Abtisam Mohamed Portrait

Abtisam Mohamed

Labour - Sheffield Central

8,286 (26.1%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024


Select Committees
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill (since May 2025)
Foreign Affairs Committee (since October 2024)
Abtisam Mohamed has no previous appointments


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Abtisam Mohamed has voted in 361 divisions, and 5 times against the majority of their Party.

1 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Abtisam Mohamed voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 49 Labour No votes vs 333 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 335 Noes - 260
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Abtisam Mohamed voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 47 Labour No votes vs 333 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 336 Noes - 242
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Abtisam Mohamed voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 47 Labour Aye votes vs 331 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 149 Noes - 334
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Abtisam Mohamed voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 35 Labour Aye votes vs 333 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 130 Noes - 443
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Abtisam Mohamed voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 37 Labour No votes vs 330 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 335 Noes - 135
View All Abtisam Mohamed Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Hamish Falconer (Labour)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(16 debate interactions)
David Lammy (Labour)
Deputy Prime Minister
(10 debate interactions)
Keir Starmer (Labour)
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury
(7 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Cabinet Office
(9 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(9 debate contributions)
Department for Business and Trade
(7 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Abtisam Mohamed's debates

Sheffield Central Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

We urge the UK Government to scrap plans to extend ILR from 5 to 10 years. We feel that legal migrants, especially care workers, followed the rules and built lives here under the 5-year promise. We think they support vital services and deserve fairness, not shifting rules.

The Government should keep the current 5-year route to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and restrict access to government benefits for new ILR holders.

I believe joining the EU would boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability & freedom. I believe that Brexit hasn't brought any tangible benefit and there is no future prospect of any, that the UK has changed its mind and that this should be recognised.


Latest EDMs signed by Abtisam Mohamed

28th April 2026
Abtisam Mohamed signed this EDM on Tuesday 28th April 2026

International Workers’ Memorial Day 2026

Tabled by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
That this House marks International Workers’ Memorial Day 2026; remembers all those who have been killed, injured or made ill as a result of their work; sends solidarity to bereaved families, injured workers and all those living with work-related illness; recognises the vital role of trade unions, health and safety …
29 signatures
(Most recent: 28 Apr 2026)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 28
Independent: 1
11th February 2026
Abtisam Mohamed signed this EDM on Tuesday 28th April 2026

Government contract with Palantir Technologies

Tabled by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
That this House notes that the Ministry of Defence signed a contract with the US firm Palantir in December 2025 worth £240,000,000, by direct award and without tender; further notes that whilst the decision may be justified under the Procurement Act 2023, there is significant public interest in how this …
34 signatures
(Most recent: 28 Apr 2026)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 20
Green Party: 5
Independent: 4
Plaid Cymru: 4
Liberal Democrat: 1
View All Abtisam Mohamed's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Abtisam Mohamed, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Abtisam Mohamed has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Abtisam Mohamed has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Abtisam Mohamed has not introduced any legislation before Parliament


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that businesses comply with the Equality Act 2010 by allowing people with sight loss to enter their premises with an assistance dog.

Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses and public bodies that provide goods and services to the public must not unlawfully discriminate against disabled people, including those with assistance dogs.

The Act places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services. This could include allowing the use of assistance dogs so that disabled customers are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers.

This is an anticipatory duty, meaning businesses should expect that some customers will have assistance dogs and should put in place arrangements to assist their access. Failure to do so could ultimately leave the service provider open to legal action by the disabled person.

To help businesses comply with the law and disabled customers know their rights, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a range of guidance and codes of practice, for all to consult.

23rd Oct 2024
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to tackle transphobia.

It is crucial that trans people are safe and protected from discrimination. This government is committed to breaking down barriers by ending the politics of division.

Work is underway on the various manifesto commitments that will enhance legislative protections for all LGBT+ individuals, including those who are trans. In particular, the government is committed to delivering a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices; ensuring that all existing strands of hate crime constitute an aggravated offence and reforming the legal gender recognition process to remove indignities for trans people while upholding the Equality Act.

12th Feb 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the £4.85 million Integrated Security Fund Package referenced in a 2 December 2025 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office press release refers to the £4.85 million allocation for financial year 2025-26 for the Integrated Security Fund Gender and National Security Portfolio, as outlined in Parliament on 18 November 2025 by The Minister for Security.

