Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The following table contains the number of Ministry of Justice (inc. HMPPS) employees who had a disciplinary investigation case opened against them between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2025, by financial year:

Caveats

1. This is based on the latest available investigations data as at 30 September 2025 and includes all cases where the investigation was commissioned or opened between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2025 by financial year.

2. A small proportion of individuals will have been subject to multiple investigation cases. Within each financial year, individuals are only counted once in this table, regardless of how many investigations are opened against. However, where an individual has an investigation opened in more than one year, they will be counted once in each of those years.

3. This only includes cases where the individual that the case was opened was employed by MoJ HQ, HMPPS, HMCTS, OPG, LAA, and CICA, and will include all cases regardless of outcome. This excludes non-payroll employees such as agency staff and contractors.

4. Within HMPPS, all investigation cases related to disciplinary processes and so all investigation cases have been included here. Within MoJ, investigations can relate to either disciplinary processes or grievances processes. Therefore, only investigations relating to disciplinary processes have been included.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department intends to respond to the coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of Stephen Sleaford.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

HM Prison and Probation Service responded to the coroner’s Prevention of Future Death Report following the inquest into the death of Stephen Sleaford on 9 December 2024, which was within the statutory deadline of 56 days from the date of the report. The response is now available on the Chief Coroner’s website.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will ask the Health and Safety Executive to respond to the coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of Graham Faulkner.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) records indicate that a detailed response to the coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of Graham Faulkner was sent by e-mail on 3 July 2024.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to update the HMRC mileage rate to reflect changes to (a) fuel costs, (b) vehicle asset depreciation and (c) vehicle running costs since 2011.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Approved Mileage Allowance Payment rates are used by employers to reimburse an employee's expenses, tax free, for business mileage in their private vehicle. These rates are also used by self-employed drivers to claim tax relief on business mileage (when using simplified motoring expenses), and can be used by organisations to reimburse volunteers who use their own vehicle for voluntary purposes.

Employees can claim up to 45p/mile for the first 10,000 miles annually, followed by up to 25p/mile thereafter. An additional 5p/mile can be claimed for each passenger transported.

The AMAP rates are not mandatory, and employers can choose to pay more or less than the AMAP rate. It is therefore ultimately up to employers to determine the rate at which they reimburse their employees.

The government keeps all taxes under review and the Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has assessed the potential merits of making (a) directors and (b) owners of (i) dissolved and (ii) all other companies personally liable for the underpayment of taxes arising from the adaptation of tax (A) avoidance and (B) evasion schemes that those companies have (1) promoted and (2) made earnings from.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to closing the tax gap and cracking down on avoidance and evasion.

The Government is determined to do more to close in on promoters of marketed tax avoidance and recently consulted on a package of measures to strengthen HMRC’s powers to tackle them.

HMRC also carries out civil and criminal investigations into suspected tax evasion, including where there is suspicion of third parties being involved in fraud or evasions. All investigations are assessed to determine which action would be most appropriate.

It is a fundamental principle of the tax system that taxpayers are responsible for their own tax affairs. However, HMRC does levy penalties on promoters of tax avoidance and uses the Joint and Several Liability legislation to seek to recover penalty liabilities from appropriate individuals: including directors; shadow directors; or participators when the company becomes insolvent.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to introduce a universal stop notice for tax avoidance schemes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the damage caused to the tax system by those that promote tax avoidance schemes. It takes action to prevent that damage, for example by publishing details of schemes and promoters to help customers to steer clear of or otherwise exit such schemes.

The Government is determined to do more to close in on promoters of marketed tax avoidance and recently consulted on a package of measures to strengthen existing powers. This included a proposal to introduce a Universal Stop Notice. It will respond to this consultation in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made a recent estimate of the value of Russian owned assets held in the Overseas Territories.

