Written questions by Ribeiro-Addy.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of communications ombudsman processes on consumer confidence in dispute resolution services.

The Government has not undertaken any recent assessment of the Communications Ombudsman and has no plans to do so. It is Ofcom’s duty under the Communications Act 2003 to approve and review Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes for UK communication and postal services. One of the two schemes Ofcom currently approves is the Communications Ombudsman.Ofcom undertook a formal review of the ADR schemes, concluding in July, and found both were working well for consumers. This review included research among consumers to understand their experience of using ADR. Ofcom’s full statement is available on its website.Ofcom also monitors the schemes’ performance against a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and publish the results on its website quarterly.

Whether he plans to review the right of appeal following final ombudsman decisions.

The Cabinet Office has no plans to review the existing arrangements for challenging final ombudsman decisions.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has plans to undertake a review of the consistency of decision-making of the communications ombudsman.

The Government has not undertaken any recent assessment of the Communications Ombudsman and has no plans to do so. It is Ofcom’s duty under the Communications Act 2003 to approve and review Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes for UK communication and postal services. One of the two schemes Ofcom currently approves is the Communications Ombudsman.Ofcom undertook a formal review of the ADR schemes, concluding in July, and found both were working well for consumers. This review included research among consumers to understand their experience of using ADR. Ofcom’s full statement is available on its website.Ofcom also monitors the schemes’ performance against a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and publish the results on its website quarterly.

How many complaints have been referred to Professional Standards Unit in last five years, how were they categorised and how many were (a) upheld and (b) rejected.

The Professional Standards Unit (PSU) received 1265 referrals of complaint between 1 April 2020 to 5 December 2025The complaints were categorised as, Assault, Corruption, Failure in Duty or Care, Honesty and Integrity Issues, Racism and other Discrimination, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, Theft, Unfair Treatment and Unprofessional ConductOf the referrals received, 291 were investigated by the PSU with the remaining referrals cascaded to local complaint teams in the Home Office.42 investigations substantiated or partially substantiated the allegations made by the complainant and 249 were unsubstantiated.

What discussions she has had with ecommerce sites on the online sale of human remains.

I refer the Hon Member to the response given to her on 25 March 2025 from the Department for Business and Trade in response to PQ 38667.

What estimate she has made of the number of real human remains being advertised for sale on ecommerce sites.

I refer the Hon Member to the response given to her on 25 March 2025 from the Department for Business and Trade in response to PQ 38667.

What steps she is taking to stop the sale of human remains on ecommerce sites.

I refer the Hon Member to the response given to her on 25 March 2025 from the Department for Business and Trade in response to PQ 38667.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 95260 on Home Education, if her Department will publish a forecast of the funding to be provided to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties under the Children Not in School measures.

The department is engaging with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the Data Protection Impact Assessment for the Children Not in School registers to ensure that all data protection risks have been identified and mitigated before any processing of data begins.The department has also held discussions with both Women’s Aid and the NSPCC, and other domestic abuse organisations, such as SafeLives, on the Children Not in School registers. We recognise the importance of protecting survivors of abuse and have worked with these partners to understand the implications of the Children Not in School measures and how concerns about access to data and identification can be resolved. We will continue this engagement ahead of implementation, including to inform our statutory guidance.We will also commission and deliver training for all local authorities on the Children Not in School requirements and how they interact effectively with home education and alternative education approaches. This will be co-developed and co-delivered by home education representatives, and we will engage with relevant stakeholders, including safeguarding and domestic abuse organisations, as appropriate.Funding will be provided to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties under the Children Not in School measures.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 95258 on Children: Abuse, whether her Department has consulted with the organisations listed specifically on the risk of (a) increased amounts of children's data being held on the Children Not in School Register, and (b) potential data leaks which may result in harm to the children included in the list.

