Rachael Maskell

This Government is committed to delivering the Plan to Make Work Pay in full and updating Britain's employment protections, so they are fit for our modern economy and the future of work. This includes commitments to support the wellbeing of workers, including their long term physical and mental health, and to ensure employers create and maintain workplaces and working conditions free from harassment. Ministers are identifying the most appropriate delivery mechanisms for the commitments in the Plan, including an Employment Rights Bill that will be introduced to Parliament within 100 days of taking office.

The Foreign Secretary met with President Netanyahu in Israel on 14 July and pushed for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza. When it comes to arms exports, this Government will uphold our international legal obligations, ensuring that international law is fully factored into decisions on arms exports in line with the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Government will now review the advice available and come to a considered decision. The Government will update Parliament as appropriate once this decision has been made.

The Foreign Secretary met with President Netanyahu in Israel on 14 July and pushed for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza. When it comes to arms exports, this Government will uphold our international legal obligations, ensuring that international law is fully factored into decisions on arms exports in line with the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Government will now review the advice available and come to a considered decision. The Government will update Parliament as appropriate once this decision has been made.

The government is committed to taking steps to better understand how many children of compulsory school age in England are not in school. Beginning October 2022, aggregate data on children in elective home education (EHE) and children missing education (CME) was collected from local authorities for the first time.

Recent data shows on census day in autumn 2023, local authorities reported an estimated 33,000 CME that are not registered at school or otherwise receiving suitable education. This is an increase of approximately 4,900 children from the summer 2023 census day. In the autumn 2023 term, where known by the local authority, primary reasons given for CME included the child having moved out of the country, the child having moved out of the local authority and the child is awaiting a school application outcome.

As at the census date in autumn 2023, an estimated 92,000 children were in EHE. This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 87,700 reported by 95% of local authorities. This is an increase from an estimated 80,900 in the previous autumn term. The leading reasons provided for deciding to home educate were philosophical, mental health, lifestyle and school dissatisfaction.

The government is committed to making it a statutory duty for local authorities to maintain children not in school registers and submit data returns to the department when requested to do so. Additionally, from autumn this year, the department is mandating the collection of aggregate data on EHE and CME from local authorities in the 2023/24 academic year. This will increase the amount and detail of information available to local authorities and government on local and national levels, allowing the department to identify outlying local data and improve understanding of the drivers.

Alongside better data, the government will help to tackle drivers of children not being in school including via a requirement for school to cooperate with their local authority on school admissions, special educational needs and disabilities inclusion and place planning.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and giving every child the best start in life.

The department will be providing over 3 million holiday clubs places this summer and these places will support children from disadvantaged backgrounds to access free healthy meals and enriching activities.

The department will also be providing over 500,000 holiday places over Christmas to ensure children get access to food through the school holidays and to the activities benefiting their heath, wellbeing and learning that we know make such a difference.

Funding beyond the end of March 2025 is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.

The government is committed to making quick progress to deliver on its commitment to offer breakfast clubs in every primary school. Breakfast clubs will remove barriers to opportunity by ensuring every child, no matter their circumstances, is well prepared for school and set-up to achieve by providing a supportive start to the day.

The government has already taken decisive action by announcing in the King’s Speech that, under the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, every primary school will offer a free breakfast club. Legislating for breakfast club provision will give schools the certainty they need to plan for the future. Before the legislation comes into force, the department will work with schools to make sure the right support, including funding, is in place.

This government has not made a formal assessment of the merits of broadening the free school meals (FSM) eligibility criteria.

This adds to the department’s programmes which provide over 3 million children with free and nutritious meals. Such programmes include FSM, which 2.1 million disadvantaged pupils are registered to receive, and universal infant free school meals which benefit around 1.3 million pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2.

Additionally, the government is committed to introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school, to set children up for the day and ensure they are ready to learn.

The government is committed to meeting children's educational and social needs earlier, so that wherever possible they can remain in their mainstream school. Where alternative provision is required, it should be as part of a planned intervention delivered through local partnerships, with the right educational and welfare expertise to support the child's needs.

The Secretary of State has already met CEOs of all 16 water companies, including Yorkshire Water, setting out his expectations from the Government going forward. The Secretary of State and the Minister for Water and Flooding will have further conversations with water company chief executives in due course, including with Yorkshire Water, on a range of issues.

On 11th July 2024, Ofwat published its Draft Determinations for 2025-2030 outlining that Yorkshire Water will spend just over £7 billion to deliver significant improvements in performance. This includes £77 million to be spent on improving water quality, which includes replacing lead pipes in the company's network.

Water companies are responsible for drinking water quality to the boundary of a consumer’s property. The domestic plumbing system is the responsibility of the home/building owner and therefore there may be limitations, such as access constraints, which limit the ability to sample at every customer tap. Though, water companies are required to risk assess drinking water supplies from source to tap and will, where appropriate required, treat water.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate has provided advice for consumers to better understand if they have lead pipe in their home and how to reduce the risk, for example by running water to remove standing water in the pipes before use (https://www.dwi.gov.uk/lead-in-drinking-water/). If consumers think there is a risk to their supply, they can request a lead test from their water company.

Water companies are required to risk assess drinking water supplies from source to tap. Where there is a risk of lead in the water exceeding 10mg/l, water companies will treat the water with orthophosphate which reduces lead leaching significantly. In 2023, only 0.35% of these breached the standard for lead. In these instances, water companies will provide public health advice to consumers impacted and, where necessary, will look to replace the pipework owned by them.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate has provided advice for consumers to better understand if they have lead pipe in their home and how to reduce the risk, for example by running water to remove standing water in the pipes before use (https://www.dwi.gov.uk/lead-in-drinking-water/). If consumers think there is a risk to their supply, they can request a lead test from their water company.

As Passenger-in-Chief, affordability is one of the Secretary of State’s key priorities for the rail network. As part of our plan for urgent action for the railways, we are committed to reviewing the overcomplicated fares system with a view to simplifying it and introducing digital innovations. We will explore the options for expanding ticketing innovations like digital pay as you go, and digital season tickets across the network.

Delivering reliable and affordable public transport services for passengers is one of my top priorities as I know how important this is for passengers and for local growth. The government is urgently considering the most effective and affordable ways to deliver on these objectives.

The Government keeps all policies under review. We will be considering what actions can be taken to improve the existing taxi and private hire vehicle licensing system.

£500 million is being provided to enable the current Household Support Fund, including funding for Devolved Administrations through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion. This means Local Authorities in England are receiving £421 million to support those in need locally.

The current Household Support Fund will be in place until 30 September 2024.

As a new government, we are reviewing all policies, including the Household Support Fund.

The new Ministerial Taskforce will drive cross-government action on child poverty, starting with overseeing the development of our ambitious new strategy in line with the Opportunity Mission.

After initial engagement, the formal work to develop the new child poverty strategy will begin and we will publish a Full Terms of Reference in the coming weeks. Recognising the wide-ranging causes of child poverty, we will explore how we can use all the available levers we have across government and wider society to drive forward the change our children need. Alongside this we will be reviewing Universal Credit so that it makes work pay and tackles poverty.

The new Ministerial Taskforce will drive cross-government action on child poverty, starting with overseeing the development of our ambitious new strategy in line with the Opportunity Mission.

After initial engagement, the formal work to develop the new child poverty strategy will begin and we will publish a Full Terms of Reference in the coming weeks. Recognising the wide-ranging causes of child poverty, we will explore how we can use all the available levers we have across government and wider society to drive forward the change our children need. Alongside this we will be reviewing Universal Credit so that it makes work pay and tackles poverty.

The Department has received the letter and is reviewing the recommendations made by the former Chair of the Committee. When the Health and Social Care Committee is reconstituted in the autumn, we will consider an appropriate response at that time.

The NHS Long-Term Plan published in January 2019 sets out the National Health Service’s key ambitions on cancer, including acknowledging the importance of research and cancer management. The Plan also sets out the NHS ambition to increase the number of cancers diagnosed at stage one and two to 75% by 2028 and to increase the number of people surviving cancer for five years by 55,000 as a result.

