Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to mark Armed Forces Week.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

Armed Forces Day (AFD) is an annual opportunity for the nation to show support for the Armed Forces community, including serving personnel, Service families, veterans and cadets. Traditionally held on the last Saturday in June, AFD fell this year on Saturday 27 June. More than 250 events were planned across the UK, and the National Event was hosted in Aldershot by Rushmoor Borough Council. MOD supported AFD event organisers through the AFD Grant Scheme, which provided eligible events with grants of up to £10,000. For 2026, MOD supported 130 events across the UK with £430,000 of grant funding.

In the run-up to AFD itself, a series of events were held to build momentum and raise awareness. The programme began with AFD Northern Ireland, traditionally held on the preceding Saturday, this year on Saturday 20 June 2026 . As the only AFD event in Northern Ireland, it enabled maximum participation from supporting military units and allowed an event comparable in scale to the National Event. This year’s event was held in Coleraine, hosted by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and Mayor Dawn Huggins. More than 20,000 visitors attended and enjoyed displays including the RAF Falcons parachute display team, a Dakota flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), and military assets such as Challenger 2, Warrior and Foxhound vehicles, alongside a gun salute.

On Monday 22 June 2026, AFD Flag Raising ceremonies took place across the UK, enabling the public, various institutions and local authorities to demonstrate their support for the Armed Forces community. A highlight was the ceremony held at the Palace of Westminster, hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons and attended by the Defence Secretary, the Minister for the Armed Forces, the Minister for Veterans and People and the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).

Wednesday 24 June 2026 was Reserves Day, recognising the valuable contribution Reservists make to the Armed Forces. Reservists were encouraged to wear their uniforms in their civilian workplace to highlight their service. A reception was hosted by the Prime Minister at No.10 Downing Street for MOD Civil Servants who serve also as Reservists.

On Saturday 27 June 2026, more than 230 AFD events took place across the UK in appreciation of the Armed Forces community. These ranged from small tea-party-style gatherings to large-scale events attracting more than 10,000 visitors, enabling communities nationwide to both recognise and thank the Armed Forces.

The national focus for AFD was Aldershot, where Rushmoor Borough Council hosted this year’s Armed Forces Day National Event (AFDNE). As Defence’s flagship AFD event, AFDNE provided a national platform to recognise serving personnel, veterans, reservists, cadets and their families. It was a major, multi-agency event involving the MOD, local authorities, blue-light responders, and tri-Service Defence capability. It supported the Strategic Defence Review’s aim of renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve. More than 15,000 visitors attended, viewing military stands and assets including an A400M, a BBMF Dakota flypast, Chinook and Apache AH-64 helicopters, and a military parade featuring serving personnel, cadets and veterans.

AFD and the events that led up to it provided the ideal platform to enable the nation to further understand, engage with, and celebrate the work of our Armed Forces community.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 11617, what her planned timeline is for the regulatory acceptance of alternatives in pharmacokinetic and cardiovascular safety studies involving dogs; and what interim metrics are being used to measure canine reduction before the publication of the performance framework.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Replacing Animals in Science strategy includes a commitment to reduce the use of dogs in pharmacokinetic and cardiovascular safety studies by 35% by 2030, where scientifically justified and supported by validated alternatives. The Government is working with regulators, industry and other partners to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods needed to achieve this ambition. A publicly available dashboard of progress against the strategy’s key deliverables and key performance indicators is being developed, and the Government will publish a delivery update, alongside key performance indicators on progress across all elements of the strategy, later in 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for project licenses involving canines were refused by her Department in the last 12 months on the sole basis that a scientifically satisfactory (a) method and (b) testing strategy was already available.

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

The Home Office regulates the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Under ASPA, all project licence applications must comply with the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs), which set out that animals may only be used when no validated non-animal alternative exists, the number of animals is minimised, and any potential harms are minimised.

In the last twelve months, the Home Office has not refused any licences involving canines on the grounds that a scientifically satisfactory non-animal alternative method or testing strategy was available.

The number of formal refusals is not, however, a meaningful indicator of either application of non-animal alternatives or regulatory rigour. All applications go through multiple review stages before reaching the Home Office Regulator, and guidance is available to assist applicants in preparing submissions that meet all legal requirements. Only applications that fully meet the requirements of the legislation may be considered for licensing authorisation.

All establishments licensed to use animals must have an Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB), which reviews proposals before they are submitted to the Regulator. Therefore, establishments’ internal review processes are intended to identify where suitable alternatives are available before applications are progressed to the Home Office.

