Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of adding carcinogenic warnings to the packaging of processed meats, such as ham and bacon.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency to assess the safety of food products, and we will continue to be guided by their recommendations. Separately, through our National Cancer Plan, we are working to ensure that the National Health Service remains at the cutting edge of global research into the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, and the United Kingdom scientific bodies leading that work are constantly exploring new evidence to that end.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment UKHSA has made of the necessity to conduct further research and evidence review of the levels of PFAS near industrial sites in (a) England and (b) the UK.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Committee on Toxicity continues its work assessing the evidence to support the human health risk assessment of PFAS by Government departments and agencies in the context of existing and legacy exposure through food, drinking water, and the environment. Further details can be found at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cot-subgroup-terms-of-references/pfas-terms-of-reference

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether UKHSA is planning to conduct further research and evidence review of the levels of PFAS near industrial sites in (a) England and (b) the UK.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Committee on Toxicity continues its work assessing the evidence to support the human health risk assessment of PFAS by Government departments and agencies in the context of existing and legacy exposure through food, drinking water, and the environment. Further details can be found at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cot-subgroup-terms-of-references/pfas-terms-of-reference

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many criminal cases in England and Wales are listed for their next substantive hearing in a) 2027, b) 2028, c) 2029 and d) 2030 or later.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

As at 30 September 2026 (the latest available data), the number of criminal cases in England and Wales listed for trial in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030 are as follows:

HMCTS Management Information – extracted Crown Operational Dashboard 15 October 2026

1. The management information presented in this table reflects what is recorded on relevant case-management systems on the date of extraction. The case management systems are continually updated and so the information presented will differ from any previously provided or published information. Management Information is subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale reporting system.
2. The number of listed trials for each year is defined as: a future trial date is listed where for that case a plea and trial preparation hearing (PTPH) has taken place. For context, the PTPH gives an indication of defendants' plea. Once a not guilty plea has been registered against any offence on the indictment, a trial may take place.
3. If a case has two trial dates listed, the latest trial date is captured.
4. Note that the data are quality assured to remove future trial dates that do not meet accuracy standards - this means there is potential for undercounting the true number of cases where a trial is listed in future years.

The Lord Chancellor has made clear his commitment to reduce the Crown Court backlog and enable victims to have their day in court faster – this is why we are acting on all fronts. We are investing heavily in Crown Court capacity, court infrastructure, uncapped sitting days, technology and legal aid. We are also driving greater efficiency in the courts through measures such as responsible AI innovation, case coordinators for every Crown Court centre, and close collaboration with the judiciary on their reforms to listing practices and virtual hearings guidance. The Government has also brought forward structural reforms through the Courts and Tribunals Bill – based on Lord Leveson’s recommendations in his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts – to ease pressure on the Crown Court, ensure proportionate allocation of resource, and redress the balance between victims and defendants.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the latest date currently to a Crown Court trial as a result of court backlogs.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government inherited a record and rising backlog. We know this means that thousands of victims, witnesses and defendants are waiting years for their day in court, and justice delayed is justice denied. As at 30 September 2026 (the latest available date), the furthest-listed Crown Court trial was scheduled for December 2030.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report by Transport and Environment entitled 'Overshoot: How expansion plans break European airports' carbon limits'.

Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government considers a range of evidence on aviation emissions, including relevant international and European analysis and external reports.

Aviation demand associated with an expanded Heathrow has been factored into successive carbon budget assessments, most recently the impact assessment for the Seventh Carbon Budget. The Government takes an economy-wide approach to meeting carbon budgets, considering the overall package of policies and proposals required across sectors. This supports delivery of net zero through the most practical and cost-effective pathway.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of UK aviation expansion on carbon emissions set in a a) global and b) European context.

Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government considers a range of evidence on aviation emissions, including relevant international and European analysis and external reports.

Aviation demand associated with an expanded Heathrow has been factored into successive carbon budget assessments, most recently the impact assessment for the Seventh Carbon Budget. The Government takes an economy-wide approach to meeting carbon budgets, considering the overall package of policies and proposals required across sectors. This supports delivery of net zero through the most practical and cost-effective pathway.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will set out which sectors will be required to make savings in carbon emissions in the context of proposals to expand Heathrow Airport.

Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government considers a range of evidence on aviation emissions, including relevant international and European analysis and external reports.

Aviation demand associated with an expanded Heathrow has been factored into successive carbon budget assessments, most recently the impact assessment for the Seventh Carbon Budget. The Government takes an economy-wide approach to meeting carbon budgets, considering the overall package of policies and proposals required across sectors. This supports delivery of net zero through the most practical and cost-effective pathway.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will set out the number of frozen assets in the UK that have been seized by a) HM Government, b) National Crime Agency, and c) Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), which is part of HM Treasury, helps to ensure that financial sanctions are properly understood, implemented and enforced in the United Kingdom. An asset freeze does not amount to the seizure of an asset. Where an asset freeze applies, funds and economic resources must be frozen and must not be dealt with or made available to, or for the benefit of, a designated person, unless an exception applies or the activity is licensed by OFSI.

OFSI conducts an Annual Frozen Asset Review and publishes information on frozen assets in its Annual Review.

In the latest Annual Review published in October 2025, OFSI announced that £37 billion in assets were reported to OFSI as frozen.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will set out an assessment of the feasibility of seizing frozen assets for community benefit.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Asset recovery is an effective tool to deprive criminals of their profits, disrupt criminal networks, deter criminality and return recovered assets to the public good. Assets recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are already used to deliver public benefit through the Government’s Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS), under which a proportion of recovered funds are redistributed to agencies involved in the asset recovery.

ARIS funding supports further enforcement activity, tackles economic crime and, where appropriate, funds community and crime prevention initiatives. Examples of how ARIS funding is used are set in the recently published Asset Recovery Annual Statistical Bulletin: Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme - GOV.UK

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department takes to assess when a national Government response is needed during a climate emergency.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

The Amber Book, publicly available on gov.uk, is the UK Government’s national framework for crisis response. It establishes clear roles and responsibilities for emergencies, including defining expectations across the lifecycle of a crisis. It also defines arrangements for responding to acute emergencies, as well as enduring response arrangements for issues that continue to pose an enduring challenge over a longer timeframe.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether her Department has produced modelling on the timing of Government responses to a) wildfires and b) flooding.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office works with other government departments, including MHCLG (lead government department for wildfires) and Defra (lead government department for flooding) to closely monitor emerging risks to enable the government to respond rapidly and proportionately as required. The Cabinet Office will continue to liaise with the relevant departments throughout any response required.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how the funding for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will be divided between the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

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

The exact funding split is currently being determined. Departmental teams are reviewing the relevant budgets to determine the specific resources for each transferring function. Final figures will be confirmed through standard Machinery of Government processes and set out in the Supplementary Estimates.

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Found: Welfare OrganisationLondonW12 7JPVoluntary, charity and social enterpriseCommittedLondonOffice of Munira Wilson

Found: Organisation London W12 7JP Voluntary, charity and social enterprise Committed London Office of Munira Wilson