Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 impact of patent trolls on the rollout of 5G networks.
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 and this will be achieved primarily by commercial investment from the three Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
Business models in which patents are bought, and then enforced against others, may be legitimate, including in the 5G sector. Through the Intellectual Property Office, government monitors the effective functioning of the patent system to ensure that incentives to innovate are maintained. The IPO recently undertook a review of the legal framework surrounding Standards Essential Patents to identify and consider how to address a number of issues, including licensing practices. The Government expects to publish a response this summer.
Regarding whether patent trolls impact the rollout of 5G networks, this is not an issue that has been raised with Government, including through the recent Mobile Market Review call for evidence which asked stakeholders for evidence on the major developments occurring across the mobile sector.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 tackle patent trolls in the 5G standalone sector.
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 and this will be achieved primarily by commercial investment from the three Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
Business models in which patents are bought, and then enforced against others, may be legitimate, including in the 5G sector. Through the Intellectual Property Office, government monitors the effective functioning of the patent system to ensure that incentives to innovate are maintained. The IPO recently undertook a review of the legal framework surrounding Standards Essential Patents to identify and consider how to address a number of issues, including licensing practices. The Government expects to publish a response this summer.
Regarding whether patent trolls impact the rollout of 5G networks, this is not an issue that has been raised with Government, including through the recent Mobile Market Review call for evidence which asked stakeholders for evidence on the major developments occurring across the mobile sector.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 the UK steel trade measure due to take effect on 1 July 2026 on export‑oriented manufacturing businesses reliant on specialist steel grades not produced in the UK.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government held extensive engagement with industry to inform development of the steel trade measure, including a Call for Evidence, and will continue to engage with companies across the supply chain. The measure has been designed, as far as is technically possible, to only cover steel requirements that can be met in the UK. Quotas are being set with the aim of allowing continued availability of goods to UK downstream users without unnecessary additional costs. We will continue to monitor the impact of the measure and review it after 12 months to ensure the balance is right between producers and downstream users.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 potential merits of opening a dedicated clinic for nuclear test veterans.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of a dedicated clinic for nuclear test veterans.
All veterans, including those affected by nuclear testing are able to access a range of National Health Services to meet their clinical needs. British nuclear test veterans who are concerned about their heath should discuss this with their general practitioner.
Over 99.6% of primary care networks in England have at least one general practice accredited under the veteran friendly scheme which raises awareness of the specific needs of veterans.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of Ukrainian Government’s decision of 8 May 2026 to add the United Kingdom to its list of permitted second citizenship.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
One of the core requirements for naturalisation is that the applicant must be settled in the United Kingdom.
The Ukrainian Government have been clear that their wish is for the return of their citizens, when it is safe to do so, and their position on this is unchanged. As a result, the Ukraine Schemes remain temporary in nature and do not provide a route to settlement, nor does time spent in the UK under the schemes count towards the Long Residence route.
The Government is actively considering the future position of the Ukraine Schemes, drawing on evidence from across government, academia, civil society and stakeholder engagement, including the Ukrainian Government. We will respond in a responsible and considered manner and intend to make a further statement in due course.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to mitigate increases in fuel costs due to the ongoing conflict in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided by HM Treasury on 4 June in response to Question 3437.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the impact of the conflict in Iran on fuel costs in the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided by HM Treasury on 4 June in response to Question 3437.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 to ensure that the patient and public voice model remains independent of the bodies commissioning, delivering or redesigning services.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The priority of our reforms around patient and public voice is not to maintain the current independent structures, but to strengthen the patient and public voices so that they drive real change and improvement at all levels of the health and social care system. We are doing this by bringing patient and public voices closer to decision-makers, rather than by keeping it at arms-length, so what people say cannot be ignored and has a more direct impact on services.
At a local level, we are placing responsibility for listening to patients and the public with the organisations that plan and deliver services, namely local authorities for social care, and integrated care boards for healthcare. At the national level, we are bringing patient voice into the Department, through a new Patient Experience Directorate, where it can drive real change.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing forecasts for peak time pricing in the energy sector.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No specific assessment has been made. Forecasting peak‑times and setting pricing and tariffs accordingly for consumers to engage with is something already undertaken by energy suppliers and aggregators.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning tail docking and castration of lambs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government is committed to working with the sheep sector to implement the advice and recommendations in the Animal Welfare Committee’s Opinion on the Implications of Castration and Tail Docking for the Welfare of Lambs and to update the Sheep Welfare Code.
The Government has carried out an assessment regarding changes to the rules around lamb castration and tail docking. The assessment concluded that banning lamb castration and tail docking was not the correct approach and instead the government consulted on other proposals to improve lamb welfare during the procedures. The Government is now analysing consultation responses and will publish a formal response in due course.