Written questions by Hall.

Food and Rural Affairs, when the new integrated water regulator for England will be formally established.

The Government has set out its ambition to create a powerful new water regulator, bringing together the relevant functions from the existing regulators (Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency and Natural England) into one new body. This will replace the current fragmented system with one regulator capable of integrated management of the water system. We will legally establish the new regulator as soon as possible following passage of a water reform bill, which we intend to bring forward during this parliament. We will introduce the bill when parliamentary time allows. Until the single water regulator is fully established the existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions and enforcement responsibilities in full.

What assessment he has made of the financial impact on unpaid carers of repaying Carer’s Allowance overpayments.

This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by unpaid carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends with disabilities. The Department has published research into people’s experiences of claiming and receiving Carer’s Allowance in May 2024. The issue of overpayments is covered at pages 54-57: experiences-of-claiming-and-receiving-ca-research-report-final.pdf. Overpayments can arise for a number of reasons. With respect to those linked to the treatment of earnings in Carer’s Allowance, we inherited a system where some busy carers, already struggling under a huge weight of caring responsibilities, found themselves with unexpected debts. We commissioned an Independent Review, led by Liz Sayce OBE, to investigate why overpayments occurred, how people affected can be better supported, and what changes are needed to prevent similar issues in future. We have published the findings of the Review, acknowledged the shortcomings identified, apologised to those affected, and accepted in full or in part 38 of the Review’s 40 recommendations. As part of its response, the Government committed to reassessing Carer’s Allowance cases which may have been affected by faulty guidance on averaging of irregularly fluctuating earnings. This guidance was in place between April 2015 and September 2025 and did not accurately reflect the statutory position. The reassessment exercise began on 13 April 2026. Funding of £75m has been provided for the exercise in the financial years 2026/27 to 2028/29. The department expects to review over 200,000 cases, potentially reducing, cancelling, or refunding debts for around 25,000 carers.

What progress his Department has made on simplifying the Pension Credit application process.

The Department is committed to modernising the Pension Credit service and regularly reviews the user experience to balance simplification with ensuring accurate awards. We are streamlining application routes by using information held internally to reduce the number of questions customers need to answer. Claims can be made online, by telephone, or by post. The most popular method is online, where claims can be made 24/7 with help from a family member, friend, or third party. The online form now requires a maximum of 48 questions, and for some customers as few as 35. On average, it takes just 16 minutes to complete, with around 90% of new customers applying online or by phone. For telephone claims, callers are guided through the process by an agent. We will continue to keep the Pension Credit application process under review to ensure it remains simple and accessible.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a specific criminal offence of assaulting a public transport worker at work.

There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker; everyone should feel safe and be safe whilst working. The Government values the commitment of everyone who works in the public transport sector ensuring the continued running of all the vital services which many people rely on daily.The Government is not looking to introduce a specific criminal offence of assaulting a public transport worker as we do not believe it would result in the intended objective of reducing the number of assaults. Public transport workers do of course already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022.We are working with the transport industry to ensure that practical interventions are being taken to make workers to feel safe. This includes encouraging greater use of Body Worn Video (BWV) by rail staff and through the Bus Services Act 2025, we are mandating training for staff on how to recognise and respond to incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport where it is safe to do so.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase the take-up of Pension Credit among eligible pensioners in the North West.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all pensioners, including those in the North West, receive the support to which they are entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign across Great Britain, promoting Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their families. This includes messaging encouraging family members to check eligibility on behalf of parents and grandparents, promoted through television and radio advertising, social media, digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in national press and in magazines such as Yours, Take a Break and TV Choice.Specifically, in the North-West we have advertised on the regional versions of radio stations including Greatest Hits Radio, Hits Radio, Classic FM and Smooth and placed adverts in press titles such as Manchester Evening News, Lancashire Telegraph, Lancashire Post, Liverpool Echo, Daily Post Liverpool, and Bolton News. We continue to engage with local authorities and partners and distribute promotional materials, including posters and leaflets. For example, Greater Manchester Ageing Hub cascaded our campaign materials to councils across the city region and a number of community organisations supported the campaign, including Warrington Voluntary Action. We are also using data to target potentially eligible households. For example, since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit and, in a trial with Age UK and Independent Age targeting 2,000 households in England, we are testing whether it is possible to identify potentially eligible households using HMRC and DWP data.

