Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he will take to (a) protect and (b) build on the accomplishments of the UKSA after it joins his Department.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Space is a priority for this Government, supporting national security, economic growth, and scientific excellence. The integration of the UK Space Agency (UKSA) into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is a strategic opportunity to strengthen the UK’s position as a leading space power.
This transformation will better align our space capabilities with the wider science and technology agenda, enabling stronger links between space, innovation, and industry. We are committed to maintaining the Agency’s specialist expertise and operational focus, while unlocking new opportunities through DSIT’s broader reach and ministerial oversight.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including targets to reduce the diagnosis time for myeloma in the National Cancer Plan for England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.
To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.
We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancers earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Sri Lankan government on groundwater contamination in Chunnakam.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Earlier this year, the former Minister for the Indo-Pacific launched the citizen science project for 'Improving Groundwater Management in the Jaffna Peninsula' where she met local community representatives and International Water Management Institute (IWMI) researchers to discuss efforts to improve groundwater management. This is a component of the UK's Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme which funds a groundwater monitoring project in Jaffna, delivered by the IWMI.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of whether (a) Elbit Systems UK and (b) Forge Solutions have supplied arms to Israel.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has suspended all export licences for equipment that we assess could be used in military operations in Gaza, with the exception of the special measures that we have taken with regard to the global F-35 programme. We have implemented that suspension and continue to refuse all relevant licence applications on the same basis.
The Government recently published extensive information on extant export licences to Israel, available at: Export control licensing management information for Israel - GOV.UK. Specific detail on the assessment of individual companies’ licences is not regularly provided as this is commercially sensitive and provided in confidence by companies acting fully within the law – but all licences granted to UK exporters for Israel are within the scope of our current suspension, and in line with the requirements of our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with poultry industry representatives on the potential welfare merits of upright catching.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following the publication of the public consultation on poultry catching and handling, we engaged with poultry industry representatives to discuss the potential welfare merits and harms of different poultry catching and handling methods, including upright catching.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her Department's policy is on converting existing tennis courts to padel courts.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review.
We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.
The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the definition of irreplaceable habitats to ensure it is (a) robust and (b) comprehensive to support decision makers.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has stated its intention to review the definition of irreplaceable habitats in due course, to ensure it remains robust and supports decision making.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will add priority species-rich grasslands to the list of irreplaceable habitats.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has stated its intention to review the definition of irreplaceable habitats in due course, to ensure it remains robust and supports decision making.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will ensure that independent celebrants are included in the Government response to the Law Commission’s report entitled Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published on 18 July 2022.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings made 57 recommendations for reform of weddings law, including how independent celebrants could conduct legally binding weddings. The Government appreciates the importance of this issue and will provide an update in due course.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31833 on Mineworkers' Pension Scheme, when he expects discussions with Mineworkers' Pension Scheme trustees to conclude on the future of the surplus sharing arrangements.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The then Minister for Industry (Sarah Jones) met the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees in April and July to discuss their proposals and the analysis we had jointly commissioned. The Government is keen to reach agreement with the Trustees as swiftly as possible on changes to take effect from the September 2026 scheme valuation.