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 ensure that Jimmy Lai obtains legal access to British consular support.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 15 December 2025, and her responses to the questions raised in that debate.

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 Chinese counterpart on Jimmy Lai’s treatment in prison.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 15 December 2025, and her responses to the questions raised in that debate.

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 help secure the release of Jimmy Lai.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 15 December 2025, and her responses to the questions raised in that debate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the frequency of late delivery of prisoners to court by contractors Serco and GEOAmey.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The performance of the criminal justice system as a whole against the requirement for timely delivery of prisoners to court is 98.31%. The latest available annual figure (1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025) for Prisoner Escort and Custody Service contractors’ performance against the indicators on timely delivery is 99.92%. We keep the contractors’ performance under constant review.

Penalties, known as service credits, are incurred for delays attributable to failure on the part of the contractor. They are calculated from the point 15 minutes after court proceedings are ready to commence – provided it is within the agreed court start times. A service credit is incurred for every subsequent 15 minutes of delay, or part thereof (in which case the supplier is penalised for a full fifteen minutes).

During the 12 months from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025, out of 343,638 journeys to court undertaken by the Prisoner Escort and Custody Service, there were 273 instances of failure that resulted in service credits being paid by suppliers for late delivery of a prisoner to either the Crown Court or a magistrates’ court.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many fines of up to £625 for each 15-minute delay caused by the late delivery of a prisoner to court have been levied on contractors Serco and GEOAmey.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The performance of the criminal justice system as a whole against the requirement for timely delivery of prisoners to court is 98.31%. The latest available annual figure (1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025) for Prisoner Escort and Custody Service contractors’ performance against the indicators on timely delivery is 99.92%. We keep the contractors’ performance under constant review.

Penalties, known as service credits, are incurred for delays attributable to failure on the part of the contractor. They are calculated from the point 15 minutes after court proceedings are ready to commence – provided it is within the agreed court start times. A service credit is incurred for every subsequent 15 minutes of delay, or part thereof (in which case the supplier is penalised for a full fifteen minutes).

During the 12 months from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025, out of 343,638 journeys to court undertaken by the Prisoner Escort and Custody Service, there were 273 instances of failure that resulted in service credits being paid by suppliers for late delivery of a prisoner to either the Crown Court or a magistrates’ court.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help support welfare claimants with learning difficulties during the migration process to Universal Credit.

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

The Department provides tailored support for customers with learning difficulties during their migration to Universal Credit. This includes the Citizens Advice Help to Claim service, face-to-face assistance in Jobcentres, and a dedicated helpline.

Customers may also receive help from friends, family members, or approved third parties. Additionally, we offer an Enhanced Support Journey, alternative formats, and home visits to ensure the process is accessible and that customers feel supported throughout their transition.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help reduce intimidation and harassment of members of the legal profession.

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

The Government recognises the vital role played by the legal profession in upholding access to justice and the rule of law, which is fundamental to a fair and democratic society. The Government is clear that intimidation, harassment or threats against legal professionals or their offices are wholly unacceptable. Where such behaviour amounts to criminal conduct, it is right that those responsible should face the full force of the law.

The Government works with partners across the justice system to promote respect for the rule of law and the independence of the legal profession. Domestically, this is underpinned by a robust legal and regulatory framework designed to protect professional independence and integrity, consistent with the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers. Internationally, the UK was proud to be among the first signatories to the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer in May 2025, which sets clear international standards to ensure legal professionals can practise without harassment, intimidation, or improper interference.

In addition, there are robust security arrangements in place across courts and tribunals to protect all court users, including legal professionals. These include risk assessment measures to prevent, detect and respond to threats, such as security screening on entry, CCTV, and the powers of Court and Tribunal Security Officers to exclude, restrain or remove individuals threatening violence. The Government has also allocated over £20 million in additional funding in 2025/26 to further strengthen court and judicial security, including additional security officers and physical security systems.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make children’s play a key component of the commitment to creating the healthiest generation of children ever, and as part of the shifts from treatment to prevention, and from hospital to community.

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

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. This ambition is at the heart of our 10-Year Health Plan, which sets out three radical shifts: from treatment to prevention; from hospital to community; and from analogue to digital care.

The Department recognises the importance of supporting and maintaining children’s right to play in healthcare settings. The NHS England and Starlight Play Well Toolkit, published in June 2025, includes the first national guidelines and standards for commissioning and delivering health play services in England.

NHS England is promoting the Play Well toolkit to managers of health play services across a wide range of settings, including community clinics, emergency departments, children’s hospices, and acute paediatric wards. A range of communication channels have been used to raise awareness of the toolkit, including through professional bodies, messages from the Chief Nursing Officer, and through delivery networks directly to trusts and professional groups.

We remain committed to working with partners to ensure that the Play Well guidelines and standards are embedded and that all children receive appropriate care and support when they need it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide funding for a strategic programme to support the NHS in adopting and implementing the Play Well guidelines and standards.

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

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. This ambition is at the heart of our 10-Year Health Plan, which sets out three radical shifts: from treatment to prevention; from hospital to community; and from analogue to digital care.

The Department recognises the importance of supporting and maintaining children’s right to play in healthcare settings. The NHS England and Starlight Play Well Toolkit includes the first national guidelines and standards for commissioning and delivering health play services in England.

To support implementation, NHS England is promoting the Play Well toolkit to managers of health play services across a wide range of settings, including community clinics, emergency departments, children’s hospices, and acute paediatric wards. A range of communication channels have been used to raise awareness of the toolkit, including through professional bodies, messages from the Chief Nursing Officer, and through delivery networks directly to trusts and professional groups.

While funding decisions for health play services remain the responsibility of local commissioners, the Department supports NHS England’s work to champion the toolkit and the importance of child-centred care across healthcare settings. We remain committed to working with partners to ensure that the Play Well guidelines and standards are embedded and that all children receive appropriate care and support when they need it.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of donating excess vehicles from the Government estate to Ukraine.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The UK’s commitment to Ukraine is ironclad. We are making a significant commitment to Ukraine in 2026, including $2bn of guarantees for World Bank lending and $1bn of ERA loans. We also have a standing commitment to provide £3bn p.a. in military support, providing Ukraine with a further £6bn of support over the next two years.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the competitiveness of the (a) visual effects and (b) animation industry.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has prioritised film and television as a high-growth sub-sector in the Industrial Strategy and Creative Industries Sector Plan.

Many of the interventions in the £75 million Screen Growth Package we announced in the Sector Plan will benefit VFX and animation. For example, we are scaling up the UK Global Screen Fund to £18 million per year, which will include a new majority co-production strand for UK animation. Through the Sector Plan, we will ensure that the UK continues to develop world-class talent, facilities and innovation in animation and VFX, including through £10 million to expand capacity and apprenticeships at the National Film & Television School, and £25 million for five new CoSTAR labs advancing augmented reality and motion capture technologies.

In addition, we continue to offer generous and stable tax credits - including the new credit for VFX costs in film and TV we introduced last year, and recent changes to R&D credits which now better recognise artists' roles in addressing scientific and technological challenges. In addition, the British Business Bank is increasing financial backing for the Creative Industries opening new opportunities for screen businesses and IP creators.

DCMS remains in close contact with UK Screen Alliance and Animation UK on the sector's opportunities and challenges.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will consider making health play specialists a mandatory registered allied health profession.

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

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. This ambition is at the heart of our 10-Year Health Plan, which sets out three radical shifts: from treatment to prevention; from hospital to community; and from analogue to digital care. This involves ensuring that children receive appropriate care and support, whenever they need it.

In support of this commitment, the NHS England and Starlight Play Well Toolkit, published in June 2025, provides the first national guidelines and standards for commissioning and delivering health play services in England.

The Government has no current plans to extend statutory regulation to health play specialists, or to change the list of professional titles which are protected in law.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to include health play professionals in the NHS workforce plan.

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

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. This ambition is at the heart of our 10-Year Health Plan, which sets out three radical shifts: from treatment to prevention; from hospital to community; and from analogue to digital care. Ensuring that there is a robust children’s health workforce will be essential to delivering on this ambition.

We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made contingency plans to support democracy in Iran.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 13 January, and to my responses in the Urgent Question debate on 19 January.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how they intend to respond to the findings of the McGrail Inquiry that found “grossly improper” and “sinister” interventions by the Chief Minister of Gibraltar to interfere in a live criminal investigation relating to national security.

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

Sir Peter Openshaw's report contains extremely serious findings which are deeply concerning, and which must be urgently addressed. The UK Government takes its constitutional responsibilities very seriously and expects the highest standards of good governance to be upheld in all our Overseas Territories, including in Gibraltar.

The Inquiry and the report's findings are firstly the responsibility of the Government of Gibraltar, the Gibraltar Parliament, Judiciary and other local accountability mechanisms and authorities.

We have however been explicitly clear that the UK Government expects the Government of Gibraltar to implement the necessary reforms quickly and fully. The UK Government stands ready to support Gibraltar in strengthening its institutions, and to taking any further actions as required to ensure good governance in line with the established constitutional arrangements and our responsibilities.