Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government took to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne in 2025.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The annual 12th July Commemorations are hugely significant to many in Northern Ireland, as I witnessed first hand during my visit to the County Fermanagh 12th July Parade in Irvinestown in 2024.

Earlier this month, I visited Sloan’s House, the birthplace of the Orange Institution, and took the opportunity to convey my best wishes to all those preparing to mark the 12th. On the 335th Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, the Government was represented by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Fleur Anderson MP, who attended the County Armagh Parade in Keady.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to attend parades in Northern Ireland on 12 July 2026.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The 12th of July is a day of cultural and historical significance to many in Northern Ireland. We do not share advance details of Northern Ireland Office Ministers’ movements.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department took steps to support the commemorations of the Battle of the Boyne in 2025.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The annual 12th July Commemorations are hugely significant to many in Northern Ireland, as I witnessed first hand during my visit to the County Fermanagh 12th July Parade in Irvinestown in 2024.

Earlier this month, I visited Sloan’s House, the birthplace of the Orange Institution, and took the opportunity to convey my best wishes to all those preparing to mark the 12th. On the 335th Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, the Government was represented by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Fleur Anderson MP, who attended the County Armagh Parade in Keady.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what statutory instruments have been introduced since May 2025 to implement dynamic alignment provisions under the Windsor Framework.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

All Statutory Instruments are a matter of public record and are available on the Government’s ‘legislation.gov.uk’ website, or on ‘statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk’.

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 improve state funded maternity care.

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

While there are outstanding examples of care in NHS maternity services, we know this is not the experience that all women have, and there are significant issues that need addressing.

My Rt. Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, recently announced an independent Investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care. This will produce, by December 2025, one clear set of national recommendations to achieve high quality, safe care across maternity and neonatal services.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care also announced the establishment of a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce that will use the recommendations from the Investigation to develop a national plan, with families and partners, to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.

We are also taking a set of immediate action to start delivering the changes needed.

These include actions to boost accountability and safety as part of the Government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future, and actions to hold the system to account. Specific actions include embedding a system to better identify safety concerns, rolling out a programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, and new best practice standards in maternal mortality.

Although significantly more action is required, there has been some good progress made in a range of areas. They include:

• Achieving full population coverage of Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services for women with or at risk of mental health issues.
• Rollout to every Trust in England of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, helping to reduce still births and pre-term birth.
• As of February 2025, having a record number of full-time equivalent midwives in post, totalling 24,991. This is over 1,400 (6.1%) more full-time equivalent midwives compared to July 2024.
• Nationally rolling out a new programme to reduce avoidable brain injuries in childbirth, following a successful pilot.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to ensure the safety of ground operations at English airports.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The safety of aviation, the travelling public and aviation workers is a priority for the government.

Ground handling in the UK is transitioning to a more regulated environment to ensure that we uphold the excellent safety record of the UK aviation sector and continue to be compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. The Civil Aviation Authority is working on new Ground Handling Regulation that will be applicable at all UK Certified and Licensed Aerodromes. The development of these new rules acknowledges the important role of ground handling in keeping aviation safe for passengers and employees.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to improve aviation interconnectivity between the four nations of the UK.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Airports serve our local communities by supporting thousands of jobs in the regions and acting as a gateway to international opportunities, alongside maintaining social and family ties and strengthening the bonds between the four nations.

The Government supports connectivity across the union through our joint-funding of three Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes into London from Newquay, Dundee and Derry/Londonderry.

Furthermore, the Aviation Futures Forum, which I Co-Chair, has agreed to establish a number of working groups including one on Regional Aviation. The Group will report back to the Forum in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of British aviation safety standards.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Recognised international metrics show that UK airspace and airlines are amongst the safest in the world. We have an exemplary record that ensures consumer confidence and international trust in the UK’s regulatory regime. The UK remains steadfast in our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety.

The effectiveness of the standards are maintained through robust processes in place to ensure the safety of passengers. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) sets global standards for aviation safety to ensure there is a harmonization of standards. As a signatory to the Chicago Convention, we are responsible for ensuring compliance of all UK aviation authorities (UKAAs) we oversee, such as the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories. Both the DfT and the UKAAs are responsible for rulemaking processes regarding aviation safety and ensuring ICAO obligations are met.

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 improve state funded physiotherapy.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning the majority of health and care services, including physiotherapy, in England. ICBs arrange healthcare services to meet the needs of their local population, within available resources.

