Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of giving local authorities the power to set up firework free zones; and what discussions he has had with his Scottish counterpart on the provisions on this matter in the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Act (Scotland) 2022.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of giving local authorities the power to set up firework free zones or on the impact of restricting the sale and use of fireworks in respect of illegal trade.
The Government regularly engages with its counterparts in Scotland and will continue to discuss the impacts of their Firework Control Zones. The Government is keen to understand the outcomes the changes have made, before considering if similar changes are needed for England and Wales.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of restricting the (a) sale and (b) use of fireworks on trends in the level of the illegal trade in fireworks.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of giving local authorities the power to set up firework free zones or on the impact of restricting the sale and use of fireworks in respect of illegal trade.
The Government regularly engages with its counterparts in Scotland and will continue to discuss the impacts of their Firework Control Zones. The Government is keen to understand the outcomes the changes have made, before considering if similar changes are needed for England and Wales.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps to provide improved guidance to (a) employers and (b) employees on lone working.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 9 September 2025 to Question UIN 75301.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on curating accessible (a) training and (b) guidance on promoting the Armed Forces Covenant Duty.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) understands the importance of providing accessible training and guidance to support the Armed Forces Covenant Duty implementation and realise the benefits it offers. We will provide a range of accessible resources, including the provision of detailed training materials, downloadable resources, and clear, practical statutory guidance. These resources will aim to equip the bodies subject to the Duty with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively implement, comply with, and promote the Duty, to help ensure its intended outcomes are achieved.
As part of MOD’s commitment to raising awareness of the Duty, we have developed a Duty toolkit, available on the Covenant website, which outlines practical implications for the Armed Forces community and key policies. The MOD is committed to working closely with other UK Government departments, devolved and local governments, the third sector, and the Armed Forces community to raise awareness of the challenges faced by Service personnel and their families, to maximise the Duty’s positive impact across the UK.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to consult with the armed forces community when improving the Armed Forces Covenant.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence engages regularly with a wide range of stakeholders to understand how the Armed Forces Covenant is being delivered in practice and seek views on how it could be improved.
The Department has been working at pace to fulfil the election manifesto commitment to put the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law, and this has included engagement with over 150 organisations, including representatives of the Armed Forces community, including those serving, veterans, family members, and the bereaved.
The Department also seeks the views of the Armed Forces community through regular surveys such as the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey and Families Continuous Attitude Survey. These include questions to assess awareness of the Covenant and identify areas where the Armed Forces community may face disadvantage. This range of engagement will continue as we monitor the implementation of the Covenant Duty extension.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of a) the risks associated with mainstream (i) entertainment brands and (ii) broadcasters distributing gambling (A) advertising and (B) sponsorship and b) the potential impact of this on (1) children and (2) vulnerable audiences.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is clear that wherever gambling advertising appears, it must be socially responsible. There are a number of robust codes in place to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm, enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) independently of Government. The ASA regularly reviews its codes and guidance to ensure they continue to protect children and vulnerable customers in an evolving advertising landscape. For example, the ASA recently strengthened its guidance on strong appeal to children, which focused on social media and the use of influencers.
Government recognises that more needs to be done, and we have now set the gambling industry a clear task to further raise standards to ensure that gambling advertising is appropriate, responsible, and does not exacerbate harm. The Government is committed to using the best available evidence on the impact of advertising from a wide range of sources when determining next steps in this space. We will continue to monitor the evidence base and will work with the Gambling Commission and ASA to ensure our advertising regulation regime is fit for purpose.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Premier League’s Code of Conduct for Gambling Related Agreements in football in reducing gambling-related harm.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All major sports have now published their gambling sponsorship Codes of Conduct which set minimum standards to ensure arrangements are socially responsible. We are working closely with sports bodies, including the Premier League, to review the implementation and impact of these Codes of Conduct. This review will provide key evidence to inform the most appropriate next steps for gambling sponsorship policy.
The Premier League’s decision to ban front-of-shirt sponsorship by gambling firms will commence after the end of the 2025/26 season and we will also assess the impact of this measure in due course.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Gambling Commission on the potential merits of signposting gambling support services within National Lottery (a) advertising and (b) products.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ministers and officials regularly engage with the Gambling Commission on a range of issues related to gambling regulation and player protection. This engagement includes ensuring the National Lottery operates in a socially responsible manner and that appropriate measures are in place to support those who may be experiencing gambling-related harm.
DCMS is also developing a new, evidence-based model for independently developed safer gambling messaging in partnership with the Department for Health and Social Care and Gambling Commission.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of (a) the UK’s international standing on regulation of gambling advertising and (b) what lessons the UK can learn from other countries on this subject.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to utilising the best available evidence to inform its gambling advertising policy. This includes regularly reviewing the impact of gambling advertising regulation in other jurisdictions and how it may or may not be appropriate for the UK, considering our existing regulatory framework and market structure.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on how to protect all public-facing workers from abuse in their workplaces.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Public facing workers are covered under legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which covers serious violence, such as actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.
The Government introduced a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker via section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
The aggravating factor applies in cases of assault where an offence is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public.
Retail workers will be specifically covered by a new offence which we are introducing via the Crime and Policing Bill. We have been in contact with a range of stakeholders across industries, including transport and hospitality to reiterate that violence and abuse towards any worker will not be tolerated.