Written questions by Dodds.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the financial capacity of regional organised crime units to investigate modern slavery.

The Government is committed to ensuring that law enforcement has there sources it needs to tackle crime effectively. Regional Organised Crime Units(ROCUs) are collaborations between three or more police forces and help support forces and partners to tackle serious and organised crime (SOC),including modern slavery.The Home Office provides c.30% of funding to supports the ROCUs intackling SOC, with the remaining c.70% coming from Police and Crime Commissioners in 2025-26. To improve the response to modern slavery, the Home Office also provides funding through the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit, for regional coordinators, based in theROCUs that act as a bridge between the ROCU and forces to provide specialist advice and support on investigations. In addition to this, the Home Office-funded Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) Programme is anintelligence capability that is increasing law enforcements capability to respond to organised exploitation, including modern slavery. As the spending review and subsequent allocations process is ongoing, funding for future years cannot be confirmed at this time.

What recent discussions her Department has had with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) on tackling the theft of number plates.

Everyone should have confidence in the law and should feel protected. That is why the Home Office works closely with the police, industry, and other government departments to ensure we are collectively doing everything we can to cut crime and prevent it from happening in the first place.We work closely with the National Police Chiefs Council to find solutions to all types of vehicle theft. We do this via the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, which focus on the prevention and deterrence of theft of vehicles.Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities, and we expect them to take all forms of crime seriously. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will ensure that every community in England and Wales will have named and contactable officers dealing with local issues.This will be supported by the delivery of up to an additional 3000 officers into neighbourhood teams by spring next year.

Whether her Department has had recent discussions with Thames Valley Police on tackling number plate thefts in Oxford East.

Everyone should have confidence in the law and should feel protected. That is why the Home Office works closely with the police, industry, and other government departments to ensure we are collectively doing everything we can to cut crime and prevent it from happening in the first place.We work closely with the National Police Chiefs Council to find solutions to all types of vehicle theft. We do this via the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, which focus on the prevention and deterrence of theft of vehicles.Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities, and we expect them to take all forms of crime seriously. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will ensure that every community in England and Wales will have named and contactable officers dealing with local issues.This will be supported by the delivery of up to an additional 3000 officers into neighbourhood teams by spring next year.

What steps she is taking to tackle number plate theft.

Everyone should have confidence in the law and should feel protected. That is why the Home Office works closely with the police, industry, and other government departments to ensure we are collectively doing everything we can to cut crime and prevent it from happening in the first place.We work closely with the National Police Chiefs Council to find solutions to all types of vehicle theft. We do this via the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, which focus on the prevention and deterrence of theft of vehicles.Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities, and we expect them to take all forms of crime seriously. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will ensure that every community in England and Wales will have named and contactable officers dealing with local issues.This will be supported by the delivery of up to an additional 3000 officers into neighbourhood teams by spring next year.

What recent discussions her Department has had with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) on combatting the theft of number plates.

Everyone should have confidence in the law and should feel protected. That is why the Home Office works closely with the police, industry, and other government departments to ensure we are collectively doing everything we can to cut crime and prevent it from happening in the first place.We work closely with the National Police Chiefs Council to find solutions to all types of vehicle theft. We do this via the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, which focus on the prevention and deterrence of theft of vehicles.Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities, and we expect them to take all forms of crime seriously. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will ensure that every community in England and Wales will have named and contactable officers dealing with local issues.This will be supported by the delivery of up to an additional 3000 officers into neighbourhood teams by spring next year.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what work her Department is undertaking on atrocity prevention assessments for Sudan, including on Tawila, Kadugli and Bara.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary to the House on 18 November 2025. As the Foreign Secretary said, there is a need for "concerted action to pull the warring parties back from the brink, halt the RSF advances, and ensure a humanitarian truce that is at least long enough to get humanitarian aid in and civilians out."

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the BBC collaborates with independent local journalists to tackle misinformation and serve communities through the Charter review process.

The government is currently developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the vital importance of local journalism and its role in countering misinformation at local level. As part of this we are exploring the role of the BBC in the local news market. During her oral statement to the House of Commons on BBC Leadership, the Secretary of State confirmed that the government is looking at how we can help to support and defend local news through the BBC’s work as a part of the Charter renewal process. More will be announced on the Local Media Strategy in due course.

Media and Sport, whether her Department is partnering with youth organisations to develop media literacy resources.