NHS England is supporting ICBs to make informed decisions about the provision of physiotherapy services so that they can provide consistent, high quality, and integrated care.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will take steps to re-establish the Church of Ireland as the established church of Northern Ireland.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The United Kingdom has two established churches, the Church of England and the Church of Scotland. The church was disestablished in Ireland in 1871 and in Wales in 1920. There are no plans to change the current arrangements.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve navigation assets along the non-tidal Thames.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency (EA) maintains its non-tidal Thames Navigation assets through the combination of a capital investment programme to deliver major refurbishment projects, and a revenue maintenance programme which sustains the safe day-day operations of these assets.

During 2025/26 the EA are investing £16.3 million on the highest priority lock refurbishment projects to benefit their Navigation customers and will support the vital retention of the River Thames water resource through the refurbishment of specific weirs.

The EA’s future investment programme has identified approximately £18 million of investment need over the next 5 years to progress more lock and weir refurbishments. This programme also focuses on the operational reliability of the Navigation assets and is planning to upgrade 22 lock operation systems, which are the main source of temporary lock breakdowns. The EA will bid for the identified funding as part of the government’s spending review process.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to include (a) blue carbon habitats and (b) seabed sediments as designated features within existing Marine Protected Areas as part of the upcoming Marine Protected Area network review.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) protect a variety of habitats as designated features, including those that play a role in carbon capture and storage, such as maerl beds, saltmarsh and seagrass meadows. The MPA network review aims to identify approaches to improve climate change resilience across designated sites in English seas, including those protecting carbon-storing seabed sediments (e.g. sublittoral mud in North East of Farnes Deep Marine Conservation Zone).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to improve the mine hunting capabilities of the Royal Navy.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Mine Hunting Capability Programme is delivering a rolling programme of unmanned surface vessels and unmanned underwater vehicles into Royal Navy service for use by frontline Mine Warfare specialists. These autonomous mine hunting systems are in regular use by the Mine Threat Exploitation Group, both for training and operations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of embedding a clear design vision within its spatial development strategies to support the delivery of high-quality development.

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

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill allows for strategic planning authorities to include policies on design in their Spatial Development Strategies (SDS’) providing they are of strategic importance to the area.

The government intends to set out expectations on the content of SDS’ through national policy and guidance.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what statutory instruments will be required to align UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary standards with those of the EU.

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

We have agreed a commitment for the UK to dynamically align with the EU on specific SPS rules. Operating under the same regulatory framework will facilitate the removal of unnecessary barriers to trade. The UK and the EU are partners with similarly high standards for agrifood products.

The exact mechanism for agreeing and implementing new EU rules is subject to further negotiations, but there will be a role for Parliament. We look forward to bringing forward legislation to provide Parliament with an important opportunity to scrutinise new arrangements and to have its say.

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 contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government of 7 July 2025, Official Report, column 1125, which (a) representatives of the insurance sector and (b) other stakeholders her Department held discussions with prior to the introduction of the amendments.

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

The government has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders during the passage of the Renters’ Rights Bill, including the Association of British Insurers and the British Insurance Brokers Association.

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 work with local authorities to help improve the insulation of social housing.

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

The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 is providing £1.29 billion of grant funding to improve the energy performance of social housing, including through improvements to insulation. Additional funding will be set out in the Warm Homes Plan, to be published in October.

The government is also consulting on introducing a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard at EPC C or equivalent by 2030, with the proposed approach prioritising fabric improvements to properties, such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and double glazing. The consultation is open until 10 September 2025 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help improve the mental health of police officers.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is committed to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of all our police.

This includes providing ongoing funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS), which provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources which can be accessed by forces. This helps Chief Constables in their duty to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce. In particular, the Service is helping forces to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.

The Police Covenant has already helped deliver pre-deployment mental health training for new recruits and improved occupational health standards for officers in service.

A new National Police Health and Wellbeing Strategy was launched in June 2025 by NPWS. Workforce Prioritisation Guidance has been published alongside this, which provides clarity and guidance to forces on how to implement and invest in evidence-based and scalable health and wellbeing solutions locally.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60427 on Tobacco: Excise Duties, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of falling cigarette and hand rolling tobacco receipts on the size of the illicit tobacco market.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC recently published an updated version of their Measuring Tax Gaps publication which now includes tax gap estimates up to 2023/24. The illicit market volume for cigarettes is shown in Table 3.13 and the total consumption volume is shown in Table 3.12. The illicit market for hand rolling tobacco is shown in Table 3.17 and the total consumption volume is shown in Table 3.16.

