Written questions by Shannon.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the market dominance of (a) Springer Nature and (b) other major academic publishers on access to publicly funded research.

The UK mandates open access to publicly funded research via funders such as UK Research and Innovation. Negotiations between Higher Education and academic publishers, including Springer Nature, are supported by Jisc. They seek value for money and off-set read subscriptions and publishing charges, while enabling open access in accordance with UK funder policies.Jisc is negotiating new agreements with publishers in 2025. These focus on pace of change to open access models, financial sustainability, and equity to benefit wider audiences. Also, funders and universities, encourage a diversity of outputs from research, beyond publication, including preprints.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for hospices in the last three years.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding from the National Health Service. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between integrated care board (ICB) areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of local authority charges for social care services on vulnerable unpaid carers.

Adult social care charging policy is designed to ensure that people who are drawing on care are only charged what they can afford for their care and support. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers. This includes undertaking a carer’s assessment to support people caring for family or friends, and to meet their eligible needs when requested.

If she will make it her policy to ensure that ongoing mental health support is available to victims of rape (a) before, (b) during and (c) after criminal trials relating to their case.

This Government is committed to ensuring that all victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse have the information and support they need. This is irrespective of whether they engage with the criminal justice system or not. If they do engage, support is provided irrespective of where they are in the criminal justice system.Between August 2023 and March 2025, the Department provided £26 million through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund to over 60 specialist support organisations. These organisations offer tailored support programmes, including counselling, therapeutic services, advocacy, outreach and group activities to victims and survivors of all ages to help them cope with their experiences and move forward with their lives.The Ministry of Justice-commissioned 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line also provides victims and survivors access to vital help and information whenever they need it. Free and confidential emotional and listening support is available to all victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse aged 16 and over. Where appropriate, the service will signpost victims to longer-term support services, including therapeutic support. This service is delivered by Rape Crisis England and Wales.

What steps her Department is taking to track people working for hostile states in the UK.

As a matter of long-standing policy, we do not comment on the detail of security and intelligence issues.The government’s first duty is to protect our national security and keep our country safe. We keep potential threats to the UK under constant review and, where necessary, we use all the tools at our disposal to mitigate these threats.The UK has a strong record of responding robustly to state threats and our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are at the forefront of these efforts. Alongside our existing operational response, new legislation has been brought in through the National Security Act 2023 to deal with the range of modern state threats and make the UK a harder target for those state which seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK, including espionage, interference in our political system, and sabotage.

If she will make an estimate of the proportion of the reduction in fuel duty made in 2022 that was passed on to consumers by petrol stations.

Fuel duty rates were first reduced by 5p in March 2022 by the government at the time. The Competition and Markets Authority’s Road Fuel Review into fuel prices, published on 8 July 2022, found that the 5p cut had largely been passed on to consumers. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced continued support for families and businesses, by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut for one year and cancelling the planned inflation increase for 2025-26. This maintains fuel duty rates at the levels set on 23 March 2022 for an additional 12 months and represents a saving of £59 for the average car driver in 2025-26.

What recent guidance her Department has provided to the judiciary on the use of custodial sentences in the context of prison capacity.

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the independent judiciary, and judges are able to take into account a range of factors when handing down sentences.

Innovation and Technology, whether the Information Commissioner plans to review the data privacy practices of major academic publishers.

The ICO rigorously oversees and enforces compliance with UK data protection law across the whole economy where it relates to the processing of personal data. It does this in a range of ways, including by receiving complaints from members of the public, issuing guidance for organisations and where necessary investigating potential non-compliance. Whilst the ICO is not undertaking specific work to review academic publishers' privacy practices, this may change if evidence comes to light during the undertaking of its regulatory duties.

How many people have been arrested due to instances of violence involving a machete in the last 12 months.

The Home Office does not currently hold data centrally on the number of people arrested due to instances of violence involving a machete.The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of arrests made by police in England and Wales, broken down by offence group, on an annual basis. The latest data, covering the period to March 2024, is available here: Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)However, the data is collected by broader offence group only, such as ‘Violence against the person’, and further details are not provided.Policing is a devolved matter.

