital to support teaching and learning.We aim to publish our plans for HE reform soon as part of the Post-16 Skills White Paper, and will work with the sector and the OfS to deliver the change that the country needs.

What recent progress she has made on the reform of business rates.

The Government is creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.At Autumn Budget 2024, we took the first step with the announcement of permanently lower tax rates for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure properties with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27.Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier.The Budget announcements reflect the Government’s first steps to support the high street. We want to go further to modernise the system, and so, we have published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform.In summer, the Government will publish an interim report that sets out a clear direction of travel for the business rates system, with further policy detail to follow at Autumn Budget 2025.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a tiered business rates system to support (a) emerging and (b) small businesses.

The Government is creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.At Autumn Budget 2024, we took the first step with the announcement of permanently lower tax rates for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure properties with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27.Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier.The Budget announcements reflect the Government’s first steps to support the high street. We want to go further to modernise the system, and so, we have published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform.In summer, the Government will publish an interim report that sets out a clear direction of travel for the business rates system, with further policy detail to follow at Autumn Budget 2025.