Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the definition and application of trusted supplier in relation to cellular Internet of Things (IoT) modules.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Connected device security requires a layered approach that includes software, hardware and the processes that protect these devices against attack. Manufacturers of smart tech should use the device security principles, produced by the National Cyber Security Centre and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to identify which security mitigations should be included in their devices to protect against common cyber security threats and risks.
There is no single, formally defined, universally binding term called “trusted supplier”. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) uses assurance schemes rather than the term “trusted supplier”. Suppliers are assessed against defined standards and buyers can rely on this assurance as a proxy for trust. Cellular internet of things modules are treated no different from any other technology device in this regard. If the supplier of a cellular internet of things device meets the defined standards and other requirements of the relevant assurance scheme then it will be assured as appropriate.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
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 role of creative therapies in the care of people living with dementia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs) and may include creative therapies. We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
NICE guidance recommends that people living with dementia are offered a range of activities to promote wellbeing that are tailored to their needs and preferences. This guidance is available at the following link:
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the levels of support for women's rights within the new Syrian government and its administration.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my statement on GOV.UK marking the one‑year anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, available at the link below, which set out the UK's support for the efforts of the new Syrian Government to build a more stable, inclusive, and representative country. I further emphasised the importance of that inclusive political transition during President Al Sharaa's visit to the UK on 31 March, and in my written statement to the House on 29 April (HWCS1552).
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/minister-falconer-article-on-syria-anniversary-december-2025
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the wifi on LNER to be improved.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Pending approval of the Business Case for low earth orbit satellite to improve passenger wifi, we will begin delivering the LEO upgrade in 2027, which will include LNER. Exact dates will be determined once the Business Case is approved.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason she proposes to use Starlink to improve Wi-Fi connectivity on trains rather than oneweb.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Once the procurement for this programme goes live and is concluded, that will determine the choice of supplier. Until then, no decision has been made.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
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 with the Syrian government to open up an inclusive political process that grants rights to all communities, including Kurds, Christians and Yazidis.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my statement on GOV.UK marking the one‑year anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, available at the link below, which set out the UK's support for the efforts of the new Syrian government to build a more stable, inclusive, and representative country. I further emphasised the importance of that inclusive political transition during President Al Sharaa's visit to the UK on 31 March, and in my written statement to the House on 29 April (HWCS1552).
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/minister-falconer-article-on-syria-anniversary-december-2025
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what conditions are currently attached to UK financial support to the Syrian government; and whether she plans to make future support contingent on the inclusion of all minority and religious groups in political processes.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my statement on GOV.UK marking the one‑year anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, available at the link below, which set out the UK's support for the efforts of the new Syrian government to build a more stable, inclusive, and representative country. I further emphasised the importance of that inclusive political transition during President Al Sharaa's visit to the UK on 31 March, and in my written statement to the House on 29 April (HWCS1552).
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/minister-falconer-article-on-syria-anniversary-december-2025
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
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 ensure AI tools are safe by design to prevent the creation of child sexual abuse material.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of General Practices are signed up to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD); and what steps his Department is taking to help address (a) technical and (b) contractual barriers preventing further practices from joining.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) receives data from Optum, Vision, and TPP SystmOne practices, which represent the three largest clinical system providers to general practices (GPs). 32% of practices across all four nations currently participate in CPRD. As of 22 April, there are 7,660 practices in total, 2,428 of which currently have requested to contribute data to CPRD. The following table shows the number of practices in each nation:
Nation | Number of contributing practices | Total number of practices |
England | 2,148 | 6,112 |
Wales | 38 | 368 |
Scotland | 216 | 874 |
Northern Ireland | 26 | 306 |
CPRD is mandated to operate on a cost-recovery basis and holds contracts with all three of the main data providers. CPRD’s current data licence and service fees are only able to support a maximum of 35% population coverage across the United Kingdom. The focus is therefore on a representative practice and patient sample rather than 100% coverage.
For Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, previous IT system limitations restricting participation are currently being lifted which will allow for further participation across the three devolved nations.
CPRD currently has 402 TPP practices signed up in England. However, due to technical issues, CPRD is unable to use TPP patient data and continues to work with the supplier to find a solution.
If a patient registers for a type 1 opt-out with their GP, or registers for the National Data Opt-out, then CPRD will not receive any new data for that patient.
The number of type 1 opt-outs are not recorded centrally, as it is not possible to specify how many people who registered for a National Data Opt-out did so to opt-out of the sharing of their data via the CPRD, as the opt-out covers a range of research. Information on the numbers of National Data Opt-outs is published at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/dashboards/national-data-opt-out-open-data
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of patients in England have exercised their right to opt out of sharing their data for research purposes via the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD).
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) receives data from Optum, Vision, and TPP SystmOne practices, which represent the three largest clinical system providers to general practices (GPs). 32% of practices across all four nations currently participate in CPRD. As of 22 April, there are 7,660 practices in total, 2,428 of which currently have requested to contribute data to CPRD. The following table shows the number of practices in each nation:
Nation | Number of contributing practices | Total number of practices |
England | 2,148 | 6,112 |
Wales | 38 | 368 |
Scotland | 216 | 874 |
Northern Ireland | 26 | 306 |
CPRD is mandated to operate on a cost-recovery basis and holds contracts with all three of the main data providers. CPRD’s current data licence and service fees are only able to support a maximum of 35% population coverage across the United Kingdom. The focus is therefore on a representative practice and patient sample rather than 100% coverage.
For Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, previous IT system limitations restricting participation are currently being lifted which will allow for further participation across the three devolved nations.
CPRD currently has 402 TPP practices signed up in England. However, due to technical issues, CPRD is unable to use TPP patient data and continues to work with the supplier to find a solution.
If a patient registers for a type 1 opt-out with their GP, or registers for the National Data Opt-out, then CPRD will not receive any new data for that patient.
The number of type 1 opt-outs are not recorded centrally, as it is not possible to specify how many people who registered for a National Data Opt-out did so to opt-out of the sharing of their data via the CPRD, as the opt-out covers a range of research. Information on the numbers of National Data Opt-outs is published at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/dashboards/national-data-opt-out-open-data