Written questions by Qureshi.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of emergency alerts being displayed in the language that the recipient's phone is set to.

The Emergency Alert system is a UK Government capability that allows time critical life saving information to be broadcast to phones within a certain area. English is the primary language Emergency Alerts are sent in. This is to ensure standardisation in message clarity and avoids the risk that any rushed translation may result in messaging which poorly conveys the necessary action to the recipient. However, where practicable, alerts impacting Wales will be sent in both English and Welsh. Local Resilience Forums also work with partners in a local area to alert people of an emergency. Owing to their local knowledge of each area, the Local Resilience Forums are well-equipped to ensure the relevant information is communicated to non-English speakers. The Cabinet Office will consider the feasibility for future technical improvements to the system in which an alert would come through in the language set by the individual user.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating a fashion watchdog to help tackle exploitation in the supply chains of clothing manufacturers.

The UK is one of the leading countries confronting the scourge of modern-day slavery, including forced labour. We engage through bilateral and multilateral fora to find ways to tackle forced labour in global supply chains and ensure workers benefit from high labour standards domestically and internationally. We recognise that trade policy is an important tool in a comprehensive approach to prevent, identify and eliminate forced labour in global supply chains and we are considering measures that can help improve supply chain transparency and traceability.As well as the Fashion Watchdog or Garment Trade Adjudicator idea, there have been other proposals including licensing and increased guidance on managing supply chains. We will continue to review measures to drive up standards across the sector and monitor global regulatory proposals in the sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 on the (a) stress and (b) injury chances of farmed chickens and turkeys.

The Government is firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare. The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 introduces new requirements prohibiting one-leg catching of laying hens, meat chickens and turkeys weighing 5kg or less in Great Britain. These birds must now be caught, lifted and carried by two legs to directly minimise welfare harm. An impact assessment (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2025/149/pdfs/ukia_20250149_en.pdf) was published alongside this legislation, which also covers the welfare impacts of different catching and handling methods.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending Northern Ireland’s rules for new drivers to all new drivers across the UK.

Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads and continue to tackle this through our THINK! campaign. We are considering other measures to address this problem and protect young drivers, as part of our upcoming strategy for road safety - the first in over a decade.

Whether she intends the offence of assaulting a shop worker to apply to people working in a bureau de change.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 created a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public, including public-facing roles in banks, bureau de changes and building societies.Alongside this, through our Crime and Policing Bill, this Government has introduced a new specific standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to help tackle the epidemic of shop theft and violence towards shop workers that we have seen in recent years, and protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.For the purposes of this new offence, our definition of a ‘retail worker’ is intentionally narrow given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker, and the assault took place in the course of their work.

How she defines mainly by retail in Clause 15 of the Crime and Policing Bill.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 created a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public, including public-facing roles in banks, bureau de changes and building societies.Alongside this, through our Crime and Policing Bill, this Government has introduced a new specific standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to help tackle the epidemic of shop theft and violence towards shop workers that we have seen in recent years, and protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.For the purposes of this new offence, our definition of a ‘retail worker’ is intentionally narrow given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker, and the assault took place in the course of their work.

What steps her Department plans to take to amend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to include decapod crustaceans.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which provides a framework for animal protection and welfare. Defra is building an evidence base for considering if decapods should have greater protections. The Home Office will be guided by these decisions as to whether decapod crustaceans are regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.The Government is committed to accelerating the development, validation and uptake of non-animal alternatives in science and will publish a strategy later this year. The Government has a manifesto commitment to work towards a vision to phase out animal testing through the acceleration of development and uptake of validated non-animal alternatives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that all British Overseas Territories have implemented publicly accessible registers for beneficial ownership before the end of the year.

