Blair McDougall

The full Governmental spend on X is not centrally held.

There has been zero Cabinet Office spend with X in the last 12 months.

No company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain. We will be working with colleagues across Government to tackle the issue of Uyghur forced labour in supply chains.

We are also relaunching the Solar Taskforce, which will focus on identifying and taking forward the actions needed to develop supply chains that are resilient, sustainable and free from forced labour. This will support the significant increases in deployment of solar panels needed to meet our ambition of tripling the UKs solar power capacity by 2030.

The government welcomes the CMA’s work to investigate fuel prices and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.

The Government is committed to improving mobile coverage across the UK. The Shared Rural Network will increase 4G geographic coverage throughout the UK to 95% by the end of 2025.

In September, Ofcom reported that 94.9% of the UK landmass now has 4G coverage from at least one mobile operator, with over 78% having 4G coverage from all four.

Non-standalone 5G is available outside 92% of UK premises from at least one mobile operator. Our ambition is for all populated areas to have high-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

Landlines are not being removed. It would be more accurate to say that providers are moving from the old and failing analogue network - the Public Switched Telephone Network - to Voice over Internet Protocol technology. We are focused on ensuring that this industry-led transition causes minimum inconvenience to residents and businesses.

Although most power cuts are brief, the impact they can have on the telephone network is significant, particularly in rural communities. We are working closely with the regulator, communications providers and the power sector to improve resilience and minimise disruption to the public and businesses as much as possible.

Communications providers have statutory responsibilities to take all appropriate and proportionate steps to minimise disruption to services and must ensure at least one back-up form of communication is available for contacting emergency services for a minimum of one hour during a power outage. On 6 September 2024, Ofcom published detailed resilience guidelines specifying the measures that providers are expected to meet throughout their networks, including resilience to power cuts, and set out the analysis they are completing to consider whether additional resilience is required for mobile services.

The security of the UK is a top priority for the government. We are taking robust action to ensure new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK. The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act requires manufacturers, importers and retailers to ensure IoT products meet minimum security requirements. In telecoms specifically, we have been working to promote a more open, innovative, and diverse technology supply chain and to strengthen our legislative frameworks. The Government is taking a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will improve the UK’s capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses through an audit of the UK’s relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor.

This is a devolved area of competence in Scotland. Decisions about introducing legislative changes would be for the Scottish Government.

In England and Wales, the exhibition of films in communal spaces is regulated through the Licensing Act 2003. Local authorities act as the ‘licensing authority’ when determining what activity requires a licence.

The Licensing Act 2003 contains an exemption for entertainment activity that is provided on or behalf of a local authority, healthcare provider or school provider (see para. 16.16 of the Revised Guidance issued under s.182 of the Licensing Act 2003). The exemption applies to activity that takes place on defined premises between 08.00 - 23.00. This exemption may apply to sheltered accommodation, and we would encourage those interested in exhibiting films in communal spaces in sheltered accommodation to consider on a case by case basis whether they would fall under this exemption.

The government is not planning any legislative changes in this area.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The government works in partnership with the sector to support institutions to make informed decisions on international collaborations and manage national security risks. Universities UK, with government support, continues to deliver a programme of work to increase the understanding and awareness of the threat from interference within the higher education sector. A key output of this work is the publication of two sets of guidelines: ‘Managing risks in Internationalisation: Security related issues’ and ‘Managing risks in international research and innovation’.

These guidelines are available here:

https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-research/publications/managing-risks-internationalisation;

https://www.ukri.org/publications/managing-risks-in-international-research-and-innovation/.

The guidance has specific sections on mitigating against foreign interference. In addition, the Research Collaboration Advice Team and National Protective Security Authority continue to provide tailored advice to researchers and institutions on how to manage national security risks in international research collaborations.

The National Security Act 2023 further strengthened the government’s legal powers to counter foreign interference, including those actions which amount to transnational repression, and provides the security services and law enforcement agencies with additional tools to deter, detect and disrupt modern-day state threats.

The Competition and Markets Authority, which is independent from Defra, is currently undertaking a market investigation into veterinary services, and Defra will review any recommendations that are made by the CMA when their process concludes in 2025.

The Department already has robust measures in place to ensure the enforcement and compliance of environmental laws for all sea vessels in UK territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone, including the Russian shadow fleet.

The UK is a signatory to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which is the main convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. The UK applies MARPOL requirements to applicable UK ships wherever they are in the world - and to foreign vessels when in UK waters.

To ensure vessels are complying with the MARPOL convention within UK territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone, satellites and fix wing surveillance aircraft can be used to identify possible incidences of pollution and consequent environmental risks.

Intelligence is also received through the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Inspection regime on vessels suspected of pollution when they enter a Paris MoU port. This information is used to help enforce environmental laws in the UK.

As a newly formed Government we will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation.

This Government respects the work of the Ombudsman. Now the election has concluded we need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides.

The issues outlined in the report are significant and complex, as such they require serious deliberation. Once this work has been undertaken, the Government/we will be in a position to outline its approach.

Nearly 600,000 women are on gynaecology waiting lists. It is unacceptable that patients are waiting too long to get the care they need. Cutting waiting lists, including for gynaecology procedures, is a key part of our Health Mission and a top priority for the Government.

