Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the average market value of off-road bikes that have been (a) seized and (b) destroyed under powers introduced in 2025 to help tackle antisocial behaviour.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.
The Crime and Policing Bill will give the police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles, including off-road bikes, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles. Subject to parliamentary approval, the Crime and Policing Bill is expected to secure Royal Assent around the turn of the year.
On 28 May 2025, we published a consultation on amendments to secondary legislation on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles such as off-road bikes, which have been used anti-socially from 14 days to 48 hours. We expect any changes to secondary legislation to come into force in early 2026.
The Home Office does not hold data on the number or value of off-road bikes that have been seized or destroyed under existing powers.
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, which technologies will deliver improved wifi access on the East Coast Main Line.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department continues to work closely with Network Rail and industry to look at solutions to improve connectivity on trains, which includes rolling out rail 5G on the rail network.
Following the spending review, funding has been made available to invest in low earth orbit satellite connectivity, to improve passenger mobile connectivity. We also continue to work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to develop further interventions on the railway.
The department has been working with Network Rail to deliver improved connectivity on the rail corridor. Project Reach, which will renew fibre optic cables & address signals in mainline tunnels and stations was signed 26 June 2025 between Network Rail, and telecoms companies, Neos Networks and Freshwave .
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme payments have been paid to the loaning bank following (a) default and (b) bankruptcy by the business to which the loan was made; and what the value was of each of those loans.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As at 31 March 2025, 8,755 (9.0% of the total) Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme (CBILS) loans have had the government guarantee paid out. The monetary value of the guarantees paid out is £996.3mn, or 3.9% of the total the CBILS draw down value. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) does not hold data detailing the reason for borrower default, including where bankruptcy is the reason for default.
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 the differences in remit are between the (a) AI Security Institute and (b) Alan Turing Institute.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
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, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reductions in Official Development Assistance on lives (a) saved and (b) at risk in (i) low- and (ii) middle-income countries due to (A) malaria and (B) other global health diseases.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Following the recent Spending Review, decisions on the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget are being finalised through consultation and impact assessments. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to ensuring every pound delivers maximum impact. Global Health is a top priority reflecting the UK's commitment to strengthening health systems, tackling global health threats, and promoting equitable access to vaccines and treatments. As part of this, the UK's new £1.25 billion investment in Gavi from 2026 to 2030 will support Gavi's goal to immunise up to 500 million children, save 8 to 9 million lives, and generate over $100 billion in economic benefits.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the correspondence to the Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of 10 April 2025, for what reason the projected £45 billion in annual savings from the digitalisation of public services was not included in the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The figure of £45 billion in annual savings and productivity gains, published in ‘A blueprint for modern digital government’, represents a long-term estimate of the potential benefits for the digital transformation of the public sector. Spending Review 2025 sets out plans for a step change in investment in digital and artificial intelligence (AI) across public services.
Over the Spending Review period, the government will build strong digital and technology foundations, tackle urgent cybersecurity and technical resilience risks, modernise public service delivery, and drive a major overhaul in government productivity and efficiency. All departments will deliver at least 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028‑29. The Office for Value for Money has worked closely with departments to agree bespoke and stretching technical efficiency targets, underpinned by credible delivery plans.
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, whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) data protection and (b) ethical implications of commercial DNA testing services used by minors without age verification.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All companies providing DNA testing kits or DNA testing services must comply with the provisions of the Human Tissue Act 2004 relating to consent. This provides the ethical framework for DNA testing. Under the Act, a person who has not attained the age of 16 years old cannot give consent for a DNA test. Any company failing to appropriately verify that a person using a DNA testing service is legally able to give consent, may be liable for prosecution under the act.
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, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulatory standards for the marketing of consumer DNA testing kits.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is aware that there are a number of DNA test kits on the market. The majority claim to provide information on ancestry, and in general these would not be regarded as medical devices.
However, those that make medical claims in relation to predisposition of medical conditions would be regarded as in vitro diagnostic medical devices and would require the relevant CE mark or a UK Conformity Assessed marking.
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 steps his Department has taken to coordinate with other (a) donor governments and (b) implementing country partners to mitigate the potential impact of reductions to the (i) United States Agency for International Development and (ii) other global health funds.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers and officials regularly meet international partners on a number of global health and international development issues, both in the course of their duties and as part of our role as a board member to a number of global health bodies.
Discussions will continue to take place through bilateral meetings and other key multilateral fora, including with the G20 under the Presidency of South Africa, with whom we will be co-hosting the Global Fund replenishment later in the year, and at the High-Level Summit on 25 June, where the UK announced our new investment in Gavi.
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, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the placement of sanctions on Bezalel Smotrich on (a) Pearson Engineering Limited and (b) other UK-based companies that are (i) owned and (ii) partially controlled by the Israeli Government Companies Authority.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our sanctions are carefully designed to minimise unintended consequences within the UK and globally. The sanctions on Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir apply to them in their personal capacities, and not to their ministries, departments or businesses owned or partially owned by the State of Israel.