Written questions by Gelderd.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help (a) ensure that medical aid reaches people who are most in need in and (b) evacuate (i) people and (ii) children who need more extensive medical support from Gaza.

The UK continues to urge Israel to let Gazans receive urgent healthcare, including allowing the sick and wounded to temporarily leave the Gaza Strip for treatment. On 19 May, the UK, Canada, and France jointly called for Israel to cease its renewed military offensive and lift restrictions on humanitarian aid. It is vital there is a full resumption of aid with Israel allowing the United Nations and other aid organisations to operate independently.We announced a £7.5 million package of support to bolster medical care in Gaza and the region including additional funding for UK-Med, World Health Organization Egypt, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territories Humanitarian Fund.The UK has supported an initiative by Project Pure Hope to bring a small number of children from Gaza to the UK for privately funded specialist care. On 1 May, I announced that two children have arrived in the UK to begin privately funded medical treatment.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Seasonal Worker visa scheme to support labour availability for longer crop cycles.

The Seasonal Worker route is already available to growers throughout the full year but there are no plans to extend the maximum visa grant beyond the existing six months.

For what reason consumers in England are not able to deal directly with Trading Standards services; and whether he plans to review this approach.

Trading Standards are provided by local authorities who operate independently from central government and make enforcement decisions according to local need. Trading Standards act in the collective interest of consumers rather than resolving individual matters. In most cases, Trading Standards will not need to contact a complainant directly but will use information provided to prioritise intervention or enforcement action against rogue traders causing the most harm. Citizens Advice consumer service received over 827,000 contacts in 2023-24. Every contact received by Citizens Advice is logged on a national database, which is accessible by consumer enforcement agencies, including local Trading Standards, to analyse trends and inform their enforcement activities.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that the Trading Standards system meets consumer needs.

Trading Standards are provided by local authorities who operate independently from central government and make enforcement decisions according to local need. Trading Standards act in the collective interest of consumers rather than resolving individual matters. In most cases, Trading Standards will not need to contact a complainant directly but will use information provided to prioritise intervention or enforcement action against rogue traders causing the most harm. Citizens Advice consumer service received over 827,000 contacts in 2023-24. Every contact received by Citizens Advice is logged on a national database, which is accessible by consumer enforcement agencies, including local Trading Standards, to analyse trends and inform their enforcement activities.

What processes are in place to help ensure that consumers who submit complaints to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice receive feedback on the outcome of their complaint.

Trading Standards are provided by local authorities who operate independently from central government and make enforcement decisions according to local need. Trading Standards act in the collective interest of consumers rather than resolving individual matters. In most cases, Trading Standards will not need to contact a complainant directly but will use information provided to prioritise intervention or enforcement action against rogue traders causing the most harm. Citizens Advice consumer service received over 827,000 contacts in 2023-24. Every contact received by Citizens Advice is logged on a national database, which is accessible by consumer enforcement agencies, including local Trading Standards, to analyse trends and inform their enforcement activities.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the Trading Standards complaints process.

Trading Standards are provided by local authorities who operate independently from central government and make enforcement decisions according to local need. Trading Standards act in the collective interest of consumers rather than resolving individual matters. In most cases, Trading Standards will not need to contact a complainant directly but will use information provided to prioritise intervention or enforcement action against rogue traders causing the most harm. Citizens Advice consumer service received over 827,000 contacts in 2023-24. Every contact received by Citizens Advice is logged on a national database, which is accessible by consumer enforcement agencies, including local Trading Standards, to analyse trends and inform their enforcement activities.

Whether she plans to extend the Seasonal Worker visa route beyond 6 months.

The Seasonal Worker route is already available to growers throughout the full year but there are no plans to extend the maximum visa grant beyond the existing six months.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage landowners to offer longer-term leases to tenant farmers.

The Department recognises the benefits that longer-term tenancy agreements can provide for both tenants and landlords. The joint Defra-Industry Farm Tenancy Forum is working on guidance and best practice to encourage more landlords and tenants to enter into longer-term agreements. Alongside this we continually look at how fiscal and policy interventions across the Department may impact on landlord decisions to offer longer-term agreements. In addition, we are in the process of appointing a Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector to help embed fair practice across the sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce any (a) fiscal and (b) policy incentives to support longer-term leasing arrangements between (i) landowners and (ii) tenant farmers.

The Department recognises the benefits that longer-term tenancy agreements can provide for both tenants and landlords. The joint Defra-Industry Farm Tenancy Forum is working on guidance and best practice to encourage more landlords and tenants to enter into longer-term agreements. Alongside this we continually look at how fiscal and policy interventions across the Department may impact on landlord decisions to offer longer-term agreements. In addition, we are in the process of appointing a Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector to help embed fair practice across the sector.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the assessment process for veterans for the unemployment supplement; and what steps he is planning to take to ensure veterans with service-related disabilities are not disadvantaged by the replacement of the work capability assessment.

