Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to increase testing and import controls for products at risk of asbestos contamination.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Office for Product Safety and Standards oversees and coordinates the UK’s product safety framework which covers products sold in-store and online, and activity at the border. Businesses placing products on the UK market must ensure they’re safe and free from asbestos and OPSS has published business guidance on controls they need to have in place, including testing.

To date 69 recalls of products have been recalled as a result of action by OPSS and local authorities, including at the border. OPSS are continuing their market surveillance activities and will take action if businesses are not meeting their legal obligations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many full-time equivalent Border Force officers were assigned to customs functions at airports in each year from 2020 to 2026.

Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The security of the UK border is Border Force's number one priority. Border Force operates a flexible resourcing model, regularly assessing deployments against operational requirements and emerging border security threats. Officers are deployed dynamically to ensure that critical customs, immigration and security functions are delivered effectively.

Border Force does not publish information on the number of officers assigned to specific operational functions or locations. Releasing such information could reveal operational practices and capabilities, increasing the risk of those seeking to evade customs controls and potentially undermining border security.

Border Force continues to deliver strong enforcement outcomes against illicit goods and organised crime. In the year ending March 2025, Border Force seized record volumes of drugs, demonstrating the effectiveness of our operational approach and targeted deployment of resources.

We keep our resourcing under constant review and will continue to deploy staff where they are needed most to protect the public and maintain the security of the UK border.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to remove regulatory barriers to the rollout of broadband infrastructure in rural areas to accelerate connectivity for the hardest-to-reach communities.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to delivering gigabit coverage to at least 99% of UK premises by 2032 and are delivering connectivity to hard-to-reach communities and rural areas not included in supplier plans through Project Gigabit.

We are working to identify and remove barriers to deployment, including improving access to multi-dwelling units, as well as exploring whether reforms to planning legislation can support deployment for fixed and mobile connectivity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Ofqual on steps to identify potential marking errors before GCSE, AS and A level results are issued to students.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Ofqual, as the independent regulator of qualifications in England, is responsible for maintaining standards and public confidence in GCSE, AS and A level qualifications. Ofqual requires awarding organisations to have robust arrangements in place for examiner recruitment and training, standardisation, moderation, marking, grading and quality assurance, including processes to identify and address potential errors before results are issued.

Throughout each assessment cycle, Ofqual monitors awarding organisations' readiness and delivery, including their management of key risks such as marking and grading.

If students believe there were errors, they can access established post-results services, including reviews of marking and appeals. Ofqual regulates these arrangements, sets the requirements that awarding organisations must meet when delivering them and keeps them under review.

To support transparency, Ofqual publishes an annual Delivery Report on the awarding of qualifications. This sets out how examinations and assessments were delivered, including information on marking, grading, incidents, reviews of marking and the action taken to protect students where issues arise.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with Ofqual on steps to improve transparency for students about the level of uncertainty associated with GCSE, AS and A level grades.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Ofqual, as the independent regulator of qualifications in England, is responsible for maintaining standards and public confidence in GCSE, AS and A level qualifications. Ofqual requires awarding organisations to have robust arrangements in place for examiner recruitment and training, standardisation, moderation, marking, grading and quality assurance, including processes to identify and address potential errors before results are issued.

Throughout each assessment cycle, Ofqual monitors awarding organisations' readiness and delivery, including their management of key risks such as marking and grading.

If students believe there were errors, they can access established post-results services, including reviews of marking and appeals. Ofqual regulates these arrangements, sets the requirements that awarding organisations must meet when delivering them and keeps them under review.

To support transparency, Ofqual publishes an annual Delivery Report on the awarding of qualifications. This sets out how examinations and assessments were delivered, including information on marking, grading, incidents, reviews of marking and the action taken to protect students where issues arise.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with Ofqual on the merits of reinstating the system in place before 2016 for reviews of marking of GCSE, AS and A level examinations.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Ofqual, as the independent regulator of qualifications in England, is responsible for maintaining standards and public confidence in GCSE, AS and A level qualifications. Ofqual requires awarding organisations to have robust arrangements in place for examiner recruitment and training, standardisation, moderation, marking, grading and quality assurance, including processes to identify and address potential errors before results are issued.

