Written questions by Coombes.

What discussions she has had with Yemeni community groups on the cessation of pension payments to Yemeni steelworkers.

We recognise the tragic conflict in Yemen is hindering the normal means of administrating pensions for those based abroad. In May 2025, I held a meeting with several Members of Parliament who represent Yemeni pensioners facing challenges receiving their State Pension payments. Since then, we have supported individual cases and taken steps to support pensioners living in Yemen. Previously, officials met community leaders in 2022.

How many people she estimates have been impacted by the cessation of pension payments to Yemeni steelworkers who worked in Britani.

We are unable to identify which State Pension claimants are ex-steelworkers and therefore unable to provide any estimate of the number of people whose payment has stopped. As of May 2025, there are 832 State Pension recipients in the Yemen.

If his Department will take steps to reinstate the pensions of Yemeni steelworkers who worked in Britain.

Pension payments to Yemen are being disrupted due to banking and currency issues, war, international sanctions and some issues over verification of identity. We are looking at ways to ensure payments are completed. Our dedicated Yemen telephone number can be found on GOV.UK ( International Pension Centre - GOV.UK) and includes a Yemen-Arabic language translation as part of the opening message and we provide callback and translation services. We urge anyone who is having issues with their State Pension to contact us via this dedicated helpline. Additionally, the Department is working with the Yemeni banks to enable payments in different currencies in order to get payments to the intended recipients.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support the health of night shift workers in West Bromwich constituency.

Reducing ill health at work is an important area of focus for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE published its 10 year strategy ‘Protecting people and places’ in 2022 and this includes a strategic objective to reduce work-related ill health. HSE works closely with other government departments to ensure that they cooperate and collaborate on matters concerning their respective health responsibilities.The Department for Business and Trade has overall policy responsibility for the Working Time Regulations 1998. However, both HSE and Local Authorities (LAs) enforce certain aspects of the Regulations and night work is one of the requirements that HSE enforces.The Working Time Regulations require employers to ensure workers do not exceed night work limits, and to provide night workers with the opportunity to have a free health assessment at regular intervals.When organising and planning night work, employers must also comply with their general duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR).HSWA places a duty on all employers, so far as is reasonably practicable, to protect the health, safety, and welfare at work of all their employees. MHSWR places a duty on all employers to make an assessment of the risks to their employees from work activities and introduce measures that are ‘reasonably practicable’ to remove or control these risks.This includes any health and safety risks associated with the number of hours worked, how these hours are scheduled and hazards such as fatigue, and its likelihood of occurring because of night shift working.HSE has published guidance for employers to support them in managing the health and safety of shift workers (Managing shift work [HSG 256]) and Hints and tips for shift-workers (hse.gov.uk) to improve sleep quality, increase alertness and reduce health risk.