Unemployability Supplement is one of the supplementary allowances paid under the War Pension Scheme which is assessed and administered by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Where equivalent benefits provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are considered to overlap, in line with longstanding public policy, assessments ensure an individual would not be compensated twice for any single injury or condition. The MOD and DWP continue to collaborate closely to ensure that any proposed changes to respective schemes and benefits are communicated and considered.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned restructuring of the health component of Universal Credit on (a) armed forces veterans and their dependents and (b) armed forces veterans with limited access to employment.

In our recent Pathways to Work Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, we announced a broad package of reforms to the health and disability benefit and support system. Importantly, no changes are proposed to Armed Forces Independence Payments (AFIP), which continue to provide support to some of the most severely disabled veterans. For those in receipt of PIP who may be affected by the proposed eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to ensure health and eligible care needs are met. We also intend to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment process, bringing together experts, stakeholders, and individuals with lived experience. We will provide further details as plans progress. As we develop proposals further, we are carefully considering the potential impacts, including on veterans and their families, as part of our broader response to the Green Paper consultation. We would encourage organisations supporting and representing veterans, such as the Royal British Legion, the Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA), and many others, to contribute their views on how best to support wounded, injured, and sick veterans. I have also asked my officials to work with their counterparts in the Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA) to organise a dedicated consultation event for armed forces stakeholders, likely to take place in June. We are also providing detailed briefings on the proposals to Ministry of Defence (MoD) and OVA officials. Once we have completed the consultation we will be building up to a White Paper, where we will once again engage with MoD and the OVA in advance of collective agreement.We are also welcoming views on raising the age at which someone can access the Universal Credit health element to 22 as part of our Green Paper consultation.A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.There will be no immediate changes. Changes to PIP eligibility and rebalancing of UC aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from April 2026 for UC and November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval.The social security system will always be there for those who can’t work. As part of making changes to the payment rates in Universal Credit, we will ensure that the incomes of those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who will never be able to work have their incomes protected.Protecting those most in need is at the heart of our reforms. Our Green Paper outlines why we think removing the WCA and moving to using the PIP assessment as the single assessment for additional financial support, is the correct decision for the reformed system.We understand that for some people, work is simply not possible. We will work through how, without a WCA, these people can be identified and put in place appropriate protections, such as considering award reviews. Engagement with employment support will be determined on a personal basis, according to needs.For new claimants on the UC health element after April 2026, we are proposing that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected.Those on UC, with the most severe, life-long conditions, which mean a person cannot and will never work, will not be called for review in future.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of restricting access to the limited work capability component of Universal Credit for those under the age of 22 on (a) armed forces early service leavers and (b) people who have been medically discharged from the armed forces.

In our recent Pathways to Work Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, we announced a broad package of reforms to the health and disability benefit and support system. Importantly, no changes are proposed to Armed Forces Independence Payments (AFIP), which continue to provide support to some of the most severely disabled veterans. For those in receipt of PIP who may be affected by the proposed eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to ensure health and eligible care needs are met. We also intend to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment process, bringing together experts, stakeholders, and individuals with lived experience. We will provide further details as plans progress. As we develop proposals further, we are carefully considering the potential impacts, including on veterans and their families, as part of our broader response to the Green Paper consultation. We would encourage organisations supporting and representing veterans, such as the Royal British Legion, the Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA), and many others, to contribute their views on how best to support wounded, injured, and sick veterans. I have also asked my officials to work with their counterparts in the Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA) to organise a dedicated consultation event for armed forces stakeholders, likely to take place in June. We are also providing detailed briefings on the proposals to Ministry of Defence (MoD) and OVA officials. Once we have completed the consultation we will be building up to a White Paper, where we will once again engage with MoD and the OVA in advance of collective agreement.We are also welcoming views on raising the age at which someone can access the Universal Credit health element to 22 as part of our Green Paper consultation.A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.There will be no immediate changes. Changes to PIP eligibility and rebalancing of UC aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from April 2026 for UC and November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval.The social security system will always be there for those who can’t work. As part of making changes to the payment rates in Universal Credit, we will ensure that the incomes of those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who will never be able to work have their incomes protected.Protecting those most in need is at the heart of our reforms. Our Green Paper outlines why we think removing the WCA and moving to using the PIP assessment as the single assessment for additional financial support, is the correct decision for the reformed system.We understand that for some people, work is simply not possible. We will work through how, without a WCA, these people can be identified and put in place appropriate protections, such as considering award reviews. Engagement with employment support will be determined on a personal basis, according to needs.For new claimants on the UC health element after April 2026, we are proposing that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected.Those on UC, with the most severe, life-long conditions, which mean a person cannot and will never work, will not be called for review in future.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the merits of including traceability requirements in the UK Forest Risk Commodities regulations.

