Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are awaiting appeal decisions in under the Afghan resettlement scheme.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) has brought together the previous Afghan resettlement schemes into a single, efficient pipeline. In order to improve efficiency, value for money and outcomes across Afghan Resettlement.

The latest published statistics (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-september-2024) show that (up to the end of September 2024) we have brought around 33,400 people to safety from Afghanistan and the region.

Afghan operational data is viewable at Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and is released quarterly. There is no right of appeal against eligibility decisions made under the ARP.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to make workplaces more accessible for disabled people.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to boosting opportunity and championing the rights of disabled people. We will work closely with disabled people and their representative organisations to ensure that their needs and voices are at the heart of everything we do.

Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, to thrive as part of the workforce. Under the Equality Act 2010, there is a duty on employers to, on request, make reasonable adjustments for both job applicants and employees who meet the Act's definition of disability.

Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme. The Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. Employers participating in the scheme must agree to several commitments, many of which relate to making the workplace more accessible. These include ensuring the recruitment process is inclusive and accessible, communicating and promoting vacancies through accessible channels, and anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required. Disability Confident is a voluntary scheme, developed by disabled people, employers and disability organisations representing disabled people. I plan to consider ways to make the scheme criteria and requirements more robust.

Disabled People can also access support through the Access to Work Scheme. The Access to Work Scheme provides grant funding to disabled people, as well as those with a health condition. The grant supports workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer through their duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.

The grant provides personalised support and workplace assessments, travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment. The Scheme also includes the Mental Health Support Service (MHSS) which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their wellbeing while in employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,000 people with a workplace adjustment to move into or stay in work.

The Equality (Race and Disability) Bill will enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for disabled people, including disability pay gap reporting for large employers. We will support disabled people to access flexible working, breaking down barriers to opportunity.

This work will be relevant to all those who meet the definition of disability set out in the Equality Act 2010, and we will be engaging with a range of stakeholders to understand their lived experiences.

In addition to existing support, as part of the Get Britain Working plans set out in the recent white paper, the Government has launched Keep Britain Working, an independent review into the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, led by the former Chair of John Lewis, Sir Charlie Mayfield.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing staff salary pay scales so parliamentary advisors can be paid at the same level as hon. Members.

Answered by Charlotte Nichols

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) keeps MPs' staff pay under review and periodically assesses benchmarking data so that pay scales remain in line with the salaries of other similar roles within the public sector.

There are seven standard MPs' staff roles plus interns, each having different job descriptions, required skills and competencies, experience, and levels of responsibility. IPSA's benchmarking process insures that salary differentials reflect the market rates for different roles.

IPSA annually presents its recommendations to the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority as part of the committee's review of IPSA's main estimate.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the financial compensation available to those that have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides specific support for people with asbestos-related conditions via a range of schemes.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) provides non-contributory, “no-fault” benefit for disablement because of an accident at work, or because of one of over 70 prescribed diseases known to be a risk from certain jobs. IIDB is a weekly award that can be worth up to £11,500* per year and has been consistently uprated in line with inflation.

The department also provides one-off lump-sum compensation payments under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 (the ‘1979 Act scheme’) to individuals who suffer from one of the dust-related diseases covered by the scheme, subject to the wider eligibility criteria being satisfied. This scheme is designed to cover people who are unable to claim damages from any relevant employers because they have gone out of business.

Asbestos-related diseases covered by IIDB and the 1979 Act scheme include pneumoconiosis (including asbestosis), diffuse mesothelioma, unilateral or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening and asbestos-related primary carcinoma of the lung. Subject to Parliamentary approval, both IIDB and the 1979 Act scheme are due to be uprated by 1.7 per cent from April this year.

In addition to these schemes someone suffering from long-term disabling affects due to an asbestos-related condition may be eligible for further financial support via Personal Independence Payment, or through Universal Credit and New Style Employment and Support Allowance for those with a health condition that limits their ability to work.

Those who have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace may pursue a civil compensation claim against an employer. Where their employer no longer exists or their employer’s insurer cannot be traced, individuals diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma may also be eligible for an award under the 2014 Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme if there is evidence that their exposure was due to employer negligence.

*Figure rounded to the nearest hundred.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent reports of missile tests in North Korea.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The UK is monitoring the continued testing of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including the short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) launches on 14 January 2025 - all of which violate UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCR). The UK remains committed to calling out all violations of UNSCRs and will continue to work with partners to enforce existing UN approved sanctions on DPRK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to provide additional incentives to help encourage people to establish small businesses.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government supports entrepreneurs with funding and mentoring through, for example the British Business Bank, via Start-up Loans.