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

The Overseas Territories (OTs) stand with the UK in condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine. The OTs have committed to implement UK sanctions in full. The Governments of the Territories take seriously their responsibility for the implementation and enforcement of sanctions within their jurisdictions. The Territories have frozen assets worth approximately US $9 billion. OT Governments have informed us that the vast majority of these assets belong to persons designated under the Russia sanctions regime.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the consistent implementation of (a) Non-Specific Symptom pathways, (b) GP direct access and (c) NHS England Best Practice Timed Pathways to ensure (i) faster and (ii) earlier diagnosis of people with pancreatic cancer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has completed the national roll-out of non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways to support faster diagnosis of cancer in patients who present with symptoms that do not align with a single cancer site.

We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practices (GPs), bringing total GP Contract spend to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, the biggest increase in over a decade. NHS England has also expanded GP direct access to diagnostic tests, enabling faster investigation of concerning symptoms.

The National Health Service has also launched a new £2 million programme which is funding 300 GPs to identify pancreatic cancer early by screening high-risk patients over 60 years old with new diabetes diagnoses and unexplained weight loss for urgent testing.

NHS England continues to implement Best Practice Timed Pathways to ensure consistent and faster diagnosis in line with the Faster Diagnosis Standard. Alongside this, it is working with Pancreatic Cancer UK on a Family History Checker to help individuals assess inherited risk, and has launched the National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Register, which supports earlier identification and screening of high-risk individuals.

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 potential merits of a national multi-cancer case finding programme to identify individuals at high risk of (a) pancreatic cancer and (b) all other cancers.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is developing case-finding approaches for less survivable cancers where the evidence supports this, including pancreatic cancer.

This work includes the development of a public-facing Family History Checker in partnership with Pancreatic Cancer UK, which enables individuals and families affected by pancreatic cancer to assess inherited risk. Those identified as being at risk are referred directly to the European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatic Diseases research trial. Referrals can be made by any healthcare professional or by individuals via self-referral, contributing to a more consistent and centralised approach to case-finding.

The National Disease Registration Service has launched the National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Register, which identifies individuals at increased inherited risk of a wide range of cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The register supports targeted screening and surveillance and will act as an electronic referral route into national screening programmes where these exist.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

In this instance, ‘disciplinary process’ has been defined as a misconduct and discpline case and ‘officials’ as Civil Servants. The table below shows the total number of misconduct cases over the last five years.

The total numbers of misconduct cases that had full investigations is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to establish new statutory action standards for PFAS in drinking water.

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

The Drinking Water Inspectorate published a report on 26 February 2025 recommending revisions to some of the parameters listed in the drinking water regulations; this included a new standard for PFAS. Defra and the DWI will work together to consider potential regulatory updates to England’s drinking water quality legislation based on these recommendations. DWI have issued guidance to water companies on PFAS. Concentrations of ‘sum of 48 PFAS’ reported as greater than 0.1 micrograms (or 100 nanograms) must be reported to the DWI as a water quality event and all necessary actions to reduce concentrations below this value must be taken. There is no evidence of PFAS above 0.1 micrograms (or 100 nanograms) in drinking water supplies.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will ask the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to respond to the coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of Kenton Beasley.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Unfortunately, although the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency had prepared a reply to the coroner, an oversight meant it was not sent as intended. I can confirm that the DVLA has now responded to the coroner on 24 October.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with Babcock on increasing the number of welding apprenticeships on UK based defence contracts.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This Government recognises the vital role Defence, and its skilled workforce, play not only in our national security but also to the economic prosperity and growth of the United Kingdom. We must work with the UK defence sector to boost skills, build rewarding careers and bring prosperity to all nations and regions.

As part of the Department's assessment of supply chain risks, the Ministry of Defence regularly monitors the availability of suitably qualified and experienced personnel needed in the delivery of our Defence programmes. The Department also has regular engagement with its suppliers to ensure the availability of the critical skills required, and the demand for craft skills, including welders, is recognised across the defence sector. This has been reflected by the launch of a new apprenticeship welding school in Bristol by Babcock earlier this year, providing a skills boost to the region and UK defence.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many vacancies are currently within HM Prison and Probation Service.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

HM Prison and Probation Service holds required staffing levels which are subject to regular amendment and managed at a local and regional level. As a result of this discretion HMPPS does not present vacancy data due to variability in required staffing levels.

