Andy Slaughter

I refer the Hon Member to the read-out of the meeting.

I refer the Hon Member to the read-out of the meeting.

I refer the Hon Member to the read-out of the meeting.

Travel and accommodation expenses directly associated with activities undertaken in the role will be arranged and met by the Department or reimbursed. Where possible, the Trade Envoy will be offered accommodation at the Residence to minimise costs.

Trade Envoys are expected to adhere to the Department’s expenses guidance which apply to the programme’s use of public funds and only incur costs which have been agreed beforehand.

Current priorities identified for export and investment services in Israel include infrastructure (construction and energy), healthcare (medicinal and pharmaceutical products), food and drink, financial and professional services.

Priorities for the Occupied Palestinian Territories include cars, tech, food and drink, and financial, professional business, and digital services.

Following the announcement by the Secretary of State on 28^th January of the appointment of a new team of Trade Envoys, we are in the process of developing specific objectives to measure the performance and impact of the Trade Envoys supporting Departmental priorities including Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Department has so far not spent any of its budget this Financial Year to support the Trade Envoys to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The funding for next Financial Year 2025-26 for the Trade Envoys to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories will be allocated on a case-by-case basis to meet costs of travel and subsistence needed to undertake their role.

Any costs incurred are subject to Departmental guidelines which apply to the programme’s use of public funds.

The UK government does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of Israel. The UK government has a clear position that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace, and threaten the long-term stability of a two-state solution. We do not encourage or offer support to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering, as is our commitment to international law. We advise British businesses to strongly consider the UK government's stance towards settlements when considering their investments and activities in the region.

This Government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of live events and we recently announced a series of measures to end the scourge of ticket touting and protect consumers on the ticket resale market. We will legislate to introduce these measures when parliamentary time allows.

Part One of the Leveson Inquiry and the subsequent police investigations were chaired by judge, Lord Leveson, and was independent of Government.

The Government will respond to the Independent Water Commission’s final recommendations in full via a White Paper shortly and a new water reform bill, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment and restore trust and accountability.

Together with the building blocks the Government has already put in place, this will mark the most fundamental reset to our water system in a generation. A new partnership between Government, the sector, investors and communities will deliver the change the public expects.

This Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable and is working with industry to keep support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers are supported.

As such, we have carried out a consultation on reforms to WaterSure - the statutory scheme which caps water bills for low-income customers with higher water usage due to medical conditions or large households, including whether additional customers should be brought into scope of the scheme.

The Government also expects all water companies to put appropriate support in place for customers struggling to pay their bills and to proactively engage with their customers to ensure they know what support schemes are available and how to use them if they need help. All companies have measures in place such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support.

In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging volumes and recycling rates.

The Chancellor announced on 29 January that the government supports expansion that is in line with our legal, environmental and climate obligations and has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, to be brought forward by the summer.

As the lead department supporting this key priority, we are working with colleagues across government to ensure appropriate resource to support the successful delivery of this work including, where appropriate, external expertise. Between the months of January and May 2025, the Department has not spent any money on consultants in relation to Heathrow work.

As a signatory to the National Partnership Agreement for Health and Social Care for people in contact with the criminal justice system, the Department is committed to working with the Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, NHS England, and the UK Health Security Agency to ensure that safe, legal, decent, and effective care that improves health outcomes and reduces health inequalities is provided for all prisoners, including those who are elderly.

NHS England is responsible for providing a full range of healthcare services to meet the needs of the prison population. Every prison will have a health needs assessment undertaken on a regular basis which is then used to locally determine the health needs and requirements of that prison’s population. This includes supporting elderly prisoners in their palliative care, end of life care, and other health needs such as dementia care. Local authorities also have a duty to support elderly prisoners with their social care needs.

The Dying Well in Custody Charter and supporting self-assessment framework describes a set of national standards for local adoption and provides a tool for a local multi-disciplinary approach to providing agreed standards of palliative and end of life care to people in prison. The charter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/dying-well-in-custody-charter/#:~:text=It%20is%20the%20last%20thing,of%20their%20place%20of%20death

We are grateful to the Health Services Safety Investigations Body for their report on creating conditions for learning from deaths in mental health inpatient settings. The report highlights important concerns and safety recommendations that can help us to improve inpatient mental health services.

