Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to enable Ukrainians who arrived via the (a) Homes for Ukraine and (b) Ukraine Family Scheme to settle permanently in the UK.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Statement made to the House by the Home Secretary on 1 September 2025.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of Saudi Arabia on the death sentences given to (a) Rami Gamal Shafik al-Najjar, (b) Ahmed Zeinhom Omar, (c) Hesham Al Teles, (d) Abdelfattah Kamal, (e) Issam Al Shazly, (f) Mohamed Saad and (g) Omar Sherif.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and circumstances. We regularly discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities, including individual cases of concern. I raised the cases of several Egyptian nationals with the Saudi authorities this year. The Government will continue to engage on this matter.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq on the detention of journalists Sherwan Sherwani and Omed Baroshki.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In August, officials from our Consulate General in Erbil attended the trial of Sherwan Sherwani. This sent a clear signal that the UK Government is closely monitoring the situation and remains engaged in advocating for due process and media freedom.
Freedoms of expression, media and association are key parts of the democratic process. Journalists in the Kurdistan Region must be able to operate without fear of harassment, detention, or violence.
The UK, alongside international partners, will continue to raise these issues with the Kurdistan Regional Government and press for accountability and reform.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a tiered Office for Students registration fee structure that reflects the size and turnover of higher education providers.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In line with the recommendation set out in the Independent Review of the Office for Students (OfS), led by former Interim Chair of the OfS David Behan, the government plans to consult on the structure of fees charged to the sector by the OfS. The consultation will allow us to work with the sector to ensure that the system is fair, proportionate, and sustainable. We will be inviting views from across the sector as part of this process. An assessment of financial impacts upon all types of providers will be made as part of this work.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the financial impact of Office for Students regulatory fees on small higher education providers.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In line with the recommendation set out in the Independent Review of the Office for Students (OfS), led by former Interim Chair of the OfS David Behan, the government plans to consult on the structure of fees charged to the sector by the OfS. The consultation will allow us to work with the sector to ensure that the system is fair, proportionate, and sustainable. We will be inviting views from across the sector as part of this process. An assessment of financial impacts upon all types of providers will be made as part of this work.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the proportionality of data return requirements placed on small higher education providers compared to large universities.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Whilst the department recognises that effective regulation brings a certain amount of data burden to those being regulated, we must ensure that English higher education (HE) remains world class, financially stable and good value for students.
The department continues to work with the Office for Students to reduce unnecessary data burden, ensure a proportionate and risk-based approach to regulation, and to ensure the HE regulatory system is clearer, more effective, and more accountable.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
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 adequate mental health support is provided to Physician Associates following the publication of the Leng Review.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is hugely important. Following the publication of the Leng Review, NHS England has written to NHS trusts, integrated care boards, and primary care networks reiterating their responsibilities to their staff as employers, including treating them with compassion and providing pastoral support where required. Importantly, it has also written directly to the staff most affected by the recommendations, setting out where they can find support if required.
Employers across the NHS have their own arrangements in place in line with their duty of care for supporting their staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and board level scrutiny through health and wellbeing guardians.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she consulted people with direct experience of the immigration system prior to designing the (a) settlement and (b) citizenship changes proposed in the Immigration White Paper.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government will consult on the settlement and citizenship changes, proposed in the Immigration White Paper, later in 2025. Changes to the citizenship system will align with changes being made in respect to settlement. Any changes to statutory requirements for citizenship will require an amendment to the British Nationality Act 1981, which will go through the usual parliamentary process.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support human rights in J(a) Jammu and (b) Kashmir.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 31 March 2025 to Question 39395.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of the DWP office employees in Lincoln; and whether flexible working arrangements will be offered to staff who cannot relocate.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department currently has excess space. All decisions around estates are driven by departmental strategy to deliver a smaller, better and greener estate. Equality Analysis has been undertaken as part of the decision-making process.
Since the announcement, all affected colleagues in Lincoln have been supported through a detailed conversation between each individual and their line manager to assess the personal impact of any closure, and inform consideration of all alternative employment options. Redeployment activity is now underway, looking at vacancies in other DWP locations and other government departments.
As a responsible employer, DWP offers flexibility including hybrid working, workplace adjustments and other support, but like other government departments, DWP is not a home working organisation.