Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which enforcement body is responsible for ensuring that employers are in compliance with Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; and what steps her Department has taken to assess the effectiveness of that body.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (alongside Local Authorities) is responsible for ensuring that employers are in compliance with Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) assesses the effectiveness of HSE by various means, including quarterly accountability reviews, at which HSE’s performance measures are considered. Furthermore, DWP has carried out a full review of each of its arm’s-length bodies, employing an independent reviewer. This review examines in detail how the body is performing across various areas, and is published on gov.uk. The last review was completed in 2023.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Health and Safety Executive is taking to help tackle incidents of workplace sexual harassment; and what procedures it follows to identify workplace sexual harassment during workplace inspections.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Whilst the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 could apply to harassment offences in the workplace, the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) long standing position is that it does not seek to regulate or apply health and safety at work legislation where another regulator has specific responsibility or there is more directly applicable legislation.
A specific purpose of The Equality Act 2000 is to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace and from 26 October 2024, employers are under a new legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent the sexual harassment of staff at work.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service have published extensive guidance on sexual harassment in the workplace, provide advice to individuals and organisations, and will help individual people with their legal cases in seeking civil remedies to instances of sexual harassment. HSE works closely with other regulators to promote co-operation, share intelligence and where appropriate, co-ordinate on joint regulatory activities.
Workplace sexual harassment is unlawful under legislation such as the Equality Act 2010, the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) directly addresses incidents of discrimination and sexual harassment under the Equality Act 2010, ensuring that employers meet their obligations to prevent these issues.
As there are other better placed regulators, HSE inspectors do not raise the issue during workplace inspections.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
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 impact of his Departmental spending plans on the work of the (a) Media Freedom Coalition and (b) other country-specific programmes to promote (i) media freedom and (ii) the protection of journalists.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to media freedom internationally, including the protection of journalists. We recognise the vital role journalists play in upholding human rights, supporting effective, accountable and inclusive governance and democratic resilience.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) supports media freedom initiatives across the world to foster diverse media landscapes. For the 2025-26 financial year, this includes £114,000 to the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), to finance its secretariat operations. In October 2024 we launched a new media development programme Public Interest Media and Healthy Information Environments (PIMHIE), which helps local media outlets develop new business models and strengthens wider information environments through support for advocacy and policy initiatives to improve the media eco-system. This programme will be supported with £2.25 million in funding this financial year. The FCDO is currently working through future spending plans, including final allocations for this year. It is not yet possible to clarify the exact amount that will be committed to these initiatives in the next four financial years.
The UK also plays a critical role promoting media freedom and the protection of journalists through our multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. We have negotiated resolutions to protect international standards on media freedom and freedom of expression, including in the Human Rights Council and upholding OSCE commitments. The UK co-founded the MFC which has issued a wide range of public statements highlighting situations of concern, as well as issues such as journalists in conflict and journalists in exile. Journalists are protected under international humanitarian law, and the UK actively promotes adherence to these protections.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department plans to provide to (a) the Media Freedom Coalition and (b) other country-specific programmes to promote (i) media freedom and (ii) the protection of journalists in each of the next four financial years.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to media freedom internationally, including the protection of journalists. We recognise the vital role journalists play in upholding human rights, supporting effective, accountable and inclusive governance and democratic resilience.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) supports media freedom initiatives across the world to foster diverse media landscapes. For the 2025-26 financial year, this includes £114,000 to the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), to finance its secretariat operations. In October 2024 we launched a new media development programme Public Interest Media and Healthy Information Environments (PIMHIE), which helps local media outlets develop new business models and strengthens wider information environments through support for advocacy and policy initiatives to improve the media eco-system. This programme will be supported with £2.25 million in funding this financial year. The FCDO is currently working through future spending plans, including final allocations for this year. It is not yet possible to clarify the exact amount that will be committed to these initiatives in the next four financial years.
The UK also plays a critical role promoting media freedom and the protection of journalists through our multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. We have negotiated resolutions to protect international standards on media freedom and freedom of expression, including in the Human Rights Council and upholding OSCE commitments. The UK co-founded the MFC which has issued a wide range of public statements highlighting situations of concern, as well as issues such as journalists in conflict and journalists in exile. Journalists are protected under international humanitarian law, and the UK actively promotes adherence to these protections.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) the global Media Freedom Coalition and (b) other country-specific programmes to support (i) media freedom and (ii) the protection of journalists in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to media freedom internationally, including the protection of journalists. We recognise the vital role journalists play in upholding human rights, supporting effective, accountable and inclusive governance and democratic resilience.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) supports media freedom initiatives across the world to foster diverse media landscapes. For the 2025-26 financial year, this includes £114,000 to the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), to finance its secretariat operations. In October 2024 we launched a new media development programme Public Interest Media and Healthy Information Environments (PIMHIE), which helps local media outlets develop new business models and strengthens wider information environments through support for advocacy and policy initiatives to improve the media eco-system. This programme will be supported with £2.25 million in funding this financial year. The FCDO is currently working through future spending plans, including final allocations for this year. It is not yet possible to clarify the exact amount that will be committed to these initiatives in the next four financial years.
The UK also plays a critical role promoting media freedom and the protection of journalists through our multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. We have negotiated resolutions to protect international standards on media freedom and freedom of expression, including in the Human Rights Council and upholding OSCE commitments. The UK co-founded the MFC which has issued a wide range of public statements highlighting situations of concern, as well as issues such as journalists in conflict and journalists in exile. Journalists are protected under international humanitarian law, and the UK actively promotes adherence to these protections.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions were brought for workplace sexual harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in each of the last five years.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Statistics collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the criminal offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 do not separately identify perpetrators prosecuted, convicted or sentenced to crimes involving sexual harassment, or the location of where the offence took place.
Collating such information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the National Infrastructure Commission’s 2024 Cost Drivers report, published in October 2024, what steps she is taking to tackle the cost drivers for major UK infrastructure projects.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government will publish a Ten-year Infrastructure Strategy this summer, alongside the Spending Review, to outline the approach it is taking to improve the delivery of economic infrastructure, such as transport. The strategy aims to address the root causes of many of the cost drivers of major projects identified by the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) in 2024. The strategy also includes plans for housing and social infrastructure, such as hospitals.
My department also has a rolling programme of project delivery change activity to improve project delivery outcomes over time. This includes established learning and development pathways, with all Senior Responsible Officers of our Major Projects Portfolio required to complete the Major Projects Leadership Academy.
Significant progress has also been made improving the governance of our portfolio of projects with the introduction of “IPDC (the Department’s senior investment committee) in Portfolio Mode”, and new arrangements to manage portfolio-level risks with our delivery partners, including National Highways, Network Rail, and HS2 Ltd.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, whether the proposals will apply to British National (Overseas) visa holders; and whether provisions will be introduced to allow access for British National (Overseas) visa holders to local university tuition fee rates before settlement is achieved.
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 the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, whether the reforms will apply retrospectively to current visa holders; and whether (a) transitional arrangements and (b) specific exemptions will be considered for people currently on the five-year residency pathway.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, which visa schemes the points-based system would apply to; and whether it would apply retrospectively to existing visa holders.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.