Written questions by Bailey.

Which Horizon Shortfall Scheme payments are 1) exempt from tax and 2) subject to tax, and whether these taxation rules apply to all historical payments already paid out.

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) is designed to put postmasters back into the position they would have been in ‘but for’ Horizon, and no one will pay more tax than at the time of the shortfalls. All fully assessed HSS awards are paid gross and taxable in the year in which redress is paid, unlike other schemes where awards are paid after tax deductions. To avoid claimants being unduly affected, HSS provides a tax top-up, so redress is not reduced. Postmasters also receive £1,200 for independent tax advice and help with tax returns. Payments related to the fixed-sum option on HSS, and associated top-ups, are tax exempt.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made in ensuring British-Egyptian national Alaa Abd El-Fattah's safe travel to the UK.

As I stated in the latest session of FCDO Oral Questions on 2 December, the Prime Minister raised this case with President Sisi on 18 November, and the Foreign Secretary has pressed for Mr el-Fattah's return on multiple occasions with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, most recently on 25 November. Mr el-Fattah must be allowed to return to the UK and be reunited with his family.

Which train companies contracted to her Department utilise Withdrawal of Implied Permission notices.

Usage of Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) notices are an operational matter for the train operating company or Network Rail. The Department does not hold data on which operators utilise WIPs.

Whether the sanction of a Withdrawal of Implied Permission notice by one Train Operating Company is confined to the services of the train operating company applying that sanction.

Individuals who have been issued with a full Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) will be banned from accessing the station the WIP was issued from and will be prohibited from using any train of that particular train operating company that passes through the same station.

What data she holds on the use of Withdrawal of Implied Permission notices by train operating companies.

Use of Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) notices is an operational matter for the train operating companies. The Department does not hold data on WIP notices.

What steps she is taking to support the development of a railway-wide Withdrawal of Implied Permission notice.

The Department keeps security under constant review, however no change of policy for Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) is planned at this stage.

What guidance she has given to train companies contracted to her Department on the usage of Withdrawal of Implied Permission notices.

Usage of Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) notices are an operational matter for the train operating company or Network Rail and the Department does not issue guidance.The Rail Delivery Group are able to provide guidance to operators on WIP notices.

What plans he has to allow for an adequate level of parliamentary scrutiny of the delivery of the planned child poverty strategy.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The Child Poverty Taskforce will publish a Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn that will deliver measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. The Strategy publication will set out how we intend to monitor and evaluate delivery of the strategy from this year and in future years.

Whether he plans to include targets on reducing child poverty within the planned child poverty strategy.

The Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish a Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn that will deliver measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. The publication will set out how we intend to monitor and evaluate the impacts of the strategy from this year and in future years. Our focus is on bringing about an enduring reduction in child poverty in this parliament, as part of a 10-year Strategy for lasting change. More details will be set out in the strategy publication.

Whether the Child Poverty Strategy will end the two-child limit on Universal Credit.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The Child Poverty Taskforce will publish a Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn that will deliver measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. The Strategy will look at all available levers, including social security changes, across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience, and better local support especially in the early years. The commitments we have made at the 2025 Spending Review and since are a downpayment on our Child Poverty Strategy, which will build on the expansion of free breakfast clubs, extension of free school meals to all households claiming Universal Credit, national minimum wage boost and the cap on Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate.

What funding his Department is providing to support the development of reliable prostate cancer screening tests.

The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the evidence for prostate cancer screening in 2020 and recommended against it due to the insufficient reliability of the best available test, the prostate specific antigen test (PSA test).The committee is currently undertaking a new evidence review of prostate cancer screening at both a population level and for targeted high-risk groups such as black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer.However, the reliability of the PSA test remains an issue, which is why the Government has invested £16 million into Prostate Cancer UK’s TRANSFORM trial to investigate whether different tests and more modern treatments can both detect important prostate cancers and reduce the harm of a large scale, population screening programme.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of a national screening programme for prostate cancer.

