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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on whether the Circular Economy Taskforce plans to examine (a) excessive consumption and (b) high carbon advertising.

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

This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. This Government is currently considering the actions that can be taken to promote repair and reuse and address the challenges associated with excessive consumption and waste reduction.

Defra recognises the importance of assessing the impacts of high carbon advertising and the work of AdGreen in this space. As we develop our Circular Economy Strategy for England, we will consider the evidence for action from right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed. Sheffield Council has already introduced policy on this issue.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to direct the Circular Economy Taskforce to promote (a) repair and reuse and (b) other waste reduction measures.

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

This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. This Government is currently considering the actions that can be taken to promote repair and reuse and address the challenges associated with excessive consumption and waste reduction.

Defra recognises the importance of assessing the impacts of high carbon advertising and the work of AdGreen in this space. As we develop our Circular Economy Strategy for England, we will consider the evidence for action from right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed. Sheffield Council has already introduced policy on this issue.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of banning the advertising of (a) sports utility vehicles, (b) flights and (c) other high carbon products on levels of carbon emissions.

Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to reducing emissions from road transport, aviation and high carbon products in support of our national missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower. This includes overhauling public transport services to make sustainable choices more convenient for more transport users, turbocharging the rollout of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and making the UK a world-leader in the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels. The government will set out further detail on its plans for reducing emissions from all sectors later this year.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK across traditional forms of media (print, radio, TV) and online. The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sister organisations to the ASA, are responsible for codifying the standards for advertising to the marketing industry as part of their UK Broadcast Advertising Code (‘BCAP Code’) and UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (‘CAP Code’), which include standards regarding environmental claims. The government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting migrants from the Immigration Health Surcharge after their second Leave to Remain application.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders, and we will set out our overall approach to reforming the immigration system in our upcoming white paper.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting migrants in employment from the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders, and we will set out our overall approach to reforming the immigration system in our upcoming white paper.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the ten year route to settlement to five years.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders, and we will set out our overall approach to reforming the immigration system in our upcoming white paper.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help protect the safety of home delivery drivers.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is committed to tackling retail crime. Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

Our definition of a ‘retail worker’ is intentionally narrow given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job.

Assaults against delivery drivers are already an offence (common assault) under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and are covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This includes those working in retail and other public-facing roles.

We will use the parliamentary process to scrutinise the provisions in the Bill and will consider carefully amendments tabled as well as evidence put forward in support of such amendments.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that buy now pay later schemes protect consumers from fraud.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is continuing to work closely with industry, including payment service providers, to prevent fraud and we welcome the actions of the financial services industry to date.

We committed in our manifesto to introduce an expanded Fraud Strategy. The new strategy will cover a range of harms including those committed through payment services. Development of this Strategy has begun, and we are engaging with stakeholders across law enforcement, industry, and civil society to identify new measures to better protect the public and businesses.

However, work continues to ensure that the public are better equipped to spot and avoid frauds, through our Stop! Think Fraud campaign. Similarly, as of March 2025, the Online Safety Act’s illegal content duties are now enforceable by Ofcom. This has the potential to cut off key online channels by which criminals are able to identify and communicate with potential victims.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle fraud through buy now, pay later schemes.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is continuing to work closely with industry, including payment service providers, to prevent fraud and we welcome the actions of the financial services industry to date.

We committed in our manifesto to introduce an expanded Fraud Strategy. The new strategy will cover a range of harms including those committed through payment services. Development of this Strategy has begun, and we are engaging with stakeholders across law enforcement, industry, and civil society to identify new measures to better protect the public and businesses.

However, work continues to ensure that the public are better equipped to spot and avoid frauds, through our Stop! Think Fraud campaign. Similarly, as of March 2025, the Online Safety Act’s illegal content duties are now enforceable by Ofcom. This has the potential to cut off key online channels by which criminals are able to identify and communicate with potential victims.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on the detention of Mahrang Baloch.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is clear that the freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. We remain deeply concerned over reports of human rights violations and abuses against human rights defenders in Balochistan. The British High Commission in Islamabad continues to raise the human rights situation in Balochistan with the Pakistani authorities at the highest levels and has raised the detention of Dr. Mahrang Baloch with Pakistan's Minister for Law and Justice.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the role of the Israeli Defence Force in the killing of Palestinian (a) medics and (b) emergency workers near Rafah on 23 March 2025.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The killing of 15 rescue workers and paramedics, including at least eight Palestinian Red Crescent medics, on 23 March was horrific. We have made clear to the Government of Israel that we expect those responsible to be held to account and for this to be done transparently, and for lessons to be learned that prevent such tragedies occurring in future.

The Foreign Secretary raised attacks on aid workers when he met Israel's Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 15 April. With our French and German counterparts on 23 April, we publicly expressed our outrage at Israel's strikes on humanitarian personnel. At a UN Security Council meeting on 3 April, we called for this incident to be investigated fully, transparently and for those responsible to be held to account.

It is appalling that at least 418 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of this conflict. We will continue to make both public and private representations to the Government of Israel to ensure that humanitarian workers and medics are protected, and able to carry out their vital work safely.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the matters raised in the Breaking the Silence report entitled The Perimeter Soldier's Testimonies from the Gaza Buffer Zone 2023-24, published on 7 April 2025.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We have regularly made clear that the Government of Israel must ensure protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, most recently during a joint statement that the Foreign Secretary issued with his French and German counterparts on 23 April. We have also been clear that Israel must not reduce Palestinian territory in the course of its operations, and that permanent Israeli control of buffer or security zones is unacceptable.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to support victims of AI-generated intimate images.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade.

Our VAWG strategy will be published this year and will include joint steps to tackle image-based abuse across England and Wales and protect victims. We are delivering on our manifesto commitment to ensure that perpetrators who create a deepfake intimate image of someone without their consent face prosecution, and criminalising asking someone to create an intimate image deepfake for you, regardless of where that person is based or whether the image is created. In addition, under our new offences in the Crime and Policing Bill, anyone who takes or records intimate images without consent or installs equipment with intent to do so will face up to two years’ custody.

In the year 2024/25, the Home Office increased the amount of funding provided to the Revenge Porn Helpline from £150,000 to £210,000, to provide free, high-quality support and advice to adult victims of intimate image abuse. This funding has been increased for the year 2025/26. The Ministry of Justice also provides funding for vital victim and witness support services that includes funding to Police and Crime Commissioners to commission local support services for victims of all crime, including victims of intimate image abuse, to cope and recover.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed reductions to Official Development Assistance on tuberculosis (a) screening, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments.

We plan to publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts this summer.

The UK has played a significant role with international counterparts to tackle tuberculosis (TB) in recent decades.

Since 2002, Tuberculosis deaths have been reduced by 36 per cent in countries where the Global Fund invests. The UK is a leading donor to the Global Fund and will this year co-host the 8th replenishment of the Global Fund together with South Africa.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with animal protection groups on phasing out animal experiments.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. The Government will also be hosting a roundtable shortly with representatives from animal welfare organisations to discuss the strategy.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what was discussed during his most recent meeting with his Israeli counterpart.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary met with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 15 April during his visit to London to discuss the need for an end to the aid blockade in Gaza and for all parties to push towards an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages who remain in Gaza. He also raised his concern for aid worker safety and pushed Foreign Minister Sa'ar for the Military Advocate General to provide a response on the World Central Kitchen strike in April 2024. The UK Government continues to engage with Israeli counterparts on a variety of issues, including the conflict in Gaza. This engagement is vital for the UK as we continue to press towards a long-lasting ceasefire which is the only credible pathway towards a sustainable peace, a two-state solution and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support UK citizens with relatives impacted by the human rights situation in Balochistan.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. We advise people to consider the most appropriate visa route for their own circumstances.

Found: Martin Wrigley Kim Johnson Naz Shah Andrew Cooper Ruth Cadbury Adrian Ramsay Jodie Gosling Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: Martin Wrigley Kim Johnson Naz Shah Andrew Cooper Ruth Cadbury Adrian Ramsay Jodie Gosling Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: John Glen Dame Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Rosie Duffield Sir Julian Smith Kate Osamor

Found: 48 _8 Paula Barker Siân Berry Neil Duncan-Jordan Alex Sobel Marsha De Cordova David Davis Kate Osamor