Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will have discussions with Royal Mail on increasing its use of rail services.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are fully committed to supporting rail freight growth, recognising its significant economic and environmental potential. My officials regularly speak with major users of rail freight in the UK as part of our efforts to grow the rail freight industry.

We have previously discussed with Royal Mail their decision to retire their dedicated mail train fleet. However, as it is a private company, not owned nor controlled by the Government, the mode Royal Mail choose to utilise for transporting mail is a commercial decision for their business.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the price of (a) rail and (b) road freight on rail freight operators in Devon.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Rail freight operations are typically long distance and cross-border in the UK. Under the Railways Bill, Government has proposed to place a duty on Great British Railways to promote the use of rail freight, meaning freight operators will benefit from a longer-term strategic approach to decision making on the railway which includes charging to use the network.

As part of our continued support for the wider freight sector, the Department has operated the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme (MSRS) since 2010. The scheme is designed to encourage modal shift by assisting with the operating costs associated with running rail or inland water freight transport instead of road, where rail or inland waterway transport is more expensive. The relative costs have been reviewed to ensure that the scheme continues to achieve its goal to support modal shift and are kept under review. Any matters relating to fuel duty comes under the remit of His Majesty’s Treasury.

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 (a) discontinuement and (b) funding freeze of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund on waiting lists.

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

My Department is committed to the Government’s pledge to halve Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a decade. We have committed £550 million to victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in victim support services to date.

On 1 December 2025, all recipients of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) received confirmation that their Ministry of Justice grants will be extended for two years until March 2028, with a 2% year-on-year uplift. Given this, there will be no impacts on waiting lists as funding has not been discontinued or frozen.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when her department plans to confirm allocations for the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund for 2026/27.

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

My Department is committed to the Government’s pledge to halve Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a decade. We have committed £550 million to victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in victim support services to date.

On 1 December 2025, all recipients of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) received confirmation that their Ministry of Justice grants will be extended for two years until March 2028, with a 2% year-on-year uplift. Given this, there will be no impacts on waiting lists as funding has not been discontinued or frozen.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information her Department holds on the quality of 5G UK mobile services compared to (a) France, (b) Germany, (c) the USA, (d) China, (e) Spain and (f) other international counterparts.

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

The department uses Ofcom's Connected Nations data which includes metrics on geographic, indoor and outdoor premises coverage across the UK. Ofcom describes quality of service using coverage confidence levels and signal strength thresholds. The methodology is available at: CN2025 - Methodology Annex.

The department is aware of various external data sources, including the EU commission’s 5G Observatory report 2025 | Shaping Europe’s digital future, The Mobile Economy 2025 - The Mobile Economy and Global Network Excellence Index | Opensignal that publish a variety of metrics for international comparisons. While direct comparisons between countries are difficult to draw, this is an invaluable input into informing the department’s policy development.

The EU commission published data on 5G coverage for households at the end of 2024 which showed that coverage in the UK at the end of 2024 (95%) was on par with India, China and ahead of France (94%) and the EU (94.3%), but behind South Korea (100%), Japan (99.2%), Norway, Iceland and Germany (all 99%) as well as Spain (95.7%) and USA (97.0%). Since this assessment, UK 5G coverage outside premises has increased to 97%.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer received on 21 November 2025 to Written Question 90488, how much additional re-investment her Department anticipates after bringing into force sections 61-64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.

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

The government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. Operators have set out investment plans that align with our ambition, and we are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment and competition in the market.

The aim of the 2017 reforms was to encourage investment in digital networks and improve coverage and connectivity across the UK. The changes introduced by the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 ensure greater consistency throughout the UK and reduce confusion and uncertainty when agreements come to an end and are being renewed.

While the Department does not monitor levels of reinvestment in networks, Ofcom’s Connected Nations report provides an estimate for the level of investment into mobile networks by industry. Ofcom’s latest report estimates that in 2024, mobile network investment accounted for £1.8bn.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90488, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 on levels of re-investment into the telecoms network.

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

The government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. Operators have set out investment plans that align with our ambition, and we are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment and competition in the market.

The aim of the 2017 reforms was to encourage investment in digital networks and improve coverage and connectivity across the UK. The changes introduced by the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 ensure greater consistency throughout the UK and reduce confusion and uncertainty when agreements come to an end and are being renewed.

While the Department does not monitor levels of reinvestment in networks, Ofcom’s Connected Nations report provides an estimate for the level of investment into mobile networks by industry. Ofcom’s latest report estimates that in 2024, mobile network investment accounted for £1.8bn.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to foster innovation in the Telecoms market.

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

This government recognises the importance of innovative and modern telecoms networks. Alongside deploying the best technology now, there is an opportunity to grow the UK’s role in shaping and developing Advanced Connectivity Technologies for the future. We will invest at least £370 million R&D and infrastructure to support promising UK companies; ensure the right spectrum is available and deepen our ties with other-leading countries in the sector. The government is also working with industry to ensure that at least 99% of premises have access to gigabit capable broadband by 2032 and that all populated areas have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans does the department have for future equivalent Shared Prosperity Funding for Devon.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

In order to allow greater flexibility for local authorities and to maximise the spend on UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the deadline for expenditure for 2025-26 allocations has been extended by six months to September 2026. Looking ahead, the government is introducing a long-term approach to local funding. This will be led by sustained and predictable support for local authorities through the Local Government Finance Settlement and complemented by targeted interventions designed to drive local growth and strengthen communities.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when remaining mobile sites will be moved away from legacy frameworks and onto the new frameworks of the 2017 Electronic Communications Code and 2022 Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act.

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

The point at which agreements relating to telecoms infrastructure installations pre-dating the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code will transfer onto the legal framework established through those reforms depends on the type of agreement previously in place and whether or not the agreement is renewed.

The provisions that determine which legal framework applies to renewal agreements were set out in the Digital Economy Act 2017.

Sections 61 - 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 introduced measures extending the “no network” valuation scheme established by the 2017 reforms to certain agreements still regulated by pre-2017 frameworks when they are renewed. Regulations relating to these provisions were made on 15 December 2025. Agreements affected by these regulations will move onto the “no network” valuation scheme on renewal after the regulations come into force on 7 April 2026.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department holds any digital records in relation to the meeting held on 28 August 2019 between the then Prime Minister and Mr Peter Thiel.

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

The Cabinet Office does not hold any digital records relating to the meeting held on 28 August 2019 between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Mr Peter Thiel.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of aligning the regulatory standard and the consumer information standard for 5G and 4G mobile coverage.

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

For the purpose of this answer, regulatory and consumer standards have been interpreted as how 4G and 5G is referred to by Ofcom in its Connected Nations reports and its consumer coverage checker, ‘Map Your Mobile’, respectively.

The ‘Map Your Mobile’ tool was updated in June 2025 to provide consumers with a definition of ‘good’ mobile coverage, agnostic of any generation of cellular communications. This was done to better reflect what users today expect to do on their mobile device when connected to a mobile network in an easy to understand way.

Network operators do refer to their products slightly differently in some cases, for example, referring to standalone 5G as 5G+ or 5G Ultra. These are marketing terms used for customers and do not reflect a different standard.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps with Ofcom to ensure that all full 5G eligible sites offer full 5G.

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

For the purpose of this answer, ‘full 5G’ has been interpreted as meaning standalone 5G.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. How network operators achieve this through both existing and new infrastructure is a commercial decision, balancing the needs of different user groups and services, with the availability of spectrum and infrastructure. All three mobile operators have committed significant investment and are aligning plans with this ambition.

Ofcom’s Connected Nations Report, published on 19 November 2025, states that more than 12,000 sites across the UK are now supporting standalone 5G connectivity.

Ofcom will continue to report on standalone 5G coverage across the UK. The department is also working closely with operators to identify, and remove, barriers to deployment where it is practical to do so.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many telecoms sites remain on the (a) pre-2017 Electronic Communications Code and (b) pre-2022 Product security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act framework in Newton Abbot constituency.

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

The point at which agreements relating to telecoms infrastructure installations pre-dating the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code will transfer onto the legal framework established through those reforms depends on the type of agreement previously in place and whether or not the agreement is renewed.

The provisions that determine which legal framework applies to renewal agreements were set out in the Digital Economy Act 2017.

Sections 61 - 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 introduced measures extending the “no network” valuation scheme established by the 2017 reforms to certain agreements still regulated by pre-2017 frameworks when they are renewed. Regulations relating to these provisions were made on 15 December 2025. Agreements affected by these regulations will move onto the “no network” valuation scheme on renewal after the regulations come into force on 7 April 2026.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will have discussions with Ofcom on ensuring the reporting of statistics on where the full allocation of 5G is not being used.

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

Ofcom is responsible for the management of spectrum in the UK. Ofcom monitors mobile coverage, including 5G, at a regional level and publishes a mobile coverage checker, Map your Mobile.

Ofcom’s latest Connected Nations report (published 19 November 2025) shows over 12,000 UK sites now provide standalone 5G. Ofcom does not report spectrum allocation by individual sites, as regional data provides a clearer picture of the overall service available for consumers.

The government works closely with Ofcom to ensure spectrum is used effectively and to maintain accurate coverage reporting to support policy, investment, and informed consumer choice.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 98184, whether meetings held by the Prime Minister with external individuals are routinely assigned a subject classification for record-keeping purposes.

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

Guidance on management of records for official ministerial meetings is published on gov.uk, and available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-management-of-private-office-information-and-records/guidance-for-the-management-of-private-office-information-and-records-html.

The guidance in place in August 2019 is available in the National Archives: https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/popapersguidance2009.pdf

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance was guidance in place in August 2019 on keeping a written record of meetings between the Prime Minister and external individuals where public policy, procurement, or government contracts were discussed.

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

Guidance on management of records for official ministerial meetings is published on gov.uk, and available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-management-of-private-office-information-and-records/guidance-for-the-management-of-private-office-information-and-records-html.

The guidance in place in August 2019 is available in the National Archives: https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/popapersguidance2009.pdf

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) Palantir Technologies (b) other analytics contractors and (c) external data warehouses are being considered to support cross-departmental data matching under the digital ID initiative.

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

We expect the new digital ID to be designed, built and run by in-house Government teams, not outsourced to external suppliers. In the event any specialist external services or expertise are procured to support the delivery of new digital ID, this will be subject to all the usual competitive processes to ensure transparency, and value for the taxpayer.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what oversight exists when academy trusts increase executive pay in years where frontline teaching posts are reduced.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s Academy Trust Handbook is clear that executive pay must be justifiable and should reflect individual responsibility alongside local retention and recruitment needs. The Handbook is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body to support the 2026 pay award recognises that the department is aware of trends of increasing executive pay and monitors this through an annual engagement exercise. The evidence was published in October 2025 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69034343fabc9f10a832a838/Government_evidence_to_the_STRB_2026.pdf.

The evidence also recognises that there are opportunities to drive value for money in this area. The department has started to make progress in this area with the recent introduction of executive pay into the Financial Benchmarking and Insight tool for trusts to encourage boards to make evidence-based decisions when setting executive pay.

The department engages annually on executive pay, requiring academy trusts to demonstrate value for money. The engagement considers executive responsibilities, taking into account peer benchmarking data on the level of pay, the size of trust, pupil numbers and grant income. The department will also engage on executive pay when intervening in an academy trust that is in financial difficulty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the relationship between academy trust executive pay levels and reductions in curriculum offer or staffing.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s Academy Trust Handbook is clear that executive pay must be justifiable and should reflect individual responsibility alongside local retention and recruitment needs. The Handbook is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body to support the 2026 pay award recognises that the department is aware of trends of increasing executive pay and monitors this through an annual engagement exercise. The evidence was published in October 2025 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69034343fabc9f10a832a838/Government_evidence_to_the_STRB_2026.pdf.

