Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations her Department has made to the Chinese government on the detention and forcible disappearance of Gao Zhisheng and other religious leaders.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is aware of reports concerning the disappearance of Gao Zhisheng and other religious leaders. We continue to follow developments closely and regularly raise human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities.
We remain committed to promoting human rights and the rule of law globally. We continue to work with partners and in multilateral fora to end arbitrary detention, to advocate for those who have been arbitrarily detained to be released, and to demand accountability. We call on all states that engage in the practice of politically motivated detention and enforced disappearance to respect their international obligations and commitments.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to remove asbestos from buildings in town centres.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Building owners are responsible for managing safety and performance risks in their buildings, including asbestos, in a proportionate, risk based and evidence-based way. Duty holders must comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, which require them to identify any asbestos, assess its condition, and determine the risk of exposure.
They must maintain an asbestos management plan that sets out how asbestos containing materials will be monitored or, where necessary, safely removed by a licensed contractor. In most cases, asbestos that is in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed is safer left in place and managed appropriately.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the UK’s primary regulator for asbestos. It enforces the regulations, operates the asbestos licensing regime, and provides technical guidance to support compliance.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding he plans to provide for the NHS in each of the next three financial years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
At the 2025 Spending Review, HM Treasury announced that the National Health Service would receive £204.9 billion in 2026/27, £215.4 billion in 2027/28, and £226.1 billion in 2028/29. Further information on the 2025 Spending Review is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document/spending-review-2025-html
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were convicted of arson in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences including arson in England and Wales within the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he had had with the PSNI on the time taken to process FAC renewals and applications.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
While I meet regularly with the Chief Constable and his senior team regarding national security, and a range of issues, I have a limited role in relation to certain appeals against the decision of the Chief Constable not to issue firearms licences. The issuing of firearms licences is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support local pubs.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the significant role hospitality businesses, including local pubs, play in driving economic growth, employment and community cohesion across the UK. That is why we are offering targeted support for the sector.
We have permanently lowered tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million annually, benefitting over 750,000 properties. The new relief rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap so all qualifying properties will benefit. To support with any bill increases due to rateable value changes, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years.
The Chancellor also announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of the budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to protect women and girls online.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms, including online, is a top priority for this government.
Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must proactively tackle illegal content, much of which disproportionately affects women and girls, including harassment, stalking and intimate image abuse. Services are also required to protect children from illegal and harmful content, including abusive and hateful misogyny and pornography.
On 25 November 2025, Ofcom published industry guidance on making platforms safer for women and girls. We expect companies to introduce these recommended measures without delay.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations her Department has made to the Vietnamese government on the detention of Y Quynh Bdăp.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 7 January in response to Question 101189. Further, on 17 December, the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, raised Mr Bdap's case with the Governments of Thailand and Vietnam, seeking assurances on his location, wellbeing and access to legal counsel.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the decision on the New Medium Helicopter programme will be made and announced.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Government will make a final decision on the award of the New Medium Helicopter contract through the wider Defence Investment Plan (DIP). The Department is working flat out to deliver the DIP, which will be published as soon as possible. It is backed by the Government’s largest sustained increase in defence investment since the end of the Cold War, spending £270 billion on defence in this Parliament alone.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people under the age of 25 are currently seeking treatment for alcohol and drug addiction.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Adult Substance Misuse Treatment Statistics 2024 to 2025 report and the Children’s Substance Misuse Treatment Statistics 2024 to 2025 report, both published in December 2025, show that in England between April 2024 and March 2025 there were 37,117 people under the age of 25 years old receiving drug and alcohol treatment in the community.