The Department continues to investigate how the illicit tobacco market is evolving, including through its compliance activity, and the extent to which that may affect overall tax receipts seen.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54690 on Tobacco: Excise Duties, if she will make a comparative assessment of the rate of decline in smoking rates as illustrated in the ONS: Adult Smoking habits in the UK data for (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023 and the rate of the decline in HMRC’s tobacco duty receipts in the Tobacco Bulletin.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Table 1 below shows adult smoking prevalence in the UK and tobacco duty receipts between 2021 and 2023. The prevalence figures are taken from the ON’S “Adult Smoking habits in the UK” dataset. The receipts figures are taken from HMRC’s Tobacco Bulletin which includes figures up to April 2025.

Table 1: Adult Smoking Prevalence and Tobacco Duty Receipts 2021-2023

The ONS smoking prevalence data shows the percentage of adults in the UK who smoke cigarettes but does not give any indication of how much or how often these adults smoke.

The Office for Budget Responsibility discusses drivers of tobacco duty receipts in relation to the tobacco duty forecast on their Tobacco duties webpage. Receipts are driven by inflation (CPI and RPI), real household consumption and underlying trends in tobacco consumption. The downward trend in tobacco consumption has accelerated in recent years, partly reflecting changing attitudes and the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support grammar schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. member for Romford to the answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52218.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support faith-selective educational institutions.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Faith schools, both state-funded and independent, have played a long-standing role in the provision of education in England and remain an important element of our education system. The department engages with the full range of faith school providers and is committed to working in partnership with all types of schools to remove barriers to opportunity and raise standards.

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 introduce (a) subsidised costs for (i) medical oversight and (ii) job support schemes and (b) other financial assistance for non-medical aesthetic practitioners.

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

The Government is committed to taking action to address longstanding concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector and has been exploring options for further regulation in this area. In doing so, the Government recognises the contribution the cosmetics industry makes to the economy, the entrepreneurship it fosters, and the employment opportunities it provides. Ministers recognise that Government action in this space must be proportionate if it is to protect the public from harm, whilst not unnecessarily restricting the activities of legitimate businesses. Any future changes to the regulation of the sector would be subject to public consultation, impact assessments, and the parliamentary procedure.

We will set out the details of our approach in our response to the consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which we will publish at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to publish (a) a consultation and (b) an impact assessment before implementing regulations affecting non-medical aesthetic practitioners.

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

The Government is committed to taking action to address longstanding concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector and has been exploring options for further regulation in this area. In doing so, the Government recognises the contribution the cosmetics industry makes to the economy, the entrepreneurship it fosters, and the employment opportunities it provides. Ministers recognise that Government action in this space must be proportionate if it is to protect the public from harm, whilst not unnecessarily restricting the activities of legitimate businesses. Any future changes to the regulation of the sector would be subject to public consultation, impact assessments, and the parliamentary procedure.

We will set out the details of our approach in our response to the consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which we will publish at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered (a) requiring non-medical practitioners to be shadowed during treating grade two aesthetic procedures and (b) undertaking an independent review of (i) statistics and (ii) petition responses to inform the development of a regulatory model that (A) safeguards public health and (B) supports (1) businesses and (2) (a) female entrepreneurs and (b) other working parents in the aesthetics sector.

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

The Government is committed to taking action to address longstanding concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector and has been exploring options for further regulation in this area. In doing so, the Government recognises the contribution the cosmetics industry makes to the economy, the entrepreneurship it fosters, and the employment opportunities it provides. Ministers recognise that Government action in this space must be proportionate if it is to protect the public from harm, whilst not unnecessarily restricting the activities of legitimate businesses. Any future changes to the regulation of the sector would be subject to public consultation, impact assessments, and the parliamentary procedure.

We will set out the details of our approach in our response to the consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which we will publish at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support public education platforms that promote safe aesthetic treatment practices for (a) consumers and (b) practitioners.

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

The Government is committed to taking action to address longstanding concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector and has been exploring options for further regulation in this area. In doing so, the Government recognises the contribution the cosmetics industry makes to the economy, the entrepreneurship it fosters, and the employment opportunities it provides. Ministers recognise that Government action in this space must be proportionate if it is to protect the public from harm, whilst not unnecessarily restricting the activities of legitimate businesses. Any future changes to the regulation of the sector would be subject to public consultation, impact assessments, and the parliamentary procedure.

