Written questions by Mierlo.

If he will make it his policy to adopt the recommendations of the Women and Equalities Committee's Sixth Report of Session 2024-25 entitled Equality at work: Paternity and shared parental leave, HC 502.

The Government thanks the committee for its careful consideration of Shared Parental Leave and Paternity Leave and has responded in full to the report. We recognise that more can be done to ensure working families are better supported. That is why on 1 July 2025 we launched the parental leave and pay review, which will consider all current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements. The recommendations and evidence outlined in the Women and Equality Committee’s report are important contributions to the review and we look forward to working with the committee as the thinking develops.

What discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on securing long term access to cerliponase alfa.

Officials in the Department have had a number of discussions with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about the ongoing appraisal of cerliponase alfa (Brineura) for the treatment of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2). The Government understands the devastating impact of this condition on those affected, and how important the availability of effective new treatments is to patients and their families.An agreement has now been reached between NHS England and the manufacturer of Brineura, BioMarin, that secures continued access for patients who have already started treatment with Brineura or who begin treatment before the end of this year.NICE is, at present, unable to recommend Brineura for routine National Health Service funding for new patients in its draft guidance published in August. This decision comes after commercial negotiations between NHS England and BioMarin failed to secure a price for the treatment that properly reflects the limited evidence of its long-term effectiveness.I recognise how disappointing this will be to all those affected, but I would like to underline that NICE has not yet concluded its appraisal. Stakeholders, including patient groups and the company, have had an opportunity to appeal the final draft guidance. If no appeal goes ahead, NICE expects to publish its final recommendations on cerliponase alfa in October.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help ensure that parents receive adequate information on (a) the use of (i) parental controls and (ii) virtual private networks and (b) other steps to keep children safe online.

DSIT has funded media literacy projects, including Parent Zone’s ‘Everyday Digital’, to help parents understand online safety. On 12 September 2025, DSIT published research exploring what support parents need to keep children safe online. Ofcom has also released a guide for parents on how new Online Safety Act measures will protect children online, including advice and links to trusted resources.Virtual private networks have many legitimate uses. The Government and Ofcom continue to monitor whether technologies can be used to seek to circumvent the protections of the Act for children.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of online safety regulations for protecting people against harmful advice provided by AI chatbots.

Services with AI chatbots regulated under the Online Safety Act have duties to protect all users from illegal content and children from age inappropiate content. This includes harmful advice if it is illegal content or meets the definition of harmful content to children under the Act.The Government keeps all legislation under review and we will not hesitate to strengthen the law further if required.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2025 to Question 35541 and and the Answer of 12 May to Question 50770 on Hormone Replacement Therapy, (a) what progress has been made and (b) what further steps are being taken to ensure a continued supply of HRT implants for patients.

The Department is continuing to work closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to ensure safe access to oestrogen and testosterone hormone replacement therapy (HRT) implants, which are not licensed in the United Kingdom.The MHRA has been working closely with the current importers of the product and is also looking to encourage other applications for a licensed medicinal product. The MHRA is currently assured that there are over 13 months of product in the UK based on currently available stocks and usage rates.As oestrogen and testosterone HRT implants are not licensed in the UK, we are encouraging applications to supply products through the licensed medicines route.The Department is working closely with the MHRA to ensure safe access to these products. The Department have also reached out to specialist importers, who can source unlicensed medicines, to find alternative sources of both HRT implants for UK patients. The Department will continue to work closely with the MHRA and the National Health Service to ensure that suitable alternatives are available for patients.

If she will hold discussions with HMRC on the difference between the loan charge settlement terms offered to (a) large companies and (b) other people.

The Government commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers. The Government will respond by Autumn Budget 2025. HMRC applies the law fairly and consistently in accordance with its published Litigation and Settlement Strategy (LSS). This ensures every taxpayer, no matter who they are, pays the tax due under the law. Central to the LSS is that HMRC will not settle a dispute by agreement for an amount which is less than it would reasonably expect to obtain from litigation. HMRC’s Litigation and Settlement strategy can be found on gov.uk: www.gov.uk/government/publications/litigation-and-settlement-strategy-lss

Innovation and Technology, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) websites and (b) organisations on the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023.

Ofcom has conducted an extensive programme of work aimed at facilitating understanding and compliance with the Online Safety Act. This includes a Regulation Checker to help services and organisations identify whether they are in scope of the relevant duties. Where they are, Ofcom provides guides and toolkits on complying with the new rules. Ofcom’s guide for services webpage can be used as a hub for relevant resources. When it comes to compliance, Ofcom will focus on services where the risk and impact of harm is the highest, only taking action where appropriate.

Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Online Safety Act 2023 on (a) Wikipedia and (b) news reporting sites.

The Online Safety Act covers services where users post content or interact online, requiring sites like Wikipedia to address illegal material and protect children where necessary. Ofcom must ensure that the duties are proportionate and appropriate for the different kinds and sizes of services.The Act includes exemptions for specific types of user comment sections, which will take many news publishers sites out of scope. Safeguards are also built in to protect news publisher content on the largest (Category 1) platforms and Ofcom will be required to review how the Act affects journalistic and news publisher material on such services.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Online Safety Act 2023, what assessment he has made on the adequacy of the security of personal data shared with third parties.

The Online Safety Act has cross-cutting duties to ensure that users’ rights to privacy are protected. All providers are required to give particular regard to the importance of protecting users’ privacy rights when implementing measures to comply with their new safety duties, including age assurance technologies. Where Ofcom has concerns that a provider has not complied with its obligations under data protection law, it may refer the matter to the ICO.

When he plans to respond to the letter of 10 July 2025 from the hon. Member for Henley and Thame on maternity services.

The letter has been passed to Baroness Amos as chair of the independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal care, and she will respond directly in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 July to Question 66814 on Health Services: Oxfordshire, what steps he is taking to ensure that Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is able to recruit and retain midwives in the context of efficiency savings.

The Government is committed to ensuring the National Health Service can both recruit and retain staff. We recently announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives, which will ensure that there are enough positions available for every newly qualified midwife in England, and includes £8 million to support the temporary conversion of vacant maternity support worker posts to band 5 registered midwifery roles.Additionally, NHS England is undertaking targeted retention programme for midwives, led by the Chief Nursing Officer. This includes: a midwifery and nursing retention self-assessment tool; mentoring schemes; strengthened advice and support on pensions and flexible retirement options; and the publication of menopause policies and guidance. NHS England has also invested in unit-based leads in every trust who focus on retention and provide pastoral support to midwives. This initiative, alongside investment in workforce capacity, has seen a reduction in vacancy, leaver and turnover rates.

What discussions she has had with the new Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on her priorities for the Commission.

Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson was confirmed as the next Chair of the EHRC. She will begin her term as EHRC Chair in December and will meet regularly with the Minister for Women and Equalities as part of her role.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 64336 on Vamorolone, what the consequences are for (a) Integrated Care Boards and (b) NHS Trusts for not making NICE recommended medicines available within 90 days of publication of relevant guidance.

Commissioners have a statutory responsibility to make funding available for a medicine or treatment recommended by a National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal (TA) or highly specialised technology evaluation (HST) within the timeframe recommended in that guidance, usually within three months of the TA or HST being published.Under the National Health Service Constitution, patients have a right to receive all medicines and treatments recommended by NICE if they and their healthcare professional think that the medicine is right for them. In practical terms, the effect of this legal obligation and the NHS constitution is that all NICE-approved treatments must be included in local formularies for use in line with the TA or HST recommendations and with no additional funding or formulary restrictions.The only exception is if the technology is not relevant to the care provided by the organisation; for example, cancer treatments would not need to be included in the formulary of a mental health trust, and treatments for dementia would not need to be included in the formulary of a specialist children’s hospital. There is no provision to take affordability into account when adding NICE-approved medicines to local formularies.NHS enforcement guidance relating to its statutory accountability and oversight role, under the NHS Act 2006, the 2012 Act and the 2022 Act is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-enforcement-guidance/The evolving NHS operating model will strengthen capabilities and clarify roles in overseeing performance. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we will move to a Single National Formulary (SNF) for medicines within the next two years. The SNF will play a role in driving rapid and equitable adoption of clinically and cost-effective innovations.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 January to Question 25553 on Methylphenidate Shortages, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the current supply of methylphenidate for ADHD.

The Department has worked closely with industry stakeholders, and, following extensive collaborative efforts, previous issues have been resolved and all strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, atomoxetine oral solution, guanfacine prolonged-release tablets and methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets and prolonged-release capsules are now available.We continue to support the NHS England Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) taskforce, which brings together expertise from the National Health Service, education, and justice sectors to coordinate a system-wide response to rising demand. In collaboration with NHS England’s national ADHD data improvement plan, we are developing future growth forecasts to support improved demand planning. These forecasts will be shared with industry to help ensure a more responsive and sustainable supply of ADHD medicines.In parallel, we are also engaging with new suppliers for ADHD medicines to increase supply capacity and resilience.The Department also maintains and regularly updates a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website. This resource supports prescribers and dispensers in making informed decisions with patients. The list is available at the following link:www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/prescribing-available-medicines-to-treat-adhd

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that NICE appraisals for (a) Duchenne muscular dystrophy and (b) other rare, progressive conditions take into account urgency of access.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) aims wherever possible to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing to ensure that patients can benefit from rapid access to clinically and cost-effective new medicines. NICE’s ability to do so is contingent on the company notifying NICE of its launch plans at an early stage and providing a timely evidence submission.The Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out the measures we are taking that will mean that patients are able to access medicines three to six months faster, including improved alignment between decisions from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and NICE guidance publication.The Life Sciences Sector Plan is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688c90a8e8ba9507fc1b090c/Life_Sciences_Sector_Plan.pdf

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the impact on carers is included in NICE technology appraisals for rare and progressive diseases.

NICE’s technology appraisal process allows its independent committees to take societal benefits, such as health-related quality-of-life for carers and impact on personal social services, into account. NICE’s methods are set out in its published health technology evaluations manual, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/process/pmg36.Evaluations should consider all health effects for patients, and, when relevant, carers. When presenting health effects for carers, evidence should show when the condition is associated with a substantial effect on carer’s health-related quality of life and how the technology affects carers. This applies for all therapies, including therapies for rare diseases. NICE appraisals specifically consider health-related quality of life, for both patients and carers, rather than quality of life as a whole.

What recent assessment she has made of the UKVI waiting times for answering enquiries regarding (a) UK passports and (b) British National status.

For customer enquiries made to the Passport Adviceline, in August, the average speed to answer passport related calls was 16 seconds.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Environment Agency on their decision to remove opposition to new housing developments that would be connected to the Oxford Sewage treatment works in Oxfordshire.

A multidisciplinary EA team worked with Thames Water to develop a strategic approach to managing wastewater capacity challenges in Oxford. This provided a framework for the EA to no longer object to developments, instead providing clear advice on the risks and how the regulatory process is now ensuring water quality is protected and environmental objectives would be met. Following this outcome, the EA are continuing to engage with local authorities, Thames Water and developers through quarterly meetings to track delivery of the improvements to the Oxford STW and ensure wastewater capacity is delivered in this critical growth area.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) criminal and (b) civil measures to increase compliance with child maintenance payments.

69% of Paying Parents due to pay via the Collect & Pay service actually paid some maintenance during the calendar quarter ending March 2025. This compares with 65% during the quarter ending March 2023. In the year to March 2025, the CMS arranged around £1.5 billion in child maintenance payments. The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) believes current enforcement powers are sufficient and substantial enough to encourage paying parents to comply. The CMS requires paying parents to pay their maintenance on time, to avoid accrual of arrears. Where a paying parent fails to pay on time or in full, the CMS aims to take immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance. When a paying parent does not make maintenance payments on time or in full, the CMS will initially negotiate a payment that is feasible for the parent to pay. If this is unsuccessful and the paying parent is employed, the CMS will request that ongoing child maintenance payments be deducted directly from their salary by issuing what we call a Deductions from Earnings Order (DEO). A DEO instructs an employer to make deductions from the paying parent’s earnings and pay the amounts to the CMS who will pass this onto the receiving parent. The CMS also has powers to deduct maintenance from a wide range of bank accounts including joint and business accounts. The CMS has a range of strong “civil” enforcement powers that can be used against those who consistently refuse to meet their obligations to provide financial support to their children including holding or obtaining driving licenses and passports and forcing the sale of a property. These powers are designed to act as a deterrent and encourage parents to pay their liability. Powers are used effectively and produce positive results. In many cases, once an application to the courts has been made, paying parents have either paid their liability or agreed to a repayment plan. Planned reforms to the Direct Pay service will allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster as monitoring all payments would enable the CMS to immediately identify any missed, late or partial payments and take swift enforcement action.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the diversions on the Thames path due to the closure of (a) Marsh Lock bridge and (b) Temple Footbridge.

We recognise the importance of National Trails as crucial connectors, not only for visitors keen to complete the trails, but as valued community pathways supporting local businesses and residents. We understand that the Thames Path National Trail Partnership are continuing to work with the Environment Agency, landowners and other partners to progress work at both locations to support the accessibility and safety of the trail. Thames Path diversions are managed by the organisation responsible for the asset that has created the need for the diversion. Although the ownership for Marsh Lock Bridge is unclear, the Environment Agency led the diversion work relating to Marsh Lock Bridge and Temple Footbridge for which they are responsible. The Environment Agency sought advice from the Local Authority on the safest route available to the public using other existing highways and once agreed, the Local Authority issue a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order which authorises the diversion. Alternative viable diversion routes will be considered by the Environment Agency and the relevant Local Authority if they become available for use.