Written questions by Glindon.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of funding in the higher education sector on the performance of British universities in the QS World University Rankings 2026, published on 19 June 2025.

To maintain the UK higher education (HE) sector's world-leading status, universities need a stable financial footing. This government is committed to securing our universities’ future, which is why we have acted quickly to address the sector’s financial challenges.The Office for Students (OfS) continues to dedicate significant resources to ensure the sector's financial sustainability. The department has appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening this commitment. Additionally, we made the difficult decision to uplift tuition fee limits by 3.1% (in line with inflation) from the 2025/26 academic year. The department will publish its plans for HE reform as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper this summer.We also recognise that research funding is integral to universities’ financial sustainability. This government has committed to record funding of research and development (R&D). The Department for Science, Technology and Innovation’s (DSIT) R&D budget has increased in real terms by 8.5% from 2024/25 to 2025/26, and DSIT's allocation to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is £8.8 billion, sustaining unprecedented levels of investment to support the UK’s R&D ambitions.This government is determined to work with the sector to transition to sustainable research funding models, including by increasing research grant cost recovery, as announced by UKRI in March.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce the (a) number and (b) duration of sewage discharges into waterways in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. The Government remains committed to reducing both the frequency and duration of storm overflow spills, in line with the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan (SODRP). The SODRP will eliminate ecological harm from all storm sewage discharges by 2050. The Water (Special Measures) Act is introducing independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish real-time data for all emergency overflows. Discharges will have to be reported within an hour of the initial spill. This will match the pre-existing duty for storm overflows. This will meet the Government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet. Furthermore, the Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will recommend reforms to reset the water sector. The Independent Water Commission: interim report was released on 03 June 2025. Final recommendations will be published this summer and presented to both the UK and Welsh Governments. As part of Price Review 2024 (2025-30), Northumbrian Water is investing £1.1 billion to reduce storm overflow spills by 28% by investing in 159 spill reduction schemes. As part of this cycle, 23 investigations and asset improvements are planned across the Newcastle upon Tyne and Wallsend constituency.

Whether his Department considered the legal opinion by Tom Cross KC and Ruth Kennedy entitled In the Matter of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, published on 28 April 2025, during the development of the document entitled Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: ECHR memorandum, published on 2 May 2025.

It was not possible to consider the legal opinion entitled In the Matter of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill during the development of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: ECHR memorandum, as the legal opinion was published after the European Convention on Human Rights Memorandum (ECHR) memorandum was finalised for publication.The ECHR memorandum sets out the Government’s position on the bill’s compatibility with the Human Rights Act 1998.The Government will keep the bill’s compatibility with the Human Rights Act 1998 under review as it progresses through Parliament, and issue a further ECHR memorandum if appropriate.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase access to sport for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.

I regularly meet with Ministerial counterparts on a range of issues, including young people’s engagement in sport and the barriers around this for those from lower socio-economic groups.In the 2024/25 Financial Year, Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency received £102,947 from Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body responsible for physical activity and sport participation in England, to increase sport and physical activity opportunities for local communities. Sport England also recently announced Gateshead and South Tyneside as two of their new 53 Place Partnerships, which will receive support to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions, including for children and young people.More widely, the Government recently announced £100 million additional funding for the UK-wide Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme which funds new and upgraded pitches, facilities, and equipment ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable offer for local communities, including children and young people.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on steps to increase access to sport for children from low income households.

I regularly meet with Ministerial counterparts on a range of issues, including young people’s engagement in sport and the barriers around this for those from lower socio-economic groups.In the 2024/25 Financial Year, Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency received £102,947 from Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body responsible for physical activity and sport participation in England, to increase sport and physical activity opportunities for local communities. Sport England also recently announced Gateshead and South Tyneside as two of their new 53 Place Partnerships, which will receive support to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions, including for children and young people.More widely, the Government recently announced £100 million additional funding for the UK-wide Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme which funds new and upgraded pitches, facilities, and equipment ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable offer for local communities, including children and young people.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse in the Crime and Policing Bill on levels of trauma in children who are not (a) ready and (b) willing to report such abuses.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse considered such issues very carefully in the course of compiling its report to Government, and concluded that a mandatory reporting law was necessary to improve the protection of children and young people.The Crime and Policing Bill will establish a clear, consistent requirement that allegations of child sexual abuse are shared promptly with appropriate safeguarding agencies, who are best placed to consider it further and take appropriate action to safeguard and support the child involved where necessary.The Government already sets clear expectations through statutory and non-statutory guidance that those engaging with children should make an immediate referral to the relevant local authority children’s social care or the police if they are concerned about a child.As they are now, impacted services will be responsible for explaining the detail and limitations of their confidentiality policies to their service users, including children and young people. Setting out a clear explanation of the need to pass certain concerns on to appropriate authorities should not undermine trusted relationships, or dissuade people from accessing the services they need.We will be working with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure the new duty is clearly communicated ahead of implementation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 56774 on Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, what diplomatic steps he is taking to call for an (a) immediate and (b) independent investigation into the reports of the killing of Palestinians near aid sites in Gaza.

