Written questions by Dhesi.

What steps he is taking to tackle racial disparities in maternity care.

The Department recognises that there are stark inequalities for women and babies, and that they should receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.The Government is committed to setting an explicit target to close the maternal mortality gap. We are ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach to determining what targets are set, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred. It is crucial that we also ensure the system is supported to achieve any target set.Baroness Amos is chairing a national independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. The investigation aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care. The Government is currently establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, to be chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, that will then develop a national action plan based on the recommendations of the investigation.A number of interventions specifically aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal inequalities are now underway. These include an anti-discrimination programme, which aims to ensure that all service users and their families receive care free from discrimination and racism, and that all staff will experience a work environment free from discrimination and racism. We are also developing an inequalities dashboard and projects on removing racial bias from clinical education and embedding genetic risk equity.Additionally, all local areas have published equity and equality action plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.We are also putting in place wider actions to improve safety across maternity and neonatal care, which will also contribute to reducing inequalities. This includes the implementation of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, a package of evidence-based interventions to support staff to reduce stillbirth, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and pre-term births. It includes guidance on managing multiple pregnancies to ensure optimal care for the woman and baby. NHS England is also introducing a Maternal Mortality Care Bundle to set clear standards across all services, and to address the leading causes of maternal mortality. Women from black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle will target these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the introduction of new swift courts within the Crown Court on the number of wrongful convictions.

The new ‘swift courts’ will operate within the existing Crown Court framework, following the same process and procedures. Safeguards will be in place including the existing appeals procedure, and judges in the ‘swift courts’ will be required to provide reasoned judgments when delivering decisions to convict or acquit.

What the maximum sentence will be that a judge could impose on a convicted person when tried under the proposed new swift courts within the Crown Court.

The new ‘swift courts’ will operate within the existing Crown Court which means the same procedures in the Crown Court will apply, apart from mode of trial. Judges will assign triable-either-ways cases to the new Crown Court Bench Division where the likely sentence is three years or less, but they will retain the full sentencing powers of the Crown Court.

If he will make an estimate of the number of people who will be sentenced to more than three years in prison by new swift courts within the Crown Court in each of the next five years.

The new ‘swift courts’ will operate within the existing Crown Court which means the same procedures in the Crown Court will apply, apart from mode of trial. Judges will assign triable-either-ways cases to the new Crown Court Bench Division where the likely sentence is three years or less, but they will retain the full sentencing powers of the Crown Court. Sentencing decisions remain a matter for the independent judiciary and the Ministry of Justice is unable to provide estimates.

What steps he is taking to expand access to women's health hubs.

The Government is encouraging integrated care boards (ICBs) to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women and girls.The 10-Year Health Plan set out the ambition for high autonomy to be the norm across every part of the country. ICBs are responsible for commissioning services that meet the healthcare needs of their local population and have the freedom to do so, and this includes women's health hubs and delivering the direction of the Women's Health Strategy. The Government is backing ICBs to do this through record funding. The 2025 Spending Review prioritised health, with record investment in the health and social care system.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending free milk eligibility to the end of the academic year in which a child turns five.

The Nursery Milk Scheme is a statutory scheme which allows early years childcare settings to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk per day to children under the age of five years old who attend a setting for two or more hours per day. Schools can claim reimbursement from the scheme in respect of their pupils aged under five years old.There are no plans to extend eligibility for the Nursery Milk Scheme to cover children until the end of the academic year, during which they reach their fifth birthday. Separate legislation allows pupils from lower-income families, and who are eligible for free school meals, to continue to receive free milk at school after the age of five years old.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, by which date all lifts in Tothill Street will be fully operational.

There are three lifts in the Tothill Street building and the lifts are part of a wider six-year refurbishment programme. Lift HoP 328 has been refurbished and is now in service. Work on lift HoP 329 is underway and expected to be complete by February 2026.Refurbishment of the final lift, HoP 330, is planned but does not yet have a confirmed date as the schedule is being reviewed. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor performance of HoP 330 and address any issues as they arise. Should a specific component need replacing we will do so.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the adequacy of drinking water provision in Tothill Street.

Drinking water is supplied to every floor in Tothill Street in a tea station which has a sink and a zip tap. Each zip tap provides instant boiling as well as chilled drinking water.Faults have been reported on some zip taps in Tothill Street and repairs have been sought as quickly as possible. There is currently an outstanding fault on the First Floor which requires the zip tap to be replaced. Drinking water remains available through the sink taps which meets the requirements in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and related guidance.

What steps he is taking to reduce gynaecology waiting lists.

Reducing waiting lists is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission, and we are committed to cutting waiting times across all specialities, including gynaecology. We have committed to 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 are making good progress, as waiting lists have been cut by over 230,000 since the Government came into office, which includes nearly 14,000 fewer patients waiting for gynaecology treatment over the same period.We have also delivered 5.2 million additional appointments between July 2024 and June 2025, having exceeded our pledge of two million. However, we know there is more to do, and we have confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment to expand capacity across diagnostics, electives, and urgent care. This includes expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide valuable and protected capacity across elective specialities, including gynaecology. As of November 2025, over half of the 123 operational elective surgical hubs in England provide gynaecology services.

What progress he has made to renew the Women’s Health Strategy.

Significant progress has been made towards delivering the ambitions in the 2022 Women’s Health Strategy, for example, improving women and girls’ awareness and access to services and driving research to benefit women’s health.Renewing the strategy will ensure that we continue this momentum and that it is fully aligned with the 10-Year Health Plan. We will identify and remove enduring barriers to high-quality care, such as decreasing wait times for diagnosis, and ensuring that professionals listen to women and respond to their needs.We are currently engaging with external partners to inform the renewal of the strategy, bringing together voices from across the Government, NHS England, public health, mental health, women’s health advocacy, and employment policy alongside women with lived experience of women’s health conditions. We are also drawing on the evidence provided by almost 100,000 people in response to the original call for evidence for the 2022 strategy.

Whether his Department has assessed the potential impact of annual funding cycles for the Nursery Milk Scheme on suppliers and delivery partners.

The Nursery Milk Scheme is a statutory scheme which allows registered early years childcare settings to claim one-third of a pint of milk for all children under the age of five years old who attend the setting for at least two hours per day. The statutory nature of the scheme means that it is not impacted by annual funding discussions, and these discussions therefore have no impact on the childcare settings who use the scheme, or on the suppliers who supply them.

What recent steps she has taken to support local councils to ensure timely road repairs in (a) Slough constituency and (b) Berkshire.

The Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our roads and has pledged to support local authorities. Recognising the need for additional funding, the Government increased local highway maintenance funding by £500 million this financial year compared to 2024/25, bringing the total to nearly £1.6 billion. 25% of this additional funding is contingent on local authorities adhering to reporting requirements and demonstrating that they are following best practice in highways maintenance. In 2025/26, Slough will be eligible to receive up to £1.8 million of highway maintenance funding, and West Berkshire will be eligible to receive up to £8.9 million, subject to complying with reporting requirements. In addition, at the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced that by 2029-30, the Government will commit over £2 billion annually for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes – doubling funding since coming into office. Allocations for local highway authorities will be announced in due course. The Department is also increasing penalties for street works offences and extending overrun charges to weekends and bank holidays to help councils keep works on schedule. We are also continuing to use the Street Manager digital service to provide real-time information that supports better coordination and timely repairs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps have been taken to ensure the adequate welfare of racing greyhounds.

The welfare of greyhounds in England is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The Act allows action to be taken where there is evidence of cruelty to an animal or a failure to provide for that animal’s welfare needs. Specific welfare standards at all greyhound racing tracks in England are also required by the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010. In addition to these statutory protections, the sport’s main regulatory body, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), has also undertaken several welfare reforms, including publishing a long term, national welfare strategy – ‘A Good Life for Every Greyhound’. The strategy focuses not only on reducing risks of injury but also developing new management practices to improve the welfare of greyhounds throughout their lives. The Government is monitoring GBGB’s progress in delivering the strategy. Should further measures be required the Government will consider options which are targeted, effective, and proportionate.

What recent steps he has taken to improve training on racial bias.

