Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take diplomatic steps to support Christians in northern Cameroon who are facing (a) violence from and (b) displacement following Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help tackle religious persecution in that region.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is supporting the Cameroonian authorities in the fight against terrorism in the Far North region of Cameroon, and assisting communities affected by violence and displacement. This includes via regular diplomatic engagement, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora, and through frequent visits to the region to engage with communities and authorities. Over the past five years, the UK has provided £20 million in humanitarian and development assistance to Cameroon, much of it focused on the Far North, and continues to back stabilisation efforts in the Lake Chad region. More broadly, the UK Government continues to monitor civil and political rights in Cameroon and is committed to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). This includes advocating for the protections of all vulnerable communities through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora as well as bilaterally with the Government of Cameroon and other influential parties.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Last December, I laid a proposal for a draft remedial order in Parliament, representing the first step in fulfilling the Government’s commitment to repeal and replace the Legacy Act.
I am continuing to speak to all interested parties about our forthcoming primary legislation, which will ensure we have legacy mechanisms in place that are lawful and in which people can have confidence in.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the provision of Estradot for women who react poorly to other HRT treatments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are over 70 hormone replacement therapy products, and the vast majority are in good supply. Currently, there are limited supplies of Estradot (estradiol) patches, which may be available to local pharmacies to order. We are working with the sole supplier of Estradot to expedite further resupplies where possible, however, supply issues are anticipated for the remainder of the year.
We have a range of well-established processes to manage supply issues when they arise, working closely with industry, the National Health Service, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to resolve issues as soon as possible. We have issued comprehensive management guidance to the NHS, which includes advice for prescribers to review patients individually if they are unable to tolerate suggested alternative products.
We have also issued Serious Shortage Protocols for Estradot 25, 50, 75, and 100 microgram/24 hour patches, allowing community pharmacists to supply the equivalent strength patch of an alternative brand without the need for a new prescription.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 58548 on Insulation: Housing, if he will hold discussions with mortgage providers on the provision of advances for properties with timber roofs insulated with sprayed foam.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Officials continue to engage with lenders and the industry to seek a resolution for those facing difficulties.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with mortgage providers on making advances on properties with timber roofs insulated with sprayed foam.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to inform the public about the level of risk of (a) moisture and (b) timber degradation following the application of sprayed foam insulant to typical domestic timber roofs.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Building Safety Regulator published research in March 2024 on the moisture risks from spray foam insulation, which showed that there are many situations where moisture risks are likely to be low, including when insulations are made in line with BS 5250:2021. This research did indicate there is a potential for risks to develop dependent on the specifics of roof assembly, temperature, and humidity conditions.
The research can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/moisture-risk-of-spray-foam-insulation-applied-to-timber-sloped-roofs.
All measures installed under government schemes must be installed by TrustMark registered installers and meet the industry standard for installation. If a product has been installed to the standard it should not require removal as a surveyor should be able to use the inspection protocol now available to make an assessment.
Where the measure has not been installed correctly, homeowners should contact their installer or use the TrustMark dispute resolution process to seek redress (https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowner/information-guidance/if-things-go-wrong).
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the statutory responsibilities of schools for children with allergies are (a) monitored and (b) assessed.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions and the duties under the Equality Act 2010. The effectiveness of a school is assessed through inspection by Ofsted.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the recommendations of the Third Report of Session 2023–24 of the Work and Pensions Committee, Defined benefit pension schemes, published on 26 March 2024, HC 144, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend schedule 7 of the Pensions Act 2004 to enable members of the Pension Protection Fund to receive indexation in respect of pensionable service prior to 5 April 1997.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are committed to considering and reflecting on what we have heard regarding the issue of Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme rules on the indexation of pre-1997 pension accruals. We understand it is an important issue for those affected.
The Pension Protection Fund’s assets and liabilities sit on the Government’s balance sheet, and any changes will have an impact on public finances. Any changes to the Financial Assistance Scheme will also impact the Exchequer and so requires careful consideration. The Government therefore needs to take its time to reflect on these complex matters which require a balanced approach for thoses receiving compensation, levy payers and taxpayers.
We will continue to work closely with the Pension Protection Fund as we explore this important issue further.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
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 reports of attacks on communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt; and what steps his Department is taking to help tackle violence against religious communities in the region.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is closely monitoring recent reports of violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt. Intercommunal violence has a devastating effect on communities. The root causes are complex and frequently relate to competition over resources, historical grievances, and criminality. We are supporting Nigeria to tackle the root causes of intercommunal conflict through our Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme and continue to engage in local and national peace-building efforts. The UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) is building capacity in Nigeria's security forces to tackle violence against all civilian communities, including religious communities.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to replace the higher level stewardship provision to commoners in the New Forest.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We want to provide these Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement holders with some certainty and continuity until they can move into the new ELM offer and to provide support so they can continue delivering environmental outcomes on their land. We will provide more information on timelines for rolling out the new CSHT and the reformed SFI offer in due course.
Farmers with an HLS agreement that expired in 2024 were offered a two-year extension to their agreement. This will allow farmers to continue delivering land management practices in HLS agreements without interruption to the funding they receive.
Defra also announced that on the 24 February 2025, that agreement holders under the Environmental Stewardship Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) will see an increase to their payment rates in the near future.