We are appalled by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents, in which Palestinians have been killed when trying to access aid sites in Gaza. Desperate civilians who have endured 20 months of war should never face the risk of death or injury to simply feed themselves and their families.  We have raised our concerns directly with the Government of Israel. At a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on 4 June, we called for an immediate and independent investigation into these events, and for the perpetrators to be held to account.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed mandatory duty on the part of (a) therapists and (b) other mental health professionals to report child sexual abuse in the Crime and Policing Bill on child abuse convictions.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse considered such issues very carefully in the course of compiling its report to Government, and concluded that a mandatory reporting law was necessary to improve the protection of children and young people.The Crime and Policing Bill will establish a clear, consistent requirement that allegations of child sexual abuse are shared promptly with appropriate safeguarding agencies, who are best placed to consider it further and take appropriate action to safeguard and support the child involved where necessary.The Government already sets clear expectations through statutory and non-statutory guidance that those engaging with children should make an immediate referral to the relevant local authority children’s social care or the police if they are concerned about a child.As they are now, impacted services will be responsible for explaining the detail and limitations of their confidentiality policies to their service users, including children and young people. Setting out a clear explanation of the need to pass certain concerns on to appropriate authorities should not undermine trusted relationships, or dissuade people from accessing the services they need.We will be working with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure the new duty is clearly communicated ahead of implementation.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse in the Crime and Policing Bill on dissuading offenders unknown to the police from coming forward for psychiatric treatment.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse considered such issues very carefully in the course of compiling its report to Government, and concluded that a mandatory reporting law was necessary to improve the protection of children and young people.The Crime and Policing Bill will establish a clear, consistent requirement that allegations of child sexual abuse are shared promptly with appropriate safeguarding agencies, who are best placed to consider it further and take appropriate action to safeguard and support the child involved where necessary.The Government already sets clear expectations through statutory and non-statutory guidance that those engaging with children should make an immediate referral to the relevant local authority children’s social care or the police if they are concerned about a child.As they are now, impacted services will be responsible for explaining the detail and limitations of their confidentiality policies to their service users, including children and young people. Setting out a clear explanation of the need to pass certain concerns on to appropriate authorities should not undermine trusted relationships, or dissuade people from accessing the services they need.We will be working with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure the new duty is clearly communicated ahead of implementation.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots music venues in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.

The government has announced £2.5m of continued funding for the Arts Council England’s (ACE) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund (SGMF) for 2025-26. This enables grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals to apply for grants of up to £40k to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for fans.ACE has made a number of SGMF awards within the Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency, including Women Are Mint, a grassroots festival that takes place in Newcastle, along with Brave Exhibitions Festival, The Tyne Bank Brewery and Cobalt Studios.There are also a number of organisations within the ACE national portfolio that engage people in grassroots music activity within this constituency, including Generator, a creative and cultural talent development agency focused on artist development and skills.The Government and the live music industry are working together to drive progress on an industry-led levy on tickets for stadium and arena shows, to support grassroots music. We welcome commitments by artists and the wider industry to implement the ticket levy, and steps taken by industry to set up a charitable trust to distribute funds from the levy.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on his Department’s suicide prevention strategy.

The Government is neutral on the matter of assisted dying and the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.The Government remains committed to tackling suicide as one the biggest killers in this country and preventing lives being lost.The suicide prevention strategy identifies priority areas for action to reduce suicide and we will continue to explore opportunities to go further.

What steps he has taken to engage with (a) disabled and (b) terminally ill children on the potential impact of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on (i) their lives and (ii) sense of value.

The Government is neutral on the matter of assisted dying and the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.My Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State of Health and Social Care, has not had any meetings to discuss the Bill with any stakeholders, given the Government’s neutral position. The Bill, as it stands, contains various duties to consult relevant stakeholders, to consider how the operation of the Bill may impact different groups.Should Parliament decide to pass the Bill, the Government recognises that the experience of key stakeholders will be integral to the design and delivery of an assisted dying service.

How many meetings he has had with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to discuss the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill since 11 November 2024.

