Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against the transgender community.

Answered by Nia Griffith

This Government is determined to tackle all forms of hate crime, including transphobic hate crime.

Via the Crime and Policing Bill, we are delivering our manifesto commitment to treat such crimes as aggravated offences and ensure that perpetrators who carry out crimes against someone based on their transgender identity, sexual orientation or disability will spend longer behind bars. We will also deliver a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on tackling social media interventions by foreign actors spreading misinformation on Scotland's constitutional position.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

As you will be aware, I speak regularly with the Deputy First Minister, and my officials frequently engage with their Scottish Government counterparts. National security is the responsibility of the UK Government and protecting our democracy is one of our highest priorities. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect the UK against foreign interference. The Home Office’s taskforce to protect the democratic integrity, called the Defending Democracy Taskforce, was set up to tackle threats facing our democracy.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he last met with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to discuss social media intervention by foreign actors seeking to spread misinformation on Scotland's constitutional position.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

I have not recently met with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to discuss these matters. However, the Home Office’s taskforce to protect the democratic integrity, called the Defending Democracy Taskforce, was set up to tackle threats facing our entire democracy - including, but not limited to, election security. The National Security Act 2023 provides the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to deter, detect, and disrupt modern-day state threats.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to help tackle social media intervention by foreign states seeking to influence the debate on Scotland's constitutional status.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Protecting our democracy is one of the Government’s highest priorities. The Defending Democracy Taskforce was set up to tackle threats including, but not limited to, election security. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect the UK against foreign interference. The National Security Act 2023 provides the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to deter, detect, and disrupt modern-day state threats.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the RAF fleet of P8 Poseidon aircraft.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The RAF has conducted three series of trials to evaluate the P-8A Poseidon aircraft and its systems against the Maritime Patrol Aircraft Programme's capability requirements. These assessments confirmed that the P-8A Poseidon is an effective platform for its intended roles.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide a breakdown of flight time of the RAF P8-Poseidon fleet in hours, by (a) training, (b) specific exercises and (c) operational in each of the last two years.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I am withholding the information requested as the disclosure of information regarding a breakdown of flight time of the RAF P8-Poseidon fleet could, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times RAF Poseidon P8 aircraft have been intercepted by Russian jets in international airspace in each of the last 24 months.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I am withholding the information requested as the disclosure of information regarding interactions between RAF Poseidon P8 aircraft and foreign military assets could, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many hours have been flown by each of the P8-Poseidon fleet in the last 12 months.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

For reasons of operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not release detailed information regarding the flight hours of individual aircraft within the P-8 Poseidon fleet. Disclosing such data could compromise operational effectiveness and national security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times RAF P8-Poseidon aircraft have been launched from RAF Lossiemouth on operational mission in each of the last 12 months.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

RAF P-8 Poseidon aircraft are routinely deployed from RAF Lossiemouth on operational missions in support of the UK's defence and security objectives. Over the past 12 months, an average of 17 operational missions per month have been conducted. For reasons of operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not disclose detailed information on the number of missions conducted.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the waiting list for a car driving test was at the DVLA test centre in Dunfermline for each of the last 12 months.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

The table below shows the waiting time in weeks for a car driving test at Dunfermline driving test centre for each of the last 12 months.

Jacob Alon and the Mercury Prize