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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will prioritise (a) Great Yarmouth constituency and (b) other coastal areas for economic regeneration funding.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Government is fully committed to supporting the regeneration of our town centres and coastal communities.

Our new £1.5bn Plan for Neighbourhoods programme will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities across the UK, including Great Yarmouth and 24 other coastal towns; laying the foundations to kickstart local growth and drive-up living standards.

The programme will help revitalise local areas and fight deprivation at root cause. Funding from the Plan for Neighbourhoods will help people across all 75 towns create bespoke regeneration plans that best fits the needs of their community, delivering change that people can see and identify with.

Alongside this, Great Yarmouth will benefit from an additional £597k for 2025-26 to support new or existing UK Shared Prosperity Fund investments.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding she has made available for town centre regeneration in Great Yarmouth constituency.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Government is fully committed to supporting the regeneration of our town centres and coastal communities.

Our new £1.5bn Plan for Neighbourhoods programme will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities across the UK, including Great Yarmouth and 24 other coastal towns; laying the foundations to kickstart local growth and drive-up living standards.

The programme will help revitalise local areas and fight deprivation at root cause. Funding from the Plan for Neighbourhoods will help people across all 75 towns create bespoke regeneration plans that best fits the needs of their community, delivering change that people can see and identify with.

Alongside this, Great Yarmouth will benefit from an additional £597k for 2025-26 to support new or existing UK Shared Prosperity Fund investments.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase (a) employment and (b) apprenticeships for young people in Great Yarmouth constituency

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department understands the negative effects of unemployment can be particularly pronounced for young people and can have longstanding implications on their future earnings potential and life chances.

That is why as part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Youth Guarantee will build upon and enhance existing entitlements and provisions with the aim of tackling the rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training.

DWP currently provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners.

For example, In Great Yarmouth, Jobcentre Work Coaches refer 16- to 24-year-olds to the Mason Trust's 'Step Forward' programme for employability support, including CV drafting, confidence building, and interview preparation. They also refer 16- to 19-year-olds in Nelson Ward to the Matthew Project's 'On Track' programme, offering 1:1 coaching and community engagement for those NEET or at risk. Jobcentres host regular Job Fairs and Provider Events, showcasing employment and training opportunities, including local apprenticeships, with around 30 employers participating.

Apprenticeships are a core part of the government’s skills agenda and a route to employment, open to everyone aged 16+, from career starters to those looking to upskill or retrain them. Work coaches nationwide, including Great Yarmouth, promote apprenticeships as a career path, and DWP employer-facing teams encourage businesses to develop suitable apprenticeship opportunities for customers.

The Government is reforming the apprenticeships to be more flexible and aligned to the industrial strategy. The Department for Education is working to introduce new foundation and shorter apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors. These will help more people gain high-quality skills, fuel innovation in businesses across the country, and provide high-quality entry pathways for young people.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deportation orders have been issued to illegal migrants in Great Yarmouth constituency in the last year.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The requested information is not held on a constituency level, and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of halal food served in hospitals.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data on the amount of halal food served in the National Health Service is not collected centrally. No estimate has been made of the proportion of halal food served in hospitals.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of using remittance sanctions to increase deportation compliance by foreign governments.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the Lord Chancellor on the potential merits of limiting the availability of public funds for people who have challenged immigration enforcement through the courts more than once.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on building (a) dedicated runways and (b) transit facilities for mass deportation operations.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the cost of (a) hiring and (b) training staff to support large-scale deportation operations.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered the use of chartered sea vessels to support mass deportation of illegal migrants.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders.

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 publishing a list of countries whose citizens exhibit high levels of UK visa (a) overstays, (b) fraud and (c) other abuses of process.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers should note and follow the ruling.

It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.

The Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC), as Britain’s equalities watchdog, is developing updated guidance to support service providers. Ministers will consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it following further work in light of this ruling.

