Written questions by Dodds.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to monitor the quality of the deployment of British Sign Language AI across public services; and whether Deaf people have been consulted on that deployment.

85294: We are not aware of any digital public services currently using AI generated BSL content. 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.The compliance of central government digital services with the WCAG regulations is monitored by the Government Digital Service.85295: In addition to above (85294) c) services must make sure the non-digital parts of a service are accessible. For example, government departments must make sure that users who are deaf or have a speech impairment are offered a way to contacting the service (by text, email or in person with a British Sign Language translator or lip reader).This standard would still apply if the service used BSL content that was AI generated.

Whether his Department incorporates (a) Deaf-led infrastructure investment and (b) linguistic inclusion in social value assessments for procurement.

The Cabinet Office, in compliance with the Social Value Act 2012 and Procurement Policy Note 002 utilises the Government’s social value model toolkit to apply social value to all above-threshold procurements. In practice, this involves selecting one out of eight Social Value Outcomes which is then evaluated as part of a procurement exercise. One of the choices which can be selected is 'Fair Work,' which, when selected, allows us to require suppliers to demonstrate benefits in deaf-led infrastructure investment and linguistic inclusion.

Innovation and Technology, what reporting public bodies are undertaking on the (a) system performance, (b) community impact and (c) compliance with inclusion obligations of the deployment of British Sign Language AI.

85294: We are not aware of any digital public services currently using AI generated BSL content. 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.The compliance of central government digital services with the WCAG regulations is monitored by the Government Digital Service.85295: In addition to above (85294) c) services must make sure the non-digital parts of a service are accessible. For example, government departments must make sure that users who are deaf or have a speech impairment are offered a way to contacting the service (by text, email or in person with a British Sign Language translator or lip reader).This standard would still apply if the service used BSL content that was AI generated.

How many children whose parents were deported in each of the last 10 years are British citizens.

The information you have requested is not available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. This is subject to several exceptions, including where to do so would be a breach of a person’s rights under the European Convention on Human Rights or the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention.The deportation of a foreign national offender is considered on its individual merits, including assessment of a genuine and subsisting relationship with a child and the effect of deportation on the child.In every decision, Home Office staff will have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the best interests of any children in line with our duty under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.

How many children who remained in the UK without a deported parent were taken into care in each of the last ten years.

The information you have requested is not available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. This is subject to several exceptions, including where to do so would be a breach of a person’s rights under the European Convention on Human Rights or the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention.The deportation of a foreign national offender is considered on its individual merits, including assessment of a genuine and subsisting relationship with a child and the effect of deportation on the child.In every decision, Home Office staff will have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the best interests of any children in line with our duty under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.

What information her Department holds on the number and proportion of people subject to Deportation Orders who had children in each of the last 10 years.

The information you have requested is not available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. This is subject to several exceptions, including where to do so would be a breach of a person’s rights under the European Convention on Human Rights or the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention.The deportation of a foreign national offender is considered on its individual merits, including assessment of a genuine and subsisting relationship with a child and the effect of deportation on the child.In every decision, Home Office staff will have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the best interests of any children in line with our duty under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) initial teacher training and (b) continuing professional development for teachers in media literacy.

The Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework sets out the foundational core content that defines great teaching. This includes anticipating common misconceptions within particular subjects, which is an important aspect of curricular knowledge. In the context of media literacy, this can help teachers to spot pupil misconceptions that may arise from various sources. Beyond this, providers can design a curriculum which is responsive to participant needs, including training on media literacy where necessary.The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is evaluating the existing national curriculum and statutory assessment system in England, to ensure they are fit for purpose. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published shortly. The government will then consider the recommendations and its response.The department funds the National Centre for Computing Education, which provides teachers with free CPD and resources to support the teaching of computing, including media literacy. In addition, Ofcom published its three-year Media Literacy Strategy in October 2024, which commits to supporting teachers through CPD, evaluation of training outcomes and stronger collaboration with regional partners to share learnings and effective practices.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the conflict in Sudan on children.

