Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the report by ActionAid UK entitled Who Pays the Price?, published in April 2025.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is restoring the global leadership needed to tackle the climate and nature crisis, and aiming to make Britain a clean energy superpower with zero carbon electricity by 2030.

At COP 29, the Prime Minister announced the UK’s ambitious and credible Nationally Determined Contribution target to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, excluding international aviation and shipping emissions. We must unlock a much greater scale of climate and nature finance to support developing countries’ energy transitions and those most vulnerable to climate change and nature degradation.

While the UK government does not set out what private companies, including banks, should invest in, we are supportive of the standards published by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) in June 2023 and are consulting on the UK version of these standards, UK Sustainability Reporting Standards. These aim to support long-term, sustainable decision-making by the business and investment community by providing high-quality information about the sustainability-related risks and opportunities that businesses face.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of disabled children not reinstated in school when an independent review panel has quashed a permanent exclusion.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department does not collect the pupil characteristics data for reinstated when an Independent Review Panel (IRP) has quashed a permanent exclusion.

The department is taking action to strengthen the oversight and monitoring of all exclusion data collected through the school census, particularly for pupils who may be disproportionately affected by exclusion. This includes strengthening the monitoring of IRP decisions, with a stronger focus on the reinstatement of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to make changes to the collection of data in relation to (a) suspensions and (b) permanent exclusions in England.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department does not collect the pupil characteristics data for reinstated when an Independent Review Panel (IRP) has quashed a permanent exclusion.

The department is taking action to strengthen the oversight and monitoring of all exclusion data collected through the school census, particularly for pupils who may be disproportionately affected by exclusion. This includes strengthening the monitoring of IRP decisions, with a stronger focus on the reinstatement of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of statutory sick pay.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is bringing in changes to Statutory Sick Pay through the Employment Rights Bill which will mean up to 1.3 million low-paid employees will now be entitled to SSP, and all eligible employees will be paid from the first day of sickness absence, benefitting millions of employees.

Removing the waiting period means that all employees will receive at least £60 extra at the start of their sickness absence, rising to £150 if they work two days per week, compared to the current system.

With these changes, we believe the current rate is fair and achieves the right balance between providing support for employees who are unable to work due to sickness or ill-health whilst limiting the cost to employers. We also know that many employees are eligible for more than the statutory minimum through contractual or occupational sick pay arrangements with their employer.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to consult trade unions on the (a) award of public contracts and (b) appointment of strategic suppliers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government is determined to ensure public money spent on public procurement delivers economic growth, supports small businesses, champions innovation, creates good jobs and skills opportunities across the country, and maximises social value.

Public sector procurement is subject to a legal framework set out by the Procurement Act, which encourages free and open competition and a focus on delivering value for money, in line with internationally and nationally agreed obligations and regulations. There is no specific legal requirement to consult trade unions on the award of public contracts or the selection of Strategic Suppliers. Individual Contracting Authorities are responsible for their own procurement and contract award decisions under the Act. Strategic Suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Procurement Policy Statement, published on 12 February 2025, when he plans to introduce a public interest test for contracting authorities to assess whether work should be outsourced.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government is determined to deliver high quality public services and better value for money for the taxpayer. The Government is currently consulting on introducing a public interest test to assess whether expiring contracts could be better delivered, and drive better value for money, in-house. Contracting authorities are responsible for their own procurement decisions; introducing a public interest test will mean that authorities make evidenced-based decisions on the best way to deliver public services.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce delays to employment tribunal hearings.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We are working to reduce delays to employment tribunal hearings by investing in tribunal productivity through the recruitment of additional judges, the deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems and the use of remote hearing technology. This has delivered over 1,500 additional sitting days. As a result, the Lord Chancellor was able to announce on 5 March 2025 a sitting day allocation of 33,900 for the Employment Tribunals in the financial year 2025/26, the maximum allocation they are able to sit.

Following judicial recruitment, in 2024 we added 21 more salaried judges in the Employment Tribunals than in 2023, and recruitment for up to a further 36 salaried Employment Judges commenced in March 2025. 50 fee-paid employment judges were appointed in 2024, and recruitment will commence for another 50 judges in early 2026. Additionally, recruitment for 150 non-legal tribunal members will commence this year.

We recognise that there remain significant challenges for the performance of the Employment Tribunals. We are therefore continuing to monitor demand on the Employment Tribunals and will continue to work closely with the judiciary, HMCTS and the Department for Business and Trade on any further actions needed to alleviate pressures on the Employment Tribunals, improve efficiency and reduce waiting times in order to ensure timely access to justice for claimants and respondents.

Found: meeting Members present: Emily Thornberry (Chair); Alex Ballinger; Aphra Brandreth; Phil Brickell; Dan Carden

Found: meeting Members present: Emily Thornberry (Chair); Alex Ballinger; Aphra Brandreth; Phil Brickell; Dan Carden