I confirm the £4.85 million referenced in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office press release of 2 December 2025 refers directly to the Integrated Security Fund allocation for the Gender and National Security portfolio. This forms part of the Fund’s overall allocation of £854.82 million in 2025/26.

Dan Jarvis
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
12th Feb 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what part of the allocated 2026-27 spend for the Integrated Security Fund will go towards the Gender and National Security Portfolio.

The decrease in the Integrated Security Fund’s (ISF) national security programming budget means that we need to focus resources on the highest priority threats to national security, as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 10 February. The Government has therefore taken the decision to close the standalone Gender and National Security (GNS) portfolio in 2026/27.

The ISF will continue to provide £0.8m each year to fund the Women, Peace and Security Helpdesk, which forms part of the GNS portfolio this year. The Helpdesk provides high-impact technical and advisory support to teams across Government, including the ISF. This supports delivery of gender-sensitive activity aligned to UK national security priorities.

Teams across government delivering ISF programming are also expected to continue to mainstream gender throughout their work, including through projects which specifically address gender and social inclusion.

They are also expected to monitor the gender and social inclusion impacts of their activity and in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty obligations, programmes will consider the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations across protected characteristics.

Dan Jarvis
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
27th Jan 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help resolve issues with civil service pension scheme processing at Capita.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Satvir Kaur
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Jan 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on a UK-EU youth mobility scheme.

The Government set out clear priorities for the reset with the EU in the manifesto. There are no plans for a Youth Mobility Scheme.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
23rd Oct 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will hold discussions with his EU counterparts on creating a youth mobility scheme.

The Prime Minister and the president of the European Commission met in Brussels on 2 October and agreed to strengthen the relationship between the EU and the UK, putting it on a more solid, stable footing.

We are committed to finding constructive ways to work together and deliver for the British people.

We are not going to give a running commentary on youth mobility. We will obviously look at EU proposals on a range of issues, but there are no plans for a Youth Mobility Scheme, and we will not return to freedom of movement.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
13th Nov 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to conduct a review into the adequacy of fireworks legislation.

No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of current legislation governing fireworks. Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action.

Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
10th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government plans to include foie gras in it's trade strategy.

The trade strategy will set out how we can achieve long-term sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth through trade. The development of the strategy will consider the Government’s commitment to uphold our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety standards, areas in which the UK is a world leader.

Douglas Alexander
Secretary of State for Scotland
10th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the same sustainability standards are applied (a) Temu, (b) Shein and (c) other Chinese low-cost suppliers as to suppliers in the UK.

All businesses operating in the UK, regardless of where they are owned, are required to comply with UK sustainability regulations and standards. This includes the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The government will continue to monitor and assess the effectiveness of existing and emerging policy levers which prevent human rights abuses, labour rights abuses and environmental harms across business operations and supply chains.

Douglas Alexander
Secretary of State for Scotland
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will initiative a review of UK treaties containing Investor-State Dispute Settlements.

The UK is party to 83 Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) that contain investment protection and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). In 2022, these BITs covered at least £195 billion of UK investment overseas.

ISDS provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without adequate compensation.

The Government has no plans to review UK treaties containing ISDS.

Douglas Alexander
Secretary of State for Scotland
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will initiative a review of UK treaties containing Investor-State Dispute Settlements.

The UK is party to 83 Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) that contain investment protection and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). In 2022, these BITs covered at least £195 billion of UK investment overseas.

ISDS provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without adequate compensation.

The Government has no plans to review UK treaties containing ISDS.

Douglas Alexander
Secretary of State for Scotland
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has plans to widen the scope of the Groceries Code Adjudicator.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator enforces the Groceries Supply Code of Practice which regulates the relationship between large supermarkets in the UK and their direct suppliers. At the production end of the supply chain, powers in the Agriculture Act allow the government to introduce ‘Fair Dealings’ Regulations, applying to businesses when purchasing agricultural products from farmers. Such regulations have been introduced to cover the UK dairy sector and will be enforced by the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator.

The government will continue to monitor the supply chain and will deliver a resilient and healthy food system, with a new deal that ensures fairness in the supply chain across all sectors.

21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the level of statutory paternity leave on new families.

As committed to in the Plan to Make Work Pay, the Government will review the system of parental leave, including Paternity Leave, to ensure that it best supports working families. We are in the early planning stage for this Review and are actively considering its parameters.

21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department will launch the review of the parental leave system.

As committed to in the Plan to Make Work Pay, the Government will review the system of parental leave, including Paternity Leave, to ensure that it best supports working families. We are in the early planning stage for this Review and are actively considering its parameters.