HM Prison and Probation does, however, publish indicative vacancies in the HMPPS Workforce stats: HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly: June 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of (a) prisoners held and (b) staff employed by HM Prison Service was in each of the last eight years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Detailed statistics on the number of offenders in custody are published quarterly, including for the last eight years, and are available here: Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK. The average annual population can be found in Table 1_A_3 of the Annual Prison Population tables, published each July, and the June 30 snapshot population (typically used to represent the population in a particular calendar year) can be found in table 1_A_1.

The quarterly HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) workforce statistics includes headcount and Full Time Equivalent figures, as well as annual average staff in post figures for HMPPS staff. The latest data in the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics covers the period up to the end of June 2025, and figures back to 2010 are available here: HM Prison and Probation Service workforce statistics - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the median length of service was for prison officers in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The median length of service for all band 3-5 prison officers in post on 30 June 2025 was 5.2 years.

The length of service in HMPPS is calculated from most recent hire date. Where staff have transferred in from another Government Department or have transferred in through HMPPS taking over a function, length of service is calculated from entry to HMPPS, and therefore the median presented excludes experience in other roles, including in private prisons. Band 3-5 officers includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officers (incl specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officers, and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients admitted to hospital with (a) covid, (b) flu and (c) respiratory syncytial virus in (i) 2025, (ii) 2024 and (iii) 2023.

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

NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions, including due to influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The data is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-accident--emergency-activity

NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions including those that relate to the number of patients admitted with COVID-19. The data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-hospital-activity/

The following table shows the number of hospital admissions for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV in 2023/24 and 2024/25:

Source: NHS England Digital

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 53618, if she will make an estimate of potential cost savings from introducing a rolling programme of electrification.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - 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 deliver 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 Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 53618, when she expects updated plans for where and when electrification is required to deliver a fully decarbonised railway over the next 25 years to be a) concluded and b) published.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Officials from the Department for Transport are working closely with Network Rail to produce their new 'Long-term Planning for Rail Decarbonisation' strategy, any plan which arises from this strategy will cover 25 years and set out a realistic, affordable, and deliverable approach to a net zero railway, with consideration for the bespoke electrification needs of freight operators. We expect Network Rail to engage with industry as part of the development of this strategy and we expect to see a draft of this strategy before the end of this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce crimes against (a) endangered species and (b) other wildlife.

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

Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. This Government is committed to reducing crime, including in rural areas, and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full force of the law.

This financial year, we are continuing to fund the National Wildlife Crime Unit who provide intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime.

They are also the UK policing focal point for EUROPOL and INTERPOL wildlife crime activity, tackling the illegal trade of endangered species.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of arrests that have been made following police use of facial recognition technology.

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

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of arrests made following the police’s use of facial recognition technology. The department is, however, funding national evaluation to understand the impact of facial recognition on police and crime outcomes, and its relationship to public trust and confidence.

Where police forces are using live facial recognition technology, the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support British citizens in the Caribbean impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to my statement to the House on 4 November 2025, Official Report, vol. 774, col. 33WS to 35WS.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps she has taken with international partners to help ensure that (a) pregnant women and (b) breastfeeding women and (c) young children can access (i) healthcare and (ii) humanitarian aid in Gaza.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 4 November to Question 85841.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Bangladeshi counterpart on ending religious-based violence in that country.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK remains deeply concerned about religious-based violence in Bangladesh. The previous Minister for the Indo-Pacific visited Bangladesh in November 2024 and discussed the importance of protection of religious minorities with the Chief Adviser. In February 2025, the UK's Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, visited Bangladesh and held meetings with the Interim Government to discuss issues of justice, accountability, and the protection of fundamental freedoms.

The UK welcomed public condemnations of violence from Bangladeshi leaders and civil society and supports the interim Government's actions to safeguard vulnerable communities.

Our commitment to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is reflected in our £27 million Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme (2023-2028), which aims to protect civic space, foster inclusive dialogue, and address tensions that can lead to violence.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has taken steps to help support residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands in their response to Hurricane Melissa.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 4 November on the UK's response to Hurricane Melissa.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has taken steps to help support residents of the Cayman Islands in response to Hurricane Melissa.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 4 November on the UK's response to Hurricane Melissa.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy for the UK to advocate against a policy of Ukrainian appeasement towards Russia in diplomatic discussions with all other countries, for as long as it remains Ukraine's position to oppose appeasement.

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

The UK is focussed on ensuring Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, and on ramping up the pressure on Putin to force him to engage in meaningful talks that result in a just and lasting peace. We are united with partners that the fighting should stop immediately, that the current line of contact should be the starting point for negotiations, and that international borders must not be changed by force.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the UK Government will continue it’s policy not to place pressure on Ukraine to adopt a policy of appeasement against Russia.

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

The UK is focussed on ensuring Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, and on ramping up the pressure on Putin to force him to engage in meaningful talks that result in a just and lasting peace. We are united with partners that the fighting should stop immediately, that the current line of contact should be the starting point for negotiations, and that international borders must not be changed by force.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on implementing recommendation 38 of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, published in May 2023.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Recommendation 36 relates to the expansion of the Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) accreditation scheme to include care homes and hospices. In July 2024, a pilot was launched by the Royal Star and Garter, supported by the VCHA. An evaluation of the pilot, led by the Royal British Legion, commenced in summer 2025. The evaluation findings will assess the practical viability of the scheme and will be accompanied by a full analysis of the options and associated financial costs.

Recommendation 38 relates to treatment for addiction. Veterans can access all substance misuse services available to non-veterans. In addition, the National Health Service has commissioned Op COURAGE, the veterans’ mental health and wellbeing service which provides support to veterans with substance misuse and mental health issues. NHS England are developing plans to provide training and education about the needs of the Armed Forces community to NHS staff through the National Armed Forces training and education programme. This will include NHS services that provide support to veterans with addiction issues.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on implementing recommendation 36 of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, published in May 2023.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Recommendation 36 relates to the expansion of the Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) accreditation scheme to include care homes and hospices. In July 2024, a pilot was launched by the Royal Star and Garter, supported by the VCHA. An evaluation of the pilot, led by the Royal British Legion, commenced in summer 2025. The evaluation findings will assess the practical viability of the scheme and will be accompanied by a full analysis of the options and associated financial costs.

Recommendation 38 relates to treatment for addiction. Veterans can access all substance misuse services available to non-veterans. In addition, the National Health Service has commissioned Op COURAGE, the veterans’ mental health and wellbeing service which provides support to veterans with substance misuse and mental health issues. NHS England are developing plans to provide training and education about the needs of the Armed Forces community to NHS staff through the National Armed Forces training and education programme. This will include NHS services that provide support to veterans with addiction issues.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve systems for delivering oxygen to battlefield trauma casualties without making use of pressurised cylinders; and what estimate he has made of when this will be available for frontline use.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) deploys oxygen concentrators under certain circumstances to deliver oxygen without pressurised cylinders.

The Defence Investment Plan will set out any further funding available to support the wider roll out of oxygen concentrators to deliver oxygen to battlefield trauma casualties.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to improve public preparedness for emergencies.

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

Advice for the general public on how to prepare for emergencies is published at GOV.UK/Prepare, which provides simple and effective steps that individuals, households and communities can take to be more prepared for a range of emergencies.

The Prepare website was included in the message sent to tens of millions of mobile devices across the country in September as part of the successful test of the Emergency Alerts systems.

