First elected: 4th July 2024
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Johanna Baxter, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Johanna Baxter has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Johanna Baxter has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Johanna Baxter has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Johanna Baxter has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Government responded in full to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report on 16 January 2025 and committed to providing regular updates on implementation of the commitments made in the response. The most recent update was published on 8 July, alongside a suite of key publications which demonstrate this government’s determination to build the UK’s resilience and pandemic preparedness for the future.
The Government published the updated Central Government Concept of Operations for Emergency Response and Recovery (the Amber Book) in April 2025 which codifies the leadership role the Cabinet Office plays for responding to catastrophic risks. The Cabinet Office also co-sponsors the planning phase of catastrophic risks with the Lead Government Department which owns the risk. Part of this planning is to develop the concept of operations for each catastrophic risk. These plans are internal and operational in nature, and there is currently no intent to publish these documents.
As outlined in the Central Government Concept of Operations for Emergency Response and Recovery (the Amber Book), the Cabinet Office have taken a stronger and more directive role in planning for catastrophic risks. The Cabinet Office co-sponsors the planning phase of catastrophic risks with the Lead Government Department (LGD), including through co-chairing of catastrophic risk boards.
The Cabinet Office works with LGDs to agree which boards it would be appropriate to co-chair on a case by case basis. The Cabinet Office and LGDs work closely with representatives from the other relevant departments, agencies and, where appropriate, the Devolved Governments in preparing for catastrophic risks.
The Cabinet Office will instruct the UK Resilience Academy to convene independently-chaired panels dedicated to reviewing specific whole-system risks. The panels will draw on leading independent experts from across sectors outside government to ensure impartial and credible assurance. Terms of Reference will underpin the panels, and a pilot study will test and refine this approach.
The Government's updates on its actions to improve resilience, including in response to the findings of the independent expert panels, will be set out in the Annual Statement to Parliament on risk and resilience.
The Cabinet Office will instruct the UK Resilience Academy to convene independently-chaired panels dedicated to reviewing specific whole-system risks. The panels will draw on leading independent experts from across sectors outside government to ensure impartial and credible assurance. Terms of Reference will underpin the panels, and a pilot study will test and refine this approach.
The Government's updates on its actions to improve resilience, including in response to the findings of the independent expert panels, will be set out in the Annual Statement to Parliament on risk and resilience.
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) will fundamentally reform Companies House, enabling it to play a greater role in tackling economic crime.
The first of these reforms came into force in March 2024 and included new powers to query, challenge and remove inaccurate information, stronger checks on company names, stricter address requirements and greater information sharing powers. These reforms were backed by £63 million of investment and increased fees to fund greater investigation and enforcement capabilities.
Further reforms under the ECCTA, including the introduction of Identity Verification later this year, are in the process of being implemented.
In line with our Safer Streets Mission, the Online Safety Act brings much needed protections to the online world by protecting children from harmful and age-inappropriate content, tackling violence against women and girls, and taking down criminal activity. The new laws apply to search services and all companies that allow users to share and post content online or interact with each other, even if the companies providing them are outside the UK.
This Government was elected on a mandate to improve animal welfare. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.
The Government committed to a ban on the import of hunting trophies of endangered animals in its manifesto and will deliver on this. Defra is currently engaging with a range of stakeholders in order to decide on the most effective approach.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is responsible for releasing data on hunting trophy import permits. APHA has not yet released its data on permits issued for hunting trophies in the 2024-25 financial year. This information will be published on the CITES trade database later this year. Available here.
The Nature for Climate Fund was established in 2020 as a five-year programme aimed at tackling climate change and boosting biodiversity and it is due to finish in March 2025.
This Government is committed to protecting and restoring nature, trees and peat, which are important to our plans to reduce emissions. We have pledged up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration over the current (2024-25) and next (2025-26) financial year. The detail of how this funding is allocated for 2025-26 is now being finalised through internal business planning, and we will be able to share more once this has concluded.
We have pledged up to £400 million in capital spend for tree planting and peatland restoration over the current (2024-25) and next (2025-26) financial year. This includes funding of the Nature for Climate Fund for 2024-25. The detail of how this funding is allocated for 2025-26 is now being finalised through internal business planning, and we will be able to share more once this has concluded.