Applications received by the Home Office are subject to detailed scrutiny, including requests for clarification or amendment where required. Applicants may revise or withdraw an application in response to feedback.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to fund the Type 83 Destroyer programme.

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

The Defence Investment Plan sets out the Royal Navy’s (RN) approach to delivering the UK’s most advanced maritime air defence capability and the rationale for this approach. Rather than delivering this capability through a small number of large and expensive Type 83 destroyers, the RN will instead invest in a hybrid mix of crewed and uncrewed capabilities that will be more suited to facing the threats of modern warfare. The RN will procure at least six Common Combat Vessels (CCV) which will act as a control hub for uncrewed systems, thus extending the Navy’s reach, resilience and lethality.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department defines the statutory term scientifically satisfactory under Section 2A of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 as being legally dependent upon formal regulatory (a) validation and (b) acceptance by international bodies.

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

Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), the statutory duty in section 2A requires the Secretary of State to ensure compliance with the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (3Rs principles). In relation to the principle of replacement, the statutory framework requires that, wherever possible, a scientifically satisfactory non‑animal method must be used instead of a regulated procedure.

ASPA does not prescribe in detail how “scientifically satisfactory” is to be assessed. That assessment is a matter of scientific and regulatory judgement, exercised in the context of the statutory framework (including consideration of a harm–benefit analysis and the wider 3Rs principles).

All project licence applications are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis, required under ASPA. The harm-benefit analysis ensures that a project is only granted where a trained Home Office Inspector is satisfied that the likely harms to animals, including pain, suffering, distress and any lasting harm, are justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment.

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 increase to availability of (a) defibrillators and (b) other first aid equipment (i) across England and (ii) within Romford constituency.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

The Department’s position is that local communities are best placed to make decisions about procuring, locating, and maintaining automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that are managed outside of the National Health Service, including in the Romford constituency.

There are over 110,000 defibrillators registered in the United Kingdom on The Circuit, the independent AED database, and over 30,000 of these have been added in the past two years. Additionally, decisions on the provision of first aid equipment are generally taken locally by communities, organisations, and site owners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the number of new cadets joining military cadet forces in 2026.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

The Government fully recognises the benefits of cadets. Participation in the Cadet Forces has significant positive impacts on young people, increasing their performance at school, and improving their employment and career prospects.

The Strategic Defence Review recommended an expansion of in-school and community-based Cadet Forces across the UK of 30% by 2030. This timeline has recently been re-set in the Defence Investment Plan to 2035 as one of the measures required to increase the rate of Armed Forces transformation. Nevertheless, we are continuing to invest to expand and modernise the Cadet Forces and improve opportunities for young people across the UK.

Work is currently underway to determine how the 30% increase in cadet numbers - which equates to an additional 40,000 cadets - will be delivered. We have been undertaking a detailed assessment of the enablers required to support expansion. This is a key element in setting the foundations for sustainable growth.

We are also developing a new Cadets Action Plan which will focus on modernising the cadet experience, providing an attractive offer to retain and recruit adult volunteers, and ensuring that our cadets and volunteers have the right resources and support.

In addition, the first National Cadets Week will be held in October 2026 to celebrate and raise the profile of the Cadet Forces, one of the country's most effective youth organisations. This will showcase the MOD Cadet Forces and give thousands of young people across the country the opportunity to discover the benefits of the cadet experience.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Nigerian counterpart on the persecution of Christians in that country.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 26 June in response to Question 11395.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2026 to Question 9319, if he will ensure that guidance on the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 is published with sufficient time for retailers to understand and prepare for their obligations; and what engagement his Department has had with retailers on this matter.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

We plan to publish guidance on the Tobacco and Vapes Act shortly which will give significant time for retailers to understand and prepare for their obligations.

The Department has been engaging with representative bodies, including the Association of Convenience Stores and the British Retail Consortium, and will continue to engage with them on this matter.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to limit anti-social behaviour in parks linked to alcohol in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

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

The Government’s police reforms will protect and strengthen neighbourhood policing by freeing local forces from national responsibilities so they can focus on issues that matter most locally, like anti-social behaviour (ASB). Every police force in England and Wales now has an ASB lead in place who will work with communities, stakeholders and the general public to implement their individual ASB Action Plans, which were published at the start of April. Further information on the Metropolitan Police ASB action plan can be found here: https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/antisocial-behaviour-action-plan/

Through our Crime and Policing Act, we are making our streets and neighbourhoods safer by strengthening the powers available to the police and other agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour, including increasing the upper limit for fixed penalty notices for breaches of CPNs and PSPOs from £100 to £500, increasing the time a dispersal direction can be implemented for from 48 to 72 hours and giving registered social housing providers the power to issue closure notices, amongst others.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers, including Public Spaces Protection Orders, that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour. However, the powers in the ‘2014 Act’ are deliberately flexible in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances of each individual case.