The Department does not currently provide specific training centrally for racial bias. All staff are required to complete the Civil Service Expectations mandatory learning which covers broader aspects of equality, diversity, and inclusion.Aspects of bias also feature in recruitment training which is carried out prior to sifting and interviewing. All panel members for Civil Service recruitment must complete the Success Profiles: sifting and interviewing course and Civil Service Expectations course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps have been taken alongside the Home Office to prevent UK companies from facilitating evasion of sanctions on behalf of sanctioned individuals.

Following publication of the cross-government review of sanctions in May 2025, we are committing to making compliance easier for UK industry, deterring non-compliance, and making sure we have the right powers and capabilities to enforce breaches. For example, we published guidance in January 2025 for UK businesses on Countering Russian sanctions evasion which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countering-russian-sanctions-evasion-and-circumvention/countering-russian-sanctions-evasion-guidance-for-exporters.Furthermore, we have launched a sanctions hub signposting essential UK sanctions content, an enforcement page highlighting outcomes and key compliance lessons, a starter guide for UK sanctions and a navigation tool to report suspected breaches.

Innovation and Technology, what recent steps have been taken to help protect UK businesses from cyber attack.

On 12 November 2025 the government introduced the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to Parliament. The Bill will bring into scope more of the core services relied on across the economy, such as managed service providers, data centres and critical parts of supply chains. UK businesses and public services will be more secure and resilient as a result. On 24 November 2025 ministers wrote an open letter to small businesses and business representative organisations with details of government support and guidance on cyber security. The letter has been published on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-letter-on-cyber-security-to-small-businesses. The National Cyber Security Centre’s Active Cyber Defence service continues to protect UK people, businesses and public sector organisations from cyber attacks, including blocking billions of phishing attempts and removing 232,000 scams across 415,000 malicious web addresses. I also refer the honourable member to the answer of 24 October 2025 to question 82366 which explained how the government has written to Chairs and CEOs of the largest UK companies asking them to take three key actions to protect themselves from cyber threats. The letter is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-letter-on-cyber-security-to-leading-uk-companies.

Whether applicants for Civil Service jobs have to declare any previous dismissals from the Civil Service as a result of misconduct or performance on their application.

The Civil Service expects all applicants to maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity throughout the recruitment process. Successful applicants are required to provide a complete and accurate employment history. Departments are responsible for ensuring pre-employment checks are undertaken to verify this information, which include previous employment in the Civil Service and the reasons for its cessation, including dismissals due to misconduct or performance. Failure to provide a truthful and complete account of employment history, or the deliberate omission of material facts, may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or subsequent disciplinary action if discovered after appointment.

What recent discussions she has had with train operators on steps taken to prevent sexual offences from occurring on the rail network.

Everyone should be able to use the rail network without fearing for their safety. As part of the government’s Safer Streets mission we have a commitment to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade. The Department works with all operators through the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on their work to prevent sexual offences across the rail network, including funding the initial launch of the RDG’s Zero Tolerance campaign in 2021. Furthermore, the Department has implemented contractual changes to improve the steps operators take to prevent VAWG on the network, including requiring operators under public ownership to ensure their public-facing staff complete sexual harassment training on a regular basis.

Whether he is taking steps to provide long-term funding arrangements for the Nursery Milk Scheme and the School Milk Subsidy Scheme to ensure continuity of provision for early years and primary education settings.

The Nursery Milk Scheme is operated by the Department of Health and Social Care and provides reimbursement to early years childcare settings to cover the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk per day to all children under the age of five years old who attend the setting for more than two hours per day. The School Milk Subsidy Scheme is the responsibility of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and partly finances the cost of similar milk provision to children in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales. There are no current plans to change these schemes.

What steps she is taking to ensure the mandatory reimbursement scheme for Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud adequately protects consumers at risk of being scammed.

The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this appalling crime. To protect consumers, under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has introduced a mandatory reimbursement regime for Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams taking place over the Faster Payment system. This came into force on 7 October 2024. The details of the APP reimbursement regime are a matter for the independent PSR. The PSR monitors compliance with the reimbursement regime closely and has powers to take action where firms fall short of their obligations.