Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reason some of the toilets at Block T-3 in the Parliamentary estate have been sealed since January 2025.
Answered by Nick Smith
The toilets in T-block are closed due to the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), following guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers published in 2023 and surveys carried out by structural engineers in 2024.
A further programme of investigation, longer-term mitigation and limited replacement (where possible and practical) continues to be developed by Strategic Estates. This requires thorough and potentially disruptive surveys that are carried out around the business of the House (for example, during recess). The investigations and surveys will provide a comprehensive assessment of the issues and works required to reopen the toilets, and if it is feasible or practical to do so.
The next phase of the programme is currently expected to begin by Summer recess, starting with surveys and investigations; the surveys could continue until the end of Conference recess. The project is envisaged to run to the end of 2027, due to the complexity of the work involved.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the number of taxpayers in the 2025-25 financial year who (a) earned below the personal allowance threshold and (b) did not pay income tax in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The information is not available.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will hold discussions with InterTrade UK on the potential impact of the trade agreement with the EU on internal trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government's new strategic partnership with the EU will deliver greater prosperity and security for Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole. In particular, the new SPS Agreement with the EU will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK’s internal market, reducing costs for businesses and improving consumer choice.
Intertrade UK is focused on promoting all internal UK trade including work to support businesses across the UK realise the full benefits of the new SPS Agreement.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many employers were prosecuted for not paying employees the National Living Wage in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC’s priority is to ensure that workers receive the money they are owed as quickly as possible. It is for this reason, in the vast majority of cases, HMRC pursue civil enforcement. In 2023/24 civil enforcement resulted in HMRC issuing 767 Notices of Underpayment to employers. 2024/25 figures are not yet available.
However, for the most egregious breaches of National Minimum Wage law, where employers are persistently non-compliant, or refuse to cooperate with HMRC, criminal prosecution may take place.
The number of employers prosecuted specifically for breaching Section 31(1) “Employer refuses or wilfully neglects to pay NMW” in (a) 2023/24 was 1 and (b) 2024/25 was 1.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have urgent discussions with the Director General of the BBC on recent reports that a journalist with links to Hamas was used by the BBC to report on events in Gaza.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Under its Royal Charter, the BBC has a duty to provide accurate and impartial news and information. As the BBC is independent the Government does not intervene in the BBC’s day-to-day operational or editorial decisions.
The Secretary of State meets regularly with the BBC to discuss a range of topics and when she met with the BBC Director General in February, they discussed the importance of the BBC in meeting its duty to provide accurate and impartial news and information. In taking forward that duty, the Government believes that it is absolutely fundamental that stories about the events in Gaza are told and heard, but are done so with the utmost care, transparency and sensitivity. It is essential that the BBC in particular maintains the highest standards of reporting.
In addition, it is for Ofcom, the independent regulator, to ensure the BBC is fulfilling its obligations to audiences as outlined in the Charter.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many species of plant that previously could not be traded between Great Britain and Northern Ireland have been made available following discussions with the EU on horticultural issues in the last six months.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The prohibition has been lifted on 20 key species of plants since EU Exit. The full list for the last 6 months is: four different kinds of cherry (Prunus avium, Prunus canescens, Prunus cerasus, and Prunus pseudocerasus), silver birch (Betula pendula), downy birch (Betula pubescens), and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa).
We continue to work closely with the horticultural sector, including through a Horticulture Working Group which meets regularly, in order to maximise opportunities for trade in plants and plant products within the United Kingdom. We are in active dialogue with the EU Commission on a number of other species which industry has prioritised.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 51305 on Asylum: Housing, what proportion of alternative accommodation was (a) another hotel, (b) domestic properties and (c) other dispersed accommodation in 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Available data, published quarterly, on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release. The data can be broken down by accommodation type. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48852 on Diabetes, whether he has had discussions with universities on how studies into the causes of (a) diabetes 2 and (b) other related health conditions are funded.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which works in partnership with universities, the National Health Service, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public. The NIHR welcomes applications for funding in all topic areas, including diabetes. Funding opportunities are openly published on the NIHR website, which is available at the following link:
Universities and other stakeholders can propose research topics to the NIHR through its website, specifically at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic
Each application is peer reviewed, and awards are made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the outcome of the UK National Screening Committee Group B Streptococcus trials completed in 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee does not run its own trials. The committee is currently awaiting the findings of an independent trial into Group B Streptococcus, which concluded its recruitment phase in 2024. Neither the committee nor my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care have any influence over the date of publication for this independent trial.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Defence Gardens Scheme for veterans.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We recognise the work of the Defence Gardens Scheme, along with so many others working hard to support our Armed Forces community and make a difference to the wellbeing of veterans. The Minister for Veterans and People saw first hand the Defence Gardens Scheme on a visit earlier this year to Northern Ireland.
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs works closely with many Armed Forces charities and organisations who play a vital part of the wider support system for veterans, and the Minister for Veterans and People is actively exploring ways of simplifying and cohering access to Government support, working in partnership with the charity sector, via VALOUR, which was announced on 5 May 2025.