Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many Sikhs are employed in her Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The number of DCMS Civil Servants who are recorded as Sikh is below 5.

In line with Civil Service Statistics guidance, DCMS records Sikh under the classification of Religion.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Sikhs are employed in his Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group.

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

In Core Defra, as of 30 April 2025, there were 37 employees recording a religious belief of Sikh. 36 of these employees declare to be of an ethnic minority.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle fly-tipping.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government will crack down on fly-tipping by supporting councils to seize and crush more vehicles of fly-tippers, forcing fly-tippers to clean up their mess and bringing in new prison sentences for those transporting waste illegally. We also taking steps to develop statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance to support councils to consistently and effectively exercise their various enforcement powers.

In the meantime, Defra will continue to work with stakeholders through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, such as the National Farmers Union, local authorities and police, to promote and disseminate good practice on tackling fly-tipping.

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 increase treatment options for people with Friedreich's Ataxia.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Friedreich's Ataxia. One of the framework’s priorities is improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We remain committed to delivering under the framework, and published the fourth action plan for England on 28 February 2025.

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 new research by Trussell which found that the impact of (a) hunger and (b) hardship drives an additional £6.3 billion in public service expenditure on healthcare each year.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government welcomes the Trussell report on the cost of hunger and hardship and recognises that poverty is a wider determinant of health. Under the Health Mission, the Government is committed to supporting people to stay healthier for longer, reducing health inequalities, easing the strain on the National Health Service and driving economic growth.

The Department is also working closely with the Child Poverty Taskforce to develop and deliver an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, tackle the root causes, and give every child the best start in life. The Government is supporting those in need through the Healthy Start scheme and through the roll out of breakfast clubs. The Government is also expanding Free School Meals which will benefit over half a million more children and lift 100,000 children out of poverty.

Found: Jogee Tracy Gilbert Sarah Hall Helen Hayes Dame Caroline Dinenage Luke Myer Catherine Fookes Jas Athwal