Written questions by Khan.

What steps he is taking to support customers with the cost of their energy bills.

At the Budget we committed to taking money off energy bills and we have. Ofgem has confirmed that the price cap will fall by 7% or £117 annually for the period covering April to June. The price cap for that period is fixed and will not change. In addition to this, around 6 million families are benefitting from the expansion of the £150 Warm Home Discount, and through the Warm Homes Plan the Government is delivering the biggest investment in home upgrades in British history.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce a cap on individual political donations to political parties.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97817 on 11 December 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of reductions to levels of spending on Official Development Assistance one year-on from when those reductions were announced.

An Equalities Impact Assessment was published in September 2025 relating to Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations in 2025/26. We will soon publish the multi-year ODA allocations for the period from 2026/27 to 2028/29, informed by internal and external consultation and further impact assessments.

What assessment her department has made of the potential impact on schools of ongoing uncertainty around future national funding for physical education and school sports.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Manchester Rusholme, to the answer of 03 March 2026 to Question 115304.

Communities and Local Government, what consideration he has given to the potential merits of establishing a National Commission on Electoral Reform to examine reforms to the UK’s voting system and improve democratic participation.

The government has no plans to establish a National Commission on Electoral Reform. Through the Representation of the People Bill 2026, the government is taking action to improve democratic participation and public trust in politics, including improving registration processes and allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all UK elections.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of a visitor levy on the affordability of domestic holidays for UK families; and whether she plans to mitigate additional costs for lower income families.

The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy, if they so choose.At Budget, the Government published a consultation so that the public, businesses, and local government could shape the design of these powers. This consultation closed on the 18th of February and the Government will publish a response in due course.The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear their concerns.

Whether he has met with representatives of the Salon Employers Association or other industry bodies to discuss employment status compliance and fair competition within the hairdressing industry.

While the Secretary of State has not held specific meetings with representatives of the Salon Employers Association, this Department regularly engages with hair salons on a range of issues such as employment status and compliance, including through Personal Care Roundtables which I chair.The Government recognises the complexity of the current employment status framework. Bogus self‑employment is unacceptable, and employers should not deny individuals their employment rights by incorrectly classifying them as self‑employed. Responsibility for determining employment status rests on the facts of each case, and compliance activity is led by HMRC. Where operated correctly, rent‑a‑chair models are a legitimate and long‑standing business practice.HMRC does not consider trends in business numbers and employed/self-employed numbers in the sector to be unexpected. If a business disaggregates, as in the rent-a-chair model, the number of businesses will increase but the number of employees may increase, decrease or not change at all depending on how the business disaggregates.However, we recognise that under the current framework, many workers may find it difficult to know either what protections they are owed or how to comply with legal obligations; this is why, through collaboration with the hair industry, Government published dedicated guidance for hair and beauty businesses to help the latter better understand their employment status for tax purposes: Check employment status if you work in hair and beauty - GOV.UK.. This Government is also committed to consulting on employment status.

What assessment he has made of recent trends in the levels of disguised self-employment in the hairdressing sector, particularly in salons operating rent-a-chair models.

While the Secretary of State has not held specific meetings with representatives of the Salon Employers Association, this Department regularly engages with hair salons on a range of issues such as employment status and compliance, including through Personal Care Roundtables which I chair.The Government recognises the complexity of the current employment status framework. Bogus self‑employment is unacceptable, and employers should not deny individuals their employment rights by incorrectly classifying them as self‑employed. Responsibility for determining employment status rests on the facts of each case, and compliance activity is led by HMRC. Where operated correctly, rent‑a‑chair models are a legitimate and long‑standing business practice.HMRC does not consider trends in business numbers and employed/self-employed numbers in the sector to be unexpected. If a business disaggregates, as in the rent-a-chair model, the number of businesses will increase but the number of employees may increase, decrease or not change at all depending on how the business disaggregates.However, we recognise that under the current framework, many workers may find it difficult to know either what protections they are owed or how to comply with legal obligations; this is why, through collaboration with the hair industry, Government published dedicated guidance for hair and beauty businesses to help the latter better understand their employment status for tax purposes: Check employment status if you work in hair and beauty - GOV.UK.. This Government is also committed to consulting on employment status.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the resources available to the BBC World Service.