We will set out the details of our approach in our response to the consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which we will publish at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps her Department has taken to support small businesses in the aesthetics industry.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

This Government recognises the immense economic and social value of the aesthetics industry. That is why we have committed to reforming business rates from 2026-27 with a permanently lower multiplier for retail, leisure and hospitality properties, including beauty clinics.

The Government will publish an SME Strategy Paper later this year that will set out the Government's vision for all small and medium size businesses. The paper will focus on boosting scale-ups across key policy areas, such as creating thriving high streets, making it easier to access finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment. The paper will complement the Government's Industrial Strategy and Trade Strategy.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken with local authorities to help improve special educational and disability needs provision in (a) England and (b) Romford.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The government’s ambition for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is that they will achieve and thrive, and lead happy, healthy and productive lives. The department is working closely with experts on SEND reforms.

The department and NHS England have been supporting local areas, including Havering, to improve their SEND service delivery for several years. This includes a monitoring, support and challenge relationship following an inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Where a local authority does not meet its duties, we can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement.

Ofsted and the CQC undertook a joint local area SEND inspection of Havering in March 2018 and received a positive outcome (the local area was not required to produce a written statement of action).

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 improve health outcomes for homeless people.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 July 2025 to Question 66125.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of British railways safety standards.

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

Britain’s railways consistently rank among the safest in the world, partly due to the robust safety requirements established in legislation.  These requirements include the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems Safety Regulations 2006 and a range of mandatory standards, including National Technical Specification Notices, rail group standards and rail industry standards, which are enforced by the independent railway safety regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).  The effectiveness of the regulatory regime for Great Britain’s railways was reflected in the ORR’s latest annual health and safety report published on 17 July 2025, which found that safety levels on the network remain high.  The Government keeps rail safety regulations under regular review, including by undertaking post-implementation reviews with industry, to ensure they remain fit for purpose and up to date.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to work with relevant authorities to ensure the safety of commuters at (a) overground and (b) underground railway stations in England.

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

All rail operators and infrastructure owners, including those responsible for overground and underground railway stations, have statutory duties to ensure the safety of those using and working on the railways, including by managing issues such as crowding. These duties are set out in The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 (ROGS) and are supplemented by other health and safety laws. These laws, which are enforced by the independent railway safety regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, give the UK one of the safest railways in Europe.

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 with local authorities to prevent (a) unlawful occupation of council-owned homes and (b) unlawfully attempting to purchase council-owned homes.

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

Housing fraud has a detrimental impact on those in genuine need of a home and is completely unacceptable.

Local authorities are responsible for managing their own social housing stock and where unlawful occupation of council-owned properties occurs, the government expects local authorities to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

When processing applications to purchase council homes through the Right to Buy, local authorities are required to check for unlawful and fraudulent applications. Where evidence of fraud is found, local authorities may pursue legal action.

On 2 July, the government published our response to the consultation on Reforming the Right to Buy, which can be found on gov.uk here. The government is considering what further steps could be taken to more effectively prevent fraud, including in relation to third-party backed applications.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with local authorities on the adequacy of their preparedness for extreme weather conditions.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government regularly engages with local authorities through their participation in Local Resilience Forums (LRFs), which are the primary mechanism for assessing risk and coordinating preparedness for extreme weather events and other civil risks. These multi-agency partnerships enable local authorities to consider both potential risks and business continuity planning for extreme weather events, in a joined-up and strategic manner together with other local responder organisations.

In preparation for winter, the Department conducts a comprehensive programme of seasonal readiness work, including asking LRFs to self-assess their preparedness for relevant risks. This assessment scrutinises the resilience landscape identifying actions to further support LRFs and local partners to protect local communities.

In support of this, the department deploys Strategic Resilience Advisors to every LRF in England. These officials act as a critical friend, supporting planning and preparedness at the local level on behalf of the department, providing a vital link between central government and local responders. This regular engagement ensures that preparedness measures are continually reviewed and updated in line with emerging risks and best practice.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of dynamic alignment with EU law under the 2025 UK-EU Common Understanding on the constitution.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As part of the deal we secured at the first UK-EU summit in May, we agreed to dynamically align with the EU in specific areas where it makes sense, and where there is a benefit to the UK economy. Exporters have been clear that this will reduce the regulatory burden. This deal includes an SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) agreement, which will make it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported by reducing the red tape, and linking our respective Emissions Trading Systems. Together these measures are set to add nearly £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040.

