Written questions by Smith.

What her planned sequencing and timetable is for (a) publication of the draft Great British Railways licence for parliamentary scrutiny and formal consultation, (b) consultation led by the Office of Rail and Road on the Retail Code of Practice and (c) finalisation of those documents; and whether Parliament will be able to scrutinise the draft licence before the passage of the Railways Bill.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to Question 88358 Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament Further information on the GBR licence can be found in the Railways Bill factsheet: holding Great British Railways to accountThere will also be a full consultation on the retail code of practice, and further detail will be confirmed in due course. Further information on the code of practice can be found at Railways Bill factsheet: tickets and retail.

With reference to the oral evidence to the Transport Committee on Wednesday 7 January 2026 on the Railways Bill, how structural separation between retail functions and cross-industry management functions of Great British Railway will operate, including governance, accounting, decision-making and information-sharing arrangements; where this separation will be formally set out; and when she plans to publish further details.

To ensure fair and open competition when Great British Railways (GBR) has a dual role as a retailer and provider of wider retail industry management functions, the government has announced a robust package of safeguards. These are a Code of Practice, with the force of a GBR licence condition; separation of decision-making between GBR’s retailer and its cross-industry systems and services; and ORR monitoring and enforcement of GBR’s adherence with the Code of Practice. The retail Code of Practice will incorporate clear requirements for how GBR should interact with all market participants. There will be full consultation on the Code of Practice, and further detail will be confirmed in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the governance, transparency and accountability of the Police Federation of England and Wales in the context of the remuneration of the General Secretary; and what steps she is taking to ensure effective oversight of statutory bodies funded by mandatory subscriptions.

We ask police officers to do a unique and challenging job, so it is vital that they have effective and robust representation of their interests through the Police Federation of England and Wales.The Police Federation must be fully accountable to its members and transparent in its use of members’ subscriptions, including the remuneration of those who lead the organisation.We expect the Police Federation to ensure timely publication of its accounts and to give clarity about its future governance and transformation, as key factors in being open and accountable to its members.

Communities and Local Government, what regard he has given to representations from the Gardens Trust about his Department's plans to remove it as a statutory consultee in the planning system.

On 17 November 2025, my Department published a consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system. That consultation closed on 13 January 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here. No decision will be made on the Garden Trust’s role until responses to the consultation have been fully analysed and considered.

Innovation and Technology, whether she will make the UK AISI/Thorn Recommended Practice for AI-G CSEA Prevention mandatory for artificial intelligence developers.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 January 2026 to Questions UIN104313, UIN104352 and UIN104434.

What funding her Department has allocated to tackling violence against women and girls since 5 July 2024.

The Home Office allocated £74 million in FY2024/2025 and £122.3 million in FY2025/2026 to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).Our investment funds a range of vital frontline support services to victims of VAWG, improving police response to VAWG and tackling the root causes of VAWG.The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. The cross-government VAWG Strategy,published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver our unprecedented commitment to halve VAWG in a decade. The Strategy is backed by at least £1 billion funding across government over the spending review period.

Which department has lead responsibility for policy on online pornography regulation; and with reference to Baroness Bertin's independent report entitled Creating a Safer World – the Challenge of Regulating Online Pornography, published in February 2025, what assessment she has made of that report's finding that fragmented Government responsibilities impede effective regulation of online pornography.

Baroness Bertin’s independent report made 32 recommendations, including on governance and oversight of pornography policy. The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025 commits to creating a joint team to address the issues detailed in the report. As this team is not yet set up, I am answering this question from the Cabinet Office, as there is currently no lead department for this work. The team will be formed by the Home Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Ministry of Justice and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It will examine the evidence to inform the government’s approach to pornography policy, including the question of departmental responsibility.

Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to set out a timetable for the implementation of the recommendations of Baroness Bertin's Independent Pornography Review by May 2026.

‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’ commits to creating a joint team to address the issues in Baroness Bertin’s Review. The team will be formed by the Home Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Ministry of Justice and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It will examine the evidence to inform the government’s approach to pornography policy.Government has already taken action. Pornography showing strangulation or suffocation will be criminalised under the Crime and Policing Bill and will be a priority offence under the Online Safety Act.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that victims aged between 13 and 16 are adequately protected under section 75 of the Crime and Policing Bill, in light of findings from the Casey Review.