The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the (a) nationality and (b) immigration status of people using NHS (i) primary and (ii) secondary care services.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold or collect the information requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take legislative steps to fast-track the removal of people who have been denied the right to stay in the UK and make vexatious appeals from the tribunal.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 2nd May to question 45760.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of business rates on retail unit closures in Great Yarmouth town centre between 2018 and 2024.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

During the interim period, for 2025-26, RHL properties will receive a 40% relief on business rates bills up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. To protect the smallest properties from inflationary increases, the small business multiplier paid by properties with RVs below £51,000 has also been frozen for a further year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeships were started by young people aged 16–24 in Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the past five years.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The number of apprenticeship starts in the Great Yarmouth constituency by age group are published in the ‘Apprenticeships’ accredited official statistics publication, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/a9552480-ccf9-421e-95ad-08dd85738b16. These were last published in March 2025. They include full year figures covering the 2019/20 to 2023/24 academic years, and year-to-date figures for 2024/25 (August 2024 to January 2025).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reported knife crime incidents were recorded in the Great Yarmouth policing area in each of the last three years.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on offences involving a knife or sharp instrument recorded by the police in England and Wales at the Police Force Area level.

These data, including for Norfolk Constabulary, are available here: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to allocate additional police resources to tackle antisocial behaviour in Great Yarmouth town centre.

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

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

​The Government’s Plan for Change details our commitment to reduce ASB, including the delivery of a dedicated lead officer in every police force in England and Wales working with communities to develop a local ASB action plan. We are also delivering on our commitment to restore and strengthen neighbourhood policing, ensuring thousands of additional police officers and police community support officers are out patrolling in our town centres and communities to make streets safer. As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, Norfolk Police have been allocated £2,237,478 for an increase of 31 police officers.

These officers will be equipped with tougher powers, such as the Respect Order, which was introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill, to crack down on ASB and crimes blighting our high streets and town centres.

The 2025-26 final Police Funding Settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement and includes an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of putting 13,000 additional police officers and personnel into neighbourhood policing roles.

The Home Office is providing funding this financial year (2025-26) to police forces in England and Wales to deliver high visibility patrols in the areas worst affected by knife crime, serious violence and ASB. Norfolk Constabulary will receive £1m.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle (a) knife crime and (b) gang activity in Great Yarmouth constituency.

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

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission. To do this, we have:

• Launched a Halving Knife Crime Coalition, including representation from Norwich, to agree how best to tackle youth knife crime.
• Implemented a ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes. It is now illegal to sell, manufacture or possess these weapons.
• Introduced new legislation in Parliament to ban ninja swords.
• Planned a surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own these weapons to hand them in. From 1 August 2025 it will be illegal to sell or own these weapons.
• Allocated £66.3m nationally, including £1m for Norfolk, for the Hotspot Action Fund for 25/26, to deliver high visibility patrolling in hotspots of knife crime, serious violence and ASB.
• Launched a Knife-Enabled Robbery Taskforce to deliver new operational tactics to bring down levels of knife-enabled robbery.
• Started development of a new Young Futures programme to intervene earlier to ensure young people facing poorer outcomes and vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.
• Invested £1.5 million to support Violence Reduction Units to expand their Focused Deterrence Interventions to steer young people away from criminality.

To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation.

Through the County Lines Programme we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade. Between July and September 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people.

Through the Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. In addition, we have a dedicated surge fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Norfolk Police.

As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we are also introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring children into violence and crime, and we are providing specialist support for children and young people involved in county lines to exit safely.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she plans to take to reduce court backlogs affecting residents of Great Yarmouth constituency.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. We have funded a record-high allocation of 110,000 Crown Court sitting days this financial year to tackle the outstanding caseload. As part of our commitment to bearing down on the caseload we have increased magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 months to 12 months’ imprisonment for single triable-either way offences. This will free up capacity in the Crown Court, ensuring it is reserved for the more serious and complex cases.

However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days alone can achieve. This is why we have commissioned an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to consider the merits of longer-term reform and the efficiency of processes in the criminal courts.