Throughout each assessment cycle, Ofqual monitors awarding organisations' readiness and delivery, including their management of key risks such as marking and grading.

If students believe there were errors, they can access established post-results services, including reviews of marking and appeals. Ofqual regulates these arrangements, sets the requirements that awarding organisations must meet when delivering them and keeps them under review.

To support transparency, Ofqual publishes an annual Delivery Report on the awarding of qualifications. This sets out how examinations and assessments were delivered, including information on marking, grading, incidents, reviews of marking and the action taken to protect students where issues arise.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her department has considered the potential merits of creating a railcard for military spouses and family members.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This railcard already exists. The HM Forces Railcard, administered by the Ministry of Defence, is available to serving members of the Armed Forces, as well as eligible spouses, civil partners and dependent children, each of whom may hold their own Railcard and receive rail discounts while travelling independently. Additionally, the Veterans Railcard allows the holder to obtain discounts for one named adult companion and up to four children when they are travelling with the veteran.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of availability and routine use of Doppler ultrasound and ankle-brachial index testing in primary care for patients presenting with lower-limb symptoms; and whether the Government plans to issue guidance to ensure these diagnostic tools are used as standard in the assessment of suspected peripheral arterial disease.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has published a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF), which prioritises ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, supporting consistent and equitable access across the CVD pathway. This modern service framework can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

We welcome the report of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Department and NHS England have engaged widely with stakeholders, such as the Stroke Association and Heart UK, to co-produce the CVD MSF and ensure we consider the role of emerging innovations across the CVD pathway.

NHS England has not undertaken a specific national assessment of the availability or routine use of ankle-brachial index testing or Doppler ultrasound in primary care for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease.

The National Vascular Registry collects information relating to vascular procedures and patient outcomes to support service improvement and quality assurance within vascular services. However, it does not routinely report national data on diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, or the number of healthcare contacts prior to diagnosis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework will include standards for the early diagnosis and referral of peripheral arterial disease in primary care, including the routine use of ankle-brachial index and Doppler testing for patients presenting with lower-limb pain.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has published a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF), which prioritises ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, supporting consistent and equitable access across the CVD pathway. This modern service framework can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

We welcome the report of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Department and NHS England have engaged widely with stakeholders, such as the Stroke Association and Heart UK, to co-produce the CVD MSF and ensure we consider the role of emerging innovations across the CVD pathway.

NHS England has not undertaken a specific national assessment of the availability or routine use of ankle-brachial index testing or Doppler ultrasound in primary care for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease.

The National Vascular Registry collects information relating to vascular procedures and patient outcomes to support service improvement and quality assurance within vascular services. However, it does not routinely report national data on diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, or the number of healthcare contacts prior to diagnosis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department holds on the rate of misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease in England; and what the average number of clinical contacts is that patients undergo before receiving a correct diagnosis.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has published a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF), which prioritises ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, supporting consistent and equitable access across the CVD pathway. This modern service framework can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

We welcome the report of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Department and NHS England have engaged widely with stakeholders, such as the Stroke Association and Heart UK, to co-produce the CVD MSF and ensure we consider the role of emerging innovations across the CVD pathway.

NHS England has not undertaken a specific national assessment of the availability or routine use of ankle-brachial index testing or Doppler ultrasound in primary care for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease.

The National Vascular Registry collects information relating to vascular procedures and patient outcomes to support service improvement and quality assurance within vascular services. However, it does not routinely report national data on diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, or the number of healthcare contacts prior to diagnosis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will respond to the recommendations of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group's report, Making the Case for Reform in the Vascular Sector, published in March 2026.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has published a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF), which prioritises ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, supporting consistent and equitable access across the CVD pathway. This modern service framework can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

We welcome the report of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Department and NHS England have engaged widely with stakeholders, such as the Stroke Association and Heart UK, to co-produce the CVD MSF and ensure we consider the role of emerging innovations across the CVD pathway.

NHS England has not undertaken a specific national assessment of the availability or routine use of ankle-brachial index testing or Doppler ultrasound in primary care for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease.

