Written questions by Hayes.

What assessment her Department has made of the (a) specific needs of British national victims of modern slavery, (b) adequacy of pathways to access support and (c) potential barriers to accessing support.

The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery, prosecuting those responsible and supporting victims in their recovery.The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK’s framework for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery and human trafficking. 17,004 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to the Home Office in 2023; the highest annual number since the NRM began in 2009 and a 628% increase since 2014.This unprecedented increase in the volume of referrals into the NRM has presented significant challenges in resourcing and workflow, and we recognise that wait times for Conclusive Grounds decisions are too long. Operational teams have invested heavily in seeking to address this and as a result numbers of people awaiting a Conclusive Grounds decision have dropped for the first time and timeliness is improving. We continue to strive for faster decisions for victims.In England and Wales, after referral to the National Referral Mechanism, adult victims can access specialist support from the government funded Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). This support includes safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help them access wider support services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice. This support is available to all adult victims, including British nationals, based on an ongoing needs-based assessment.Local authorities are the primary service provider for safeguarding child victims regardless of their nationality or immigration status. Additionally, the Government has rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) in two-thirds of Local Authorities in England and Wales. ICTGs provide an additional source of advice and support for potentially trafficked children, irrespective of nationality or immigration status. An ICTG’s advocacy and involvement throughout the decision-making process is intended to ensure the child is protected from further harm, prevent possible repeat victimisation, re-trafficking or going missing, and promote the child’s recovery.The Government has robust internal assurance processes in place to manage and assure projects and programmes. We are currently looking at how we ensure the long-term sustainability of these programmes to continue to meet the needs of both adult and child victims of modern slavery.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to ensure Overseas Territories establish a public register of beneficial ownership under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.

This month, as Minister for the Overseas Territories (OTs), I wrote to OT Governments to set out UK transparency expectations.I noted that full public accessibility remains our expectation. Access filtered to those with 'legitimate interest' should be delivered to a clear timetable, as an interim step.I also outlined a set of minimum requirements that UK Government would expect to see in any 'legitimate interest' regime.At the UK-OT Illicit Finance Dialogue earlier this month, Officials discussed this and other priorities. I expect to continue discussions at the Joint Ministerial Council in November.I am pleased to report that Monserrat announced its delivery of a public register of beneficial ownership on 11 October.

Whether he plans to bring forward a strategy on tackling alcohol abuse.

Under our Health Mission, the Government is committed to prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives. The Department will continue to work across Government to understand how best to reduce alcohol-related harms.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the readiness of students to enter the workforce.

The department wants to expand access to high quality careers advice and work experience, helping to break down the barriers to opportunity and boosting economic growth. This government recognises that work readiness is a key part of school life. The department wants young people in all parts of the country to gain workplace skills and explore career opportunities.In 2024/25, the department is investing around £30 million through the Careers and Enterprise Company to support secondary schools and colleges to improve their careers programmes in line with the government’s careers framework, the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance. 92% of secondary schools and colleges, 400 leading employers and 4,000 business volunteers are part of a national network of Careers Hubs. They are working together to improve careers advice and inspire young people.The department wants to go further to make sure that young people in all parts of the country get the opportunities they deserve. According to a report from the Children’s Commissioner, more than one third of children report that they do not know enough about good jobs available to them as they get older and leave school.The department’s ambition is to offer a guarantee of two weeks’ worth of high quality work experience for all young people, irrespective of their background. This will open doors to a wider range of employers and businesses and give young people a greater insight into the labour market. The department has also committed to train 1,000 careers advisers so that young people can get the expert advice they need to reflect on their workplace experiences and set future career goals.These ambitions are vital to ensuring that young people are supported to make successful transitions from education and training into employment. The department wants to prepare all young people to make informed choices about their futures and support them into work they can be proud of.

What assessment he has made of the impact of marketing on levels of consumption of alcohol (a) in general and (b) by people at risk of alcoholism.

Under our Health Mission, the Government is committed to prioritising public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives. To strengthen the evidence base on the impact of alcohol marketing on levels of consumption, the Department has commissioned a study to examine the causal association between alcohol marketing and alcohol related attitudes and consumption. More information about the study is available at the following link:https://www.stir.ac.uk/research/hub/contract/1960743

What steps her Department is taking to reduce barriers facing single parents looking for (a) work and (b) increased hours.