Lord Ara Darzi is currently undertaking an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future. The Government will set out any further priorities on cancer and health in due course.

The Government will respond to the Health and Social Care Committee’s letter on the Men’s Health Inquiry. We will write to the new select committee, after considering the findings and recommendations outlined in the correspondence.

The National Health Service’s latest available data shows that the number of pancreatic cancer cases diagnosed in 2021 was 9,728, compared to 9,263 in 2019, showing a gradual increase. Delivering more research is key to understanding and assessing the challenges around cancers with lower survival rates. The Department invests £1.3 billion per year into health research, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including all cancers. As with other Government funding of health research, the NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas, including less survivable cancers. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications.

The NHS Cancer Programme has commissioned 10 clinical cancer audits, which will provide timely evidence for cancer service providers where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients. This includes an audit on pancreatic cancer. NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has appointed a team of 5 specialist clinicians to lead a national review into services for pancreatic cancer patients in England. As part of their review, the GIRFT clinicians are visiting 23 networks. Early evidence shows that tracking patients throughout their pathway, both geographically and chronologically, supports an optimal service, making good use of Clinical Nurse Specialists. The final report will be completed in 2024/25.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to responding to the report published by the Health and Social Care Committee ahead of his next appearance before the committee. Together we are considering the report’s recommendations, and the Department and NHS England are currently in consultation with Community Pharmacy England on many of the matters raised in the report.

The UK is committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it. The Foreign Secretary announced on 19 July that we will restart funding to UNRWA, releasing £21 million for Gaza and the region. We have also announced an additional £5.5. million to UK NGO UK-Med so they can continue their work in Gaza saving lives and delivering emergency medical care to those most in need.

During the Foreign Secretary's visit to Israel on 14-15 July he made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu and other interlocutors that Israel must meet its commitment to "flood Gaza with aid".

The Government is determined to do all we can to help bring the conflict in Gaza to an end and make progress towards long-term peace and security in the Middle East, including through the auspices of the UN. We are pushing for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law and protection of civilians, and unfettered humanitarian access to enable a rapid increase of aid into Gaza.

We want a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution: a safe, secure Israel alongside a viable, sovereign Palestinian state.

The Foreign Secretary met with President Netanyahu in Israel on 14 July and pushed for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza. This government will uphold our international legal obligations and act in line with the UK’s Strategic Export License Criteria. We have commissioned new advice and will come to a considered decision.

The Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, ensuring every child has access to high-quality education, which is why we have made the tough decision to end tax breaks for private schools. This will raise revenue for essential public services, including investing in the state education system.

Further details on this policy will be set out in due course. The Government engaged with a wide range of stakeholders with an interest in Government policy as a matter of course, and this will include engagement with stakeholders with an interest in VAT being applied to private school fees.

The Government is currently preparing a report on the operation of a number of the public order measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (PCSC Act). This was a commitment made in parliament when the Act was passed. All other measures in the PCSC Act 2022 will be subject to the standard post-legislative scrutiny period, which will be carried out according to the standard timeframe of three to five years after Royal Assent.

In addition, the previous Government committed to carrying out post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 two years after it received Royal Assent rather than the usual three to five years, in line with the recommendation made by the Home Affairs Select Committee. That work will begin in May 2025.

Sentencing guidelines are developed by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The guidelines produced provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so. The Sentencing Council is independent of parliament and Government, and therefore set its own workplan; an indicative business plan is published annually online.

Currently, those seeking to come to the UK for private medical treatment, along with their family members, can apply for a visitor visa and consideration will be given to compelling, compassionate and exceptional circumstances.

The Word Heath Organisation (WHO) position is that people who are medically evacuated should stay as close to home as possible, so that they are likely amongst those who understand their language and culture, and so that their return home, when ready, is easier.

The Government will be reviewing the current arrangements as quickly as possible to ensure that, where it is appropriate for children to travel, this route is effective.

The Government is determined to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, rapidly increase aid, and the return of all hostages. The government is keeping all existing pathways under review in response to events.

The current position is that Palestinians who wish to join family members in the UK can do so via the existing range of routes available to work, study or settle/join family in the UK.

Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. Immediate family members of British citizens and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes.

Students from Gaza seeking to bring dependants to the UK may do so where they meet the relevant requirements of Appendix Student of the immigration rules.

Keeping families together as part of the resettlement process is a priority. Children resettled through the UK Resettlement Scheme will usually arrive in the UK with their parents or carers.

As part of UNHCR’s assessment, UNHCR will first seek to reunify unaccompanied children with parents or family members within the host region or wherever their family members may be. For unaccompanied children, UNHCR will refer a child to the UK or another participating State should they consider that it would be in the child’s best interest to be resettled.

The government provides a safe and legal route to bring families together through its refugee family reunion policy. This allows individuals with protection status in the UK to sponsor their partner or children to reunite with them, provided they formed part of the family unit before their sponsor fled the country of their habitual residence in order to seek protection. We will seek to ensure that this route works effectively.

The Army remains committed to retaining an Army Regular, Reserve and Cadets presence in and around York in Yeomanry and Worsley Barracks, Queen Elizabeth Barracks and Towthorpe Lines.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office leads on coordinating the HMG’s humanitarian response to deliver lifesaving assistance to the civilian population in Gaza.

The Ministry of Defence has provided military support when requested to facilitate the delivery of lifesaving assistance. Royal Fleet Auxiliary Cardigan Bay is in the Eastern Mediterranean and tasked with providing support to the Cypriot Maritime Aid Corridor.

We continue to monitor the situation and consider what further assistance Defence could contribute to the HMG and international efforts.

There are no plans to review the closure of barracks identified as becoming surplus to military requirements under the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio, which are due to release enough land for over 32,000 new homes as well as supporting schools, offices, shops and parks.

This includes Imphal Barracks which has been identified in the emerging City of York Local Plan to deliver over 750 new homes when it is due for disposal from 2030.

The York Local Plan remains at examination, consultation on main modifications to a policy H5 (Gypsies and Travellers) will end on 30 August. The full timetable for the York Local Plan examination can be viewed publicly on the examination website.

Future local authority funding decisions will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement.

We understand that improving how local government is funded is crucial to enabling councils to deliver for local residents and ensuring we can deliver our missions. We will provide councils with more stability and certainty through multi-year funding settlements and by ending wasteful competitive bidding. This will ensure councils can plan their finances for the future properly, delivering better value for money for taxpayers.

We want to hear from councils about the financial challenges they are facing and we are committed to improving the local government finance landscape in this Parliament.

The Government is committed to supporting victims of domestic abuse.

In private family proceedings, legal aid is available for child arrangements, financial remedy proceedings and divorce for domestic abuse victims, including those subjected to economic abuse, and where the child is at risk of abuse, subject to providing the required evidence and meeting the means and merits tests.

Emergency representation is available for the purpose of obtaining urgent protection, such as non-molestation orders. We understand how important it is that anyone who needs a protective order can access legal advice and representation quickly, whatever their means. An eligibility waiver is available for victims of domestic abuse applying for an injunction or other protective order, which means they can receive legal aid even if they would not otherwise pass the means test, though they may then have to pay a financial contribution towards their legal costs.

In public family proceedings, means-free legal aid is available for parents and children in public family law children cases, including care proceedings and adoption proceedings under the Children Act 1989 and in related proceedings. Legal aid is also available to prospective kinship carers, subject to the means and merits test. Victims of domestic abuse do not need to provide evidence of abuse when accessing legal aid for public family matters.

This Government is committed to halving incidences of violence against women and girls; a key element of this is ensuring that the courts are safe and supportive environments for victims, including within the family court.

We are committed to supporting children, parents and carers throughout the family justice system, and will set out a package of measures to see this done across the course of this Parliament.

The Government is carefully considering how and when to implement the public protection provisions in the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.