18th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact that a UPOV91 seed law may have small farmers in India.

UPOV provides a global system of plant variety protection trusted by plant breeders with the aim of encouraging the development of new varieties of plants for the benefit of society. Whether or not a country signs up to UPOV91 is subject to their own policy-making process including impact assessments, so the UK has not assessed impact in India.

Douglas Alexander
Secretary of State for Scotland
22nd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to publish an Industrial Strategy.

As stated in the Kings Speech this government is committed to establishing an industrial strategy council on a statutory footing. Growth is this Government's number one priority. To achieve growth and create secure, well-paid jobs across the country, we will get businesses investing again through a clear, credible, long-term modern Industrial Strategy. To succeed, the Strategy will need to be designed and delivered in partnership with business, unions, local leaders and wider stakeholders. The Strategy will be published in the coming months and I will update the house in due course.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Home Office)
13th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking in the Warm Homes Plan to support insulation upgrades for fuel-poor households in the private rented sector.

The Warm Homes Plan will cut bills, with an offer for every household, whether they own their home, rent privately, or live in social housing. We will reach up to five million homes by 2030, through direct support for those on low incomes and in fuel poverty, grants and innovative low-interest finance available to all.

The Warm Homes: Local Grant is accessible to those living in privately rented accommodation, subject to eligibility. We are also standing up for renters through our new minimum energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors, which will lift around 650,000 households out of fuel poverty.

From 1 October 2030, private rented homes must meet the required standard, or have a valid exemption registered in order to be let.

Martin McCluskey
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to incentivise the installation of insulation to reduce private rented sector tenants’ energy bills.

The Warm Homes Plan will cut bills, with an offer for every household, whether they own their home, rent privately, or live in social housing. We will reach up to five million homes by 2030, through direct support for those on low incomes and in fuel poverty, grants and innovative low-interest finance available to all.

The Warm Homes: Local Grant is accessible to those living in privately rented accommodation, subject to eligibility. We are also standing up for renters through our new minimum energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors, which will lift around 650,000 households out of fuel poverty.

From 1 October 2030, private rented homes must meet the required standard, or have a valid exemption registered in order to be let.

Martin McCluskey
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate he has made of the number of households in fuel poverty who live in properties that do not have loft insulation.

The latest annual fuel poverty statistics estimate that around 873,000 households in England were in fuel poverty in 2025 and lived in properties with under 125 mm of loft insulation, equivalent to a fuel poverty rate of 13.3% for this group. This compares with a rate of fuel poverty of around 7.8% (1.17 million households) among households with 125 mm or more of loft insulation, and 9% (316,000 households) among households where loft insulation is not applicable.

These estimates are produced under the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) metric and are published in Table 17 of the Fuel poverty detailed tables 2026 (2025 data).

Martin McCluskey
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of enabling community energy schemes to sell energy to local households and businesses on the transition to Net Zero.

The Department is considering a range of reforms to unlock renewable investment and pass through the benefits of cheaper renewables to consumers. This includes potential changes to support local and community energy.

All policies within my department and Government undergo appropriate analytical appraisals, which includes an assessment of the impacts on Net Zero.

The Secretary of State previously commissioned Ofgem to explore policy and regulatory barriers to local supply, including route to market challenges.

The Department continues to work with Ofgem and key stakeholders to enhance our community energy offer. We will set out further detail in due course.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
26th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost to the public purse of carbon capture technologies in each of the next three years.

The Autumn Budget settlement provides £3.9bn in 2025-26 for the first carbon capture and storage clusters in the UK. The breakdown of costs by financial year is commercially sensitive whilst negotiations progress. The cost of carbon capture after 2025-26 will be disclosed following the conclusion of the second phase of the Spending Review.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Home Office)
8th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to boost energy efficiency of homes in Sheffield Central constituency.

Support for boosting energy efficiency in homes is currently available through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Scheme, Home Upgrade Grant, Energy Company Obligation Scheme and the Great British Insulation scheme. These schemes are available across the country, including to those based in Sheffield.

The Warm Homes Plan will offer grants and low interest loans to support investment in insulation, low carbon heating and other home improvements to cut bills. We will partner with combined authorities and local and devolved governments to roll out this plan.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
8th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to build growth in community energy in Sheffield Central constituency.

Community energy will play an essential role in meeting our mission for clean power by 2030, and Government recognises the important role community groups, including those in Sheffield play. Great British Energy will provide support to deliver the Local Power Plan, putting local authorities and communities at the heart of restructuring our energy economy. The Local Power Plan will help crowd‑in investment while ensuring benefits flow directly back into local communities.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
8th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to build growth in community energy.

Community energy will play an essential role in meeting our mission for clean power by 2030, and Government recognises the important role community groups, including those in Sheffield play. Great British Energy will provide support to deliver the Local Power Plan, putting local authorities and communities at the heart of restructuring our energy economy. The Local Power Plan will help crowd‑in investment while ensuring benefits flow directly back into local communities.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
8th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department has taken to develop a warm homes plan.

The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will transform homes across the country by making them cheaper and cleaner to run, rolling out upgrades from new insulation to solar and heat pumps. We have already announced the new Warm Homes: Local Grant to help low-income homeowners and private tenants with energy performance upgrades including insulation, as well as the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, to support social housing providers and tenants. More detail will be provided next spring.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
20th Feb 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the growth of generative AI on creative jobs.

The Government recognises that AI is transforming workplaces, demanding new skills and augmenting existing roles. The scale of future change remains uncertain. We are therefore planning against a range of plausible outcomes to ensure workers continue to have access to good, meaningful employment.

To aid this, the Government has launched the AI and the Future of Work Unit - a cross‑government function dedicated to ensuring AI delivers positive outcomes for the economy, jobs, and workers.

This Unit is designed to prepare the UK for AI-driven labour market transformation by researching and monitoring AI’s impact on the economic and labour market, to provide timely advice on when new policies should be implemented. For example, we have recently published an assessment of AI capabilities and their impact on the UK labour market evaluates trends in AI driven productivity gains and workforce exposure to AI.

Kanishka Narayan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
3rd Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision to restrict TechExpert scholarships to domestic PhD students on the UK’s international competitiveness in Artificial Intelligence innovation.

The Government is committed to strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in AI. While TechExpert scholarships focus on domestic talent, we continue to attract top international talent through initiatives such as the AI Global Fellowships and the Spärck AI scholarships. These programmes ensure the UK retains world-class expertise, supports frontier research, and sustains its competitive edge in AI innovation. This balance to championing our domestic pipeline while attracting some of the world's best AI minds to the UK is key to maximising our AI ambitions.

Kanishka Narayan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of regulating the level of charges levied by online image rights holders in cases of copyright infringement.

The unauthorised use of copyright material is an infringement. The terms on which permission is granted, including any payments that may be made, is a private commercial matter.

The Government would encourage parties involved in potential litigation proceedings to seek a negotiated settlement and the IPO offers a mediation service which employs accredited mediators who are qualified to mediate across a range of IP rights.

There are also many other individuals and organisations who mediate IP disputes, and the IPO has published a list of providers on its website. Further information regarding mediation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/intellectual-property-mediation

22nd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his planned timetable is for commencing negotiations on the UK’s association to the EU’s Framework Programme 10.

The government’s primary focus is on continuing efforts, both domestically and in collaboration with the EU, to boost UK participation in Horizon Europe (FP9). That must be the immediate priority.

However, the government will of course closely observe the development of any future programmes with interest. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides a long-term basis for cooperation in areas of shared interest, such as science, research, and innovation.

22nd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which key R&D institutions will receive a 10 year budget.

The government will set ten-year budgets for certain R&D activities, giving certainty to form long-term partnerships with industry and stay at the forefront of global innovation.

Further details will be announced in due course.

11th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of gambling sponsorship in football on (a) under-18 football players that have gambling sponsorship on their kits and (b) young fans.

The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) and Football Association (FA) require that in the case of teams comprising players all under the age of 18, gambling logos do not appear on any item of kit or clothing, and football bodies’ gambling sponsorship Code of Conduct requires that academy teams with players predominantly under the age of 18 do not play in kit featuring gambling logos.

As part of the Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising, gambling operators cannot allow their logos or any other promotional material to appear on any commercial merchandising designed for children, including on children’s replica shirts. The Code of Conduct also requires that gambling sponsorship must be designed to limit its reach and promotion to those under the age of 18, such as ensuring that no gambling sponsor logos or other promotional materials relating to gambling sponsorship appear on sections of their website which are designed to be viewed and used specifically by children. The Department will closely monitor the implementation of the Codes to ensure they have a meaningful impact.

