Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times his Department has given consent for a direction to be made under Section 13 (5) of the Building Safety Act 2022; and which local authorities are subject to such directions.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under Section 13 of the Building Safety Act 2022, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) may direct a relevant authority to do anything for the purpose of facilitating the exercise by the regulator of a relevant function, or enabling the relevant authority to facilitate the exercise by the regulator of a relevant function, as specified in the direction.
Under Section 13(5), a direction from the BSR may be given only with the consent of the Secretary of State. BSR has not directed or sought to direct any local authority (or fire and rescue authority) under Section 13(5) of the Building Safety Act 2022. Consequently, the Secretary of State has not given consent for any direction made under Section 13(5).
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to help reduce violations of the Firearms Act 1968.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s priority is public safety, and we look to ensure our controls on firearms are as strong as possible and keep the legislation under active consideration. It is imperative that we do everything we can to stop firearms getting into hands of criminals and those who would misuse them with devastating consequences.
The Firearms Act 1968 provides the framework for action to be taken by police forces, and we have seen the number of firearms offences fall to 5,053 from 5,991 over the past 12 months - for the year ending June 2025. We work in partnership with the National Police Chiefs Council, police forces and the National Crime Agency to respond to emerging firearms risks, and for example, we have recently taken action against some types of blank firing firearms which have found to be readily convertible into lethal weapons so they can be removed from circulation.
We are also ensuring licensing of firearms, as set out in the Firearms Act 1968, is as effective and robust as possible. Recent measures to support this include the revised Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers issued in August this year, the rollout of new national training to firearms licensing police personnel, and the increase in licensing fees to support full cost recovery.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to deploy a Type 31 frigate on permanent station at the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence keeps its force posture in the Middle East under continual review to safeguard the UK's national security interests and operational requirements. We remain committed to working with our partners across the region.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to reduce the number of overseas Royal Navy bases.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK Defence global footprint remains under constant review, across all overseas locations and bases, including those that support the Royal Navy. We continue to ensure that our footprint is fully optimised to meet the requirements of our Armed Forces world-wide.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase Royal Navy presence in the Gulf in the context of HMS Lancaster being decommissioned.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Our significant maritime collaboration and senior Naval representation highlights our enduring commitment to stability and security in the region. Capabilities such as Maritime Domain Awareness, uncrewed systems, and a world class training offer ensure that our allies and partners are supported and ready to meet challenges in the region.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when HMS Lancaster will be replaced at the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence keeps its force posture in the Middle East under continual review to safeguard the UK’s national security interests and operational requirements. We remain committed to working with our partners across the region.