As the lead department for media literacy, DSIT is committed to improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work. The Government aims to improve media literacy through cross-government collaboration, educational initiatives and collaboration with Ofcom, civil society, and online platforms.DCMS has recently funded the National Youth Agency to develop Digital Youth Work Standards to promote the adoption of best practice in digital youth work across the sector. This includes training sessions on digital literacy for youth workers.We are developing a National Youth Strategy which will set out a new long-term vision for young people, and an action plan for delivering this. We will publish the Strategy later this year.

What progress he has made on increasing capacity of English as a Second Language Provision (ESOL) in line with the Government’s White Paper on Immigration.

Through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), the Department for Work and Pensions supports adults aged 19+ in England who speak English as a second or additional language to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision. ASF co-funds or fully-funds ESOL provision subject to the eligibility requirements laid out in the ASF rules. ESOL allows learners to develop the English language skills they need for everyday life, work or further learning. Overall, we are allocating £1.4 billion for a wide range of adult skills provision through the ASF in the 2025/26 academic year. Currently, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents, the allocation of the ASF to learning providers, and deciding how the ASF best meets the needs of their local economy. By honouring our commitments to combine and further devolve adult skills funding, we give those with local knowledge the power they need to make decisions that are best for their areas. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas, where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF allocations from the department to meet the needs of their communities. Where ASF funded provision is not available the Flexible Support Fund is sometimes used to procure ESOL provision that enables individuals to move into sustained employment, increase their earnings whilst in work, or move closer to the labour market. Government publishes statistics on participation in ESOL provision through its Further Education and Skills publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/084d1d31-4477-488e-b95b-08de28d609b2

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the article by the University of Manchester entitled Making headlines: Young people’s social media use and navigating media narratives, published on 9 June 2025.

As the lead department for media literacy, DSIT is committed to improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work. The Government aims to improve media literacy through cross-government collaboration, educational initiatives and collaboration with Ofcom, civil society, and online platforms.DCMS has recently funded the National Youth Agency to develop Digital Youth Work Standards to promote the adoption of best practice in digital youth work across the sector. This includes training sessions on digital literacy for youth workers.We are developing a National Youth Strategy which will set out a new long-term vision for young people, and an action plan for delivering this. We will publish the Strategy later this year.

With reference to the Competition and Markets Authority's report on Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Market Study, publish on 14 February 2025, what steps his Department is taking to improve the regulation of the powdered baby milk industry.

The Government remains committed to giving every child the best start in life. Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality.The infant formula regulations set robust nutritional and compositional standards which mean that all infant formula for sale in the United Kingdom are suitable for meeting the nutritional requirements of babies regardless of the price or brand. The regulations restrict the inappropriate marketing and promotion of infant formula that can mislead consumers and may discourage breastfeeding.The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study into the UK’s infant formula and follow-on formula market. We have been working closely with the devolved administrations to consider its recommendations. We will respond in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the affordability of powdered milk in relation to Healthy Start vouchers.

The funding for Healthy Start can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of, fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, dried, and tinned pulses, and milk. It can also be put towards the cost of infant formula.The Healthy Start scheme is kept under review and in April 2026 the value of the weekly payments will increase by 10%.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the parties to the conflict in Sudan on the operation of checkpoints hindering internally displaced persons’ access to safety (a) between El Fasher and Tawila and (b) elsewhere in Sudan.

I refer the Hon. Member to the statement on Sudan made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November.

How judges are protected if they experience (a) intimidation and (b) harassment.

The Secretary of State regards judicial office holders’ safety with great importance. There are a range of judicial security policies and procedures in place to protect judicial office holders in court, outside of court and online.The Police work jointly with HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and the Judicial Office to deliver appropriate safeguarding arrangements for judicial office holders who are the victim of a crime and/or subject to harassment, intimidation or threat as a result of their judicial role. The agreement between the three agencies which forms the framework for delivery of these safeguarding measures is known as the Judicial Harassment Protocol.The Protocol enables appropriate and proportionate safeguarding measures to be applied where such as:Oversight by an appropriately senior police officerBespoke threat assessmentsHome security assessmentsProvision of personal and online safety advice and supportProvision, where appropriate, of personal safety deviceThe police are working alongside the Ministry of Justice and HMCTS as key members of the Security Taskforce, commissioned by the Lady Chief Justice and chaired by Deputy Senior Presiding Judge Mrs Justice Yip, to consider opportunities for further improvement in this crucial area.

What support do the police provide to judges if they experience (a) intimidation and (b) harassment (i) online and (I) in person.

The Secretary of State regards judicial office holders’ safety with great importance. There are a range of judicial security policies and procedures in place to protect judicial office holders in court, outside of court and online.The Police work jointly with HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and the Judicial Office to deliver appropriate safeguarding arrangements for judicial office holders who are the victim of a crime and/or subject to harassment, intimidation or threat as a result of their judicial role. The agreement between the three agencies which forms the framework for delivery of these safeguarding measures is known as the Judicial Harassment Protocol.The Protocol enables appropriate and proportionate safeguarding measures to be applied where such as:Oversight by an appropriately senior police officerBespoke threat assessmentsHome security assessmentsProvision of personal and online safety advice and supportProvision, where appropriate, of personal safety deviceThe police are working alongside the Ministry of Justice and HMCTS as key members of the Security Taskforce, commissioned by the Lady Chief Justice and chaired by Deputy Senior Presiding Judge Mrs Justice Yip, to consider opportunities for further improvement in this crucial area.

What mechanism his Department has in place on utilising Deaf-led expertise on British Sign Language in AI procurement.

The procurement of Artificial intelligent tools as a result of a new or amended digital service requires compliance with the GDS Service Manual (https://www.gov.uk/service-manual) and a service assessment. This manual includes the inclusion of accessibility and assisted digital and user research, to ensure procurement decisions cover a range of accessibility needs, based on user feedback.

Innovation and Technology, what British Sign Language (BSL) standards are being used in (a) government and (b) public services in the commissioning of BSL AI.

Providing BSL translations of pre-recorded audio and video content is a WCAG 2.2 AAA criterion. As outlined in the Government Service Standard, all digital government services must as a minimum meet Level AA. AAA is best practice.Current best practice guidance for use of BSL in digital public services advises that BSL videos are independently assured by a Deaf-led BSL supplier.We are not aware of any digital public services currently using AI generated BSL content. No specific accessibility standards for this use case of AI are currently applied and would be guided by both the government’s Data Ethics Framework and Service Standard.

Innovation and Technology, whether British Sign Language AI procurement is subject to algorithmic impact assessments.

We are not aware of any cross-Government British Sign Language AI procurement.The government has committed to ensure that algorithmic tools used in the public sector are used safely and transparently and is taking active steps to ensure this. The Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard is mandatory for all government departments. It communicates information about how and why algorithmic tools are used, who is responsible for them, how they are embedded in broader decision-making processes, their technical specifications, and relevant risk mitigations and impact assessments.The Data Ethics Framework guides appropriate and responsible data use in government and the wider public sector. It helps public servants understand ethical considerations, address these within their projects, and encourages responsible innovation.Additionally, the Service Manual and Service Standard guide service teams across the public sector on the design and development of digital services, including those enabled by AI.A service must be accessible to everyone who needs it, including services only used by public servants. Digital services must meet level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) as a minimum and service teams must include disabled people and people who use assistive technologies in the design of those services. WCAG 2.2 addresses the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing primarily through guidelines for multimedia, such as providing captions, transcripts, and sign language interpretations.The compliance of central government digital services with the WCAG regulations is monitored by the Government Digital Service.

Innovation and Technology, whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to provide oversight of the monitoring of the (a) quality of, (b) adequacy of engagement with deaf people and (b) other aspects of the deployment of British Sign Language AI systems in public services.

The Government Digital Service set and assess the cross government digital service standard. Before going live, services are assessed against this 14-point standard which includes the service team providing evidence for how the service is accessible to everyone who needs it.To meet the standard and assessment, digital services must conduct research with disabled people, including Deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service.Services must make sure any BSL video is culturally appropriate by working with the BSL community, testing it, or getting feedback.

Whether procurement policy notes issued by his Department provide guidance on British Sign Language AI commissioning.

The procurement of Artificial intelligent tools as a result of a new or amended digital service requires compliance with the GDS Service Manual (https://www.gov.uk/service-manual) and a service assessment. This manual includes the inclusion of accessibility and assisted digital and user research, to ensure procurement decisions cover a range of accessibility needs, based on user feedback.