Written questions by Rosindell.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that women’s rights are protected in the Syrian political transition process.

I refer the Hon. Member to my statement on gov.uk marking the one‑year anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime and the written ministerial statement to both Houses on 22 October, which can be found respectively at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/minister-falconer-article-on-syria-anniversary-december-2025 and https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-10-22/hcws977These set out, respectively, the UK's support for the efforts of the new Syrian government to build a more stable, inclusive, and representative country and the decision that the Government came to on de‑proscription. I emphasised the importance of inclusive political transition during President Al Sharaa's visit on 31 March.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has conducted a risk assessment on engaging with groups previously designated as terrorist organisations in Syria.

I refer the Hon. Member to my statement on gov.uk marking the one‑year anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime and the written ministerial statement to both Houses on 22 October, which can be found respectively at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/minister-falconer-article-on-syria-anniversary-december-2025 and https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-10-22/hcws977These set out, respectively, the UK's support for the efforts of the new Syrian government to build a more stable, inclusive, and representative country and the decision that the Government came to on de‑proscription. I emphasised the importance of inclusive political transition during President Al Sharaa's visit on 31 March.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the level of additional funding needed to maintain British Council operations in all current locations.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 906060.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the closure of British Council offices.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 906060.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of British Council office closures in Europe and North America on cultural and educational cooperation with the UK.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 906060.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of reductions in British Council funding on the UK’s global soft power.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 906060.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to restore British Council funding to pre-pandemic levels.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 906060.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of de-proscribing Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham on the UK's foreign policy objectives in Syria.

I refer the Hon. Member to my statement on gov.uk marking the one-year anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime and the written ministerial statement to both Houses on 22 October, which can be found respectively at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/minister-falconer-article-on-syria-anniversary-december-2025 and https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-10-22/hcws977These set out, respectively, the UK's support for the efforts of the new Syrian government to build a more stable, inclusive and representative country and the decision that the Government came to on de-proscription.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Turks and Caicos government on investor confidence in the territory.

I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she has made an assessment of the legality of the proposed changes to business licence legislation within the Turks & Caicos Islands.

I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the economic stability and continued growth of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will set out the proposed changes to business licence legislation within the Turks & Caicos Islands.

I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of February 2025 changes to the licencing of real estate brokers within Turks and Caicos; and whether she has recently consulted with industry representatives.

I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

What steps she has taken to prevent third-party sales of DVLA practical driving tests.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country. The measures the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee. In the coming months, DVSA will:Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their testsIntroduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.

What steps he is taking to support people living with mental health conditions and on benefits into the workplace.

Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity. Disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with mental health conditions, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work including those that join up employment and health systems. Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, and has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work. In recognition of employer’s vital role in addressing health-related economic activity we appointed Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the Keep Britain Working independent review, which was published on 5 November. In partnership with DBT and DHSC colleagues we are immediately launching Vanguards to test new employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in work, putting his key recommendations into action from day one. In the review, Sir Charlie has recommended that mental health in young people should be a priority area as a deep dive for the Vanguards. The NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help reduce housefires in social housing in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

The Department continues to run its national Fire Kills campaign to raise awareness of key fire safety messages and behaviours to help keep people safe in their homes. The latest advertising campaign launched on 17 November and reminds people to ensure they have a sufficient number of working smoke alarms in their home. The Department works in close partnership with the National Fire Chiefs Council to support local community fire safety activity undertaken by local fire and rescue services, often targeted at those most vulnerable to fire. Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2015, all private and social landlords must ensure at least one smoke alarm is equipped on each storey of their homes where there is a room used as living accommodation. Awaab’s Law was introduced in October 2025 and means that landlords must take action to investigate emergency hazards, including fire hazards, and make them safe within 24 hours (excluding work to fix cladding). The landlord must also take action on significant damp and mould in fixed timelines. In 2026 the requirements will expand to apply to a wider range of hazards, including significant fire hazards. The Department has also consulted on reviewing the Decent Homes Standard that social landlords must meet, including a proposal to add fire alarm systems to the list of building components that must be kept in good repair. The response to the consultation will be published in due course.

What steps he is taking to support neurodivergent individuals in the workplace.

We have in place a range of measures to support employees with a disability or long-term health condition, including neurodivergent individuals, in the workplace. Our digital information service for employers, Support with Employee Health and Disability provides tailored guidance to employers to support employees to remain in work, including guidance on health disclosures and having conversations about health, legal obligations, including statutory sick pay, and making reasonable adjustments. We continue to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, which encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. This includes resources around employing people with hidden disabilities including autism and other neurodivergent conditions. DWP also operates Access to Work, which provides grant funding to support Workplace Adjustments that go beyond an employer's duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. The grant provides personalised support and workplace assessments, travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment. In March 2025, we published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, to consult on the future of Access to Work. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course. Furthermore, in the plan to Make Work Pay (October 2024), government committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace. Early this year DWP launched an Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity to advise government on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The Panel considered why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. We have received the Panel’s report and are considering its findings alongside the Keep Britain Working Review, which has now entered its Vanguard Phase testing new employer-led approaches to improving support for individuals to stay in work.

What steps she has taken to (a) repair and (b) improve the condition of road networks in (i) England and (ii) Romford constituency.

At the Autumn Budget, the Government committed over £2 billion annually by 2029/30 for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes. For the first time, we have confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, enabling local authorities to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance.This is in addition to the Government's investment of £1.6 billion this year, a £500 million increase compared to last year.The local highway authority for the Romford constituency is the London Borough of Havering. The table below sets out the highways maintenance funding that Havering is eligible to receive from 2025/26 to 2029/30. Local authority 2025/262026/272027/282028/292029/30London Borough of Havering£1,082,000£3,060,000£3,289,000£3,520,000£4,033,000

What steps she is taking to support local authorities to repair roads in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

At the Autumn Budget, the Government committed over £2 billion annually by 2029/30 for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes. For the first time, we have confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, enabling local authorities to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance.This is in addition to the Government's investment of £1.6 billion this year, a £500 million increase compared to last year.The local highway authority for the Romford constituency is the London Borough of Havering. The table below sets out the highways maintenance funding that Havering is eligible to receive from 2025/26 to 2029/30. Local authority 2025/262026/272027/282028/292029/30London Borough of Havering£1,082,000£3,060,000£3,289,000£3,520,000£4,033,000

If she has considered the potential merits of widening the eligibility criteria for the Blue Badge scheme.

This Government fully recognises the importance of ensuring that the Blue Badge scheme supports those who have their mobility impacted by substantial and enduring disabilities and other health conditions. The Department for Transport works closely with local authorities and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the Blue Badge scheme remains fair, effective, and focused on those who need it most. The Department previously consulted on extending the Blue Badge eligibility criteria in 2019 to allow people with non-visible (hidden) disabilities to be eligible for a Blue Badge. The current eligibility criteria are focused on the impact on an applicant’s mobility, rather than based on specific disabilities or conditions, and can be found on GOV.UK.