Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 25 February 2025, Official Report, column 634, if he will make an assessment of the potential contribution of (a) GCHQ and (b) the Golden Valley Development in Cheltenham to the UK’s (i) intelligence services and (ii) cyber security expertise and capabilities as part of the upcoming national security strategy.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Prime Minister announced a single national security strategy will be published ahead of the NATO Summit in June. This will bring together the national security related reviews underway. As part of creating this strategy, the drafters will consult with relevant Departments and Agencies, including intelligence services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on the construction of the Midlands Rail Hub project.

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

£123m was committed to design the first phase of Midlands Rail Hub in March 2024, which, subject to future decisions, could be delivered by the early 2030s.

In December, the Chancellor launched the second stage of the Spending Review. This is a zero-based Spending Review, to ensure every line of spending – including the transport infrastructure portfolio – delivers the Plan for Change and provides good value for taxpayers. We expect the Spending Review to conclude by June 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on funding of arts, culture and leisure facilities.

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

The funding of local cultural services and organisations is a matter for individual local authorities, but the Government strongly supports their doing so, not least because of the significant economic, social, and wellbeing benefits cultural organisations deliver.

The final Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25. This above-inflation increase demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting local authorities. The majority of this funding is not ring-fenced, so local authorities can consider how best to balance their local priorities.

As set out in the Government’s guidance on proposals for local government reorganisation, areas should consider issues of local identity and cultural and historic importance in working up plans that are in the best interests of the whole area.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on the (a) delivery of and (b) funding for (i) leisure and sports services and (ii) culture and arts.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The funding of local cultural services and organisations is a matter for individual councils, but the Government strongly supports their doing so, not least because of the significant economic, social, and wellbeing benefits cultural organisations deliver. As set out in the Government’s guidance on proposals for local government reorganisation, areas should consider issues of local identity and cultural and historic importance in working up plans that are in the best interests of the whole area.

The final Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government in England, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25. This above-inflation increase demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting local authorities. The majority of this funding is not ring-fenced, so councils can consider how best to balance their local priorities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of misinformation created by AI-generated news on public trust.

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

The Government takes very seriously the impact that online mis- and disinformation can have, including risks posed by AI. We also recognise the concerns around AI models generating large volumes of content that is indistinguishable from human generated content which may also impact trust in the information environment. Enabling users, and institutions, to determine what media is real is a key part of tackling a wide range of AI risks.

Journalism plays an invaluable role in the fabric of our society and we are committed to supporting a free, sustainable and plural media landscape, as the best way of maintaining a shared understanding of facts. We are engaging with the press sector on these concerns, including through a recent ministerial roundtable with major UK publishers and broadcasters on the broader impact of generative AI on journalism. We have also provided funding to the Bridging Responsible AI Divides research programme at The University of Edinburgh, which produced the report ‘Generative AI and Journalism: Mapping the Risk Landscape’. We will continue to work with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, as the lead department on counter-disinformation policy and monitor developments in this area to inform future policymaking.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of AI on (a) print journalism and (b) the online media industry.

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

Journalism plays an invaluable role in the fabric of our society and we are committed to supporting a free, sustainable and plural media landscape. At the same time, the UK is well placed to seize the transformative opportunities presented by AI and is committed to the responsible adoption of AI across all parts of the economy. In this context, we recognise concerns from the press sector that recent developments in generative AI pose risks, as well as opportunities, to journalism, including those who work freelance. We are engaging with the press sector on these concerns, including through a recent ministerial roundtable with major UK publishers and broadcasters. We have also provided funding to the Bridging Responsible AI Divides research programme at The University of Edinburgh, which produced the report ‘Generative AI and Journalism: Mapping the Risk Landscape’. We will continue to monitor developments here to inform future policymaking, including with regard to employment opportunities for freelance journalists.

We recognise that particular concerns have been raised with regard to the use of copyrighted news content in the training of AI models and how this interacts with UK copyright law. Our consultation on the impact of AI on the copyright regime has now closed. We will consider all the responses we have received and continue to develop our policy approach in partnership with creative industries, media and AI stakeholders. Addressing this is an urgent priority for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, but no decisions will be taken until we are confident we have a practical plan that delivers for the media and creative industries.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of AI on employment opportunities for freelance press journalists.

