Written questions by Whittome.

What steps she is taking improve the financial position of universities.

Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions and, as such, the government does not intervene in industrial disputes or negotiations between employers and trade unions. However, we remain committed to constructive engagement with both the unions and the employer representative body to help address the broader challenges facing the sector.The government has taken steps to secure the future for our world-leading universities so they can deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy. We made the difficult decision to increase tuition fees in line with inflation for the 2025/26 academic year, and appointed Professor Edward Peck as Chair of the Office for Students (OfS). We will set out our plans for HE reform as part of the Post-16 Skills White Paper, and will work with the sector and the OfS to deliver the change that the country needs.

What steps she is taking to help resolve industrial disputes between universities and the University and Colleges Union.

Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions and, as such, the government does not intervene in industrial disputes or negotiations between employers and trade unions. However, we remain committed to constructive engagement with both the unions and the employer representative body to help address the broader challenges facing the sector.The government has taken steps to secure the future for our world-leading universities so they can deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy. We made the difficult decision to increase tuition fees in line with inflation for the 2025/26 academic year, and appointed Professor Edward Peck as Chair of the Office for Students (OfS). We will set out our plans for HE reform as part of the Post-16 Skills White Paper, and will work with the sector and the OfS to deliver the change that the country needs.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to skilled worker visa requirements for prison officers on the level of prison staffing.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to Parliamentary Question 76286.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent property owners providing false information when applying for Temporary Exemption Notices.

A Temporary Exemption Notice (TEN) may be served by a local authority where a person having control of or managing a licensable property (under HMO or selective licensing) notifies the local authority of their intention to take steps so that the property no longer requires a licence. It is for local authorities to determine if, on the basis of the information provided, they are satisfied that the applicant is taking genuine steps to ensure that the property no longer requires a licence before granting the notice.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of property owners (a) misusing and (b) providing false information to obtain Temporary Exemption Notices.

No assessment has been made of the prevalence of property owners misusing and/or providing false information to obtain Temporary Exemption Notices.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the obstacles working class people face to working in the film and television sectors.

A creative career should never be the preserve of a privileged few. The sector’s skilled and dynamic workforce is one of its key strengths, but more work still needs to be done so that, regardless of their background, people feel that a creative career is an option for them. Making creative careers accessible for everyone is a key priority for the Government. That is why we are supporting creative apprenticeships and providing funding for partners including Screenskills and the BFI Film Academy to open pathways for young people, in particular those from underrepresented backgrounds. The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) is working with industry to deliver a UK-wide £9 million Creative Careers Service, which aims to build awareness of creative careers and provide specialist advice with a particular focus on priority areas where children face the greatest barriers to accessing creative opportunities. In film and TV specifically, we announced in the Creative Industries Sector Plan that we will be investing £75 million in the UK’s film and TV industry over the next three years. This includes support for the next generation of filmmakers. The Government is pleased to see industry initiatives to monitor and improve diversity in the creative industries such as Project Diamond and the TV Access Project. However, there clearly remains work to do and we want to see stronger efforts from industry to improve socio-economic diversity and representation in the creative industries.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Universal Credit taper in incentivising part-time work.

The taper rate aims to make customers financially better off in work by ensuring that their Universal Credit award is reduced by less than their earned income. Universal Credit has a single taper rate of 55% and some customers will also benefit from a work allowance which is the amount someone can earn before their Universal Credit award starts to reduce. Once a customer is earning more than their work allowance (if applicable), their Universal Credit starts to be reduced at a consistent rate.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve socio-economic diversity and representation in the creative industries.

A creative career should never be the preserve of a privileged few. The sector’s skilled and dynamic workforce is one of its key strengths, but more work still needs to be done so that, regardless of their background, people feel that a creative career is an option for them. Making creative careers accessible for everyone is a key priority for the Government. That is why we are supporting creative apprenticeships and providing funding for partners including Screenskills and the BFI Film Academy to open pathways for young people, in particular those from underrepresented backgrounds. The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) is working with industry to deliver a UK-wide £9 million Creative Careers Service, which aims to build awareness of creative careers and provide specialist advice with a particular focus on priority areas where children face the greatest barriers to accessing creative opportunities. In film and TV specifically, we announced in the Creative Industries Sector Plan that we will be investing £75 million in the UK’s film and TV industry over the next three years. This includes support for the next generation of filmmakers. The Government is pleased to see industry initiatives to monitor and improve diversity in the creative industries such as Project Diamond and the TV Access Project. However, there clearly remains work to do and we want to see stronger efforts from industry to improve socio-economic diversity and representation in the creative industries.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of capping (a) private parking charges and (b) penalty fees at a (i) fair and (ii) proportionate level.

This government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector. It has recently outlined, in a public consultation, its proposals to better protect and support motorists whilst balancing the legitimate needs of private parking operators. Specific views are being sought on the level of parking charge caps and on the appeals service. The consultation closed on 26th September.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the appeals system for private parking disputes is (a) independent, (b) fair and (c) transparent.

This government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector. It has recently outlined, in a public consultation, its proposals to better protect and support motorists whilst balancing the legitimate needs of private parking operators. Specific views are being sought on the level of parking charge caps and on the appeals service. The consultation closed on 26th September.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for heart health pathways.