Please refer to my Written Ministerial Statements of 3 July and 22 July which provide an update on progress achieved to date and details of next steps. We have clearly conveyed to our partners in the remaining Overseas Territories the urgency of meeting previously agreed deadlines and expect prompt action. To assist in this effort, we have offered technical support. The registers should offer streamlined access to a broad range of legitimate users, supporting proactive investigations, deterring the concealment of illicit gains, and promoting maximum transparency.Baroness Hodge will visit BVI at my request shortly to examine these issues directly with the Premier and his Government there, and I regularly raise our clear expectations in discussions with OT leaders, and will continue to do so.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2025 to Question 51054 on Teachers: Workplace Pensions, what progress has been made on reducing the number of teachers waiting for compensation since 30 May 2025.

As part of the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy, affected members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) can choose either final salary or career average benefits for the remedy period (April 2015 to March 2022). From June 2025, the TPS administrator began adjusting pensions for members who selected benefits different from those already in payment.As of 17 September 2025, 254 pensions had been adjusted. This process takes time, due to the complexity of the calculations required for the Remediable Service Statement (RSS), which reflects benefit choices as of its issue date. Additional calculations are needed if members opt for different benefits, as the pension position may change between RSS issuance and payment adjustment and some of these calculations cannot currently be automated so are done manually by clerical staff. The member’s existing pension benefits continue to be paid during this period, with any subsequent changes backdated with interest applied.The department continues to monitor these issues very closely and work with Capita to ensure issues of this nature are resolved as quickly as possible, and the Teachers’ Pension Scheme is delivered to the highest possible standard.

If he will make an estimate of the average increase in the cost of running a dental practice in the last 12 months.

The Government is conducting a research project to better understand the costs and pressures associated with running a dental practice in England.As part of this research, a survey was launched on 13 May and closed on 16 June 2025. This included questions on laboratory fees and dental materials as well as other associated costs with running a dental practice.We are currently reviewing and analysing the responses to understand the findings.

How much funding allocated for the NHS in the Spending Review 2025 will be allocated for dental provision in each of the next five years.

The Department settlement announced at the 2025 Spending Review means that annual National Health Service day-to-day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms, a £53 billion cash increase, by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24. This will take the NHS resource budget to £226 billion by 2028/29, the equivalent to a 3% average annual real terms growth rate over the Spending Review period. The details of budget allocations within departments are still being determined. The Department is working to provide the detail and certainty needed on future funding and spending plans, including for NHS dentistry.NHS planning guidance for 2025/26 confirms that dental budgets are ringfenced. Planning guidance also confirms that improving access to urgent dental appointments is a key national priority.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a Business Human Rights and Environment Bill.

The UK has a range of measures in place to promote responsible business conduct across the economy. In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses, modern slavery, and environmental harms in global supply chains. The review will be a neutral, objective appraisal of policy, led by departmental officials. It will consider the effectiveness of the UK’s current regime and the merits of alternative means of supporting responsible business practices.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that Personal Independence Payment assessments make an adequate assessment of claimants’ (a) physical symptoms and (b) medical evidence and (c) other supporting evidence.

PIP assessors give due consideration to all available evidence when completing their advice to the Department. DWP decision makers also consider all available evidence when making entitlement decisions on PIP. The Department closely monitors all aspects of the process including the performance of the assessment providers and the quality of assessments. All providers work with the department on plans to continuously improve assessment quality through a range of measures including audit, clinical observations, tailored training and development plans, providing feedback and in the support available to assessors. We set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper our intention to improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits. This includes exploring ways to improve PIP assessments through digitalising transfer of medical information. We announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we will, in future, record assessments by default, unless the claimant asks that the assessment should not be recorded. This will give us the means to check what happened when an assessment is found later to have been incorrect, and, we expect, an effective lever for improvement

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make purposely delaying calling emergency services during a medical emergency a crime.

The Government has no current plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make it a crime to delay calling emergency services during a medical emergency.Although no general duty applies to members of the public to act in such circumstances in England and Wales, a duty of care may apply where it can be established under statute, contract or where a relationship of proximity exists between the parties, for example such as a child or vulnerable older person.Where a duty of care is found to exist, and there has been a serious breach of that duty, particularly where a lack of care led to the death of the victim, a person may be liable to criminal prosecution under the law of gross negligence manslaughter.

