Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are affected by the Loan Charge that have open pre-2010 enquiries.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of people impacted by the Loan Charge Scandal.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have settled with HMRC to avoid the Loan Charge.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the revenue to the public purse from the taxes paid by British National (Overseas) visa holders since 2021.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

An estimate of the revenue to the public purse from the taxes paid by British National (Overseas) visa holders since 2021 is not available, as the information is not held.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in the G7 on creating a common investment-ban list for companies credibly implicated in (a) forced labour, (b) genocide and (c) mass surveillance in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The human rights situation in China, including China's persecution of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities, remains a priority for the government. The UK regularly discusses issues of common concern with likeminded partners, including through the G7.

There are a number of ways in which His Majesty's Government currently tackles the issue of Uyghur forced labour in supply chains. The Overseas Business Risk Guidance makes clear to UK companies the risk of operating in certain regions and urges them to conduct appropriate due diligence when making business decisions.

Last month, this Government launched a review of its approach to ensuring responsible business conduct, focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK. This includes a review of alternative measures to tackle forced labour.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

o ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has considered publishing a consolidated UK list of Chinese companies (a) credibly implicated in forced-labour abuses in Xinjiang and (b) linked to the People’s Liberation Army.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The human rights situation in China, including China's persecution of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities, remains a priority for the government. The UK regularly discusses issues of common concern with likeminded partners, including through the G7.

There are a number of ways in which His Majesty's Government currently tackles the issue of Uyghur forced labour in supply chains. The Overseas Business Risk Guidance makes clear to UK companies the risk of operating in certain regions and urges them to conduct appropriate due diligence when making business decisions.

Last month, this Government launched a review of its approach to ensuring responsible business conduct, focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK. This includes a review of alternative measures to tackle forced labour.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will commission a review of UK (a) pension fund and (b) insurance fund exposure to Chinese corporations sanctioned by allied jurisdictions.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

There are currently no plans to commission a review of UK pension fund and insurance fund exposure to Chinese corporations sanctioned by allied jurisdictions.

The Government does routinely assess the impacts of its sanctions.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of steps that local authorities are taking to help improve the representation of people with (a) a working class background, (b) a minority ethnic background and (c) disabilities in local government.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management and organisation of their own workforces, including recruitment practices. It is the duty of local authorities to comply with all relevant employment and equalities legislation and there is no role for central government intervening in this, except where specific provision has been made in legislation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that local authorities offer adequate reasonable adjustments during recruitment assessments for candidates with declared disabilities.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management and organisation of their own workforces, including recruitment practices. It is the duty of local authorities to comply with all relevant employment and equalities legislation and there is no role for central government intervening in this, except where specific provision has been made in legislation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of NICE’s severity modifier on people with secondary breast cancer.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for the methods and processes that it uses in the development of its recommendations. The severity modifier was introduced in January 2022 as part of a number of changes intended to make NICE’s methods fairer, faster, and more consistent.

NICE carried out a review of the implementation of the severity modifier in September 2024 and found that it is operating as intended. This showed that the proportion of positive cancer recommendations is higher, at 84.8%, than with the end-of-life modifier it replaced, at 75%, and the proportion of positive recommendations for advanced cancer treatments is also higher, 81.1% compared to 69%.

Since the introduction of the severity modifier, NICE has recommended all but one of the treatments for breast cancer that it has assessed. These treatments are now available to eligible National Health Service patients.

NICE has commissioned research to gather further evidence on societal preferences that will inform future methods reviews.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NICE’s definition of a very severe condition.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) introduced the severity modifier in 2022 to replace the existing end of life modifier, based on evidence of societal preferences and as part of a comprehensive review of NICE’s methods and processes. The modifier was designed through extensive public and stakeholder engagement and in line with the principle of opportunity cost neutrality. NICE’s updated methods, including the severity modifier, have enabled it to recommend a number of treatments for conditions such as hepatitis D and cystic fibrosis, that it may not otherwise have been able to recommend for use on the National Health Service. Under these new methods, the proportion of positive recommendations is higher, at 86.5%, than with the end-of-life modifier, at 82.5%.

NICE has commissioned research to gather further evidence on societal preferences that will inform future methods reviews.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with incurable secondary breast cancer have access to world-leading treatments.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England announced in April 2025 that eligible women with secondary breast cancer could soon have access to a new targeted treatment, capivasertib, used alongside fulvestrant, on the National Health Service.

In May, NHS England announced the world’s first roll out of liquid biopsy testing, which is now available for all eligible breast cancer patients, and which aims to speed up diagnosis and inform better treatment options for those with breast cancer.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has considered secondary sanctions on UK-based financial institutions that continue to (a) underwrite, (b) trade and (c) market securities issued by Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps subsidiaries listed in Hong Kong.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In March 2021, the UK, along with international partners, imposed sanctions relating to human rights abuses in Xinjiang, including sanctions against Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. 'Secondary sanctions' can be understood in different ways. UK sanctions apply and are enforced only in relation to UK nationals and entities (wherever they are in the world) and to any activity in the UK or its territorial sea. Consistent with this approach, and across diverse contexts, we continue to keep any potential future sanctions under review.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of maintaining the BN(O) visa scheme with a five-year pathway to indefinite leave to remain.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future. As the Foreign Secretary stated in the latest Six-monthly Report on Hong Kong, our commitment to the BN(O) visa route remains steadfast.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.

We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is with manufacturers of blood transfusion sampling bottles to improve their design.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for collecting and processing blood donations across England, to meet hospital demand for treating patients.

Blood collection tubes are used to collect blood samples at the time of blood donation. These samples are used to perform mandatory and discretionary infectious disease marker screening and blood grouping at every donation. Additional samples are taken from apheresis donors for tests such as haemoglobin levels, total protein testing. Sample tubes are also used for quality monitoring of components.

NHSBT is not aware of any issues surrounding the current containers and is therefore not actively working with manufacturers of blood transfusion sampling bottles, as the current design meets their needs.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to recognise overseas professional qualifications held by British National (Overseas) migrants.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The government recognises that many British National Overseas (BNO) visa holders have valuable professional qualifications. Recognition of overseas professional qualifications is determined by independent occupational regulators, many of which accept qualifications from Hong Kong.

The government understands the recognition process can be challenging for BNO visa holders and refugees. DBT has worked with regulators to develop the Regulated Professions Register, which Hongkongers can use to access information on entry requirements and relevant regulators. DBT has also published guidance on GOV.UK to support refugees navigating the recognition process. DBT continues to work with regulators to develop further profession-specific guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on implementing the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme is now in its fourth year of delivery, and we are seeing important progress. 75 local authorities have established a network of family hubs and are providing universal, preventative services that benefit babies, children, and their families. Local authorities are developing services based on local need to improve health and educational outcomes, delivered through integrated, multi-agency workforces. Through Start for Life funding, families with babies can access support for perinatal mental health, parent-infant relationships, and infant feeding.

The effectiveness of the programme will take time to be realised, as long-term evaluation is required. The programme is subject to two national, independent evaluations to understand its implementation and impact. We are already seeing evidence of promising progress as demonstrated by the thematic review undertaken by the Care Quality Commission and Ofsted.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of family hubs on (a) neighbourhood health and (b) the effectiveness of the delivery of integrated community-based health services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and support people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer.

The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme supports the three reform shifts set out in the Government’s Health Mission, including the shift from hospital to community. It is already delivering a community-based model to transform health outcomes for babies, children, and their families.

The effectiveness of the programme will take time to be realised, as long-term evaluation is required. The programme is subject to two national, independent evaluations to understand its implementation and impact.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of extending the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain for British National (Overseas) visa holders on the number of young people who (a) hold those visas and (b) are dependents of those visa holders who will be ineligible for (i) home fee status and (ii) student finance support at university.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The creation of a bespoke immigration route for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)), which is a pathway to settlement, reflects the unique and unprecedented circumstances in Hong Kong and the UK’s historic and moral commitment to BN(O) citizens. Subject to meeting the normal eligibility requirements, Hong Kong BN(O) status holders will be able to qualify for student finance and home fee status once they have acquired settled status in the UK. There are no plans to amend the eligibility requirements for these persons given that they are in line with those that apply to most other persons on routes to settlement.

The Student Loans Company publishes guidance about the eligibility requirements for accessing student finance.

The department has not made an estimate of the number of BN(O) visa holders or their dependents who are excluded from home fee status.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of British National (Overseas) visa holder dependent school pupils who are excluded from home fee status.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The creation of a bespoke immigration route for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)), which is a pathway to settlement, reflects the unique and unprecedented circumstances in Hong Kong and the UK’s historic and moral commitment to BN(O) citizens. Subject to meeting the normal eligibility requirements, Hong Kong BN(O) status holders will be able to qualify for student finance and home fee status once they have acquired settled status in the UK. There are no plans to amend the eligibility requirements for these persons given that they are in line with those that apply to most other persons on routes to settlement.

The Student Loans Company publishes guidance about the eligibility requirements for accessing student finance.

The department has not made an estimate of the number of BN(O) visa holders or their dependents who are excluded from home fee status.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's planned timetable is for issuing guidance to dependents of BN(O) visa holders who plan to start university in 2026 on whether they will be eligible for home fee status.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The creation of a bespoke immigration route for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)), which is a pathway to settlement, reflects the unique and unprecedented circumstances in Hong Kong and the UK’s historic and moral commitment to BN(O) citizens. Subject to meeting the normal eligibility requirements, Hong Kong BN(O) status holders will be able to qualify for student finance and home fee status once they have acquired settled status in the UK. There are no plans to amend the eligibility requirements for these persons given that they are in line with those that apply to most other persons on routes to settlement.

The Student Loans Company publishes guidance about the eligibility requirements for accessing student finance.

The department has not made an estimate of the number of BN(O) visa holders or their dependents who are excluded from home fee status.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered granting British National (Overseas) visa holders parity with EU nationals who retain a five-year route to settled status under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in due course.

We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation plans to issue updated guidance to asset managers on the risks of holding Hong Kong-listed securities that track sanctioned Chinese parent companies through Stock Connect.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

UK businesses should ensure compliance with all UK sanctions regulations as part of their business operations, including performing due diligence checks on all of their clients, suppliers and partners. Non-compliance with UK sanctions is a serious offence and punishable through financial penalties or criminal prosecution.

OFSI has delivered a wealth of guidance, advisories, alerts and threat assessment reports assessing sectoral threats and vulnerabilities relating to financial sanctions. These products have been produced to support industry to comply with UK sanctions, including as part of their global operations. OFSI is not currently working on further guidance for the Hong Kong securities sector. If firms are unclear on their obligations, they should seek legal advice.

If somebody has evidence or information of activity that contravenes UK financial sanctions, this should be reported to OFSI immediately using the reporting form available on GOV.UK(https://www.gov.uk/guidance/suspected-breach-of-financial-sanctions-what-to-do).

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England's website entitled Health and wellbeing programmes, what steps he is taking to improve (a) rest areas and (b) catering facilities for NHS staff.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Health and Wellbeing Framework highlights the importance of getting the basics right, such as providing access to good quality rest areas, food, and drink options. Through the Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food, officials have had, and continue to have, discussions in relation to improving catering for National Health Service staff in NHS hospital settings. The NHS Food and Drink Standards also contains detailed information for catering managers about sourcing and serving high quality, nutritious food to patients and staff.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals and support to work healthily and flexibly.

The New Hospital Programme will mandate that staff welfare spaces must occupy at least 6% to 7% of the total net internal area footprint for schemes that are fully compliant with the new standardised designs. This 6% to 7% minimum allocation will continue to be protected and maintained through the full life cycle of the building.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the proportion of UK solar-panel imports sourced from Xinjiang-based polysilicon manufacturers sanctioned by the United States; and whether he plans to introduce a full import ban on such products.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring UK businesses are not complicit in forced labour and human rights violations.

In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review of its approach to responsible business conduct policy. The review will consider the effectiveness of the UK’s current Responsible Business Conduct measures and alternative policy options to support responsible business practices.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Pensions Regulator has issued guidance to trustees on the (a) financial and (b) reputational risks of holding equities in Hong Kong-listed companies named in overseas sanctions orders for human rights violations.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Pensions Regulator does not give investment advice, including on ethical grounds. It has not published specific guidance on these matters.

HMG offers Overseas Business Risk information for UK businesses on political, economic and security risks when trading overseas.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that suppliers (a) linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and (b) named in allied sanctions lists are excluded from public procurement frameworks.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The UK Government is committed to tackling human rights abuses including modern slavery and human trafficking in public supply chains.

On 24 February 2025 the Procurement Act came into force, providing contracting authorities with stronger powers to exclude suppliers from public procurements where there is compelling evidence of modern slavery within their supply chains. Contracting authorities are encouraged to review a wide range of information on suppliers when seeking to determine whether an exclusion ground applies, including sanction lists.

The Act’s new debarment powers also enable us to take stronger and broader action in relation to supplier misconduct which we will use, where appropriate, to effectively hold organisations to account.

The Cabinet Office has, in addition, published extensive risk-based policy and guidance for commercial teams to tackle labour rights abuses in UK and global supply chains.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent evaluation his Department has made of the adequacy of the Disability Confident scheme’s conversion rate from interview to appointment for disabled applicants across government departments.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The purpose of the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) is to ensure that disabled candidates are given a fair opportunity to demonstrate their skills at interview. Of those who applied for a vacancy using the Civil Service Jobs website in the approximately five year period 2019-2024:

• c.13% of applicants applied under the DCS

• c.12% of candidates who were invited to interview had applied under DCS

• c.9% of applicants who were successful at interview had applied under DCS

The Department for Work and Pensions is continuing to explore whether any reforms to the criteria for DCS are needed.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps she has taken on the capital funding request from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The fiscal position means that there have been tough choices to get us back on the path to recovery. It is in this context that the department is considering the request made for funding by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

I was pleased to meet with Andy Lock to discuss the outstanding work done by the organisation across Britain’s coalfields. I recognise that addressing the acute challenges faced by our coalfield communities will require greater partnership working between government and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, and I am committed to working in partnership with them to explore opportunities for collaboration.

This government remains committed to supporting our most disadvantaged communities. At Spending Review, we announced funding for up to 350 places. Of the 100 places announced, 15 are in coalfield areas. Details of the remaining places will be announced in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of reasonable adjustments in public sector recruitment processes for disabled applicants.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers - including those in the public sector - to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants who meet the Act’s definition of disability, to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues.

The reasonable adjustment duty on employers requires them to make adjustments to any element of a job, job application or interview process, whether on an anticipatory basis or at the request of the disabled person.

The failure of an employer to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled employee or job seeker, or discounting a job application simply because the applicant is disabled could amount to direct disability discrimination under the Act.

The Act recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled people and the interests of employers. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another. This is because factors like the practicability and cost of making the reasonable adjustment, and the resources available to different employers will be different. It will therefore be for the courts to decide, in the event of a claim of alleged disability discrimination, and on a case-by-case basis, what reasonable adjustments should be made.