The latest data, from July 2025, shows that 61.6% of waits for cardiology services are within 18 weeks, which is a 1.7% improvement on the same month from the previous year. While this shows progress, we know there is more to do to reduce waiting times for heart health pathways. That is why, along with our commitment to returning to the 92% referral-to-treatment standard for elective care by March 2029, the Elective Reform Plan commits to significant elective reform in cardiology.Cardiology is one of five priority specialties identified for significant elective reform in the Elective Reform Plan. Reforms will include increasing specialist cardiology input earlier in patient care pathways and developing standard and efficient care pathways for common cardiology symptoms. It also includes improving access to cardiac diagnostic tests through implementing more ‘straight-to-test’ pathways, where a general practitioner can refer a patient directly to secondary care for a test. This can reduce unnecessary outpatient appointments and improve waiting times even further for patients across England.These improvements to common cardiology pathways help standardise patient care, reduce inequalities, and improve access to care, especially in the early stages of heart health pathways for patients across England.

What steps he is taking to ensure the safe disposal of needles in the context of the growing use of GLP-1 medicines; whether his Department has had discussions with pharmaceutical companies about meeting the costs of this disposal.

It is important for sharps to be disposed of safely, to avoid risk of accidental needle-stick injuries to pharmacy or general practice staff, waste management operatives, and other members of the public. All sharps should be disposed in sharps bins, which can be obtained on prescription or purchased. Local authorities are obliged to collect clinical waste, including sharps bins, from householders upon request. Under section 45(3)(b) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 they may make a reasonable charge for this service.The Department has had no discussions with the pharmaceutical industry about meeting the cost of this disposal.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) humanitarian relief, (b) long-term recovery and reconstruction, and (c) engagement with Pakistani diaspora communities in the UK following the recent flooding in Pakistan.

The UK Government is supporting Pakistan in responding to the floods through the Building Resilience and Addressing Vulnerabilities to Emergencies (BRAVE) programme. So far, we have mobilised £2.85 million of support across 25 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh & Gilgit Baltistan and reached over 459,000 beneficiaries to support search and rescue and provide emergency medical care, food, water, hygiene, and household items. Ministers regularly engage with the Pakistani diaspora on all aspects of the UK relationship with Pakistan. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) UK-Pakistan Advisory Council, made up of 12 UK based British Pakistani representatives, takes part in regular discussions with the FCDO on development issues in Pakistan, including climate.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate mental health support is provided to Physician Associates following the publication of the Leng Review.

The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is hugely important. Following the publication of the Leng Review, NHS England has written to NHS trusts, integrated care boards, and primary care networks reiterating their responsibilities to their staff as employers, including treating them with compassion and providing pastoral support where required. Importantly, it has also written directly to the staff most affected by the recommendations, setting out where they can find support if required. Employers across the NHS have their own arrangements in place in line with their duty of care for supporting their staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and board level scrutiny through health and wellbeing guardians.

Whether she consulted people with direct experience of the immigration system prior to designing the (a) settlement and (b) citizenship changes proposed in the Immigration White Paper.

The Government will consult on the settlement and citizenship changes, proposed in the Immigration White Paper, later in 2025. Changes to the citizenship system will align with changes being made in respect to settlement. Any changes to statutory requirements for citizenship will require an amendment to the British Nationality Act 1981, which will go through the usual parliamentary process.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of Saudi Arabia on the death sentences given to (a) Rami Gamal Shafik al-Najjar, (b) Ahmed Zeinhom Omar, (c) Hesham Al Teles, (d) Abdelfattah Kamal, (e) Issam Al Shazly, (f) Mohamed Saad and (g) Omar Sherif.

The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and circumstances. We regularly discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities, including individual cases of concern. I raised the cases of several Egyptian nationals with the Saudi authorities this year. The Government will continue to engage on this matter.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will place restrictions on the trade of British-manufactured equipment with Israel in circumstances where there is evidence of a risk that such equipment will be used to facilitate the construction of illegal settlements.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 3 July to Question 62975.

When she plans to publish guidance on cross-pavement electric vehicle charging solutions.

In December 2024, the Government published cross-pavement guidance to help local authorities understand what they need to consider for the roll-out of cross-pavement solutions. This includes relevant permissions, minimum existing standards, responsibilities and case studies. In addition to the guidance, in July 2025 Government announced the £25 million Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels Grant to further support local authorities to adopt pavement channels as part of their local charging strategies.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve air quality.

The Government is developing a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced. This includes action to reduce harmful emissions from domestic burning and reforms to the industrial permitting regime. We remain committed to working closely with local authorities, industry, and the public to shape practical, proportionate policies that deliver cleaner air and improve public health.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing the annual Cash ISA allowance on older savers.

ISAs incentivise saving and investment for future goals by providing tax advantages to individual taxpayers. The Government recognises the important role that cash savings play in helping households build a financial buffer for a rainy day. The Government continues to consider reforms to ISAs and savings to achieve the right balance between cash savings and investment and ensure better outcomes for both savers and the UK economy.