Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the British Toy and Hobby Association’s report entitled Still toying with children’s safety, published on 23 October 2025.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 require that all toys must be safe before being placed on the UK market, including online. Despite this, we recognise that non-compliant products remain available to UK consumers.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 provides Government with the necessary powers to update product safety legislation, including to modernise and clarify the responsibilities of online marketplaces. As announced at Budget, we will consult on proposals in early 2026.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards takes action to address non-compliant products sold online, including monitoring marketplaces, test purchasing, and taking appropriate enforcement action where necessary.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department’s policies of levels of tobacco excise taxes in Australia; and what assessment she has made of the potential relationship between trends in the level of tobacco excise taxes and (a) the size of the illicit tobacco market and (b) associated organised criminal activity.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Australia imposes some of the highest tobacco duty rates globally with excise accounting for a significant share of retail price. In the UK, tobacco duty aims to both raise revenue and reduce harm to public health by discouraging smoking. High duty rates make tobacco less affordable and are a proven way to reduce smoking prevalence and have helped reduce the percentage of adult smokers in the UK from 26% in 2000 to 10.6% in 2024.
The illicit tobacco market is dominated by organised crime groups that make money by smuggling and selling illicit tobacco products in the UK. Strong enforcement is essential in tackling the illicit tobacco market. HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force have had illicit tobacco strategies in place since 2000. Our latest strategy, “Stubbing out the problem”, was published in January 2024. 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.
Whilst tobacco duty has been progressively increased over time, successive illicit tobacco strategies have proven effective in tackling the size of the illicit tobacco market, reducing the tobacco duty tax gap from 21.7% in 2005/6 to 13.8% in 2023/24.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support was agreed with his Bahraini counterpart for the future Royal Navy presence at the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain during the UK Bahrain Strategic Dialogue on 24 November 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At the UK-Bahrain Strategic Dialogue on 24 November, the UK thanked Bahrain for hosting our regional naval base, and there was mutual reference to the importance of our continuing cooperation on maritime security. The UK signed an updated Defence Cooperation Agreement with Bahrain in the summer of 2025, and at the same time completed accession to the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement, becoming the third party to this agreement with the US and Bahrain.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Royal Navy presence is at the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain following the decommissioning of HMS Lancaster.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK remains steadfast in its commitment to maintaining a presence in the Middle East, reassuring partners and contributing to regional security and stability. Central to this posture is the UK Maritime Component Command (UKMCC), located in Bahrain, with a footprint of c125 personnel, which commands and controls Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. This also includes the MOD’s role in the Combined Maritime Forces framework and the delivery of training to regional partners.
The Royal Navy is evolving its approach to operations in the Middle East, focusing on modernising capabilities, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring basing and access for times of crisis. The RN’s modernisation programme has already delivered an autonomous mine countermeasures capability operating in the Gulf, which continues to innovate at pace. In terms of personnel footprint, the RN maintains a strong regional presence, including roles within US Fifth Fleet Task Forces in Bahrain, Loan Service personnel in Oman, RN embeds in the British Military Mission in Kuwait, and RN personnel advising on seabed warfare through the Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Programme (MODSAP) programme in Saudi Arabia.
The RN remains agile and ready to respond to emerging threats, deploying platforms to meet Defence Plan commitments and operational requirements, which are continuously reviewed.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funding he has allocated to a long term Royal Navy presence at the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK remains steadfast in its commitment to maintaining a presence in the Middle East, reassuring partners and contributing to regional security and stability. Central to this posture is the UK Maritime Component Command (UKMCC), located in Bahrain, with a footprint of c125 personnel, which commands and controls Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. This also includes the MOD’s role in the Combined Maritime Forces framework and the delivery of training to regional partners.
The Royal Navy is evolving its approach to operations in the Middle East, focusing on modernising capabilities, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring basing and access for times of crisis. The RN’s modernisation programme has already delivered an autonomous mine countermeasures capability operating in the Gulf, which continues to innovate at pace. In terms of personnel footprint, the RN maintains a strong regional presence, including roles within US Fifth Fleet Task Forces in Bahrain, Loan Service personnel in Oman, RN embeds in the British Military Mission in Kuwait, and RN personnel advising on seabed warfare through the Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Programme (MODSAP) programme in Saudi Arabia.
The RN remains agile and ready to respond to emerging threats, deploying platforms to meet Defence Plan commitments and operational requirements, which are continuously reviewed.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she has taken to improve computer literacy rates amongst elderly people in a) England and b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We know there are lower computer literacy rates amongst older people and this can lead to digital exclusion - with statistics showing 86% of adults aged 60+ are online, compared to 95% of all UK adults in 2025 (2025 Consumer Digital Index report).
That’s why the Government is committed to helping more older people build these skills and confidence including through the Government’s digital entitlement. This gives eligible adults, including elderly people, access to fully funded basic digital skills courses and qualifications.
The Government £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund is also funding projects directly helping more older people build the skills and confidence to get online - for example the £139,000 trial to co-design targeted strategies to improve digital inclusion for older people across England and London.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she has taken to reduce the rate of digital exclusion among elderly people in a) England and b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We know that digital exclusion is a complex issue and some demographics are more likely to be digitally excluded than others, including older people – with statistics showing 86% of adults aged 60+ are online, compared to 95% of all UK adults in 2025 (2025 Consumer Digital Index report).
That’s why in February we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan which outlines the immediate steps we are taking to help more people benefit from being online.
Since then, we have launched the £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to support community-led projects across the UK. This includes 80 projects across England which will meet the specific and diverse needs of digitally excluded people – including older people - to get online with confidence.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she has taken to reduce the commission of crime in English prisons.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
His Majesty’s Prison and Probation service (HMPPS) has a layered approach to tackling criminality that emanates from within prisons. It deploys countermeasures such as X-ray body and baggage scanners, archway metal detectors and Enhanced Search Gates in place to stop smuggling of illicit items, such as mobile phones that are key enablers of crime in prisons.
Criminality in prisons is often orchestrated by Serious Organised Crime (SOC) nominals. HMPPS has a dedicated national SOC team that works collaboratively with law enforcement agencies and partners to identify and disrupt organised criminal activity in prison.
We bear down on crime in prison through adjudications, and prisoners who misbehave can face extra time in custody. The most serious crimes, including those where a mobile phone is being used to coordinate criminal activity, are referred to the police in line with the Crime in Prisons Referral Arrangement (CiPRA). We work closely with law enforcement partners through the Crime in Prisons Taskforce which was established to work closely with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure serious crimes are addressed through the criminal justice system, rather than solely through internal disciplinary measures.
In parallel, we are tackling the root causes of reoffending by addressing offenders’ underlying needs and supporting their rehabilitation journey. This includes providing a range of rehabilitative interventions, including education, employment and substance misuse support.