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

Journalism plays an invaluable role in the fabric of our society and we are committed to supporting a free, sustainable and plural media landscape. At the same time, the UK is well placed to seize the transformative opportunities presented by AI and is committed to the responsible adoption of AI across all parts of the economy. In this context, we recognise concerns from the press sector that recent developments in generative AI pose risks, as well as opportunities, to journalism, including those who work freelance. We are engaging with the press sector on these concerns, including through a recent ministerial roundtable with major UK publishers and broadcasters. We have also provided funding to the Bridging Responsible AI Divides research programme at The University of Edinburgh, which produced the report ‘Generative AI and Journalism: Mapping the Risk Landscape’. We will continue to monitor developments here to inform future policymaking, including with regard to employment opportunities for freelance journalists.

We recognise that particular concerns have been raised with regard to the use of copyrighted news content in the training of AI models and how this interacts with UK copyright law. Our consultation on the impact of AI on the copyright regime has now closed. We will consider all the responses we have received and continue to develop our policy approach in partnership with creative industries, media and AI stakeholders. Addressing this is an urgent priority for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, but no decisions will be taken until we are confident we have a practical plan that delivers for the media and creative industries.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the use of weight loss drugs by celebrities on the public's (a) mental and (b) physical health.

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

No such specific assessments have been made. We recognise that poor body image is a common problem for both men and women, and that body image dissatisfaction is a factor in disordered eating. However, eating disorders are complicated mental health conditions caused by a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors and it is still unclear exactly why someone develops an eating disorder.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the physical shape of celebrities on the mental health of young people.

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

No such specific assessments have been made. We recognise that poor body image is a common problem for both men and women, and that body image dissatisfaction is a factor in disordered eating. However, eating disorders are complicated mental health conditions caused by a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors and it is still unclear exactly why someone develops an eating disorder.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 25 February 2025, Official Report, column 633, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of investing in Cheltenham’s intelligence and cyber security sectors as part of the defence reform and efficiency plan.

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

We should rightly be proud of our intelligence agencies, and the work they do every day to keep the UK and its interests safe. The defence reform and efficiency plan will be focused on driving maximum value for money from this Government's additional investment in my Department – the hon. Member will understand that I obviously cannot comment on the merits and efficiency of spend in the intelligence agencies (with the exception of Defence Intelligence) who sit under other Government Departments.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, column 631, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in defence spending on growth in the cyber security sector in Cheltenham.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The strategic defence review will determine the priority areas for Defence spending, including Defence’s contribution to cyber security. No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of increases in defence spending on growth in the cyber security sector in Cheltenham. The strategic defence review will present opportunities for industry across the UK, and we expect the Cyber Security Sector in Cheltenham to make the most of those opportunities.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Government's decision not to sign the declaration on inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence on the UK's reputation internationally.

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

We agreed with much of the Leaders’ Declaration and continue to work closely with our international partners. The UK worked hard to agree text in the Leaders’ Declaration that reflected our commitment to balance opportunity with security when it comes to AI, but unfortunately we were not able to reach agreement on all parts of the declaration. It is important to note that the UK worked closely with the French team throughout and signed other agreements at the Summit on sustainability, cybersecurity and the impact of AI on the workforce.

We remain a very close partner to France on all aspects of AI, and an active and eager participant in all future AI Summits which were started at Bletchley Park in November 2023.

The UK is also continuing to take an active role in international AI discussions – including working bilaterally and through fora such as the G7, G20, OECD-Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), the United Nations and Council of Europe.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the physical shape of fashion models on the (a) mental and (b) physical health of women and girls.

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

Poor body image can be a common problem for women and girls, and that body image dissatisfaction is a factor in disordered eating. However, eating disorders are complicated mental health conditions caused by a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors, and it is still unclear exactly why someone develops an eating disorder.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has a policy on Uber taxi drivers operating outside the local authority area in which those drivers have a licence.

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

Legislation allows taxis and private hire vehicles to operate outside of the area in which they are licensed. Taxis can only ply for hire (pick up passengers at taxi ranks or be hailed in the street) in the area in which they are licensed. Pre-booked work by private hire vehicles and taxis can be undertaken anywhere. This allows the sector to work flexibly to meet the needs of their passengers.

The Government however recognises concerns around out-of-area working and is considering options to strengthen the regulation of the sector.

Future of the adoption and special guardianship support fund

Community pharmacies

UAE imprisonment of Ryan Cornelius

West Bank

Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

Found: Negatived on division_NC21 Victoria Collins Steff Aquarone Max Wilkinson Wendy Chamberlain James

Found: _NC21 Victoria Collins Steff Aquarone Max Wilkinson Wendy Chamberlain James MacCleary Liz Jarvis

Found: _NC30 Max Wilkinson Victoria Collins Caroline Voaden Dr Danny Chambers ★.