The recently announced Business Growth Service which is due to be landed later this year, will help businesses access the support they need to grow, whether they are starting out or looking to scale up. One aim is to ensure that businesses can access more targeted support that considers their particular needs.

We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year, setting out how the Government will encourage entrepreneurship across the UK and enable small businesses to grow, empowering entrepreneurs to innovate, export and create new jobs.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the uptake of Universal Credit in under 21s in the last 12 months.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Monthly statistics for the number of Starts to Universal Credit in Great Britain by age, are published quarterly on Stat-Xplore, and are currently available to October 2024, with statistics to January 2025 due to be published on Tuesday 18th February 2025.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

The Department’s Youth Offer provides individually tailored Work Coach support to young people aged 16 to 24 who are claiming Universal Credit. This support includes the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Employability Coaches for young people with additional barriers to finding work, and Youth Hubs across Great Britain.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many alcohol related deaths there have been in England in the last 12 months.

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

There were 21,912 alcohol-related deaths in England for the 2022 calendar year. This is from the latest available data, published by the Department, and is available at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/local-alcohol-profiles/data#page/4/gid/1938132984/pat/159/par/K02000001/ati/15/are/E92000001/iid/93763/age/1/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1

The data for 2023 will be published on 4 February 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that there is adequate support for parents learning how to care for a child with special needs and disabilities.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Under the Children Act 1989 local authorities must, in accordance with section 17ZD, assess and support the needs of parent carers who provide or intend to provide care for a disabled child and who meet the criteria set out. Services may include provision of short breaks or other support to assist parent carers.

The Law Commission are currently undertaking an independent review of social care legislation relating to disabled children. They are due to report their final recommendations to government in summer 2025, at which point we will consider proposals for reforms to the disabled children’s social care system, including the adequacy of the legal framework supporting parents carers.

The government funds Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) who are representative local groups of parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They work alongside local authorities, education, health and other service providers to ensure the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor, meet the needs of children and families locally.

The government also funds Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Support Services (SENDIASS) offer information, advice and support for parents, carers children and young people with SEND. The department’s contract funds the training of SENDIASS staff. Under the Children and Families Act (2014) it is a legal requirement that all local authorities have a SENDIASS.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a Strategic Advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of reports of freedom of religion or belief violations in India.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government condemns any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. Concerns about the rights and opportunities of some religious minorities in India are widely reported, and our High Commission in New Delhi and network of Deputy High Commissions across India track these issues closely.

We take this seriously. Dialogue concerning this is an important aspect of the UK-India relationship, and where we have specific concerns, we raise them directly with India. Our network in India also meets regularly with religious representatives from different faith communities, and, on 18 October, I held a roundtable with a range of faith leaders in Delhi to discuss issues facing religious organisations today.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contracts his Department plans to provide to businesses in each of the devolved regions.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence footprint is nationwide and in every one of the UK’s nations and regions the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is making a positive difference. The MOD is required to use fair and open competition for all its contract opportunities, which includes non-discrimination on the grounds of location of a potential supplier in the UK, and is always keen to attract new entrants to the supply chain. Details of contracts awarded by the Department can be found on the Defence Sourcing Portal.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of electric vehicle purchases in the last 12 months.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government closely monitors developments in the EV market. 2024 was a record year for the sale of new zero emission cars. In 2024 over 380,000 electric cars were sold, the highest number ever in the UK. These made up a fifth of the new car market – also the highest ever. In 2024, the UK overtook Germany to become the largest electric car market in Europe and the market as a whole grew by 2.6%, faster than France, Germany, and the EU.

The electric van market also continues to experience growth. New electric van volumes increased by 3.3% in 2024, compared to the previous year.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help tackle (a) propaganda, (b) disinformation, (c) persecution and (d) other forms of transnational repression by the Chinese Communist Party against Falun Gong practitioners.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Within China, the environment for freedom of religion or belief is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. This government will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief for all abroad, for example through bilateral engagement. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and Chancellor all raised human rights recently with their counterparts.

Within the UK, attempts by foreign governments to intimidate, harass, or harm our residents will not be tolerated. We have a broad suite of powers available to counter this threat, and we continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an estimate of the number of people convicted for offences related to puppy farming in the last 12 months.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on offenders convicted for animal cruelty offences in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

However, data held centrally does not include information on whether defendants were convicted for offences related to puppy farming.

This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are on a waiting list for treatment for Tinnitus.

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

The Department does not hold information in this format. Tinnitus is a condition that can result in many different treatments, including medication, which are not all captured in the Waiting List Minimum Dataset.

