Written questions by Robertson.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 77546 on NHS: Strikes, whether NHS staff who are on strike may be paid by another NHS trust for undertaking (a) agency and (b) locum during the strike.

Regulation 7 of the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 stipulates that striking National Health Service staff can work for another NHS trust on days of industrial action as long as they do not do so via an employment business to cover the work of striking workers. Some employment contracts may require employees to either declare to or seek permission from their primary employer before working with another employer, and further guidance for employers can be found on the NHS Employers website. In addition, doctors should refer to the Good Medical Practice Guide issued by the General Medical Council (GMC) when making decisions about working during periods of strike action. The GMC advises that doctors who are due to work but are not attending because of strike action should remain prepared and available during their scheduled hours in case circumstances change.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 77546 on NHS: Strikes, whether (a) paid and (b) unpaid trade union facility time can be used for NHS staff who are trade union representatives to take part in campaigning on (i) ballots and (ii) industrial action.

It is for each National Health Service employer and representatives of locally recognised trades unions to agree in partnership to local arrangements and procedures on time off and facilities that are appropriate in local circumstances and whether that time off is paid or unpaid. Local arrangements should also specify the circumstances when time off may be refused for either representatives or members and are expected to be consistent with the principles set out in Section 25 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities. Section 25 specifies that trade union representatives should make a request to their employer in advance when seeking time off for unpaid trade union activities. The request should include details such as the purpose of the absence, the timing, and the expected duration so the employer can give fair and due consideration of the request. The employer should not unreasonably refuse such requests, but the granting of time off should always be balanced against the needs of the service and what would be considered reasonable in the circumstances.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2024 to Question 73326 on NHS: Strikes, if he will take steps to amend NHS contracts to ban the practice of NHS employees who are on strike from being paid by other parts of the NHS on strike days.

There are no current plans to prohibit National Health Service employees in England who undertake strike action from being paid for work by other NHS bodies on strike days.NHS staff who are on strike are not prevented by law from working for non-NHS bodies or other NHS organisations, including NHS trusts, on days of industrial action, as long as they are not provided by an employment business to cover the work of striking workers. Before the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee (BMA RDC) strike action in July 2025, NHS England set out in guidance that resident doctors who have chosen to take industrial action should not undertake a locum or bank shift elsewhere during the period of action. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Industrial%20action%20FAQs%20-%20training%20progression.pdfDuring the BMA RDC strike action in December 2025, NHS England issued additional communications to Trusts to reaffirm the existing guidance.NHS staff should consider the guidance published by the relevant professional bodies before undertaking additional work during strike days. The Department continues to monitor the impact of industrial action on NHS services and staffing arrangements.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of future levels of funding on Great British Railways' service provision.

SR25 and CP7 set budgets up to and including 2028/29. Future Spending Reviews and the next Periodic Review will determine funding levels, and what outputs that is expected to deliver, beyond 2028/29.

What plans she has to ensure that (a) the Office of Rail and Road or (b) another independent body has powers to (i) oversee, (ii) intervene in and (iii) appeal decisions on (A) access, (B) contract duration and (C) pricing for freight operations.

The ORR will act as a robust and independent appeals body overseeing access and charging decisions made by GBR on the GBR network. The ORR will be able to consider appeals relating to all GBR’s decisions on access to and use of the network and its charging and performance schemes, ensuring fairness in GBR’s decision-making. The ORR will have a range of remedies including the power to intervene and direct GBR to amend a decision or in certain circumstances, to substitute a decision with its own if necessary.

What plans she has to set out inspection frequency requirements for the Office of Rail and Road under Great British Railways.

It will be for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), as the independent rail safety regulator, to monitor Great British Railways' compliance with its statutory safety requirements and determine the frequency of inspections it will undertake.

What minimum safety standards will apply to Great British Railways infrastructure and operations.

The minimum safety requirements that apply under existing rail safety legislation will remain unchanged for Great British Railways.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of (a) new technologies, (b) automation and (c) artificial intelligence in rail operations on levels of safety.

New technologies such as artificial intelligence present potentially significant opportunities for the rail industry to improve performance in areas such as safety. It is for the industry, overseen by the Office of Rail and Road, to assess how new technologies can be introduced safely into existing systems, and to consider how any risks need to be managed.

Whether she plans to publish guidance on the Office of Rail and Road's enforcement actions for safety breaches.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent railway safety regulator for the UK. Its enforcement powers derive from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and range from giving advice and information through to prosecution in the courts. The ORR has issued a policy statement that explains how it enforces health and safety law and has developed an Enforcement Management Model, which sets out the factors to be considered when deciding whether to take enforcement action, to ensure a consistent approach is taken by its inspectors.

What assessment she has made of the potential environmental impact of proposed rail network expansion under the Railways Bill.

The Railways Bill does not propose any additional network expansion. However, the environmental impact of any future network expansion would be considered during development of such a proposal as per the legal requirements for such projects

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring Great British Railways to publish its (a) board minutes and (b) key decision papers.

We expect Great British Railways to be transparent in its decision-making and the way in which the Board holds the Executive to account. The full details of how that will be achieved will be set out in due course as the organisation is stood up.

What steps her Department is taking to balance safety considerations with efficiency requirements in Great British Railways’ statutory duties.

GBR’s general duties, including the duty to ensure efficient use of taxpayers’ money, will not negate GBR’s statutory obligations under the safety regime. The Railways Bill will not change the safety regime from the existing model that keeps the travelling public and workers safe, a regime that is well understood, that works and has made Britain’s railways one of the safest in Europe.

Whether her Department plans to accept the recommendation of the Curriculum and Assessment Review to develop a programme of work to provide evidence-led guidance on curriculum and pedagogical adaptation.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review looked closely at how to break down the barriers that hold back children and young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), and those who are otherwise vulnerable.The department has accepted the recommendation to develop new evidence-led resources to support curriculum adaptation for all children and young people, including those with SEND in the government response published alongside the review. We will work in collaboration with experts and school leaders to create new Curriculum in Practice resources: a flexible suite of adaptive teaching strategies, case studies and real-world examples tailored to different phases of education.

What estimate she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the planned geographical expansion of Start for Life services from 2025–26.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to improve the nation’s health. As part of this, we will expand Start for Life services and integrate zero- to five-year olds’ health and children’s services into communities, with a strong focus on the critical first 1,001 days. The integration of health services in Best Start Family Hubs is fundamental to improving outcomes for babies, children, and their families and for delivering on neighbourhood health. This is why the Government will prioritise funding the continuation of existing Start for Life services including for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and parent-infant relationships. Provisional funding allocations have been shared with local authorities. The Government remains committed to supporting all local areas to strengthen and join up health services for babies, children, and their families.

What estimate his Department has made of the total funding required for Start for Life services over the next Spending Review period; and of how much funding will be required to support (a) geographical and (b) age-range expansion.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to improve the nation’s health. As part of this, we will expand Start for Life services and integrate zero- to five-year-olds’ health and children’s services in communities, with a strong focus on the critical first 1,001 days. The integration of health services in Best Start Family Hubs is fundamental to improving outcomes for babies, children and their families and delivering on Neighbourhood Health. This is why the Government will prioritise funding the continuation of existing Start for Life services including for infant feeding, perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationships. Provisional funding allocations have been shared with local authorities. The Government remains committed to supporting all local areas to strengthen and join up health services for babies, children and their families.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of extending Start for Life services to a wider age range on costs to the public purse.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to improve the nation’s health. As part of this, we will expand Start for Life services and integrate zero- to five-year olds’ health and children’s services into communities, with a strong focus on the critical first 1,001 days. The integration of health services in Best Start Family Hubs is fundamental to improving outcomes for babies, children, and their families and for delivering on neighbourhood health. This is why the Government will prioritise funding the continuation of existing Start for Life services including for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and parent-infant relationships. Provisional funding allocations have been shared with local authorities. The Government remains committed to supporting all local areas to strengthen and join up health services for babies, children, and their families.

When his Department plans to confirm funding allocations for the Start for Life programme beyond 1 April 2026.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to improve the nation’s health. As part of this, we will expand Start for Life services and integrate zero- to five-year olds’ health and children’s services into communities, with a strong focus on the critical first 1,001 days. The integration of health services in Best Start Family Hubs is fundamental to improving outcomes for babies, children, and their families and for delivering on neighbourhood health. This is why the Government will prioritise funding the continuation of existing Start for Life services including for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and parent-infant relationships. Provisional funding allocations have been shared with local authorities. The Government remains committed to supporting all local areas to strengthen and join up health services for babies, children, and their families.

What plans his Department has to ensure continued funding for Start for Life (a) infant feeding support, (b) parent–infant relationships, (c) perinatal mental health care and (d) other services.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to improve the nation’s health. As part of this, we will expand Start for Life services and integrate zero- to five-year olds’ health and children’s services into communities, with a strong focus on the critical first 1,001 days. The integration of health services in Best Start Family Hubs is fundamental to improving outcomes for babies, children, and their families and for delivering on neighbourhood health. This is why the Government will prioritise funding the continuation of existing Start for Life services including for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and parent-infant relationships. Provisional funding allocations have been shared with local authorities. The Government remains committed to supporting all local areas to strengthen and join up health services for babies, children, and their families.

What data her Department holds on the number of recorded criminal incidents involving vehicles registered under the Motability Scheme in each of the last three years.

The Home Office holds data on the number of vehicle related incidents of crime recorded by the police in England and Wales.However, we do not hold data on whether a vehicle was used as part of the incident or the type of vehicle used.

What steps her Department has taken to help prevent the misuse of Motability vehicles in criminal activity.

The Home Office has not issued national guidance to police forces on the recording and investigation of criminal activity involving Motability vehicles.Enforcement of the law, including road traffic legislation, is an operational matter for individual police forces to determine in line with resources and local policing plans.The Government will continue to support the police to ensure that they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.