Additionally, in line with the advertising rules prohibiting top-flight footballers and celebrities from appearing in gambling adverts to limit their appeal, from the end of the 2025/26 season Premier League clubs have agreed to remove front of shirt sponsorships by gambling firms.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
31st Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing national funding for charities.

This Government recognises the vital role that charities play up and down the country, including in Sheffield, by providing crucial support to different groups and communities. This Government is committed to resetting the relationship with civil society and treating them as an equal, expert partner who are integral to delivery of the Government’s vision for national renewal.

DCMS is currently supporting charities in several ways. This includes delivery of a number of grant schemes, such as the £25.5m VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is supporting frontline organisations across England to improve their sustainability. This scheme is part of a wider £101.5 million package to support organisations struggling with cost of living pressures, along with the £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund; a full list of recipients of that Fund is available online, with recipients from Sheffield listed under Yorkshire and the Humber.

DCMS is supporting voluntary youth services in the Sheffield Central area through the Million Hours and Youth Investment fund. The Million Hours Fund is investing £22 million into youth organisations up to March 2026, to deliver more than a million extra hours of youth work in areas across England where young people may be at risk of anti-social behaviour. The Youth Investment Fund enables local, not for profit youth providers to invest in capital projects that expand the reach, number and range of services they currently offer. A list of recipients of this funding is available online for phase one and phase two, with a range of recipients based in Sheffield.

DCMS is also supporting organisations with other forms of funding, including through growing the social investment market (which provides access to grants, repayable finance and a blend of the two) and providing advice on competing for public sector contracts through the £900,000 Contract Readiness Fund.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
31st Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support charities in Sheffield Central constituency.

This Government recognises the vital role that charities play up and down the country, including in Sheffield, by providing crucial support to different groups and communities. This Government is committed to resetting the relationship with civil society and treating them as an equal, expert partner who are integral to delivery of the Government’s vision for national renewal.

DCMS is currently supporting charities in several ways. This includes delivery of a number of grant schemes, such as the £25.5m VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is supporting frontline organisations across England to improve their sustainability. This scheme is part of a wider £101.5 million package to support organisations struggling with cost of living pressures, along with the £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund; a full list of recipients of that Fund is available online, with recipients from Sheffield listed under Yorkshire and the Humber.

DCMS is supporting voluntary youth services in the Sheffield Central area through the Million Hours and Youth Investment fund. The Million Hours Fund is investing £22 million into youth organisations up to March 2026, to deliver more than a million extra hours of youth work in areas across England where young people may be at risk of anti-social behaviour. The Youth Investment Fund enables local, not for profit youth providers to invest in capital projects that expand the reach, number and range of services they currently offer. A list of recipients of this funding is available online for phase one and phase two, with a range of recipients based in Sheffield.

DCMS is also supporting organisations with other forms of funding, including through growing the social investment market (which provides access to grants, repayable finance and a blend of the two) and providing advice on competing for public sector contracts through the £900,000 Contract Readiness Fund.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure there is adequate provision for youth services in all regions.

This Government is committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential and recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving their life chances and wellbeing.

As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people. This is funded from the local government settlement

Additionally, as a government we are keen to ensure that there is appropriate youth provision to stop young people being drawn into crime and facing other poor outcomes. This is why we are creating the Young Futures programme, which will see the establishment of Prevention Partnerships in every local authority and the rollout of youth hubs across England and Wales. These Partnerships, supported by a network of hubs, will bring local services together and deliver support for young people to help them live safe and healthy lives.

This will build on the DCMS funding to invest £500 million in youth services to ensure every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
21st Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether parents will be sanctioned if the child will not agree to a meeting under provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill for local authorities to visit home educated children at more than one home.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will empower local authorities to request to see a child in any of the homes in which the child lives within 15 days of the local authority recording the child’s home address(es) on their Children Not in School (CNIS) registers. The 15-day timeframe applies, irrespective of school holidays. After this point, the Bill also empowers local authorities to request a home visit for the purpose of determining whether to serve a preliminary notice or School Attendance Order (SAO).

If the parent on whom the request was made refuses the home visit, the local authority must take this into account when deciding whether to issue a preliminary notice or a SAO. As is the case now, parents of children subject to a SAO would only be subject to sanctions, such as fines, if found guilty in court of the offence of breaching the order. Parents may be found guilty if they do not enrol their child at the named school and are unable to demonstrate that they are providing a suitable education for their child and/or, where relevant, that education outside of a school is in their child’s best interests.

The department does not currently collect data on the number of home visits carried out by local authorities in relation to home educated children, nor on the living arrangements or family dynamics of those children.