In its final report to government, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recognised that in limited circumstances, a different approach to mandatory reporting may sometimes be necessary when considering sexual activity between teenagers – for example, kissing (where a reporter otherwise has no concerns about the situation).Section 75 of the Bill therefore provides reporters with some leeway on how to proceed where a child is over thirteen and in a consensual relationship with another young person. It does not mean a situation involving underage sexual activity should be met by indifference or inaction by those in positions of responsibility for children.Guidance accompanying the commencement of the duty will make clear that sexual relationships involving teenagers under the age of consent should be referred to a relevant agency for advice and support where appropriate.

When she plans to publish guidance to clarify the legal position of children aged 13 to 16 under section 75 of the Crime and Policing Bill.

Before commencing the new duty to report child sexual abuse, the Government will provide an appropriate period of time to prepare relevant sectors for implementation. This will include the development and publication of guidance for reporters.

How many reports of non-consensual sexual deepfake images have been recorded by police forces in England and Wales in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what steps her Department is taking to prevent the creation and distribution of synthetic sexual images.

The Office for National Statistics publishes information on the number of ‘threaten to share intimate photograph or film’ offences recorded by the police in England and Wales, but information on whether these offences involved non-consensual sexual deepfake images is not centrally held. Data for these offences can be found in Table 11 on the Office for National Statistic’s website (Sexual offences prevalence and victim characteristics, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics)On 18 December 2025, the Government published ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: A Cross-Government Strategy to Build a Safer Society for Women and Girls’, which included an announcement to ban nudification apps and other tools designed to create synthetic non-consensual intimate images. This Strategy includes a commitment to explore routes to ensure that intimate images that are taken, created or shared without consent are removed online.In January 2024, the Online Safety Act brought into force offences for the sharing, and threatening to share intimate images including ‘deepfakes’. These are ‘priority illegal offences’, the most serious category of online offence under the Act.The Data (Use and Access) Act inserts new offences into the Sexual Offences Act 2003, criminalising the creation and requesting the creation of an intimate deepfake without consent or reasonable belief in consent.In addition, the Home Office introduced world-leading measures making the UK the first country to outlaw possession, creation and distribution of AI tools for generating child sexual abuse material, as well as criminalising paedophile manuals that instruct others on developing such tools.

When she plans to respond to the recommendations made by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on their updated code of practice following the For Women Scotland ruling.

I refer the Hon Member to my written answer to PQ92379, dated 26 November 2025, which provides the information you requested. 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 on 4 September 2025. This is a long and legally complex document which will have an impact on service providers up and down the country. Rightfully we are carefully considering it. The process for laying the Code in Parliament is set out in the Equality Act 2006. The Government will follow this process. If the decision is taken to approve the Code, it will be laid before Parliament for a 40 day period.

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current criminal and civil remedies available to victims of intimate image abuse; and with reference to Baroness Bertin's independent report entitled Creating a Safer World – the Challenge of Regulating Online Pornography, published in February 2025, whether she has assessed the potential merits of that report's recommendations on an independent redress mechanism to support victims whose images have been shared without consent.

Work to address the circulation of non-consensual intimate image (NCII) content online is an important part of the government’s ambition to halve VAWG in a decade, and the recently published VAWG Strategy includes a commitment to explore routes to ensure that intimate images that are taken, created or shared without consent are removed online. It is vital that victims and survivors have access to the support they need when they need it most. The Home Office provides funding to the Revenge Porn Helpline, which offers high-quality support and advice to victims of NCII abuse, engages with law enforcement and other stakeholders to improve the response to intimate image abuse, and raises awareness of the nature of NCII abuse and the harm that it can cause. The Government committed in the VAWG Strategy to create a joint team, across the Home Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Ministry of Justice and Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to address the issues detailed in Baroness Bertin’s Independent Pornography Review and rigorously examine the evidence to inform the government’s approach to pornography policy. Further details on this will be shared in due course.

With reference to Baroness Bertin's independent report entitled Creating a Safer World – the Challenge of Regulating Online Pornography, published in February 2025, whether he has assessed the potential merits of that report's recommendation to hold a problematic pornography use consultation to determine whether it should be formally classed as an addiction, including the potential impact on public health policy and clinical guidance.

The Government welcomes Baroness Bertin’s independent report, named Creating a Safer World – the Challenge of Regulating Online Pornography, as shedding light on an important issue. The finding that high levels of pornography use can lead to mental health issues in young people is deeply concerning. The nation’s mental health has deteriorated over the past decade, so it is vital we examine the range of potential risk factors for mental ill health. That is why the Government has launched an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism.On the recommendation to consider a consultation on whether problematic pornography use should be formally classified as an addiction, there are no current plans to launch a consultation on this issue. Classification of conditions, including behavioural addictions, is a matter for international diagnostic frameworks. In the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides robust, evidence-based clinical guidance to support commissioners and providers in improving outcomes for people using the National Health Service, public health, and social care services. NICE guidance is informed by the best available research and international standards, including positions taken by the World Health Organisation.There is a wide range of support available for individuals struggling with their mental health, whatever the reason. Since July 2024, the Government has recruited over 7,000 additional mental health professionals, expanded NHS talking therapy sessions for adults experiencing depression and anxiety, and accelerated the rollout of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, aiming for full national coverage by 2029.

What steps her Department is taking to promote social cohesion by improving faith literacy in schools.

High quality religious education (RE) can support community cohesion by developing pupils’ knowledge of the values and traditions of Britain and other countries, and by fostering understanding among people of different faiths and cultures. All state-funded schools are required to teach RE to pupils from the age of 5 to 18. The department has welcomed the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendation for Dr Vanessa Ogden CBE, a former Review panellist specialising in RE, to lead a sector group to develop a draft RE curriculum for the government’s consideration. The sector group’s work will reflect the role the subject plays in building understanding between communities.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure a joined-up approach to the implementation of the Schools White Paper, the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Review, and the Curriculum Review.

Every child deserves an education that meets their needs, one that is academically stretching, where every child feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.The Curriculum and Assessment Review was clear that whilst many young people are succeeding through the current system, too many are still leaving full-time education without the essential knowledge and skills they need to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities, and from disadvantaged backgrounds.The department will set out its proposals in the upcoming Schools White Paper, which will build on the Curriculum and Assessment Review and the work we have already done to create a system that is rooted in inclusion.

When the Minister of State for Social Care will reply to the email of 21 October 2025 from the hon Member for South West Devon on scheduling a meeting with him to discuss the demand on primary care for skin health screening.

A meeting has been scheduled with the hon. Member to discuss this matter.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the withdrawal of Class 43 HST trains from service in the South West does not affect scheduled services.

The Department is committed to maintaining a reliable timetable in the South West as the High Speed Train (HST) fleet, including Class 43 power cars, is withdrawn. The remaining three units are being withdrawn at the end of the Summer 2025 timetable and there are plans in place to replace them with existing fleet including the Class 175s when they re-enter passenger services.

Communities and Local Government, whether, under the Devolution Framework, non-mayoral Foundation Strategic Authorities can receive any form of consolidated multi-year settlement.

The devolution framework in the English Devolution White Paper commits to a simplified funding landscape for Mayoral and Foundation Strategic Authorities. Foundation Strategic Authorities receive a single allocation from the Adult Skills Fund to support education and training for adults aged 19 and above. Foundation Strategic Authorities will also have their transport funding consolidated. Places will be held accountable through a transport-specific accountability framework with a proportionate outcomes framework and metrics. The Government is also committed to providing areas with certainty over the entirety of the Spending Review period. The Local Authority Bus Grant ended the short-term approach to bus funding and gives councils the certainty they need to plan ahead. The White Paper also set out a clear and transparent pathway to unlocking higher levels of devolution reserved for the most mature institutions, including access to the Integrated Settlement for Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities.

Communities and Local Government, in light of his letter to Cornwall Council stating that he is minded, on an exceptional basis, to explore designating the council as a Single Foundation Strategic Authority, whether the Authority would receive a consolidated multi-year funding settlement as described in the Integrated Settlement framework.

The English Devolution White Paper set out a clear and transparent pathway for areas to be designated as Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, and thereby become eligible for an Integrated Settlement. Any future designation of Cornwall Council as a Single Foundation Strategic Authority would mark the beginning of its journey through the devolution framework, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary legislation. The Government is separately investing in Cornwall’s economic opportunities with a new 'Kernow Industrial Growth Fund' announced by the Chancellor at Autumn Budget 2025. This fund delivers on the Industrial Strategy’s commitment to harness regional strengths. It will provide £30 million over 2026-27 and 2027-28 to Cornwall Council, to invest in Cornwall's sectoral advantages such as critical minerals, renewable energy and marine innovation, subject to business cases. This builds on the Government’s recent £28.6 million National Wealth Fund investment in Cornish Metals, signalling a clear commitment to unlock Cornwall’s potential as a clean growth powerhouse.