Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when he expects the report of the Independent Pornography Review to be published.

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

The Independent Pornography Review assesses the effectiveness of current pornography legislation, regulation, and enforcement. It is an important area of interest for this government. The Review has now just concluded. The government is assessing its findings and the final report will be published in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to ensure Inheritance Tax is not charged on death in service payments paid to relatives of armed forces personnel.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Members of the armed forces deserve our gratitude for their service and a pension that ensures dignity in retirement.

The Government will bring most unused pension funds and death benefits payable from a pension into a person’s estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027. Inheritance tax is already applied to death in service benefits for some pension schemes.

Estates of service personnel will benefit from the normal nil-rate bands, reliefs, and exemptions available. For example, the nil-rate bands mean an estate can pass on up to £1 million with no inheritance tax liability and the general rules mean any transfers, including the payment of death benefits, to a spouse or civil partner are exempt fully from inheritance tax. There is also a full exemption from inheritance tax when a member of the armed forces dies from a wound inflicted, accident occurring, or disease contracted on active service.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will meet with the US Energy Secretary to discuss (a) importing US-produced (i) Liquefied Natural Gas and (ii) oil and (b) imports from volatile regions.

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

The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero looks forward to meeting the new US Energy Secretary to discuss our shared values and interests across a full range of energy issues.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will have discussions with his European Union counterpart on the potential merits of establishing a six months visa waiver scheme for citizens visiting EU Member States in the Schengen area to replace the 90 day rule.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Both the UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens short-term visa-free travel for up to six months. Meanwhile, the Schengen Borders Code allows for certain third country nationals to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; this is standard for third countries travelling to the EU. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the (a) Home Office and (b) Football Association on the potential merits of introducing lifetime club bans for people convicted of threats of violence against (i) referees, (ii) players and (iii) family members of referees and players.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Violence has no place in football. As private businesses, football clubs have a right to ban individual supporters from attending matches or accessing club facilities; a power rooted in their responsibility to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for all fans. These bans are a decision to be taken at club-level.

Convictions may also result in football banning orders (FBOs) which are a court decision to prevent violence or disorder at, or in connection with, regulated football matches. An individual with a banning order is prevented from attending all regulated matches in the UK and can be required to surrender their passport to police before overseas matches and tournaments.

FBOs can be imposed following a conviction for a football-related offence as set out in Schedule 1 of the Football Spectators Act 1989 (which includes offences involving the use or threat of violence), or on application from the police or CPS.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the Games Rating Authority on the classification of video games; and if she will take steps to reduce the sexualisation of children in video games.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The GRA’s decisions are made independently of the government, which is important to ensure impartiality. The GRA’s age ratings serve to protect the public and empower people to make informed gaming choices, whilst also recognising and respecting adult freedom of choice within the law. The GRA regularly conducts UK research on aspects of the international PEGI classification criteria for video games.

In most cases, the GRA is able to address issues of potential harm by awarding an appropriate age rating or suggesting changes to a developer’s content to make the game acceptable. However, where this is not possible, a classification may be refused.

Even if material is not in breach of a specific UK law, the GRA may also refuse to classify content,
on harm grounds, when content contains:
● Material that promotes criminal activity, including drugs;
● Material that is illegal or has been created by the commission of a criminal offence;
● Portrayals of children in a sexualised or abusive context;
● Material which makes rape, or other non-consensual sexually violent behaviour, or
sadistic violence look appealing.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support (a) peace and (b) stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to supporting peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The UK condemns M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) advances in Eastern DRC as an unacceptable breach of DRC's sovereignty and calls for the immediate withdrawal of all RDF from Congolese territory.

The UK has provided £62 million in humanitarian assistance this financial year, delivering vital services such as clean water, malnutrition treatment, and support for survivors of sexual violence. We will continue to engage with regional leaders to support African-led peace efforts by urging all sides to engage in good faith in finding a political solution.

The Foreign Secretary has spoken to Rwandan President Kagame, South African Foreign Minister Lamola and DRC President Tshisekedi. Lord Collins has spoken to the Rwandan, DRC and Angolan Foreign Ministers.

The UK calls on all parties to immediately cease hostilities, facilitate humanitarian access, and return to inclusive diplomatic talks, particularly through the Luanda process. Engagement in good faith in African-led processes will be key. There can be no military solution. We are actively considering next steps, alongside international partners, including the possibility of a review of all UK support to Rwanda.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase the funding available to local authorities to provide living services for people with learning disabilities.

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

High quality, safe, and suitable homes can help people stay independent and healthy for longer and reduce the need to draw on health and social care provision.

We are giving disabled people, including those with learning disabilities, more independence in their own homes through an immediate in-year uplift to the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) of £86 million in 2024/25. This increase will provide approximately 7,800 additional home adaptations. This is on top of the £625 million paid to local authorities in May 2024. The Government also announced an £86 million additional investment in the DFG for the 2025/26 financial year at the Budget, bringing total funding for 2025/26 to £711 million.

We also incentivise the supply of supported housing for older people and adults with a physical or learning disability, autistic people, or adults with mental ill-health.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase biosecurity against alien species located on imported (a) cut flowers and (b) ornamental plants.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) introduced a new risk-based approach to border controls. Goods have been categorised into the risk groups ‘High, medium and low’ and controls have been appropriately weighted against the risk.

Certain EU medium-risk cut flowers have been subject to pre-notification since 1st January 2022. EU medium-risk cut flowers have required a Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) since 31 January 2024, but there are now inspections for EU medium-risk goods at the border since 30 April 2024. EU plants for planting, including those used for ornamental purposes, are already classified as high-risk goods, and subject to a pre-notification, a PC and inspections at Border Control Post or Control Points.

In relation to risks from invasive non-native species (INNS) more generally, in Great Britain horizon scanning is carried out by UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology every 5 years using expert judgement to identify species likely to arrive, become established and have an impact in the near future.

To reduce and prevent the introduction and establishment of INNS we have prioritised horticulture as one of the top 5 pathways of introduction. We have developed a Horticulture Pathway Action Plan (PAP), available here: https://www.nonnativespecies.org/biosecurity/pathway-action-plans/horticulture-pap-for-great-britain/ which aims to address the most likely routes by which INNS can get into the country.

There are clearly continued issues with its execution in the field and the new Government will work with stakeholders and business to improve them.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs lost in the car manufacturing sector between July and December 2024.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government produces estimates of the levels of employee and self-employed jobs by industry sector on a quarterly basis (Mar, Jun, September and Dec). Data on the number of jobs by industry sector in December 2024 will be published on 20^th March 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to encourage train operating companies to improve on-train connectivity for (a) voice and (b) data services.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Department for Transport officials are working closely with the train operating companies and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to develop proposals to improve passenger mobile connectivity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a strategy to improve the retention of teaching staff in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The within school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high-quality teaching. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child.

A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy. We accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools for 2024/25. In addition to recruiting high-quality teachers, the department wants to ensure teachers stay and thrive in this profession. New teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing in the first five years of their careers will now receive a targeted retention incentive of up to £6,000, after-tax, if working in disadvantaged schools.

The department is also working closely with teachers and school leaders to improve the experience of teaching, including making key resources on reducing workload and supporting wellbeing, developed with school leaders, available to teachers.

To further improve retention, the department is actively promoting flexible working, such as allowing planning, preparation, and assessment to be undertaken from home. The department is also funding bespoke support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and multi-academy trusts, ensuring schools are capturing the benefits of flexible working, whilst protecting pupils’ face-to-face teacher time.

High-quality continuous professional development is also key to ensuring the retention of an effective teaching workforce. Through the revised Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework, new teachers will benefit from at least three years of evidence-based training, across Initial Teacher Training and into their induction. The department has also launched an updated suite of national professional qualifications (NPQs) for teachers and school leaders at all levels, from those who want to develop expertise in high-quality teaching practice to those leading multiple schools across trusts. Teaching School Hubs play a significant role in delivering the initial teacher training, the early career framework and NPQs. The Shropshire and Telford Education Partnership hub supports delivery across Shropshire, Telford and the Wrekin.

This government inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, with numbers not keeping pace with demographic changes. That is why the department has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this Parliament. We have made good early progress towards this target by expanding the school teacher recruitment campaign, ‘Every Lesson Shapes a Life’, and the further education teacher recruitment campaign, ‘Share your Skills’, alongside making £233 million available for teacher trainee tax-free bursaries for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Broadcasting Code by Ofcom on reducing the sexualisation of children through broadcast advertising.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Advertising Standards Authority co-regulates broadcast advertising under contract with Ofcom and its sister organisation, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sets the advertising codes. The codes require that advertisements must not portray or represent anyone who is, or seems to be, under 18 in a sexual way and care must be taken when scheduling advertisements in or around children's programmes or programmes likely to be seen by significant numbers of children.

The Broadcast Advertising Code has a dedicated section on protecting children, with rules designed to ensure that adverts do not contain anything that is likely to cause children physical, mental or moral harm, and the ASA administers these rules robustly. All broadcast advertising is pre-approved to ensure it is compliant with the BCAP Code before it is aired, through a system known as Clearcast. Clearcast has well established processes to ensure advertising content is thoroughly checked before it appears on television and puts restrictions in place when necessary.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with NHS England to review the (a) volume and (b) type of antidepressants prescribed on the NHS and their (i) side effects, (ii) long-term effectiveness and (iii) addictiveness.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute of Care and Excellence (NICE) and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are the relevant regulatory bodies in this area. While antidepressants can be helpful for some patients, NICE guidance recommends a range of non-drug options that should be considered first for people who present with less severe mental health conditions.

For patients diagnosed with depression, antidepressants are an effective treatment method. NICE has produced guidelines on antidepressants, which are available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng222/resources/depression-in-adults-treatment-and-management-pdf-66143832307909

To ensure antidepressant drugs are made available to patients only where the benefits outweigh the potential harms, NHS England is encouraging integrated care boards to address inappropriate antidepressant prescribing and to consider commissioning services for patients wishing to reduce or stop antidepressants.

MHRA is leading a project to improve the information supplied with dependency-forming medicines. The project aims to improve risk minimisation measures and better inform and educate healthcare professionals and patients about the risk of dependence, addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal related to a wide range of medicines, including antidepressants in the United Kingdom.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce rates of self-harm by people who work in (a) farming and (b) other agricultural industries.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has set up a dedicated team to look at the particular set of issues driving poor mental health outcomes in the farming and agricultural sector. We will be working in consultation with communities, farming support organisations and experts across the Government to review how we can best support those experiencing poor mental health.

Furthermore, the Government is building a national network of Young Futures hubs, which will be present in every community and will deliver support for young people facing mental health challenges.

Finally, the Government is giving mental health the same attention and focus as physical health through measures such as employing 8,500 new mental health support workers. This will reduce delays and provide faster treatment closer to people’s homes.

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 adequacy of the time taken for medical examiners to issue death certificates.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, including the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Regulations 2024, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024. Early data indicates the median time taken to register a death appears to have risen by one day, from seven days to eight days. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. The average time taken to register has increased further over the recent Christmas weeks, but this was expected given increases are observed during this period every year; the average is expected to decrease again as more data becomes available for January and February 2025. The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification. Deaths certified by a doctor, that comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, have typically had a median time to registration of seven days. We note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September 2024, and this makes direct ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.

The core purposes of the death certification reforms are to introduce scrutiny of the cause of death to detect and deter malpractice, to improve reporting, and crucially to put the bereaved at the centre of the process by offering a conversation with the medical examiner about the cause of death. The expectation on doctors and medical examiners is clear, that they should complete certification as quickly and efficiently as possible, and the Government is working with all stakeholders to make sure this is the case.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of VAT on school fees on the shared provision of (a) SEND support, (b) sporting facilities and (c) SEND school transport between the independent and state school sectors.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

​At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced a £1 billion uplift in high needs funding in the 2025/26 financial year, providing additional support and improving outcomes for the more than a million children in the state sector with SEND.

​​Most children with special educational needs, including most with education, health and care (EHC) plans, are already educated in mainstream state-funded schools. All state-funded schools support children with SEND. All children of compulsory age are entitled to a state-funded school place that is free for parents. Where a private school place is necessary to support a child with SEND, the local authority will fund it through an EHC plan.

​​Local authorities have a statutory duty for ensuring sufficient state school places in their area. Local authorities routinely support children who need a state-funded school place, including where private schools have closed or where pupils move between schools. The department does not collect data on in-year school applications or admissions, but where local authorities are experiencing difficulties in ensuring there are enough school places for children who need them, the department will offer support and advice.

​​The department expects all schools admitting new pupils in-year to provide them with appropriate support, including where they have SEND. Schools will need to work with their local authority where pupils have additional needs that cannot be met within the school.

Schools with charitable status are required to demonstrate public benefit to retain their charitable status and engaging in partnership activities with state-funded schools is one such way to do that. This may in some cases include the sharing of private school facilities, such as sporting facilities. The government does not expect the introduction of VAT to reduce a school's obligations to show public benefit or for partnership activity to decrease.

The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education due to a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free home-to-school travel for eligible children of compulsory school age, who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. Schools are not required to arrange home-to-school travel for their pupils, but some choose to do so. We do not expect the removal of the VAT exemption on independent school fees to have an impact on the provision of home-to-school travel for children with SEND.

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 introducing performance-related pay for Chief Constables based on (a) rates of crime reduction and (b) crime outcomes including (i) charges and (ii) summonses.

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

PCCs and Mayors with PCC functions, as the locally elected representative for policing, are responsible for holding Chief Constables to account for their performance and that of their force. This government will continue to work with PCCs and chief constables to set clear expectations for policing on performance and standards to ensure that our communities have an effective and efficient police service within their force area.

The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) makes recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for chief police officers. This government values their independent and expert advice.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to help West Mercia Police recruit more special constables in rural communities.

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

The Government recognises and values the professionalism, dedication and sacrifice shown by special constables in their work. Special constables, along with the full range of volunteers in policing, make a vital contribution to keeping our communities safe.

As we announced in the Police Funding Settlement in January, the Government is doubling the funding available in 2025/26 to support the first steps in delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel, including special constables. This £200 million investment underlines our commitment to the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee as part of the Safer Streets mission.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure sufficient recruitment of retained firefighters in Shropshire.

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

Firefighters play a vital role in keeping the public safe and I am grateful for the work undertaken by fire and rescue services across the country in support of their local communities.

The Government is committed to ensuring fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work. Overall, fire and rescue authorities are receiving around £2.87 billion during 2024/25. Standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities have seen an increase in core spending power of £95.4m during 2024/25. This is an increase of 5.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2023/24.

Recruitment practice and processes are the responsibility of individual fire and rescue authorities who must ensure that fire and rescue services are meeting the needs of their local communities.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if her Department will take steps to promote positive male role models.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We recognise that strong role models can be key in inspiring others, and in challenging harmful stereotypes.

My officials work closely with male business leaders and campaigners to help make the case that steps to improve equality benefit everyone. They also support work going on across government aimed at tackling gendered stereotypes.

In addition to this work, the Department of Health and Social Care is developing a Men's Health Strategy to address the leading health issues that affect men. The strategy will be part of the government's 10 Year Health Plan.

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 increase the number of Integrated Care Boards in England which have a Fracture Liaison Service.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a globally recognised care model and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%.

Data for integrated care systems (ICS) is available from the FLS Database, a national audit of secondary fracture prevention services in England and Wales, for which services must have an existing FLS to be eligible to participate. This dashboard suggests that at least 32 ICSs had at least one trust that offered FLS in 2024.

We remain committed to rolling out FLS across every part of the country by 2030. In the meantime, we are investing in 14 high-tech DEXA scanners, which are expected to provide an extra 29,000 scans to ensure that people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of Integrated Care Boards in England have a Fracture Liaison Service.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a globally recognised care model and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%.

Data for integrated care systems (ICS) is available from the FLS Database, a national audit of secondary fracture prevention services in England and Wales, for which services must have an existing FLS to be eligible to participate. This dashboard suggests that at least 32 ICSs had at least one trust that offered FLS in 2024.

We remain committed to rolling out FLS across every part of the country by 2030. In the meantime, we are investing in 14 high-tech DEXA scanners, which are expected to provide an extra 29,000 scans to ensure that people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier.