Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of making the Telecommunications Fraud Sector Charter compulsory.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is clear that all sectors and partners need to move further and faster to prevent fraud and protect UK citizens and businesses.

The Telecommunications Charter is a testament to what can be achieved when industry and government work together to deliver tangible actions that reduce the fraud threat. We are working on a second charter which will build on the telecommunication sector’s existing voluntary anti-fraud work and go further in identifying, preventing and disrupting telecoms fraud.

As per the manifesto commitment, we will also be publishing an expanded Fraud Strategy that covers the full range of threats that our society faces from this crime.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) nurseries, (b) primary schools, (c) secondary schools and (d) 16-18 colleges identified as containing asbestos and listed on the Schools Rebuilding Programme (i) were scheduled to be and (ii) were (A) complete and (B) in progress by 1 March 2025.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government has committed £1.4 billion to continue the current School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) in 2025/26, reconfirming our commitment to rebuild or refurbish 518 schools and sixth-form colleges across England, prioritising delivery based on need.

Asbestos management in schools and other buildings is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Responsible bodies are duty holders for asbestos management within school buildings and must follow requirements and standards set by the HSE. The department expects all local authorities, governing bodies, academy trusts and colleges to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos in school buildings effectively and in line with their legal duties, drawing on appropriate professional advice. The department follows the advice of the HSE that, provided asbestos-containing materials are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed, it is generally safest to manage them in place, otherwise they should be removed.

Just under half of schools in the SRP have started various stages of project delivery. Of those that have not yet commenced, the department plans to increase the number of school rebuilding projects starting delivery activity in the next financial year to 100.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many employees in the civil service have a learning disability.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

No data is held centrally on the total number of Civil Service employees with learning disabilities.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Frontier Economics' report entitled Modelling the effects of closer UK-EU cooperation and of US tariffs, published on 10 February 2025.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

We welcome the publication of the report and the contribution to the evidence base used to inform our trade policy. Our number one priority is growing the UK economy, and a positive trading relationship with both the US and with our European partners are part of that approach.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) nurseries, (b) primary schools, (c) secondary schools and (d) 16-18 colleges identified as containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and listed on the Schools Rebuilding Programme (i) were scheduled to be and (ii) were (A) complete and (B) in progress by 1 March 2025.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is committed to improving the condition of the school and college estate through the department’s annual funding for the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) and by fixing the problem of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). The government is funding the removal of RAAC from schools and colleges in England, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the SRP. All schools and colleges confirmed to have RAAC are providing full-time, face-to-face education for all pupils and have suitable mitigations in place.

For schools and colleges receiving grants to permanently remove RAAC, it is for responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on support from the department as needed. The department is encouraging responsible bodies to plan their projects for completion as soon as realistically possible, although settings will need sufficient time in school holidays for works to take place. The department is continuing to support responsible bodies as they take this forward.

All schools in the SRP are prioritised for delivery according to the condition of their buildings, their readiness to proceed and the efficiency of delivery. This includes schools who will have RAAC permanently removed through the SRP. The department also takes into account the suitability and longevity of any temporary accommodation schools may have in place. Expected delivery timeframes have been communicated to all responsible bodies and specific start dates are communicated at least a month in advance of the project entering delivery. Once a school enters delivery, a project team carries out a feasibility study which determines the scope of the works. All schools with confirmed RAAC in SRP are progressing as planned.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of testing water quality under the water framework directive annually instead of every three years.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency (EA) samples and analyses local water body information continuously throughout the year. Under the Water Framework Directive, the EA must publish the sample results at least every six years as a national classification inform River Basin Management Plans. The EA also publishes an interim updates every three years. This is the best use of resources given the natural environment takes time to respond to changes.

We are making significant improvement to our monitoring to give a fuller, more accurate picture of our water bodies. The flagship Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment programme will provide a statistically robust baseline assessment of the health of waters at a national scale.

The independent commission into the water sector regulatory system was launched by UK and Welsh Governments in October 2024. The commission is reviewing the Water Framework Directive and the associated monitoring system. The Commission will report to the UK and Welsh Governments by the end of June 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent the sale of lethal substances promoted by online pro-suicide forums.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of these chemicals for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.

The Home Office work with retailers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are currently leading on the Online Safety Act.

Protecting children from data exploitation

Found: During the Commons committee stage on the bill, Munira Wilson (LD) raised the issue of children placed

Found: During the Commons committee stage on the bill, Munira Wilson (LD) raised the issue of children placed

Found: Twelfth and Thirteenth Sittings Negatived on division_281 Rachael Maskell Naz Shah Munira Wilson

Found: _490 Munira Wilson Mr Paul Kohler Gideon Amos Monica Harding Anna Dixon Calum Miller Rachael

Found: _490 Munira Wilson Mr Paul Kohler Gideon Amos Monica Harding Anna Dixon Calum Miller Rachael

Found: Negatived on division_NC10 Steve Darling Sarah Gibson Daisy Cooper Clive Jones Munira Wilson Olly