The Government is currently considering what further public communications activities might support improvements to public preparedness for emergencies. We published the first annual UK Public Survey of Risk Perception, Resilience and Preparedness in July 2025. The results are being used to inform the development of future public preparedness communications and to monitor trends.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

From HR data, there are currently 911 individual staff showing on the disciplinary report as at 30/09/2025. The disciplinary report is a point in time report of all staff who are or have been undergoing disciplinary action including those cases where an investigation has been or is taking place. We are unable to provide further information as the report does not show historic data beyond live cases and those closed in the past 12 months.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international partners on women and girls' rights in Afghanistan.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 21 October to question 81210.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question (a) 74612 and (b) 74613, tabled on 3 September 2025.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The responses to Written Parliamentary Questions 74612 and 74613 were published on 22 October 2025.

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 creating a single firearms licensing authority for England and Wales.

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

The Government has no plans to introduce a single firearms licensing authority. The Firearms Act 1968 places statutory responsibility for firearms licensing on the Chief Officer of Police of each individual force in England, Wales and Scotland. This framework is supported by Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers of Police issued by the Home Secretary in respect of firearms licensing, and by Authorised Professional Practice issued by the College of Policing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to create a national inventory to (a) capture and (b) report sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

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

This Government is actively considering its approach to managing the risks posed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and progressing work on PFAS measures. To better understand legacy PFAS pollution, the Environment Agency (EA) has undertaken a risk screening project to identify potential PFAS sources which provides crucial information for the EA and its stakeholders to investigate and mitigate these risk issues.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to produce a chemicals strategy.

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

The delivery of a Chemicals Strategy was a commitment included in the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) 2023. Defra’s future approach to chemicals management will be set out in the revised EIP.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Pakistan on levels of religious freedom in that country.

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

Promoting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement with Pakistan. Ministers and senior officials have consistently raised this issue with Pakistani counterparts, including in August 2025 when I voiced concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister. Our High Commission in Islamabad also continues to engage regularly on the persecution of religions minorities, as well as wider issues of misuse of blasphemy laws, desecration of places of worship, and the need to uphold fundamental rights in line with international standards. The UK Government remains concerned by the FoRB situation in Pakistan and will continue to urge the Pakistani authorities to guarantee the rights and safety of all religious communities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of state actors in Pakistan targeting UK residents with (a) political intimidation and (b) interference on those residents.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 March 2025 to Question 36232.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any military officers have been sent to Israel for the purposes of monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza.

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

No. A small number of UK planning officers have embedded in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), including a 2* deputy commander, to ensure that the UK remains integrated into the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. This team is not monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The UK continues to work with international partners to support the Gaza ceasefire to see where the UK can best contribute to the peace process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of UK Overseas Territories on progress made on adopting publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership.

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

I refer the Hon Member to my Written Ministerial Statements of 3 July and 22 July which provide an update on progress achieved to date and details of next steps. We have clearly conveyed to our partners in the remaining Overseas Territories the urgency of meeting previously agreed deadlines and expect prompt action. I raised these points directly with the elected leaders of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands on my visit to those Territories last month, and in my recent conversations and correspondence with the Premier of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Baroness Hodge visited the BVI at my request in September and I recently met with her to discuss her findings. This issue will also be discussed at the upcoming Joint Ministerial Council. The registers should offer streamlined access to a broad range of legitimate users, supporting proactive investigations, deterring the concealment of illicit gains, and promoting maximum transparency.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with his counterpart in Iraq on the rights of (a) women and (b) children in that country.

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

Countering rollback and promoting the rights of women and girls is a key focus of UK diplomatic and policy engagement and our programming in Iraq. The UK/ Iraq Joint Statement in January 2025 affirmed commitment to deepening cooperation on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and agreed the importance of supporting women's rights organisations. This statement further recognised the need for on-going support for all survivors of Daesh-perpetrated sexual violence, including mothers and their children born of conflict-related sexual violence. The Foreign Secretary will be raising these and other priority issues with her Iraqi counterpart.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support schools to provide practical science activities as part of their curriculum.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government recognises the vital role of practical science activities in schools in fostering scientific understanding and engagement.

The national curriculum already provides opportunities for schools to deliver practical science lessons, including a requirement for pupils to undertake a minimum of eight practical activities for each science at GCSE level. Schools also have flexibility within the broad framework of the national curriculum to tailor their science curriculum to meet the needs of their pupils.

Support is available through Oak National Academy, an independent arm’s length body providing adaptable, optional, and free curriculum support for schools. Oak has new science resources covering key stages 1-4 that include practical science activities.

The government has commissioned Professor Becky Francis to undertake a review of the curriculum and assessment system in England, which will include looking at the science curriculum. The final report is due to be published this autumn, along with the government’s response.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of training provided to school staff on assisting children who have epilepsy.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions, as well as the duties under the Equality Act 2010. The effectiveness of a school is assessed through inspection by Ofsted.

The department has committed to reviewing the ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ guidance and intends to issue a consultation on an updated version. The current guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps he has taken with local councils to tackle the illegal use of fireworks in (a) Slough constituency and (b) Berkshire.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what volume of UK aid has been successfully delivered to Gaza in the last six months.

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

All allocations of our Humanitarian Programme are available publicly on Development Tracker. We have published further information on Core Relief Items through the programmes annual review with the next to be published by November 2025. Quantifying how much UK aid has entered into Gaza is difficult, due to the complex operating environment and limited real-time data, as well as Israel's restrictions on humanitarian workers and monitors. But despite Israel's restrictions on access we know UK Aid is having an impact - our funding has enabled UK-Med to complete nearly 750,000 patient consultations in Gaza.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to allow legitimate cyber activity (a) necessary for the (i) detection and (ii) prevention of crime and (b) justified as being in the public interest.

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

The Government is conducting an ongoing review of the Computer Misuse Act. As part of the review, we are scoping several proposals to update the act, including how we can better support legitimate cybersecurity researchers so they can operate within a clear and supportive legal framework, while maintaining robust safeguards against misuse.

Engagement, including with the cyber security industry, is underway to refine the approach and an update will be provided in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her department holds on the potential benefit of the (a) construction and (b) operation of a western rail link to Heathrow Airport on (i) trends in the level of economic growth (ii) the environment and (iii) civil society.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The economic and societal benefits of a western rail link to Heathrow Airport were previously assessed as part of a business case development process which concluded in 2021. No further work to assess the benefits of a rail link has been undertaken by DfT since then, as Heathrow expansion plans were not progressed at the time. Given changes in commuter and leisure travel patterns and the wider economy since that time, the benefits of any such scheme will need to be revisited. Any promoter is expected to develop a clear surface access strategy as part of their expansion plans, and any necessary surface access improvements will be financed through private funding.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last five years.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The number of employees who were subject to an investigation as part of the department’s disciplinary process is shown in table below.

*1 January - 30 September 2025

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has held discussions with the Home Secretary (a) attracting and (b) retaining talented (i) researchers and (ii) innovators through the UK visa system.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

As set out in the Immigration White Paper, the Government is committed to delivering a competitive immigration system that attracts and retains talented international researchers and innovators. This includes reforms to our top talent visa routes, such as the Global Talent and High Potential Individual visas.

The recently launched Global Talent Taskforce is also working across Government and with my Department to support efforts to bring world-class talent to key Industrial Strategy sectors in the UK. My Department and DSIT Ministers work closely with the Home Office and across Government to ensure we continue to attract and retain top talent.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to protect renters' rights in Slough constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill received Royal Assent on Monday 27 October.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to respond to the coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of Chloe Burgess.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence responded to the Hampshire Coroner’s Prevention of Future Death Report following the death of Chloe Burgess on 28 April 2025. The report is available at the following link:

https://www.judiciary.uk/prevention-of-future-death-reports/chloe-burgess-prevention-of-future-deaths-report/

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The data held on how many officials were investigated under the department’s disciplinary processes is not held in the format requested, and is contemporaneous and personally sensitive in nature. For that reason information on disciplinary proceedings is not usually disclosed.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken with humanitarian organisations to prevent sexual violence in conflict-affected areas in Ethiopia.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Combatting conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) within Ethiopia continues to be a key focus for the UK and we work with UN partners as well as NGOs and the Red Cross in order to support those affected by these particular human rights violations. Civilians across various regions have been severely impacted over many years of conflict and the number of people affected continues to rise.