The National Vascular Registry collects information relating to vascular procedures and patient outcomes to support service improvement and quality assurance within vascular services. However, it does not routinely report national data on diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, or the number of healthcare contacts prior to diagnosis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will adopt a National Foot Attack Pathway to ensure patients presenting with symptoms of peripheral arterial disease receive same-day assessment and referral to specialist vascular services.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has published a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF), which prioritises ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, supporting consistent and equitable access across the CVD pathway. This modern service framework can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

We welcome the report of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Department and NHS England have engaged widely with stakeholders, such as the Stroke Association and Heart UK, to co-produce the CVD MSF and ensure we consider the role of emerging innovations across the CVD pathway.

NHS England has not undertaken a specific national assessment of the availability or routine use of ankle-brachial index testing or Doppler ultrasound in primary care for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease.

The National Vascular Registry collects information relating to vascular procedures and patient outcomes to support service improvement and quality assurance within vascular services. However, it does not routinely report national data on diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, or the number of healthcare contacts prior to diagnosis.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many new allegations of (a) torture and (b) mistreatment were received by his Department in relation to British nationals in 2025, broken down by country and region.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In 2025 consular officials were made aware of 34 new allegations in which the reported treatment appeared to amount to torture, and 212 new allegations where the report appeared to amount to mistreatment worldwide. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not have investigatory powers in relation to allegations of torture or mistreatment overseas, and takes all allegations at face value.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many new allegations of (a) torture and (b) mistreatment were received by his Department in relation to British nationals in 2025.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In 2025 consular officials were made aware of 34 new allegations in which the reported treatment appeared to amount to torture, and 212 new allegations where the report appeared to amount to mistreatment worldwide. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not have investigatory powers in relation to allegations of torture or mistreatment overseas, and takes all allegations at face value.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will review the role of age and family history in urgent referral criteria for patients presenting with possible symptoms of breast cancer.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence keeps all its guidance under review and its guideline on the recognition and referral of suspected cancer was updated in April 2026. There are no current plans for a further update of the guideline, including a review of the age or family history criteria for urgent investigations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of referral guidance for suspected breast cancer.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence keeps all its guidance under review and its guideline on the recognition and referral of suspected cancer was updated in April 2026. There are no current plans for a further update of the guideline, including a review of the age or family history criteria for urgent investigations.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has met with representatives of The Football Association to discuss safeguarding and behavioural standards in grassroots football; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The safety, wellbeing, and welfare of everyone participating in sport is absolutely paramount. Sport England and UK Sport (DCMS’s Arm’s Length Bodies for sport) provide support to the sport and physical activity sector around safeguarding, including funding the Ann Craft Trust and the NSPCC who provide safeguarding standards and guidance.

The Football Association (The FA), is responsible for the rules governing football, the regulation of the sport and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm. For this reason, the department does not hold data on the number safeguarding incidents in grassroots football and has not made an assessment of trends..

My department engages regularly with the FA on a variety of topics, including safeguarding. Whilst we recognise that significant work is taking place in sport on this issue, more must be done to continue to strengthen safeguarding systems across the sector.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has assessed the impact of competition rules in grassroots football that award points to teams when fixtures are not fulfilled due to safeguarding concerns; and whether she has had discussions with relevant governing bodies on ensuring such rules do not discourage clubs from prioritising player welfare.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The safety, wellbeing, and welfare of everyone participating in sport is absolutely paramount. Sport England and UK Sport (DCMS’s Arm’s Length Bodies for sport) provide support to the sport and physical activity sector around safeguarding, including funding the Ann Craft Trust and the NSPCC who provide safeguarding standards and guidance.

The Football Association (The FA), is responsible for the rules governing football, the regulation of the sport and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm. For this reason, the department does not hold data on the number safeguarding incidents in grassroots football and has not made an assessment of trends..

My department engages regularly with the FA on a variety of topics, including safeguarding. Whilst we recognise that significant work is taking place in sport on this issue, more must be done to continue to strengthen safeguarding systems across the sector.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of safeguarding standards and behavioural enforcement in grassroots youth football; and what steps she is taking to ensure that children participating in grassroots sport are protected from abuse, intimidation and unsafe environments.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The safety, wellbeing, and welfare of everyone participating in sport is absolutely paramount. Sport England and UK Sport (DCMS’s Arm’s Length Bodies for sport) provide support to the sport and physical activity sector around safeguarding, including funding the Ann Craft Trust and the NSPCC who provide safeguarding standards and guidance.

