Neil Shastri-Hurst

The Government recognises the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. We recognise that there are limitations in the existing evidence on the societal cost of gambling harm and that there is a need for better data and further research on this topic. As stated in its manifesto, the Government is committed to strengthening the protections for those at risk and working with industry on how to ensure responsible gambling. We are considering the best available evidence from a wide range of sources to inform decisions on how best to fulfil the manifesto commitment to reducing gambling-related harm.

We continue to work closely with Chiltern Railways to support delivery of its train fleet renewal programme to improve passenger experience and drive sustainable growth across the region.

Chiltern is exploring options to procure additional trains, while following robust assurance steps to ensure it has a strong business case that delivers value for money for the taxpayer.

The UK is an active and committed member of IMO, the international body with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping.

As a contracting Government to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs), and other safety related instruments, the UK has implemented regulations that require UK-flagged merchant ships to comply with internationally agreed safety standards when operating on any international route.

The UK shares information and guidance with Red Ensign flagged vessels to support them in implementing adequate and proportionate measures to support safe operations in challenging environments.

To identify the time taken to investigate all cases specifically alleging sexual harassment would require gathering information from across DWP managers and would therefore incur disproportionate cost. For cases investigated by our expert HR Investigation Service, the average time taken to investigate a complaint and reach a decision is 14 weeks.

DWP attaches the highest priority to rigorously investigating allegations of alleged sexual harassment and will always listen sensitively to employees raising concerns about alleged harassment and ensure they are fully supported. All allegations of sexual harassment are required to be notified to the DWP HR Investigation Service, DWP’s in house expert investigation team. The team investigate the most serious and complex cases, with other cases being investigated either by one of a pool of independent trained investigators drawn from across the Department, or by local managers. If the HR Investigation Service team are not personally investigating, they provide support investigators. Senior managers in the work area are also required to monitor progress of investigations and to keep all concerned informed of progress. All investigations are completed in line with DWP policy and standard, with a suite of advisory videos, template reports and guidance for those conducting investigations.

All formal cases of harassment, bullying and discrimination are required to be flagged with the DWP’s expert HR Investigation Service. In the past year (Dec 23 - Nov 24) the HR Investigation Service has investigated 24 cases of alleged sexual harassment.

DWP is currently defending Employment Tribunal 34 cases, lodged within the past two years, with harassment as one of the heads of claim. The ET1 claim form specifies only “harassment” so the 34 cases include cases of harassment on grounds other than sexual harassment.

DWP has improved data collation and insight over the past year. Data for each of the past 5 years can only be provided at disproportionate cost as it would require collecting data from local managers across the Department.

DWP has not taken formal steps to estimate the number of cases of sexual harassment that are unreported. DWP attaches the highest priority to investigating allegations of alleged sexual harassment and will always listen sensitively to employees raising concerns about alleged harassment and ensure they are fully supported. There are a number of alternative routes for possible reporting of concerns and these are regularly publicised to all colleagues

It is the responsibility of individual UK medical schools to determine the content of their own curricula. The delivery of these undergraduate curricula has to meet the standards set by the medical regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), who monitors and checks to make sure that these standards are maintained. GMC standards require the curriculum to be formed in a way that allows all medical students to meet the GMC’s Outcomes for Graduates by the time they complete their medical degree, which describes the knowledge, skills and behaviour they have to show as newly registered doctors.

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. We will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Primary care providers, including general practitioners (GPs), are valued independent contractors that provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each contracted sector about the services it provides, and the money providers are entitled to in return. As in previous years, this issue will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. We will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Primary care providers, including general practitioners (GPs), are valued independent contractors that provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each contracted sector about the services it provides, and the money providers are entitled to in return. As in previous years, this issue will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. We will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Primary care providers, including general practitioners (GPs), are valued independent contractors that provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each contracted sector about the services it provides, and the money providers are entitled to in return. As in previous years, this issue will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.

Malaria is not currently transmitted in the United Kingdom, but travel-associated cases occur in those who have returned to, or arrived in, the UK from malaria-endemic areas.

Modelling has investigated the impact of different climate change scenarios on the likelihood for plasmodium falciparum transmission in the UK. Four of the five models suggested a low risk by the year 2100, even at extreme scenarios, with the fifth model predicting suitability in southern England for sustained transmission lasting more than one month by 2080.

With climate change, theoretically a warmer summer would reduce the extrinsic incubation of the pathogen in mosquitos and increase the local malaria risk.

This Government is clear that Russia must be held responsible for its illegal war. That includes its obligations under international law to pay for the damage it has caused in Ukraine. Working with allies, we continue to pursue all possible lawful avenues by which Russia can be made to meet those obligations. Our agreement with G7 partners to provide approximately $50 billion in additional funding to Ukraine, repaid by the profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets, is an important step towards ensuring Russia pays. Our focus is on delivering this commitment, including the UK's £2.26 billion contribution, as soon as possible.

Since February 2022 the UK has provided fiscal assistance worth £4.1 billion via guarantees for World Bank lending to support Ukraine's economic stability. This includes multi-year assistance worth $3 billion, which will be delivered in yearly $1 billion tranches. This is part of a collective G7 effort over Ukraine's International Monetary Fund programme.

As G7 leaders announced in June, we are working together to implement 'Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration' loans, which will provide approximately $50 billion in additional funding.

An overview of UK support is published on gov.uk [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-support-to-ukraine-factsheet/uk-support-to-ukraine-factsheet].

The UK remains committed to supporting and implementing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a vital pillar of the international peace and security architecture. The NPT has created the non-proliferation framework that has both limited the spread of nuclear weapons and enabled safe access to nuclear technologies for peaceful uses. The UK contributes over £20 million each year to the International Atomic Energy Agency who ensure NPT compliance and hold member states to account on their obligations.

The UK is committed to universal implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. We will work with other States Parties to strengthen the Convention in 2025, fifty years after it entered into force. The UK's ambition for enhancing our own resilience, is set out in our Biological Security Strategy.

This Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.

We continue to see evidence of Chinese state-affiliated cyber actors deploying sophisticated capabilities to pursue strategic objectives which threaten the security and stability of UK interests. It has been raised at senior levels and we expect China to uphold its commitment to act responsibly in cyberspace.

The UK will bring a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. This Government has committed to carry out an audit of the full breadth of the UK's relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses. The Government's first duty is to protect our national security and keep this country safe.