Johanna Baxter

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.

The Government recently announced its support for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by Dr Danny Chambers MP. The measures in the Bill will extend to cats and kittens, and close loopholes exploited by unscrupulous pet traders.

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.

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.

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.

The Wedgetail programme has seen the first aircraft complete three test flights, be painted in the markings of 8 Squadron and continues with the installation of mission equipment at STS Aviation at Birmingham Airport, before entering the test and evaluation phase later this year. Aircraft two and three are progressing with integrating their modifications as planned.

The infrastructure programme at RAF Lossiemouth has delivered the combined Poseidon and Wedgetail engineering line facility, as well as 8 Squadron headquarters office accommodation, with the final elements of the technical facility expected to be handed over in March 2025.

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.

The consultation to introduce Employment Tribunal fees was published under the last Government and no decisions have yet been made on the proposal.