It is a matter for individual public sector employers as to how they ensure compliance with their legal obligations under the Act, but many will be subject to the Act’s Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which requires public authorities, and those carrying out public functions, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination (including on grounds of disability), advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people. The duty to have “due regard” obliges a public authority to consider the equality aims set out in the duty when exercising its functions, like taking decisions, and then to decide what weight to accord to them. Public authorities place themselves at greater legal risk if they do not interpret the law correctly.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website. and telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. You can access the website here: http://www.acas.org.uk. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to improve accessibility for disabled candidates seeking employment in the public sector.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers - including those in the public sector - to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants who meet the Act’s definition of disability, to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues.

The reasonable adjustment duty on employers requires them to make adjustments to any element of a job, job application or interview process, whether on an anticipatory basis or at the request of the disabled person.

The failure of an employer to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled employee or job seeker, or discounting a job application simply because the applicant is disabled could amount to direct disability discrimination under the Act.

The Act recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled people and the interests of employers. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another. This is because factors like the practicability and cost of making the reasonable adjustment, and the resources available to different employers will be different. It will therefore be for the courts to decide, in the event of a claim of alleged disability discrimination, and on a case-by-case basis, what reasonable adjustments should be made.

It is a matter for individual public sector employers as to how they ensure compliance with their legal obligations under the Act, but many will be subject to the Act’s Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which requires public authorities, and those carrying out public functions, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination (including on grounds of disability), advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people. The duty to have “due regard” obliges a public authority to consider the equality aims set out in the duty when exercising its functions, like taking decisions, and then to decide what weight to accord to them. Public authorities place themselves at greater legal risk if they do not interpret the law correctly.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website. and telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. You can access the website here: http://www.acas.org.uk. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) anonymised CVs and (b) name-blind recruitment on diversity outcomes in Government departments.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service.

Anonymous CVs and name-blind recruitment, which are already used widely across the civil service, limit the impact that bias may have on recruitment, so that candidates are judged on the skills and experience they have outlined.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to extend funding for the NHS Practitioner Health programme beyond March 2026.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Looking after the mental health of our hardworking National Health Service staff is a priority for the Government.

The NHS Practitioner Health programme is funded until March 2026, and more recently the 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Staff Treatment Hubs. These hubs will provide a high-quality occupational health service for all NHS staff, which includes support for mental health issues.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the Government meets its international climate-finance pledge by March 2026.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK remains committed to providing International Climate Finance now and in the future, and to playing our part alongside other developed countries and climate finance providers to deliver our international obligations. It remains our ambition to deliver £11.6 billion of International Climate Finance between April 2021 and March 2026. Climate and nature are top priorities for the UK's Official Development Assistance budget, alongside humanitarian and health.

Found: Sarah Champion (Chair); Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Alice Macdonald; Brian Mathew; James Naish

Found: Dawn Butler Tessa Munt Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Mrs Elsie Blundell Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Dawn Butler Tessa Munt Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Mrs Elsie Blundell Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Berry Ellie Chowns Dawn Butler Tessa Munt Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Berry Ellie Chowns Dawn Butler Tessa Munt Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Berry Ellie Chowns Dawn Butler Tessa Munt Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Berry Ellie Chowns Dawn Butler Tessa Munt Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Berry Ellie Chowns Dawn Butler Tessa Munt Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Berry Ellie Chowns Dawn Butler Tessa Munt Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Charlotte Nichols Irene Campbell Siân Berry Ellie Chowns Dawn Butler Adrian Ramsay Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Charlotte Nichols Irene Campbell Siân Berry Ellie Chowns Dawn Butler Adrian Ramsay Carla Denyer James Naish

Submit Evidence (by 25 Aug 2025)

Nigeria was the sixth largest recipient of UK Official Development Assistance in 2023 with over £100m allocated. This was a reduction from third place in 2022 when it received £110m. As of 2024, Nigeria had by far the largest population in Africa and one of the highest population growth rates. Nigeria is the fourth largest economy in Africa and has a diaspora numbering hundreds of thousands living in the UK.