However, we will provide local authorities with additional funding to support them to carry out their new duties. The amount of funding will be determined via a new burdens assessment.

We will also provide statutory guidance, which will be publicly consulted on, and a training package to support parents and local authorities to understand how the CNIS measures should work in practice, including how the measures apply in situations where children live across more than one household.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of visiting several homes, including where the non-resident parent lives out of the area, on local authorities under provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill for local authorities to visit home educated children at more than one home.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will empower local authorities to request to see a child in any of the homes in which the child lives within 15 days of the local authority recording the child’s home address(es) on their Children Not in School (CNIS) registers. The 15-day timeframe applies, irrespective of school holidays. After this point, the Bill also empowers local authorities to request a home visit for the purpose of determining whether to serve a preliminary notice or School Attendance Order (SAO).

If the parent on whom the request was made refuses the home visit, the local authority must take this into account when deciding whether to issue a preliminary notice or a SAO. As is the case now, parents of children subject to a SAO would only be subject to sanctions, such as fines, if found guilty in court of the offence of breaching the order. Parents may be found guilty if they do not enrol their child at the named school and are unable to demonstrate that they are providing a suitable education for their child and/or, where relevant, that education outside of a school is in their child’s best interests.

The department does not currently collect data on the number of home visits carried out by local authorities in relation to home educated children, nor on the living arrangements or family dynamics of those children.

However, we will provide local authorities with additional funding to support them to carry out their new duties. The amount of funding will be determined via a new burdens assessment.

We will also provide statutory guidance, which will be publicly consulted on, and a training package to support parents and local authorities to understand how the CNIS measures should work in practice, including how the measures apply in situations where children live across more than one household.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the non-resident parent will be subject to sanctions if the resident parent refuses a visit request under provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill for local authorities to visit home educated children at more than one home.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will empower local authorities to request to see a child in any of the homes in which the child lives within 15 days of the local authority recording the child’s home address(es) on their Children Not in School (CNIS) registers. The 15-day timeframe applies, irrespective of school holidays. After this point, the Bill also empowers local authorities to request a home visit for the purpose of determining whether to serve a preliminary notice or School Attendance Order (SAO).

If the parent on whom the request was made refuses the home visit, the local authority must take this into account when deciding whether to issue a preliminary notice or a SAO. As is the case now, parents of children subject to a SAO would only be subject to sanctions, such as fines, if found guilty in court of the offence of breaching the order. Parents may be found guilty if they do not enrol their child at the named school and are unable to demonstrate that they are providing a suitable education for their child and/or, where relevant, that education outside of a school is in their child’s best interests.

The department does not currently collect data on the number of home visits carried out by local authorities in relation to home educated children, nor on the living arrangements or family dynamics of those children.

However, we will provide local authorities with additional funding to support them to carry out their new duties. The amount of funding will be determined via a new burdens assessment.

We will also provide statutory guidance, which will be publicly consulted on, and a training package to support parents and local authorities to understand how the CNIS measures should work in practice, including how the measures apply in situations where children live across more than one household.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the resident parent will be subject to sanctions if the non-resident parent refuses a visit request under provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill for local authorities to visit home educated children at more than one home.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will empower local authorities to request to see a child in any of the homes in which the child lives within 15 days of the local authority recording the child’s home address(es) on their Children Not in School (CNIS) registers. The 15-day timeframe applies, irrespective of school holidays. After this point, the Bill also empowers local authorities to request a home visit for the purpose of determining whether to serve a preliminary notice or School Attendance Order (SAO).

If the parent on whom the request was made refuses the home visit, the local authority must take this into account when deciding whether to issue a preliminary notice or a SAO. As is the case now, parents of children subject to a SAO would only be subject to sanctions, such as fines, if found guilty in court of the offence of breaching the order. Parents may be found guilty if they do not enrol their child at the named school and are unable to demonstrate that they are providing a suitable education for their child and/or, where relevant, that education outside of a school is in their child’s best interests.

The department does not currently collect data on the number of home visits carried out by local authorities in relation to home educated children, nor on the living arrangements or family dynamics of those children.

However, we will provide local authorities with additional funding to support them to carry out their new duties. The amount of funding will be determined via a new burdens assessment.

We will also provide statutory guidance, which will be publicly consulted on, and a training package to support parents and local authorities to understand how the CNIS measures should work in practice, including how the measures apply in situations where children live across more than one household.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department holds information on the number of home educated children with separated parents living at different addresses.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will empower local authorities to request to see a child in any of the homes in which the child lives within 15 days of the local authority recording the child’s home address(es) on their Children Not in School (CNIS) registers. The 15-day timeframe applies, irrespective of school holidays. After this point, the Bill also empowers local authorities to request a home visit for the purpose of determining whether to serve a preliminary notice or School Attendance Order (SAO).

If the parent on whom the request was made refuses the home visit, the local authority must take this into account when deciding whether to issue a preliminary notice or a SAO. As is the case now, parents of children subject to a SAO would only be subject to sanctions, such as fines, if found guilty in court of the offence of breaching the order. Parents may be found guilty if they do not enrol their child at the named school and are unable to demonstrate that they are providing a suitable education for their child and/or, where relevant, that education outside of a school is in their child’s best interests.

The department does not currently collect data on the number of home visits carried out by local authorities in relation to home educated children, nor on the living arrangements or family dynamics of those children.

However, we will provide local authorities with additional funding to support them to carry out their new duties. The amount of funding will be determined via a new burdens assessment.

We will also provide statutory guidance, which will be publicly consulted on, and a training package to support parents and local authorities to understand how the CNIS measures should work in practice, including how the measures apply in situations where children live across more than one household.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost to local authorities of the provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on visiting home educated children, including travel time.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will empower local authorities to request to see a child in any of the homes in which the child lives within 15 days of the local authority recording the child’s home address(es) on their Children Not in School (CNIS) registers. The 15-day timeframe applies, irrespective of school holidays. After this point, the Bill also empowers local authorities to request a home visit for the purpose of determining whether to serve a preliminary notice or School Attendance Order (SAO).

If the parent on whom the request was made refuses the home visit, the local authority must take this into account when deciding whether to issue a preliminary notice or a SAO. As is the case now, parents of children subject to a SAO would only be subject to sanctions, such as fines, if found guilty in court of the offence of breaching the order. Parents may be found guilty if they do not enrol their child at the named school and are unable to demonstrate that they are providing a suitable education for their child and/or, where relevant, that education outside of a school is in their child’s best interests.

The department does not currently collect data on the number of home visits carried out by local authorities in relation to home educated children, nor on the living arrangements or family dynamics of those children.

However, we will provide local authorities with additional funding to support them to carry out their new duties. The amount of funding will be determined via a new burdens assessment.

We will also provide statutory guidance, which will be publicly consulted on, and a training package to support parents and local authorities to understand how the CNIS measures should work in practice, including how the measures apply in situations where children live across more than one household.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the proposed 15 day limit for local authority visits to home educated children in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill would apply during school holidays.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will empower local authorities to request to see a child in any of the homes in which the child lives within 15 days of the local authority recording the child’s home address(es) on their Children Not in School (CNIS) registers. The 15-day timeframe applies, irrespective of school holidays. After this point, the Bill also empowers local authorities to request a home visit for the purpose of determining whether to serve a preliminary notice or School Attendance Order (SAO).

If the parent on whom the request was made refuses the home visit, the local authority must take this into account when deciding whether to issue a preliminary notice or a SAO. As is the case now, parents of children subject to a SAO would only be subject to sanctions, such as fines, if found guilty in court of the offence of breaching the order. Parents may be found guilty if they do not enrol their child at the named school and are unable to demonstrate that they are providing a suitable education for their child and/or, where relevant, that education outside of a school is in their child’s best interests.

The department does not currently collect data on the number of home visits carried out by local authorities in relation to home educated children, nor on the living arrangements or family dynamics of those children.

However, we will provide local authorities with additional funding to support them to carry out their new duties. The amount of funding will be determined via a new burdens assessment.

We will also provide statutory guidance, which will be publicly consulted on, and a training package to support parents and local authorities to understand how the CNIS measures should work in practice, including how the measures apply in situations where children live across more than one household.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the proposed 15 day limit for local authority visits to home educated children in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill would apply to (a) requesting the visit, (b) finalising arrangements for a visit or (c) carrying out the visit.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will empower local authorities to request to see a child in any of the homes in which the child lives within 15 days of the local authority recording the child’s home address(es) on their Children Not in School (CNIS) registers. The 15-day timeframe applies, irrespective of school holidays. After this point, the Bill also empowers local authorities to request a home visit for the purpose of determining whether to serve a preliminary notice or School Attendance Order (SAO).