The UK has prioritised healthcare, psychosocial support, access to justice, as well as policy efforts to increase accountability. In the last financial year, we allocated £4.6 million to deliver Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Somali regions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, GBV and child protection services reached over 50,000 women and girls, across 19 health facilities in affected regions. The UK remains committed to preventing CRSV and funding for GBV prevention and response has increased this financial year. Funding for future years has not yet been allocated.

Civilians in Amhara region have been severely impacted by over two years of conflict between government forces and 'Fano' militias. The ongoing conflict has led to significant humanitarian need and widespread conflict-related human rights violations and abuses, including extra-judicial killings, sexual and gender-based violence and attacks against civilians. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has called for full investigations into abductions and killings of civilians and for perpetrators to be held accountable. Humanitarian indicators are deteriorating with 68 per cent of children now acutely malnourished and diseases, including cholera, spreading. The UK has consistently called for civilians to be protected, human rights abuses to be independently investigated and for the conflict to be resolved through dialogue.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help increase trade between the UK and India.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK has signed a landmark trade deal with India which it is estimated will boost the UK’s GDP by £4.8bn and increase bilateral trade by £25.5bn each year, supporting the Government’s Plan for Change.

We are working to bring the deal into force as quickly as possible.

We are helping businesses to prepare to seize the opportunities from the agreement, including through bespoke guidance and trade promotion sessions. The Prime Minister recently led a major trade delegation to India to drive trade, investment, and growth across the UK.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to humanitarian organisations operating in conflict-affected areas of Ethiopia.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Combatting conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) within Ethiopia continues to be a key focus for the UK and we work with UN partners as well as NGOs and the Red Cross in order to support those affected by these particular human rights violations. Civilians across various regions have been severely impacted over many years of conflict and the number of people affected continues to rise.

The UK has prioritised healthcare, psychosocial support, access to justice, as well as policy efforts to increase accountability. In the last financial year, we allocated £4.6 million to deliver Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Somali regions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, GBV and child protection services reached over 50,000 women and girls, across 19 health facilities in affected regions. The UK remains committed to preventing CRSV and funding for GBV prevention and response has increased this financial year. Funding for future years has not yet been allocated.

Civilians in Amhara region have been severely impacted by over two years of conflict between government forces and 'Fano' militias. The ongoing conflict has led to significant humanitarian need and widespread conflict-related human rights violations and abuses, including extra-judicial killings, sexual and gender-based violence and attacks against civilians. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has called for full investigations into abductions and killings of civilians and for perpetrators to be held accountable. Humanitarian indicators are deteriorating with 68 per cent of children now acutely malnourished and diseases, including cholera, spreading. The UK has consistently called for civilians to be protected, human rights abuses to be independently investigated and for the conflict to be resolved through dialogue.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the safety of ethnic Amhara communities in Ethiopia.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Combatting conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) within Ethiopia continues to be a key focus for the UK and we work with UN partners as well as NGOs and the Red Cross in order to support those affected by these particular human rights violations. Civilians across various regions have been severely impacted over many years of conflict and the number of people affected continues to rise.

The UK has prioritised healthcare, psychosocial support, access to justice, as well as policy efforts to increase accountability. In the last financial year, we allocated £4.6 million to deliver Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Somali regions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, GBV and child protection services reached over 50,000 women and girls, across 19 health facilities in affected regions. The UK remains committed to preventing CRSV and funding for GBV prevention and response has increased this financial year. Funding for future years has not yet been allocated.

Civilians in Amhara region have been severely impacted by over two years of conflict between government forces and 'Fano' militias. The ongoing conflict has led to significant humanitarian need and widespread conflict-related human rights violations and abuses, including extra-judicial killings, sexual and gender-based violence and attacks against civilians. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has called for full investigations into abductions and killings of civilians and for perpetrators to be held accountable. Humanitarian indicators are deteriorating with 68 per cent of children now acutely malnourished and diseases, including cholera, spreading. The UK has consistently called for civilians to be protected, human rights abuses to be independently investigated and for the conflict to be resolved through dialogue.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help increase trade between the UK and Canada.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Canada is a close ally and valued partner of the UK, with the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement (TCA) underpinning our £29 billion worth of bilateral trade which has increased by 16.2% on the previous year.

In June, our Prime Ministers issued a Joint Statement making it clear we want to enhance this important relationship in a number of areas – including on trade, defence, digital, quantum, and critical minerals. They established the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group with the objective of growing bilateral trade, including by addressing existing market access barriers and building on existing arrangements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the media organisations given advance sight of the Strategic Defence Review prior to its publication.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As the hon. Member will be aware, the Secretary of State for Defence has been determined to reset the relationship between Parliament and the Ministry of Defence, increasing transparency and openness. The Department sought to reflect this determination for the publication of the Strategic Defence Review, and to build on the approach made for previous defence reviews.

On the day of the launch, we offered embargoed copies of the Strategic Defence Review to key stakeholders, including the House of Commons Defence Committee, media organisations and others. This was done in good faith, reflecting the contribution by stakeholders to the first-of-its-kind review.

We therefore invited the Defence Correspondents Association and several additional outlets to cover UK national media.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the provision of real time information on a) civilian and b) emergency services air traffic to military jets during low altitude training exercises.

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

The primary measure in open airspace remains airmanship and the 'see and avoid' principle. There are a range of measures already in place to provide additional real time information on civilian air traffic during low level training. This includes communication with Air Traffic Control and the Low Flying Booking Service, datalinks, information from aircraft transponders and increasingly sophisticated on-board sensors and surveillance equipment.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria were used to determine which (a) private companies and their representatives and (b) media organisations and journalists received advance sight of the Strategic Defence Review.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We invited the Defence Correspondents Association and several additional outlets to cover UK national media.

We also invited companies and associations who are part of the joint Ministry of Defence-Cabinet Office Strategic Partnering Programme, alongside a larger set of key industry stakeholders.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has been made of the potential impact of fireworks on the welfare of (a) livestock and (b) pets.

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

No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of fireworks on animal welfare.

However, the Government is continuing to engage with animal welfare stakeholders, businesses, consumer groups and charities on the impacts of fireworks, to inform any future action.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) development and (b) rollout of biomarker tests to support early detection of (i) pancreatic cancer and (ii) other less survivable cancers in primary care services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

million NHS programme. This is funding more than 300 general practices (GPs) to identify pancreatic cancer early by screening high-risk patients over 60 years old with new diabetes diagnoses and unexplained weight loss. More than 80 GPs across England have begun using the initiative. It will be extended to the other general practices participating in the trial by the end of the year.

The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) is developing a National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Register (NICPR), which launched on 30 June. The NICPR looks at a wide range of cancers for which there is an increased inherited risk, including for less survivable cancers. It aims to identify high-risk individuals who are eligible for targeted screening and surveillance, and will act as an electronic referral route into national screening programmes where these exist.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a screening programme to detect undiagnosed heart defects in young people.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the United Kingdom, national screening programmes are introduced based on the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries on all aspects of population and targeted screening and which supports implementation.

The UK NSC last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019 and concluded that population screening should not be offered. Further information is available at the following link:

https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/

The UK NSC is currently examining the evidence for SCD screening and will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on this in due course.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Chair); Mr Calvin Bailey; Alex Baker;

Found: Members present: Matt Western (The Chair); Lord Boateng; Liam Byrne; Sarah Champion; Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

Found: Members present: Matt Western (The Chair); Lord Boateng; Liam Byrne; Sarah Champion; Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi