Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to protect UK defence personnel at RAF Akrotiri from regional ballistic missile attacks.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The UK takes the security of all our overseas bases seriously and takes appropriate measures for their protection.

The UK employs a broad approach to deterring and defeating air and missile threats. We pursue counter-proliferation and military activities to counter threats before an attack is ever launched. However, if those approaches fail, we can employ a range of active and passive defence measures to intercept the threat and increase our resilience. This process remains continually under review.

We are committed to enhancing our capabilities and modernising our air and missile defence approach to ensure our Armed Forces, including those in places such as RAF Akrotiri, have the capabilities they need to meet current and future threats. As part of this commitment, a Strategic Defence Review is being conducted with missile defence capabilities forming an important part of our inputs to this review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) in person and (b) online meetings she had with organisations representing children with special educational needs between 14 July 2024 and 14 October 2024.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education meets with a wide range of external stakeholders who represent children’s interests as part of her ministerial work. Details of ministers’ external meetings are published in quarterly ministerial transparency returns.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Defence to encourage young people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance to seek employment in the armed forces.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to working closely alongside the Ministry of Defence to identify and support anyone in receipt of benefits with transferable skills to move into careers within the Armed Forces, with a particular focus on younger customers.

We are also committed to promoting and advertising career opportunities across the Armed Forces at our regular recruitment events, dedicated armed forces recruitment days and through our offer of account managing vacancies.

This allows us to ensure we are signposting customers to the available opportunities within the Armed Forces.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to prevent the illegal (a) online sale and (b) importing of skin (i) whitening and (ii) lightening products which cause skin damage.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Cosmetics products must comply with some of the strongest safety standards in the world before they can be placed on the GB market. Government works with local enforcement authorities to take effective action when products are identified that do not meet these safety requirements, ensuring unsafe items are removed from sale.

Government has introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, which explicitly recognises the role of online marketplaces to ensure consumers are protected from unsafe products. We intend to use the powers in the Bill to introduce requirements on e-commerce models to help prevent the sale of unsafe products online.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of trends in the level of employment in the car manufacturing sector between July and December 2024.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 21st March is attached.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will increase (a) criminal sanctions and (b) financial penalties for breaches of Trading Standards laws.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Local authority trading standards services oversee numerous pieces of legislation, including consumer protection, product safety, weights and measures, food standards, animal health and welfare, environmental protection, estates and lettings, and age-restricted products such as alcohol and tobacco, among other legislative responsibilities.

The Department of Business and Trade is responsible for the consumer protection function. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 updated and strengthened civil enforcement powers for public designated enforcers, including the ability for trading standards services to apply to the court for an enforcement order with a monetary penalty of up to 10% of turnover.

Found: Chairs: Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Sir Roger Gale, Emma Lewell-Buck and Mark Pritchard Clerks: Rob Cope

Found: Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF www.gov.uk/home Sir Roger Gale MP, Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck MP and Mark Pritchard