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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on the production of lead ammunition on the supply of ammunition for a) UK defence, b) law enforcement agencies and c) land management bodies.

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

The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not cover the use, including storage, of lead ammunition by the military, police, Government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of excluding bullets from restrictions on the production of lead ammunition.

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

The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition is based on extensive scientific evidence and analysis by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency. In developing their proposal, the HSE assessed the risks posed by lead ammunition – including bullets – to the environment and human health, as well as the socio-economic impacts of their proposal and the availability of alternatives. Minister Hardy’s Decision Report, published on 10 July 2025, sets out the rationale for the final UK REACH Restriction, including in relation to lead bullets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to include palliative and end of life care as part of compulsory training for health and care professionals.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it, including at the end of life.

The training of health and care professionals is the statutory responsibility of the United Kingdom’s independent regulatory bodies, including the General Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and the Health and Care Professions Council, which set the standards of proficiency, conduct, and performance required for registration. Approved education institutions and practice partners are responsible for designing, delivering, and assessing education programmes that meet these regulatory standards. Programmes are then approved and monitored by the relevant regulator.

To ensure the health and social care workforce, including volunteers, are equipped and well supported to deliver personalised care to people at the end of life, Health Education England, now part of NHS England, hosts the End of Life Care for All e-learning training programme, which includes nine modules on improving care for people at the end of life.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing a 24/7 end of life care advice line on the number of hospital admissions for those with a palliative care need.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that 24/7 advice lines can support people nearing the end of life to remain at home where appropriate and to reduce avoidable hospital admissions.

NHS England has published statutory guidance on palliative care and end of life care to support commissioners. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever the time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines also recommend that adults approaching the end of life, and their carers, have access to an out of hours end of life care advice line. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

We are developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework, which will set out evidence-based interventions to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of care. Availability of 24/7 advice will be considered as part of the interventions that can potentially achieve our goal of improving palliative care and end of life care for all.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a 24/7 end of life care advice line.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that 24/7 advice lines can support people nearing the end of life to remain at home where appropriate and to reduce avoidable hospital admissions.

NHS England has published statutory guidance on palliative care and end of life care to support commissioners. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever the time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines also recommend that adults approaching the end of life, and their carers, have access to an out of hours end of life care advice line. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

We are developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework, which will set out evidence-based interventions to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of care. Availability of 24/7 advice will be considered as part of the interventions that can potentially achieve our goal of improving palliative care and end of life care for all.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will have discussions with the Metropolitan Police, Essex Police, and the British Transport Police on the use of Stansted Airport by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, and flights commissioned by Jeffrey Epstein.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Border Force conducts robust security checks on those arriving into the UK, including 100% checks on all notified general aviation flights to reinforce security. Border Force allocates resources based on assessed risk, applying intelligence and targeting techniques. Border Force has implemented a range of initiatives to address vulnerabilities. : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/general-aviation-operators-and-pilots-notification-of-flights

These include: • Substantially reducing the number of aerodromes permitted to handle flights to and from the UK.

• Introducing a civil penalties regime for non-compliance with airfield designation requirements.

• Person details checked on all notified GA flights.

The police is operationally independent of government and these are matters for the police. The Government will provide to the police any assistance they require.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to embed palliative care in neighbourhood health services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end-of-life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

Those at the end of life are highlighted in the recently published Neighbourhood Health Framework as a high-priority cohort, making services more convenient, joined-up, personalised, and based around the person. The framework is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neighbourhood-health-framework/neighbourhood-health-framework

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK visas were granted to Jeffrey Epstein following his conviction on 30 June 2008.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We do not routinely comment on individual cases. The Government stands ready to support the police in whatever way it can.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory mediation in the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

It is to the benefit of all parties involved in litigation that disputes are managed efficiently. The government, therefore, supports the use, where appropriate, of mediation as a means to resolve disputes without the expense of litigation.

The government is conducting a review of the opt-out collective actions regime for competitive claims before the Competition Appeal Tribunal. The review considers all aspects of the regime, including the role of alternative dispute resolution, and a consultation on proposals for change will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory mediation in employment disputes.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We continue to work across government to make the dispute resolution system more resilient, so that that the measures in the Employment Rights Act can be effectively enforced. We recognise the benefits of mediation in resolving disputes swiftly.

A joint DBT/MoJ Taskforce—working with Acas and representatives from business, unions, and other experts —is considering reforms to strengthen dispute resolution.

