Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report on the Southport attack by the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a new offence of planning a mass casualty attack.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government accepts and strongly supports the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation’s (IRTL) recommendation to consider creating a new offence to capture individuals intending to kill multiple people and planning for such attacks. As recognised by the IRTL, this is a complex area of law and will require working through difficult legal and ethical issues to avoid unintended consequences. We are considering carefully the best way to close the gap in the legislation.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Prime Minister shared with the Planning Casework Unit a written record of his discussions on 23 August 2024 and 18 December 2024 with the President of the People's Republic of China on the proposed new Chinese Embassy.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As has been the case under successive administrations, government does not normally disclose details of internal discussions.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Guidance on planning propriety: planning casework decisions, published on 16 December 2021, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Government's compliance with that guidance in the context of discussions between the Prime Minister the Chinese President in (a) August and (b) December 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In dealing with any application, Ministers and officials will act in accordance with published propriety guidance on planning casework decisions. More information can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the current period of prolonged frost and frozen ground on the ability of woodcock to feed; and whether she intends to exercise existing powers to introduce a temporary suspension of woodcock shooting during this period.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Managed by JNCC, the Severe Weather Scheme is designed to help with the conservation of birds listed at Schedule 2 Part 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including woodcock, by reducing disturbance during periods of prolonged cold weather through voluntary restraint and then statutory suspension of shooting.
The threshold for the minimum number of days of freezing weather which would trigger voluntary restraint in England has not been met this winter. However, JNCC remains in regular discussion with Defra, the British Association of Shooting and Conservation, and environmental organisations on the impact to birds of the current and forecast cold weather.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the commitment to participate in US-led monitoring and verification of any ceasefire in Ukraine is binding.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Following the Leaders’ meeting in Paris on 6 January 2026, technical discussions with the United States and international partners on potential monitoring and verification arrangements for any ceasefire in Ukraine are ongoing. As reiterated by the Prime Minister, we have seen excellent progress in US-led negotiations in recent weeks and we will continue to work closely with our US allies to guarantee Ukraine’s security long-term including participating in US-led ceasefire monitoring.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what form, physical or remote intelligence, the UK commitment to participate in US-led monitoring and verification of a ceasefire in Ukraine will take.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Technical discussions with the United States and international partners on potential monitoring and verification arrangements for any ceasefire in Ukraine are ongoing. As reiterated by the Prime Minister, we have seen excellent progress in US-led negotiations in recent weeks and we will continue to work closely with our US allies to guarantee Ukraine’s security long-term including participating in US-led ceasefire monitoring.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials have met with the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China since July 2024.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is in regular contact with our Chinese counterparts at various levels, including with Ambassador Zheng.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of primary and secondary schools in England that include teaching on organ donation within the Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum; and whether her Department plans to (a) collect and (b) publish further information on that topic.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance sets out that by the end of secondary school, pupils should know about the science relating to blood, organ and stem cell donation.
The department does not routinely collect data on how many schools teach specific topics and has no plans to require schools to report in that detail. It is for individual schools to make sure that they cover the statutory content in RSHE, and they have flexibility to decide how to do so.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which (a) Minister and (b) official demarched the Chinese Ambassador following the verdict on Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary confirmed in Parliament in her Oral Statement on 15 December 2025, the Chinese Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. A senior official condemned the politically motivated prosecution of Jimmy Lai that has resulted in this guilty verdict and urged that Lai be released immediately.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has undertaken a review of the medical exemption criteria for prescription charges, particularly in relation to solid-organ transplant recipients.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No review of the medical exemption criteria for prescription charges has been undertaken.
There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which recipients of a solid-organ transplant may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme, which provides help based on a comparison between a person’s income and requirements.
People who need to pay and need many prescription items could save money with a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC). PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as needed for a set cost. An annual PPC costs £114.50 and will save money if they need 12 or more items in 12 months. To help spread the cost, people can pay for an annual PPC by 10 monthly direct debits, which works out as just over £2 per week. A three-month PPC for £32.05 is also available.
To further support patients National Health Service prescription charges in England have been frozen for the second successive year, keeping the cost for a single charge at £9.90.