Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much of their annual budget does the National Crime Agency spend on specifically investigating criminality in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

As a matter of longstanding policy the National Crime Agency does not providebreakdowns and estimates on the specific budget allocations by location.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many meetings or requests for meetings she has had from the Northern Ireland Finance Minister on the the Northern Ireland draft budget since the start of the financial year.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

I lead HM Treasury’s engagement with the Northern Ireland Executive on matters relating to Northern Ireland’s public finances. I most recently met the Northern Ireland Finance Minister on 15 June 2026 and maintain regular engagement through the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC).

HM Treasury officials remain in regular contact with Northern Ireland Executive on matters relating to Northern Ireland's finances.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has the Research, Information and Communications Unit within the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism supported the Police Service of Northern Ireland in Policing Operations over the last 24 months.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

RICU conducts open source monitoring to highlight radicalisation risks. Its work supports the wider counter-terrorism system by providing analysis on terrorist and extremist use of propaganda and exploitation of the internet to inform the UK’s counter terrorism system. All activity complies with relevant legislation. RICU provides updates to a range of partners across HMG, including the Northern Ireland Office and national and regional Police forces.

RICU operates within the framework of Home Office governance, including ministerial accountability and established departmental oversight processes. Ministers have authorised RICU’s work since its establishment and receive its outputs as part of the Department’s wider counter-terrorism activity.

The team’s work is subject to appropriate internal assurance and external scrutiny, including by Parliament.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of her Department's ability to deliver an automatic release process for HMRC-allocated accounts for unclaimed monies from Child Trust funds.

Answered by Rachel Blake

The Government is aware of proposals for the automatic release of funds in unclaimed matured Child Trust Fund (CTF) accounts, where the account was opened by HMRC. These savings belong to the account holders and are held by private sector providers. The Government does not have the authority to access or transfer these funds.

The Government is committed to reuniting young people with their CTFs. HMRC works with providers, industry representatives and others to raise awareness and help individuals trace their accounts, including through targeted communications and a free GOV.UK tracing service.

The Government has also established a dedicated Taskforce to address unclaimed matured CTF accounts and improve outcomes for account holders. This brings together Government and industry to strengthen tracing activity, increase engagement, and support access to funds.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to deliver a ban on the (a) breeding, (b) release and (c) killing of birds for sport.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government has no plans to ban the breeding, release or killing of birds for sport.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the findings of the Demos report entitled Facing the Music in relation to music education funding.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and this relates to England only.

The department believes that music is an essential part of the well-rounded and enriching education every child deserves.

We continue to invest £76 million per year revenue grant funding for the Music Hubs network to improve equity of access to music education in schools, including for academic year 2026/27. We also continue to invest £25 million capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology, and £2 million to support the Music Opportunities Pilot over a 4-year period to academic year 2027/28 to improve access to extra-curricular vocal and instrumental lessons.

We will establish the new National Centre for Music and Arts Education later this year to support teacher development, investing up to £13 million over three years.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her department plans to facilitate biometrics checks in Gaza following the statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to the House on 24th June 2026 regarding the resumption of medical evacuations and student pathways.

Answered by Mike Tapp

All individuals who enter the UK as part of the Medevac and Student processes will be subject to robust security checks and will be required to submit their biometrics ahead of travel. This is a vital way of protecting the UK public from individuals who pose any national security, criminality or safeguarding risks.

Where individuals are approved for travel from Gaza, the Government will work with the authorities of a third country to facilitate the enrolment of biometrics before onward travel to the UK. We may waive in-person biometric requirements only for individuals medically certified as too ill to enrol. All those accompanying such individuals must also provide their biometrics in person and present valid travel documentation for everyone.

We are not able to offer a running commentary on operational matters. HMG will work closely with authorities in a third country to ensure individuals undertake biometric checks before coming to the UK.

Supporting Medevac and Student departures is a coordinated effort across HMG. Departures from Gaza remain highly complex and dependent on factors outside the UK Government’s control. As such, travel and timelines cannot be guaranteed.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on improving access to creative education for children and young people from lower income families.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Ensuring all children and young people can access high-quality creative education is a government priority. The Secretary of State and Ministers regularly engage with colleagues at the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver the shared mission of breaking down barriers to opportunity.

The Government is committed to revitalising arts education through a reformed curriculum and support for teachers, including via the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education, due to be established by September 2026, and through continued investment in Music Hubs. To increase access to enrichment opportunities across culture, sport, and wider youth sectors for disadvantaged young people, the Every Child Can programme, backed by £132.5 million in dormant assets through the National Lottery Community Fund, will fund activities within school and in communities at weekends and in the holidays, ensuring enrichment is a common entitlement for all. In strategic partnership with DfE, we will also invest £22.5 million across 3 years to support up to 400 schools in the most deprived areas of England to provide a youth led, tailored enrichment offer, including culture.

In addition, to increase access to creative education, DCMS is providing at least £3.2 million in 2026/27 for the Museums and Schools Programme, Heritage Schools Programme, Art & Design National Saturday Club, and BFI Film Academy.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the impact the cost of specialist creative training and auditions has on access to careers in the performing arts.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Making creative careers accessible is a key priority for this government.

We recognise that specialist creative training can be a popular pathway into a performing arts career, but the Government has not assessed the cost impact for individuals.

Forthcoming research, funded by DCMS and the Creative Policy and Evidence Centre, maps out the current access and demand for specialist creative education provision for 14-19 year olds in England, providing a foundation for future work in this area.

To support access to creative careers we have committed £9 million to a refreshed creative careers service, which breaks down barriers for young people. Additionally the Government recognises 12 World Leading Specialist Providers of Creative and Performing Arts, who in 2025/26 received a share of c.£45 million from DfE's Strategic Priority Grant to support the delivery of world-leading specialist teaching in creative subjects.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the Creative Industries Council regarding skills shortages and creative education pathways.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS works closely with the Creative Industries Council (CIC), and in particular its Talent and Skills working group, to support government and industry’s work to address skills shortages and develop creative education pathways, furthering our Sector Plan ambition to build a resilient and highly skilled workforce that is responsive to the needs of the sector.

Recent discussions with the CIC have focused on the forthcoming Creative Industries Jobs Plan. The Jobs Plan will comprehensively set out the scale of the workforce challenge in the sector and how government, business and trade unions will work together to address this over the next three years. It is informed by the Creative Industries Skills Audits recently published by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre and Work Advance, with funding from DCMS and the CIC.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the merits of establishing a the Cross-Departmental Advisory Group on Creative Education.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

As set out in the Government response to the Independent Review of Arts Council England, The Department for Education and Department for Culture, Media and Sport will work in partnership to ensure there is strategic alignment across government funded programmes, including the Arts Council, to support arts education and enrichment – both in schools and communities.

Our immediate priority is delivering curriculum reform and the National Centre for Arts and Music Education. The Government will consider the advisory group’s role and membership in due course. The advisory group will be designed to complement and add value to existing work on arts education and enrichment.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Trade Unions from the creative industries regarding skills shortages and workforce development needs.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Creative Industries Sector Plan sets out the Government’s objective to build a resilient, skilled and diverse workforce fit for the future. To deliver this, we are working in partnership with the sector, including its trade unions, to create the conditions for sustained economic growth.

Recent discussions with trade unions have focused on the development of the Creative Industries Jobs Plan. The Jobs Plan will comprehensively set out the scale of the workforce challenge in the sector and how government, business and trade unions will work together to address this over the next three years.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to end unethical and unnecessary animal testing.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office regulates the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Animal testing that is unethical, unnecessary or not scientifically justified is not permitted. The use of animals is only permitted where the statutory requirements are met, where there is no validated non-animal alternative, and where the expected benefits justify the likely harms.

Every project licence application must undergo a rigorous harm-benefit analysis and scrutiny of how the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs) have been applied. Applications must also undergo ethical and scientific review by local Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Bodies before submission to the Regulator. The Regulator will not progress applications where the legal requirements are not met.

The Government has a long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances. The Government’s published strategy, Replacing animals in science, is backed by £75 million in funding, and contains commitments to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of non-animal alternatives, including the creation of a UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has had discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on the potential merits of reviewing Apple and Googles app store control over mobile phone downloads, including whether alternative 'pay to download' structures could be made available for consumers and app developers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The CMA is currently taking forward work as part of its Strategic Market Status investigations into Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems. As the UK’s independent competition authority, it is for the CMA to determine the scope of its investigations and any potential interventions.

Nature rights

Impact of Israel’s ingress into Palestinian territory on maternal care

Palantir and the NHS (No. 2)

Five-year indefinite leave to remain pathway for Skilled Worker visa holders (No. 2)

Found: Northern Ireland Affairs Committee members present: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Sorcha Eastwood; Claire Hanna

Found: As Claire Hanna, the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, recently told the Commons – reconciliation

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Chris Bloore; Claire Hanna; Simon Hoare

Found: Labour; Gower) (Chair) Chris Bloore (Labour; Redditch) Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance; Lagan Valley) Claire Hanna

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Chris Bloore; Sorcha Eastwood; Claire Hanna

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Chris Bloore; Sorcha Eastwood; Claire Hanna

Found: In response to a Parliamentary Question from Claire Hanna MP to SSNI on the findings and recommendations

Submit Evidence (by 1 Sep 2026)

The committee is undertaking an inquiry into the taxation of the hospitality and tourism sectors in Northern Ireland, which will consider differences in VAT rates and other costs between Northern Ireland’s hospitality and tourism sectors compared with the Republic of Ireland. It will examine the potential impact of a reduced VAT rate and explore what other tax and policy changes could help support the sectors.