The Department is committed to helping everyone find a job, progress in work and thrive in the labour market. We know that single parents face unique barriers to work including access to affordable childcare and flexible working arrangements. Our Plan to Get Britain Working will create more good jobs, make work pay, transform skills, and overhaul jobcentres, alongside action to tackle the root causes of worklessness including poor physical and mental health. In addition, our work coaches are committed to delivering a quality service to ensure all claimants, including single parents, receive the best possible support that takes account of their individual circumstances, helping to identify and address the barriers they may have in looking for or increasing their hours of work. This would include childcare. Eligible Universal Credit customers can be reimbursed up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month up to the maximum amounts, regardless of the number of hours they work.

Whether her Department is taking steps with the motor industry to improve the affordability of electric vehicles.

The Government is reducing the upfront cost for zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by providing plug-in vehicle grants for vans, trucks, motorcycles, taxis and wheelchair accessible vehicles.Drivers of ZEVs also benefit from favourable tax rates, such as generous company car tax incentives. They are also exempt from vehicle excise duty (VED) until April 2025, after which electric vehicles will continue to have preferential first year rates of VED in comparison to the most polluting vehicles.The Department has regular engagement with representatives from the automotive industry to discuss the transition to zero emission vehicles.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle shortages of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy.

The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with Creon, which is used by patients with conditions such as cystic fibrosis and certain cancers including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues with Creon are impacting countries throughout Europe and have been caused by limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints to produce volumes needed to meet demand. These issues have resulted in knock-on supply disruptions of alternative pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy medications. The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production.The supplier of Creon has advised that they expect to have regular supplies released each month going forward and are working to increase the quantities released. Serious Shortage Protocols are in place for Creon 10,000 and 25,000 capsules which pharmacists can use to restrict supply to one month at a time to ensure more patients have access to it whilst stock is limited.We have worked closely with colleagues in NHS England to issue comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues and encourage sharing of local solutions. The guidance provides advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply and is being kept under review, with updates made as necessary.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to bring forward the Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.

As outlined in the King’s Speech, the Government will act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. This includes a new valuation scheme that leaseholders must follow to calculate how much they should pay to enfranchise and includes measures such as removing the requirement to pay marriage value, capping the treatment of ground rents at 0.1% of the freehold value in the calculation, and prescribing rates for the calculation. A small number of provisions came into force on 24 July, two months after Royal Assent, relating to rentcharge arrears, building safety legal costs and the work of professional insolvency practitioners.The Government will further reform the leasehold system by enacting remaining Law Commission recommendations relating to enfranchisement and the Right to Manage, tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and removing the disproportionate and draconian threat of forfeiture. We will also reinvigorate commonhold through a comprehensive new legal framework and ban the sale of new leasehold flats so commonhold becomes the default tenure.The Government has made clear it intends to publish draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform in this session so that it may be subject to broad consultation and additional parliamentary scrutiny.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Universal Credit in supporting people with disability costs.

We are committed to reviewing Universal Credit, to make sure it is doing the job we want it to. We will set out the details of this in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to support (a) schools and (b) colleges to mark Black History Month.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will seek to deliver a curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented in their learning. The review group has recently launched a call for evidence, setting out a number of key questions and themes where it would particularly welcome evidence and input. Following the independent review, all schools will be required to teach the core national curriculum.Schools and colleges are free to decide which events to commemorate and what activities to put in place to support pupils’ understanding of significant events and particular months or days dedicated to specific communities, such as Black History Month. Schools also have the opportunity to promote such events though the curriculum, for example through subjects such as history and citizenship. The flexibility in the history curriculum means that schools can teach Black history in all three key stages, and within citizenship teaching at key stage 4, pupils should be taught about the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of (a) avoidable disability and (b) premature death for people at risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of avoidable disability and premature death in the United Kingdom. This is why the Government has set a goal for fewer lives being lost to the biggest killers, including from CVD, and why the NHS England Long Term Plan, published in 2019, sets out several actions that aim to help prevent up to 150,000 heart attacks, strokes and dementia cases by 2029.The Government is continuing to support the delivery of NHS Health Checks, England's flagship CVD prevention programme, to people aged between 40 and 74 years old. This programme identifies people at risk of CVD, supports people to reduce their risk and prevents around 400 heart attacks or strokes each year. To improve access and engagement with the life-saving programme, we are developing a digital NHS Health Check which will be ready for testing in early 2025 and will enable people to undertake a check at home. We are also trialling the delivery of heart health checks to over 130,000 people in workplaces across the country.Community pharmacies also provide a free blood pressure check service for anyone over 40. In cases where this results in a high reading, pharmacists can make sure people receive the right National Health Service support to reduce their blood pressure, whether that be simple advice on how to live healthily, or an urgent referral to see their general practitioner. This means more people at risk of CVD can access simple, low-cost treatments that will reduce their risk of death or serious disability.

What steps she is taking to reform the Work Capability Assessment.

The government is committed to reforming or replacing the Work Capability Assessment, alongside putting in place a proper plan to support disabled people into work. We will say more about this in due course. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to keep the views of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of what we do, as we consider our next steps.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the representation of people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds within the national curriculum.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will seek to deliver a curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented in their learning. The review group has recently launched a call for evidence, setting out a number of key questions and themes where it would particularly welcome evidence and input. Following the independent review, all schools will be required to teach the core national curriculum.Schools and colleges are free to decide which events to commemorate and what activities to put in place to support pupils’ understanding of significant events and particular months or days dedicated to specific communities, such as Black History Month. Schools also have the opportunity to promote such events though the curriculum, for example through subjects such as history and citizenship. The flexibility in the history curriculum means that schools can teach Black history in all three key stages, and within citizenship teaching at key stage 4, pupils should be taught about the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to allow people caring for a loved one with a medical emergency to be eligible to apply for an emergency proxy vote.

Alongside work to deliver on our manifesto commitments, the Government is considering a range of policies and approaches to tackle the challenges in the current systems for electoral registration and conduct. This will include considering the current arrangements for proxy voting. If any changes are found to be necessary or appropriate, we will bring forward proposals for them in due course.

What steps she is taking to (a) tackle discrimination against visually impaired people with guide dogs and (b) educate (i) businesses and (ii) public services on the (A) role and (B) importance of guide dogs.

The Equality Act 2010 places a general duty on businesses and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people, including people with assistance dogs, access to goods and services so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people.The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act. It has published guidance - ‘Assistance Dogs: a guide for businesses and service providers’ - to help businesses understand what they can do to meet their legal duties to assistance dog owners.Duties and protections under the Equality Act are ultimately enforceable through the courts, and anybody who thinks that they have been discriminated against - including where access to an assistance dog has been refused - can take legal action to seek to resolve the issue. The EHRC will support people who have experienced discrimination through that process. Over the years, Ministers have held discussions with Guide Dogs UK about their ‘Open Doors’ campaign which aims to achieve the fullest possible access for owners of guide dogs and assistance dogs. I fully support that campaign and the principle that Guide Dogs and assistance dogs should always be allowed access, except in the most exceptional circumstances.

With reference to the findings on page 4 of the report by Women's Aid entitled The Price of Safety: The cost of leaving an abuser and rebuilding a safe, independent life, published in September 2024, what steps her Department is taking to close the estimated deficit between the cost of domestic violence survivor leaving an abuser and the financial support available from the state.

My officials have received the report by Women’s Aid Federation England and are reviewing its findings.The Government is committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade and ensuring sufficient and effective victim support is a central part of this work. As part of our cross-Government approach, we will work with colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions on future schemes.Decisions on future funding are subject to the outcomes of the ongoing Spending Review.

What steps her Department is taking to improve forensics as part of speeding up criminal investigations.

Fair and efficient police investigations and outcomes depend on the timely delivery of high-quality forensic science.We are working with PCCs, Chief Constables, the Forensic Science Regulator and other leaders in forensic science to ensure forensic services are reliable and robust.Government has also invested in a Digital Fingerprint Capability programme and a Digital Forensics Programme which are helping forces to access, develop, and deliver a more integrated forensic service and solutions to tackle forensics work more efficiently.

If she will introduce separate Universal Credit payments by default to help ensure domestic abuse perpetrators cannot gain control over joint household income.

The Department have no plans to introduce separate Universal Credit payments by default. Where domestic violence has been reported split payments can be made.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting survivors of domestic abuse from repaying advances of Universal Credit payments.

No assessment has been made of exempting survivors of domestic abuse from repaying advances of Universal Credit payments. However, the Government is committed to reviewing Universal Credit so that it makes work pay and tackles poverty.