Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to (a) help stop executions and (b) promote human rights in Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 December in response to Question 97116.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has had recent discussions with representatives of Royal Mail on pay and working conditions for employees.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider.
All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their workforce receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled. However, Royal Mail is an independent business, and the government has no role in its operational decisions.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to help ensure the safety of people in Cyprus.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister has made clear that the UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus, and British military personnel and civilians based there. The UK had already deployed additional military capabilities to the region, in January and February, to defend our interests and has deployed further assets. I spoke to Foreign Minister Kombos again this week to assure him of our support for the security and safety of the people of Cyprus.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in reference to the her Department's White Paper entitled A new vision for water, whether her Department has made further consideration of an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for the water industry.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is considering a range of reforms, to fix our broken water system. Delivering better outcomes and a more sustainable approach to drainage and wastewater management is a key consideration.
Extended Producer Responsibility can be an effective means of raising the funds to tackle pollution, and the government has undertaken initial investigation of Extended Producer Responsibility for wastewater.
Whilst Extended Producer Responsibility could be an effective means of raising revenue, we want to better address the root causes of pollution head on. Shifting the focus towards ‘pre-pipe’ solutions, such as rainwater management and tackling sewer misuse. For example, in November 2025, the government legislated to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England.
Additionally, over the next five years, over £10bn is being spent on storm overflows investment in England, improving over 2,500 storm overflows to reduce spills. In addition, nearly £5bn is being invested in upgrades at wastewater treatment works to remove phosphorus.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the decision as to whether to grant a licence to the Rosebank oil field project will be made.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State is responsible for determining whether to agree to the grant of consent for development of the project under the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations for offshore oil and gas and will make a decision in due course.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a legal right to basic banking services for charities.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Charities make a valuable contribution across the country, and it is important that they can access suitable banking services.
Decisions about the provision of banking services, including whether to offer accounts to particular organisations, are primarily commercial matters for banks who must meet strict financial crime and customer diligence obligations. Charities and community groups often have more complex account structures (for example, multiple trustees), making their banking needs more expensive and operationally demanding. The varying complexity and features of non-personal accounts, together with financial crime obligations, mean there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for the sector.
At the Government’s encouragement, however, UK Finance - working with banks and charity representative groups - have produced the Voluntary Organisation Banking Guide, which supports charities and community groups in accessing banking services. This includes an account finder tool for charities and community groups.
The Government continues to monitor evidence on access to banking services, including for charities and community groups, while recognising the need to balance customer protection with providers’ obligations to prevent financial crime and maintain the integrity of the financial system.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 support research on low grade glioma brain tumours.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The NIHR is continuing to invest in brain tumour research. In January 2026, the NIHR announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer.
Brain tumours are one of the toughest cancers to treat. This new NIHR investment will help researchers and clinicians understand the disease better, test new treatments earlier, and make trials available to more adults and children closer to home.
The consortium brings together 48 organisations from across leading universities, National Health Service trusts and charities, along with patients, to help deliver better research, faster. It is a coordinated national effort to improve the development and evaluation of treatments for brain tumours across adult and paediatric populations.
The NIHR continues to welcome high quality funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including low-grade glioma brain tumours.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the National Cancer Plan on support for people with brain tumours.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with brain tumours.
The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, complements the 10-Year Health Plan and sets out how the National Health Service will improve outcomes for all cancer patients including those with rarer and less common cancers such as brain tumours.
Patients with rare cancers, including brain tumours, will benefit from a move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams which cover multiple providers. This will allow them to benefit from the input of specialist centres and so access to the best evidence-based care.
To meet its obligations for rare cancers, including brain tumours, the Government will appoint a new national clinical lead for rare cancers. This national clinical lead will have a clear mandate to speak up for rare cancers, and to provide clinical advice and support for the delivery of the actions in the plan.
In January 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours – ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer.
In addition to speeding up diagnosis and treatment, the work being undertaken by the consortium aims to ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and to clinical trials. This will make a significant contribution to bringing the United Kingdom’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her international counterparts on the provision of support to Cuba in the context of sanctions imposed on Cuba by the US on 29 January 2026.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to follow developments in Cuba closely, including the impact of the 29 January US executive order. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials engage regularly with UN agencies operating in Cuba, including the UN Children's Fund, the World Food Programme and UN Development Programme, as part of our broader commitment to humanitarian and development assistance. The UK also contributes to global humanitarian financing mechanisms such as the Central Emergency Response Fund and other pooled funds which can provide support where needs arise.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) retain early-career researchers in experimental particle physics and (b) support the wider scientific research sector.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed to £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. This includes at least £5 billion to support research talent, including early career researchers, as well as £14 billion allocated to applicant-led, curiosity-driven research in UKRI that underpins long-term scientific capability and economic growth.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). No final spending decisions relating to STFC’s PPAN portfolio have been made. The impacts of different modelled scenarios will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.
More generally, DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its allocation decisions are informed by meaningful consultation with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability and international standing.