Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) extending and (b) removing the 30-day time limit for completing a blue badge application.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

While there is no time limit for completion of a Blue Badge application in legislation, in order to comply with UK data handling regulations personal data relating to an application on the Blue Badge online application system is deleted after thirty days. In that thirty-day period applicants are able to save and return to their online application.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) strengthen protections for NHS whistleblowers and (b) prevent repercussions for those who raise patient safety concerns.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has been clear that the silencing of whistleblowers will not be tolerated, and that National Health Service staff should have the confidence to speak out and come forward if they have concerns.

There is a network of more than 1,200 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians across healthcare in England, whose role is to help and support NHS workers who want to speak up about any concerns that they have. There is also a national Freedom to Speak Up policy, published by NHS England, which sets out the minimum standards for local Freedom to Speak Up policies across the NHS, with all NHS organisations having been instructed to adopt this policy. These initiatives sit alongside legal protections for whistleblowers, which have been strengthened so that they also prohibit discrimination against job applicants on the grounds that they have spoken up in the past.

In November 2024, the Department launched a consultation on options for regulating NHS managers, with the aim of improving leadership quality and accountability. This will help ensure that the NHS has strong and effective leadership in place, and that leaders and managers are held accountable for their practice. The consultation closed on 18 February 2025 and had strong engagement, receiving nearly 5,000 responses.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with (a) Google and (b) Apple on in-app purchase fees; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to regulate in-app fees.

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

The Competition and Markets Authority launched a Strategic Market Status designation investigation in January on both Apple and Google’s position in mobile ecosystems. This investigation is independent to Government and will also include the consideration of in-app purchase fees and conditions. The CMA have consulted on the scope of this investigation and is gathering evidence before publishing a provisional Strategic Market Status designation decision in July.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of agreeing with (a) the European Union and (b) individual Schengen Area countries to allow British citizens to stay up to 180 days without a visa.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The European Union is responsible for visa policy in relation to short stays in the territory of Schengen states, including visa requirements. Short stays are stays of no more than 90 days within any 180-day period, as set out in EU legislation. The UK and the EU operate independent visa policies.

Abduction of Ukrainian children

Israeli Defence Force attacks on humanitarian workers

Humanitarian response to the Myanmar earthquake

Ensuring stability for Ukrainian refugees in the UK

Building consensus on a pathway to spending 3% of GDP on defence

Refusal of Citizenship to refugees who have made irregular crossings

Found: Mike Martin, Jim Dickson and Polly Billington made representations.

Found: Q7 Mike Martin: Forgive me for interrupting. I am not asking you to comment on our allies.

Found: Q129 Mike Martin: I have a question for General Walker.

Found: Browne of Ladyton; Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi; Bill Esterson; Baroness Fall; Sir Julian Lewis; Mike Martin

Found: _NC2 Dame Caroline Dinenage Vikki Slade Tim Farron Mike Martin Ellie Chowns Freddie van Mierlo

Found: _NC2 Dame Caroline Dinenage Vikki Slade Tim Farron Mike Martin Ellie Chowns Freddie van Mierlo

Found: _NC2 Dame Caroline Dinenage Vikki Slade Tim Farron Mike Martin Ellie Chowns Freddie van Mierlo

Found: Claire Hanna Helen Hayes Chris Webb Mrs Sharon Hodgson Cat Eccles Jon Trickett Anna Sabine Mike Martin

Submit Evidence (by 30 Apr 2025)

This inquiry will examine the AUKUS partnership, a trilateral security agreement between Australia, the US and the UK which was announced in 2021. AUKUS will see the US and UK support Australia in acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine fleet alongside a deepening of co-operation between the three countries on other advanced military technologies. The Committee’s inquiry will consider how AUKUS is progressing against existing milestones and what challenges may need to be addressed to give it the greatest chance of success. It will consider how changes in the geopolitical situation since 2021 may impact the programme, and whether governance and accountability mechanisms across Whitehall are adequate. The full terms of reference can be found in the call for evidence.