What the earnings threshold was for (a) Carer’s Allowance and (b) Invalid Care Allowance in each of the last 30 years.

Carer’s Allowance, formerly known as Invalid Care Allowance, was introduced in 1976. The following table provides details of all increases to the earnings limit, from 1976 to the present day. Date fromDate toEarnings limit05.07.7611.11.82£612.11.8208.04.90£1209.04.9007.04.91£2008.04.9105.04.92£3006.04.9211.04.93£4012.04.9308.04.01£5009.04.0107.04.02£7208.04.0206.04.03£7507.04.0311.04.04£7712.04.0410.04.05£7911.04.0509.04.06£8210.04.0608.04.07£8409.04.0730.09.07£8701.10.0711.04.10£9512.04.1019.05.14£10020.05.1405.04.15£10206.04.1509.04.17£11010.04.1708.04.18£11609.04.1807.04.19£12008.04.1905.04.20£12306.04.2011.04.21£12812.04.2110.04.22£12811.04.2209.04.23£13210.04.2307.04.24£13908.04.2406.04.25£151

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of stroke symptoms among young people.

Although stroke is rare in children and young people, education around the early signs of a stroke in adults, like those shown in the Act FAST Campaign, is still relevant. Spotting the early signs assists in rapid diagnosis, access to time-dependent acute stroke care, and delivery of community-based stroke rehabilitation. Further information about the Act FAST campaign is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/actfast/NHS England works collaboratively with The Stroke Association and Different Strokes, who focus on helping younger stroke survivors to share key messaging. Further information is available at The Stroke Association and Different Strokes’ websites, which are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.stroke.org.uk/https://differentstrokes.co.uk/Evidence based clinical guidelines on stroke in childhood have been published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Stroke Association, and are accredited by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. These include recommendations for diagnosis, management, and rehabilitation. These guidelines are available at the following link:https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2021-02/Stroke%20guideline%2008.04.19%20updated%202021.pdf

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting lists for cardiac treatments.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. The waiting list for England at the end of August stood at 7.64 million patient pathways, with 418,669 waiting for treatment for cardiology.We will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments per week, including in cardiology services, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks, supported by new funding announced at the Autumn Budget. We will be supporting National Health Service trusts to deliver these through innovation, sharing best practice to increase productivity and efficiency, and ensuring the best value is delivered.The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients across all specialities, including cardiology, are seen on time, and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care. We know that waiting lists are a challenge across the United Kingdom and the Government is keen to take a collaborative approach so that there is strong recovery across all four nations.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of raising the Carer Addition in Pension Credit on low-income pensioner carers.

The Government appreciates how much society relies on unpaid carers and the vital contribution made by carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends. We recognise the challenges they are facing, and we are determined to provide unpaid carers with the help and support they need and deserve. The rates of Pension Credit are reviewed annually as part of the Secretary of State’s statutory review of State pension and benefit rates. The review for 2025/26 has been completed and its conclusions announced to Parliament: Writtenstatements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help protect the religious freedom of adherents of African-influenced religions in Rio de Janeiro; and what discussions he has had with his Brazilian counterpart on religious intolerance in that region.

The UK is committed to protecting freedom of religion or belief, as guaranteed under international human rights law. In July, alongside the Brazilian Minister for Racial Equality Anielle Franco, International Development Minister Dodds visited a 'Quilombo' in Rio de Janeiro home to a community targeted with violence driven by intolerance towards Afro-Brazilian religions. In October, the UK Gender and Equalities Envoy spoke to Minister Franco to further raise awareness of discrimination against marginalised Brazilian communities. The UK and Brazil have also committed to establishing an Open Societies and Human Rights Dialogue, which will deepen collaboration on this issue.

