Written questions by Naish.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to her Hong Kong and Chinese counterparts on consular access to Jimmy Lai; and how many requests for consular access have been (a) made and (b) granted since his detention began.

On his questions relating to Jimmy Lai, I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided in the Urgent Question debate on 9 February. The government will continue to raise Jimmy Lai's case with the Chinese government at every opportunity - as the Prime Minister did in talks with President Xi during his recent visit to China, and as the Foreign Secretary did with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 6 November. I will keep him and other members updated on all further steps that the UK will take alongside our international partners to call for Mr Lai's release, and for the protection of his health and wellbeing while he remains in detention.On the question of sanctions, the Hon Member will be aware that we never comment on potential designations as to do so would undermine their impact. And on the six-monthly report on Hong Kong, he will be aware that the last such report was published on 23 October 2025, less than four months ago.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to enforce restrictions against nuisance light pollution under the The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.

The Government has put in place a range of measures to ensure that light pollution is effectively managed through the statutory nuisance regime. Local authorities have a duty to investigate complaints about light emitted from premises which could constitute a nuisance or be harmful to health and have powers to take action where there is a problem. The Government believes that any mitigating actions to try to reduce light pollution in urban, suburban and rural areas are best taken by local authorities as these are best dealt with at a local level.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to increase awareness of the issues and impact surrounding light pollution.

The Government recognises that good use of artificial light can contribute to preventing accidents, reducing crime and creating safer spaces and promoting the night-time economy, benefiting us all in various ways. The Government has put in place a range of measures to ensure that light pollution is effectively managed through controls in the planning system, the Permitted Development Regime and the Statutory Nuisance Regime. Defra will continue to work closely with researchers, non-governmental organisations and across Government to improve our understanding of the impacts of light pollution.

What steps his Department is taking to help support people with short and long-term spinal cord injuries.

Our 10-Year Health Plan will have profound and positive impacts on care for patients with spinal cord injury. More tests and scans are delivered in the community, better joined-up working between services, and greater use of technology will all support people in the management of long-term conditions, including spinal cord injuries.In March 2025, NHS England published the Spinal Services Clinical Network Specification, which establishes expectations for spinal clinical networks to standardise pathways and reduce variation, with the aim of improving access to care for patients.The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for spinal services is also driving service improvements and better care for patients with spinal cord injuries. GIRFT has worked with National Health Service trusts to showcase examples of best practice which other services can then learn from.In October 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published new guidance on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders, which includes rehabilitation for spinal cord injury.

What steps he has taken to ensure that employment protections for pregnant employees are legally enforceable.

The government is committed to ensuring pregnancy and maternity protections are effective and enforceable.We recently consulted on legislation to make it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women, mothers on Maternity Leave, and for at least six months after they return to work, except in specific circumstances. We sought ideas to improve awareness of workplace rights, so pregnant employees feel confident to challenge unlawful treatment and hold employers to account.To strengthen enforcement, we are also extending the Employment Tribunal time limit from three to six months, giving pregnant women more time to bring claims.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of current notification procedures for County Court Judgments; and whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring that all notifications of impending County Court Judgments be sent by recorded and tracked delivery to ensure defendants receive proper notice of court proceedings.

The Civil Procedure Rule Committee is responsible for the rules that govern the procedure for notifying people of court proceedings, known as the rules of service. In July 2025 it consulted on changes to the service rules including to permit electronic service on parties with whom there has already been electronic communication pre-action. The work to review responses to the consultation and any subsequent Civil Procedure Rules amendments is ongoing. The consultation can be found at - Civil Procedure Rule Committee - service consultation

What role local community safety groups will have in the consultation relating to the From local to national: a new model for policing white paper published on 26 January 2026.

The Police Reform White Paper, published on 26 January 2026, represents the most significant reforms to policing in England and Wales since the service was professionalised nearly 200 years ago. Proposals will focus local forces on local crime, while strengthening our ability to tackle serious and organised crime and threats to national security by creating a new national force, the National Police Service. The White Paper also sets out an ambition to significantly reduce the number of police forces by the end of the next Parliament.Whilst there will be no formal consultation on the proposals in the White Paper, the Home Office continues to engage with Policing and wider stakeholders, including community safety groups, to support the implementation of the reforms.

