Asked by: Chris Curtis (Labour - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has been made of whether encapsulating the plutonium inventory for immobilisation would limit recovery of americium-241 for medical and space-power applications.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority have supported the UK National Nuclear Laboratory’s work to extract americium from the UK’s civil separated plutonium inventory at Sellafield for the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) ENDURE Programme.
The department recognises the potential importance of americium for advanced technologies, including space power systems. Whilst no decisions have been taken, government continue to explore opportunities for collaboration with industry.
Immobilisation will be a long-term programme with a number of decades until all of the UK’s civil separated plutonium is put beyond reach.
Asked by: Chris Curtis (Labour - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 January 2025 on the Plutonium Disposition Strategy, what consideration was given in the decision to rapid developments in metallic fast-reactor fuel and uranium-transuranic fuel technologies that could utilise UK plutonium.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) considered both immobilisation and re-use options. There are no existing or planned fast reactor projects in the UK that could utilise the plutonium. All current and planned UK reactors use uranium fuel.
Immobilisation can be delivered sooner and with greater certainty than re-use in fast reactors, due in part to removing reliance on delivery of a new reactor programme.
Indefinite storage of plutonium is not an acceptable solution due to the high cost of management and the enduring safety and security burden.
Asked by: Chris Curtis (Labour - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 January 2025 on the Plutonium Disposition Strategy, what the results were of the plutonium fuel pellet manufacturing trials undertaken with Orano at its demonstration facility in France using UK-produced plutonium, which the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority stated in March 2019 were scheduled for completion in 2020.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The trials completed in 2020 demonstrated that Orano's MIMAS process for manufacturing LWR MOX fuel could be applied to some UK plutonium.
It was assessed that immobilisation will put the plutonium beyond reach sooner and with greater confidence than re-use.
Not all of the plutonium would be suitable for re-use in fuel, so an immobilisation programme would always be required for part of the inventory.
Asked by: Chris Curtis (Labour - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 January 2025 on the Plutonium Disposition Strategy, what work was undertaken to investigate the possibility of reuse as CANMOX and what the result of this work was.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) considered reuse as CANMOX as part of their assessment of options for plutonium disposition. This work concluded that CANMOX was technically viable but was less mature than other options and would require further development before it could be deployed at industrial scale.
It was found that immobilisation would put the plutonium beyond reach sooner and with greater confidence than re-use.
Not all of the plutonium would be suitable for re-use in fuel, so an immobilisation programme would always be required for part of the inventory.
Asked by: Chris Curtis (Labour - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the factors affecting pupils’ readiness to learn and recurring barriers to early-morning preparedness in primary schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The Schools white paper makes clear our commitment to ensure every child can achieve and thrive by getting the most from the school day.
This is why we are rolling out free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England, so that all children, regardless of background, can have the best start in life and begin the school day ready to learn. Since April 2025, we have funded 750 schools to offer a free breakfast club as early adopters, delivering 8.5 million meals so far. Following the success of the early adopters, we have rolled out clubs in an additional 500 schools opening their doors this week. Backed by an investment of £80 million, we will fund breakfast clubs in around 2,000 schools between April 2026 and March 2027, benefitting around half a million more children.
Asked by: Chris Curtis (Labour - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the inquiry into the Child Maintenance Service will include a review of the REMO/MEBC.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends.
The scope of the review does not include Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) or Maintenance Enforcement Business Centre (MEBC) processes. Responsibility for REMO falls within the Ministry of Justice, as it concerns the enforcement of maintenance orders across international jurisdictions that are subject to separate legislative frameworks.
Asked by: Chris Curtis (Labour - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the (a) B2 language and (b) income requirement for BN(O) visa holders will apply to their settlement process.
Answered by Mike Tapp
The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.
BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.
The new mandatory requirements for settlement are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers.
In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.
Asked by: Chris Curtis (Labour - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the Civil Aviation Authority renewed the ATOL licence for Balkan Holidays on 1 April 2025; and whether she plans to reform financial protection in the travel sector.
Answered by Mike Kane
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is independently responsible for administering the ATOL scheme. Decisions on ATOL licence renewal decisions are for the CAA to take independently.
The Department continues to work with the CAA on options for ATOL reform. We expect to provide an update on progress later this year.
Asked by: Chris Curtis (Labour - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the political situation in the Ivory Coast.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK maintains a strong relationship with Côte d'Ivoire, and we have shared interests in growth, security, and the fight against climate change.
As across Africa, the Government is focussed on building a modern partnership based on mutual respect and it is this principle which underpins our diplomatic engagement ahead of this year's important presidential election.
Asked by: Chris Curtis (Labour - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the tax treatment of red diesel on small farming businesses.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
In 2020, the previous Government announced that the red diesel entitlement would be withdrawn from most sectors from April 2022. However, farmers retained the entitlement to use red diesel for agricultural machinery.
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government extended the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelled the planned inflation increase for 2025-26, maintaining the red diesel rate at the levels set in March 2022 at 10.18p per litre.