What steps she has taken to help ensure regional opportunities for young people in STEM (a) further education and (b) careers.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Developing the skills of young people, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is a critical enabler for the government’s missions to break down barriers to opportunity and drive economic growth.That is why the department is setting up Skills England, a new body, to bring together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions, to help meet the skills needs of the next decade, aligned to the government’s Industrial Strategy.This will be underpinned by Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), that support our aim to make technical education and training more responsive to local labour market and employer needs. A £165 million Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) has been made available across all areas of the country to support providers to respond collaboratively to the skills needs identified in the LSIPs.The department will continue to support learners who wish to have a career in STEM through our technical education offer with a range of high quality qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities at all levels.Access to future employers should never be dependent on who you know, or where you live. Our ambition is to offer a guarantee of two weeks’ worth of high quality work experience to all young people, irrespective of their background. This will open doors to a wider range of employers and businesses and give young people a greater insight into the labour market.To support young people with careers information, advice and guidance, the Careers and Enterprise Company, back by £30 million of government funding in 2024/25, coordinates a national network of Careers Hubs which now includes 93% of secondary schools and colleges. The network includes 400 leading employers and around 4,000 business volunteers, including many representing STEM occupations. Our careers framework, the Gatsby Benchmarks, includes a clear expectation that all 11 to 18-year-olds should have at least one meaningful interaction with employers per year. This should include an encounter with a STEM employer or workplace, or a careers event focused on STEM, before year 11.

What steps she is taking to support young girls with eating disorders in schools.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.​ The government is committed to improving mental health outcomes for all children and young people, including young girls with eating disorders. Having an eating disorder can often be devastating for young people suffering with the condition, as well as for those around them, which is why the department wants to ensure they have access to the support they need. The department’s statutory health education curriculum, which should be taught in all schools from primary, includes a strong focus on mental health. This includes teaching pupils how to identify the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns and where and how to seek support if they are worried about their own or someone else’s mental health. As part of the secondary health curriculum, schools can teach pupils how to be safe and healthy and manage their lives in a positive way, seeking support when needed. They can also teach about eating disorders, drawing on qualified support or advice as needed for this specialist area. A consultation on proposed changes to the statutory guidance closed in July. It is vitally important that teachers have clear guidance, which is why we will be looking carefully at the consultation responses, talking to stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence, before setting out next steps on relationships, sex education and health education. Early intervention is key when a child or young person is experiencing a mental health issue, including problems with eating. To ensure that every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate, we will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. As of April 2024, Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) cover 44% (4.2 million) of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England and are expected to cover at least 50% by the end of March 2025. The government will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults. The department also supports schools to embed whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing, which often includes training staff to recognise early signs of eating disorders and promoting a culture of openness and support. More than 8 in 10 state-funded secondary schools have accessed grants from my department to train a senior mental health lead, developing their knowledge and skills to embed a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing. Information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/senior-mental-health-lead-training.

Innovation and Technology, what plans he has to (a) improve and (b) standardise data collection for STEM careers.

My department works closely with the Department for Education (DfE) and Skills England to ensure that data collection for STEM careers is standardised across government and has already started using the occupation classifications published by the DfE in March of this year. We will continue engaging with the DfE and the Office for National Statistics to improve these classifications, ensuring that Standard Occupational Classifications are updated to reflect new and emerging technologies and occupations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the right to freedom of religion or belief.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. The Foreign Secretary has raised human rights with his Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi, including during his recent visit to China on 18 October.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department takes to help ensure continuity of support for delivery of community-led HIV response during (a) conflict and (b) climate disasters.

The UK is a significant funder of the HIV response, and through our support of organisations such UNAIDS, the Global Fund, and Robert Carr Fund (RCF), provides funding to grassroots and community-led organisations to support those at greater risk or living with HIV and who are particularly vulnerable during conflict and climate disaster.For example, for UNAIDS its co-sponsoring organisations, especially WHO and UNHCR, play an important role in supporting community-led organisations within emergency and conflict environments where access to HIV treatment is limited. The Global Fund has also approved over US$130 million through its Emergency Fund in the last 10 years which has enabled quick and flexible financing to countries in emergency situations, ensuring the continuity of HIV programmes and services.

Whether his Department supports the use of Compulsory Licences to gain access to medicines (a) generally and (b) by Columbia for access to dolutegravir.

The Government supports the Doha Declaration on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Public Health and, within that, a country’s right to use compulsory licensing, where necessary and appropriate, to achieve public health policy objectives in the case of national health emergencies. We are aware of the potential impact such initiatives may have on access to medicines, market dynamics, and innovation. We are closely following the process undertaken by Colombia and are in regular dialogue with them on this and other regulatory matters.