The department is engaging with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the Data Protection Impact Assessment for the Children Not in School registers to ensure that all data protection risks have been identified and mitigated before any processing of data begins.The department has also held discussions with both Women’s Aid and the NSPCC, and other domestic abuse organisations, such as SafeLives, on the Children Not in School registers. We recognise the importance of protecting survivors of abuse and have worked with these partners to understand the implications of the Children Not in School measures and how concerns about access to data and identification can be resolved. We will continue this engagement ahead of implementation, including to inform our statutory guidance.We will also commission and deliver training for all local authorities on the Children Not in School requirements and how they interact effectively with home education and alternative education approaches. This will be co-developed and co-delivered by home education representatives, and we will engage with relevant stakeholders, including safeguarding and domestic abuse organisations, as appropriate.Funding will be provided to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties under the Children Not in School measures.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 95257 on Children: Data protection, whether her Department has consulted with the ICO on the safety of the increased amount of children's data to be held on the Children Not In School Register; and what steps she is taking to ensure this data is protected from data leaks and inappropriate sharing.

The department is engaging with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the Data Protection Impact Assessment for the Children Not in School registers to ensure that all data protection risks have been identified and mitigated before any processing of data begins.The department has also held discussions with both Women’s Aid and the NSPCC, and other domestic abuse organisations, such as SafeLives, on the Children Not in School registers. We recognise the importance of protecting survivors of abuse and have worked with these partners to understand the implications of the Children Not in School measures and how concerns about access to data and identification can be resolved. We will continue this engagement ahead of implementation, including to inform our statutory guidance.We will also commission and deliver training for all local authorities on the Children Not in School requirements and how they interact effectively with home education and alternative education approaches. This will be co-developed and co-delivered by home education representatives, and we will engage with relevant stakeholders, including safeguarding and domestic abuse organisations, as appropriate.Funding will be provided to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties under the Children Not in School measures.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 95260 on Home Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure any training delivered to local authorities is holistic and trauma informed.

The department is engaging with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the Data Protection Impact Assessment for the Children Not in School registers to ensure that all data protection risks have been identified and mitigated before any processing of data begins.The department has also held discussions with both Women’s Aid and the NSPCC, and other domestic abuse organisations, such as SafeLives, on the Children Not in School registers. We recognise the importance of protecting survivors of abuse and have worked with these partners to understand the implications of the Children Not in School measures and how concerns about access to data and identification can be resolved. We will continue this engagement ahead of implementation, including to inform our statutory guidance.We will also commission and deliver training for all local authorities on the Children Not in School requirements and how they interact effectively with home education and alternative education approaches. This will be co-developed and co-delivered by home education representatives, and we will engage with relevant stakeholders, including safeguarding and domestic abuse organisations, as appropriate.Funding will be provided to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties under the Children Not in School measures.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 95259 on Home Education, whether home education experts were consulted on any training that may be needed for frontline workers collecting data for the Children Not in School Register.

The department is engaging with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the Data Protection Impact Assessment for the Children Not in School registers to ensure that all data protection risks have been identified and mitigated before any processing of data begins.The department has also held discussions with both Women’s Aid and the NSPCC, and other domestic abuse organisations, such as SafeLives, on the Children Not in School registers. We recognise the importance of protecting survivors of abuse and have worked with these partners to understand the implications of the Children Not in School measures and how concerns about access to data and identification can be resolved. We will continue this engagement ahead of implementation, including to inform our statutory guidance.We will also commission and deliver training for all local authorities on the Children Not in School requirements and how they interact effectively with home education and alternative education approaches. This will be co-developed and co-delivered by home education representatives, and we will engage with relevant stakeholders, including safeguarding and domestic abuse organisations, as appropriate.Funding will be provided to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties under the Children Not in School measures.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 95257 on Children: Data protection, if she will publish a Data Privacy Impact Assessment on the entire Bill.

A single Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) cannot be conducted on the entire Bill. DPIAs are intended to evaluate specific data processing activities that may present high risks to individuals’ data protection rights, rather than entire pieces of legislation. The department has ensured that all Bill provisions involving personal data comply with data protection legislation by consulting the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under Article 36 of UK GDPR.We continue to engage with the ICO key measures, such as the Consistent Identifier and Children Not in School (CNIS) measures, to identify and mitigate any data protection risks. In line with our commitment to transparency, we will publish summaries of these DPIAs to provide assurance that children’s data will be processed lawfully and securely once the measures become operational.

Whether her department has consulted with a) NSPCC, b) Women's Aid, and c) other charities, on the potential implications of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on children who have been victims of abuse from a parent.

​​The department has engaged with a number of charities on policies where they have a direct interest, as part of wider consideration of the Bill’s impact on children and families.We have spoken to the NSPCC on multiple occasions about the Bill and have engaged closely with the Domestic Abuse commissioner on Family Group Decision Making.Moreover, as part of their consideration of the Bill in the House of Commons, the Public Bill Committee invited written evidence from outside organisations and members of the public and took oral evidence from relevant stakeholders. The NSPCC and a number of other charities provided evidence, which has informed Parliamentary debate and ongoing thinking on the Bill’s measures.

Whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of (a) introducing National Insurance credits for periods spent in full-time higher education and (b) allowing individuals to make voluntary National Insurance contributions for student-year gaps that fall outside the standard six-year window.

Qualifying years of National Insurance on an individual’s NI record can be built in several ways; by paying National Insurance contributions (NICs) while working (employed or self-employed); by being credited with NI credits; or by paying voluntary NICs. Individuals can usually pay voluntary NICs for the past six years. This time limit has been in place for over forty years and is a vital part of the National Insurance system. It is in place to prevent individuals from deferring payment until just before they are due to retire and effectively buying an enhanced pension, or a pension from scratch, which would be unfair to the majority who contribute throughout their lives. In line with legislation, HMRC can only extend the time limit if an individual exercised due care and diligence but due to factors not in their control, they were unable to pay. If they believe exceptional circumstances stopped them from paying, they can ask us to extend the usual six-year deadline. NI credits recognise the non-financial contributions that individuals make to society and/or the economy. There are no National Insurance credits available to protect a person’s future State Pension entitlement as a result of them being in higher or advanced education. Most individuals under the age of 50 will only need 35 qualifying years over a possible working life of 50 years to get the full rate of the new State Pension. This flexibility allows individuals to take time out of the workplace, including gap years, without harming their State Pension position.

Whether she plans to carry out a data privacy impact assessment for the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

The department is ensuring that measures outlined in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill align with data protection principles, as set out in the Data Protection Act 2018, UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR) and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. The department has met its obligation under Article 36(4) of UK GDPR to consult with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on relevant measures involving the use of personal data, such as the Children Not in School registers. The department is engaging with the ICO to ensure that any data protection risks identified are properly mitigated and is carrying out data protection impact assessments, where relevant.

Whether her department plans to provide Local Authorities with extra funding to support training of social workers and council workers to improve understanding of home education.

The department ran a public consultation on the proposed duties and measures for Children Not in School in 2019. The consultation was open to all to contribute, including academic experts in educational pedagogy, and the department responded in 2022. We have continued to engage with home education experts since then as part of development of the measures for inclusion in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and on plans for implementation of these post-Royal Assent. Funding and training will be provided to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties under the Children Not in School measures.

Whether her department consulted academic experts in pedagogy in home education on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

The department ran a public consultation on the proposed duties and measures for Children Not in School in 2019. The consultation was open to all to contribute, including academic experts in educational pedagogy, and the department responded in 2022. We have continued to engage with home education experts since then as part of development of the measures for inclusion in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and on plans for implementation of these post-Royal Assent. Funding and training will be provided to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties under the Children Not in School measures.

Whether the US Los Alamos National nuclear laboratory and Lawrence Livermore national laboratory have played a role in the research, design or development of the British Astraea nuclear warhead.

We are working with our U.S. counterparts in the U.S. Navy and National Nuclear Security Administration to ensure the UK replacement warhead remains compatible with the Trident missile. The Astraea warhead will be designed, developed, and manufactured in the UK. It will be housed in the Mk7 aeroshell, as will the U.S. W93 warhead, but the requirements, design and manufacture of the warheads are sovereign to each nation. This is consistent with our obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

How many U.K.-US working groups currently exist pursuant to the 1958 Mutual Defense Agreement on Atomic Energy Matters; what subjects do they cover; and what is the annual cost of servicing these working groups.

There are 21 current UK-U.S. Joint Working Groups (JOWOGs), an information exchange arrangement with the U.S. under the Mutual Defense Agreement. The costs of participating in those JOWOGs is not held centrally in the format required and that information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.