Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Information Commissioners' Office is taking to adapt to the impact of AI technologies on privacy.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the UK’s data protection legislation independently of Government. The ICO has published guidance on artificial intelligence (AI) and data protection and is working with organisations on the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies: (see https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/what-we-do/our-work-on-artificial-intelligence/working-groups-and-how-you-can-work-with-us/).
The Government recently used powers under the Data Protection Act 2018 to require the ICO to produce a statutory Code of Practice on Artificial Intelligence and Automated Decision-Making. The ICO also operates a regulatory sandbox to support organisations developing innovative products and services that use personal data in safe and responsible ways.
The Government continues to work closely with the ICO to ensure that innovation in AI is underpinned by high standards of data protection and public trust.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the Information Commissioners' Office on the impact of camera-enabled smart glasses on privacy.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises that camera-enabled smart glasses and similar wearable technologies can raise privacy considerations.
My department engages regularly with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator, on data protection and privacy matters, including the impact of emerging technologies.
The ICO has recently published guidance on how Internet of Things products and services, such as smart glasses and similar products, can process data of consumers fairly and transparently. It has also discussed the privacy implications of smart glasses with international counterparts through the G7 Data Protection and Privacy Authorities Roundtable. The Government will continue to monitor this area closely.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer ahead of the Autumn Budget regarding funding to uprate the value of Bereavement Support Payment.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Bereavement Support Payment is reviewed on a discretionary basis as part of the annual benefits uprating process. Any decisions on uprating are considered alongside wider fiscal and welfare measures as part of the Autumn Budget process.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to strengthen offshore wind foundation structure supply chains.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government remains committed to strengthening and prioritising resilient and sustainable offshore wind supply chains in the UK. We have set out a package of support for offshore wind supply chains worth up to £1 billion.
Government, through Great British Energy (GBE) is also establishing a Deepwater Wind Commercialisation Programme in partnership with FLOWEX, to unlock the industrial opportunity from the next frontier of offshore wind deployment.
Additionally, the UK-Japan Offshore Wind Industrial Compact, developed in close partnership with GBE, will drive up to £9bn into the UK economy over the next decade and help to scale floating offshore wind.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Clean Industry Bonus in Allocation Round 7 on offshore wind foundation structure manufacturers in the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Industry Bonus is intended to support investment in cleaner and more resilient offshore wind supply chains. In Allocation Round 7, £204 million of funding was awarded and is expected to leverage up to £3.4 billion of private investment across a range of offshore wind supply chain activities, including foundation structure manufacturers. This investment will help strengthen domestic industrial capability, support jobs in some of the most deprived areas of the country, and support the delivery of economic growth across the UK.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will provide a list of (a) successful applicants for the Clean Industry Bonus in Allocation Round 7, (b) the monetary value of each award and (c) a breakdown of the proposals by investment type.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government intends to publish data on the Allocation Round 7 Clean Industry Bonus in due course and once investments are confirmed, including a list of which manufacturing facilities benefited from an award. However, at present this is commercially sensitive information pertaining to live procurements. Disclosure of information on individual successful applicants, award values and investment proposals at this time could prejudice commercial interests and future competitive processes.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Israeli counterpart on the 1974 Disengagement of Forces agreement.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Continued Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) activity in the buffer zone is in violation of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces agreement and we have called on Israel to lay out timelines for their withdrawal. We expect the Government of Israel to adhere to their commitment that their presence in the buffer zone is both limited and temporary. We continue to support the work of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) who remain vital for stability for Syria and the wider region, participating regularly in UN Security Council Meetings on UNDOF, most recently in consultations in June 2026.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62201 on Golan Heights: Israel, what recent assessment he has made of the Israeli Government's claim that its activity in the Golan Heights buffer zone is (a) limited and (b) temporary.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
While recognising Israel's legitimate security concerns, the UK continues to support respect for international law and has been clear that any Israeli presence in the UN-monitored buffer zone is in violation of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces agreement and should be temporary and not become permanent, and we will continue to press Israel to uphold its commitments in this regard. We urge the Israeli Government to return to negotiations with the Syrian Government - this is in all parties' interests. We support the work of United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) who remain vital for stability for Syria and the wider region, participating regularly in UN Security Council Meetings on UNDOF, most recently in June 2026.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to assist the progression of the Gaza peace plan.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to supporting the implementation of the 20-Point Plan in full, as the most viable route to a sustainable and long-term peace. We continue to work with international partners to sustain the ceasefire, improve humanitarian access, support early recovery and reconstruction and advance transitional security and governance arrangements in Gaza. Recent UK assistance includes our commitment of £10 million to the UN Horizon Fund which will support UN agencies in their joint and coordinated effort to support early recovery in Palestine and in particular the Gaza Strip. I met the Chief Commissioner of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza on the 18 August during my visit to Egypt.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absence of cash payments on LNER trains on the ability of visually impaired people to purchase food and drink on its services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has made no direct assessment of the potential impact, the Department expects all train operators, who are accountable for accessible service delivery, to consider the needs of disabled passengers, comply with their equality obligations, and make reasonable adjustments to ensure services remain accessible.