As of November 2024, the waiting list for ear, nose and throat (ENT) stood at 633,270. This marked a decrease of 4,380 compared to October 2024. As of November 2024, 49.2% of pathways were within 18 weeks. Not all of the patients on the waiting list will have a “decision to treat”.

Tackling waiting lists, including in ENT, is a key part of our Health Mission, and we will deliver an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments during our first year in Government, which is equivalent to 40,000 per week, as a first step in our commitment to ensure that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.

The Elective Reform Plan, launched as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, sets out how we will get back to the NHS Constitutional Standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by the end of this Parliament, whilst also ensuring that patients have the best possible experience of care. The Elective Reform Plan also commits to reforming clinical pathways to improve efficiency in five priority specialties, one of which is ENT.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many assaults on transport staff there have been in the last 12 months.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of offences and their investigative outcomes recorded by the police in England and Wales on a quarterly basis, which can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

This includes assault offences recorded by British Transport Police. However, it is not currently possible to separately identify assaults against staff from those against passengers in data held centrally.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on enabling oil fuelled heating homes in Northern Ireland to transition to gas.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Energy policy is a transferred matter to the Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive. DESNZ holds regular discussions with NI Executive on broader energy matters, including through our Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change Inter-ministerial Group.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on taxi expenses for homeless people in the last 12 months.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) is allocated to councils across England based on local homelessness pressures and is used to meet local needs.

HPG funding allocations for the period 2023 through 2025 are available online and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-2023-to-2025

Local authorities can use their funding flexibly to support homeless households. MHCLG does not hold any data on the proportion of funding that was allocated to taxi expenses.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of rises in employer National Insurance contributions on victims of domestic and sexual violence.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the important role charities play in our society and has made it a priority to reset the relationship with civil society by developing a Civil Society Covenant.

To repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance.

The Government recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of employers with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change next year. Charities will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under 21s and under 25 apprentices, where eligible.

More broadly, within the tax system, we provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving., with more than £6 billion in charitable reliefs provided to charities, CASCs and their donors in 2023 to 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve meals in schools for SEN children.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole-school approach to healthy eating.

The minimum standards for school food are set out in legislation. Beyond this, headteachers, school governors and their caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies that take into account local circumstances. In doing so, schools are expected to make reasonable efforts to cater for pupils with particular requirements, for example to reflect medical, dietary and cultural needs.

School governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the School Food Standards. To support governors, the department, along with National Governance Association, are running a pilot online training course on school food for governors and trustees. The department will evaluate the training programme’s reception and effectiveness in the short-term.

Education settings are obliged, under the Equality Act 2010, to make reasonable adjustments for children and young people with disabilities to avoid putting them at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter, in comparison with persons who are not disabled. Schools are required to make reasonable adjustments to enable such pupils to access their school meals, should they wish to. Schools should work with the pupil, their family and any other professionals involved, to agree the necessary support. It is for the school to make the decision about what is reasonable in any particular situation.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions she with BT on the potential impact of the withdrawal of BT's free (a) online and (b) physical directories on (i) the elderly and (ii) people in digital poverty.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Ofcom is responsible for ensuring that UK consumers have access to directory and directory information services. Ofcom does not specify the form of the directory.

The Department has not had discussions with BT around the withdrawal of its physical directories or their free online directory. We understand from a public statement made by BT that it took a decision to withdraw these due to a lack of demand and the environmental impact of printing and distributing hard copies.

BT provides free downloadable A-Z directory on their website; hard copies can be purchased online. BT offers a free service, called 195 for users with certain additional needs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will hold discussions with the devolved Administrations on the adequacy of (a) funding and (b) devolved powers for the provision of public services.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The UK Government regularly engages with officials and ministers from the devolved governments on a wide range of issues, including their funding to deliver public services.

The devolved governments’ settlements for 2025-26 are the largest in real terms of any settlements since devolution. Each devolved government is receiving at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, amounting to over £16 billion more in 2025-26. In total, the devolved governments will receive over £86 billion in 2025-26, including an additional £6.6 billion through the Barnett formula.

Barnett-based funding is not ringfenced for a specific policy area. This provides the devolved governments with the flexibility to allocate funding across devolved areas according to their own priorities and local circumstances, including public services. The devolved governments remain accountable to their respective devolved legislatures for these decisions.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on innovation in nuclear technology.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

DESNZ Ministers engage with Devolved Government counterparts on energy matters regularly, including through the Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change Interministerial Group (IMG) which last took place on 17 October 2024. The next IMG is scheduled to meet on 6 March in Belfast with NI Ministers chairing.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on small businesses sourcing material.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Windsor Framework established a broad set of arrangements to support Great Britain-based businesses to move goods to Northern Ireland, including to small businesses based in Northern Ireland.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and are front and centre of the Government’s growth mission. The Government is committed to supporting the Executive as it works to generate economic growth. In support of that, I hold regular discussions with ministers and political parties in the Assembly, as well as with businesses and their representative bodies.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to prevent higher education institutions from targeted influence from hostile states.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

This government is committed to ensuring our world-leading universities remain free from foreign interference. There are a set of measures that protect against undue foreign interference in our universities. These range from the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, which vets students and researchers seeking to study in sensitive areas, to the provisions of the Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act 2023, which includes the implementation of a new complaints scheme which will offer a new focused route for concerns regarding foreign interference in academic freedom and free speech to be raised.

The government offers practical advice to support the sector to engage with international partnerships in transparent and secure ways. The Research Collaboration and Advice Team, the National Protective Security Authority, the National Cyber Security Centre, and guidance published by Universities UK all support the sector to manage the security-related risks of internationalisation.

The government is currently working at pace on the implementation of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which will apply to universities across the UK, and will require registration of foreign directed activity involving specific governments and entities where it is necessary to protect the safety or interests of the UK. We expect the scheme to commence in summer 2025.

Finally, the government is conducting an internal review, informed by engagement with the regulator, sector, academics impacted by foreign interference, as well as international partners, to assess existing approaches to managing the risk of foreign interference and what more support they might need.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of recent trends in the number of people prescribed pain medication in the last 12 months.

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

The Prescription Cost Analysis data release gives items and quantities of each medicine dispensed in the community in England. The following table shows the total number of items dispensed for analgesics in England, regardless of where prescribed, as well as the unique number of patients that were dispensed medicines listed in British National Formulary (BNF) Section 4.7 Analgesics, from December 2023 to November 2024:

For further information, BNF 4.7 includes:

- non-opioid analgesics and compound preparations;

- opioid analgesics;

- neuropathic pain medicines; and

- antimigraine medicines.

No data has been captured relating to the clinical indication a prescription is intended for. Some of these products can be used for a variety of clinical indications and therefore the figures provided may include items that were prescribed for a different condition, rather than for pain relief.

It is important to note that this data does not capture medicines classified elsewhere within the BNF, which are primarily used for other reasons, but may also be used for analgesic purposes. This includes, for example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which feature in 10.1 ‘Drugs used in rheumatic diseases and gout’, and antidepressants, used off-label in chronic primary pain, which feature in 4.3 ‘Antidepressant drugs’.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help protect the chemical industry from (a) site closures and (b) job losses.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The chemicals sector underpins almost all manufacturing in the UK and is fundamental to maximising growth and productivity across the economy to drive forward the government’s missions, including delivering growth for all. Reforms are underway to address planning barriers to growth, channel finance towards growth priorities and accelerate the transition to net zero.

This will be supported by our modern Industrial Strategy which will implement targeted policy interventions to drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth.

Last autumn’s Budget announced continued support for Energy Intensive Industries – including chemical companies - through £350M of additional funding across the next two years.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the number of dairy farmers in the last ten years.

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

Information relating to the question on the number of UK dairy producers can be found publicly available here: (Livestock populations in the UK, Latest UK milk prices and composition of milk, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, Results by size of Farm in the UK)

From 2021 to 2023, data on the milk production-to-supply ratio showed a stable trend, consistently remaining at 105%. This indicates the UK produces a milk surplus, exceeding domestic consumption needs. The production-to-supply ratio is generally understood as a broad measure of national self-sufficiency, indicating the ability of UK agriculture to meet consumer demand. We lack detailed farm type and labour data for the UK, however, hold this for England. While not all dairy herds are on these holdings, the majority are. Over the last decade (2014 – 2023), the number of dairy farm holdings in England decreased by 24%, while the number of agricultural workers on holdings classified as dairy farm type decreased by 15%. Although production of milk in the UK has increased in the last decade, the number of UK producers and employment on English dairy farms has fallen.