The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the evidence for prostate cancer screening in 2020 and recommended against it due to the insufficient reliability of the best available test, the prostate specific antigen test (PSA test).The committee is currently undertaking a new evidence review of prostate cancer screening at both a population level and for targeted high-risk groups such as black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer.However, the reliability of the PSA test remains an issue, which is why the Government has invested £16 million into Prostate Cancer UK’s TRANSFORM trial to investigate whether different tests and more modern treatments can both detect important prostate cancers and reduce the harm of a large scale, population screening programme.

What discussions he has had with businesses on the steps they are taking to (a) identify and (b) prevent forms of support that help to maintain unlawful occupation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law. The overseas business risk guidance, available on gov.uk, states there are clear risks to UK operators related to economic and financial activities in the settlements. UK citizens and businesses should be aware of the potential reputational implications of involvement in economic and financial activities in settlements, as well as possible abuses of the rights of individuals that such activity may entail. We discourage such activity and advise that those contemplating any economic or financial involvement in settlements should seek appropriate legal advice. Separately, we are conducting a review of Responsible Business Conduct, focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK, as outlined in our Trade Strategy.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of updating building (a) requirements and (b) regulations to make it mandatory to display a street building number on the outside of a building.

The government has made no assessment of the merits of updating Building Regulations to accommodate street building numbers on the outside of buildings.Local authorities already use their legal powers to manage requirements for street and building numbering.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations for UN member states in the UN Human Rights Council Conference Room Paper of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel entitled Legal analysis of the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, published on 16 September 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 June 2025 to Question 55524.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) identify and (b) prevent forms of support that help to maintain unlawful occupation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 September to Question 73423.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what further steps she plans to take to encourage the Egyptian authorities to release Alaa Abd El-Fattah.

Alaa Abd El-Fattah was released from prison on 23 September 2025, following a Presidential pardon.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international allies on the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah.

Alaa Abd El-Fattah was released from prison on 23 September 2025, following a Presidential pardon.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she next expects to discuss the case of detained British national Alaa Abd el-Fattah with her Egyptian counterpart.

Alaa Abd El-Fattah was released from prison on 23 September 2025, following a Presidential pardon.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ending the Strategic Priorities Grant funding for journalism courses in higher education on students from different social and economic backgrounds seeking employment in professional journalism.

The Government has had to make tough prioritisation decisions driven by the challenging fiscal context that we inherited. For the Department of Education, this has meant prioritising support for high-cost subjects that are essential to delivery of our industrial strategy and core funding to support access to higher education for disadvantaged groups. It is important that the targeted funding allocated through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) supports courses that have higher costs of delivery and our Plan for Growth.The Government’s commitment that opportunity is available for all remains unwavering, and we will achieve this by addressing gaps in access and outcomes faced by disadvantaged groups. That is why we have asked that the Office for Students retain the per-student funding rates for the full-time, part-time, disabled premium and mental health Student Premiums at their current level.  We have also maintained funding for Uni Connect, which delivers targeted interventions and support aimed at increasing the number of young people from under-represented groups going into further and higher education.The Government also remains committed to supporting the invaluable role which journalism plays in the fabric of our society. We acknowledge journalism as an important and valued subject in higher education, alongside numerous other subjects that do not attract SPG high-cost subject funding, such as history, languages, economics, maths and law.DCMS officials are engaging with the Department for Education, as well as the press sector and the key journalism professional bodies, to better understand the impact this will have on the journalism industry. These discussions form part of our planning for the DCMS Local Media Strategy. It is important to maintain a healthy and diverse pipeline of talent into the industry through the provision of journalism education opportunities. With this in mind, we are exploring through the Strategy whether more can be done to promote journalism as a career amongst young people, including through the DCMS-funded Creative Careers Programme which is intended to promote careers in the creative industries among young people and recently added the National Council for the Training of Journalists to its steering group.