The conflict in Sudan has had a devastating impact on civilians and especially women and children. According to UNICEF, six million children have become displaced and approximately 23 million children are exposed to violence, abuse and exploitation. Conflict Related Sexual Violence is endemic and young girls continue to be targeted. UNICEF also assessed that nearly 90 per cent of Sudan's school age children (17 million out of a total of 19 million children in Sudan) are no longer in school with armed violence cited as the main reason. The UK continues to support children through the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund which provides support to local responders, such as the Emergency Response Rooms, who provide humanitarian assistance across Sudan. We also support UNICEF who are providing lifesaving nutrition programmes to some of the most vulnerable children. We consistently use our position as penholder at the UN Security Council on Sudan to push the warring parties to honour the Jeddah Declaration and uphold humanitarian law and protect civilians. As leader of the Core Group on Sudan at the UN Human Rights Council, we spearheaded the renewal of the Fact-Finding Mission's mandate which investigates human rights abuses and violations across Sudan. Those suspected of targeting, abusing or exploiting children must face justice.

Media and Sport, whether her Department's responsibilities include media literacy.

The Government aims to improve media literacy through cross-government collaboration, educational initiatives and collaboration with Ofcom, civil society, and online platforms. This approach supports Ofcom's regulatory media literacy duties and promotes media literacy through broader policy initiatives and cross-sector collaboration.As the lead department for media literacy, DSIT is committed to improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work. DCMS contributes to this cross-government effort by supporting a free, sustainable and plural media landscape.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the role of media literacy in supporting (a) public health, (b) national security and (c) democracy.

Media literacy enables citizens to critically assess information and make informed choices. It supports public health, national security and democracy by countering misinformation, improving society’s resilience to online threats, and empowering safe, confident participation online.Media literacy is a cross-government priority, delivered through coordinated action across departments, civil society and industry, supported by targeted funding and community-led initiatives.The Online Safety Act requires social media platforms to tackle illegal content relating to national security, health and democracy. It also updates Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy, which includes raising awareness of misinformation and helping users assess the reliability of content.

Innovation and Technology, what responsibility her Department has for ensuring media literacy.

DSIT is committed to making the internet safer by ensuring platforms limit harmful content under the Online Safety Act and equipping people with the skills to navigate the online world.As the lead department for media literacy, DSIT is committed to improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work, funding innovative community-based interventions, launching an awareness campaign to build digital resilience and integrating media literacy with digital skills to meet evolving online challenges.DSIT supports Ofcom’s updated media literacy duties and leads the relationship with Ofcom, ensuring strategic alignment and promoting best practice across sectors.

What responsibility her Department has for ensuring media literacy.

I refer my hon. Friend, the member for Oxford East, to the answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47185.

What steps she is taking to help improve levels of media literacy among vulnerable children who are more at risk online.

​On 5 November, the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review published its final report which includes recommendations for a refreshed curriculum and assessment system in England. The government responded to this report and the response includes a commitment to ensure children are more digitally literate. This will be achieved by including media literacy in the new primary citizenship curriculum, and strengthening it in both the English curriculum, English language GCSE and in history. Furthermore, a refreshed computing curriculum will build digital confidence from an early age, including essential content on artificial intelligence.​Work is now underway to deliver a new curriculum and assessment system that is ambitious for every child, rich in knowledge and strong on skills.

What steps he is taking to work towards a national standard for a bereavement care pathway.

Wider bereavement support is commissioned locally, in accordance with the needs of the local population. NHS England has developed guidance to support integrated care boards with their duty to commission palliative care services within integrated care systems. This statutory guidance states that commissioners should ensure that there is sufficient access to bereavement services. Experts from the bereavement sector, such as the National Bereavement Alliance, have also published the Bereavement Support Service Standards which can be found on their website. These standards are voluntary and can be used by services as part of a regular review of their service design and their provision of bereavement services. All trusts in England are signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway for pregnancy or baby loss, which aims to ensure that all bereaved parents are offered equal, high quality, individualised, safe, and sensitive care. The pathway covers a range of baby loss circumstances, including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy for medical reasons, neonatal death, and sudden infant death syndrome. For bereavement support after suicide, NHS England has commissioned Support After Suicide to help systems develop bereavement support services, including developing core standards.

What steps he is taking to ensure that NHS England's guidance entitled Saving babies’ lives version three: a care bundle for reducing perinatal mortality, updated on 24 April 2025, is implemented across NHS trusts.