The Government is neutral on the matter of assisted dying and the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.My Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State of Health and Social Care, has not had any meetings to discuss the Bill with any stakeholders, given the Government’s neutral position. The Bill, as it stands, contains various duties to consult relevant stakeholders, to consider how the operation of the Bill may impact different groups.Should Parliament decide to pass the Bill, the Government recognises that the experience of key stakeholders will be integral to the design and delivery of an assisted dying service.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of sponsoring a memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum to the Canary Girls munitions factory workers in the (a) First and (b) Second World War.

The Government recognises the hard work of the Munitions workers and is extremely grateful for their input and sacrifices made during both world wars often working in harsh conditions, to ensure that our soldiers were well equipped during the war effort. The role of munitions workers, largely carried out by women during the First and Second World Wars, was critical to victory. It is important that their effort and sacrifice, often undertaken in dangerous conditions, is remembered. This is not an issue for which the Ministry of Defence is responsible, and in the past was addressed by the former Ministry for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Whether he plans to commemorate the contribution of Canary Girls munitions factory workers in the (a) First and (b) Second World War.

The Government recognises the hard work of the Munitions workers and is extremely grateful for their input and sacrifices made during both world wars often working in harsh conditions, to ensure that our soldiers were well equipped during the war effort. The role of munitions workers, largely carried out by women during the First and Second World Wars, was critical to victory. It is important that their effort and sacrifice, often undertaken in dangerous conditions, is remembered. This is not an issue for which the Ministry of Defence is responsible, and in the past was addressed by the former Ministry for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Whether his Department formally recognises the contribution of Canary Girls munitions factory workers in the (a) First and (b) Second World War.

The Government recognises the hard work of the Munitions workers and is extremely grateful for their input and sacrifices made during both world wars often working in harsh conditions, to ensure that our soldiers were well equipped during the war effort. The role of munitions workers, largely carried out by women during the First and Second World Wars, was critical to victory. It is important that their effort and sacrifice, often undertaken in dangerous conditions, is remembered. This is not an issue for which the Ministry of Defence is responsible, and in the past was addressed by the former Ministry for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of the killing of Palestinians near an aid distribution centre in Rafah.

We are appalled by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents, in which Palestinians have been killed when trying to access aid sites in Gaza. Desperate civilians who have endured 20 months of war should never face the risk of death or injury to simply feed themselves and their families. We call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events, and for the perpetrators to be held to account. Israel must immediately allow the UN and aid partners to safely deliver all types of aid at scale to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity.

With reference to the ban on single-use vapes coming into force on 1 June 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) smokers and (b) ex-smokers are aware of the need to switch to reusable vapes.

The ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes protects the environment and removes products from the market that particularly appeal to children. Adult smokers will still be able to access refillable and reusable vapes as well as other alternative methods to stop smoking. Sources of advice, including the Better Health Website, are being updated to reflect the ban to ensure smokers remain aware of reusable and refillable vapes to aid quitting. Our national Swap to Stop scheme will continue to help adult smokers by offering a free reusable vape starter kit as part of a twelve-week programme of support. Responsible local vape stores will also be able to direct both smokers and ex-smokers to a reusable device, and help them select one that is suitable for them.

With reference to her oral contribution in response to the question from the hon. Member for Bath of 9 December 2024, Official Report, column 651, what recent discussions her Department has had with the School Teachers Review Body on maternity pay.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is responsible for the overall policy on maternity pay and leave, but how it applies in schools specifically is covered by the Burgundy Book, a national agreement negotiated with employers by the six teachers’ organisations.Further information can be found on the Local Government Association website. The Department for Education currently has no authority or responsibility for the Burgundy Book.However, the department has engaged with the School Teachers Review Body (STRB) on other challenges that could support teachers who find it difficult to combine work with family life, as in the oral contribution referenced. In the recently concluded 2024/25 pay round, we asked the STRB to make an assessment of any changes to flexibilities around Teaching and Learning Responsibility payments, concerning the existing pro-rata rule. We subsequently accepted in full the STRB’s recommendations. The government’s full response can be found here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-05-22/hcws664.From September 2026, these additional payments will be paid based on the proportion of responsibility a teacher carries out rather than their contracted hours. Early adoption is also encouraged from September 2025. This will improve equality of opportunity for part-time workers, better enabling them to move into leadership roles.Alongside this, the department will be promoting flexible working in schools by adding reference into the school teachers’ pay and conditions document for the first time. This will make clearer to schools the expectation that they should be aiming to support flexible working requests where operationally feasible. This will better support teachers to stay in the profession, where they otherwise may have left.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support the operation of desalination plants in Gaza.

Recognising the vital role that desalination plants play in providing clean drinking water to civilians in Gaza, the UK supported efforts to establish a Gaza Central Desalination Programme through the World Bank. This work is currently on hold due to the conflict, and the programme has been restructured to meet urgent, short-term water needs in Gaza.