Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department provides on reporting alleged document fraud by regulated solicitors, including when both the police and the regulator decline to act; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure such allegations are not left without substantive examination by any body.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The police are operationally independent of Government, and legal services regulators exercise their regulatory functions independently of Government. Decisions on whether to investigate suspected criminal offences are operational matters for the police, while legal services regulators determine how concerns within their regulatory remit are handled and set the guidance on reporting them. In relation to regulated solicitors in England and Wales, such regulatory guidance is therefore a matter for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
It is possible for certain regulatory investigations to take place alongside criminal investigations, as reflected, for example, in the SRA’s published guidance: https://referral.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/investigations-parallel/. Legal services regulators may have arrangements in place with law enforcement to support cooperation and share information where appropriate.
The Ministry of Justice has not made a specific assessment of the interface between the police and legal services regulators in the circumstances described. The Government expects allegations of misconduct and criminality to be appropriately considered by the bodies responsible, while recognising that it is for each body to determine whether investigation is warranted within its remit.
The Legal Services Board holds legal services regulators to account for their performance, including the overall effectiveness of their enforcement and operational delivery. If the evidence were to indicate a systemic gap in the effectiveness of the regulatory framework that resulted in allegations not being appropriately considered, the Government would consider this with the Legal Services Board and other relevant bodies.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the interface between the police and approved legal regulators in cases where each declines to investigate an allegation of document fraud by reference to the responsibility of the other.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The police are operationally independent of Government, and legal services regulators exercise their regulatory functions independently of Government. Decisions on whether to investigate suspected criminal offences are operational matters for the police, while legal services regulators determine how concerns within their regulatory remit are handled and set the guidance on reporting them. In relation to regulated solicitors in England and Wales, such regulatory guidance is therefore a matter for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
It is possible for certain regulatory investigations to take place alongside criminal investigations, as reflected, for example, in the SRA’s published guidance: https://referral.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/investigations-parallel/. Legal services regulators may have arrangements in place with law enforcement to support cooperation and share information where appropriate.
The Ministry of Justice has not made a specific assessment of the interface between the police and legal services regulators in the circumstances described. The Government expects allegations of misconduct and criminality to be appropriately considered by the bodies responsible, while recognising that it is for each body to determine whether investigation is warranted within its remit.
The Legal Services Board holds legal services regulators to account for their performance, including the overall effectiveness of their enforcement and operational delivery. If the evidence were to indicate a systemic gap in the effectiveness of the regulatory framework that resulted in allegations not being appropriately considered, the Government would consider this with the Legal Services Board and other relevant bodies.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Sri Lanka on the involvement of international forensic experts in the excavation, preservation and identification of human remains recovered from the Chemmani mass graves.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is closely monitoring developments relating to the Chemmani mass graves and continues to engage the Sri Lankan authorities on the importance of a credible, transparent investigation that meets international standards, including robust forensic safeguards and meaningful engagement with affected families. We have encouraged consideration of international assistance as excavations continue.
We regularly raise issues of accountability, reconciliation and enforced disappearances with the Government of Sri Lanka. The former Foreign Secretary discussed these issues with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister during her visit to the UK in May, while the previous Deputy Prime Minister did so during his visit to Sri Lanka in February 2026. Most recently, our British High Commissioner discussed enforced disappearances with Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met families of the missing in Jaffna.
The UK remains committed to supporting truth, justice and accountability through our leadership of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council and support for ongoing UN accountability mechanisms.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has discussed with international partners the establishment of an independent international investigative mechanism to support accountability for crimes associated with the Chemmani mass graves in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is closely monitoring developments relating to the Chemmani mass graves and continues to engage the Sri Lankan authorities on the importance of a credible, transparent investigation that meets international standards, including robust forensic safeguards and meaningful engagement with affected families. We have encouraged consideration of international assistance as excavations continue.
We regularly raise issues of accountability, reconciliation and enforced disappearances with the Government of Sri Lanka. The former Foreign Secretary discussed these issues with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister during her visit to the UK in May, while the previous Deputy Prime Minister did so during his visit to Sri Lanka in February 2026. Most recently, our British High Commissioner discussed enforced disappearances with Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met families of the missing in Jaffna.
The UK remains committed to supporting truth, justice and accountability through our leadership of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council and support for ongoing UN accountability mechanisms.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many non-military flights landed at RAF Northolt in each of the last three calendar years; and how many passengers were carried on those flights in each year.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The number of non-military flights that landed at RAF Northolt in each of the last three calendar years was as follows:
2023 - 3,638 landings
2024 - 3,987 landings
2025 - 3,660 landings
The number of passengers handled through the passenger terminal has only been tracked for 2025. For 2023 and 2024 it is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
In 2025 the number of passengers (arriving and departing) was 13,044.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increased collaboration between health and social care agencies to administer care and support plans, including the provision of walking aids and equipment and the availability of a single service for users.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to the Hon. Member for Wokingham on 17 February 2026 to Question 111500.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of longer, block contracts for providing Wheelchair Services for NHS patients on waiting times for delivering equipment.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to the Hon. Member for Wokingham on 17 February 2026 to Question 111500.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of appointing a senior lead for wheelchair services in (a) his Department and (b) integrated care boards.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to the Hon. Member for Wokingham on 17 February 2026 to Question 111500.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the NHS’s annual budget for Wheelchair Services.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to the Hon. Member for Wokingham on 17 February 2026 to Question 111500.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of Discord when considering the proposed social media restrictions for young people; and whether she has considered including Discord within the scope of those restrictions as a social media platform.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
We plan to use the same model for social media restrictions as Australia. Their approach includes user-to-user platforms that allow users to post material, alongside algorithms, with a set of exemptions.
We will set out the final detail in regulations this year. We are going further than Australia by introducing world-leading restrictions on stranger communications to stop strangers discovering and communicating with children, including on gaming platforms.