All trusts are implementing version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle to reduce the rates of stillbirth, preterm birth, and to optimise neonatal care. As of May 2025, 116 out of 120 trusts were fully compliant, which is a 10% increase since April last year.Implementation is overseen through NHS Resolution’s Maternity Incentive Scheme, a financial incentive to encourage trusts to implement safety actions to improve maternity safety. Under Safety Action 6, National Health Service trusts are required to demonstrate that they are on track to comply with all elements of the care bundle.To do this, trusts must meet quarterly with their integrated care board (ICB) to review implementation progress, and ICBs must confirm that providers are on track to full implementation for the trust. This local oversight approach is in line with the NHS Operating Framework.

What steps he is taking to ensure that bereaved families are involved in the process for the consultation on secondary legislation to modernise regulatory frameworks.

The Government is preparing draft legislation which will modernise the regulatory framework for the General Medical Council. This will be subject to a statutory three-month public consultation, which will be published on GOV.UK website, and which will act as a blueprint for reforms to other professional regulators’ legislation.We welcome the views of anyone who has raised a concern about a healthcare professional, including individuals who have suffered harm or whose family members have suffered harm, through this consultation process.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 September 2025 to Question 70899 on Nurseries: Finance, whether her Department has made an assessment of the financial viability of private equity-backed nursery providers.

It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on the Plan for Change.As laid out in the Best Start in Life strategy, the department therefore keeps the structure of the market, including the role of private equity, debt, profit levels, and the prices that parents pay, under close review.

With reference to page 58 of the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, whether Danone's commitment never to introduce a high sugar product to children refers to the recommended levels of sugar for (a) children and (b) adults; and whether this applies to Alpro growing up milks.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out decisive action to tackle the obesity crisis and ease the strain on the NHS, as well as to create the healthiest generation of children ever. It details a number of actions that the Government will take, including plans to introduce mandatory healthy food sales reporting for all large companies in the food sector, fulfilling commitments to restrict junk food advertising targeted at children, banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s and updating the UK Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) 2004/05. Danone’s published commitment is to never produce a product for children that is high in saturated fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) as defined by the UK Government’s current policy and legislation as a less healthy product.The Government’s policy and legislation being referred to uses the UK NPM 2004/05 to determine whether a product is classed as being HFSS or non-HFSS. The 2004/05 NPM does not assess individual nutrients in isolation (for example sugar), but it considers the balance of the ingredients and the nutrient composition of foods. The scoring system that underpins the UK NPM 2004/05 was based on dietary reference values for children aged 11 to 16 years’ old, but it was subsequently found to be equally applicable to foods and drinks consumed by those over the age of 5 years. The nutritional needs of infants and young children under 5 years differ from those of older children and adults. Therefore. the UK NPM 2004/05 is not currently regarded as suitable to assess commercially available food and drink products that are to be consumed only by children under 5 years, including Alpro Growing Up Milks.

What is the proposed timeline for implementing a system to identify children with a parent in prison.

Departmental officials continue to work closely with their counterparts at the Ministry of Justice to deliver the manifesto commitment to identify children affected by parental imprisonment as swiftly as possible, to help ensure that they get the support they need to thrive. A multi-year spending review has recently taken place to determine departmental budgets from 2026/27 to 2028/29. We are currently finalising the allocations process to set internal budgets for this spending period. Officials are working through the details of potential delivery options and this will inform timelines once internal budgets are finalised. Last month we published our preliminary market engagement notice for our multidisciplinary training offer for professionals which can be found here: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050622-2025. This marks an important step towards getting children the support they may need once they are identified.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring coordination in establishing a system to identify children with parents in prison.

The Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice recognise the importance of cross-government coordination to identify children affected by parental imprisonment and to help ensure that they get the support they need to thrive. In June, we held a cross-government workshop with officials from a range of government departments, to help deepen attendees’ understanding of the impact of parental imprisonment and foster collaborative thinking on how policies and strategies can better reflect the needs of families. In July, officials from the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and the Department of Health and Social Care, attended the Family Hub All Party Parliamentary Group meeting with a special focus on families affected by parental imprisonment. Further discussions are ongoing as part of strategic planning.