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 a funded domestic adult social care workforce plan, in the context of levels of (a) demand for NHS services and (b) recent trends in healthy life expectancy in local areas.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Decisions regarding any potential workforce plan publication for social care remain under consideration and no final position has been reached. In line with the manifesto, the Department is committed to ensuring the publication of regular, independent workforce planning, across health and social care.

Social care makes an important contribution to managing demand for services in the National Health Service, and care workers are essential to those who draw on care and support, helping them maintain their quality of life, independence and connection to the things that matter to them. Care workers deserve to be recognised and supported for the important work they do.

That is why the Department is supporting the Adult Social Care workforce by improving terms and conditions through introducing a new Fair Pay Agreement backed by £500 million funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce, as well as supporting career development and progression by implementing the first ever career structure and investing up to £10 million in training and qualifications.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy since the approval of gene therapy treatment have been assessed as ineligible for treatment because diagnosis occurred after symptoms developed.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Libmeldy, the gene therapy treatment for metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) has been funded nationally by NHS England since 2022 and is delivered exclusively through the specialist children’s service at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Information on referrals and clinical eligibility decisions for patients who do not proceed to treatment is held by the hospital and is not collected centrally by NHS England.

We recognise the importance of people living with a rare disease receiving the right diagnosis as early as possible. The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as MLD, under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance the priorities of the framework, including getting a final diagnosis faster. The Generation Study is now underway in selected National Health Service hospitals and is screening for more than 200 rare genetic conditions, including MLD. By identifying affected babies earlier, the study has the potential to enable faster diagnosis and access to specialist care and treatment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many non-molestation order applications under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 were resolved by undertaking in 2024 and 2025; and whether his Department plans to begin publishing that data.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

In his leadership capacity as the Head of Family Justice, the President of the Family Division regularly issues guidance aimed at judiciary and practitioners within the family justice system, in order to promote consistent and effective practice in family proceedings. Revised guidance on applications for Non-Molestation Orders, has been issued and came into force on 12 January 2026.

While it is for the Family Procedure Rule Committee to determine which projects it undertakes, it is the Department’s understanding that the Committee has no plans currently to formalise the President's guidance as a Practice Direction. The guidance will be applied alongside existing rules and Practice Directions relating to Non-Molestation Orders.

HMCTS does not centrally hold data on Non-Molestation Order applications made under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 that are resolved by undertaking. This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans the Family Procedure Rules Committee has to formalise as a Practice Direction the substance of the President of the Family Division's Guidance on Non-Molestation Orders under the Family Law Act 1996.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

In his leadership capacity as the Head of Family Justice, the President of the Family Division regularly issues guidance aimed at judiciary and practitioners within the family justice system, in order to promote consistent and effective practice in family proceedings. Revised guidance on applications for Non-Molestation Orders, has been issued and came into force on 12 January 2026.

While it is for the Family Procedure Rule Committee to determine which projects it undertakes, it is the Department’s understanding that the Committee has no plans currently to formalise the President's guidance as a Practice Direction. The guidance will be applied alongside existing rules and Practice Directions relating to Non-Molestation Orders.

HMCTS does not centrally hold data on Non-Molestation Order applications made under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 that are resolved by undertaking. This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) awareness and (b) training among GPs on the (i) diagnosis and (ii) management of balance disorders.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

NICE provides evidence‑based guidance relevant to the diagnosis and management of conditions that may cause balance disorders, helping to ensure consistent and high‑quality care. In addition, programmes such as Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) and NHS RightCare support improvements in service quality and help to reduce unwarranted variation.

All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice. In 2012 the General Medical Council introduced revalidation which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, gives patients confidence doctors are up to date with their practice, and promotes improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.

The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council.

Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions for doctors to be aware of, they instead emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.

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 implications for his policies of the recommendations of the cross-party parliamentary committee report on the role of Palantir in the NHS Federated Data Platform; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the recommendation on the use of the February 2027 break clause in the relevant contract.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients.

