Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to (a) reduce decibel levels in fireworks, (b) restrict sales of fireworks to licensed shops and (c) create firework-free zones.

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

There are currently no plans to bring forward legislation in relation to fireworks. However, the Government is continuing to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action.

The Government has also launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes new guidance for those running community fireworks events, and new social media posts that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on the establishment of Independent Advisory Panels (IAPs); at which barracks have IAPs been created; and when was the last time his Department reviewed the effectiveness of the IAPs.

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

The Ministry of Defence has made significant progress in establishing Independent Advisory Panels (IAPs) for the Army. All Army Basic Training and Initial Trade Training units now have IAPs.

IAPs are aligned to units, rather than locations, and some training units are located across split sites. The following locations however are where IAPs are present:

• Harrogate
• Catterick
• Sandhurst
• Winchester
• Worthy Down
• Marchwood and Brize Norton
• Minley
• Portsmouth
• Middle Wallop
• Larkhill
• Leconfield
• Southwick Park
• Winterbourne Gunner
• Chatham
• Bovington
• Brecon
• Melton Mowbray
• Bicester
• Kineton

Their effectiveness is reviewed through annual reports, internal reviews by unit commanders, and during 2nd Line of Defence Assurance (2LoDA) visits, which occur at least every four years. Some IAPs are still developing as skilled volunteers are recruited and trained.

Regarding the department’s progress on its welfare provisions, in January 2025, JSP 770 – Armed Forces Welfare Support Policy – was fully reviewed and updated to ensure welfare structures meet the needs of Service personnel and their families. Each Service has tailored its policies to address unique requirements, supported by the new Welfare HARDFACTS Annex, which provides comprehensive guidance on addressing emotional, medical, housing, financial, and legal concerns. The Tri-Service Welfare Support Agreement ensures collaboration across the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force to deliver consistent and specialist support, including for Reservists.

For deployed and overseas personnel, the Deployed Welfare Package provides tailored support, infrastructure, and facilities, while overseas initiatives address the unique challenges faced by Service families abroad. Additionally, Defence has refreshed its mental fitness platform, HeadFIT, and offers a 24-hour support line and access to HeadSpace to promote mental resilience and wellbeing for personnel, families, and veterans.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on (a) the establishment of Independent Advisory Panels and (b) new welfare provisions.

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

The Ministry of Defence has made significant progress in establishing Independent Advisory Panels (IAPs) for the Army. All Army Basic Training and Initial Trade Training units now have IAPs.

IAPs are aligned to units, rather than locations, and some training units are located across split sites. The following locations however are where IAPs are present:

• Harrogate
• Catterick
• Sandhurst
• Winchester
• Worthy Down
• Marchwood and Brize Norton
• Minley
• Portsmouth
• Middle Wallop
• Larkhill
• Leconfield
• Southwick Park
• Winterbourne Gunner
• Chatham
• Bovington
• Brecon
• Melton Mowbray
• Bicester
• Kineton

Their effectiveness is reviewed through annual reports, internal reviews by unit commanders, and during 2nd Line of Defence Assurance (2LoDA) visits, which occur at least every four years. Some IAPs are still developing as skilled volunteers are recruited and trained.

Regarding the department’s progress on its welfare provisions, in January 2025, JSP 770 – Armed Forces Welfare Support Policy – was fully reviewed and updated to ensure welfare structures meet the needs of Service personnel and their families. Each Service has tailored its policies to address unique requirements, supported by the new Welfare HARDFACTS Annex, which provides comprehensive guidance on addressing emotional, medical, housing, financial, and legal concerns. The Tri-Service Welfare Support Agreement ensures collaboration across the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force to deliver consistent and specialist support, including for Reservists.

For deployed and overseas personnel, the Deployed Welfare Package provides tailored support, infrastructure, and facilities, while overseas initiatives address the unique challenges faced by Service families abroad. Additionally, Defence has refreshed its mental fitness platform, HeadFIT, and offers a 24-hour support line and access to HeadSpace to promote mental resilience and wellbeing for personnel, families, and veterans.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the Army does not offer GCSE retakes.

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

The Army is an equal opportunities employer, with its literacy and numeracy policy centred on nationally recognised Functional Skills (FS) qualifications, which are the standard for career and service progression within the Army.

While GCSEs are recognised as equivalent qualifications, the Army avoids duplicating education already available in the civilian sector, as this does not align with its training model. Instead, the Army provides English and Maths teaching assessed through FS exams, which focus on practical, real-world skills better suited to workplace needs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many junior soldiers residing at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate were (a) referred to mental health services and (b) signed off sick by a medical professional due to mental ill health between 1 January 2019 and 30 December 2024.

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

Between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2024, 182 junior soldiers at AFC Harrogate underwent an initial assessment at a Ministry of Defence (MOD) Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH).

There are multiple routes for junior soldiers at the Army Foundation College (AFC) to access mental health services. These include the MOD DCMH and external Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Information on under 18s who were referred to CAMHS is not held centrally. There are various routes for referral to CAMHS, including self-referral and by external medical professionals, which the department does not track centrally.

With regard to the number of junior soldiers signed off sick by a medical professional due to mental ill health during the period 1 January 2019 to 30 December 2024, this information is only recorded on individual medical records. It is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to raise the minimum age of military recruitment to 18.

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

The Armed Forces have no plans to raise the minimum age of recruitment. All recruitment into the UK military is voluntary and no young person under the age of 18 years may join our Armed Forces unless their application is accompanied by the formal written consent of their parent or guardian. We take the duty of care towards all recruits seriously, in particular those under 18 years of age. We have robust, effective and independently verified safeguards in place to ensure that under-18s are cared for properly.

Service personnel aged under 18 are not deployed on hostile operations outside the UK or on any operations where they could be exposed to hostilities. All new recruits, regardless of age, can discharge within their first three to six months of Service.

Our policies on under-18s in Service comply with national and international law. In addition to the comprehensive welfare system that is in place for all Service personnel, we remain fully committed to meeting our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and have taken steps to bestow special safeguards on young people under the age of 18.

Further, the provision of education and training for 16-year-old school leavers not only provides a route into the Armed Forces that complies with Government education policy and offers a significant foundation for development, but it also enables access to training in literacy and numeracy, as well as enrolment in apprenticeships. Ofsted regularly inspects our care of newly joined young recruits, and we are very proud of the standards we achieve.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to Answer of 17 January 2024 to Question 10337 in Session 2023-24, how many recruits starting at each training centre for each of the five years listed completed their Phase 2 training.

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

The number of recruits who completed their Phase 2 training, having started their Phase 1 training at each respective training centre in the years 2019-2024 are provided below.

Notes/Caveats:

1. The figures are for the Regular Army only and therefore exclude Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, Army Reserve and all other Reserves, but includes those personnel that have transferred from GURTAM to UKTAP.

2. All intake figures are for Phase 1 Untrained Intake which includes all Other Ranks joining the Army and starting either Phase 1 Training or pre-Phase 1 courses. All intake figures exclude personnel who have joined Phase 1 Training from another Service.

3. Personnel who have entered more than once are included multiple times in the table above.

4. Training Establishment in Table 1 relates to the Unit at which an individual is recorded upon joining the Army as recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration System (JPA). An individual may not complete their Phase 1 training at the corresponding establishment.

5. Figures for Army Training Regiment Winchester include personnel with a Unit of Army Technical Foundation College Winchester.

6. Other Training establishments include all Untrained Intake not assigned to one of the four Training Establishments in Table 1.

7. Figures in the above table are taken as at 1 July 2025. Any changes to training status after this date will not be recorded in the above figures.

8. Personnel who "did not complete phase 2 training" may have outflowed from the Regular Army, however a small number may still be in the training pipeline. Numbers of personnel who "completed phase 2" are therefore subject to future increases.

9. There are small proportion of personnel in "Other" establishments who later go on to undertake Officer training and therefore did not complete Phase 2 training as an Other Rank.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) digitising and (b) introducing an online portal for the Child Maintenance Service.

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

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) offers a range of digital services designed to support separated families. These include 'Child Maintenance Calculator’, ‘Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance’ and ‘My Child Maintenance Case’(MCMC). Through these services, parents can explore their options, calculate potential payments and submit an online application to the CMS to receive or pay child maintenance. For customers with existing cases, the online services allow them to report changes, check progress, view correspondence and make payments online 24/7.

Digital services were developed and will continue to evolve based on research and feedback from charities supporting separated families, victims of domestic abuse, and users with assisted digital needs.

National ban on street-racing

Found: meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jess Brown-Fuller; Jonathan Davies; Mary Glindon; Will Stone

Found: present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jess Brown-Fuller; Jonathan Davies; Mary Glindon; Alison Hume; Will Stone

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jess Brown-Fuller; Jonathan Davies; Will Stone