Whether his Department provides support to pregnant employees that have challenged their unfair dismissal and discriminatory employment practices that they have experienced.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Business and Trade, provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website (http://www.acas.org.uk) and telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. ACAS also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve or settle their workplace dispute without going to court.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of lowering the income threshold for the NHS salary sacrifice car scheme.

No specific assessment has been made. Employers in the National Health Service offer a broad range of salary sacrifice schemes which have varying values and requirements. The interaction with the national minimum wage must be considered for all employees who participate in one or more of these schemes. Participation must not mean that an employee’s cash earnings fall below the National Minimum Wage. This is not new policy and is not specific to the NHS.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring organisations to contribute to legal fees when (a) an unfair dismissal and (b) a discriminatory employment practice has occurred.

Organisations can already be asked to contribute to the cost of legal fees where vexatious or unreasonable behaviour has occurred. The Employment Tribunals (ET) can issue cost orders where one side is ordered to pay the other’s legal costs. For unfair dismissal cases, if the tribunal decides a claimant has been unfairly dismissed, they can receive compensation. Compensation awards can be ‘basic’ (based on age, length of service and average weekly wage) and ‘compensatory’ (based on loss of earnings). The Ministry of Justice has not carried out an assessment of the merits of introducing more widespread use of cost orders. This is because the Tribunal Procedure Committee (TPC) is responsible for making procedure rules in the ET that includes the rules regarding cost orders. The Lord Chancellor can consider impacts of the changes the TPC recommend before deciding whether to implement them.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of penalties to deter organisations from discriminatory employment practices.

The Department keeps employment rights and enforcement mechanisms under regular review.Discrimination in the workplace is unlawful, and robust penalties already exist under the Equality Act 2010 for employers who breach these obligations. We will continue to assess whether the current framework provides an effective deterrent, including the potential merits of enhanced enforcement models—such as Fair Work Agency measures—to support fair treatment in workplaces and strengthen compliance.

Whether she will expand eligibility for the BN(O) route to include Hongkongers born on or after 1 July 1997; what assessment she has made of the number of people currently excluded for this reason.

The BN(O) route reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status at the point of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997. To be eligible for the BN(O) route, applicants must have BN(O) status, or be the eligible family member of someone with BN(O) status. Adult children of BN(O) status holders who were born after 1 July 1997 are eligible for the route.The route is focused on those with BN(O) status and is already available to a significant proportion of the Hong Kong population. However, we understand concerns about the current scope of the route and so continue to keep this policy under review.We have not made an assessment of the number of Hong Kongers born on or after 1 July 1997 who are not eligible for the BN(O) route, or of the extent to which ineligibility for the BN(O) route may contribute to asylum claims. Asylum and the BN(O) route serve different purposes and operate independently.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2025 to Question 44299 on Park Homes: Sales, when he plans to seek evidence from the sector on the potential impact of paying site owners a commission upon sale of a park home on residents.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of requiring that utility supply arrangements on (a) new and (b) extended residential park home sites provide supplier choice for residents on the same basis as other housing developments.

Where park home residents purchase electricity from their site owner, they may not always have a choice of energy supplier, contract type or prices and this can lead to disputes between residents and site owners. The previous government explored this matter in 2023 through a Call for Evidence (which can be found on gov.uk here) but no straightforward solutions were identified. In October 2025, Ofgem issued a call for input on Reselling Gas and Electricity (which can be here) to assess whether current arrangements under the Maximum Resale Price (MRP) provisions remain fit for purpose, ensure fair pricing, and protect consumers, particularly in light of evolving market conditions and energy affordability concerns. Ofgem is considering the responses and aims to publish a policy consultation on proposed changes in early summer 2026.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of having full transitional arrangements when introducing an earned settlement scheme.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. The Immigration White Paper included a commitment to consult on these changes. The changes involve significant reforms to the settlement pathway, and it is right that we consult to assess their impact on affected groups. In the case of children, it is acknowledged that many of the requirements in the earned settlement mode– such as the mandatory earnings requirement or meeting an income threshold – cannot be met by those who may still be children at the point that their parents become eligible for settlement. At the same time, however, the introduction of an earned settlement system with a longer baseline qualifying period does bring into focus whether and how those who turn 18 during their parents’ qualifying period should be brought within earned settlement principles and be expected to qualify for settlement in their own right. The consultation questionnaire therefore includes questions seeking views on how dependants should be accommodated within an earned settlement system, and whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Details of the final earned settlement scheme will be finalised once the consultation has closed and the responses analysed.The government’s response to the consultation will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

What assessment she has made of the extent to which exclusions from the BN(O) visa route for Hong Kong born-persons born after 1 Just 1997 and without BN(O) status, contribute to HKSAR passport holders claiming asylum in the United Kingdom.

The BN(O) route reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status at the point of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997. To be eligible for the BN(O) route, applicants must have BN(O) status, or be the eligible family member of someone with BN(O) status. Adult children of BN(O) status holders who were born after 1 July 1997 are eligible for the route.The route is focused on those with BN(O) status and is already available to a significant proportion of the Hong Kong population. However, we understand concerns about the current scope of the route and so continue to keep this policy under review.We have not made an assessment of the number of Hong Kongers born on or after 1 July 1997 who are not eligible for the BN(O) route, or of the extent to which ineligibility for the BN(O) route may contribute to asylum claims. Asylum and the BN(O) route serve different purposes and operate independently.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on (a) identifying and (b) tackling unlawful (i) charges, (ii) bullying and (iii) intimidation by park home site operators.

Contractual disputes between site owners and park home residents, such as those relating to pitch fees and utility charges, fall within the jurisdiction of the First-tier Tribunal, rather than local planning authorities. Local planning authorities have powers under the Caravan Sites Act 1968 to deal with cases of harassment and unlawful eviction on residential caravan sites. However, some cases reported as bulling or intimidation, may be contractual matters and will be for the First Tier Tribunal, not local planning authorities, to determine. Park home residents who believe they have been bullied or intimidated can contact the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service for free, independent advice about their rights and the most appropriate action.

Communities and Local Government, local authorities have had departmental engagement, intervention or support due to concerns about park homes enforcement capacity or performance in each of the last five years.

Local authorities have extensive enforcement powers to take action against site owners who breach their site licence conditions. Local authorities can change the conditions attached to a site licence at any time, and may choose to consult residents on the licence conditions being proposed. The government has published guidance for local authorities on site licensing duties. Concerns about conditions on a site should be raised with the local authority. If those concerns are not addressed, a formal complaint should be made through the authority’s complaints process and can be taken further, where appropriate, through the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Whether she will confirm that the current exemption from English language requirements for applicants aged 65 and over will be maintained for those applying for indefinite leave to remain.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. The Immigration White Paper included a commitment to consult on these changes. The changes involve significant reforms to the settlement pathway, and it is right that we consult to assess their impact on affected groups. In the case of children, it is acknowledged that many of the requirements in the earned settlement mode– such as the mandatory earnings requirement or meeting an income threshold – cannot be met by those who may still be children at the point that their parents become eligible for settlement. At the same time, however, the introduction of an earned settlement system with a longer baseline qualifying period does bring into focus whether and how those who turn 18 during their parents’ qualifying period should be brought within earned settlement principles and be expected to qualify for settlement in their own right. The consultation questionnaire therefore includes questions seeking views on how dependants should be accommodated within an earned settlement system, and whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Details of the final earned settlement scheme will be finalised once the consultation has closed and the responses analysed.The government’s response to the consultation will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

What steps she is taking to help ensure that Hong Kong SAR passport holders in the asylum system have access to appropriate mental health support.

The Home Office takes safeguarding issues extremely seriously. Protecting vulnerable people is a key departmental priority. We recognise that that all asylum seekers are potentially vulnerable. During the asylum decision making process we aim to ensure that particularly vulnerable claimants are identified and that they are given help in accessing appropriate services. All asylum seekers and refugees in the UK, including those who are Hong Kong SAR passport holders, can access the NHS for both physical and mental health needs.