Written questions by Kumaran.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) ensure that the human rights of Tamil communities in Sri Lanka are upheld, (b) promote reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, and (c) support efforts towards accountability for human rights abuses committed in the final months of the war in 2009.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that those responsible for human rights violations against Tamils in Sri Lanka are brought to justice.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that excavations at Sri Lanka’s Chemmani mass graves (a) take place in compliance with international law and standards and with international oversight and (b) are supported by credible accountability mechanisms.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will hold discussions with Iranian authorities on reports of discrimination against the Baha’i community.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to question 67802 on 6 August 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15559, if she will set out what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a stepped repayment structure for Plan 2 student loans.

We are determined that the higher education funding system should deliver for students, for our economy, and for universities.The government keeps the student finance system under continuous review to ensure that it delivers good value for both students and taxpayers.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of regulating the advertising of average upload speeds.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulator for advertising in the UK and enforces the ‘CAP Code’ and ‘BCAP Code’, which set the standards for non-broadcast and broadcast advertising, respectively. These codes include specific rules intended to protect consumers from misleading marketing communications. If advertising includes the omission, exaggeration, or ambiguous presentation of information, it can be considered misleading. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has also set guidance about how companies advertise broadband speeds. The ASA recommends that companies show the average speed that at least 50% of their customers receive at the network’s busiest time (8-10pm) to not be considered misleading.If an advertisement is found to be in breach of the codes, the ASA will instruct that it be withdrawn or amended, and in some cases may escalate to the appropriate statutory backstop.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of differential university tuition fees based on the Teaching Excellence Framework on further education access for students from the most financially disadvantaged backgrounds.

Maximum fee limits for all higher education (HE) providers will increase from £9,535 to £9,790 in the 2026/27 academic year, and from £9,790 to £10,050 in the 2027/28 academic year. We will then legislate, when parliamentary time allows, to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. In return for the increased investment that we are asking students to make, we expect the HE sector to deliver the very best outcomes both for those students and for the country. To achieve this, we will link future inflationary fee uplifts to judgements on HE providers’ quality and restrict fee income where high quality cannot be demonstrated. The Office for Students (OfS) will consider a wide range of metrics when determining quality judgements. All HE providers registered with the OfS that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan approved by the OfS.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support sustainable farming initiatives.

The Government allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament, investing more than £2.7 billion a year in farming and nature recovery. Overall, farmers and land managers will benefit from an average of £2.3 billion a year through the Farming and Countryside Programme. And up to £400 million from additional nature schemes, including those for tree planting and peatland restoration. This includes increasing spend on nature-friendly farming including Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes to £2 billion by 28/29. Defra will continue to invest in our farmers and land managers to make their businesses, food production and our country more sustainable and resilient through ELM.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of linking differential fees to teaching standards on higher education institutions with higher than average rate of admission to students from the most financially disadvantaged backgrounds.

Maximum fee limits for all higher education (HE) providers will increase from £9,535 to £9,790 in the 2026/27 academic year, and from £9,790 to £10,050 in the 2027/28 academic year. We will then legislate, when parliamentary time allows, to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. In return for the increased investment that we are asking students to make, we expect the HE sector to deliver the very best outcomes both for those students and for the country. To achieve this, we will link future inflationary fee uplifts to judgements on HE providers’ quality and restrict fee income where high quality cannot be demonstrated. The Office for Students (OfS) will consider a wide range of metrics when determining quality judgements. All HE providers registered with the OfS that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan approved by the OfS.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to hold a consultation on the Circular Economy Growth Plan.

This Government remains committed to transitioning towards a circular economy and driving economic growth. This is why, in the new year, we will publish our Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how Government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Growth Plan will reflect the extensive engagement led by the Circular Economy Taskforce with industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders. We will continue to engage stakeholders, including through consultation where appropriate, on the interventions set out in the Growth Plan after publication.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support mass atrocity prevention in Sudan.

I refer the Hon. Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 30 October 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce wait times for adult gender services.

We know that waiting times for these services are far too long and we are determined to change that. NHS England has increased the number of adult gender services in England from seven to 12, with the rollout of five new adult gender pilot clinics since July 2020. The rollout of these clinics is helping to tackle long waiting times. NHS England is currently carrying out a review of adult gender services, with the aim of producing an updated service specification. The review, which is chaired by Dr David Levy, will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients. To support those facing long waits, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced, on 15 September, that the Department will tender for a new pilot. This will provide those on waiting lists for adult gender services in the South West region of England with access to support and information before appointments, including digital mental health support and community-based services. A national rollout will be subject to the outcome of the pilot.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure (a) atrocity prevention capabilities and (b) civilian protection expertise are used during the UK’s response to events in El Fasher, Darfur.