If the parent on whom the request was made refuses the home visit, the local authority must take this into account when deciding whether to issue a preliminary notice or a SAO. As is the case now, parents of children subject to a SAO would only be subject to sanctions, such as fines, if found guilty in court of the offence of breaching the order. Parents may be found guilty if they do not enrol their child at the named school and are unable to demonstrate that they are providing a suitable education for their child and/or, where relevant, that education outside of a school is in their child’s best interests.

The department does not currently collect data on the number of home visits carried out by local authorities in relation to home educated children, nor on the living arrangements or family dynamics of those children.

However, we will provide local authorities with additional funding to support them to carry out their new duties. The amount of funding will be determined via a new burdens assessment.

We will also provide statutory guidance, which will be publicly consulted on, and a training package to support parents and local authorities to understand how the CNIS measures should work in practice, including how the measures apply in situations where children live across more than one household.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
28th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the British Medical Association's press release entitled Medical student poverty worsened by financial drought as student loans fall short over summer, published on 9 August 2025, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social care on the potential impact of extending eligibility to the full entitlement for student finance maintenance on students in receipt of the NHS Bursary during their (a) final undergraduate year and (b) later years of a post-graduate medical degree.

​​The government needs to ensure that the student funding system is financially sustainable, and funding arrangements are reviewed each year. The department will continue to engage with the Department for Health and Social Care to consider the financial support that medical students receive.

​The cost of studying medicine is one of the important factors deterring working class students from applying to medicine. The Department for Health and Social Care is exploring options to improve financial support to students from the lowest socio-economic background so they are able to thrive at medical school.

​Students attending years 5 and 6 of undergraduate medical courses and years 2 to 4 of graduate entry medical courses qualify for NHS bursaries. The government has increased the NHS Bursary tuition fee contributions, maintenance grants and all allowances for the current academic year, 2025/26, by forecast inflation, 3.1%, based on the RPIX inflation index.

​Medical students qualifying for NHS bursaries support also qualify for reduced rate non-means tested loans for living costs from the department. The government has increased reduced rate loans by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year, in line with percentage increases to maximum loans for living costs in non-bursary years.

​To help students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds progress and excel in higher education, the government will introduce targeted, means-tested maintenance grants before the end of this Parliament. These grants will support students studying courses aligned with the government’s missions and the Industrial Strategy, funded by a levy on income from international student fees. We will also future proof our maintenance loan offer by increasing loans for living costs in line with forecast inflation every academic year from 2026/27 onwards, and provide extra support for care leavers, who will automatically become eligible to receive the maximum rate of maintenance loan.

​We will confirm the percentage increase to loans for living costs for the 2026/27 academic year in-line with updated inflation forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility published alongside the Autumn Budget.​

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to (a) the international student fee levy proposed in the Restoring Control over the Immigration System and (b) paragraph 32 of the Restoring Control over the Immigration System Technical Annex, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on price elasticities in relation to non-EU students; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed international student fee levy on (a) international student numbers in UK universities and (b) financial sustainability in the sector.

The department has engaged with the Home Office regarding the international student levy, including on its design and impacts. We will set out further details on the levy at the Autumn Budget.

The Immigration White Paper included an illustrative example that a 6% levy could reduce student inflows by up to 7,000 per year. We expect the UK to remain a highly attractive study destination. Our world-class higher education (HE) sector can offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.

In recognition of the sector’s challenging financial environment, we have increased tuition fee limits in this academic year and refocused the Office for Students to monitor the sector’s financial health.

We have published our new plan for HE reform through the Post-16 education and skills white paper, which sets out our ambition for a world leading and financially sustainable HE sector.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to (a) the levy on higher education provider income from international students proposed in her Department's white paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published in May 2025, CP 1326 and (b) bullet 32 in in her Department's publication entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, Technical Annex, published in May 2025, what assessment she has made of potential price elasticities for non-EU students.

The department has engaged with the Home Office regarding the international student levy, including on its design and impacts. We will set out further details on the levy at the Autumn Budget.

The Immigration White Paper included an illustrative example that a 6% levy could reduce student inflows by up to 7,000 per year. We expect the UK to remain a highly attractive study destination. Our world-class higher education (HE) sector can offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.

In recognition of the sector’s challenging financial environment, we have increased tuition fee limits in this academic year and refocused the Office for Students to monitor the sector’s financial health.

We have published our new plan for HE reform through the Post-16 education and skills white paper, which sets out our ambition for a world leading and financially sustainable HE sector.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)