The UK is committed to supporting the progress of traceability and transparency in global supply chains, as we appreciate they play an essential part in supporting sustainable commodity production, trade and consumption. The UK Government recognises the need to take action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation and we will set out our approach to addressing this in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his speech at the 2025 Oxford Farming Conference on 9 January 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed permitted development rights on farms.

Ministers are holding Ministerial round tables in June with a diverse range of agricultural stakeholders to understand how existing planning measures are supporting farmers and to better understand the key asks to go further.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase in biomass of Octopus vulgaris on (a) lobster and (b) crab stocks in Cornwall.

I recently visited the fishing industry in Plymouth and was made aware of reports of an unusual abundance of octopus in the Southwest including Cornwall. Defra understands this ‘octopus bloom’ is impacting shellfish potting fisheries and causing concern to the fishing industry in the Southwest. Government scientists, the Marine Management Organisation and local Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities have met with Defra on the 20th of May to discuss this phenomenon, the evidence, the impacts on the crab and lobster stocks as well as possible actions.

When he plans to publish a green paper on the long-term future of the Post Office.

We aim to publish a Green Paper later this year which will set out several proposals for discussion on the future direction of the Post Office. As part of this work, Government will be carefully considering what customers, communities and postmasters would like to see from a modern Post Office network.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to PIP on people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

No assessment has been made. Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’. Impacts of the proposed changes depend on many factors including how the mix of conditions among claimants evolves over time, and behavioural responses. These impacts are uncertain at an overall England and Wales level, and it would not be possible to make an informed assessment at such a granular level as individual primary medical conditions. Changes to PIP eligibility aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. PIP changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years. We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis, but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result. We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) carers and (b) family members of people with Multiple Sclerosis are (i) supported and (ii) recognised in the context of proposed changes to disability-related benefits.

I recognise the vital role played by carers and family members in supporting individuals with MS. Through the Green Paper we are consulting on the support needed for those who may lose any entitlements because of proposed changes to PIP daily living and what this support could look like. We will also work closely with the DHSC and others on how the health and eligible care needs of those who would lose entitlement to PIP could be met outside the benefits system. In the Green Paper, we committed to a review of the PIP assessment which I will be leading. Through the review, we want to make sure that the PIP assessment is fit for the future. This includes considering the PIP assessment criteria – including descriptors - and how the PIP assessment can play a role in unlocking wider support to enable better health, good work, higher living standards and greater independence. We outlined our commitment to improving the PIP assessment in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper. We will take action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits. This includes recording health assessments as standard to build greater trust in the system. The aim is to create greater transparency, using recordings as a learning opportunity to consider potential improvements to the quality of the assessment process. I will work closely with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and others, to ensure that the voices of those who go through the PIP assessment, those who support them, and those with expertise in the system are embedded in the review. The scope and timing of the review will be developed in close collaboration with stakeholders. I have now begun the first phase of this work, inviting stakeholders with a range of experience and expertise to roundtables to consider the scope and timing. I will then publish the Terms of Reference for the review in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to simplify the tax-free childcare eligibility process for self-employed parents in line with the system in place for employed claimants.

The Government is committed to ensuring eligible parents, whether they are employed or self-employed, can access Tax-Free Childcare as efficiently as possible. To be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, a parent and their partner (if they have one) must expect to earn at least the National Minimum or National Living wage for 16 hours a week on average and earn no more than £100,000 per year. The process to access Tax-Free Childcare for self-employed and employed parents is the same. Both are required to apply and reconfirm each quarter that they meet the same eligibility criteria. In instances where stated expectations differ from the information HMRC holds through PAYE or Self-Assessment Records, at times HMRC may need information from customers to confirm their eligibility. The Government recognises that evidencing income can be more complex for self-employed individuals, particularly for those with variable or seasonal earnings. That is why self-employed parents are only expected to meet the minimum income requirement over the entire tax-year (and not quarterly as is the case for employees). In addition, parents who have started new self-employment are also exempted from meeting the minimum income requirement in their first 12 months in Tax-Free Childcare.

If she will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport of the potential merits of amending legislation on Orchestra Tax Relief (a) to include voice as an eligible acoustic instrument and (b) to extend eligibility to (i) professional and (ii) amateur choirs consisting of 12 or more performers.

The Government supports the creative industries, including orchestras, through funding and through the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) provides tax relief on productions costs and provided £33 million of support in 2022-23. To qualify for OTR, a concert must be performed by a group of at least 12 instrumentalists. The voice is not considered to be an instrument. However, orchestra concerts with a vocal element are eligible for the relief providing that the orchestra also contains at least 12 instrumentalists, not including the voice, and the instrumentalists are the primary focus. These rules help ensure OTR fulfils its objective of supporting and incentivising orchestra concerts specifically.