In Great Yarmouth, we continue to maximise the use of our Crown court estate to increase the number of cases we sit, by utilising a room in Whitefriars for video hearings and an additional room in King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court (in addition to Norwich Combined). For the Magistrates’ Court, recruitment of legal advisors has taken place, resulting in increased hearings in the autumn, following training.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers and government departments should note and follow the ruling.

It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.

The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of GP-to-patient ratios in the Great Yarmouth constituency as of April 2025.

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

General practitioners (GPs) have delivered an estimated 32.3 million appointments in March 2025, an increase of 6% since March 2024. In March 2025, in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board there were 643,000 GP appointments delivered.

In addition, through an £82 million funding boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), we have recruited 1,503 more GPs since 1 October 2024.

As of 31 March 2025, the median number of full-time equivalent doctors in general practice per 10,000 registered patients was 7.0 in Great Yarmouth constituency. GPs employed through the ARRS are not included as they are employed by primary care networks, rather than directly by practices.

There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a GP should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients.

The demands each patient places on their general practice are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole; not only GPs but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of GP service availability in Great Yarmouth constituency.

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

General practitioners (GPs) have delivered an estimated 32.3 million appointments in March 2025, an increase of 6% since March 2024. In March 2025, in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board there were 643,000 GP appointments delivered.

In addition, through an £82 million funding boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), we have recruited 1,503 more GPs since 1 October 2024.

As of 31 March 2025, the median number of full-time equivalent doctors in general practice per 10,000 registered patients was 7.0 in Great Yarmouth constituency. GPs employed through the ARRS are not included as they are employed by primary care networks, rather than directly by practices.

There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a GP should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients.

The demands each patient places on their general practice are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole; not only GPs but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect Hemsby from coastal erosion.

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

The shoreline management approach for Hemsby’s coastline is managed realignment, as outlined in the Shoreline Management Plan which has been developed locally. The flood and coastal erosion risk management investment programme includes risk management structures for the coast where it is sustainable and affordable to build them. In areas where it is not, other approaches such as managed realignment will be needed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) religious and (b) cultural holidays are observed by their Department.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK Civil Service only formally observes the Government-set bank holidays.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the UK Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025, if he will take steps to apply the biological definition of a woman to all (a) policies and (b) communications.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

The Supreme Court’s ruling makes clear that for the purposes of the Equality Act, the term ‘woman’ refers to a biological woman. The ruling has provided clarity for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges and sports clubs. This Government will continue to protect single-sex spaces based on biological sex.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to supporting service providers with updated guidance; they will consult widely as they develop this. All government departments should follow the clarity the ruling provides.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to issue guidance to civil servants on the use of sex-based language, in the context of the Supreme Court ruling on For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

The Supreme Court’s ruling makes clear that for the purposes of the Equality Act, the term ‘woman’ refers to a biological woman. The ruling has provided clarity for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges and sports clubs. This Government will continue to protect single-sex spaces based on biological sex.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to supporting service providers with updated guidance; they will consult widely as they develop this. All government departments should follow the clarity the ruling provides.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment (a) of the potential merits of cancelling all foreign aid to Pakistan and (b) with the Secretary of State for the Home Department of the potential merits of using that funding for a national inquiry into grooming gangs.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has transitioned from a traditional aid relationship with Pakistan to a mutually beneficial partnership which underpins UK national interests, including working with Pakistan to tackle irregular migration, terrorism and organised crime. Some of the technical assistance we provide through UK Official Development Assistance is integral to these efforts. The Home Secretary has commissioned a National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of ambulance response times in Great Yarmouth constituency exceeded national targets for category 1 and category 2 calls in the last 12 months.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold the information in the format requested.

NHS England publishes official statistics for average ambulance response times by category of incident at a national level and at ambulance trust level. In addition, information on Category 2 ambulance response times has also been published since April 2024 by integrated care board area. This information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people claimed asylum by religion in each of the last five years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes available data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum claims is published in table Asy_D01 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. The latest data relates to 2024. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has issued guidance to (a) immigration officers and (b) caseworkers on the compatibility of an asylum claimant's (i) views on (A) democracy, (B) free speech and (C) gender equality and (ii) other (1) cultural and (2) religious views with long-term residence in the UK.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

All asylum decision-making guidance, including our policy on extremism (contained within Exclusion (Article 1F) and Article 33(2) of the Refugee Convention guidance), is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/asylum-decision-making-guidance-asylum-instructions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of dentistry in Great Yarmouth constituency.