Whether his Department will commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and hypermobility spectrum disorders.

There are no current plans to commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and hypermobility spectrum disorders.Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process, and under this process, decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by a prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer in line with its published prioritisation framework. Anyone is able to suggest a topic through the NICE website, at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/forms/topic-suggestionNICE guidelines do not cover all conditions, and clinicians are expected to follow relevant professional guidance and the evidence available to them when making their decisions.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that discretionary sick pay arrangements do not disadvantage disabled workers.

Employers have a statutory duty to pay Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) to employees who satisfy the qualifying criteria. They can offer occupational or discretionary sick pay to their employees at a higher rate than the statutory minimum, but may place limits on eligibility or duration. Employers are not required to offer occupational sick pay, but must still pay SSP to eligible employees. When setting discretionary sick pay policies within their organisation, employers need to ensure that these are not discriminatory, for example against disabled workers and that they comply with employment laws and the Equality Act 2010. Employees are able to access free, confidential advice if they have concerns about their employer’s company sick pay policy and any aspect of employment law by contacting ACAS.

Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department will introduce regulations under the Animal (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 to prohibit the domestic sale and advertising of low-welfare animal experiences overseas.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Slough, on 26 February to PQ UIN 114064.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the removal of the Religious Education Initial Teacher Training bursary on the quality of RE provision in secondary schools.

Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are offered to incentivise more applications to ITT courses. As such, we review bursaries annually to take account of several factors, including recruitment to date, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. Between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 academic years, postgraduate ITT recruitment for religious education increased by 68%, one of the largest increases across all subjects.New teachers benefit from three years of professional development through the initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core knowledge, skills, and behaviours for great teaching, alongside expert mentoring and support. All trainee teachers must meet the Teachers’ Standards for qualified teacher status in full before they qualify, which requires that they ‘Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge’.

What recent assessment he has made of the (a) prevalence and (b) potential impact of the use of hospital corridors and other non-designated spaces for patient care in NHS hospitals.

We recognise the challenges facing the health service and are serious about tackling them. The Government is committed to restoring urgent and emergency care waiting times to the standards set out in the National Health Service constitution by the end of this Parliament.Corridor care refers to care delivered in non-designated clinical areas and is not an acceptable standard of care. We are committed to eliminating this practice in the National Health Service and ensure all patients receive high quality safe care, and we are taking serious, sustained action to achieve this. It is one of the most visible and distressing symptoms of a broken NHS, fixing it will require fixing several of the systems and processes that sit across the whole of the pathway, all of which we are working on.NHS England has been working with trusts since 2024 to monitor corridor care, implementing new reporting arrangements and providing targeted support to the most challenged hospitals. In March, we published a clear definition of corridor care. As committed to in the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, we will publish data on the prevalence of corridor care for the first time. This new definition will enable us to start publishing clear validated data on its prevalence to drive improvement and transparency.Where corridor care cannot be avoided, we have published updated guidance to support trusts to deliver it safely, ensuring dignity and privacy is maintained to reduce impacts on patients and staff. This means that corridor care areas must uphold the same high standards of care for patients as those in planned clinical settings. Patients are seen based on how urgent their needs are, not where they are. All patients being considered for corridor care should be appropriately risk assessed by senior clinical teams during triage with their condition monitored by named nurses.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve access to specialist stroke rehabilitation and community-based support services for stroke survivors in England.

As set out in the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to improving services for patients locally by increasing the provision of services outside of a hospital setting that are delivered closer to home in the community.The National Stroke Service Model provides best practice for stroke care, including post-discharge, which should include comprehensive rehabilitation and personalised care and support.The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that employment law protects workers engaged in collective bargaining or union recognition processes from redundancy or dismissal.

It is unlawful for an employer to dismiss a worker for being a member of a trade union and for dismissing or imposing detriments on a worker for engaging in trade union activity, including activity related to the trade union recognition process.Previously it was only workers who were classed as employees who were protected from dismissal for industrial action. To ensure all workers are protected, this government has introduced new protection from detriments in s. 236A in the Employment Rights Act, which means other ("limb (b)") workers are now also protected from dismissal for taking industrial action.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that banks do not apply blanket restrictions on providing banking services to legitimate blockchain and cryptoasset businesses.

The Government is aware that cryptoasset firms are facing challenges associated with access to banking services, and we are engaged with the sector on these matters.Whilst the Government recognises that decisions around the provision of banking services are largely commercial in nature, we also expect businesses to be treated fairly. That is why the Government has already taken action in this space, including bringing forward legislation to enhance relevant protections in cases where a business has their bank account terminated by their provider.The Government has also laid legislation to create a financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK. Under this regime, firms will need to be licensed by the FCA to provide relevant cryptoasset services, and the Government would not expect such licensed firms to be subject to restrictions by banking services providers simply because of the sector they belong to.

What steps his Department is taking to improve consumer protection and accountability in Government-funded home retrofit schemes.

The Department has taken action to improve the oversight and quality of installations in the current system. This includes increased oversight of TrustMark, tighter certification rules limiting installers to one PAS 2030 certification per measure and updated PAS 2035/2030:2023 standards mandating site visits and higher professional qualifications. We are committed to reforming the consumer protection system, as set out in the Warm Homes Plan. We will consult this year on options for bringing the oversight of energy efficiency and microgeneration installations for government schemes under closer government control and on the role of the Warm Homes Agency.

What steps his Department is taking to increase uptake of statutory paternity leave and pay.

This Government is committed to strengthening rights for working parents. From April, Paternity Leave will become a day‑one right, removing qualifying periods that currently prevent 32,000 fathers a year from accessing it.We also know that more can be done to support working parents. The ongoing Parental Leave and Pay Review is examining all parental leave entitlements, including Paternity Leave and Pay.

What steps her Department is taking to end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation in Warrington.

Exiting all asylum hotels as soon as possible is one of the Government’s top priorities and must be executed through a controlled, managed and orderly plan of work. This plan involves reducing inflow, speeding up caseworking, maximising utilisation of our estate, continuing to increase returns and exploring the use of large sites as suitable alternative accommodation. Overall, significant progress has already been made. At the end of December 2025, 30,657 asylum seekers (29) were in hotel accommodation, 19% lower than at the end of December 2024. As of 4 January 2026, there are 197 hotels in use, which is significantly below hotel usage at its peak under the previous government in summer 2023, when more than 400 hotels were in use. We will not rest until we close every single asylum hotel.

What steps his Department is taking to address disparities in outcomes between pensioners under the old State Pension system and those under the new State Pension.

Ensuring a decent State Pension for pensioners as a foundation for a secure retirement is a priority for this Government. That is why we have set out our commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this Parliament, which is set to increase spending on the State Pension by over £30 billion. The Triple lock applies to both the basic and new State Pensions It is not possible to make direct like for like comparisons between the pre 2016 State Pension system and the new State Pension. Although some people receiving the new State Pension may get a larger amount uprated by the Triple Lock, there are other elements of the previous system that they do not have access to. For example, State Pension ages are generally higher for people reaching State Pension age after 6 April 2016, so people on the new system receive their State Pension income from a later date. Furthermore, the National Insurance rates that people have had to pay since 2016 have been higher than they were for people who were contracted-out before 2016. Therefore, all the arrangements need to be considered in the round, rather than comparing individual aspects.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the safety of horse riders and horses on public roads.

The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse-riders. Following these updates, the Department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes. Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations. However, as set out in the Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that survivors of sexual exploitation are supported during the grooming gangs inquiry process.

Victims and survivors are central to the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, and it is essential that their voices are heard in a safe and trauma‑informed way. The Independent Inquiry is responsible for leading its own engagement and support arrangements throughout the course of its work.As set out in the draft Terms of Reference, the Inquiry will develop and publish a charter for victims and survivors, that outlines how victims and survivors can participate, and how their views, experiences and testimony will be used to inform and shape the nature of the Inquiry’s work.This year the Home Office has doubled funding for adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, to a total investment of £2.59 million in the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) Fund. This includes funding for support helplines, in-person and remote counselling, group support, and training for professionals working with victims.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to help end the use of administrative detention for Palestinians held by Israeli authorities.

The Government is concerned about Israel's extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary. Israeli authorities must either charge or release detainees. The UK calls for all such reports to be fully investigated. We also call on all parties to the conflict to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross immediate and unfettered access.