Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 76596 and the Answer of 12 January 2023 to Question 119101 on Guantanamo Bay: Closures, whether her Department's policy on granting visas to former Guantanamo Bay detainees has changed following its decision to change its policy on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The first priority of Government is protecting national security and the safety of UK citizens.

The Home Office uses various tools to detect and disrupt travel by those posing a national security risk and all applications for visas or UK immigration status are subject to comprehensive checks.

It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on operational security matters or specific cases. However, where an individual is assessed as presenting a risk to our country, we take swift and robust action.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of engaging in structured, law-based mediation with representatives of women born in the 1950s.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 29 January 2026 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the Government’s new decision on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) investigation into the way that State Pension age changes were communicated to women born in the 1950s.

We have set our decision out in full, and the document is available on Gov.uk: Government response to Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension communications and associated issues.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 76596 and the Answer of 12 January 2023 to Question 119101 on Guantanamo Bay: Closures, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on the UK's international human rights obligations of the change in her Department's policy on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Hon Member will be aware that it has been the stated intention of the US administration since January 2025 to expand the facilities at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to serve as a large-scale migration detention centre. As stated in the answer to Question 76596, that remains a matter for the US.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 76596 and the Answer of 12 January 2023 to Question 119101 on Guantanamo Bay: Closures, what discussions did her Department have with its US counterparts ahead of the decision to change the UK Government's policy on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Hon Member will be aware that it has been the stated intention of the US administration since January 2025 to expand the facilities at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to serve as a large-scale migration detention centre. As stated in the answer to Question 76596, that remains a matter for the US.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 76596 and the Answer of 12 January 2023 to Question 119101 on Guantanamo Bay: Closures, which Ministers were involved in the decision to change the UK Government's policy on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Hon Member will be aware that it has been the stated intention of the US administration since January 2025 to expand the facilities at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to serve as a large-scale migration detention centre. As stated in the answer to Question 76596, that remains a matter for the US.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 76596 and the Answer of 12 January 2023 to Question 119101 on Guantanamo Bay: Closures, on what date did her Department change its policy on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Hon Member will be aware that it has been the stated intention of the US administration since January 2025 to expand the facilities at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to serve as a large-scale migration detention centre. As stated in the answer to Question 76596, that remains a matter for the US.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the risk that Arc 7 ice class LNG carriers linked to UK actors could be sold, transferred, or reflagged to evade sanctions or services restrictions; and what steps her Department is taking to help prevent such vessels from supporting Russian LNG exports.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In November 2025, I announced our intention to impose a maritime services ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), cutting off access to UK services which facilitate these exports globally. The measure will be introduced this year and come into full effect at the end of the year. We have already taken strong action on Russian LNG, sanctioning 16 vessels to date as well as the Beihai LNG import terminal in China and Russia's flagship Arctic LNG2 project - which is now severely disrupted. In addition to the ban on Russian LNG imports to the UK which took effect in 2023, these actions demonstrate the UK's clear commitment to taking Russian energy off the market to reduce the Kremlin's revenue.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if, following the her Department's settlement with Mr Abu Zubaydah, her Department will seek to support the relocation of Mr Abu Zubaydah to a safe country.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 19 January 2025 to Question 105729. Discussions on non-British nationals detained in US facilities are a matter for the US authorities and the nations of those detained.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if, following her Department's settlement with Mr Abu Zubaydah, her Department will call on the USA to release Mr Abu Zubaydah.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 19 January 2025 to Question 105729. Discussions on non-British nationals detained in US facilities are a matter for the US authorities and the nations of those detained.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of whether UK-linked companies or vessels, including vessels operated or managed by Seapeak and specialised Arc 7 ice class LNG carriers, are contributing directly or indirectly to to the export of liquefied natural gas from Russia’s Arctic Yamal LNG project by Russian state or security agency activities.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In November 2025, I announced our intention to impose a maritime services ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), cutting off access to UK services which facilitate these exports globally. The measure will be introduced this year and come into full effect at the end of the year. We have already taken strong action on Russian LNG, sanctioning 16 vessels to date as well as the Beihai LNG import terminal in China and Russia's flagship Arctic LNG2 project - which is now severely disrupted. In addition to the ban on Russian LNG imports to the UK which took effect in 2023, these actions demonstrate the UK's clear commitment to taking Russian energy off the market to reduce the Kremlin's revenue.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the use of barrier sheaths to help mitigate creosote leaching in telecommunications infrastructure.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is undertaking a detailed assessment to determine whether the approval of the active substance creosote should be renewed as a wood preservative under the Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation. The assessment involves consideration of the risks posed by the use of creosote, potential risk mitigation measures and whether suitable and sufficient alternatives are available. It is informed by a public consultation that ran between 24 September and 24 November 2024 to seek evidence on potential alternatives.

Any evidence relating to barrier sheaths submitted during the consultation is being considered as part of the assessment.

Dundee Women's Trail for International Women's Day

Fifth anniversary of the Scottish Child Payment

Together Alliance

Public inquiry into Epstein links

Civil service pension scheme

Walker's Shortbread Exporter of the Year

Blue Space Highland

AES Solar

Russell Construction

Brilliantly Brave

Kinloss Primary School's See You Soon song

Electric vehicle charge per mile

Mckay's Fish and Chip Shop in Pitlochry

Councillor Jan Brown

Shona Donaldson Award

ReBOOT lottery funding

Bowls Scotland National Triples Title

Mary's Meals

Matthew Doyle's appointment to the House of Lords

Government language regarding Scottish colleagues

Shelagh Toonen, President of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland

Erskine Veterans Activity Centre North Fundraising

Kresanna Aigner MBE

Centenary of John Logie Baird’s invention of the television

Congratulating the Gaudie Newspaper on their podcast award nomination

Burns Night 2025 and the legacy of Robert Burns

Health and Care Worker visas

Industrial dispute at the Department for Work and Pensions

Gambling harms

Ex-Howe of Fife players selected for Scotland 2026 Six Nations

Situation of Kurdish people in Syria

Crown Estate (Wales) Bill [Lords]

UK digital sovereignty strategy

Dolly Parton's birthday

Local news journalism and STV regional broadcasting

Found: My MP, Chris Law, has intervened repeatedly—describing CMS’s conduct as “completely unacceptable.”

Found: In addition to the names already submitted, Chris Law from the SNP and Iain Duncan Smith have expressed