I refer the Hon. Member to the response provided to the Urgent Question on Sudan: Protection of Civilians on 30 October.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to provide additional support for an urgent scale-up of cholera response in Sudan.

The conflict in Sudan and the widespread destruction of sanitation and health services has caused a devastating cholera outbreak with more than 100,000 cases and 2,500 deaths since July 2024. More than 33.5 million people are at risk across all 18 states. The UK Government continues to work with a range of international partners to deliver lifesaving emergency health interventions, including cholera vaccines, treatment, and prevention. Additionally, through a 'match funding' arrangement we have recently partnered with the State of Kuwait to deliver an additional £3.75 million to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), supplementing UK resources already allocated to combat the outbreak. We continue to urge the warring parties in Sudan to facilitate humanitarian access so that aid reaches those most in need.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the implementation of the 10 Year Health Plan will help tackle inequalities in the commissioning of hospice services.

We know that there are inequalities in access to palliative care and end of life care and we are looking at how best to reduce these. The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that young people are able to develop creative skills.

The government published its Industrial Strategy and eight Sector Plans, including for the creative industries, on 23 June.Skills are central to the strategy, recognising their vital role in enabling young people to succeed regardless of background and in supporting the UK’s future economic success.Skills England will ensure the UK has the workforce to support growth sectors such as the creative industries by identifying and addressing current and future skills needs.New shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships will help more people learn new skills at work and provide high-quality entry pathways for young people.From April 2026, short courses in areas such as digital and artificial intelligence (AI) will be funded through the growth and skills levy and will support skills within the creative industries.The government believes creative subjects are important elements of the rounded, enriching education every child deserves. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is seeking a curriculum that readies young people for life and work, including creative subjects and skills, with the final report due autumn.We are launching a National Centre for Arts and Music Education in 2026 to support excellent teacher training in the arts and boost partnerships between schools and arts organisations.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025, whether the Disabled Facilities Grant will be available to disabled residents required to pay for changes to living circumstances arising from recommendations of person-centred fire risk assessments.

Under the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 regulations, residents with disabilities or impairments in high-rise and certain medium rise buildings will be entitled to a person-centred fire risk assessment to identify equipment and adjustments to aid their fire safety and evacuation. Where costs arise, these may fall to the building owner, all residents or the individual resident. Where the cost of an identified mitigation would fall to the resident, the resident can decline to pay for it, in which case that mitigation may not be put in place. The Government has committed funding this year (2025/26) supporting social housing providers to deliver RPEEPs for their renters. Future years funding will be considered through the Spending Review process. Residents can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant from their local council which can help cover the capital costs of adaptations so they can live safely and independently at home. Local housing authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for disabled people following a needs assessment, means test, eligibility criteria and subject to any permissions required from a landlord. They also have powers to provide financial assistance for adaptations for those that do not qualify for funding under the duty, and in some cases to waive the means test.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the Fair Work Agency has the required resource to enforce (a) the minimum wage, (b) protection from harassment and (c) protection from gender discrimination at work for young women.

The Fair Work Agency will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights, including the rights of young women.The specific legislation the Fair Work Agency will be responsible for enforcing is set out in Part 1 of Schedule 7 of the Employment Rights Bill.The Government is committed to giving the Fair Work Agency the resources it needs to enforce its remit effectively. More detail around funding will be released in due course.

Whether the National Cancer Plan will include measures to ensure earlier diagnosis.

Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan, due to be published later this year, will build on the shifts in care set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to diagnose cancers earlier. Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it easier for people to access cancer screening, diagnostics, and treatment in patients’ local areas, backed by the latest technology. We will increase participation in screening programmes through taking innovative approaches like self-sampling for cervical screening and digital booking.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.

Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to support bids for (a) the 2029 World Athletic Championships and (b) other major athletics events in London; and if she will hold discussions with the organisers of the UK bid for the 2029 World Athletic Championships.

The Government is committed to delivering international events with pride, building upon the UK’s global reputation for excellence in staging major sporting events.That is why I am pleased that we confirmed on 19 July that we will support a partnership bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships and World Para Athletic Championships in the UK.Beyond this, we continue to work closely with our expert arm’s-length body UK Sport to explore all future hosting opportunities that will strengthen the UK’s major events pipeline. The UK has already secured a strong pipeline of events over the coming years, including the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, and UEFA 2028 European Championships, as well as backing a bid for the 2035 Football Women's World Cup.