Written questions by Joseph.

Whether she plans to have discussions with EU counterparts on the introduction of the EU Pay Transparency Directive as part of the Government's plans to consult on the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill.

This Government is committed to building on the historic achievements of the Equal Pay Act 1970 and Equality Act 2010 and tackle pay discrimination. The Equality (Race and Disability) Bill will introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers and extend the right to make equal pay claims to ethnic minority and disabled people. Additionally, as set out in the Plan to Make Work Pay, we will put in place measures to ensure that outsourcing of services can no longer be used by employers to avoid paying equal pay and improve enforcement by establishing an Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit. These changes will strengthen and expand the existing legislative framework.We are also committed to protecting the ability to draw on equal pay comparators where workers' terms and conditions can be attributed to a single source, ensuring those provisions that were previously derived from EU law remain enshrined in UK law.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of adding XL Bullies to the list of prohibited dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 on the number of attacks by XL Bul

Defra is continuing to engage closely with the Police, local authorities, and rescue and rehoming organisations to monitor the impacts of the XL Bully dog ban. These measures are vital to protect the public and we expect all XL Bully owners to comply with...

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 18797 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, how many of the claims relating to Covid-19 vaccination that have gone to tribunal have resulted in the Va

As of 1 December 2024, 49 appeals linked to COVID-19 vaccinations have been escalated to tribunal. Eight of these appeals have now concluded, with zero resulting in a payment being awarded.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing pension abatement rules on (a) public sector pensions and (b) re-employment earnings for public sector employees.

Pension abatement rules formed part of the overall design of most legacy Public Service Pension Schemes. These rules worked as part of an overall package to safeguard against undesirable practices and ensure propriety and value for money. Reformed schemes...

How much his Department has spent defending Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme appeals linked to Covid-19 vaccinations since 2021; and how many Vaccine Damage Payment Schemes appeals linked to Covid-19

Between 1 November 2021 and 1 December 2024, the total spent by the NHS Business Services Authority on behalf of the Department to defend against appeals within the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme was £104,005.05. As of December 2024, 49 appeals linked to C...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including lessons on death and bereavement in the National Curriculum.

The department wants to support all young people to be happy, healthy and safe, and to equip them for adult life so they achieve and thrive. The statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance makes clear that teachers should b...

If she will take steps to ensure that (a) tenants and (b) leaseholders are not adversely financially impacted by communal heating schemes.

The Department is introducing heat network regulation in January 2026 which aims to provide consumers with comparable protections to existing gas and electricity regulations. Ofgem is being appointed as heat network regulator and will have powers to inves...

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that all integrated care boards meet the mental health investment standard.

The NHS Operational and Planning Guidance for 2024/25 makes clear that integrated care boards are expected to continue to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard by increasing their investment in mental health services in line with their overall increa...

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding levels for Kent Police.

This Government is committed to ensuring that the police have the resources they need to tackle crime effectively.Kent Police’s funding will be up to £431.5m in 2024-25. This is in addition to £4m provided for the 2024-25 pay award which has been allocate...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to clear up water ways in Ashford constituency.

The Government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill will the first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector, reducing pollution and cleaning up our waterways. The Government has also launched an Independent Commission int...

What steps her Department is taking to support children diagnosed with dyslexia in Ashford constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.Early identification of need and support is critical...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the human rights situation in Balochistan.

The UK is deeply concerned about reports of human rights abuses and violations in Pakistan, including in Balochistan province. The British High Commission regularly raises these issues with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. The UK will continu...

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to dental services in Ashford constituency.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild den...

What steps his Department is taking to support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of mental health specialists in the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.

To fix the chronic workforce shortages in the mental health workforce we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers, across both child and adult mental health services, to reduce waiting times and provide faster treatment across all areas o...

What steps his Department is taking to enable GP surgeries to provide additional services in Ashford constituency.

Practices are able to provide additional services by opting in and will receive payment for these services separately to global sum payments. As commissioners of primary care, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning additional serv...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in Ashford constituency.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In perf...

What steps his Department is taking to reduce GP waiting times in Ashford constituency.

We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP) and we are committed to fixing the the crisis in GPs to secure the long-term sustainability of the National Health Service. Ashford sits within the Kent and Medway ...

What steps she is taking to reduce the backlog of court cases in Kent.

We have taken your question to mean what steps are being taken to tackle the outstanding caseload across all jurisdictions. We are pursuing a number of measures at a national level that will contribute to the reduction of cases in Kent.Criminal Courts Mor...

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions her Department has held with Natural England on the effect of nutrient neutrality rules on new housebuilding projects in the River Stour catchment area in

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 3644 on 9 September 2024.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle street crime against women and girls in (a) Ashford constituency and (b) Kent.

The 2024-25 police funding settlement provides funding of up to £18.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Kent Police’s funding will be up to £431.5m in 2024-25. This is in addition to £4m provided for the 2024-25 pay award which has bee...