Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2024 to Question 10460 on Railways: Electrification, whether she has made an estimate of the potential savings to the public purse per mile of track electrified from introducing a rolling programme of electrification.

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

The department has not made an estimate of the potential savings of a rolling programme of electrification; however, we recognise the potential benefits such a programme could have for reducing the cost of delivering electrification infrastructure in this country. Officials are working closely with Network Rail to develop updated plans for where and when electrification is required to deliver a fully decarbonised railway over the next 25 years that considers both track and train and the significant recent progress in battery technology, and will consider potential cost savings as part of this process.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timeline is for the introduction of the Digital Veteran Card.

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

The digital HM Armed Forces Veteran Card is scheduled for release by the end of summer 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to (a) prevent and (b) punish the crime of genocide.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Working closely with our partners and civil society, we take steps to help address the root causes and protect civilians at immediate risk using development, diplomacy and humanitarian action. UK funding has enabled the UN Office for Genocide Prevention and the independent Global Centre on the Responsibility to Protect to help improve ways to support populations at risk of atrocities. The UK is also one of the biggest contributors to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, the primary UN mechanism supporting violence prevention activity in over 40 countries.

Support for international criminal justice and accountability is a fundamental element of our foreign policy. The UK supports and fully respects the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern, including genocide.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department segregates armaments into (a) defensive and (b) offensive categories.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence does not categorise armaments as defensive or offensive during the procurement process. Items are generally considered in terms of the capability that they provide, and many items are capable of being used both offensively and defensively.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of adult social care provision in Slough.

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

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In performing that duty, a local authority must have regard to the need to ensure that it is aware of current and likely future demand for such services and to consider how providers might meet that demand.

The Government is supporting local authorities by making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what recent steps she has taken to help increase prosecution rates for knife crime.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

This Government is committed to halving knife crime in the next decade as set out in our Safer Streets Mission.

The number of cases that the CPS prosecuted for possession of a knife under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and Prevention of Crime Act 1953 has risen from 26,500 (2022-2023) to 27,818 (2023-2024).

The Crime and Policing Bill introduces several knife crime specific measures including a new offence of possession of a knife or offensive weapon with intent to use it for violence; and increasing the maximum penalties for offences relating to the sale and possession of offensive weapons from six months to two years imprisonment. We will also give police power to seize and destroy knifes that they suspect will be used for violence.

Additionally, the Government has set up a national taskforce with policing leaders, which the CPS is supporting. This taskforce is exploring actions to prevent, tackle and reduce knife enabled robbery.

The Government is also acting to address the deadly cycle of knife crime by getting more dangerous weapons off our streets and preventing young people from being drawn into violent crime in the first place, with a radical new Young Futures prevention programme and early intervention for those at-risk. Working with our criminal justice partners, we will also introduce tough consequences for youths caught with knives, including more referrals to Youth Offending Teams.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she conducted an economic impact assessment on changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.

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

The criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access funding. The department always assesses the impact, including the economic impact, of changes on vulnerable children.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with the United Nations on the proportion of the population of Gaza who are at risk of (a) famine and (b) starvation.

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

In our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May, we highlighted the recent report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Partnership, and called on Israel to lift its cruel and inexcusable block in the flow of aid to Gaza. The report found that the whole of Gaza faces a critical risk of famine and that half a million people are facing starvation. In a joint statement with Canada and France on 19 May, the Prime Minister called on Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. This must include engaging with the UN to ensure a return to delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with retailers on (a) mitigating and (b) preventing ransomware attacks.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is working in close coordination with law enforcement, the Department for Business and Trade and other relevant government departments to support each of the affected retailers. This includes providing technical expertise and strategic guidance which assist with incident response and recovery.

The NCSC is maintaining active engagement with the wider retail sector to share threat information and offer mitigative guidance aimed at reducing the risk from further incidents.

The Government offers free guidance, tools and training to help businesses improve their cyber resilience. This includes a new Cyber Governance Code of Practice to help boards and directors manage digital risks, and the Cyber Essentials scheme which is highly effective in protecting businesses against cyber-attacks.

Details of any Ministerial and Senior Officials' meetings and engagements can be found in the Department’s quarterly transparency returns on Gov.uk.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with SMEs on barriers to defence procurement.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As part of our development of the Defence Industrial Strategy I have attended a series of Roundtable events with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the United Kingdom. These events provide an opportunity to engage with SMEs across the defence supply chain, and to receive feedback on their experiences of doing business with defence, including the challenges which they encounter.

In addition to this, planning for a new SME Support Centre for SMEs has started. Officials have held multiple consultation events with SMEs and defence industry to ensure that the new service meets defence SMEs needs. We will be holding more consultation events in the coming weeks.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the stability of the semiconductor supply chain for the UK defence industry.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department is actively engaged in de-risking critical defence supply chain vulnerabilities, including for semiconductors, working collaboratively with industry and our international partners to mitigate risks. We aim to identify critical pinch points in our supply chains, for example, critical components, to enable us to make informed decisions around how and if to intervene. The Strategic Review and Defence Industrial Strategy will restate the importance of robust and resilience supply chains to ensure the delivery of critical defence outputs and keep the UK safe and secure.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with defence manufacturers on skills levels in that sector.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence is working closely with the defence industry to ensure we have the skilled workforce we require across the defence sector and this is an important focus in the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.

We will continue working with industry, including through the newly established Defence Industrial Joint Council, to ensure the sector has access to the skilled workforce it requires now and into the future.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within the defence sector.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is one of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the UK with over 25,000 apprenticeships across the Armed Forces and Civil Service in 2024. The MOD is working closely with the Department for Education and with the defence industry to ensure we have the skilled workforce we require across the defence sector. This is an important focus in the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of animals used for Defence Science and Technology Laboratory research in 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl) remit to provide safe and effective countermeasures for UK Armed Forces could not currently be achieved without some use of animals. The Ministry of Defence does not conduct animal experiments for the development or testing of offensive weapons.

Dstl is committed to the principles of Reduction, Replacement and Refinement (3Rs) in its use of laboratory animals, and only use animals where no feasible alternative methodologies exist.

In 2024, Dstl used 679 animals in procedures regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).

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 adequacy of the accessibility of financial support available for sole traders.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Small businesses are the heart of our high streets and communities and are essential to our vision for growth and economic success.

The Government is committed to improving access to finance for small businesses, including sole traders, so they can grow and reach new domestic and international markets. Sole traders can benefit from the Start Up Loans programme, which helps entrepreneurs access the finance and mentoring advice they need to make their business ideas a reality.

Additionally, UK Export Finance offers financial support to boost export activities and helps exporters win contracts, fulfil orders, and make payment guarantees.

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 of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator on the potential impact of aid shortages on baby mortality in Gaza; and if he will take additional steps to help prevent potential loss of life.

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

As the Foreign Secretary said to this house on 20 May, the threat of starvation hanging over hundreds of thousands of civilians is abominable, this includes the risk to infants and children who are disproportionately affected by the conflict. On 19 May, we issued a statement, with France and Canada, calling on the Israeli Government to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter. The Minister for Development reiterated our support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services in a meeting with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May and in a visit to the region on 21 May where she met UNRWA staff and separately announced a further £4 million in funding to the British Red Cross to deliver humanitarian relief in Gaza through their partner the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken with his international counterparts to enable humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.

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

We call on the Government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza, now. The Foreign Secretary regularly presses his Israeli counterparts on these issues. We are calling on the Government of Israel to allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza, and let the UN and humanitarians save lives. On 13 May the UK, along with European partners, called an urgent session of the UN Security Council to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. I spoke with the Israeli Ambassador on 20 May to make clear that the UK stands firmly against Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza, its wholly inadequate plan for aid delivery, and to demand that a full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza takes place immediately.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on the provision of potential evidence possessed by the Government of (a) genocide, (b) war crimes, (c) crimes against humanity and (d) crimes of aggression to the International Criminal Court (i) where the evidence is relevant to an ongoing case before the ICC and (ii) in other circumstances.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Support for international criminal justice and accountability is a fundamental element of our foreign policy. The International Criminal Court is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. We strongly support its work and endeavour to cooperate with the Court wherever possible.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) food banks there are, (b) donations made to food banks and (c) people who used foodbanks in (i) Slough and (b) the South East in 2024.

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

The Department does not hold information on the number food banks there are, nor the number of donations made to food banks in (i) Slough and (ii) the South East in 2024.

Regional breakdowns of the number of individuals living in households that accessed a food bank in the 12 months prior to interview are available on Stat-Xplore - Home. Disaggregation by geographical regions should be presented as three-year averages. This is because single-year regional estimates are considered too volatile.

We are committed to tackling food poverty and ending mass dependence of emergency food parcels. To inform this work, DWP officials have engaged with a range of organisations to better understand the complex food poverty landscape. We also continue to provide substantial funding to Local Authorities to support those most in need and are extending the Household Support Fund (HSF) by a further year until March 2026, providing funding of £742 million in England. This will ensure low-income households can continue to access support towards the cost of essentials, such as food.

We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty so this will be the foundation of our approach. Our plan to Make Work Pay, will help more people to stay in work, improve job security and boost living standards, including by increasing the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour to boost the pay of three million workers. It is a core part of the mission to grow the economy, raise living standards across the country and create opportunities for all.

Found: Clifton-Brown Greg Smith Ruth Cadbury Dame Karen Bradley Sir Bernard Jenkin Alberto Costa Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

Found: Ingham Cat Smith Jim Allister Irene Campbell Alice Macdonald Sir Andrew Mitchell Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

Found: Clifton-Brown Greg Smith Ruth Cadbury Dame Karen Bradley Sir Bernard Jenkin Alberto Costa Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

Found: Clifton-Brown Greg Smith Ruth Cadbury Dame Karen Bradley Sir Bernard Jenkin Alberto Costa Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

Found: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Ruth Cadbury Dame Karen Bradley Sir Bernard Jenkin Alberto Costa Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

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