Question

To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, which of the Anglican Churches in the British Overseas Territories remain in communion with the See of Canterbury.

Answered by Marsha De Cordova

All Provinces and Dioceses of the Anglican Communion that are active in the British Overseas Territories remain in communion with the See of Canterbury. These include the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe, which is part of the Church of England; the Falklands and Bermuda, which are extra-provincial jurisdictions; St Helena, which comes under the Provinces of Southern Africa; and the churches in the remaining British Overseas Territories, which the Anglican Province of the West Indies administers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps he has taken to support SMEs based in the UK to bid for defence contracts.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This Government has already committed to spending £2.5 billion more with defence SMEs. Central to driving this pledge is the recent establishment of the new Office for Small Business Growth which will help simplify and speed up cumbersome processes, provide advice to SMEs and encourage private sector investment. We have also recently announced a £20 million fund to offer accelerated contracts to small, innovative British startups, as well as establishing a protected budget of £400 million for UK Defence Innovation. We're breaking down barriers and opening new avenues for innovation, ensuring that our SMEs can play a vital role in strengthening our defence capabilities.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps he has taken to improve the (a) cost and (b) time efficiency of armed forces procurement processes.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Industrial Strategy and Strategic Defence Review set out plans to overhaul procurement. Our new segmented approach to procurement, supported by accelerated commercial pathways, is designed to enable programmes to get to contract faster and be more cost efficient. We are making progress towards the target date of 1 April 2026 for establishment of the segmented approach in line with the Strategic Defence Review.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration her Department gives to the statutory conservation and education requirements that zoological institutions must meet when deciding business rates policy.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.

To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.

The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. This includes zoos and aquariums with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

Further details on what is meant by “visiting members of the public” can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending business rates relief to (a) zoos and (b) aquariums.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.

To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.

The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. This includes zoos and aquariums with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

Further details on what is meant by “visiting members of the public” can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the business rates revaluation on (a) zoos and (b) aquariums in 2026.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.

To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.

The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. This includes zoos and aquariums with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

Further details on what is meant by “visiting members of the public” can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.

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 level of risk of closure of zoos and aquariums as a result of increased operating costs; and what steps she is taking to mitigate that risk.

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

The Government recognises the significant contribution zoos and aquariums make to the visitor economy, supporting local growth and global conservation. DCMS monitors the sector's performance closely through VisitBritain/VisitEngland.

The Visitor Attraction Trends in England 2024 report demonstrates the sector's resilience, with England’s attractions reporting a 1.4% increase in visits and an 8% increase in gross revenue from 2023-2024. Major zoos remain among England's most popular paid attractions; Chester Zoo and ZSL London Zoo currently rank third and ninth respectively.

To support the sector, the Government has introduced targeted measures including permanently lower business rates for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, worth nearly £900 million annually.

DCMS continues to work with VisitBritain to champion visits to the British countryside and our world-class attractions to a worldwide audience. Local Visitor Economy Partnerships also have an important role to play in supporting the development of local tourism products and packages that encourage more visitors to come and stay for longer and benefit local communities.

The forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will also provide a long-term framework to increase visitor flows and deliver sustainable growth across the UK.

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 impact of current economic conditions on visitor numbers and income for zoos and aquariums.

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

The Government recognises the significant contribution zoos and aquariums make to the visitor economy, supporting local growth and global conservation. DCMS monitors the sector's performance closely through VisitBritain/VisitEngland.

The Visitor Attraction Trends in England 2024 report demonstrates the sector's resilience, with England’s attractions reporting a 1.4% increase in visits and an 8% increase in gross revenue from 2023-2024. Major zoos remain among England's most popular paid attractions; Chester Zoo and ZSL London Zoo currently rank third and ninth respectively.

To support the sector, the Government has introduced targeted measures including permanently lower business rates for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, worth nearly £900 million annually.

