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 taking to ensure the level of IVF funding is adjusted in line with inflation; and with reference to NICE's guidelines entitled Fertility problems: assessment and treatment, updated on 6 September 2017, what steps he is taking to ensure that local provision allows patients to access more than a single NHS-funded IVF cycle.

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

We expect integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.

NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment are still appropriate. A consultation on revised guidelines was published on 10 September 2025.

The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the NHS in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues between the Department and NHS England to improve NHS-funded fertility services.

In light of broader pressures on the NHS and ongoing changes within NHS England, we are considering achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services and fairness for all affected couples.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (a) regulatory oversight and (b) consumer protection for Small Self-Administered Schemes (SSAS); and if she will take steps to (i) improve regulatory oversight of SSAS trustees and (ii) ensure that people who have suffered losses relating to SSAS are able to access compensation.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

DWP officials work closely with The Pensions Regulator (TPR) to ensure people’s pension savings are protected and that the regulatory regime remains fit for purpose in a changing pensions landscape.

A Small Self-Administered Scheme (SSAS) is an occupational pension scheme typically set up by the directors of a business (often a small or family-run business) who want more control over the investment decisions relating to their pension and often the ability to invest in employer-related assets.

The Pensions Regulator regulates those SSAS which are required to register with it (only occupational pension schemes with two or more members must register with TPR). A SSAS with only one member would be exempt and is unlikely to be registered with TPR. In addition, SSASs are excepted from many pensions regulatory requirements because all the members of these schemes, through being trustees, are responsible for the decisions made. SSASs are therefore not usually eligible for Government compensation arrangements.

Unfortunately, in a few cases SSAS appear to have been misused as a means of avoiding the regulatory regime which helps ensure that members’ pensions are secure. Individuals have been encouraged to use a SSAS inappropriately. Any member who has suffered a loss in connection with a SSAS should contact the Pensions Ombudsman in the first instance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in addressing unauthorised encampments that negatively affect local (a) high streets or (b) businesses.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Local authorities and police have a range of powers to manage unauthorised encampments, including those affecting high streets and businesses. These include long-standing provisions under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, and additional powers introduced through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

The response to any unauthorised encampments is locally led, involving multi-agency collaboration between councils, police and other services, ensuring actions are tailored to local needs. Statutory guidance issued by the Home Office sets out how these powers should be applied, including the importance of considering welfare needs and ensuring enforcement is lawful, necessary and proportionate.

The 2022 Act also introduced a criminal offence for residing on land without consent in or with a vehicle and causing significant damage, disruption or distress. Penalties include up to three months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to £2,500, and/or vehicle seizure.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is considering further sanctions in response to settler violence in the Occupied West Bank.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In response to the persistent cycle of serious violence undertaken by extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, the former Foreign Secretary announced three sanctions packages targeting individuals, outposts and organisations. This included, on 10 June, acting alongside Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway, to impose UK sanctions on Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, in their personal capacity, in response to their repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities.

Imposing sanctions is one response among other diplomatic tools, and we will continue to consider a range of approaches to achieve our foreign policy objectives globally. However, it is not appropriate to speculate on future designations as to do so could reduce their impact.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support Palestinian children forcibly displaced from Gaza to Egypt.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are deeply concerned by the effect of ongoing hostilities on children in Gaza, many of whom have been displaced several times. The UK has provided £3 million in funding to World Health Organization (WHO) Egypt to boost regional healthcare capacity to treat medically evacuated civilians from Gaza who are receiving care in Egypt. Israel must uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure that Palestinians can return to their homes, and to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that proper accommodation and conditions are provided to all those displaced. Permanent forced displacement is a breach of International Humanitarian Law. A cross-government taskforce is working urgently to get some sick and injured children out of Gaza, so that they can receive specialist treatment in NHS hospitals across the UK. The UK continues to be a major donor to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - our support reached a more than 160,000 people in the last financial year, including almost 80,000 children.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance HMRC issues to employees who work in companies entering administration who (a) have not received P45s and (b) are being taxed under emergency codes; and whether her Department plans to take steps to provide more support to employees who have been disadvantaged in insolvency cases.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC does not issue specific guidance to employees of companies entering administration regarding P45s or emergency tax codes.

Where a company is in administration, the administrator, who is a regulated Insolvency Practitioner, is responsible for issuing relevant documents, such as P45s, to former employees.

A customer may be assigned an emergency tax code if HMRC has not received updated income details following a change in circumstances. Once HMRC receives the correct information, the tax code will be adjusted accordingly. Guidance is available to all customers on emergency codes and how to update a code on Gov.UK.

HMRC undertakes reviews of processes regularly and is open to receiving any specific suggestions for improvements in administrating tax within its responsibilities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care have had with promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill since November 2020.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ministers in the Department have had 15 meetings with the sponsors of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, namely the Hon. Member Kim Leadbeater and Lord Falconer of Thoroton.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings ministers in the Ministry of Justice have had with promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill since November 2020.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Ministers in the Ministry of Justice have had 12 meetings with the Sponsors of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Kim Leadbeater MP and Lord Falconer of Thoroton).

Found: Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is a private members’ bill introduced in the House of Commons by Kim Leadbeater

Found: __________________________________________________5 Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, Kim Leadbeater

Found: It is sponsored by Kim Leadbeater MP. It is a Private Members Bill.2 2.

Found: introduced into the House of Commons on 16 October 2024 and is a private member’s bill sponsored by Kim Leadbeater