We have committed to achieving the NHS Constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by the end of this Parliament, including those waiting for gynaecology treatment. Funding has been confirmed to support the delivery of an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments per week. Capital investment of £1.5 billion for new surgical hubs and scanners has been announced, alongside £70 million for new radiotherapy machines.

We are considering how to take forward the Women’s Health Strategy for England, and work continues to improve health outcomes for women. For example, the Department is continuing to work with NHS England to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system, following a £25 million investment. As of September 2024, 36 of the 42 integrated care boards reported to NHS England that their pilot women’s health hub was open. The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service and will put women’s equality at the heart of our missions.

The Government is currently considering what steps may need to be taken in relation to the safety of the non-surgical cosmetics sector. The Government will set out its position at the earliest opportunity.

While the delivery of healthcare is a devolved matter, health services in England and the devolved administrations cooperate to share medical records for patients’ treatment, with systems such as Primary Care Support England and the National Health Service Central Register in Scotland to support the process.

As health is a devolved matter, each administration of the United Kingdom takes its own decisions on the provision of treatment and other action to address drug related deaths. Nonetheless, it is important that the four nations work together and share learning to tackle the health harms that drugs pose.

The Department has been working closely with the Scottish Government and the other devolved administrations to expand access to naloxone, a life-saving medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The Government laid UK-wide legislation on 29 July 2024, which, subject to passage through Parliament, will enable more services and organisations to provide take-home supplies of naloxone without a prescription. These changes will make it easier for naloxone to be given to a family member or friend of a person who is known to be using opiates, and to professionals working with people who use these drugs, to save lives in the event of an overdose.

We will continue to work together with the Scottish Government and agencies such as Public Health Scotland, to monitor emerging threats posed by drugs, share learning between nations, and prevent drug related deaths across the UK.

The UK's longstanding position on Taiwan, as set out in the 1972 Communiqué, has not changed and remains the position of this government.

The environment for freedom of religion or belief across China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

This Government will champion freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement. For example, the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary both raised human rights recently with their counterparts, President Xi and Foreign Minister Wang, respectively.

The UK's longstanding position on Taiwan has not changed. The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, including increased Chinese assertiveness towards Taiwan.

The UK supports a merit-based appointment for UN Secretary-General, based on principles of transparency and inclusiveness. The Government would like to see women's representation strengthen across the multilateral system, and we welcome the Secretary-General's ambition for gender parity. We encourage member states to nominate women for the top jobs. The UK is proud to continue to support the objectives of the UN's Senior Women Talent Pipeline (SWTP), including programme funding totalling £50,000 in the current financial year.

In his 9 December statement the Foreign Secretary strongly condemned the excessive use of force against protesters and journalists in Georgia. He also outlined the suspension of programme support to the Georgian government as a result of the crackdown. In my 3 December statement, I made clear our support for the Georgian people's European future, and I condemned the excessive force used against protesters and journalists. Protesters in Georgia are making clear their opposition to Georgian Dream's decision to stall the country's progress towards EU membership, directly undermining the Georgian Constitution. We are in regular contact with international partners regarding the situation. I continue to call on the Georgian authorities to listen, de-escalate, and reverse this harmful trajectory away from European values.

This government is deeply committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK. We are aware that individuals who have chosen to take up the British National (Overseas) route are having difficulties accessing their Mandatory Provident Fund from Hong Kong.

Whilst documentary requirements for withdrawing funds are a matter for the Hong Kong authorities, officials have raised this issue directly with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Hong Kong MPF Schemes Authority. We have urged them to facilitate early draw down of funds as is the case for other Hong Kong residents who move overseas permanently and have made clear such discrimination of BN(O)s is unacceptable.

The Chancellor and I know the loan charge is a very important one for many members and their constituents. We have been considering this matter since taking office and will provide an update in due course.

Paragraph 1(b) of Schedule 29 to the Finance Act 2004 provides for a pension commencement lump sum where all or part of a member’s lump sum allowance, and all or part of their lump sum and death benefit allowance, is available.

Those with enhanced protection against pension tax charges are entitled to the same amount of pension commencement lump sum they would have expected to receive prior to 6 April 2023. This enables them to receive up to £375,000 if they have sufficient available lump sum allowance.

The government has no plans to enable those with enhanced protection, or any other protection, to access additional tax-free lump sums where they have already taken the maximum amount. This maintains members’ expectations in respect of their tax-free lump sums.

It is the first duty of government to keep its citizens safe. Attempts to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK by foreign powers, including China, are unacceptable. The protection of individuals’ freedoms, and safety is of the upmost importance. Where individuals are identified as being of heightened risk, we are proactive in the deployment of protective security guidance and other measures as appropriate. Anyone who is concerned for their safety should contact the police in the first instance.

The first duty of any government is to keep the country safe and protect its citizens. The UK does not tolerate attempts by any state to threaten or intimidate UK residents. We continually assess potential risks and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously. This involves taking a proactive approach to countering the most acute forms of state-directed threats to individuals.

We will continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

Home Office officials work closely with operational partners, the FCDO and other government departments to ensure that UK residents are safe and secure. Where individuals have concerns for their safety, they are advised to contact their local police in the first instance.