On 15 June, the government published a progress statement following the ‘Growing up in the Online World’ consultation.

This set out a package of new measures including banning social media platforms from offering their services to under 16s and restricting harmful functionalities, including stranger communication, across a wider range of services for under 16s. Restrictions on harmful functionalities will also be on by default for 16 and 17 year olds.

The government has been clear that it will consider the case for exemptions when it sets out the final detail in regulations.

As confirmed in the Foreign Secretary’s statement of 24 June 2026, the Government has renewed support for high achieving students from Gaza to take up fully funded scholarships at UK universities for the 2026/27 academic year.

The Government will work closely with Devolved Governments, universities, international partners and relevant authorities to facilitate departures and onward travel. However, departures from Gaza remain highly complex and dependent on factors outside the UK Government’s control. As such, travel and timelines cannot be guaranteed.

The government is committed to creating an economy that delivers for working people and businesses alike. The National Living Wage is set by the government, following recommendations from the independent Low Pay Commission, which considers a range of factors, including the cost of living, business impacts and employment levels; this ensures that the right balance is struck between the needs of workers, affordability for businesses and the impact on the economy.

In contrast, the voluntary Real Living Wage is set independently by the Living Wage Foundation and is based on living costs. We welcome employers paying above statutory minimum rates, including the Real Living Wage, where they can afford to do so.

We are aware of recent reporting that Dr Safiya has been moved to solitary confinement. We have raised our concerns about this case on a number of occasions.

We will continue to monitor developments closely and raise issues where appropriate. As and when there is anything further to report, I will update the Hon Member accordingly.

The department is committed to ensuring that people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their families and carers, and the professionals who support them are meaningfully represented in our communications, and their experiences reflected. This includes our social media, work with the press, paid for campaigns, communications partnerships, stakeholder engagement and our direct engagement. That has recently included case studies with children with SEND, their families, nurseries, schools and colleges, as part of the Schools White Paper communications. We have spoken to a broad range of young people, parents and carers, and are working with SEND professionals and campaigners to deliver webinars and explainer social media content on reforms to parents of children and young people with SEND.

We have also engaged people with lived experience in behind-the-scenes development of communications, so that messaging, tone and content reflect real experiences. We continue to work with SEND organisations, giving us a route to engagement with parents, carers and young people who do not follow us.

We recognise that good communication on SEND must go beyond information sharing. By involving those with direct experience and expertise from the outset, we can produce communications that better serve children and young people with SEND, their families, and the workforce supporting them.

The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement, published on 9 February 2026, makes over £4.6 billion additional funding for available adult social care in 2028-29, compared to 2025-26, including £500 million for the first-ever Fair Payment Agreement.

The Independent Commission into adult social care remains on course to issue its first report in 2026. The Department of Health and Social Care responded to Baroness Casey of Blackstock DBE CBE on 5 March 2026 setting out the immediate action on adult safeguarding, dementia and motor neurone disease that would be taken forward.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health and Social Care are working closely to manage the impact of Integrated Care Board reforms, including through engagement with local authority and Integrated Care Board chief executives.

The ongoing conflict in Amhara has led to significant humanitarian needs, including rising food insecurity, and widespread conflict-related human rights violations and abuses. In coordination with international partners, the UK continues to use its voice in multilateral fora, including the Human Rights Council, to call for accountability for the abuses and atrocities committed in the conflict to date, and we raise these issues on a regular basis with the Government of Ethiopia.

Collective worship remains an important part of school life, supporting pupils to reflect on the concept of belief and the role it plays in our country’s traditions and values. We are clear the guidance in Circular 1/94 needs to be updated. We recognise that this is sensitive work requiring care, and we will consult with stakeholders to ensure that we get it right. It is a matter for schools themselves to ensure they meet their legal duties.

The Parental Leave and Pay Review is considering all parental leave and pay entitlements as well as the support available for those who do not currently qualify for existing protections, including kinship carers. This is an evidence-based Review and is taking a wide array of evidence into account. The Review is expected to report in early 2027, setting out next steps for taking forward any reforms to implementation.

The Government is also supporting kinship carers and has recently launched a kinship pilot to support up to 5,000 children by paying eligible carers an allowance equivalent to the Fostering National Minimum Allowance.

Fairness and transparency remain a Government priority for the Single Justice Procedure. This is why the Ministry of Justice consulted on “Regulation and oversight of private prosecutions and strengthening safeguards in the Single Justice Procedure”, which closed in May 2025.

The consultation generated a significant number of detailed responses, reflecting the complexity of the issues involved. The Government is considering these carefully, alongside related policy and delivery issues, to ensure that the response is fully informed. The Government response will be published in due course.

The Government is aware of the interest in ISDS, and is engaging with energy and climate stakeholders on its impact on UK priorities. In line with HMG’s Trade Strategy, the UK will continue to work with partners through multilateral forums, including the OECD and the UN system, to identify opportunities to improve ISDS practice.

One of the key principles of the International Sudan Conference in Berlin on 15 April was to take collective action to protect civilians, including children, from the horrendous atrocities taking place in Sudan. This is outlined in the Conference Co-Chairs' statement, linked below, issued by the UK, Germany, France, the EU, US, and African Union. A proposal to reconvene the Diplomatic Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Sudan is under consideration by the Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice, launched by the UK and partners on 26 February. A meeting between the members and Non-Governmental Organisation partners will take place in due course to discuss and evaluate the proposal. The UK remains firmly committed to the Children and Armed Conflict agenda and we will continue to champion it, ensuring that the rights, safety and future of Sudanese children remain at the forefront of the international response.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/third-international-sudan-conference-april-2026-co-hosts-statement/third-international-sudan-conference-berlin-co-hosts-statement-15-april-2026

A cancer diagnosis is distressing at any stage of life, and especially for mothers on maternity leave, at a time that should be focused on recovery, bonding and family life.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s National Cancer Plan sets out how people with cancer, including pregnant and postnatal women, are supported before, during and after treatment, including supporting mothers to stay in work.

Alongside this, the Parental Leave and Pay Review is examining how maternity leave and the wider parental leave and pay system can better support working families. The Review will report in early 2027.

The Government recognises the vital role that the Post Office plays in the economy and wider society.

At the Budget, the Government acted to limit increases in business rates bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion. The Government has also introduced new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties.

Post offices are also eligible for 100 per cent rural rate relief if they meet certain conditions.

There are a wide range of factors that the Government needs to consider when introducing new tax reliefs, for example whether these support wider Government objectives, or add disproportionate complexity into the tax system. It is likely that a new relief would have to be paid for, at least in part, by increased taxes for other taxpayers or reducing expenditure on public services.

The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process. The Chancellor will announce any changes to the tax system at fiscal events in the usual way.

The Home Office is investing in innovative techniques, including the use of AI, to explore how we can improve productivity and continue to maintain order in the asylum system.

No process and/or tooling details are currently released to asylum claimants - this has not changed with the incorporation of AI elements into caseworking.

AI technology does not make decisions on Asylum applications, instead, it helps analyse data and provides insightful information that can further inform choices. This is in line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle. The Home Office does not currently use AI software to transcribe asylum interviews or other components of the asylum decision making process.

Existing quality control processes are followed alongside data capture, development and two-way feedback mechanisms.

The championing of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all is a key element of the UK's human rights work overseas, for the funding of that work, and for the reporting to Parliament that we do on that work. For further detail, I refer the Hon. Member to the strategy for the Government's international FoRB work set out by the UK Special Envoy for FoRB in July 2025:

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-approach-to-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-uk-special-envoy-on-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-speech-july-2025

I refer the member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill to the response I gave to UIN 125751 on 20 April.