Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether money spent on the UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership has been distributed to M23 militias in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Under the previous government’s Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) with Rwanda, an Economic Transformation and Integration Fund was agreed to support the Government of Rwanda to achieve its Vision 2050 and National Strategy for Transformation 1 development strategies, which are intended to support sustainable and inclusive economic growth within Rwanda and improve the conditions of the existing refugee population and host communities, including in areas such as education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, and job creation.

Further costs relating to the MEDP have been published here: Breakdown of Home Office costs associated with the MEDP with Rwanda and the Illegal Migration Act 2023 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the protection of personal data in the context of Apple’s withdrawal of Advanced Data Protection.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The UK has a strong track record of protecting people’s privacy whilst also ensuring action can be taken against child sexual abusers and terrorists.

The Investigatory Powers Act contains robust safeguards and independent oversight to protect privacy and ensure that data is only obtained on an exceptional basis and only when it is necessary and proportionate to do so.

The Home Office does not comment on operational matters. This has been the longstanding position of successive UK Governments for reasons of national security.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish funding by the Better Care Fund to support unpaid carers for (a) 2023 and (b) 2024, by region.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 March 2025 to Question 33291.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of placing a new statutory duty on local authorities to ensure all unpaid carers are able to take regular breaks.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

This Government is committed to ensuring families have the support they need. We want to ensure that people who care for family and friends are better able to look after their own health and wellbeing. Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers such as respite and breaks.

The Government recognises the challenges facing the adult social care system. That is why the Government is launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service.

The Commission will start a national conversation about what working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support. Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service is clear that a fresh approach to supporting and involving unpaid carers is required to improve outcomes for carers, people needing care and the NHS.

We will carefully consider these findings as part of our 10-year plan for reforming and modernising the NHS and as we develop plans to reform adult social care, including through the National Care Service.

Further, I recently met with employers and the Department for Business and Trade to discuss how employers are driving best practice in supporting working carers. The Government is committed to reviewing the implementation of Carer’s Leave and examining the benefits of introducing paid Carer’s Leave.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) new planning proposals and (b) increased house building do not (i) negatively impact wildlife and (ii) worsen environmental degradation.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by recognising the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside, and the wider benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services. Development is restricted in areas which are designated for their environmental value.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework we published on 12 December 2024 included several changes designed to enhance and protect the environment. For example, it expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats, and hedgehogs.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies are being prepared across England to set out priorities for nature recovery, map important habitats and identify opportunities for improvements.

The government recently updated its Planning Practice Guidance to explain the role of Local Nature Recovery Strategies in the planning system and made clear as part of that update that these strategies will form an evidence base which may be a material consideration when making planning decisions.

When it comes to development and the environment, we know we can do better than the status quo, which too often sees both sustainable housebuilding and nature recovery stall. Instead of environmental protections being seen as a barrier to growth, we want to unlock a win-win for the economy and for nature.

Proposals for a Nature Restoration Fund are under development for inclusion in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Further information will be set out when the Bill is introduced.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that Group B Streptococcus-specific enriched culture medium testing is available in hospital laboratories.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Enriched culture medium testing is used in National Health Service laboratories. Current clinical practice is that if a routine urine test in pregnancy indicates a bacterial infection, microbiology techniques, such as enriched culture medium plates, should be used to identify the bacteria.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to introduce a licensing scheme for builders undertaking domestic building works.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, with consumer protection at the heart of this. TrustMark, sponsored by the Department and licenced by the Government, is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme that covers work a consumer chooses to have carried out in or around their home. In addition, the Building Safety Act 2022 has introduced competence requirements for both individuals and businesses working in the built environment.

Any action that the Government takes on licensing to protect customers and standards needs to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will take steps with Companies House to create a database to enable consumers to check whether builders have previously liquidated their companies and opened new businesses under a new name.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Companies House does not have any plans to build a specific database for the purpose outlined.

Companies House is taking action to improve the quality of the information on the Register of Companies using powers made available by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

The Act also provides for the compulsory identity verification of directors, persons with significant control and those acting on behalf of companies. This will ensure that consumers are able to more easily trace the previous appointments of company directors. The systems needed to enable the deployment of identity verification are currently being implemented.

Radiotherapy (No. 2)

Bank closures

Sharrington phone box

Future of the adoption and special guardianship support fund

Ending the sale of tickets to captive orca and dolphin shows

Refusal of Citizenship to refugees who have made irregular crossings

Injury on Duty Award Scheme

Snares

Mobile phone usage in schools

Community pharmacies

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Found: _1 Helen Morgan Dr Danny Chambers Liz Jarvis Alison Bennett Jess Brown-Fuller .

Found: Wilson Jess Brown-Fuller Natalie Fleet Christine Jardine Manuela Perteghella Ian Sollom Alison Bennett

Found: _1 Helen Morgan Dr Danny Chambers Liz Jarvis Alison Bennett Jess Brown-Fuller .

Found: _1 Helen Morgan Dr Danny Chambers Liz Jarvis Alison Bennett Jess Brown-Fuller .

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Found: Wrigley Alex Brewer Jess Brown-Fuller Luke Taylor Calum Miller Vikki Slade John Milne Alison Bennett

Found: Wilson Jess Brown-Fuller Natalie Fleet Christine Jardine Manuela Perteghella Ian Sollom Alison Bennett

Found: Wilson Jess Brown-Fuller Natalie Fleet Christine Jardine Manuela Perteghella Ian Sollom Alison Bennett