Defra Officials Statistics: Agriculture in the UK 2023 Chapter 14: The food chain

Defra Officials Statistics: Numbers of holdings and agricultural activity by farm type at 1 June each year in England

National Heart Month

70th anniversary of Killyleagh Girls Brigade

Changes to Overseas Development Assistance

NHS nurse Kate Turner

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Anniversary of the Darfur genocide

Cheltenham Festival week and antisocial behaviour

Treatment of Israeli hostages

Air Gunner Jim Squires

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club

Content warnings for infant mortality

British Science Week

National Fish and Chip Awards 2025

Western Gateway Rail Deal

Status of Scotch Whisky

Kings Oak Primary School Eco-Council

Recognition and justice for the victims of the Khojaly tragedy

Regional Inequalities in energy pricing

Norther Ireland Football Training Centre of Excellence

Energy price cap increase

Calum Langmuir ski success

Closure of the Musician Pub in Leicester

Cairngorm Brewery award success

Homelessness

Youth Olympics success

National Railway Heritage Awards success

Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board funding for third sector groups

Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919

Supporting British farmers

Earls High School and Project Gambia

55th anniversary of Drumchapel Credit Union

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide charity

160th anniversary of SeeScape

Increases in rail fares

Hill farming

120 years of Boroughmuir High School

Cash acceptance

Centenary of Murrayfield Stadium

Prostate cancer screening and men's health support

UAE imprisonment of Ryan Cornelius

Edinburgh Zoo's capybaras

Inspection of Hyndland Secondary School

Wellbeing of home educated children

Commemorating 200 years of the modern railway

Striking workers at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts sixth form

Lancashire Police Museum

Barton Grange garden centre

International Mother Language Day

Cornwall Air Ambulance

St Charles Primary School receives the Leader in Me Lighthouse award

UK-Ukraine voluntary aid groups

Yorkshire Cancer Research's 100th anniversary

80th anniversary of Lichfield Society of Artists

Leasehold reform

Rememberance of former lobby corespondent Mike Steele

Freedom of religion or belief in Nigeria

40 years of service to the Boys' Brigade and Anchor Boys by Julie Cardwell

Child poverty in the West Midlands

The Hawkers’ fundraising for Strathcarron Hospice and local charities

Contribution of tourism to Devon

Military sexual trauma

NHS targets

Mental health of women in farming

75 years of the Harpenden and Wheathampstead Gang Show

Royal Mail's universal service obligation

Blue Flag status for rivers

Transition of Scottish Council on Global Affairs leadership from University of Glasgow to University of St Andrews

Recognition for World War I servicemen affected by PTSD

Female football boots

Mental health in farming

Heather Kent's contribution to tackling litter

Responders to Storm Éowyn

Safety regulations for large-scale battery storage facilities

Elliot Holmes Memorial Fund

Children's Mental Health Week

Pathway Project 32 year anniversary

Waitangi Day 2025

A&E waiting times in Berkshire

The Courier Food and Drink Awards shortlist

School absences

Ambulances in Newbury

116th anniversary of the 1909 West Stanley Pit Disaster

Injury on Duty Award Scheme

Recognition of Paralympian Phoebe Paterson Pine

Found: Chamberlain Naz Shah Kirsteen Sullivan David Burton-Sampson Catherine Fookes Jess Asato Anna Dixon Jim Shannon

Found: Chamberlain Naz Shah Kirsteen Sullivan David Burton-Sampson Catherine Fookes Jess Asato Anna Dixon Jim Shannon

Found: REPORT STAGE Thursday 13 February 2025 2 _NC3 Jim Allister Gavin Robinson Sammy Wilson Jim Shannon

Found: Chamberlain Naz Shah Kirsteen Sullivan David Burton-Sampson Catherine Fookes Jess Asato Anna Dixon Jim Shannon

Found: Chamberlain Naz Shah Kirsteen Sullivan David Burton-Sampson Catherine Fookes Jess Asato Anna Dixon Jim Shannon

Found: Chamberlain Naz Shah Kirsteen Sullivan David Burton-Sampson Catherine Fookes Jess Asato Anna Dixon Jim Shannon

Found: REPORT STAGE Monday 10 February 2025 2 _NC3 Jim Allister Gavin Robinson Sammy Wilson Jim Shannon

Found: Chamberlain Naz Shah Kirsteen Sullivan David Burton-Sampson Catherine Fookes Jess Asato Anna Dixon Jim Shannon

Found: REPORT STAGE Friday 7 February 2025 2 _NC3 Jim Allister Gavin Robinson Sammy Wilson Jim Shannon Alex

Found: Chamberlain Naz Shah Kirsteen Sullivan David Burton-Sampson Catherine Fookes Jess Asato Anna Dixon Jim Shannon

Found: REPORT STAGE Thursday 6 February 2025 2 _NC3 Jim Allister Gavin Robinson Sammy Wilson Jim Shannon