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are designed to stop individuals or groups committing ASB in a public place. Romford has an existing PSPO in place to restrict alcohol related nuisance and any amendment or new PSPO would require consultation with local authorities, police and relevant local agencies: https://www.havering.gov.uk/community-1/public-space-protection-orders-pspo.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the living conditions of barracks for people in the armed forces.

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

The Government is committed to improving the living conditions of Service personnel. The Defence Investment Plan includes £1.4 billion over the next four years for Single Living Accommodation, supporting the modernisation of accommodation and improvements to living standards across the Defence estate.

Accommodation improvements are being delivered through a number of programmes, including Defence Estate Optimisation, Future Defence Infrastructure Services and the SLA Framework Alliance, which are now moving into major delivery phases.

Defence launched an independent Single Living Accommodation and Overseas Estate Review in January 2026 to identify further opportunities to improve the lived experience of Service personnel and ensure accommodation better supports capability and retention.

Every two years, the department surveys Service personnel to understand their satisfaction with SLA. Findings from the 2026 survey will be published in August 2026.

Alongside accommodation investment, the Department is continuing to implement the Defence Catering Strategy to improve food quality, dining facilities and the overall experience of personnel living and working on the Defence estate.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her Department's policy to (a) reduce and (b) reform stamp duty.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

The Government keeps all tax policy under review and any changes are announced at fiscal events.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) continues to be an important source of Government revenue, raising around £14 billion each year to help pay for the essential services the Government provides.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made (a) an estimate of the cost of the Hornsea windfarm project in the North Sea and (b) a comparative assessment of the efficiency of the project with drilling oil in the same area.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Offshore wind continues to play a key role in the future electricity system. There are several different Hornsea offshore wind farms, each developed privately and supported through different competitive allocation rounds, with project-specific costs known to their respective developers. Hornsea 4 remains in development and has not yet secured government support; it will need to demonstrate value for money through a future allocation round. The latest Allocation Round (AR7) secured offshore wind capacity at a price 40% lower than the cost and operating a new gas-fired generation.

The Department has not made a comparative assessment of the efficiency of the project against drilling for oil in the same area.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much her Department has spent on legal fees opposing legal actions brought by Misley Mandarin and other Chagossians living in the British Indian Ocean Territory.

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

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to limit the number of prison escapees and mistaken releases.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is taking action to reduce both releases in error and the risk of prisoners escaping from custody.

Following the independent review led by Dame Lynne Owens on release in error, published on 15 April 2026, all 33 recommendations were accepted in principle. Work is underway to address the issues identified in the review, including improvements to governance, data, processes, accountability, staff guidance and training. This includes introduction of strengthened pre-release checks across prisons, including clearer assurance by authorising governors. The department has also established stronger governance to maintain momentum on the review through a Release Accuracy Board and operational delivery is supported by a specialist headquarters team to offer direct help to prisons, provide guidance and help mitigate the risk of early or late release.

The Government has also committed to simplifying release policy through the Sentencing Act 2026 and is investing in new technology to reduce human error, digitise paper-based prison systems, strengthen manual checks across courts and improve information sharing and tracking of offenders from arrest to release. This includes work to develop Justice ID and a digital rapid response unit focused on options to improve digital systems.

To limit the risk of escapes, HMPPS requires all prisons to maintain a Local Security Strategy, based on local risk assessment, which sets out the security measures in place. These include searching procedures for prisoners, vehicles and cells, accommodation fabric checks to identify vulnerabilities, and use of the Escape List for prisoners assessed as presenting an escape risk.

In February 2026, HMPPS also introduced enhanced management assurance for prisoners escorted from prison to hospital, including additional restraint requirements where needed, strengthened checks on restraint procedures and refreshed competency training for operational staff involved in escort duties.

The King's Award for Enterprise in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Hedgehog Rescue

Madeley Carnival 2026

Merchant Navy Day

Memorial plaque for Ann Widdecombe

Celebration of English traditions