DCMS continues to work with VisitBritain to champion visits to the British countryside and our world-class attractions to a worldwide audience. Local Visitor Economy Partnerships also have an important role to play in supporting the development of local tourism products and packages that encourage more visitors to come and stay for longer and benefit local communities.

The forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will also provide a long-term framework to increase visitor flows and deliver sustainable growth across the UK.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the recent performance of HMS Protector in addressing threats to sovereign interests in the British Antarctic Territories.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) remains committed to supporting the UK’s sovereign interests and wider commitments in the Antarctic and South Atlantic. HMS PROTECTOR routinely deploys to the Antarctic Peninsula to undertake activities in support of the UK’s interests, including Antarctic Treaty inspections and station visits in support of the British Antarctic Survey.

The MOD keeps all operational activity under regular review to ensure that the UK’s interests in the South Atlantic are supported, and sovereignty of the British Antarctic Territory is maintained. For this reason, BFSAI personnel have recently conducted an Antarctic overflight, providing a sovereign presence in the British Antarctic Territory.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of increases in (a) business rates, (b) wages, (c) energy costs and (d) animal feed costs on zoological collections.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade has not made an assessment on the cumulative impact of these costs on zoological collections.

The Government is committed to supporting businesses and charities. To do so, the Government is introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. This includes zoos and aquariums with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

The Government published their full Impact Assessment for the 2026 rates, outlining the potential effects that increases to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage may have on businesses.

As well, Ofgem has launched a Cost Allocation Recovery Review to consider how energy system costs can be recovered from consumers, including businesses, in a fairer and more efficient way in the future energy system.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress work on a draft bill on Antarctic Activities and Environmental Protection Law on British sovereign interests in the Antarctic.

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

All Antarctic Treaty Parties have a responsibility to ensure their activities in Antarctica are undertaken in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty and its Environmental Protocol.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Antarctic Strategy to 2035, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the rapid growth and diversification of tourism on the British Antarctic Territories.

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

All the issues raised by the Hon Member, including the protection of biosecurity, the prohibition of non-native species, and the impact of tourism, are important for the UK Government and are reflected in the objectives of our UK Antarctic Strategy published on 1 December 2025. We discuss and monitor these issues regularly alongside the international partners who share our interests in Antarctica, and we have invested heavily in the modern scientific research capabilities that help us to keep these issues under review.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Antarctic Strategy to 2035, what discussions she has had with Antarctic Parties on the protection of UK sovereign interests in the British Antarctic Territories.

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

All the issues raised by the Hon Member, including the protection of biosecurity, the prohibition of non-native species, and the impact of tourism, are important for the UK Government and are reflected in the objectives of our UK Antarctic Strategy published on 1 December 2025. We discuss and monitor these issues regularly alongside the international partners who share our interests in Antarctica, and we have invested heavily in the modern scientific research capabilities that help us to keep these issues under review.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Antarctic Strategy to 2035, what assessment her Department has made of biosecurity risks in the British Antarctic Territories.

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

All the issues raised by the Hon Member, including the protection of biosecurity, the prohibition of non-native species, and the impact of tourism, are important for the UK Government and are reflected in the objectives of our UK Antarctic Strategy published on 1 December 2025. We discuss and monitor these issues regularly alongside the international partners who share our interests in Antarctica, and we have invested heavily in the modern scientific research capabilities that help us to keep these issues under review.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Overseas Territories biodiversity strategy, published on 12 January 2026, if she will set out the minimum biosecurity standards for ports and airports serving the British Antarctic Territories.

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

All the issues raised by the Hon Member, including the protection of biosecurity, the prohibition of non-native species, and the impact of tourism, are important for the UK Government and are reflected in the objectives of our UK Antarctic Strategy published on 1 December 2025. We discuss and monitor these issues regularly alongside the international partners who share our interests in Antarctica, and we have invested heavily in the modern scientific research capabilities that help us to keep these issues under review.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the resilience of British Antarctic Territory infrastructure and logistics, including the sole dependency on HMS Protector.

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

All the issues raised by the Hon Member, including the protection of biosecurity, the prohibition of non-native species, and the impact of tourism, are important for the UK Government and are reflected in the objectives of our UK Antarctic Strategy published on 1 December 2025. We discuss and monitor these issues regularly alongside the international partners who share our interests in Antarctica, and we have invested heavily in the modern scientific research capabilities that help us to keep these issues under review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken with relevant authorities to help tackle crime in town centres across greater London.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The central aim of our police reforms is to protect and revitalise neighbourhood policing. We are lifting national responsibilities off local forces, so they focus on tackling local issues, like fighting town centre crime.

Our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee is already making a difference. For too long, people have not seen police patrolling their streets. We will have 3,000 more neighbourhood officers by March this year. The Metropolitan Police Service’s projected growth over 2025 to 2026 will be 420 police officers (FTE) and 50 Police Community Support Officers (FTE). We are giving them the powers they need, including making it a specific offence to assault retail workers and ending the treatment of theft under the value of £200 as a summary-only offence.

We are equipping the police to fight the organised crime gangs that are often responsible for driving shop theft across the country. Our £5m investment into OPAL (a specialist policing unit) will supercharge intelligence-led policing to identify offenders, disrupt the tactics used to target shops, and bring more criminals to justice.

We have also delivered on our manifesto pledge: every police force in England and Wales now has a dedicated lead officer for anti-social behaviour, who will work with communities to develop an action plan to tackle ASB. We are also strengthening the powers to tackle ASB. Our new Respect Orders will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless ASB offenders.

Through our Summer Initiative police forces and local authorities increased patrols in town centres, tackling retail crime and anti-social behaviour as part of the Government’s Plan for Change to make our streets safer. Our Winter of Action, which ran from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2026, built on this, with an additional focus on repeat offenders and protecting women and girls at night. The full list of locations the Metropolitan Police Service focused on as part of the Winter of Action can be found here: Winter of Action: location list - GOV.UK

Building from the Winter of Action, we are working with forces and local partners to identify and tackle the most prolific retail offenders - where a few individuals can drive a large proportion of the local crime problem.

Together with the police, we are sending a message: crime and anti-social behaviour will be punished.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Ministerial colleagues and (b) external partners on the 25-year conservation plan for Akrotiri Salt Lake in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Sovereign Base Areas Administration oversees the conservation plan for the Akrotiri Salt Lake, specifically through the ‘Akrotiri Peninsular Environmental Management Plan’. This was prepared in 2012 with the input and cooperation of local communities, non-Government organisations, and agencies of the Republic of Cyprus. Activity within this plan has been undertaken with technical and project support from cross-Government partners, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of defence funding on RAF Northolt’s ability to support military operations.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

RAF Northolt is a core military establishment, delivering a breadth of important day-to-day outputs for Defence. There are no defence funding trends which might impact RAF Northolt’s ability to support military operations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to improve cybersecurity protections for critical national infrastructure.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence takes cyber security very seriously, particularly with regard to critical national infrastructure. We do not comment publicly on the detail of our protections for security reasons.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken with local authorities to improve road infrastructure in (a) Havering and (b) the M25 junction 29 Romford area.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As transport in London is devolved, it is up to Havering to work with the Mayor of London and Transport for London to make decisions on investment in local roads. The Government is committed to supporting local highway authorities to maintain their local roads effectively, and to this end Havering is eligible to receive over £13.9 million of highways maintenance funding between 2026/27 and 2029/2030. The Government has also provided the Greater London Authority with £53.5 million of funding for the Gallows Corner scheme, which is being delivered by TfL and expected to be completed by Spring 2026.

The operation and maintenance of Junction 29 of the M25 is the responsibility of National Highways, which regularly monitors the performance of the junction and surrounding strategic road network.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegally possessed firearms have been seized in (a) Romford constituency and (b) greater London in each year since 1997.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely collect data on the number of firearms seized by police forces as part of their operations to tackle illegally held weapons.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many zoos are operating in the UK; and how many of these are not registered charities.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In relation to zoos, Defra is responsible for the legislation that regulates the welfare and management of animals kept by zoos. Under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, those collections of wild animals on exhibition in Britain that meet the appropriate criteria in the 1981 Act need to be licensed. Local authorities are responsible for licensing zoos that require a licence under the 1981 Act. Local authorities are not required to report to Defra how many collections they do not deem need a licence, and Defra does not maintain a list of zoos (licensed or unlicensed) in England – including whether any of those collections are registered charities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has received legal advice on the compliance of new facial recognition technology deployed by police forces with human rights obligations.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office published its consultation on proposals for a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies on 4 December 2025. This considers how the police could use new facial recognition technology in a way that continues to be compatible with the Human Rights Act 1998.

The Department was an interested party in an important court case on this issue, R (Bridges) v Chief Constable of South Wales Police [2020] EWCA Civ 1058. In preparing the consultation, the Department took into account the court’s judgement and received advice on all aspects of the current legal framework for the use of such technology.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to section 5 of his Department's policy paper entitled The Strategic Defence Review 2025 - Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 8 July 2025, what assessment he has made of potential impact of possible threats on the Antarctic Treaty system.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Government’s vision to maintain the UK’s role as a leader in Antarctica and an active participant in the Antarctic Treaty system was set out in the UK Antarctic Strategy to 2035, published on 1 December 2025. The Ministry of Defence undertakes regular assessments of the requirements for Defence to support UK interests in the Antarctic, including upholding the Antarctic Treaty System.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the regional disaster response to the fires in the SBAs of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in July 2025; and whether he has implemented new regional disaster preparedness plans in response.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Sovereign Base Areas Administration (SBAA) manages disaster preparedness through the Areas Resilience Forum. Modelled on UK best practice, this takes a multi-agency approach, including both the SBAA and British Forces Cyprus, to prepare and respond to civil emergencies. The Area Resilience Forum conducts regular exercises to enhance preparedness of relevant agencies.

In tackling civil emergencies, the Administration enjoys full, reciprocal cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus (RoC). For example, during the July 2025 wildfires – which took place within the RoC – significant aerial firefighting support was provided to the RoC by RAF CH-47.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on the Bilateral Defence Co-operation Programme between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The UK continues to share a strong Defence relationship with the Republic of Cyprus. This cooperation is underpinned by our Bilateral Defence Cooperation Plan, which is collaboratively reviewed level by Cypriot and UK Ministries of Defence. Our cooperation within this framework has grown year-on-year: it includes training, capability development, and crisis planning, as well as collaboration on domestic and regional challenges.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Immigration (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 on the SBAs of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Immigration (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 has been implemented effectively. The amendments addressed operational gaps and improved clarity for Sovereign Base Areas Customs and Immigration officers, while ensuring alignment with the Republic of Cyprus in line with the UK’s Treaty of Establishment commitments.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many deportations took place from the SBAs in (a) 2026, (b) 2025, (c) 2024 and (d) 2023.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

No deportations have taken place directly from the Sovereign Base Areas in 2023, 2024, 2025 or 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2025 to UIN 66298, what recent discussions he has had with the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus on crime and immigration.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Sovereign Base Areas Administration and British High Commission Nicosia enjoy the practical support and cooperation of the Republic of Cyprus on issues of crime and immigration. Recent priorities have included tackling people smuggling networks, breaking up serious & organised criminal gangs, and the implementation of relevant parts of the UK/EU Withdrawal Agreement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish a breakdown of funding provided to the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia from the APPOLLO programme; and if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of this funding.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The APOLLO programme is delivering seismically compliant infrastructure and living accommodation across the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs).

Under the APOLLO programme, to date, construction has taken place across both the Western (including Akrotiri) and Eastern (including Dhekelia) Sovereign Base Areas. This has resulted in the provision of a new primary school, operational buildings, Defence family housing, and a passenger and freight handling facility. This investment serves to reduce seismic risk, strengthen operational capability, and help improve quality of life for Defence personnel and their families.