We will formally respond to all the recommendations for the Department made within this report in due course.

Malnutrition is a clinical condition affecting all ages, across all communities, and in all health and care settings. Most cases of malnutrition will be secondary to another health condition, which may impact on nutritional needs or a person’s ability to eat and drink. All National Health Services are recommended to adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guideline, Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32

This sets out the recommendations, based on best available evidence, of the organisation, screening, and delivery of nutritional support in hospitals and communities. This includes screening for malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition. The NICE guidelines recommend that all hospital inpatients should be screened for malnutrition on admission, as well as all outpatients at their first clinic appointment. Screening should be repeated weekly for inpatients, and when there is clinical concern for outpatients. People in care homes should be screened on admission, and when there is clinical concern.

All people who are identified as being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition should be assessed by an appropriately qualified health professional, such as a dietitian, to receive an individualised care plan in line with their individual circumstances, dietary preferences, and medical needs.

NHS England’s Nursing Directorate is leading on a review and refresh of the National Nutrition and Hydration guidance, which builds on NHS England’s previous Commissioning Excellent Nutrition and Hydration guidance 2015-2018. This previous guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nut-hyd-guid.pdf

A National Hydration and Nutrition Advisory Board was established in June 2023, providing strategic advice, direction, and oversight across the review, codesign, and development of the policy.

There is no current estimate on the savings that could be made as a result of increasing the screening and treatment of malnutrition. However, efforts to prevent malnutrition and to treat it early could potentially reduce both the clinical and economic burden to the healthcare system. Malnourished patients spend on average 30% longer in hospital than patients who are not malnourished.

Integrated care systems, made up of local partners including the NHS, councils, the voluntary sector, and others, are responsible for planning and commissioning health services for their local population. Integrated care systems and providers will be responsible for implementation and delivery of the refreshed National Nutrition and Hydration policy.

Malnutrition is a clinical condition affecting all ages, across all communities, and in all health and care settings. Most cases of malnutrition will be secondary to another health condition, which may impact on nutritional needs or a person’s ability to eat and drink. All National Health Services are recommended to adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guideline, Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32

This sets out the recommendations, based on best available evidence, of the organisation, screening, and delivery of nutritional support in hospitals and communities. This includes screening for malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition. The NICE guidelines recommend that all hospital inpatients should be screened for malnutrition on admission, as well as all outpatients at their first clinic appointment. Screening should be repeated weekly for inpatients, and when there is clinical concern for outpatients. People in care homes should be screened on admission, and when there is clinical concern.

All people who are identified as being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition should be assessed by an appropriately qualified health professional, such as a dietitian, to receive an individualised care plan in line with their individual circumstances, dietary preferences, and medical needs.

NHS England’s Nursing Directorate is leading on a review and refresh of the National Nutrition and Hydration guidance, which builds on NHS England’s previous Commissioning Excellent Nutrition and Hydration guidance 2015-2018. This previous guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nut-hyd-guid.pdf

A National Hydration and Nutrition Advisory Board was established in June 2023, providing strategic advice, direction, and oversight across the review, codesign, and development of the policy.

There is no current estimate on the savings that could be made as a result of increasing the screening and treatment of malnutrition. However, efforts to prevent malnutrition and to treat it early could potentially reduce both the clinical and economic burden to the healthcare system. Malnourished patients spend on average 30% longer in hospital than patients who are not malnourished.

Integrated care systems, made up of local partners including the NHS, councils, the voluntary sector, and others, are responsible for planning and commissioning health services for their local population. Integrated care systems and providers will be responsible for implementation and delivery of the refreshed National Nutrition and Hydration policy.

Malnutrition is a clinical condition affecting all ages, across all communities, and in all health and care settings. Most cases of malnutrition will be secondary to another health condition, which may impact on nutritional needs or a person’s ability to eat and drink. All National Health Services are recommended to adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guideline, Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32

This sets out the recommendations, based on best available evidence, of the organisation, screening, and delivery of nutritional support in hospitals and communities. This includes screening for malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition. The NICE guidelines recommend that all hospital inpatients should be screened for malnutrition on admission, as well as all outpatients at their first clinic appointment. Screening should be repeated weekly for inpatients, and when there is clinical concern for outpatients. People in care homes should be screened on admission, and when there is clinical concern.

All people who are identified as being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition should be assessed by an appropriately qualified health professional, such as a dietitian, to receive an individualised care plan in line with their individual circumstances, dietary preferences, and medical needs.

NHS England’s Nursing Directorate is leading on a review and refresh of the National Nutrition and Hydration guidance, which builds on NHS England’s previous Commissioning Excellent Nutrition and Hydration guidance 2015-2018. This previous guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nut-hyd-guid.pdf

A National Hydration and Nutrition Advisory Board was established in June 2023, providing strategic advice, direction, and oversight across the review, codesign, and development of the policy.

There is no current estimate on the savings that could be made as a result of increasing the screening and treatment of malnutrition. However, efforts to prevent malnutrition and to treat it early could potentially reduce both the clinical and economic burden to the healthcare system. Malnourished patients spend on average 30% longer in hospital than patients who are not malnourished.

Integrated care systems, made up of local partners including the NHS, councils, the voluntary sector, and others, are responsible for planning and commissioning health services for their local population. Integrated care systems and providers will be responsible for implementation and delivery of the refreshed National Nutrition and Hydration policy.

The Government continues to monitor individual cases of concern in Saudi Arabia, and we regularly raise human rights with the Saudi authorities, including at ministerial level.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 84235.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 84235.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 28 October to Question 84235.

We continue to encourage all countries to engage constructively with UN mechanisms, including Special Rapporteurs, as part of their international commitments. The UK remains committed to supporting progress on human rights.

The government’s position is that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. Goods originating from these settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the existing agreement between the UK and Israel or under our agreement with the Palestinian Authority.

UK trade statistics are based on data supplied in customs declarations, which includes the country code of the trading partner. This enables trade to be listed as Israel (IL) or the Occupied Palestinian Territories (PS).

Where there are doubts about the declared origin of goods, checks will be undertaken to verify the origin of those goods.

The government’s position is that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. Goods originating from these settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the existing agreement between the UK and Israel or under our agreement with the Palestinian Authority.

UK trade statistics are based on data supplied in customs declarations, which includes the country code of the trading partner. This enables trade to be listed as Israel (IL) or the Occupied Palestinian Territories (PS).

Where there are doubts about the declared origin of goods, checks will be undertaken to verify the origin of those goods.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as an Accredited Official Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.

These tables include country of dispatch (CoD) which gives information on the country of export.

To build a table you will need to use a commodity code. Commodity codes identify the goods being imported or exported. These are publicly available from the UK Trade Tariff at https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff. Commodity codes for the various types of seafood would come under Chapter 03.

If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.

Since 2016 there has been a voluntary agreement between the Home Office and most major high street retailers on the responsible sale of knives. The purpose of the agreement is to set out best practice around the sale of knives, including age verification and display.

Retailers who are signatories are required to ensure knives are displayed and packaged securely as appropriate to minimise risk. This should include retailers taking practical and proportionate steps to restrict accessibility and avoid immediate use, to reduce the possibility of injury, and to prevent theft.

We are clear that knives should be sold responsibly. Through measures in the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, we are increasing the maximum penalties for selling knives to those under the age of 18 and selling prohibited weapons to 2 years imprisonment.

We are considering the recommendations set out in the Grenfell Inquiry report. The Prime Minister has committed to respond in full to the Inquiry’s recommendations within 6 months and to update Parliament annually on our progress against every commitment made.

In support of the Sentencing Bill, the Ministry of Justice will significantly expand the use of electronic monitoring as a vital tool for probation to ensure offenders are managed safely in the community.

This expansion builds on the Department’s long-standing commitment to building the evidence base for electronic monitoring. Our evaluations, alongside external research commissioned by the Department, have provided clear evidence that targeted electronic monitoring conditions can reduce reoffending and support reintegration by providing an effective alternative to custody. A recent study has found that curfew tags reduce reoffending by 20% when used as part of a community sentence. Further to this, our Acquisitive Crime pilot evaluation shows that burglars, robbers, and thieves given a constant whereabouts monitoring condition with a GPS tag were around 20% less likely to reoffend while on the tag.