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

Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324

As Lord Darzi made clear in his independent investigation of the National Health Service in England, there are wide variations in the number of NHS dentists per population in different areas of the country. Rural and coastal communities particularly lack access to NHS dentistry. This is certainly the case in Norfolk and Waveney, where the integrated care board has 31.5 dentists per 100,000 population, compared to an average of 49.5 per 100,000 across England.

We have announced a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to require Departments to publish disaggregated statistics on public service usage by immigration status.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Office for National Statistics collects and publishes just under 50% of our national statistics. The rest of our national statistics are collected and published by each relevant department.

There are no plans to change the current requirements for departments.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to UK-India trade deal, if she will make an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of the exemption for Indian people working in the UK from National Insurance contributions for three years.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The OBR will certify the impact of the trade deal including the Double Contributions Convention in the usual way at a fiscal event, once the deal is finalised and ratified. The agreement to negotiate a Double Contributions Convention was made in the context of the wider deal, which will bring billions into the economy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department welcomes the Supreme Court's ruling and the clarity that it brings. We will review our internal policies wherever necessary, ensuring that they follow the clarity provided by the ruling and comply with the latest legal position. We will also ensure that the protections which remain in place for trans people to live free from discrimination and harassment, including in relation to their employment, are also taken into account.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Prevent referrals related to Islamic extremism resulted in (a) prosecutions and (b) removals from the country in the last three years; and what steps her Department is taking to improve the enforcement of removal orders.

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

Prevent aims to intervene early to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. The Prevent Duty sits alongside long-established safeguarding duties on professionals to protect people from a range of harms. It helps to ensure that people who are susceptible to radicalisation are supported as they would be under safeguarding processes. A Prevent referral does not amount to an accusation of criminality.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to review the Government's provision of sex-specific (a) facilities and (b) services in government buildings, in the context of the UK Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements.

We will consult with our Government Legal Department and Kings Counsel Lawyers who specialise in employment law.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the fishing industry in Great Yarmouth constituency following the UK’s departure from the EU.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As an independent coastal state, we have been able to progress our fisheries management in a way that better supports the needs of our own fishing industry. This includes reforming the way we manage our fisheries, such as through fisheries management plans which will play a crucial role in supporting the long-term sustainability of fishing businesses and delivering growth in coastal communities such as Great Yarmouth. We are also making progress on a wider set of fisheries management reforms, including for example the way we manage discards, the introduction of remote electronic monitoring and trialling new ways to allocate quota.

At the same time, our departure from the EU has generated additional fishing opportunities with a quota uplift. For example, it is estimated that the UK secured 126,000 tonnes more in fishing opportunities for 2024 (worth around £133m) than we would have received as a Member State.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the long-term cost to the public purse of (a) military logistics, (b) equipment support, (c) personnel risk, (d) reconstruction liabilities and (e) other costs arising from proposals for UK ground deployment to Ukraine.

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

This Government is committed to providing at least £3 billion a year in military support to Ukraine. As the Defence Secretary has made clear in the Commons, Ukraine’s security is our security, and we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. The UK will also provide £2.26 billion in additional military support to Ukraine for financial year 2025-26 through the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration loan. Additional support is being provided through UK Export Finance guaranteed loans.

Other Government Departments are also providing non-military support to Ukraine including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Business and Trade.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has had discussions with NATO allies on the potential impact of the (a) capture, (b) injury and (c) killing of UK personnel while operating in Ukraine on the potential for (i) escalation and (ii) retaliation.

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

The Defence Secretary regularly speaks with his NATO counterparts on practical plans for how our militaries can support security guarantees for Ukraine’s future.