The Football Association (The FA), is responsible for the rules governing football, the regulation of the sport and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm. For this reason, the department does not hold data on the number safeguarding incidents in grassroots football and has not made an assessment of trends..

My department engages regularly with the FA on a variety of topics, including safeguarding. Whilst we recognise that significant work is taking place in sport on this issue, more must be done to continue to strengthen safeguarding systems across the sector.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of governance and disciplinary processes operated by The Football Association in addressing repeated misconduct and safeguarding concerns in grassroots football.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The safety, wellbeing, and welfare of everyone participating in sport is absolutely paramount. Sport England and UK Sport (DCMS’s Arm’s Length Bodies for sport) provide support to the sport and physical activity sector around safeguarding, including funding the Ann Craft Trust and the NSPCC who provide safeguarding standards and guidance.

The Football Association (The FA), is responsible for the rules governing football, the regulation of the sport and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm. For this reason, the department does not hold data on the number safeguarding incidents in grassroots football and has not made an assessment of trends..

My department engages regularly with the FA on a variety of topics, including safeguarding. Whilst we recognise that significant work is taking place in sport on this issue, more must be done to continue to strengthen safeguarding systems across the sector.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what data her Department holds on the number of reported safeguarding and misconduct incidents in grassroots youth football in the last three years; and what assessment she has made of trends in such incidents.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The safety, wellbeing, and welfare of everyone participating in sport is absolutely paramount. Sport England and UK Sport (DCMS’s Arm’s Length Bodies for sport) provide support to the sport and physical activity sector around safeguarding, including funding the Ann Craft Trust and the NSPCC who provide safeguarding standards and guidance.

The Football Association (The FA), is responsible for the rules governing football, the regulation of the sport and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm. For this reason, the department does not hold data on the number safeguarding incidents in grassroots football and has not made an assessment of trends..

My department engages regularly with the FA on a variety of topics, including safeguarding. Whilst we recognise that significant work is taking place in sport on this issue, more must be done to continue to strengthen safeguarding systems across the sector.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with Hong Kong officials on the use of Hong Kong’s national security legislation to prosecute individuals for commemorating the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Minister for the Indo-Pacific said in her statement of 21 August, the convictions of Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan are a further demonstration that even peaceful acts of remembrance in Hong Kong are now treated by the authorities as threats to national security. We will continue to raise these concerns with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, and we continue to call for the Beijing-imposed National Security Law to be repealed.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Hong Kong authorities on the conviction of Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan for incitement to subversion following their commemoration of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Minister for the Indo-Pacific said in her statement of 21 August, the convictions of Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan are a further demonstration that even peaceful acts of remembrance in Hong Kong are now treated by the authorities as threats to national security. We will continue to raise these concerns with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, and we continue to call for the Beijing-imposed National Security Law to be repealed.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for freedom of expression in Hong Kong of the conviction of Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan for incitement to subversion.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Minister for the Indo-Pacific said in her statement of 21 August, the convictions of Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan are a further demonstration that even peaceful acts of remembrance in Hong Kong are now treated by the authorities as threats to national security. We will continue to raise these concerns with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, and we continue to call for the Beijing-imposed National Security Law to be repealed.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has discussed the arrest and questioning of twenty-six individuals associated with the Srebrenica Memorial Centre with Foreign Ministers from other Peace Implementation Council countries.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

I refer the Hon. Member to 24762 answered on 11th September.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Republika Srpska entity’s leadership over the arrest and questioning of twenty-six individuals associated with the Srebrenica Memorial Centre.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

I refer the Hon. Member to 24762 answered on 11th September.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he has taken following the arrest and questioning of twenty-six individuals associated with the Srebrenica Memorial Centre.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

I refer the Hon. Member to 24762 answered on 11th September.

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Alicia Kearns

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Alicia Kearns

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Alicia Kearns

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Alicia Kearns

Found: This was raised with us by HM Official Opposition and by Alicia Kearns MP .51 72.