All Defence spending commitments, including the APOLLO programme, are currently under review as part of the Defence Investment Plan. As a result, we are unable to publish a breakdown of current and planned funding provided to the SBAs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer on 8 December 2025 to Question 97994 on Artic: Shipping, what are the (a) command arrangements and (b) cost contributions for shared ice cutter capability in the British Antarctic Territories.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence remains committed to supporting the UK's sovereign and wider interests in the Antarctic. HMS PROTECTOR routinely deploys to the Antarctic Peninsula supporting the UK's responsibilities to the Antarctic Treaty and the British Antarctic Territory.

To deliver the vision of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), we are developing options through the Defence Investment Plan for future Ice Patrol Ship capability. These options will consider requirements for the Antarctic, but also encompass the requirements for Arctic capabilities which the SDR identified as a region of increasing competition. These options will include cost and command factors.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Police Service's remit will include dealing with illegal tobacco and organized crime.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The National Police Service will lead the operational response to serious and organised crime.

We would expect that to include operational activity against illegal tobacco currently carried out by the National Crime Agency and the Regional Organised Crime Units.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2025 to question 71975 on RAF Akrotiri: Military Aircraft, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of current pan space capacity.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

British Forces Cyprus continue to work closely with all relevant stakeholders to assess the capacity of the RAF Akrotiri Airfield Operating Surfaces, ensuring an appropriate understanding of current requirements and the ability to support Defence activity as needed. RAF Akrotiri currently has adequate pan space capacity for both current and planned operations, with future operational demands kept under regular review.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the updated land-use framework adopted in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK and the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) agreed to a new ‘Non-Military Development’ process in 2014 under the last government. This harmonised the rights to civilian development within the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) with those of the RoC, with certain conditions to safeguard military use of the SBAs. This arrangement has been in practical effect since May 2022, enhancing the prosperity and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2025 to question 71975, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of expanding the available pan space.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I would like to refer the hon. Member to the answer I have provided to the hon. Member for Huntingdon on 29 August to Question 71975. There remain no plans to expand the available 'pan space' at RAF Akrotiri but the Ministry of Defence is well placed to expand the facilities and infrastructure at RAF Akrotiri should the need arise.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 79283, if he will make an assessment of (a) the effectiveness of hydrographic surveys to improve the safety of navigation in Antarctic waters and (b) the potential merits of increasing the capacity for conducting these surveys.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK Hydrographic Office, an Executive Agency of the MOD, provides products to support the safety of navigation at sea for the UK's Waters, including its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies - they draw this data from multiple sources including international partners under the auspices of the International Hydrographic Organisation's Hydrographic Commission for Antarctica. The Royal Navy's Ice Patrol Ship, HMS Protector, also carries out hydrographic surveys in Antarctic waters.

The difficulties of gaining high quality data in such a remote and environmentally challenging region are significant and the season for data collection is short. Therefore, there is strong cross-governmental coordination to ensure more frequently visited areas of the British Antarctic Territory are prioritised.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS patients have been treated in hospital corridors in each year since 2010 in a) England and b) Romford constituency.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that the provision of clinical care in corridors or other non-designated clinical areas is unacceptable and we are committed to eradicating it from our National Health Service.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of corridor care to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.

We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.

In December, NHS England published updated guidance on providing care in corridors to support trusts with making decisions on corridor care transparently, with clear governance and oversight to reduce impacts on patients and staff and to ensure the safety and dignity of patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to reduce instances of hospital corridor care in a) England and b) Romford constituency.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that the provision of clinical care in corridors or other non-designated clinical areas is unacceptable and we are committed to eradicating it from our National Health Service.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of corridor care to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.

We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.

In December, NHS England published updated guidance on providing care in corridors to support trusts with making decisions on corridor care transparently, with clear governance and oversight to reduce impacts on patients and staff and to ensure the safety and dignity of patients.

British couple detained in Iran

Rape gang overseas trafficking