The UK is playing a leading role in accelerating work on security arrangements for Ukraine. This includes putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.

Advanced operational planning within the Coalition of the Willing, which is not NATO led, remains ongoing for options across land, sea and air, and to regenerate the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban Sharia courts.

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

The Government has no plans to regulate or restrict religious processes (such as sharia courts) where all parties consent to those processes. This is consistent with Britain’s long history of freedom of worship and religious tolerance.

Sharia Courts are not part of the judicial system in England and Wales.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was of monitoring the MI5 watchlist in the latest period for which data is available.

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

The Chancellor confirmed in the Spring Statement on 26 March 2025 that the Single Intelligence Account, which provides funding for MI5, SIS and GCHQ, would increase this year to £4.6 billion. Funding for CT Policing, who work closely with MI5, also increased to £1.2 billion this year.

It is a longstanding policy not to discuss the costs and resources associated with specific capabilities such as domestic and international watchlists. Detailed breakdowns of funding allocations for the UK Intelligence Community and CT Policing are not published for security reasons.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

16 April 2025 saw the Supreme Court ruling that sex is to be understood as biological sex for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010. The Ministry of Defence notes and will follow this ruling.

It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), as Britain’s equalities watchdog, is developing updated guidance to support service providers. Ministers will consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it following further work in light of this ruling.

The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the Royal Navy’s capacity to intercept small boats in the Channel carrying people seeking unlawful entry to the UK.

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

The Home Office is the lead gGvernment department responsible for border security and migration.

It has established the Border Security Command to strengthen global partnerships and enhance the UK’s efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute people smugglers profiting from the dangerous movement of people across the channel.

Defence assets are procured for Defence tasks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of asylum seekers granted leave to remain in the UK since 2010 who have returned to their country of origin for (a) visits, (b) holidays and (c) family reunions; and whether her Department takes steps in such cases to reassess refugee status.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not centrally hold the requested data, and could only collate it through manual searching of historic case files, at a disproportionate cost to the taxpayer.

However, I can assure the Hon Member that, where someone has protection status in the UK, revocation action can be taken at any time if there is sufficient evidence to justify such action. All cases are considered on a case-by-case basis and protection status will be revoked in circumstances where there is no remaining protection need.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, if she will ensure that a (a) full debate takes place in and (b) divisible motion is agreed by the House of Commons before deploying UK ground forces to Ukraine.

Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

There is a longstanding convention on war powers which this government respects.

I refer the Hon. Member to the words of the Prime Minister on 3rd March 2025 during the statement on Ukraine (available at: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-03-03).

The Prime Minister (Official report, col.28)
"We will, of course, put details before the House when we get to that stage—if we get to that stage."

The Prime Minister (Official report, col.38)
"My position on the sustained deployment of our troops is that this House would of course want to discuss that and vote on that, but we are nowhere near that stage at the moment."

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that asylum seekers in publicly-funded accommodation do not (a) promote and (b) practise the (i) rejection of British law, (ii) subjugation of women, (iii) persecution of religious minorities and (iv) other forms of religious extremism.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

No one in the UK is allowed to engage in conduct that breaks the law, regardless of the type of accommodation in which they live.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the prevalence of (a) forced marriage, (b) domestic abuse and (c) educational disadvantage affecting Muslim women; and what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the (i) cultural and (ii) religious barriers that prevent these women from seeking (A) legal and (B) social support.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year ending March 2024 estimates that 5.2% of Muslim women experienced domestic abuse in the last year, compared to a prevalence rate of 6.6% for the adult female population as a whole. In 2023, the Home Office commissioned a feasibility study to examine whether it is possible to produce robust prevalence estimates for forced marriage. We are currently considering the next steps and will set these out in due course. The Home Office does not collect data related to the educational disadvantage.

We fund a number of organisations for specific victim cohorts, including 'by and for' services supporting specific minority groups, including services for Black and Asian women.

Protection of free expression and resistance to blasphemy laws

Upholding biological sex-based protections in single-sex spaces

UK-EU Summit (No. 2)

Dementia Action Week 2025