Catherine West

HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals.

The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period which is standard for third nationals travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) is one of the largest in the UK, currently paying pensions to approximately 730,000 members every month. The scheme administrator processes an average of 6,000 retirements each month.

The Cabinet Office, as the Scheme Manager, holds the administrator (MyCSP) accountable for meeting contractual performance levels to ensure members are paid on time. Over the last 6 months, MyCSP achieved 100% of its key service level agreements for retirement processing. We continue to monitor performance closely and work to ensure that any errors are identified and addressed as quickly as possible.

The government has taken significant steps to improve both oversight and enforcement. A new administration contract has been awarded to Capita, which goes live on 1st December 2025. This new contract includes significantly tighter and more rigorous contractual performance indicators, enhanced service levels, reduced processing times, and a new financial penalty scale to ensure accountability and improve the member experience.

Ofcom has a primary duty to secure the provision of a universal postal service, having regard to its financial sustainability and efficiency. On 10 July this year, Ofcom announced changes to the universal postal service obligation intended to have a significant positive impact on the financial sustainability of the universal service and support its continued provision.

All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their staff receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled. The government will establish the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026. This will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights. The government is committed to giving the FWA the resources it needs to do its job.

The Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Bill illustrate the government’s commitment to supporting women at work.

Key measures include reviewing the parental leave system, making it more likely flexible working requests are accepted, ending exploitative zero hours contracts and strengthening protections against workplace sexual harassment.

The government is committed to tackling pregnancy and maternity discrimination and supporting women to stay in work. We are currently consulting on legislation which will make it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women, mothers on Maternity Leave, and mothers for at least six months after they return to work – except in specific circumstances.

The Government's Plan for Small Businesses, published in July, sets out the measures that Government is taking to support small businesses across the UK. This includes legislation to end the scourge of late payments which costs the UK economy £11bn annually and proposals to increase access to finance through the British Business Bank.

The Department for Business and Trade provides core funding to 41 Growth Hubs across England, with £15 million (including £540,700 for Grow London Local) committed for 2025/26. Businesses in London can access advice and support for any stage of their business journey via Grow London Local, and business.gov.uk.

On 29 October, we published the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan. This sets out how the UK will continue to reduce emissions in a way that lowers bills and secures good jobs, in line with the landmark 2008 Climate Change Act. This framework has been supported by Britain’s leading businesses, trade unions, and civil society organisations because it creates a stable environment for investment in clean energy.

Evidence gathered from the Government funded Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project showed that heat pumps will work well in the vast majority of homes. Moreover, modern heat pumps can increasingly be used in homes previously considered unsuitable for electrification.

The Heat Pump Ready Innovation Programme previously funded a variety of projects, including those seeking to improve the ease of heat pump deployment in homes that are ‘complex to decarbonise’.

The department has also commissioned research to collect data on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes, including the use of alternative low carbon heating solutions where they are required, and we expect to receive results from that research in early 2026.

Ofgem, as the independent regulator, is responsible for ensuring good consumer outcomes, including accurate billing by energy companies. The government committed in its manifesto to strengthen the regulator to require higher standards of performance and ensure there is automatic customer compensation for failures.

On 10 November Ofgem published plans to overhaul customer service standards, including a review of its Guaranteed Standards of Performance. These set minimum standards of performance that all suppliers must meet for specific services. If they fail to do so, they must pay £40 automatic compensation to affected consumers. In addition, the Government is consulting on reforms to the role and powers of the Energy Ombudsman to ensure that consumers have fairer, faster access to redress when things go wrong. This includes removing the barriers which prevent consumers from accessing the Ombudsman’s services, such as low levels of awareness and long waiting times.

The Leveson Inquiry led to changes in the regulatory system of the press, which included the creation of the Press Recognition Panel, by Royal Charter and two new press regulators, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and the Independent Monitor of the Press (Impress). This is a self-regulatory system, which was established to be independent from Government and protect press freedom. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility. Publishers must operate within the bounds of the law and set and uphold high professional and ethical standards.

The news landscape has changed substantially over the past decade, and looking ahead, we want to maintain press freedom, whilst being clear the public must be protected from the harm caused by clear instances of intrusion and harassment. The Government is carefully considering next steps to determine the best route forward to ensure public trust and accountability in our evolving news media.

Ministers and officials working in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with stakeholders on a range of press-related issues. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has previously met with families who have experienced press intrusion. She remains committed to considering the issues they have raised.

Further education (FE) colleges, rather than the government, are responsible for setting and negotiating staff pay and terms and conditions within colleges.

In May 2025, the department announced a further £190 million investment for colleges and other 16 to 19 providers in addition to the £400 million of extra funding we already planned to spend on 16 to 19 education in financial year 2025/26.

Across the Spending Review period, we will provide £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/2029.

This significant investment will ensure there is increased funding to colleges and other 16 to19 providers to enable the recruitment and retention of expert teachers in high value subject areas, and interventions to retain top teaching talent

Targeted recruitment incentives of up to £6,000 (after tax) are available for eligible early career FE teachers working in key science, technology, engineering and mathematics and technical shortage subjects, in disadvantaged schools and colleges (including in Sixth Form Colleges). This payment is separate to teachers’ usual pay.

Higher education (HE) providers are independent. This means government is not involved in workforce matters as it is in other education sectors.

While government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

Car sharing, as one area of shared mobility, is an important option available to local authorities to help people travel, cut congestion and reduce emissions alongside public transport. The Minister for Local Transport met with the shared mobility industry in November to discuss its challenges and opportunities and how Government can continue to support the sector, ensuring that the right measures are in place to support car clubs across the UK. The Department is actively considering what more can be done, including to support local authorities, and is using feedback from the ministerial meeting to inform next steps.

The Government is committed to ensuring that public transport workers feel safe and are safe at work. There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker. The Department for Transport is working with industry and the British Transport Police on the railway to ensure it remains a safe environment for rail staff and passengers.

Through the Bus Services (No.2) Bill, we propose to mandate training for staff working in the bus industry, including drivers and those who deal directly with the travelling public, on how to recognise and respond to incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport. We intend to make clear that training will require a person to take steps to prevent crime or anti-social behaviour only where it is safe to do so.

The law is also clear that everyone should be protected from assault and harassment. In addition, there is a statutory aggravating factor for assaults against any public facing worker, including transport workers, which is provided by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

It is essential that staff continue to report any instances of abuse or violence to the police so it can be investigated and offenders brought to justice.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out on 11 November 2025, we are retaking the decision made in December 2024 as it relates to the communications on state pension age. In retaking the decision, we are reviewing the 2007 report entitled Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts, Research Report No 447, alongside evidence previously considered. That work is underway but has not yet concluded.

We will update the House on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached.

We continue to keep the Funeral Expenses Payment scheme under review to ensure it remains effective and sustainable within current budgetary constraints.

Entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Individuals can be affected in different ways by the same condition and so the outcome of a PIP claim depends very much on individual circumstances.

Award reviews are an important feature of PIP to ensure people receive the correct level of benefit, both for those whose needs will increase and those whose needs may decrease.

Award durations are based on an individual’s circumstances and advice received from the independent health professional who carries out the assessment. Awards can vary from nine months to an on-going award, with a light touch review at the ten-year point for those with needs which are unlikely to change.

No such assessment has been made.

An Impact Assessment was published alongside the Pathways to Work Green Paper, which can be found here.

In the plan to Make Work Pay (October 2024), government committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace. This includes autism.

We are supporting employers to be more inclusive in their workplace practices, regardless of diagnosis. DWP's current offer to employers includes a digital information service, www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/, this service guides employers through workplace scenarios, including making reasonable adjustments, explaining the steps they need to take to understand and support their employees’ health and disability in the workplace.

In addition, DWP oversees the voluntary Disability Confident Scheme which encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. This includes resources around employing people with hidden disabilities including autism and other neurodiverse conditions. We know there is more to do and DWP are actively engaging with stakeholders to strengthen the scheme.

DWP also operates Access to Work, which provides grant funding to support Workplace Adjustments that go beyond an employer's duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.  The grant provides personalised support and workplace assessments, travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment. In March 2025, we published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, to consult on the future of Access to Work. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Lastly, in January 2025, DWP launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The panel have reviewed the workplace barriers neurodivergent people encounter in getting into or remaining in employment. We have now received the panel’s findings and recommendations and will consider these alongside the findings of Keep Britain Working, our recently published major independent review on healthy and inclusive workplaces.

Last year, all eligible medical applicants were offered a place on the UK Foundation Programme, which provides medical graduates with employment as a doctor and which continues of their training.

The 10-Year Health Plan for England, published in July 2025, set out that over the next three years we would create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need.

On 8 December 2025, the Government put an offer in writing to the British Medical Association (BMA) Resident Doctors Committee which was rejected. The offer would have increased the number of training posts over the next three years from the 1,000 announced in the 10-Year Health Plan to 4,000, bringing forward 1,000 of these training posts to start in 2026. The BMA have rejected the Government's offer, so that is not going ahead. The Government will consider its next steps.

The Government will introduce the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill in Parliament, which will prioritise United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland medical graduates for foundation training, and prioritise UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period of time for specialty training. Subject to parliamentary passage, this will apply to current applicants for training posts starting in 2026, and every year after that. This will reduce competition ratios for UK medical graduates and other prioritised applicants.

This is in addition to the steps already taken by NHS England in September to tackle competition for speciality training places this year by changing General Medical Council’s registration requirements and limiting the number of applications that can be submitted by individuals.

The Government is taking action to reduce National Health Service bureaucracy by abolishing NHS England and reducing staff numbers by up to 50% across the Department, NHS England, and the NHS integrated care boards. These reductions will be made by March 2028. These changes will release savings that can be invested in frontline services, with up to 18,000 posts abolished and more than £1 billion a year saved in bureaucracy costs by the end of the Parliament.

In 2025/26, the NHS has ambitious plans to deliver to improve productivity and efficiency by 4%, including a 1% cost reduction. The efficiency savings target set for 2025/26 is £11 billion.

The Government has set a 2% annual productivity growth target for the NHS, unlocking £17 billion in savings over the next three years to reinvest in patient care. NHS productivity grew by 2.7% in 2024/25 and by 2.5% in the first five months of this financial year, putting the NHS on course to meet the target.

To support NHS productivity growth, the Government is investing £2 billion in digital infrastructure for 2025/26 and an additional £300 million announced in the Autumn Budget 2025. This will accelerate electronic patient record rollout, strengthen cyber security, expand the NHS App, and drive automation. The NHS App, for instance, has now saved over 730,000 hours of clinical time, and 3.2 million hours of administrative time across primary and secondary care, and over 860,000 outpatient “Did Not Attends” have been avoided due to patient use of the app, equating to £103 million in appointment costs.

The Department is implementing a range of initiatives designed to attract talented individuals into management roles and support existing managers.

NHS England is developing an NHS Leadership and Management Framework, which sets clear expectations for leadership standards, behaviours, and ongoing development.

We are strengthening national and regional talent management systems to identify high-potential leaders and provide structured development pathways. We will also establish a new College of Executive and Clinical Leadership to provide a recognised professional home for National Health Service leaders and deliver high-quality training and development.

The new pay framework for Very Senior Managers (VSMs) aims to provide greater consistency of approach to VSM pay and helps ensure the total reward offered for VSMs remains attractive and proportionate.

These combined efforts aim to create a strong, effective, and accountable management workforce that can deliver transformation in the NHS, and to build a positive and compassionate culture.

The analogue to digital shift across National Health Services in Hornsey and Friern Barnet involves national initiatives like upgrading IT systems, developing integrated care systems, and utilizing digital tools for patient care.

Our goal is to make NHS healthcare more convenient, personalized, and efficient, creating a seamless experience for patients that is inclusive and accessible for all, and that provides staff with better access to information.

To improve the provision of services for the treatment of type 1 and 2 diabetes in the Hornsey and Friern Barnet constituency, the North Central London Integrated Care System has commissioned a long-term conditions service. This supports the identification of individuals with diabetes and at high risk of a worsening condition, personalised care planning, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Community-based support includes diabetes specialist nurses, virtual clinics, and education for patients with diabetes who are starting GLP-1 medications or insulin therapy.

In north central London, the National Diabetes Prevention Programme is delivered by Living Well Taking Control. The programme offers a structured nine-month behavioural intervention designed to support individuals with diabetes in adopting healthier eating habits, increasing physical activity, achieving weight reduction, and sustaining long-term lifestyle changes. Those needing insulin and other medicines to manage diabetes are also entitled to free prescriptions.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 5 January.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 1 December to Question HL11962, which dealt with this question at length and is reproduced below for ease of reference:

We continue to support the aspirations of the people of Myanmar for a peaceful, democratic future. Any meaningful election needs to be accompanied by an end to violence, a resumption of dialogue among all parties concerned, and must also address the urgent need to allow access for humanitarian assistance, to end human rights violations, and reverse the collapse of public services. We will continue to engage international partners, including ASEAN and at the UN Security Council, on the challenges facing people in Myanmar. On 19 November at the UN Third Committee meeting on Myanmar, the UK delivered a statement, reiterating concern for human rights violations and election plans: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-uk-is-concerned-by-the-ongoing-violence-in-myanmar-including-escalating-human-rights-violations-and-increasing-reports-of-sexual-andgender-based

Since 2021, the UK Government has enacted 19 sanctions packages against the Myanmar regime, including 10 individual sanctions targeting the import of aviation fuel into Myanmar. In 2022 the UK updated our Overseas Business Risk Guidance to make it clear that UK businesses should conduct thorough supply chain diligence to ensure that commodities such as aviation fuel do not reach the military.

We have also sanctioned 25 individuals and 39 entities targeting the regime's access to finance, arms and equipment. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about potential future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.

The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) recognises that sport can be an enabler of sustainable development, including through the promotion of tolerance and respect and through the positive contribution it makes to empowerment of women and girls, health, education and social inclusion. The UK has been one of the key supporters of the ABAS agenda in discussions with the SIDS group and at the United Nations.

The bilateral relationship between the USA and Venezuela is a matter for those countries. The UK will continue to work with our international partners to achieve a peaceful, negotiated transition in Venezuela that ensures the will of all Venezuelans is respected.

The UK is actively supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza, with a particular focus on protecting vulnerable groups including women and children. In August, the UK announced £3 million funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to contribute to UNFPA's response and early recovery results under four key pillars: Sexual and Reproductive Health; Gender-Based Violence; Adolescents and Youth; Interagency Coordination. This funding addressed the urgent needs of women and girls facing violence within Gaza. The UK has also funded United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) with £9.7 million to support provision of ready-to-use infant formula, water, sanitation and hygiene services, psychosocial services for children, and social protection to children. We continue to call on Israel to fully enable the UN and other humanitarian organisations to be able to deliver humanitarian aid in Palestine.

The EU will be liaising with airlines flying to the Schengen zone on the publication/notification of any requirements.

The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Robust tools and system-wide safeguards are in place to robustly counter the threat of transnational repression (TNR). As set out in my statement to the House on 14 May, following the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s Review of TNR, we have:

• Implemented the National Security Act 2023, which provides a comprehensive suite of powers to counter state‑threats activity, including conduct that may amount to TNR.

• Published practical guidance on GOV.UK for individuals who believe they may be at risk, with advice to help them protect themselves physically and online.

• Rolled out training on state threats across all 45 territorial police forces, including upskilling of 999 call handlers on TNR, to strengthen frontline identification and response.

• Deployed tailored support and security assistance for individual victims where we become aware of them - proportionate to the threat and varied in scope and approach.

Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the police via 101, at a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated, irrespective of where the threat emanates.

The service standard for the processing of a straightforward application for British citizenship is six months.

The most recent Migration Transparency data published in August 2025 shows that 99.36% of straightforward applications were decided within service standard: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK

The Home Office is firmly committed to ensuring that destitute asylum seekers are provided with safe, secure, and appropriate accommodation, and that they are treated with dignity throughout the asylum process. As part of its assurance processes, the Home Office conducts regular inspections and monitoring of asylum accommodation sites to ensure compliance with contractual and safety standards, including security arrangements. Feedback from local authorities and asylum seekers is also considered and informs improvements.

The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements (AASC Schedule 2 - Statement of Requirements) gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by Home Office accommodation providers and to the standards expected.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 58440 on 17 June, the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771), and the Social and Affordable Homes Programme policy statement published on 7 November which can be found on gov.uk here.

Individual leases set out obligations for building maintenance and failure by the landlord to take action can mean a breach of the lease, which leaseholders may seek to pursue through an application to the County Court. Leaseholders can approach the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) for advice through that organisation’s website.

Accountable persons of high-rise buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022 must also prepare a safety case report to demonstrate that all reasonable steps have been taken to prevent building safety risks happening and reduce the seriousness if they do. This may include addressing damp and mould if it is the source of prolonged or uncontrolled water ingress. Furthermore, as part of its section 5 duties under the 2022 Act, the Building Safety Regulator must keep under review the safety of people in or about buildings in relation to risks as regards buildings, and the standard of buildings. Further information is available from the Regulator.

On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. For an overview of the proposals set out in the consultation, I refer the hon. Member to the associated Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS780).

In response to the concerning rise in both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, the Government is absolutely committed to rooting out these forms of hatred. We are working across government on security, education and working alongside local government.

An Antisemitism Working Group has been established to advise the Government on effective strategies to tackle hate against Jewish communities and will explore how the Government should engage with Jewish communities in relation to international, national, and local events that impact British Jews. In addition, the government continues to work with the independent advisor Lord Mann in combating antisemitism through meaningful engagement with diverse communities.

Regarding tackling anti-Muslim hatred, the Government established an independent working group to advise on a non-statutory definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia. The working group have engaged widely to ensure their proposed definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of communities across the United Kingdom.

The government also funds the British Muslim Trust to deliver a comprehensive service to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and provide support to victims, and True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report to the police.