This includes considering how to maximise use of informal options including meditation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending existing rules on mediation in the civil courts to the tribunals system, in the context of proposed changes to the Office of the Senior President of Tribunals in the Courts and Tribunals Bill.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the value of mediation and other forms of dispute resolution in helping parties resolve disputes more swiftly and consensually. We continue to explore and assess the potential merits of dispute resolution across different jurisdictions, including tribunals.

However, any changes to the Tribunal Procedure Rules will be made by the Tribunal Procedure Committee, an independent statutory body, who are responsible for the making of rules that govern tribunal practice and procedure. The provisions in the Courts and Tribunals Bill relating to the office of the Senior President of Tribunals concern judicial leadership and do not alter day-to-day decision-making in tribunals cases.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Act on the number of employment disputes before the employment tribunal; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory mediation.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Employment Rights Act (ERA) is part of the Government’s commitment to Make Work Pay. The Act includes measures that strengthens worker’s rights, which we expect will increase demand in the Employment Tribunal. The impact on the Employment Tribunal has been considered in the published impact assessments and economic analysis. A summary of the impact of the number of employment disputes before the Employment Tribunal is available in Table A11 here: Employment Rights Act 2025: economic analysis.

It is a question for the judiciary on whether they would like to expand judicial mediation. Judges can choose to mediate, depending on whether they think the case is appropriate, which is typically claims of discrimination or complex unfair dismissals.

We do recognise that there are significant demand pressures on the Employment Tribunals and are therefore working with the judiciary, HMCTS and the Department for Business and Trade on any further actions needed to alleviate pressures on the Employment Tribunals, improve efficiency and reduce waiting times to ensure the Employment Tribunal is able to absorb the impact of the Employment Rights Act whilst ensuring timely access to justice for claimants and respondents.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to ensure that parties who are referred to the Small Claims Automatic Referral to Mediation pilot actively engage in the process.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the value of mediation in helping parties to resolve disputes more swiftly and consensually. Since integrated mediation was introduced for county court small claims under £10,000 in 2024, parties have been required, as part of the litigation process, to attend a free, one-hour appointment with HMCTS’ Small Claims Mediation Service.

HMCTS supports this by issuing guidance to parties and writing to them in advance of their appointment with practical information about the mediation process, including relevant contact details. Judges also retain discretion to apply sanctions where a party fails to engage appropriately.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing mandatory mediation for tribunals on the tribunals system backlog.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the value of mediation in helping parties to resolve disputes more swiftly and consensually. Since integrated mediation was introduced for county court small claims under £10,000 in 2024, parties have been required, as part of the litigation process, to attend a free, one-hour appointment with HMCTS’ Small Claims Mediation Service. A formal evaluation of integrated mediation will be published this summer and will inform decisions on any future expansion.

In the tribunals, where disputes are resolved without the need for a full hearing, this can reduce demand and capacity pressures. The Department recognises the potential benefits of mediation and will consider carefully the merits and potential impact of any further reform in tribunals to encourage this, while respecting judicial independence.

Further expansion of the use of mediation, would need to take into account the differing characteristics of individual tribunal jurisdictions and the interests of tribunal users. There are currently no further plans by the Government to assess the merits of making mediation mandatory or extending judicial powers to order mediation in the tribunals or to assess the impact of such measures on tribunal backlogs.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of giving judges in tribunals the power to order mandatory mediation.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the value of mediation in helping parties to resolve disputes more swiftly and consensually. Since integrated mediation was introduced for county court small claims under £10,000 in 2024, parties have been required, as part of the litigation process, to attend a free, one-hour appointment with HMCTS’ Small Claims Mediation Service. A formal evaluation of integrated mediation will be published this summer and will inform decisions on any future expansion.

In the tribunals, where disputes are resolved without the need for a full hearing, this can reduce demand and capacity pressures. The Department recognises the potential benefits of mediation and will consider carefully the merits and potential impact of any further reform in tribunals to encourage this, while respecting judicial independence.

Further expansion of the use of mediation, would need to take into account the differing characteristics of individual tribunal jurisdictions and the interests of tribunal users. There are currently no further plans by the Government to assess the merits of making mediation mandatory or extending judicial powers to order mediation in the tribunals or to assess the impact of such measures on tribunal backlogs.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory mediation within the tribunals system.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the value of mediation in helping parties to resolve disputes more swiftly and consensually. Since integrated mediation was introduced for county court small claims under £10,000 in 2024, parties have been required, as part of the litigation process, to attend a free, one-hour appointment with HMCTS’ Small Claims Mediation Service. A formal evaluation of integrated mediation will be published this summer and will inform decisions on any future expansion.

In the tribunals, where disputes are resolved without the need for a full hearing, this can reduce demand and capacity pressures. The Department recognises the potential benefits of mediation and will consider carefully the merits and potential impact of any further reform in tribunals to encourage this, while respecting judicial independence.

Further expansion of the use of mediation, would need to take into account the differing characteristics of individual tribunal jurisdictions and the interests of tribunal users. There are currently no further plans by the Government to assess the merits of making mediation mandatory or extending judicial powers to order mediation in the tribunals or to assess the impact of such measures on tribunal backlogs.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to encourage greater use of mediation in the tribunals system.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the value of mediation in helping parties to resolve disputes more swiftly and consensually. Since integrated mediation was introduced for county court small claims under £10,000 in 2024, parties have been required, as part of the litigation process, to attend a free, one-hour appointment with HMCTS’ Small Claims Mediation Service. A formal evaluation of integrated mediation will be published this summer and will inform decisions on any future expansion.

In the tribunals, where disputes are resolved without the need for a full hearing, this can reduce demand and capacity pressures. The Department recognises the potential benefits of mediation and will consider carefully the merits and potential impact of any further reform in tribunals to encourage this, while respecting judicial independence.

Further expansion of the use of mediation, would need to take into account the differing characteristics of individual tribunal jurisdictions and the interests of tribunal users. There are currently no further plans by the Government to assess the merits of making mediation mandatory or extending judicial powers to order mediation in the tribunals or to assess the impact of such measures on tribunal backlogs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of a decrease in demand for ammunition containing lead following the introduction of proposed restrictions on commercial ammunition on a) the availability, b) the price, and c) the reliability of ammunition containing lead intended to be used for law enforcement purposes.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of a decrease in the size of UK orders for ammunition containing lead following the introduction of proposed restrictions on commercial ammunition on a) the ability for the UK to attract overseas orders of ammunition containing lead used for law enforcement purposes, and b) the price of such orders.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure, following the introduction of restrictions on the production of ammunition containing lead for commercial purposes, that ammunition containing lead intended to be used for law enforcement purposes is a) available, b) affordable, and c) timely.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the proposed restrictions on commercial ammunition containing lead on UK sovereign capability to supply ammunition for law enforcement purposes.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on the production of ammunition containing lead for commercial purposes on the number of ammunition manufacturers who continue to produce bullets containing lead.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on the production of ammunition containing lead for commercial purposes on a) the availability, b) the price, and c) the reliability of ammunition containing lead intended to be used for law enforcement purposes.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the introduction of an overnight visitor levy on a) the hospitality sector and b) levels of employment.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The impacts of introducing a visitor levy will depend on decisions made at the local level. Mayors and local leaders will have to decide whether a levy should be implemented, following a period of local consultation on specific proposals.

The precise design and scope of the visitor levy power is still under development. The government's response to the consultation, which closed on 18 February, will be published in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing relief on employer's National Insurance Contributions for a) those not in education, employment or training, b) the long-term sick and c) those under the age of 24.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Businesses are able to claim employer National Insurance Contribution reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices on earnings up to £50,270. These reliefs are forecast to be worth around £2.5 billion in 2025/26.

The government is committed to providing young people with the support they need to earn or learn. At the last Budget, we committed more than £1.5 billion to back young people through the Youth Guarantee and invest additional funding in the Growth and Skills Levy. We recently went further, announcing around £1 billion more to help unlock up to 200,000 job and apprenticeship opportunities for young people.

The government will also provide personalised employment and health support for anyone on out of work benefits with a work-limiting health condition or disability, as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of providing relief on employer's National Insurance Contributions for those a) not in education, employment or training and b) under the age of 24 on youth unemployment.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Businesses are able to claim employer National Insurance Contribution reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices on earnings up to £50,270. These reliefs are forecast to be worth around £2.5 billion in 2025/26.

The government is committed to providing young people with the support they need to earn or learn. At the last Budget, we committed more than £1.5 billion to back young people through the Youth Guarantee and invest additional funding in the Growth and Skills Levy. We recently went further, announcing around £1 billion more to help unlock up to 200,000 job and apprenticeship opportunities for young people.

The government will also provide personalised employment and health support for anyone on out of work benefits with a work-limiting health condition or disability, as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper.