Written questions by Barker.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Government's decision not to implement the recommendations of the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024, on affected women.

Equality Analysis was published as part of the Government response to Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension age communications and associated issues, which is available at the following link: Government response to Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension age communications and associated issues - GOV.UK

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase in university tuition fees on university enrolment.

An Equality Impact Assessment of changes to tuition fees and student support for the 2025/26 academic year was published on GOV.UK on 20 January when the Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 were laid before Parliament. These regulations increase maximum tuition fee limits in 2025/26 by 3.1%, based on forecast inflation using the RPI All Items Excl Mortgage Interest (RPIX) inflation index.The government expects that a 3.1% increase in maximum tuition fees, which will be accompanied by a similar increase in fee loans in 2025/26 for full-time, full-time accelerated and part-time undergraduate courses, will have a broadly neutral impact as the total level of debt for students who qualify for up-front tuition fee loans should remain unchanged in real terms.The government also considers that the increase in maximum tuition fees will not significantly alter participation decisions for most students as the value of tuition fees will remain unchanged in real terms.The government plans to lay further regulations in February increasing maximum fee loans for 2025/26 by 3.1%.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) Pensions Act 1995 and (b) Pensions Act 2011 on women.

No recent assessments have been made.

What steps her Department is taking to help (a) prevent (i) serious delays and (ii) cancellations and (b) provide adequate alternate travel provisions when weather conditions cause severe disruptions in the North West.

The Department requires train operating companies and Network Rail to put in place measures to avoid, where possible, the potential impact of disruption including as a result of weather. Network Rail owns and is responsible for maintaining railway infrastructure to ensure passenger and freight services operate safely. Officials hold regular discussions with Network Rail and industry to ensure severe weather preparedness plans are in place with clear mitigations to reduce the impacts of weather on punctuality and reliability. Network Rail Routes liaise closely with train operators to ensure comprehensive checklists are in place and to align customer messaging. Extreme Weather Action Telecons (EWATs) are stood up in anticipation of adverse or extreme weather conditions likely to impact upon rail networks, attended by Network Rail, British Transport Police, the Rail Delivery Group, train operators and the Department. EWATs coordinate the response to severe weather, for example by prepositioning people, equipment, assets to at-risk areas and implementing speed restrictions and emergency timetables where appropriate. Where services need to be cancelled, train operators will seek to provide alternative transport where possible, although there may be instances where this is not viable.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment on the potential merits of rolling out Housing First pilots to all combined authorities.

The three Housing First pilot areas secured funding up to March 2025 through the Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25. From April 2025, local and combined authorities have the flexibility to choose to continue provision of their Housing First or Housing Led services through the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant allocations.The Deputy Prime Minister is also leading cross-government work to develop a strategy to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. Work to develop the strategy also includes working with representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector, local and combined authorities and wider experts to assess what is working well nationally and locally and where improvements are needed.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill on disabled people in receipt of the Personal Independence Payment.

The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill will help the Government to better identify, prevent and deter public sector fraud and error and enable the better recovery of debt owed to the taxpayer. Safeguarding vulnerable claimants is always a priority. All the powers included in the Bill include strong safeguards ensuring they are used appropriately and proportionately – including new oversight and reporting mechanisms.

What support is available for pensioners to assist with pension credit applications.

The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to. We know there are low-income pensioners who are not claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. We encourage all pensioners who may be eligible for Pension Credit to use the Pension Credit calculator - GOV.UK to check eligibility and to use our online Pension Credit claims process. Claims for Pension Credit can be made online at: www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim. The service is available to use 24/7, and provides those who may struggle to make their claim alone the flexibility to have a friend or family member to support them when making their claim at a time that is most convenient to them. Pension Credit claims can also be made through the Freephone telephone number 0800 99 1234, and there is an option to complete a paper application form. DWP Agents and third-party organisations are available to support customers with the application process. For customers who are unable to complete forms themselves a home visit from a visiting officer can be arranged. For customers who are deaf and use British Sign Language a Video Relay Service (known as VRS) is available and for customers who cannot hear or speak on the phone, can use Relay UK service. Further information can be found on Gov.uk Pension Credit easy read.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure humanitarian aid continues to reach Gaza throughout the ceasefire; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to encourage a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine.

A ceasefire is just the first step towards a lasting solution to this crisis. Crucially, we need to see a sustained surge of aid into Gaza, and we will work with Israel, the UN and all partners to facilitate that. We have provided £112 million this financial year to the Occupied Palestinian territories, including £41 million for United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The UK is ready to play a leading role with international and regional partners, in securing a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people, based on tangible progress towards a Palestinian state, with Gaza and the West Bank united under one government. Palestinians must be given a credible route to a Palestinian state, which is the right of the Palestinian people. We will continue working with partners to support a path to long term peace and stability with a two-state solution: a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of potential impact of the cost of energy required to power AI capabilities on the feasibility of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, published on 13 January 2025.

The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how we will achieve our AI ambitions by laying the foundations for AI growth, driving adoption and building UK capability at the frontier.We recognise that data centres face sustainability challenges, from energy demands to water use. Through the AI Energy Council, we will be exploring bold, clean energy solutions — from next-generation renewables to small modular reactors — to ensure our AI ambitions align with the UK’s net zero goals.This builds on DSIT’s contribution to make Britain a clean energy superpower by investing in relevant research on clean energy and climate change.

Innovation and Technology, whether artificial intelligence is being used to make decisions on individual caseworks (a) across government departments, (b) in the Home Office and (c) in the Department for Work and Pensions.

Individual departments have responsibility for their specific adoption of Artificial Intelligence. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) supports their adoption by providing frameworks, guidance and a community of practice. DSIT is currently implementing the mandatory rollout of the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS) which establishes a standardised way for public sector organisations to publish information about how and why they are using algorithmic tools.Artificial Intelligence is not being used within the Home Office to make caseworking decisions. DWP does not use artificial intelligence to make decisions in relation to fraud and error. All decisions that impact payments involve human intervention.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) Greater Manchester Combined Authority, (b) the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and (c) the West Midlands Combined Authority on the future of the Housing First pilots.

My officials and advisers work closely with local and combined authorities to review and explore options to respond to homelessness and rough sleeping in their areas, including through Housing First where appropriate.Government funding for the Housing First pilots, paid through the Rough Sleeping Initiative in 2024/25, has been consolidated into wider funding in 2025/26 through the £185.6 million Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant. Local and combined authorities have been given the flexibility to determine the most effective services, driven by local need, to be delivered to support individuals sleeping rough, at risk of sleeping rough, or at risk of returning to rough sleeping, which may include Housing First provision.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of deaths by suicide as a result of (a) domestic violence and (b) emotional abuse.

The Home Office is working to develop the evidence base on suicides that follow domestic abuse through funding research into the Domestic Homicide Project, which captures information on suicides with a known history of domestic abuse from all 43 police forces in England and Wales.In the latest published data capturing deaths from April 2022 to March 2023, 242 deaths were counted, with 93 deaths (38%) classified as suspected suicides following domestic abuse. The full report can be found at the following link: https://www.vkpp.org.uk/vkpp-work/domestic-homicide-project/However, we recognise that the number identified in the report does not represent all suicides linked to domestic abuse and that more needs to be done to identify these tragic deaths. The scale of violence against women and girls is intolerable and this Government will treat it as the national emergency that it is. The Government is committed to halving violence against women and girls in a decade, and preventing domestic abuse related deaths is a key part of that mission

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to provide development support to Cuba in the context of that country's removal from the US state sponsor of terrorism list.

The decision to remove Cuba from the US State Sponsor of Terrorism List has now been reversed by the new administration in Washington. The UK has contributed to the response to humanitarian crises in Cuba, including most recently through the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) following the hurricanes which affected Cuba in October and November 2024. The UK is one of the largest overall donor countries to CERF and has supported the agency's work since its creation.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning social media for under-16s.

We continue to consider all options in the pursuit of online safety for children. We live in a digital age and it is important we strike the right balance. Our priority is the effective implementation of the Online Safety Act so children can benefit from its wide-reaching protections as quickly as possible. We are building the evidence base to inform any future action and have launched a research project looking at the links between social media and children’s wellbeing.

Communities and Local Government, what her Department's target date is to ensure that homeless households with children are not housed in bed and breakfast accommodation longer than the statutory six weeks maximum.

Too many children are spending years in temporary accommodation, at a point in their lives when they need space to play and develop, nutritious food to thrive and access to education. We must build more homes so we can reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation.MHCLG’s dedicated team of homelessness advisers continue to work closely with local authorities under the highest bed and breakfast (B&B) pressures, including to develop B&B elimination plans, to reduce families being placed in this accommodation for longer than six weeks.The Government will also work with 20 local authorities with the highest levels of B&B use for temporary accommodation through a new programme of Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives.All temporary accommodation must be safe and suitable for households with babies and children, and we are taking action to improve standards across the housing sector. The death of any child is devastating, and we must do all we can to prevent avoidable deaths. The Homelessness Code of Guidance is therefore clear that temporary accommodation should not be considered suitable for a family with children under 2 if there is not enough space for a cot and that housing authorities should support families to secure a cot where needed.Housing authorities must, as a minimum, ensure that all temporary accommodation is free of Category 1 hazards as identified by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). Housing authorities have a continuing obligation to keep the suitability of accommodation under review, and to respond to any relevant change in circumstances which may affect suitability. Households may request a review of their accommodation if they feel it is unsuitable.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to help (a) Ministers and (b) officials from other departments fully participate in the Inter Ministerial Group on Homelessness.

The Deputy Prime Minister chairs an Inter-Ministerial Group which includes Ministers from across government and is focused on developing a long-term strategy to get us back on track to ending homelessness, an urgent priority for this Government. Departments include the Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office, Department for Health and Social Care, Ministry of Justice, Department for Education, Ministry of Defence, His Majesty’s Treasury, in addition to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.The Inter-Ministerial Group is supported by a senior officials' board from the same departments. This is alongside regular bilateral meetings between Ministers on the key issues arising.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of standards of temporary accommodation on child infant mortality.

Too many children are spending years in temporary accommodation, at a point in their lives when they need space to play and develop, nutritious food to thrive and access to education. We must build more homes so we can reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation.MHCLG’s dedicated team of homelessness advisers continue to work closely with local authorities under the highest bed and breakfast (B&B) pressures, including to develop B&B elimination plans, to reduce families being placed in this accommodation for longer than six weeks.The Government will also work with 20 local authorities with the highest levels of B&B use for temporary accommodation through a new programme of Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives.All temporary accommodation must be safe and suitable for households with babies and children, and we are taking action to improve standards across the housing sector. The death of any child is devastating, and we must do all we can to prevent avoidable deaths. The Homelessness Code of Guidance is therefore clear that temporary accommodation should not be considered suitable for a family with children under 2 if there is not enough space for a cot and that housing authorities should support families to secure a cot where needed.Housing authorities must, as a minimum, ensure that all temporary accommodation is free of Category 1 hazards as identified by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). Housing authorities have a continuing obligation to keep the suitability of accommodation under review, and to respond to any relevant change in circumstances which may affect suitability. Households may request a review of their accommodation if they feel it is unsuitable.

What actions is her Department taking to mitigate the rise in employer NI contributions on the homelessness charities.

In order to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). HMRC published on 13 November a Tax Information and Impact Note that covers the impact on charities as employers of the changes. The Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no NICs.More broadly, within the tax system, we provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving, with more than £6 billion in charitable reliefs provided to charities, CASCs and their donors in 2023 -24.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of women murdered by domestic abusers in (a) England and Wales and (b) Merseyside in each of the last five years.

The latest published data on the number domestic homicides between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in (a) England and Wales and (b) Merseyside can be found in the table below.Table: Number of domestic homicides of women aged 16 and over, Merseyside and England and Wales, 2018/19 to 2022/23 2018/192019/202020/212021/222022/23Merseyside33324England and Wales11088788370The scale of violence against women and girls is intolerable and this Government will treat it as the national emergency that it is. The Government has made it our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and tackling domestic homicide is a key part of that mission.Domestic homicide is a horrific crime that disproportionately impacts women. Every death linked to domestic abuse should be considered for a Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) to ensure that national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole continues to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treats every death as preventable.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has set up expert boards for homelessness policy.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected.The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.We have also established an Expert Group to bring together representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector, local and combined authorities and wider experts. The role of this expert group is to provide knowledge, analysis and challenge to help Government understand what is working well nationally and locally and where improvements are needed.As well as work on the Inter-Ministerial Group and Expert Group we are also working closely with the sector to deliver a number of lived experience forums to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are reflected in the homelessness strategy. We will continue to meet with a range of stakeholders, including mayors and MPs, to make sure the strategy is informed by a range of expertise.