The NHS FDP is delivering for the NHS, helping people get the care they need quicker and more efficiently. Since March 2024, more than 100,000 additional patients have been supported to undergo procedures in theatres partly by increasing theatre utilisation. Nearly 94,000 people have been supported on their cancer journey, with 7% seeing a reduction in the time it took to diagnose their cancer. There has been a 14% decrease in delays discharging patients staying in hospital for more than seven days, freeing up beds for those who need them most. NHS England publishes quarterly information on benefits realised from the FDP, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/fdp-uptake-and-benefits/

To date, 24 integrated care board clusters and 168 NHS trusts have signed up to the NHS FDP, including the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.

The NHS FDP is underpinned by the Federated Data Platform Information Governance Framework which sets out the roles, responsibilities, and controls governing how data is accessed and used. Access to data within the National Data Integration Tenant (NDIT) and NHS FDP is tightly controlled.

All access is role-based, purpose-specific, time-limited where appropriate, and fully audited. Activity is subject to continuous monitoring, audit logging, and formal review processes. Individuals, including external suppliers, must meet Government security vetting requirements proportionate to their role.

Each product and use case within the platform is required to undergo appropriate information governance assessment and approval processes prior to deployment, with oversight provided through established governance arrangements, including the Federated Data Platform Data Governance Group.

NHS England has undertaken an urgent review of the current Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for the NDIT and identified that it did not fully reflect operational arrangements, including wording that referred to NHS staff rather than authorised users and support staff more broadly.

NHS England is updating the NDIT DPIA and associated documentation to ensure full alignment with current practice, alongside strengthening permissions, audit controls, and governance processes.

There is no requirement for NHS England to proactively disclose these to Parliament or its committees, although NHS England published the Information Governance framework at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/security-privacy/nhs-fdp-information-governance-framework/

NHS England will be reviewing the NHS FDP contract this year, in line with standard contract management processes to inform a decision on whether to exercise the optional two-year extension.

This will consider all relevant evidence, including the report of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that changes to data access arrangements within the NHS Federated Data Platform have been subject to a Data Protection Impact Assessment and appropriately disclosed to Parliament and relevant Select Committees.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients.

The NHS FDP is delivering for the NHS, helping people get the care they need quicker and more efficiently. Since March 2024, more than 100,000 additional patients have been supported to undergo procedures in theatres partly by increasing theatre utilisation. Nearly 94,000 people have been supported on their cancer journey, with 7% seeing a reduction in the time it took to diagnose their cancer. There has been a 14% decrease in delays discharging patients staying in hospital for more than seven days, freeing up beds for those who need them most. NHS England publishes quarterly information on benefits realised from the FDP, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/fdp-uptake-and-benefits/

To date, 24 integrated care board clusters and 168 NHS trusts have signed up to the NHS FDP, including the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.

The NHS FDP is underpinned by the Federated Data Platform Information Governance Framework which sets out the roles, responsibilities, and controls governing how data is accessed and used. Access to data within the National Data Integration Tenant (NDIT) and NHS FDP is tightly controlled.

All access is role-based, purpose-specific, time-limited where appropriate, and fully audited. Activity is subject to continuous monitoring, audit logging, and formal review processes. Individuals, including external suppliers, must meet Government security vetting requirements proportionate to their role.

Each product and use case within the platform is required to undergo appropriate information governance assessment and approval processes prior to deployment, with oversight provided through established governance arrangements, including the Federated Data Platform Data Governance Group.

NHS England has undertaken an urgent review of the current Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for the NDIT and identified that it did not fully reflect operational arrangements, including wording that referred to NHS staff rather than authorised users and support staff more broadly.

NHS England is updating the NDIT DPIA and associated documentation to ensure full alignment with current practice, alongside strengthening permissions, audit controls, and governance processes.

There is no requirement for NHS England to proactively disclose these to Parliament or its committees, although NHS England published the Information Governance framework at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/security-privacy/nhs-fdp-information-governance-framework/

NHS England will be reviewing the NHS FDP contract this year, in line with standard contract management processes to inform a decision on whether to exercise the optional two-year extension.

This will consider all relevant evidence, including the report of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what safeguards are in place within the NHS Federated Data Platform to help ensure that external contractors and third-party suppliers are not able to access identifiable patient data.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients.

The NHS FDP is delivering for the NHS, helping people get the care they need quicker and more efficiently. Since March 2024, more than 100,000 additional patients have been supported to undergo procedures in theatres partly by increasing theatre utilisation. Nearly 94,000 people have been supported on their cancer journey, with 7% seeing a reduction in the time it took to diagnose their cancer. There has been a 14% decrease in delays discharging patients staying in hospital for more than seven days, freeing up beds for those who need them most. NHS England publishes quarterly information on benefits realised from the FDP, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/fdp-uptake-and-benefits/

To date, 24 integrated care board clusters and 168 NHS trusts have signed up to the NHS FDP, including the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.

The NHS FDP is underpinned by the Federated Data Platform Information Governance Framework which sets out the roles, responsibilities, and controls governing how data is accessed and used. Access to data within the National Data Integration Tenant (NDIT) and NHS FDP is tightly controlled.

All access is role-based, purpose-specific, time-limited where appropriate, and fully audited. Activity is subject to continuous monitoring, audit logging, and formal review processes. Individuals, including external suppliers, must meet Government security vetting requirements proportionate to their role.

Each product and use case within the platform is required to undergo appropriate information governance assessment and approval processes prior to deployment, with oversight provided through established governance arrangements, including the Federated Data Platform Data Governance Group.

NHS England has undertaken an urgent review of the current Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for the NDIT and identified that it did not fully reflect operational arrangements, including wording that referred to NHS staff rather than authorised users and support staff more broadly.

NHS England is updating the NDIT DPIA and associated documentation to ensure full alignment with current practice, alongside strengthening permissions, audit controls, and governance processes.

There is no requirement for NHS England to proactively disclose these to Parliament or its committees, although NHS England published the Information Governance framework at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/security-privacy/nhs-fdp-information-governance-framework/

NHS England will be reviewing the NHS FDP contract this year, in line with standard contract management processes to inform a decision on whether to exercise the optional two-year extension.

This will consider all relevant evidence, including the report of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will develop and publish a fully costed strategy for the NHS Federated Data Platform contract.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients.

The NHS FDP is delivering for the NHS, helping people get the care they need quicker and more efficiently. Since March 2024, more than 100,000 additional patients have been supported to undergo procedures in theatres partly by increasing theatre utilisation. Nearly 94,000 people have been supported on their cancer journey, with 7% seeing a reduction in the time it took to diagnose their cancer. There has been a 14% decrease in delays discharging patients staying in hospital for more than seven days, freeing up beds for those who need them most. NHS England publishes quarterly information on benefits realised from the FDP, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/fdp-uptake-and-benefits/

To date 24 integrated care board (ICB) clusters and 168 NHS trusts have signed up to the NHS FDP, including Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.

NHS England is undertaking a contract review of the NHS FDP in line with standard Government processes and in line with best practice, including the Government Commercial Function Contract Management Playbook. This includes due consideration being given to value for money.

This will result in a business case with a recommendation on the decision to be made. The content, process and communication of the review and business case shall be subject to standard processes and governance, including the Department’s Delegated Approval Limits and due consideration of commercial confidentiality.

In line with these processes, a decision will be taken this year on the future of the contract.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to conduct a formal consultation on uprating the descriptor ‘alcohol-free’ from 0.05% ABV to 0.5% ABV, in line with international standards.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government committed to consult on raising the upper alcohol limit for drinks labelled as alcohol-free to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) from 0.05% ABV. The Government also committed to explore options to restrict access to alcohol-free and low alcohol products, so they are treated in the same ways as all alcohol products, including banning sales to children aged under 18 years old.

Engagement sessions, where these two commitments were discussed, with public health stakeholders, producers and retailers, have recently concluded.

Departmental officials are reviewing the insights and evidence gathered from these sessions, and the evidence base more generally, to inform policy development and determine next steps. We will update stakeholders in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on its plans to consult on updating the descriptor guidance for low and no alcohol products.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government committed to consult on raising the upper alcohol limit for drinks labelled as alcohol-free to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) from 0.05% ABV. The Government also committed to explore options to restrict access to alcohol-free and low alcohol products, so they are treated in the same ways as all alcohol products, including banning sales to children aged under 18 years old.

Engagement sessions, where these two commitments were discussed, with public health stakeholders, producers and retailers, have recently concluded.

Departmental officials are reviewing the insights and evidence gathered from these sessions, and the evidence base more generally, to inform policy development and determine next steps. We will update stakeholders in due course.

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 a recent assessment of the merits of banning the sale of low and no alcohol products to under 18s.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government committed to consult on raising the upper alcohol limit for drinks labelled as alcohol-free to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) from 0.05% ABV. The Government also committed to explore options to restrict access to alcohol-free and low alcohol products, so they are treated in the same ways as all alcohol products, including banning sales to children aged under 18 years old.

Engagement sessions, where these two commitments were discussed, with public health stakeholders, producers and retailers, have recently concluded.

Departmental officials are reviewing the insights and evidence gathered from these sessions, and the evidence base more generally, to inform policy development and determine next steps. We will update stakeholders in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to formally consult on banning the sale of low and no alcohol products to under 18s.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government committed to consult on raising the upper alcohol limit for drinks labelled as alcohol-free to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) from 0.05% ABV. The Government also committed to explore options to restrict access to alcohol-free and low alcohol products, so they are treated in the same ways as all alcohol products, including banning sales to children aged under 18 years old.

Engagement sessions, where these two commitments were discussed, with public health stakeholders, producers and retailers, have recently concluded.

Departmental officials are reviewing the insights and evidence gathered from these sessions, and the evidence base more generally, to inform policy development and determine next steps. We will update stakeholders in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government is taking steps to protect the interests of retail shareholders in situations where a majority shareholder exercises its voting rights in relation to a competing takeover offer.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Takeover Code, which has a statutory basis under the Companies Act 2006, sets out a clear and orderly framework for takeovers, including measures to ensure fairness to all shareholders. The Code is issued and administered by the independent Panel on Takeovers and Mergers. The Panel has enforcement powers for breaches of the Code. Changes to the Code itself would be a matter for the Panel.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to NHS organisations on signposting patients with balance disorders to relevant voluntary sector support organisations.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has made no specific central assessment of the overall availability and adequacy of specialist diagnostic and treatment services for balance disorders. The planning and commissioning of these services is the responsibility of integrated care boards, which are best placed to assess local need and ensure appropriate provision for their populations.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence provides evidence‑based guidance relevant to the diagnosis and management of conditions that may cause balance disorders, helping to ensure consistent and high‑quality care. In addition, programmes such as Getting It Right First Time and NHS RightCare support improvements in service quality and help to reduce unwarranted variation.

The Department does not issue specific guidance to National Health Service organisations solely on signposting patients with balance disorders to voluntary sector support. However, we expect NHS organisations to take a person‑centred approach to care, including providing patients with information about additional sources of support where appropriate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of specialist diagnostic and treatment services for balance disorders.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has made no specific central assessment of the overall availability and adequacy of specialist diagnostic and treatment services for balance disorders. The planning and commissioning of these services is the responsibility of integrated care boards, which are best placed to assess local need and ensure appropriate provision for their populations.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence provides evidence‑based guidance relevant to the diagnosis and management of conditions that may cause balance disorders, helping to ensure consistent and high‑quality care. In addition, programmes such as Getting It Right First Time and NHS RightCare support improvements in service quality and help to reduce unwarranted variation.

The Department does not issue specific guidance to National Health Service organisations solely on signposting patients with balance disorders to voluntary sector support. However, we expect NHS organisations to take a person‑centred approach to care, including providing patients with information about additional sources of support where appropriate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of drop-off charges at UK airports on passengers and their families.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the reasonableness of car parking and drop-off charges at UK airports. The provision and charging of airport parking are matters for each airport to manage and justify as a commercial business. Parking revenue, including that from drop-off charges, is an important source of income for airports, supporting investment in future infrastructure and upgrades, enhancing public transport options, and helping to manage congestion around airport sites. Many UK airports offer free drop-off alternatives, either a short walk from the airport or provide a free shuttle bus service. We will continue to engage with operators to ensure that, where airports choose to charge, they do so in a way that is fair and transparent.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the reasonableness of drop-off charges at UK airports, particularly for short-duration stays; and whether she plans to introduce guidance or regulation on such charges.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the reasonableness of car parking and drop-off charges at UK airports. The provision and charging of airport parking are matters for each airport to manage and justify as a commercial business. Parking revenue, including that from drop-off charges, is an important source of income for airports, supporting investment in future infrastructure and upgrades, enhancing public transport options, and helping to manage congestion around airport sites. Many UK airports offer free drop-off alternatives, either a short walk from the airport or provide a free shuttle bus service. We will continue to engage with operators to ensure that, where airports choose to charge, they do so in a way that is fair and transparent.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Section 254 direction under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 will be published and laid before Parliament for full scrutiny.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

All directions made by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, under section 254 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, are published at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/corporate-information-and-documents/directions-and-data-provision-notices/secretary-of-state-directions/secretary-of-state-directions-a-z

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure British International Investment’s use of taxpayer funds (a) provides value for money and (b) encourages wider retail share ownership.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) holds British International Investment (BII) to account for delivery of its five-year strategy through well-established governance arrangements. As part of these arrangements, the FCDO receives comprehensive access to information on BII's performance across a range of areas, ensuring BII provides value for money. This includes ensuring BII operates within an agreed target for its operating costs, and delivers on its financial return and development impact targets. By reinvesting reflows from its existing investments and mobilising private capital alongside its own, BII extends its impact and delivers value for the UK taxpayer.

BII invests to support productive, sustainable and inclusive private sector development in eligible developing countries. In its current five-year strategy, BII is aiming to mobilise up to £7.5 billion in private capital alongside its own investments, working with investors to deepen their understanding and engagement in developing economies.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of British International Investment’s use of public funds to support private equity activity on levels of wider retail participation in equity investment.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) holds British International Investment (BII) to account for delivery of its five-year strategy through well-established governance arrangements. As part of these arrangements, the FCDO receives comprehensive access to information on BII's performance across a range of areas, ensuring BII provides value for money. This includes ensuring BII operates within an agreed target for its operating costs, and delivers on its financial return and development impact targets. By reinvesting reflows from its existing investments and mobilising private capital alongside its own, BII extends its impact and delivers value for the UK taxpayer.

BII invests to support productive, sustainable and inclusive private sector development in eligible developing countries. In its current five-year strategy, BII is aiming to mobilise up to £7.5 billion in private capital alongside its own investments, working with investors to deepen their understanding and engagement in developing economies.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what role her Department has had in the Department for Health and Social Care’s consideration of banning the sale of low and no alcohol products to under 18s.

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

In Fit for the Future, a 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to explore options to restrict access to no- and low-alcohol products so they are treated in the same ways as all alcohol products, including banning sales to under 18 year-olds. The Department of Health and Social Care is leading policy consideration of this commitment.

Engagement sessions, where this commitment was discussed, with public health stakeholders, producers and retailers have recently concluded. DHSC officials are reviewing the insights and evidence gathered from these sessions to inform policy development and determine next steps. The Home Office is contributing to their work as the department responsible for the Licensing Act 2003.The sale or supply of products not exceeding 0.5% ABV is not a licensable activity under the Act.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost of diversity, equity and inclusion training delivered to police forces in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

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

The College of Policing sets clear, evidence-based national standards for police training through the National Policing Curriculum and Authorised Professional Practice. The College regularly reviews the policing curriculum, including elements relating to diversity, equality and inclusion, to ensure that it is fit for purpose. Forces also provide local training and ongoing development to reflect and reinforce organisational values, including diversity and equality. The Home Office does not collect information about individual force training programmes.

Chief Constables are ultimately responsible for the delivery of efficient and effective policing. It is a matter for each Chief Constable to decide how to best use their resources. This includes ensuring that officers and staff are appropriately trained and equipped for their role and that standards of professional behaviour are upheld.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) evaluation mechanisms and (b) outcome metrics are used to assess the effectiveness of diversity, equality and inclusiveness training in police forces.

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

The College of Policing sets clear, evidence-based national standards for police training through the National Policing Curriculum and Authorised Professional Practice. The College regularly reviews the policing curriculum, including elements relating to diversity, equality and inclusion, to ensure that it is fit for purpose. Forces also provide local training and ongoing development to reflect and reinforce organisational values, including diversity and equality. The Home Office does not collect information about individual force training programmes.

Chief Constables are ultimately responsible for the delivery of efficient and effective policing. It is a matter for each Chief Constable to decide how to best use their resources. This includes ensuring that officers and staff are appropriately trained and equipped for their role and that standards of professional behaviour are upheld.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the use of operational assessment frameworks such as THRIVE (Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigation, Vulnerability and Engagement) in informing police training and decision-making.

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

Police forces across England and Wales use a structured way of assessing threat, harm and risk at point of point of contact and deployment. THRIVE is one particular definition and model of such an assessment. The adoption of THRIVE or similar models is based on local force need and procedures.

The College of Policing has published an evaluation of a pilot in one force of the Summary, Assessment, Response (SAR) approach designed to improve the application of THRIVE and other assessment models: Improving call management – summary, assessment, response (SAR) | College of Policing. The evaluation to date has highlighted improved threat, harm and risk assessments, improved dispatch times and improved delivery of information to dispatch. The pilot has also found reductions in call answer time and duration following implementation of the SAR approach.

The handling of incoming crime reports either via telephony or online is an operational matter for local forces, the Home Office does not provide a mandate or direct guidance to forces on practice.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that DEI training provided to police forces is informed by relevant operational policing experience and reflects frontline policing.

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

The College of Policing sets clear, evidence-based national standards for police training through the National Policing Curriculum and Authorised Professional Practice. The College regularly reviews the policing curriculum, including elements relating to diversity, equality and inclusion, to ensure that it is fit for purpose. Forces also provide local training and ongoing development to reflect and reinforce organisational values, including diversity and equality. The Home Office does not collect information about individual force training programmes.

Chief Constables are ultimately responsible for the delivery of efficient and effective policing. It is a matter for each Chief Constable to decide how to best use their resources. This includes ensuring that officers and staff are appropriately trained and equipped for their role and that standards of professional behaviour are upheld.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role her Department has had in the Department of Health and Social Care’s plans to consult on uprating the descriptor guidance for low and no alcohol products.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

There is work ongoing between Defra and DHSC on reviewing the descriptor guidance for low and no alcohol products, supporting the process through regular official-level discussions.

Found: Erdington) Alex McIntyre (Labour; Gloucester) Joe Robertson (Conservative; Isle of Wight East) Gregory Stafford

Found: Erdington) Alex McIntyre (Labour; Gloucester) Joe Robertson (Conservative; Isle of Wight East) Gregory Stafford

Found: Committee members present: Layla Moran (Chair); Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford

Found: Committee members present: Layla Moran (Chair); Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford

Found: Committee members present: Layla Moran (Chair); Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford