Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce (a) human rights violations and (b) exploitative labour practices in fast fashion global supply chains.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to rooting out human rights violations and exploitative labour practices in all global supply chains, including in fast fashion.
The UK supports voluntary due diligence approaches taken by UK businesses to respect human rights across their operations and supply relationships, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is undertaking a National Baseline Assessment of the UK's implementation of the UNGPs, which will contribute to the evidence base to inform the UK's approach to tackling business-related human rights abuses.
The Government is also currently reviewing its approach to responsible business conduct (RBC) policy. Focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK, this review will be a neutral and objective appraisal of the UK's current RBC policy approach and alternative options which aim to enhance RBC.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support legitimate number plate suppliers in (a) stopping cloning and (b) upholding legal standards.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates.
The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for number plate suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. Selling a number plate without carrying out these required checks carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £1,000 and the potential removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).
Officials are also considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable RNPS process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement for offences relating to the display of number plates is a matter for the police. The DVLA assists the police and Trading Standards in their enforcement against number plate suppliers, including those who trade illegally. When notified, the DVLA will investigate and pass on intelligence to the police who are responsible for investigating this criminal matter.
Anyone who thinks their number plate may have been cloned should contact the police immediately. Any fines received should be returned to the issuing authorities. The DVLA can provide customers with letters that can be used as supporting evidence and can also provide a replacement registration number where appropriate.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to protect NHS (a) staff and (b) volunteers from (i) verbal abuse, (ii) threats, (iii) unauthorised sharing of personal information and (iv) other forms of abuse; whether he plans to extend zero tolerance policies to cover digital harassment; and what steps his Department is taking to provide (A) guidance and (B) support to NHS providers for affected (1) staff and (2) volunteers.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Everyone working or volunteering in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe and work in an environment free from all forms of harassment, bullying and violence, including digital harassment.
Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff and volunteers and put in place many measures to do this including appropriate security, training, and emotional support for those affected by violence. Additionally, NHS England have developed an NHS Civility and Respect programme which provides national guidance, training and resources to help organisations build positive workplace cultures, tackle bullying and harassment, and ensure staff and volunteers feel safe and supported in all work environments.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the level of hateful language targeting MPs on (a) X and (b) other social media platforms.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Illegal abuse is completely unacceptable. The Online Safety Act requires services to prevent and remove illegal content online, including illegal anonymous abuse and hate speech. The Act also introduced the threatening communications offence, which captures communications which convey a threat of serious harm or death.
Category 1 services will be required to remove content that is prohibited in their terms of service and provide users access to tools which reduce exposure to content from non-verified users. Users will also have increased control over the content they see, including hate-inciting content.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps to encourage consumers to shop ethically.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government recognises the importance of ethical consumption choices. Through initiatives like the Green Claims Code, we're providing clear guidance to businesses on environmental claims, helping consumers make informed ethical choices. The Competition and Markets Authority's enforcement actions against greenwashing protect consumers who wish to shop ethically.
The UK supports voluntary due diligence approaches taken by UK businesses to respect human rights and the environment, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. As part of the Trade Strategy, we have announced a review of our approach to ensuring responsible business conduct, focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing method of production labelling on (a) the economy and (b) farm incomes.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are considering the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare strategy.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (a) recording of attempted suicides attended by the police services, (b) support available to police staff who attend traumatic callouts and (c) suicide prevention training requirements for managers in police forces in North East Hampshire constituency.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office do not collect information centrally on the number of attempted suicides attended by police.
This Government has been clear that the health and wellbeing of our police workforce is a priority, and that all those who have faced traumatic incidents in the line of duty receive the support they need.
We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service, who have developed an evidenced-based trauma support model which is now available to forces. The Service has also introduced a Trauma Tracker tool to help forces better understand exposure to traumatic incidents and ensure timely support for officers and staff.
A National Action Plan for Suicide Prevention and Postvention in policing has been launched, which aims to reduce rates among the police workforce as well as enhancing data recording.
Chief Constables have a responsibility to manage their workforce effectively and this includes ensuring appropriate training provision for all officers and staff and ensuring their wellbeing.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) legal and (b) ethical business practices are followed when firms undertake redundancies.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer the hon. Member to my response to Question 80529, issued on 15th October 2025: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to fully implement the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what legislative steps his Department is taking to ensure that GP practices assess shared care requests on a case-by-case basis; and whether he plans to introduce legislation to improve consistency and equity in shared care arrangements for patients with mental health diagnoses.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to introduce legislation for shared care arrangements.
Shared care arrangements between a general practitioner (GP) and a specialist are voluntary agreements and are not a part of the GP Contract. GPs do not receive additional funding for taking part in shared care agreements and are able to refuse participation if they think they do not have capacity, or it is not clinically appropriate.
The General Medical Council’s guidance helps GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities. In deciding whether to enter into a shared care arrangement, a GP will need to consider a number of factors to determine whether it is within their sphere of competence, and therefore safe and suitable for their patient’s needs. This includes being satisfied that any prescriptions or referrals for treatment are clinically appropriate.
These processes apply to all shared care requests, including those involving patients with a mental health diagnosis.