I know that my honourable friends will welcome the changes this Government is making to Statutory Sick Pay through the Employment Rights Bill, including extending eligibility to up to 1.3 million of the lowest paid employees and removing the waiting period.
We believe the current rate achieves the right balance between providing support for employees who are unable to work due to sickness whilst limiting the cost to employers.
The Department and NHS England do not collect or hold this information centrally. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for making funding available and for arranging access to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended COVID-19 therapeutics, in line with its Rapid guideline: managing COVID-19, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng191
ICBs will establish services to meet the needs of their local populations, which might include COVID-19 Medicines Delivery Units, but could also include other access options such as primary and community care, or outreach services. Patients can find out about local services at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/treatments-for-covid-19/
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated its recommendations on the use of nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir for the treatment COVID‑19 in adults in May 2025. The update followed a decision by the company to set a new list price for nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir which meant that it is no longer a cost-effective treatment for people with diabetes, obesity, or heart failure, or for those aged 70 years old or over. Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir continues to be recommended by NICE for people who have an increased risk for progression to severe COVID‑19 as defined in NICE’s guidance, at the following link:
Rapid lateral flow tests for COVID-19 are available free of charge to people who are eligible for COVID-19 treatment as defined by NICE’s guidance.
NHS England Specialised Commissioning has recently updated the specialist immunology service specification for adults with deficient immune systems, named the Specialist immunology services for adults with deficient immune systems. This sets out the standards of care that providers of specialist immunology services are expected to meet, including with regards to treatment and monitoring. Further information on the service specification is available at the following link:
The clinical commissioning policy for the use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in England has also recently been updated. The updated document describes all conditions for which therapeutic immunoglobulin is commissioned, including autoimmune conditions, and provides details on the role, dose, and place of therapeutic immunoglobulin in the treatment pathway for individual indications, alongside possible alternative treatment options for use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in both adults and children. Further information on the policy is available at the following link:
Sub Regional Immunoglobulin Assessment Panels (SRIAPs) are in place to provide immunoglobulin stewardship and oversight in line with this policy. In April 2025, a new framework for the supply of immunoglobulin will begin. In March 2025, NHS England Specialised Commissioning provided advice to the SRIAPs regarding patient access to immunoglobulin products, with the introduction of the new framework.
Neither the Department nor NHS England hold data centrally on the exact numbers of those who are clinically defined as immunocompromised. However, a recently published paper in the Journal of Infection identified 477,335 immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years old and over in England. This research paper is available at the following link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016344532500026X
NHS England Specialised Commissioning is developing a patient information sheet to outline the changes to the range of immunoglobulin products available on the National Health Service. It is intended to support patients who rely on immunoglobulin treatment and may be required to switch to a different immunoglobulin product. This will be shared with patient organisations and clinical teams in April 2025.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is committed to working with partners, including NHS England and the Department, to protect the health of immunocompromised patients in the context of infectious disease hazards. Engaging with the Immunocompromised Coalition and other charities supporting vulnerable individuals, in partnership with the Department and the NHS as part of pandemic preparedness, is an important activity for the UKHSA. It enables the prompt implementation of appropriate protective measures with relevant, scalable additional support in the event of a pandemic or another emergency.
The UKHSA has also published COVID-19 guidance, last updated in May 2024, for those individuals whose immune system means they are at higher risk. The guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk
No assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce for immunocompromised patients.
NHS England Specialised Commissioning has recently updated the specialist immunology service specification for adults with deficient immune systems, named the Specialist immunology services for adults with deficient immune systems. This sets out the standards of care that providers of specialist immunology services are expected to meet, including with regards to treatment and monitoring. Further information on the service specification is available at the following link:
The clinical commissioning policy for the use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in England has also recently been updated. The updated document describes all conditions for which therapeutic immunoglobulin is commissioned, including autoimmune conditions, and provides details on the role, dose, and place of therapeutic immunoglobulin in the treatment pathway for individual indications, alongside possible alternative treatment options for use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in both adults and children. Further information on the policy is available at the following link:
Sub Regional Immunoglobulin Assessment Panels (SRIAPs) are in place to provide immunoglobulin stewardship and oversight in line with this policy. In April 2025, a new framework for the supply of immunoglobulin will begin. In March 2025, NHS England Specialised Commissioning provided advice to the SRIAPs regarding patient access to immunoglobulin products, with the introduction of the new framework.
Neither the Department nor NHS England hold data centrally on the exact numbers of those who are clinically defined as immunocompromised. However, a recently published paper in the Journal of Infection identified 477,335 immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years old and over in England. This research paper is available at the following link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016344532500026X
NHS England Specialised Commissioning is developing a patient information sheet to outline the changes to the range of immunoglobulin products available on the National Health Service. It is intended to support patients who rely on immunoglobulin treatment and may be required to switch to a different immunoglobulin product. This will be shared with patient organisations and clinical teams in April 2025.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is committed to working with partners, including NHS England and the Department, to protect the health of immunocompromised patients in the context of infectious disease hazards. Engaging with the Immunocompromised Coalition and other charities supporting vulnerable individuals, in partnership with the Department and the NHS as part of pandemic preparedness, is an important activity for the UKHSA. It enables the prompt implementation of appropriate protective measures with relevant, scalable additional support in the event of a pandemic or another emergency.
The UKHSA has also published COVID-19 guidance, last updated in May 2024, for those individuals whose immune system means they are at higher risk. The guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk
No assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce for immunocompromised patients.
NHS England Specialised Commissioning has recently updated the specialist immunology service specification for adults with deficient immune systems, named the Specialist immunology services for adults with deficient immune systems. This sets out the standards of care that providers of specialist immunology services are expected to meet, including with regards to treatment and monitoring. Further information on the service specification is available at the following link:
The clinical commissioning policy for the use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in England has also recently been updated. The updated document describes all conditions for which therapeutic immunoglobulin is commissioned, including autoimmune conditions, and provides details on the role, dose, and place of therapeutic immunoglobulin in the treatment pathway for individual indications, alongside possible alternative treatment options for use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in both adults and children. Further information on the policy is available at the following link:
Sub Regional Immunoglobulin Assessment Panels (SRIAPs) are in place to provide immunoglobulin stewardship and oversight in line with this policy. In April 2025, a new framework for the supply of immunoglobulin will begin. In March 2025, NHS England Specialised Commissioning provided advice to the SRIAPs regarding patient access to immunoglobulin products, with the introduction of the new framework.
Neither the Department nor NHS England hold data centrally on the exact numbers of those who are clinically defined as immunocompromised. However, a recently published paper in the Journal of Infection identified 477,335 immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years old and over in England. This research paper is available at the following link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016344532500026X
NHS England Specialised Commissioning is developing a patient information sheet to outline the changes to the range of immunoglobulin products available on the National Health Service. It is intended to support patients who rely on immunoglobulin treatment and may be required to switch to a different immunoglobulin product. This will be shared with patient organisations and clinical teams in April 2025.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is committed to working with partners, including NHS England and the Department, to protect the health of immunocompromised patients in the context of infectious disease hazards. Engaging with the Immunocompromised Coalition and other charities supporting vulnerable individuals, in partnership with the Department and the NHS as part of pandemic preparedness, is an important activity for the UKHSA. It enables the prompt implementation of appropriate protective measures with relevant, scalable additional support in the event of a pandemic or another emergency.
The UKHSA has also published COVID-19 guidance, last updated in May 2024, for those individuals whose immune system means they are at higher risk. The guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk
No assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce for immunocompromised patients.
NHS England Specialised Commissioning has recently updated the specialist immunology service specification for adults with deficient immune systems, named the Specialist immunology services for adults with deficient immune systems. This sets out the standards of care that providers of specialist immunology services are expected to meet, including with regards to treatment and monitoring. Further information on the service specification is available at the following link:
The clinical commissioning policy for the use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in England has also recently been updated. The updated document describes all conditions for which therapeutic immunoglobulin is commissioned, including autoimmune conditions, and provides details on the role, dose, and place of therapeutic immunoglobulin in the treatment pathway for individual indications, alongside possible alternative treatment options for use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in both adults and children. Further information on the policy is available at the following link:
Sub Regional Immunoglobulin Assessment Panels (SRIAPs) are in place to provide immunoglobulin stewardship and oversight in line with this policy. In April 2025, a new framework for the supply of immunoglobulin will begin. In March 2025, NHS England Specialised Commissioning provided advice to the SRIAPs regarding patient access to immunoglobulin products, with the introduction of the new framework.
Neither the Department nor NHS England hold data centrally on the exact numbers of those who are clinically defined as immunocompromised. However, a recently published paper in the Journal of Infection identified 477,335 immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years old and over in England. This research paper is available at the following link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016344532500026X
NHS England Specialised Commissioning is developing a patient information sheet to outline the changes to the range of immunoglobulin products available on the National Health Service. It is intended to support patients who rely on immunoglobulin treatment and may be required to switch to a different immunoglobulin product. This will be shared with patient organisations and clinical teams in April 2025.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is committed to working with partners, including NHS England and the Department, to protect the health of immunocompromised patients in the context of infectious disease hazards. Engaging with the Immunocompromised Coalition and other charities supporting vulnerable individuals, in partnership with the Department and the NHS as part of pandemic preparedness, is an important activity for the UKHSA. It enables the prompt implementation of appropriate protective measures with relevant, scalable additional support in the event of a pandemic or another emergency.
The UKHSA has also published COVID-19 guidance, last updated in May 2024, for those individuals whose immune system means they are at higher risk. The guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk
No assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce for immunocompromised patients.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) continues to optimise its performance in delivering efficient and predictable services which meet stakeholders’ expectations, for the benefit of patients and public health and the Life Sciences. The Agency has been working in close collaboration with health system partners and industry to ensure that robust, appropriate and prompt decisions are made. In March 2024, the MHRA published new guidance in how medicines will be assessed to improve the robustness and rapid decisions, which it can be seen, has a significantly positive effect.
The Agency has an ongoing system for review of licencing pathways and has recently launch the consultation for Personalised Immunotherapies for Cancer which can be used to drive discussion forward as to how to enable fast patient benefit of new and novel technologies.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) continues to work collaboratively across Government and with key stakeholders to ensure it has optimal systems and processes to support the delivery of impactful and timely research for patient and public benefit. For example, the NIHR has recently launched a new single awards management system for the NIHR underpinned by optimised processes which will streamline operations, enable data sharing and reduce duplicate information requests.
We are deeply concerned by this report by the UN Commission for Human Rights. The Commission concludes that Russian armed forces have committed the crime against humanity of murder and the war crime of attacking civilians, through a pattern of drone attacks on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson province. The UK is focused on Ukraine's immediate defence in the face of relentless Russian attacks on civilians. We have been at the forefront of international efforts to develop Ukraine's capacity to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes and to support survivors, including through the establishment of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group with US and EU partners.
In Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russian authorities have introduced "military-patriotic" training in schools and in youth groups and expose Ukrainian children to military propaganda, urging enlistment in the Russian armed forces. This is a despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. We are also aware of reports that Russia is recruiting Ukrainian teenagers and young adults to carry out espionage and sabotage in Ukraine. We are determined to hold those responsible for the militarisation of Ukrainian children to account. In November 2024, we announced a third round of sanctions targeting those attempting to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children, including through the use of "military-patriotic" education.
The UK works closely with our allies, including the US, on this issue. The UK has funded 'Save Ukraine', a non-governmental organisation which helps to return Ukrainian children, and 'Bring Kids Back UA' through The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine. In March, I met representatives from both organisations, alongside Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa and senior officials from the Ministry of Justice, to discuss child deportation. The UK has issued three sanctions packages targeting those attempting to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children. We are also a member of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.
The Home Office works across Government to tackle the Serious Organised Crime threat linked to Russia including Russia-linked illicit finance in the UK.
This was recently demonstrated through the NCA’s Operation DESTABILISE which exposed and disrupted Russian money laundering networks supporting serious and organised crime.
