Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many football bans have been given to offenders in the last (a) 12 and (b) 18 months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes annual statistics on football banning orders in England and Wales in the ‘Football-related arrests and banning orders, England and Wales’ Official Statistics release. The most recent data covering the 2023 to 2024 football season and can be accessed at the following link: Football-related arrests and banning orders: 2023 to 2024 season - GOV.UK
Data on football banning orders for the 2023 to 2024 domestic season are available in the accompanying ‘detailed football banning order statistics data tables’.
Data for the 2024 to 2025 football season will be released on 17 July 2025: Football-related arrests, banning orders: 2024/25 domestic season - Official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that humanitarian aid is being received into the Gaza Strip.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues pushing for safe, unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza, in line with international law. A significant portion of our Financial Year 2024/25 funding has already reached Gaza, including life-saving medical supplies. Some remain prepositioned at border crossings or in regional warehouses due to access constraints. We also announced an additional £7.5 million support package to bolster medical care in Gaza and the region, including further funding for UK-Med, World Health Organization Egypt, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territories Humanitarian Fund. On 19 May, the UK issued a joint statement urging Israel to allow full aid resumption and independent access for humanitarian actors.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what are the average time is for applications submitted to the Access to Work scheme between 1st November 2024 to 21st May 2025 to be (a) completed and (b) awarded.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The average time taken from an application being submitted to a decision being made for both support being approved and support not approved from November 2024 to April 2025 (May 2025 not available until month end)
November 2024 = 75.4 days
December 2024 = 77.3 days
January 2025 = 80.3 days
February 2025 = 84.6 days
March 2025 = 85.9 days
April 2025 = 94.2 days
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to close existing loopholes which enable taxi drivers to work cross border.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Responsibility for taxi and private hire vehicle policy is devolved to the Welsh Assembly. It is therefore for the Welsh Government to consider any changes to the regulation of the sector in Wales.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including the Six Nations as part of the listed events regime.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring access to sporting events, including the Six Nations, so that they can be enjoyed by a wide audience. However, this must also be balanced with the ability of sports national governing bodies to generate essential broadcast revenue to invest in their sports at all levels.
The Six Nations is listed under the Broadcasting Act 1996 Act as a “Group B” protected event, meaning secondary coverage must be offered to free-to-air broadcasters.
The Government believes that the current list of events works well and that it strikes an appropriate balance between access to sporting events and allowing sports to maximise broadcasting revenue.
I am pleased that Six Nations Rugby have recently agreed a deal to broadcast the Six Nations on free-to-air broadcasters until 2029.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what service standard the Child Maintenance Service has to respond to (a) complex casework and (b) complaints submitted between 30 August 2024 to 24 January 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) have service standards for all change of circumstances, these are not categorised as complex as there is no specific criteria to meet, each case is considered on its own merit and circumstances of the case.
Caseworkers strive to manage all casework within the expected service standard time period. If the caseworker has any concerns about making a discretionary decision in cases with unusual or particularly complex circumstances involved, they have access to policy and procedures or may seek appropriate advice from the Advice and Guidance Team.
DWP complaints service standard aim is to contact a customer within 15 working days to tell them of the outcome of their complaint or when they can expect a response if the complaint is complex and will take longer.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress she has made on bringing forward the Conversion Practices Bill to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people; and whether there is a timeline for its introduction.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
This Government’s position is that conversion practices are abuse.
Through the development of the draft Conversion Practices Bill, we will deliver on our manifesto commitment to bring forward a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices. My officials and I are working at pace to ensure we get legislation right and protect LGBT individuals from these harmful practices.
We are also committed to preserving the freedom for individuals to explore their identity and sexuality, and respecting the important roles of those supporting them.
We will publish our draft Bill later this session, as outlined in the King’s Speech.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made with the (a) Defending Democracy Taskforce and (b) Welsh Government on protecting all levels of democracy from harm.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is vital that elected representatives and their staff can discharge their duties without threat of intimidation or assault. We have seen wholly unacceptable behaviour, especially during the general election.
The Defending Democracy Taskforce is looking urgently at these issues, and I will update the House further in due course.
The Taskforce also regularly engages with all devolved administrations including Wales, on tackling our shared threats including protective security. Officials will be holding their next meeting with devolved administrations following the next Taskforce due to be held in early 2025.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress the Defending Democracy Taskforce has made.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
Mr Speaker, it is vital that elected representatives and their staff can discharge their duties without threat of intimidation or assault.
We have seen wholly unacceptable behaviour, especially around the general election.
The Defending Democracy Taskforce is looking urgently at these issues and I will update the House further in due course.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help increase levels of innovation in Cardiff West constituency.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Spending Review supports the UK’s R&D ambitions, with total Government investment in R&D rising to a record £20.4 billion in 2025/26
This will build on the investments we have already made in the Cardiff region such as £25 million through the Strength in Places Fund to build on regional strengths in advanced semiconductor materials and manufacturing, and £22 million to accelerate growth in the Cardiff Capital Region's media sector.