The Common Understanding is clear that where the UK Government decides to align with EU rules as part of a new agreement this will give due regard to the UK’s constitutional and Parliamentary procedures. The UK will be involved, as a sovereign nation outside of the European Union, at an early stage and contribute to the decision-shaping process of European Union legal acts.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will have a limited role in assisting an independent arbitration tribunal responsible for deciding a dispute between the UK and the EU. The CJEU does not rule on the substantive outcome of the dispute - that is a matter for the independent arbitration panel.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to review the awarding of honours and decorations within the British Overseas Territories include medals available within the UK but not the British Overseas Territories.

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

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is actively reviewing the medals available in the Overseas Territories, compared to those available in the UK.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to support the maintenance of the architectural fabric of the Church of England beyond the expiration of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme in 2026.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

In January this government announced that we would extend the Scheme for one year with an overall budget of £23 million in recognition of the importance of listed places of worship both in terms of heritage and to their local communities. Funding after March 2026 for all listed places of worship will be considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and Departmental business planning process.

Alongside the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme there are other sources of funding available for listed places of worship of all faiths via the Department’s Arm’s-Length Bodies. For example, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has committed to investing around £100m between 2023 and 2026 to support places of worship. This investment includes £15 million to support large-scale projects that tackle broad needs and challenges, fostering greater sustainability and security within the sector. Ongoing support for places of worship will also be provided through National Lottery Heritage Grants, helping to improve their condition and equip the sector with the expertise, people, and skills necessary to preserve this heritage for the future. Over the next three years, it is expected that approximately £85 million will be awarded to support this goal.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that dynamic alignment with EU law does not undermine UK judicial independence.

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

As outlined in the Common Understanding from the UK-EU Summit, the UK will have a joint role in shaping any new rules governing our relationship with the EU. In specific areas this will mean aligning our shared obligations to facilitate better trade and increased security. However, no rules will apply in the UK without Parliament’s agreement and any disputes will be done by international arbitration.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will only have a role with regards the interpretation of EU law, in the same way that UK judges remain the independent interpreters of UK law. The Government remains unequivocally committed to the independence of the judiciary. We will continually work to ensure that any cooperation with the EU, including alignment where appropriate, respects the UK’s constitutional framework and preserves the independence of our judiciary.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason blue carbon habitats are not currently included in environmental impact assessments for offshore developments.

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

Where appropriate, the impacts on the natural environment including coastal zones and the marine environment, are considered in environmental impact assessments for offshore developments as required under the relevant regulations.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last met with his United Arab Emirates counterpart to discuss that country's actions to deescalate tensions between Israel and Iran.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with his Emirati counterpart. They spoke most recently on 23 June to discuss regional tensions and the importance of de-escalation and diplomacy.

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 his Syrian counterpart on ensuring that people responsible for (a) torture and (b) other human rights violations against survivors of Syria’s detention systems are (i) properly investigated and (ii) held accountable.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has long condemned the gross human rights violations committed by the Assad regime, including those in Syria's detention systems. We support the Syrian Government in establishing Syrian-led processes, such as the National Commissions on Transitional Justice and Missing Persons. We have urged the Syrian Government to engage collaboratively with civil societies and the UN to ensure these are inclusive, comprehensive and transparent. During the Foreign Secretary's meeting with President al Sharaa in Damascus on 5 July, he raised the importance of accountability and transitional justice for a sustainable political transition, and offered UK support.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support transparent investigations into the (a) recent attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus, (b) reported killings of Christians and Alawites in Latakia Governorate in March 2025 and (c) reported violence against the Druze community in southern Damascus in May 2025.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to press the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. We welcomed President Al-Sharaa's establishment of a Fact-Finding Committee to investigate the sectarian violence in the coastal regions in March 2025, and we look forward to its conclusions. We also welcome the swift and decisive action taken in response to the terrorist attack against Mar Elias church, including the tasking of specialist teams to investigate the incident.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has received assurances from the Syrian Interim Government that people responsible for recent attacks on religious minority communities are (a) not affiliated with and (b) supported by that administration.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK strongly condemns the terrorist attack at Mar Elias Church and remains committed to combatting terrorism. The Syrian Government's response was swift and robust, issuing an official statement of condemnation and call for unity, and announcing a three-day period of national mourning. The violence earlier this year, in the predominantly Alawite coastal region of Latakia, and against Druze in Southern Syria, was appalling. We continue to press the Syrian Government to improve their response to sectarian violence, protect civilians from violence and hold those responsible to account.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in the Syrian interim government on taking steps to ensure that they will not be influenced by radical Islamist groups following the lifting of certain sanctions on Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On 5 July, the Foreign Secretary met President Al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister al-Shaibani to reiterate the importance of an inclusive and representative political transition. The UK has consistently advocated for this and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians. We welcome provisions in the Constitutional Declaration on freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief, as well as on guaranteeing the cultural diversity of Syrian society and the linguistic rights of Syrians. We continue to press the Syrian Government to prioritise inclusivity and representation in the appointment and election of People's Assembly members.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Syrian Interim Government on the commitment to (a) publish a report on the reported killings of (i) Christians and (ii) Alawites in Latakia Governorate and (b) bring those responsible to justice.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to press the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. We welcomed President Al-Sharaa's establishment of a Fact-Finding Committee to investigate the sectarian violence in the coastal regions in March 2025, and we look forward to its conclusions. We also welcome the swift and decisive action taken in response to the terrorist attack against Mar Elias church, including the tasking of specialist teams to investigate the incident.

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 his Syrian counterpart on the status of investigations into the reported killings of Christians and Alawites in Syria’s coastal region in March 2025.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to press the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. We welcomed President Al-Sharaa's establishment of a Fact-Finding Committee to investigate the sectarian violence in the coastal regions in March 2025, and we look forward to its conclusions. We also welcome the swift and decisive action taken in response to the terrorist attack against Mar Elias church, including the tasking of specialist teams to investigate the incident.

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 his Syrian counterpart on ensuring that survivors of Syria’s detention systems have access to (a) justice, (b) reparations and (c) rehabilitation.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has long condemned the gross human rights violations committed by the Assad regime, including those in Syria's detention systems. We support the Syrian Government in establishing Syrian-led processes, such as the National Commissions on Transitional Justice and Missing Persons. We have urged the Syrian Government to engage collaboratively with civil society and the UN to ensure these are inclusive, comprehensive and transparent. During the Foreign Secretary's meeting with President al Sharaa in Damascus on 5 July, he raised the importance of accountability and transitional justice for a sustainable political transition, and offered UK support.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 60823 on Iran: Israel, whether he has met Reza Pahlavi; and whether he plans to.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary engages with a wide range of interlocutors on Iran, and most recently spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi on 26 June. The Foreign Secretary has not met Reza Pahlavi since taking up his role and does not plan to meet him. We believe it is for the Iranian people to decide the future of Iran.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the reported naturalisation of former members of (a) Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and (b) other extremist groups into the Syrian armed forces on the UK's national security.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We welcome the Government of Syria's announcement on 30 May introducing a new Code of Conduct for Syria's armed forces and expect all those serving to abide by it. The UK Defence Senior Advisor to the Middle East and North Africa travelled to Damascus on 9 July to discuss defence, security and areas for future cooperation with the Chief of Defence. A stable Syria is in the UK's interests and we are pressing the Syrian Government to make progress in combatting terrorism and extremism.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the safety of religious minority communities in Syria following the reported attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK strongly condemns the terrorist attack at Mar Elias Church and remains committed to combatting terrorism. We are concerned by reports of attacks on different religious groups by different actors. We have consistently underlined the importance of protecting all civilians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. The Foreign Secretary raised this most recently during his visit to Damascus on 5 July. We continue to monitor the situation closely and advocate for the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief for all.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve mental health services and (b) reduce the rate of suicide in (i) England and (ii) Romford constituency.

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

NHS North East London Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning services to meet the mental health needs of people in Romford.

Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services by hiring more staff, delivering more early interventions and talking therapies and getting waiting lists down.

We are delivering on our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 staff across children and adult mental health services by the end of the Parliament and 6,700 of these extra workers have been recruited since July 2024. And our Mental Health Bill, which has completed its committee stage in this House, will modernise the Mental Health Act and make it fit for the 21st century.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country so that the right people get the right support at the right time. We are transforming mental health services into neighbourhood mental health centres that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, improving assertive outreach and giving patients better access to round-the-clock support directly through the NHS App, including self-referral for talking therapies.

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