Written questions by Lowe.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department undertakes (a) risk and (b) equality impact assessments on aid projects whose stated objectives include (i) influencing norms and (ii) gender ideology.

Since 2021, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has used the Programme Operating Framework (PrOF) to guide decisions on how UK foreign aid is spent effectively. The PrOF sets out mandatory rules and principles to ensure programmes align with strategic priorities, deliver measurable impact, and represent value for money. The latest edition of the PrOF is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-programme-operating-framework/fcdo-programme-operating-framework-overview.

How many recorded (a) hate crimes and (b) religiously motivated offences have involved (i) Christian places of worship and (ii) other religious premises since 2010.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, including information on religious hate crimes by the targeted religion of the victim. Information is not collected on whether or not the offence took place at a place of worship or other religious premises.The latest official statistics can be found here: Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2025 - GOV.UK

How many convictions there have been for crimes committed against (a) churches and (b) other Christian places of worship in England and Wales since 2010; and what proportion of all religious-premises offences this represents.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including violence against the person by defendant’s age, sex and ethnicity, in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.It is not possible to disaggregate the data to identify individuals who were convicted of offences committed against a person from specific religious backgrounds including Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian churches/other places of worship nor the nationality of the offender. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.We are committed to creating a more stable and sustainable criminal justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. In December 2024, Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims.

If she will publish the (a) figures, (b) charts and (c) underlying data tables on (i) income tax and (ii) indirect tax contributions by ethnicity referenced in her Department's Freedom of Information response FOI2025/18562.

HM Treasury does not routinely publish information which is released in response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. The FOI was answered in accordance with the Freedom of Information principles.

On what date (a) Ministers in his Department were informed of the data breach affecting Afghan nationals who worked with UK forces and (b) that breach was escalated to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Officials were alerted to the data incident on 14 August 2023, and it was reported the next day to Ministry of Defence (MOD) Head Office and Ministers in the previous Government. Immediate action was taken to ensure that the compromised dataset, which had appeared online, was removed and an internal investigation was conducted. The incident was reported to the Metropolitan Police and the Information Commissioner’s Office on 17 August 2025, within 72 hours of first learning about the data incident. The Information Commissioner’s Office has continued to work with the Department on this matter and on improvements to MOD data handling and protection.

How many personal data breaches were reported by his Department to the Information Commissioner’s Office in each year since 2020; and how of those resulted in enforcement action.

22 personal data incidents have been reported by the Ministry of Defence to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) since 2020. Three of those resulted in enforcement action. The personal data incidents reported to the ICO are listed in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts: Financial YearNumber of personal data incidents reported to the ICOIncidents resulting in enforcement action2020-2021702021-20221232022-2023202023-202410 The Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-2025 has not yet been published. This report will include an additional incident identified in 2023 which happened in February 2022 but was not reported previously due to an injunction being in place.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what strategic reasons aid is used to fund projects described as aiming to (a) influence social norms and (b) achieve social transformation overseas.

Since 2021, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has used the Programme Operating Framework (PrOF) to guide decisions on how UK foreign aid is spent effectively. The PrOF sets out mandatory rules and principles to ensure programmes align with strategic priorities, deliver measurable impact, and represent value for money. The latest edition of the PrOF is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-programme-operating-framework/fcdo-programme-operating-framework-overview.

Whether (a) his Department and (b) other Government departments distinguish between offences committed against (i) Christian, (ii) Muslim, (iii) Jewish and (iv) other places of worship in its (A) crime and (B) conviction data collections.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including violence against the person by defendant’s age, sex and ethnicity, in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.It is not possible to disaggregate the data to identify individuals who were convicted of offences committed against a person from specific religious backgrounds including Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian churches/other places of worship nor the nationality of the offender. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.We are committed to creating a more stable and sustainable criminal justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. In December 2024, Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that overseas aid funding is not used to promote (a) social transformation, (b) gender ideology, (c) climate justice and (d) other ideological or political objectives.

Since 2021, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has used the Programme Operating Framework (PrOF) to guide decisions on how UK foreign aid is spent effectively. The PrOF sets out mandatory rules and principles to ensure programmes align with strategic priorities, deliver measurable impact, and represent value for money. The latest edition of the PrOF is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-programme-operating-framework/fcdo-programme-operating-framework-overview.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which UK-registered (a) non-Governmental organisations, (b) charities and (c) UN agencies have received more than £10 million in funding for projects involving (i) norm change, (ii) gender ideology and (iii) climate justice since 2021.

Since 2021, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has used the Programme Operating Framework (PrOF) to guide decisions on how UK foreign aid is spent effectively. The PrOF sets out mandatory rules and principles to ensure programmes align with strategic priorities, deliver measurable impact, and represent value for money. The latest edition of the PrOF is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-programme-operating-framework/fcdo-programme-operating-framework-overview.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much overseas aid funding has been allocated to projects or programmes aimed at promoting (a) climate justice, (b) social transformation and (c) norm change since 2021.

Since 2021, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has used the Programme Operating Framework (PrOF) to guide decisions on how UK foreign aid is spent effectively. The PrOF sets out mandatory rules and principles to ensure programmes align with strategic priorities, deliver measurable impact, and represent value for money. The latest edition of the PrOF is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-programme-operating-framework/fcdo-programme-operating-framework-overview.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) recording and (b) categorisation of crimes against (i) Christian churches and (ii) other religious sites.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including violence against the person by defendant’s age, sex and ethnicity, in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.It is not possible to disaggregate the data to identify individuals who were convicted of offences committed against a person from specific religious backgrounds including Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian churches/other places of worship nor the nationality of the offender. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.We are committed to creating a more stable and sustainable criminal justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. In December 2024, Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims.

Whether his Department holds data on the (a) age, (b) sex, (c) ethnicity and (d) nationality of offenders convicted of criminal offences against Christian places of worship since 2010.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including violence against the person by defendant’s age, sex and ethnicity, in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.It is not possible to disaggregate the data to identify individuals who were convicted of offences committed against a person from specific religious backgrounds including Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian churches/other places of worship nor the nationality of the offender. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.We are committed to creating a more stable and sustainable criminal justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. In December 2024, Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims.

Whether her Department has had correspondence with Wandsworth Council on external-speaker sessions in local schools on (a) migration and (b) asylum since January 2024.

Under sections 406 and 407 of the Equality Act 1996, schools must not promote partisan political views and should ensure that pupils are provided with a balanced treatment of political issues.To support this, the department has published comprehensive guidance to support schools to meet their duties on political impartiality. This is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools.The guidance states that all schools should thoroughly assess external agencies before agreeing to work with them, ensuring that the external agencies used, including materials and communication with pupils, are appropriate and adhere to schools’ legal duties on political impartiality.The guidance also sets out that most issues can be resolved locally through their existing processes for engaging with parents, carers and the wider school community, and that schools should treat concerns seriously.Additionally, all schools and colleges must have regard to the ‘Keeping children safe in education’ statutory guidance when carrying out their duties, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.The department has not had any contact with Quality First Education Trust or Wandsworth Council on these issues.

Whether her Department has issued guidance to schools on ensuring that classroom discussions involving people who have entered the UK illegally do not (a) compromise safeguarding standards and (b) expose pupils to political messaging.

Under sections 406 and 407 of the Equality Act 1996, schools must not promote partisan political views and should ensure that pupils are provided with a balanced treatment of political issues.To support this, the department has published comprehensive guidance to support schools to meet their duties on political impartiality. This is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools.The guidance states that all schools should thoroughly assess external agencies before agreeing to work with them, ensuring that the external agencies used, including materials and communication with pupils, are appropriate and adhere to schools’ legal duties on political impartiality.The guidance also sets out that most issues can be resolved locally through their existing processes for engaging with parents, carers and the wider school community, and that schools should treat concerns seriously.Additionally, all schools and colleges must have regard to the ‘Keeping children safe in education’ statutory guidance when carrying out their duties, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.The department has not had any contact with Quality First Education Trust or Wandsworth Council on these issues.

Whether his Department holds (a) final business cases and (b) data protection impact assessments for (i) the Gov.uk One Login programme and (ii) other digital identity schemes.

GOV.UK One Login has a full business case which has been approved by the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury ministers. GOV.UK One Login has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), which we continue to develop with any new identity verification journeys. A business case and DPIA are currently being conducted for the GOV.UK Wallet.The Government has announced plans for a new digital ID to be available to UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. We will consult and engage on the practical operation of the scheme and the data structures underpinning it, as it is developed.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 83176 on Universal Credit, how many and what proportion of claims were made by people with the support of a paid interpreter; and what was the the total cost of (a) translation and (b) interpretation for supporting claimants in each of the last ten years.

The Department does not retain data on how many and what proportion of Universal Credit claims were made by people requiring the support of paid interpretation services. The breakdown of costs for translation and interpretation across all benefits including Universal Credit, from 2019/2020 to present is shown below. This data is not available prior to 2019. Translation Costs (including Pension Credit Customers)Interpretation Costs2019/20£ 472,539£ 2,219,6132020/21£ 398,270£ 3,537,8722021/22£ 518,927£ 6,823,1402022/23£ 641,747£ 5,668,8222023/24£ 677,614£ 6,195,0532024/25£ 919,390£ 8,676,773

Whether Digital, Data and Technology roles at the NHS Business Services Authority filled by overseas recruits since January 2023 were advertised on the (a) NHS Jobs website and (b) Civil Service Jobs portal prior to appointment.

Since January 2023, a total of 68 staff were recruited from overseas into Digital, Data and Technology roles, sponsored by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) on a visa.The Digital, Data and Technology roles at the NHS BSA that were filled by overseas recruits since January 2023 were advertised on the NHS Jobs website, rather than the Civil Service Jobs portal, prior to appointment.

How many staff have been recruited from overseas into Digital, Data and Technology roles within the NHS Business Services Authority since January 2023.

Since January 2023, a total of 68 staff were recruited from overseas into Digital, Data and Technology roles, sponsored by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) on a visa.The Digital, Data and Technology roles at the NHS BSA that were filled by overseas recruits since January 2023 were advertised on the NHS Jobs website, rather than the Civil Service Jobs portal, prior to appointment.

Whether his Department has issued (a) a national strategy and (b) guidance for NHS trusts on genetic disorders linked to consanguinity.

Genomic testing is delivered through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and guided by the National Genomic Test Directory, which outlines the eligibility criteria for genomic testing based on specific clinical indications. These eligibility criteria support clinicians to decide whether genetic testing is appropriate, including in cases where genetic disorders may be linked to consanguinity. In addition, through the Genetic Risk Equity Project, NHS England is piloting and evaluating new models of care in nine sites to improve equity of access to genetic services for the small proportion of consanguineous couples at increased genetic risk. NHS England has published training modules about close relative marriage and genetic risk for midwives and health visitors, as well as guidance on how to submit data around consanguinity and pregnancy to the Maternity Services Dataset.