With reference to the Written Statement HCWS652 of 22 May 2025, what assessment he has made of adequacy of the Advertising Standards Authority to perform the role of frontline regulator for the upcoming regulations of HFSS food and drink advertising on TV and online.

The Government is committed to implementing advertising restrictions for less healthy food and drink on television and online, as part of its ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.As announced in our Written Ministerial Statement on 22 May, we are working with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to bring forward a statutory instrument (SI) that will provide an explicit exemption for ‘brand advertising’ from the advertising restrictions. This will provide legal clarification on this aspect of the existing policy, which we consulted upon and which was understood and agreed by Parliament during the passage of the Health and Care Bill. We will consult on the draft regulations before they can be finalised and laid before Parliament, which we aim to do as soon as possible. We have amended the coming into force date for the advertising restrictions from 1 October 2025 to 5 January 2026, to allow for this and for the Advertising Standards Authority to publish implementation guidance on how the restrictions will be enforced. However, industry stakeholders have complied with the restrictions voluntarily, as though they will still come into force from 1 October 2025.The Government appointed Ofcom as the statutory regulator for the advertising restrictions. Ofcom has appointed the Advertising Standards Authority as the frontline regulator to carry out the day-to-day enforcement following consultation.

With reference to the Written Statement UIN HCWS652 of 22 May 2025, what his planned timeline is for regulations on the advertising of HFSS food and drink products.

The Government is committed to implementing advertising restrictions for less healthy food and drink on television and online, as part of its ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.As announced in our Written Ministerial Statement on 22 May, we are working with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to bring forward a statutory instrument (SI) that will provide an explicit exemption for ‘brand advertising’ from the advertising restrictions. This will provide legal clarification on this aspect of the existing policy, which we consulted upon and which was understood and agreed by Parliament during the passage of the Health and Care Bill. We will consult on the draft regulations before they can be finalised and laid before Parliament, which we aim to do as soon as possible. We have amended the coming into force date for the advertising restrictions from 1 October 2025 to 5 January 2026, to allow for this and for the Advertising Standards Authority to publish implementation guidance on how the restrictions will be enforced. However, industry stakeholders have complied with the restrictions voluntarily, as though they will still come into force from 1 October 2025.The Government appointed Ofcom as the statutory regulator for the advertising restrictions. Ofcom has appointed the Advertising Standards Authority as the frontline regulator to carry out the day-to-day enforcement following consultation.

With reference to the Written Statement of 22 May 2025 on Childhood obesity, HCWS652, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) delaying implementation of advertising restrictions from 1 October 2025 to 5 January 2026 on the number of additional advertisements for less healthy food that will be shown on television and (b) exempting brand advertising from the restrictions on children's health.

The Government is committed to implementing advertising restrictions for less healthy food and drink on television and online, as part of its ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.We have not undertaken an assessment of the impact of moving the enforcement date of the restrictions from 1 October 2025 to 5 January 2026, or of providing an exemption for ‘brand advertising’ from the regulations, because we are not changing the policy but instead providing legal clarification on an existing aspect of the policy. We have secured a unique and public commitment from advertisers and broadcasters to voluntarily comply with the restrictions from 1 October 2025, meaning we do not expect to see adverts for specific identifiable less healthy products shown on television between 5:30am and 9:00pm, or at any time online. Therefore, from 1 October, we expect to achieve the outcomes of the policy as planned, which will protect children from the harms of junk food advertising and begin to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year.We received representation from a range of stakeholders in response to the Advertising Standards Authority's revised implementation guidance, and following my written statement of 7 April 2025. This included written correspondence from industry bodies, broadcasters, advertisers, and non-government organisations. We listened carefully to the concerns raised by all stakeholders, and we have worked with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to find a resolution that supports economic growth by ensuring that industry has the confidence to invest in advertising that complies with the restrictions, whilst protecting children from advertising of less healthy products.An impact assessment was published in 2021, along with the laying of the primary legislation, which recognised that brand advertising that did not identify less healthy products is out of the scope of the restrictions. This remains fit-for-purpose, as we are not changing the policy but providing legal clarification on the existing policy.

What representations his Department received on the Advertising Standards Authority's guidance on the advertising of foods high in (a) fat, (b) sugar and (c) salt in (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025.

The Government is committed to implementing advertising restrictions for less healthy food and drink on television and online, as part of its ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.We have not undertaken an assessment of the impact of moving the enforcement date of the restrictions from 1 October 2025 to 5 January 2026, or of providing an exemption for ‘brand advertising’ from the regulations, because we are not changing the policy but instead providing legal clarification on an existing aspect of the policy. We have secured a unique and public commitment from advertisers and broadcasters to voluntarily comply with the restrictions from 1 October 2025, meaning we do not expect to see adverts for specific identifiable less healthy products shown on television between 5:30am and 9:00pm, or at any time online. Therefore, from 1 October, we expect to achieve the outcomes of the policy as planned, which will protect children from the harms of junk food advertising and begin to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year.We received representation from a range of stakeholders in response to the Advertising Standards Authority's revised implementation guidance, and following my written statement of 7 April 2025. This included written correspondence from industry bodies, broadcasters, advertisers, and non-government organisations. We listened carefully to the concerns raised by all stakeholders, and we have worked with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to find a resolution that supports economic growth by ensuring that industry has the confidence to invest in advertising that complies with the restrictions, whilst protecting children from advertising of less healthy products.An impact assessment was published in 2021, along with the laying of the primary legislation, which recognised that brand advertising that did not identify less healthy products is out of the scope of the restrictions. This remains fit-for-purpose, as we are not changing the policy but providing legal clarification on the existing policy.

With reference to the Written Statement of 7 April 2025 on Childhood Obesity, HCWS579, whether her Department received representations from industry after that statement was made.

The Government is committed to implementing advertising restrictions for less healthy food and drink on television and online, as part of its ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.We have not undertaken an assessment of the impact of moving the enforcement date of the restrictions from 1 October 2025 to 5 January 2026, or of providing an exemption for ‘brand advertising’ from the regulations, because we are not changing the policy but instead providing legal clarification on an existing aspect of the policy. We have secured a unique and public commitment from advertisers and broadcasters to voluntarily comply with the restrictions from 1 October 2025, meaning we do not expect to see adverts for specific identifiable less healthy products shown on television between 5:30am and 9:00pm, or at any time online. Therefore, from 1 October, we expect to achieve the outcomes of the policy as planned, which will protect children from the harms of junk food advertising and begin to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year.We received representation from a range of stakeholders in response to the Advertising Standards Authority's revised implementation guidance, and following my written statement of 7 April 2025. This included written correspondence from industry bodies, broadcasters, advertisers, and non-government organisations. We listened carefully to the concerns raised by all stakeholders, and we have worked with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to find a resolution that supports economic growth by ensuring that industry has the confidence to invest in advertising that complies with the restrictions, whilst protecting children from advertising of less healthy products.An impact assessment was published in 2021, along with the laying of the primary legislation, which recognised that brand advertising that did not identify less healthy products is out of the scope of the restrictions. This remains fit-for-purpose, as we are not changing the policy but providing legal clarification on the existing policy.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that NT-proBNP testing is implemented in Community Diagnostic Centres.

NT-proBNP is a well-established blood test used across the National Health Service in the detection of heart failure. All standard and large model community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are required to offer blood tests via a phlebotomy service, and the majority of spoke model CDCs also offer this service.All NHS pathology networks have laboratories that are equipped to provide results for these blood tests.14 CDCs are also currently able to provide NT-proBNP blood tests as a point of care test (POCT), where results can be assessed on site while patients wait, allowing patients to get results on the same day. NHS England is working with CDCs to expand the number offering this test as a POCT test.NHS England has also released guidance to increase the use of NT-proBNP tests as a triage tool for referral to echocardiography services. The guidance has been published, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/enhancing-gp-direct-access-to-diagnostic-tests-for-patients-with-suspected-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-asthma-or-heart-failure/