Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to automatically limit a surviving parent's parental responsibility over their child in cases where one parent has unlawfully killed the other.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Section 18 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 provides that where one parent kills the other, the Crown Court will be required to restrict the exercise of their parental responsibility for any children they shared at the point of sentence.
The measure will protect children and shield carers from the further distress that might come with making an application to restrict the exercise of parental responsibility at what will already be the most difficult of circumstances. We are now working with key partners including Local Authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service, the National Police Chief’s Council and HMCTS, ahead of commencement, to establish the best system for this change. This includes developing any relevant changes to the criminal and family procedure rules as well as broader guidance for practitioners and families.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 7.17 of the Ofcom consultation paper entitled Listed events: Implementing the Media Act, published on 13 June 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the growth of digital platforms on the listed events regime.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
While the Government wants to see sporting events of national interest shown on free-to-air so that they can be enjoyed by a wide audience, decisions made around the coverage of specific listed events are commercial ones made between public service broadcasters (PSBs) and the rights holders independent of Government.
We recognise that the media landscape is going through a period of rapid change which means both challenges and opportunities for our PSBs.
We will support PSBs by building on Ofcom’s Public Service Media review and take action to support them, as we set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 7.17 of the Ofcom consultation paper entitled Listed events: Implementing the Media Act, published on 13 June 2025, whether she plans to take steps to help support public service broadcasters to acquire listed events.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
While the Government wants to see sporting events of national interest shown on free-to-air so that they can be enjoyed by a wide audience, decisions made around the coverage of specific listed events are commercial ones made between public service broadcasters (PSBs) and the rights holders independent of Government.
We recognise that the media landscape is going through a period of rapid change which means both challenges and opportunities for our PSBs.
We will support PSBs by building on Ofcom’s Public Service Media review and take action to support them, as we set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to improve the access of zoos to European Conservation Breeding Programmes as part of negotiations with the European Union on veterinary (a) sanitary and (b) phytosanitary agreements.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As announced at the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to establish a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Area. This initiative is aimed at reducing trade barriers to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of goods, including zoo animals, while maintaining high standards of biosecurity.
With the principles and framework of the SPS agreement now agreed, detailed negotiations will commence. These discussions will focus on streamlining SPS checks and certification processes, with the aim of reducing administrative burdens where possible, while safeguarding the UK’s biosecurity.
Ministers and officials from Defra are actively engaging with the zoo and wildlife sector to understand its specific challenges and priorities. This ongoing dialogue will ensure that the sector’s needs are considered throughout the negotiation process, as we work to secure the best possible outcome that supports participation in vital conservation efforts.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support small and medium-sized bicycle manufacturers.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Small and medium-sized bicycle manufacturers are important for our green growth ambitions. Through the Government’s Industrial and Trade Strategies, we’re backing innovation, sustainability and skills development to help businesses scale, compete globally and continue driving forward the UK’s cycling economy.
The upcoming Business Growth Service (BGS) aims to streamline the process for businesses across the UK to access the support they need to grow. The Department will continue to engage with the industry on key issues moving forward.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2025 to Question 44127 on Listed Events, when she plans to set out her Department's position on the inclusion of on-demand rights in the Listed Events regime.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I refer my Honourable Friend to the answer I gave him on 17 April 2025 in response to Question 44127.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
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 merits of selling (a) on-demand and (b) linear rights together for each event listed in the Listed Events regime.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department’s assessment is that, in the current market context, there continue to be strong incentives for rights holders to sell on-demand and linear rights together. However, we recognise this may not always remain the case and we will continue to monitor this market.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects to receive advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on the classification of ketamine.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
In January this year, the Government asked the independent statutory advisory body, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, to provide an updated assessment of the harms of ketamine, including whether it should be reclassified to become a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The ACMD is independent of Government and provides a broad range of recommendations, including advice on legislative changes.
In March, the ACMD published its work programme for 2025. The programme sets out the ACMD’s intention to complete its ketamine assessment by the end of Autumn this year. When the council provides its advice, the Government will consider it carefully before deciding how to proceed.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing recommendation 6 of the National Child Mortality Data's report entitled Sudden and unexpected deaths in infancy and childhood, published in December 2022.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the devastating impact of sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) on affected families and communities, and the importance of raising awareness of SUDC among relevant professionals, communities, and parents. Information on SUDC is available on the National Health Service website, which also signposts to the charity SUDC.UK. This can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids
Additional information for parents on SUDC is available in the form of the booklet, When a Child Dies. The Healthy Child Programme plays an important role in supporting child health, wellbeing, and parenting confidence. This work is undertaken alongside partners to ensure that health messages are promoted across services.
The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) who work in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public. The NIHR welcomes proposals for research into a range of conditions, including SUDC, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prevent sudden and unexplained deaths in children.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the devastating impact of sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) on affected families and communities, and the importance of raising awareness of SUDC among relevant professionals, communities, and parents. Information on SUDC is available on the National Health Service website, which also signposts to the charity SUDC.UK. This can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids
Additional information for parents on SUDC is available in the form of the booklet, When a Child Dies. The Healthy Child Programme plays an important role in supporting child health, wellbeing, and parenting confidence. This work is undertaken alongside partners to ensure that health messages are promoted across services.
The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) who work in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public. The NIHR welcomes proposals for research into a range of conditions, including SUDC, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic