Written questions by Braverman.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of historic safeguarding failures at Grafton Close Children’s Home in Richmond upon Thames.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that survivors of historic abuse are supported in a trauma‑informed manner when approaching local authorities for (a) information and (b) redress.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to help support schools in meeting the needs of children awaiting neurodevelopmental assessments who are experiencing escalating difficulties.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that survivors reporting historic abuse in children’s homes receive consistent and transparent engagement from responsible local authorities.

Awaiting answer.

If she will establish an independent review into Richmond upon Thames Council’s handling of safeguarding concerns at Grafton Close children’s home.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of record‑keeping by Richmond upon Thames Council relating to looked‑after children in the 1970s and 1980s.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that local authorities investigate historical safeguarding failures where new survivor testimony emerges.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he will commission NHS England to produce updated national guidance on the provision of single‑sex spaces for both patients and staff, in line with recent case law.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she plans to review support available to survivors for historic safeguarding failures by local authorities.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the support currently available to survivors of abuse linked to former children’s homes such as Grafton Close.

Awaiting answer.

What mechanisms exist to ensure that local authorities provide timely access to historical care records for former looked‑after children who make such requests.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of disputes concerning access to single‑sex changing rooms in NHS hospitals on staff wellbeing.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to ensure that NHS trusts consult staff and conduct equality impact assessments before making changes to workplace facilities that affect privacy, dignity or safety.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department will consider adopting or developing national guidance for NHS trusts on the management of single‑sex spaces, similar to proposals submitted to him by representatives of the Darlington nurses.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the prevalence of missing or incomplete historic records relating to children’s homes and local authority care files.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to ensure that NHS staff who raise concerns about workplace privacy, dignity or safety are protected from victimisation or disciplinary action.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of bird‑gathering licensing arrangements on hobby keepers, small‑scale breeders and local bird events.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, sets out the legal basis for permitting gatherings of poultry or other captive birds. In England, a licence to hold a bird gathering may be granted by Defra if a veterinary risk assessment has been carried out, and if the gathering, including the movement of birds to and from it, would not significantly increase the risk of the transmission of avian influenza. Detailed risk assessments can be found on Gov.UK. As legislation requires this to be a risk-based decision, assessments of the impact to individual events, the number of events, or types of event, have not been made. Defra’s disease control measures seek to contain the number of animals that need to be culled, either for disease control purposes or to safeguard animal welfare. Our approach aims to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment (including impact on wildlife), whilst protecting public health and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak. Assessing the risk of each gathering is complex. Factors taken into account include, but are not limited to: the background risk; the origin locations of the birds; the species of birds attending; biosecurity measures; the number of birds and species; and the number of exhibitors. Gatherings, including mixed species exhibitions may be permitted, subject to licence.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason Passeriformes was included under the Specific Licence effective from 8 December, 2025.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, sets out the legal basis for permitting gatherings of poultry or other captive birds. In England, a licence to hold a bird gathering may be granted by Defra if a veterinary risk assessment has been carried out, and if the gathering, including the movement of birds to and from it, would not significantly increase the risk of the transmission of avian influenza. The November 2025 qualitative risk assessment assessed the overall risk of spread of avian influenza at a gathering of Passeriformes as medium. Given the heightened risk in December 2025, gatherings involving Passeriformes could not be permitted by general licence. They were therefore permitted only by specific licence, allowing case-by-case assessment and tailored risk mitigation measures.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department consulted bird keepers prior to introducing the Specific Licence on 8 December 2025.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra officials engaged with stakeholders during summer 2025 including show organisers, auctioneers and breed societies, to better understand achievable conditions for gatherings. Engagement was via a number of stakeholder groups which occur regularly, and a series of individual discussions with key impacted parties. This process helped to shape a set of template conditions which could mitigate the disease risk associated with some gatherings. Each gathering is subject to an individual risk assessment, which determines which set of conditions are associated with the licence issued for the gathering.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the transition from general to specific licences does not adversely impact small bird‑keeping groups.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.The decision as to whether to allow gatherings by way of a general licence is kept under regular review and is informed by qualitative risk assessment containing the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice. Where risk levels are not sufficiently low to permit gatherings by general licence, applicants can apply for a specific licence for a gathering. A preliminary, individual risk assessment will be completed for each application, and a specific licence may be granted if the gathering and the transport of birds to and from it would not significantly increase the risk of the spread of bird flu. Defra has engaged with stakeholders to understand the challenges for those applying for specific licences, including small bird-keeping groups, and regularly considers the feedback received from those applying for licences. Defra has reviewed and improved the clarity of guidance for bird gatherings on gov.uk. Defra continues to work on improving the application process for specific licences, to ensure those applying can provide all the required information for APHA to assess their application. Although general licences are now in place for poultry (except Anseriformes) and other captive birds, Defra continues to engage with stakeholders to understand achievable conditions for gatherings held under specific or general licence.