Grant-in-Aid funding for the next three years for the BBC World Service will be decided through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office allocations process. The BBC Charter Review, launched in December, is looking at potential World Service funding mechanisms for the longer-term.

With reference to the recommendations of the House of Lords' Time to Deliver report of 23 November 2025, HL 205, whether the Department plans to develop and publish a new comprehensive autism strategy.

On 23 January 2026, we published our response to the House of Lords Autism Act 2009 Inquiry Committee’s report Time to deliver: The Autism Act 2009 and the new autism strategy. We welcomed the committee’s report, and are carefully considering its recommendations, as well as our approach to developing a new national autism strategy, and we will set out a position in due course.We recognise that a large amount of evidence was gathered by the committee and we will consider this evidence, along with evidence from various other reviews, papers, and reports. We recognise that meaningful engagement will take time, so a balance will need to be struck as to what level of further engagement is required. The current strategy will remain in effect until a revised strategy is published.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that salons operating rent-a-chair arrangements comply with employment status law where working practices may indicate worker or employee status.

While the Secretary of State has not held specific meetings with representatives of the Salon Employers Association, this Department regularly engages with hair salons on a range of issues such as employment status and compliance, including through Personal Care Roundtables which I chair.The Government recognises the complexity of the current employment status framework. Bogus self‑employment is unacceptable, and employers should not deny individuals their employment rights by incorrectly classifying them as self‑employed. Responsibility for determining employment status rests on the facts of each case, and compliance activity is led by HMRC. Where operated correctly, rent‑a‑chair models are a legitimate and long‑standing business practice.HMRC does not consider trends in business numbers and employed/self-employed numbers in the sector to be unexpected. If a business disaggregates, as in the rent-a-chair model, the number of businesses will increase but the number of employees may increase, decrease or not change at all depending on how the business disaggregates.However, we recognise that under the current framework, many workers may find it difficult to know either what protections they are owed or how to comply with legal obligations; this is why, through collaboration with the hair industry, Government published dedicated guidance for hair and beauty businesses to help the latter better understand their employment status for tax purposes: Check employment status if you work in hair and beauty - GOV.UK.. This Government is also committed to consulting on employment status.

What steps HMRC is taking to investigate salons that may not be paying employer National Insurance contributions, VAT liabilities, or pension obligations through the misclassification of staff as self-employed.

HMRC’s priority is to ensure that everyone pays the tax they are legally required to pay including those in the hair and beauty sector. HMRC’s approach focuses on preventing non‑compliance from arising in the first place by providing clear guidance and tools. In the case of salon owners and workers, additional support to get their tax obligations right has been provided in collaboration with trade bodies. To help support these customers, HMRC has worked with trade bodies for this sector to develop new educational material and has published guidance on GOV.UK to better explain the employment status and tax implications of different business models. Details can be found at: https://youtu.be/5o3au6PyXG8 and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-if-you-work-in-hair-and-beauty At the same time, HMRC is actively tackling disguised employment in salons and making it harder for the minority who deliberately misclassify workers to avoid paying employer National Insurance, VAT, or pension contributions. HMRC carries out targeted compliance activity to identify cases where individuals presented as self‑employed are, in reality, working as employees. HMRC is committed to tackling false self-employment and will investigate evidence that suggests businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. To report a person or business you think is not paying enough tax please click Report tax fraud or avoidance to HMRC - GOV.UK for more information.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the cultural and heritage value of public houses and the potential impact of planning deregulation on that sector.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 105500 on 20 January 2026.

What steps his Department is taking with regulators and professional bodies to improve endometriosis education.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.The Government also acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.The General Medical Council (GMC) has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health including endometriosis.Women's health is included the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) curriculum for trainee general practitioners (GPs), including gynaecology, sexual health, and breast health. The curriculum also covers the healthcare needs of women across all diseases seen in primary care as it is important women are treated holistically. This ensures that all future GPs receive education on women’s health.The RCGP has also published a Women’s Health Library which brings together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health from the RCGP, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. This resource is continually updated to ensure GPs and other primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date advice to provide the best care for their patients.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a women’s and reproductive health topic suite, and updated guidelines on endometriosis in 2024 to make firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. These clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to provide care for women with endometriosis.Generally, employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on local communities of restricting planning protections for public houses to cases where they are the final pub in an area.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 105500 on 20 January 2026.

Whether she plans to introduce targets and funding commitments for climate education across all key stages.

Young people have consistently expressed a strong desire for more education on climate change, nature and sustainability. Teachers have also highlighted that limited visibility and emphasis on climate topics in the national curriculum has made it difficult to develop effective provision in this area.Climate education was already present in the science and geography curricula. The Curriculum and Assessment Review recommended stronger climate education and sustainability content across the curriculum, with detailed engagement and earlier sequencing with climate education in subjects such as geography, science, design and technology and citizenship.Work is now underway to embed content on climate change, nature and sustainability across the curriculum and sequence knowledge throughout the key stages.Funding is already committed for the National Education Nature Park to provide curriculum-linked activities and resources for all key stages, and for supporting climate action plans via the Climate Ambassador Programme and Sustainability Support for Education. Climate action plans encourage settings from early years to further education to consider how they take a holistic approach to climate across four key pillars of adaptation, biodiversity, curriculum and decarbonisation.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of levels of inclusion of climate change and environmental sustainability in the national curriculum beyond geography and science subjects.

Young people have consistently expressed a strong desire for more education on climate change, nature and sustainability. Teachers have also highlighted that limited visibility and emphasis on climate topics in the national curriculum has made it difficult to develop effective provision in this area.Climate education was already present in the science and geography curricula. The Curriculum and Assessment Review recommended stronger climate education and sustainability content across the curriculum, with detailed engagement and earlier sequencing with climate education in subjects such as geography, science, design and technology and citizenship.Work is now underway to embed content on climate change, nature and sustainability across the curriculum and sequence knowledge throughout the key stages.Funding is already committed for the National Education Nature Park to provide curriculum-linked activities and resources for all key stages, and for supporting climate action plans via the Climate Ambassador Programme and Sustainability Support for Education. Climate action plans encourage settings from early years to further education to consider how they take a holistic approach to climate across four key pillars of adaptation, biodiversity, curriculum and decarbonisation.

What steps he is taking to fill gaps in levels of endometriosis training for NHS healthcare professionals.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.The Government also acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.The General Medical Council (GMC) has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health including endometriosis.Women's health is included the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) curriculum for trainee general practitioners (GPs), including gynaecology, sexual health, and breast health. The curriculum also covers the healthcare needs of women across all diseases seen in primary care as it is important women are treated holistically. This ensures that all future GPs receive education on women’s health.The RCGP has also published a Women’s Health Library which brings together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health from the RCGP, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. This resource is continually updated to ensure GPs and other primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date advice to provide the best care for their patients.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a women’s and reproductive health topic suite, and updated guidelines on endometriosis in 2024 to make firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. These clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to provide care for women with endometriosis.Generally, employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of how endometriosis care is covered in the education and training of healthcare practitioners.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.The Government also acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.The General Medical Council (GMC) has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health including endometriosis.Women's health is included the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) curriculum for trainee general practitioners (GPs), including gynaecology, sexual health, and breast health. The curriculum also covers the healthcare needs of women across all diseases seen in primary care as it is important women are treated holistically. This ensures that all future GPs receive education on women’s health.The RCGP has also published a Women’s Health Library which brings together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health from the RCGP, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. This resource is continually updated to ensure GPs and other primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date advice to provide the best care for their patients.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a women’s and reproductive health topic suite, and updated guidelines on endometriosis in 2024 to make firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. These clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to provide care for women with endometriosis.Generally, employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the administration in the Northeastern state of Somalia on a) security and stabilisation, b) political and diplomatic engagement and c) economic development and recovery.

The UK is one of Somalia's closest and longest standing partners, and remains committed to building a safer, freer, and more secure country. The UK has provided more than £500million in humanitarian and development funding to Somalia since 2021 - all UK funding allocations, including where programmes operate, are available on Development Tracker. The British Embassy in Mogadishu and British Office in Hargeisa engage regularly with a wide range of contacts in Somalia, including Somaliland. The UK is closely following events in SSC-Khatumo and continues to advocate for peace and dialogue between all parties.