In addition to our domestic efforts, we work with like-minded international partners to build capacity in key law enforcement institutions and the judiciary to help tackle, and enhance resilience against, Russia-linked organised crime groups.
The Taskforce has reflected on last year’s elections and is now taking forward a programme of work to ensure lessons are learned.
This includes work to tackle the unacceptable instances of harassment and intimidation of our elected representatives that we saw during the General Election.
This vital work is ongoing, and I will update the House in due course.
Supporting Ukraine to counter air attacks, including with drones, by Russian armed forces is a top priority for the UK. Working in partnership with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence the UK has provided a range of air defence/counter drone capabilities to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to help defend their frontline and civilians from Russian attacks in the air.
This includes over 5,000 Lightweight Multi-Role Missiles, 350 ASRAAM air defence missiles, 15 GRAVEHAWK air defence systems, as well as drone interceptors.
In addition, the UK and Germany have partnered to invest more than 170 million Euros worth of funding to provide critical air defence ammunition to Ukraine over the coming months.
We are working with Ukraine and international partners to secure commercial shipping and shipping routes in the Black Sea, including Ukraine's maritime corridor. The 100 Year Partnership will help with this endeavour through the provision of training and equipment to Ukraine, to prevent and deter Russian attacks.
The 100 Partnership Declaration has made clear that freedom of navigation for commercial shipping in the Black Sea and beyond must be upheld and the UK will continue to do all it can to help Ukraine through the strengthening of its maritime forces.
The UK co-leads the maritime capability coalition with Norway and this work supports Ukraine’s maritime capabilities now and in the future.
NATO made a long-term commitment to Ukraine and has been clear that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO. The Prime Minister has reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to Ukraine’s irreversible path to NATO membership, as agreed by all Allies at the Washington Summit.
That is a process that will take time, and for now our priority is to make sure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position on the battlefield and in any potential negotiations to come.
Integrating uncrewed systems with our crewed platforms is a critical part of ensuring the Royal Navy can effectively respond to competition, crisis and conflict in the future. Delivering uncrewed systems will feature heavily in the design specifications of the Multi-Role Support Ships – the next generation of amphibious ships to support the Commando forces. The Ministry of Defence is collaborating with industry to assess the merits of uncrewed systems with trials and spiral development, while learning operational lessons from Ukraine.
The programme achieved a significant milestone with the successful first SPEAR guided firing conducted at the end of 2024, demonstrating progress despite the challenges outlined in the Infrastructure and Project Authority's Annual Report 2023-24, which remain ongoing. Since the report, the programme has faced additional challenges stemming from interdependencies with international partners, requiring significant adjustments to maintain progress. The SRO, in collaboration with Defence Equipment and Support and Industry, is prioritising the development of a revised and viable baseline, which is planned to be finalised in Quarter two of financial year 2025-26.
As part of the Government's Major Project Portfolio, details on the Clyde Infrastructure programme are routinely released as part of this Government's annual transparency return to Parliament.
Protector training has now transferred to the UK having completed four aircrew basic qualification courses in the United States. Further, four Protector Air Vehicles have now been delivered to RAF Waddington, where they are being maintained by 31 Squadron engineers. The required Test and Evaluation activity and UK training is underway, ahead of the planned platform in-service declaration later in 2025.
From a broader perspective, the UK is leading the MQ-9 International Cooperation Support Partnership which now has seven participant members (UK, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain) and five observer nations (Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Qatar, Sweden), with an expectation of further growth. The UK is working closely with the NATO Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force to scope options to provide Protector in support of operations in the Northern Atlantic and Arctic regions. Opportunities for NATO investment in RAF Waddington to support growth are also progressing.
The consultation to introduce Employment Tribunal fees was published under the last Government and no decisions have yet been made on the proposal.
Up to 160,000 workers in Wales have just received a pay rise as the increases in the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage take effect.
Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will see a real-terms pay increase of £1,400 per year, whilst 18-to-20 year olds will get a record boost of £2,500 each year, helping to provide families with better financial stability, improved living standards and kickstarting growth.