Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the (a) National Cyber Security Centre and (b) National Security Unit for Procurement have provided advice to (i) Ministers and (ii) officials on risks associated with the use of Chinese-manufactured Cellular Internet of Things modules in consumer products, including internet-connected vaping devices.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The UK Government takes an actor-agnostic approach to supply chain resilience, focusing on the characteristics and behaviours of technologies and suppliers rather than their country of origin. This ensures that our regulatory frameworks remain objective, proportionate, and resilient to evolving threats.
Ministers receive technical advice from National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on a wide range of cyber threats, including on IoT products. Their assessment is that a compromised cellular internet of things module would not, by itself, enable an end-to-end attack. From a cyber security perspective, risk is managed through the broader set of controls supporting monitoring, resilience and recovery across the system. Advice on managing the security of cellular internet of things modules technology is provided to industry and government by the NCSC.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) potential impact of the use of Cellular Internet of Things modules in consumer products, including internet-connected vaping devices, on national security and (b) risk of interception, unauthorised access and transfer of data transmitted by such devices.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Consumer connected devices fall within scope of the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 and must comply with the requirements of that Act and its underlying Regulations. This includes consumer devices that use cellular internet of things modules and the use of internet-connected vaping devices.
Consumer connected devices, by their nature as consumer goods, would not typically pose a national security threat. Our assessment is that a compromised cellular internet of things module would not, by itself, enable an end-to-end attack. From a cyber security perspective, risk is managed through the broader set of controls supporting monitoring, resilience and recovery across the system. Advice on managing the security of cellular internet of things modules technology is provided to industry and government by the National Cyber Security Centre.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a trader licensing scheme on rogue and fraudulent traders.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government recognises the harm caused by rogue and fraudulent traders to consumers and legitimate businesses.
The Department has not made a formal assessment of the impact that a trader licensing scheme would have on rogue and fraudulent traders. This government is committed to protecting consumers from rogue traders. Consumer legislation already sets out standards consumers should expect when a trader supplies goods and services, as well as remedies if these rights are breached.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 further strengthens consumer law enforcement. For example, enforcers such as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can apply to the courts to impose penalties when dealing with consumer law breaches.
Furthermore, the Act allows the CMA to impose monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover for substantive breaches of consumer law without having to go through the courts.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a trader licensing scheme similar to the schemes in the Australian states and territories.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government recognises the harm caused by rogue and fraudulent traders to consumers and legitimate businesses.
The Department has not made a formal assessment of the impact that a trader licensing scheme would have on rogue and fraudulent traders. This government is committed to protecting consumers from rogue traders. Consumer legislation already sets out standards consumers should expect when a trader supplies goods and services, as well as remedies if these rights are breached.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 further strengthens consumer law enforcement. For example, enforcers such as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can apply to the courts to impose penalties when dealing with consumer law breaches.
Furthermore, the Act allows the CMA to impose monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover for substantive breaches of consumer law without having to go through the courts.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce avoidable emergency admissions for people with neurological conditions; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including a target to reduce avoidable emergency admissions for such people in the Modern Service Framework.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government is committed to reducing avoidable emergency admissions for people with neurological conditions by improving earlier diagnosis, strengthening community-based care, and ensuring better coordination between services.
NHS England is encouraging systems to adopt personalised care and support planning, including anticipatory care approaches for people at higher risk of admission. This can involve the use of care plans, rapid access to community teams, and closer monitoring to ensure issues such as infections are identified and treated promptly, reducing the need for hospital admission. National programmes such as Getting It Right First Time and NHS RightCare support systems to identify unwarranted variation and adopt best practice in managing long-term conditions, including for neurological conditions.
NHS England’s service specification for specialised adult neurology services sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications. It emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services. By promoting regular monitoring, effective management of common complications like swallowing, mobility, and bladder function, and close coordination between primary, community, and specialist care, the specification supports early intervention and continuity of care. This approach helps to minimise preventable deterioration, reduce unplanned hospital admissions, and improve outcomes and quality of life for people.
Proposals for new modern service frameworks (MSFs) will be assessed by the National Quality Board against a clear set of criteria, including: the strength of the case for change; the presence of relative consensus around a genuinely ambitious, long term outcome goal; the existence of a strong cross system partnership coalition; and the potential for digital by default models of care and service transformation. This is essential in ensuring that MSFs have a high impact and remain credible, and that development capacity is focused where the approach can add the greatest value. The process for assessing applications for future MSFs is currently being developed.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to establish a targeted, ambitious and measurable Modern Service Framework for neurological conditions.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government is committed to reducing avoidable emergency admissions for people with neurological conditions by improving earlier diagnosis, strengthening community-based care, and ensuring better coordination between services.
NHS England is encouraging systems to adopt personalised care and support planning, including anticipatory care approaches for people at higher risk of admission. This can involve the use of care plans, rapid access to community teams, and closer monitoring to ensure issues such as infections are identified and treated promptly, reducing the need for hospital admission. National programmes such as Getting It Right First Time and NHS RightCare support systems to identify unwarranted variation and adopt best practice in managing long-term conditions, including for neurological conditions.
NHS England’s service specification for specialised adult neurology services sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications. It emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services. By promoting regular monitoring, effective management of common complications like swallowing, mobility, and bladder function, and close coordination between primary, community, and specialist care, the specification supports early intervention and continuity of care. This approach helps to minimise preventable deterioration, reduce unplanned hospital admissions, and improve outcomes and quality of life for people.
Proposals for new modern service frameworks (MSFs) will be assessed by the National Quality Board against a clear set of criteria, including: the strength of the case for change; the presence of relative consensus around a genuinely ambitious, long term outcome goal; the existence of a strong cross system partnership coalition; and the potential for digital by default models of care and service transformation. This is essential in ensuring that MSFs have a high impact and remain credible, and that development capacity is focused where the approach can add the greatest value. The process for assessing applications for future MSFs is currently being developed.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential security and data privacy impact of so-called smart vapes and other internet-connected vaping devices.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Department is aware of the increasing role of technology in vapes. That is why the Tobacco and Vapes Act includes broad powers to regulate the technological features of vapes and associated software. In October 2025, we launched a call for evidence to inform potential policy proposals for future vape regulations, including in relation to the role of technology in vapes.
The Government, working with the devolved administrations where appropriate, is committed to consulting on how we will make use of new powers. We have already consulted on measures relating to introducing vape-free places and are planning to consult on introducing restrictions on vaping and nicotine product packaging, vape appearance, and changing where and how vapes are displayed in shops soon. These measures will help to reduce the appeal of vapes to young people whilst still enabling them to be accessed and used by adult smokers seeking to quit.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the levels of claims to the The Motor Insurers’ Bureau from victims of accidents caused by e-bikes with an electric motor capable of a continuous rated power above 250 watts.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has not made a specific assessment of the levels of claims to The Motor Insurers’ Bureau from victims of collisions caused by e-bikes that do not comply with legal limits on power and speed.
The Department is working with the Motor Insurer’s Bureau to understand the impact of illegal e-bikes on car drivers’ insurance premiums.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of applications for Gigabit Broadband Vouchers in Cumbria on households in Carlisle constituency who do not have a fibre optic broadband connection.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Based on Ofcom’s Connected Nations reporting for gigabit coverage in the constituency of Carlisle, as of January 2026, 91% of premises had access to gigabit-capable broadband, which is a significant increase from 69% in January 2024 and is above the UK gigabit coverage average of 88%. This has been assisted by Project Gigabit. Across Carlisle, over 4,750 premises have already received a gigabit-capable connection, with an additional 1,770 still expected to be given coverage, via the Project Gigabit contract covering Cumbria which is being delivered by Fibrus.
Through a combination of commercial market and government subsidised delivery, government is ensuring 99% of UK premises will have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2032. In support of this, Building Digital UK (BDUK) is currently refreshing its delivery plans for the remaining premises not included in Project Gigabit or any commercial plans.
BDUK has asked all suppliers to confirm their interest in any further projects through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, though delivery through this route is likely to be limited and BDUK expects most remaining coverage will be provided through Project Gigabit contracts.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
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 deliver fibre-optic broadband to properties in Carlisle constituency that have not been included in the Project Gigabit roll-out to date.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Based on Ofcom’s Connected Nations reporting for gigabit coverage in the constituency of Carlisle, as of January 2026, 91% of premises had access to gigabit-capable broadband, which is a significant increase from 69% in January 2024 and is above the UK gigabit coverage average of 88%. This has been assisted by Project Gigabit. Across Carlisle, over 4,750 premises have already received a gigabit-capable connection, with an additional 1,770 still expected to be given coverage, via the Project Gigabit contract covering Cumbria which is being delivered by Fibrus.
Through a combination of commercial market and government subsidised delivery, government is ensuring 99% of UK premises will have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2032. In support of this, Building Digital UK (BDUK) is currently refreshing its delivery plans for the remaining premises not included in Project Gigabit or any commercial plans.
BDUK has asked all suppliers to confirm their interest in any further projects through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, though delivery through this route is likely to be limited and BDUK expects most remaining coverage will be provided through Project Gigabit contracts.