The evidence also recognises that there are opportunities to drive value for money in this area. The department has started to make progress in this area with the recent introduction of executive pay into the Financial Benchmarking and Insight tool for trusts to encourage boards to make evidence-based decisions when setting executive pay.

The department engages annually on executive pay, requiring academy trusts to demonstrate value for money. The engagement considers executive responsibilities, taking into account peer benchmarking data on the level of pay, the size of trust, pupil numbers and grant income. The department will also engage on executive pay when intervening in an academy trust that is in financial difficulty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, What benchmarks her Department uses to assess whether academy trust executive pay represents value for money when trusts are making redundancies.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s Academy Trust Handbook is clear that executive pay must be justifiable and should reflect individual responsibility alongside local retention and recruitment needs. The Handbook is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body to support the 2026 pay award recognises that the department is aware of trends of increasing executive pay and monitors this through an annual engagement exercise. The evidence was published in October 2025 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69034343fabc9f10a832a838/Government_evidence_to_the_STRB_2026.pdf.

The evidence also recognises that there are opportunities to drive value for money in this area. The department has started to make progress in this area with the recent introduction of executive pay into the Financial Benchmarking and Insight tool for trusts to encourage boards to make evidence-based decisions when setting executive pay.

The department engages annually on executive pay, requiring academy trusts to demonstrate value for money. The engagement considers executive responsibilities, taking into account peer benchmarking data on the level of pay, the size of trust, pupil numbers and grant income. The department will also engage on executive pay when intervening in an academy trust that is in financial difficulty.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of expanded police powers to use facial recognition on the privacy of residents in Devon.

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

The Home Office has not assessed the potential impact of expanded use of facial recognition on the privacy of residents in Devon, specifically, although the Government recognises that facial recognition will usually involve some degree of interference with people’s rights, such as the right to privacy, which must be minimised, necessary and proportionate to a policing purpose.

The existing legal framework governing police use of facial recognition requires compliance with data protection, equalities, and human rights laws, national guidance, the Code of Practice for surveillance cameras, and is supplemented by specific policies published by individual forces.

The Government launched a public consultation on 04/12/2025 on the use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies which, will help inform the design of a new legal framework for these technologies. The consultation explores when and how these technologies should be used and asks the public what factors are relevant to consider when assessing interference with privacy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will transfer stored class 221 voyager units to Crosscountry.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has funded 12 additional Voyager trains (60 carriages) for the CrossCountry network which entered passenger service in May 2025.

It is for train operators to present their Business Case for any additional trains, setting out the benefits to passengers and how it presents value for money to the taxpayer. CrossCountry is currently working with the Department on a proposal to procure further additional trains for its Inter-City routes.

Halie Selassie and Bath

Deregistration of international non-governmental organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Use of UK bases by the United States and international law in relation to Greenland

Earth Action North Devon

Less Survivable Cancers Week

Russian shadow fleet

Loan Charge and settlement terms offered to large companies and individuals

Nuclear Regulatory Review and habitats regulations

Tribute to Lance Corporal George Thomas Hooley

50th anniversary of Central Church Torquay

80th anniversary of the South Devon Branch of the Devonshire Association

Missing Evri deliveries

UK arms export licensing and conflict in Sudan

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what quantity of plutonium has been recovered from the dismantling of the Mk4A Trident warheads since the start of the dismantlement programme; what proportion has been re-cycled and re-used in new warheads; where is the surplus plutonium currently stored; and what has been the cost to date of the dismantlement programme.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to the hon, Member for Newton Abbott (Martin Wrigley) on 1 September 2025 to Question 70223.