Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking with the Ministry of Defence to support a forthcoming Defence Readiness Bill, as recommended in the Strategic Defence Review.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office is supporting the Ministry of Defence to determine what new legislative measures may be required to increase readiness in the event of crisis or conflict. In line with the Strategic Defence Review and its recommendation concerning a “whole of society approach”, we expect the legislation to enable the Government to better keep the UK safe in crisis or war by improving the preparedness of key industries and to support the mobilisation of wider defence capacity, including the Reserves. As the lead department, the Ministry of Defence will provide more detail in due course.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
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 potential severity of winter pressures on the NHS during winter 2025-2026.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the National Health Service over the winter months.
The Department is continuing to take key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on accident and emergency departments, increasing vaccination rates, and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care boards and trust winter plans to ensure they are able to meet demand and ensure patient flow.
Flu is a recurring pressure that the NHS faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant people, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the physical security of (a) military sites and (b) other sites of strategic importance including critical national infrastructure.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement laid before the House on 27 November.
Defence is taking decisive action to strengthen security across our estate, reversing years of under-investment and focusing our resources on our highest priority sites. We have delivered urgent physical enhancements, introduced advanced surveillance technology such as the Immediate Threat Mitigation Solution, and we are investing in digital transformation to modernise our approach, including MOD adoption of the Critical National Infrastructure Knowledge Base. Enhanced vigilance, updated guidance, and improved reporting have made it easier for personnel and industry partners to report incidents, while successful recruitment campaigns are increasing our policing and guard capacity.
Our multi-layered security approach combines technology, workforce, and physical security to protect our people and assets. The upcoming piloting of Restricted Airspace above strategic sites and significant investment in remotely piloted aerial systems further enhance our ability to deter and respond to threats.
Defence will use all available levers to take swift action wherever and whenever security is threatened and will not hesitate to pursue prosecution where criminality is suspected. Safeguarding the Defence estate remains a key priority, and we will continue to relentlessly pursue improvements to ensure we deliver the highest standards of security and resilience for our estate.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to work with the Ministry of Defence to codify civilian assistance to military authorities for home defence, as recommended in the Strategic Defence Review.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Developing plans for civilian assistance to the military in a time of conflict is a key component of the Cabinet Office's Home Defence Programme. The Cabinet Office is working closely with the MoD and other Whitehall departments to set a baseline understanding of the support requirements for defence and how positions and roles may need to be backfilled in a conflict scenario. This work is ongoing.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any organisations have been removed from the list of Armed Forces Covenant signatories due to non-compliance since November 2022.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Since November 2022, two organisations have been removed from the list of Armed Forces Covenant signatories due to concerns over non-compliance. Due to confidentiality, we are unable to disclose the names of the organisations.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) employment rights and (b) income security of self-employed workers in the healthcare sector.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to strengthening protections for the self-employed, benefitting those in healthcare, including a new right to a written contract, and extension of health and safety and blacklisting protections. The parental leave and pay review will consider whether support meets the needs of self-employed parents. The Non-Disclosure Agreements measure in the Employment Rights Bill includes a power to apply the measure beyond the standard definitions of employee and worker.
We will also take forward the most significant legislative reforms to tackle late payments in over 25 years, helping ensure that the self-employed are paid on time.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to her Israeli counterpart on demolition orders in Umm Al Khair in the South Hebron Hills.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain deeply concerned by the levels of settler violence and settlement growth in the West Bank, and we continue to urge Israel to halt evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes in the South Hebron Hills and elsewhere.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 91633 on Police and Crime Commissioners: Cornwall and Devon, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) accountability of Policing and Crime Boards.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Policing and Crime Boards will have the necessary powers and levers to maintain strong local oversight of policing. They will exercise the same core governance functions and duties as Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and will be supported by an appointed Policing and Crime Lead who will provide day-to-day oversight of the force. We have been clear that is not a return to the invisible, committee-based governance under previous police authorities.
Policing and Crime Boards will bring together the elected council leaders in the force area, maintaining democratic accountability for policing as well as the benefit of being better able to join up governance of policing with other local services. We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Association on the design and implementation of these arrangements, including ensuring that there will be robust scrutiny arrangements for Policing and Crime Boards.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent on the refit and repair of HMS Bulwark during the last five years.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Refit and repair costs incurred for HMS Bulwark over the last five years totals £72.1 million.
HMS Bulwark was not due to go to sea ahead of its out-of-service date. It’s disposal shows that we are delivering for defence by divesting ourselves of old capabilities to make way for the future.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department has allocated to improving the resilience of passenger rail services on the North Devon branch line in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail has spent £2.9 million between 2017/18 and 2024/25 on scour protection works on bridges and retaining walls along the North Devon line. In addition, an average of £18,000 per year has been spent over the past ten years carrying out maintenance works to structure inverts, scour protection and removing tree debris trapped against bridges following a flood.