Written questions by Foord.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of financial penalty for employers who do not pay their ex-employee promptly after losing a tribunal.

The Government is committed to considering further improvements to the way that people can enforce their employment rights, including the role that Acas, Employment Tribunals and the Fair Work Agency play in ensuring workers’ have access to an effective justice system. The Civil Justice Council (CJC) is currently considering how to improve enforcement methods and recently held a call for evidence on court users’ experiences of enforcement.The government will consider any recommendations that the CJC makes.

Media and Sport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent streaming platforms from monopolising digital sports content.

The Government is keen to ensure that key sporting events remain available to watch for free in years to come.The Media Act 2024 includes several important reforms to the listed events regime. In particular, it closes the potential ‘streamer loophole’ that would have allowed non-PSB services to bypass the regime and which could have seen live coverage intended for UK audiences disappearing behind a paywall.The Government is working closely with Ofcom to progress implementation of the Media Act. Further information can be found on Ofcom’s website: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/Media-Act-Implementation/.

If he will make an estimate of the number of people requiring osseointegration transfemoral surgery in England.

Using the available data, we are unable to identify the number of people currently waiting for osseointegration transfemoral surgery in England.Regardless of why patients are waiting for treatment, the Government has committed to reducing waiting times and ensuring that we return to the National Health Service constitutional standard, that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029. We have already made progress, delivering on our commitment to provide an additional two million appointments and publishing our Elective Reform Plan, which details how we will go further to reduce waiting times, increase productivity, and improve patient experience.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that common land can enter (a) Sustainable Farming Incentive and (b) Countryside Stewardship schemes.

We fully recognise the importance of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) for common land – and we strongly want the schemes to be available to commons as we move forward. We will be reforming the SFI offer to direct funding towards SFI actions which are most appropriate for the least productive land and have the strongest case for enduring public investment. We expect to publish more information about the reformed SFI offer in summer 2025. Our intention is that it will be possible to apply for SFI on common land when the reformed SFI offer reopens. We have published preview guidance for CSHT setting out what funding will be available for farmers and land managers. This includes guidance on entering common land into a CSHT agreement. We will open the rolling application window for CSHT in summer 2025, and we have started inviting farmers and land managers to begin the pre-application process.

Whether he plans to re-open judicial processes for British military veterans in new legacy legislation.

The Government is committed to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 and to implement mechanisms that are human rights compliant and can command confidence across communities in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. We have taken important action in fulfilling that commitment by laying a draft remedial order in Parliament that will, amongst other things, remove all provisions from the Act that would have provided immunity from prosecution - including for terrorist crimes. The approach taken by the last Government was found in many respects to be unlawful and was opposed by many - including families who lost relatives whilst serving the State in Northern Ireland. The veterans I have met, however, have also expressed legitimate concerns that the way we collectively deal with the past must be fair, balanced and proportionate while recognising the circumstances of the time. This Government’s approach will ensure that legacy cases are dealt with sensitively, efficiently and lawfully, and that veterans who engage with legacy mechanisms are provided with the appropriate support. We remain committed to engaging widely with all interested parties, including veterans, to help determine an appropriate way forward, including what provisions should be included in primary legislation that I have committed to introduce when parliamentary time allows.

If she will take steps to make the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund a permanent initiative.

An announcement on funding for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will be made shortly. All future decisions will be considered as part of the next spending review.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to resolve technical issues within the Rural Payments Agency that prevent common landowners applying for the Sustainable Farming Incentive due to incorrect mapping data and the lack of an offline application process.

68% of common land is currently taking part in our agri-environment schemes. Defra will continue to work with our delivery partners to ensure future schemes will be accessible to managers of common land.

What discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on support for the farming industry in Wales.

The Government is steadfastly committed to the farming sector. We protected the farm budget at its current level and allocated £337m to the Welsh Government at the Autumn Budget. The Welsh Government in their budget have used this to maintain the Basic Payment Scheme at its current level for another year, providing much needed support for farmers across Wales….a budget as he knows that his party supported, whilst Tory and Plaid Cymru Senedd members tried to block it.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the planning system supports small-scale self-build developments.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes measures designed to strengthen support for self and custom build housing by promoting mixed tenure development, including plots for self and custom build, and strengthening the wording around small site allocation for SME housebuilders.We will continue to consider how we can best support the diversification of the housing market, including through the long-term housing strategy the government will publish later this year.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the potential merits of establishing a special tribunal on the crime of aggression following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; and if he will take steps to ensure that such a tribunal has sufficient international legitimacy at the UN General Assembly.

The UK supports work towards establishing a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine as a means of promoting accountability for atrocities in Ukraine. The UK has played an active role in discussions with Ukraine and close partners in the "core group" working to progress this commitment. On 3-4 February, senior UK legal experts participated in a meeting in Brussels that made progress on technical elements of the legal instruments for the establishment of the Special Tribunal. We are working to ensure the instruments are legally sound and therefore able to attract broad international support. We welcome Ukraine's intent to finalise an agreement with the Council of Europe (CoE), enabling the Special Tribunal to make full use of the CoE's existing infrastructure.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on the potential establishment of a special international criminal tribunal to investigate and prosecute individuals for the crime of aggression in relation to Ukraine.

The UK supports work towards establishing a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine as a means of promoting accountability for atrocities in Ukraine. The UK has played an active role in discussions with Ukraine and close partners in the "core group" working to progress this commitment. On 3-4 February, senior UK legal experts participated in a meeting in Brussels that made progress on technical elements of the legal instruments for the establishment of the Special Tribunal. We are working to ensure the instruments are legally sound and therefore able to attract broad international support. We welcome Ukraine's intent to finalise an agreement with the Council of Europe (CoE), enabling the Special Tribunal to make full use of the CoE's existing infrastructure.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it is his policy to support the establishment of a special tribunal on the crimes of aggression following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The UK supports work towards establishing a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine as a means of promoting accountability for atrocities in Ukraine. The UK has played an active role in discussions with Ukraine and close partners in the "core group" working to progress this commitment. On 3-4 February, senior UK legal experts participated in a meeting in Brussels that made progress on technical elements of the legal instruments for the establishment of the Special Tribunal. We are working to ensure the instruments are legally sound and therefore able to attract broad international support. We welcome Ukraine's intent to finalise an agreement with the Council of Europe (CoE), enabling the Special Tribunal to make full use of the CoE's existing infrastructure.

If he will set out a timeline for implementation of measures to improve miscarriage care recommended in the Pregnancy Loss Review published on 22 July 2023.

The Government recognises that experiencing a miscarriage can be an extremely difficult time, and we are determined to make sure that all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, particularly when things go wrong. We will ensure that we listen to women and their families, and learn lessons from recent inquiries and investigations, including the Pregnancy Loss Report.Since publication we have launched the Baby Loss Certificate Service, updated the Human Tissue Authority Guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains, and NHS England has published a new policy to support National Health Service employees and provide managers with advice on how to support people affected by baby loss, including paid leave.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK Emergency Alert System since its introduction.

In September 2024, the Cabinet Office delivered a thorough internal One Year Evaluation Report. Lessons identified from the report have been considered and are being implemented into processes used during an alert activation. Since the release of the cross-HMG evaluation, the capability has been used three times, each successfully mitigating danger to lives and most recently in support of organisations in Northern Ireland and Scotland coordinating the response to storm Eowyn.Whilst the system was used sparingly in its first year of operation, it is expected that it will be used more often and for a variety of use cases as the confidence of the resilience community builds in requesting Alerts.The Cabinet Office and other government departments continue to work closely to deliver training and facilitate exercising to empower requesting authorities to be confident in the request protocol and drafting process.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help uphold the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the context of the All-Serbian Assembly.

The UK is committed to upholding the constitutional framework, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), as set out in the Dayton Agreement. We have underlined with Serbian and BiH leaders concerns about the 'All Serb Assembly'. I raised the importance of maintaining peace and stability in BiH on my visit to Serbia with senior government figures this week, alongside the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Lord Peach. We consistently encourage Western Balkan leaders to strengthen regional stability and adhere to their commitments on good neighbourly relations, including those made at 2018's Berlin Process Summit.

What steps her Department is taking to support pensioners on the poverty line.

The last Labour government lifted over one million pensioners out of poverty, and this government – despite having to make the tough decisions to deal with our fiscal inheritance – remains absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving pensioners the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. We will honour our commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this parliament with a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension and the new State Pension this April, and we are also increasing the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit by 4.1%. As such, according to the latest OBR projections, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900 over the course of this parliament whilst the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500. The Government also offers an array of support to ensure pensioners remain comfortable and safe in the winter months. This includes direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, the Warm Home Discount and (in England & Wales) Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payments. We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit and want to ensure as many people as possible have access to this support. We urge pensioners to check their eligibility. Pension Credit will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payments in future, alongside other benefits. Our take-up campaign has been successful in boosting applications by 145% since July. All pensioners will also continue to benefit from free eye tests, free NHS prescriptions and free bus passes. Low-income pensioners and others struggling with the cost of living should contact their local council to see what further support may be available to them. They may be able to receive support from Council Tax Reduction, or through energy support programs – or through the Household Support Fund (a scheme providing discretionary support to those most in need towards the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water). The Government has extended the Household Support Fund in England by a further year, (until 31 March 2026) – with funding of £742 million provided to enable this extension in England, plus additional funding for the devolved Governments to be spent at their discretion, as usual.

What steps the Government is taking to help tackle post-separation economic abuse.

I recognise the devastating impact financial and economic abuse can have on victims, even after they have separated from an abusive partner. We continue to work closely with and fund Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA), which supports victims of economic and financial abuse - offering specialist advice to victims via the Financial Support Line in partnership with Money Advice Plus, training financial services providers, and rolling out the Economic Abuse Evidence Form to ensure victims only have to tell their story once. We are committed to working across Government, and with stakeholders, to prevent economic abuse and improve our response to it when it does arise as part of the wider mission to halve VAWG within a decade.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing carers to receive covid-19 vaccinations on the NHS.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme covering vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026. This advice is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026#:~:text=the%20JCVI%20webpage.-,Advice%20on%20vaccination%20in%20spring%202025,care%20home%20for%20older%20adultsThe Government is considering this advice carefully and will respond in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making people with less than 12 months to live to automatically eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment.

This Government remains completely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.Linking Winter Fuel eligibility to Pension Credit and other means tested benefits for pensioners, ensures the least well-off pensioners still receive the help they need; this includes people with a terminal illness who are eligible. There are no plans to change the eligibility criteria.To ensure that Winter Fuel Payments are received by those on the lowest incomes, the Government is determined to do everything it can to maximise take-up of Pension Credit which provides a safety net for the pensioners on the lowest incomes and opens the door to other benefits including the Winter Fuel Payment.For disabled pensioners or those with long-term health conditions, the “extra costs” disability benefits, including those provided for by the Scottish Government, provide a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards the extra costs people with a long-term health condition can face, such as additional heating costs. They are paid in addition to any other benefits received.The Department supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment and without serving waiting periods – and, in most cases, they receive the highest rate of benefit. For many years, the Special Rules have applied to people who have 6 months or less to live and have now been changed so they apply to people who have 12 months or less to live.

What criteria her Department uses to determine which Personal Independence Payment recipients need to have a regular work capability assessment.

Personal Independence Payment is available to people with a long-term health condition or disability regardless of whether they are in work, training or education or not. As such, the PIP assessment looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life, such as their ability to prepare, cook and eat food, dress and undress, make budgeting decisions, manage and monitor their health condition, engage with other people, and plan and follow journeys. The PIP assessment does not look at an individual’s capacity to undertake work or work-related activity. This is the purpose of the Work Capability Assessment which determines eligibility for Employment and Support Allowance and the additional health-related amount of Universal Credit.