Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the legal basis is for allowing UK forces to interdict sanctioned shadow fleet vessels transiting UK territorial waters; and whether that legal basis has been confirmed in writing by the Attorney General.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
UK forces operate in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and domestic law.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the UK financial contribution to Project Renovator in a) GBP and b) as a percentage share relative to other NATO contributors.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK has to date spent approximately £31 million on RENOVATOR.
This funding has been directed across two principal areas: infrastructure, with works including the refurbishment and modernisation of rehabilitation wards, and the installation of wheelchair-adapted elevators. In addition, over 26,000 items of modern medical rehabilitation equipment have been delivered across multiple sites, including physical training equipment, diagnostic tools, occupational therapy aids and advanced surgical equipment.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of trends in the level of breeding and ownership of brachycephalic animals.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Dog breeders licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies.
In the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve health and welfare, and also to improve understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.
The strategy was developed following engagement with key stakeholders and consideration of sector evidence, such as the Animal Welfare Committee’s reports on canine and feline breeding practices.
Defra works with a range of sector organisations who are raising public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals. This includes via tools such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s Innate Health Assessment, Royal Kennel Club’s Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessment for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and the Canine and Feline Sector Group Code of Practice for Dog Breeding. Many organisations have public facing campaigns to promote awareness such as Cats Protection, and the UK Brachycephalic Working Groups ‘stop and think’ campaign to prioritise health when purchasing dogs.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome in dogs in the UK.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Dog breeders licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies.
In the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve health and welfare, and also to improve understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.
The strategy was developed following engagement with key stakeholders and consideration of sector evidence, such as the Animal Welfare Committee’s reports on canine and feline breeding practices.
Defra works with a range of sector organisations who are raising public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals. This includes via tools such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s Innate Health Assessment, Royal Kennel Club’s Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessment for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and the Canine and Feline Sector Group Code of Practice for Dog Breeding. Many organisations have public facing campaigns to promote awareness such as Cats Protection, and the UK Brachycephalic Working Groups ‘stop and think’ campaign to prioritise health when purchasing dogs.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to raise public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Dog breeders licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies.
In the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve health and welfare, and also to improve understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.
The strategy was developed following engagement with key stakeholders and consideration of sector evidence, such as the Animal Welfare Committee’s reports on canine and feline breeding practices.
Defra works with a range of sector organisations who are raising public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals. This includes via tools such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s Innate Health Assessment, Royal Kennel Club’s Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessment for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and the Canine and Feline Sector Group Code of Practice for Dog Breeding. Many organisations have public facing campaigns to promote awareness such as Cats Protection, and the UK Brachycephalic Working Groups ‘stop and think’ campaign to prioritise health when purchasing dogs.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department plans to support dairy farms in North Shropshire, who fall within the highest area for heat risk in the country and face escalating climate-related challenges.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Defra-funded Food, Farming & Natural Environment Climate Service led out of the Met Office has developed evidence on adaptation options which improve resilience of the agri-food sector, including cost and ease of implementation. These adaptation options include those which could be implemented in response to increasing heat risk to UK dairy farms such as using deep rooting and heat tolerant forage varieties.
The Government needs long-term, nature-based solutions to manage the risks of extreme wet and dry weather. To support rural communities and farmers, the Government is funding actions to improve the environment, mitigate flood risk, and boost resilience, through Environmental Land Management schemes.
Defra holds no data on potential impact of increasing heat risk to UK dairy farms on grazing land and silage production to feed livestock. However, Defra continues to work closely with the sector to monitor the production of grass and availability of silage as a feedstock.
The UK Government must prepare a UK-wide Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) every five years under the Climate Change Act 2008.
The third CCRA assessed the risks to and opportunities for agricultural productivity from extreme events and changing climatic conditions such as increased temperatures and heat. The next assessment, CCRA4, is due to be published in 2027.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increasing heat risk to UK dairy farms on grazing land and silage production to feed livestock.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Defra-funded Food, Farming & Natural Environment Climate Service led out of the Met Office has developed evidence on adaptation options which improve resilience of the agri-food sector, including cost and ease of implementation. These adaptation options include those which could be implemented in response to increasing heat risk to UK dairy farms such as using deep rooting and heat tolerant forage varieties.
The Government needs long-term, nature-based solutions to manage the risks of extreme wet and dry weather. To support rural communities and farmers, the Government is funding actions to improve the environment, mitigate flood risk, and boost resilience, through Environmental Land Management schemes.
Defra holds no data on potential impact of increasing heat risk to UK dairy farms on grazing land and silage production to feed livestock. However, Defra continues to work closely with the sector to monitor the production of grass and availability of silage as a feedstock.
The UK Government must prepare a UK-wide Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) every five years under the Climate Change Act 2008.
The third CCRA assessed the risks to and opportunities for agricultural productivity from extreme events and changing climatic conditions such as increased temperatures and heat. The next assessment, CCRA4, is due to be published in 2027.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service is responsible to in terms of performance.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Responsibility for the Northern Ireland Civil Service is a transferred matter and civil service reporting lines are, consequently, a matter for the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
Asked by: Viscount Hanworth (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they favour the deployment of hydrogen fuel cells in trains and heavy goods vehicles in replacement of diesel engines.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the important role of hydrogen in decarbonising the economy, and expects hydrogen and its derivatives to play a role in sectors where there are limited alternative solutions with each transport mode driving progress on the solution that is most appropriate to them.
The Department is supporting the transition to low carbon fuels in surface transport through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, alongside driving hydrogen research, development and deployment through programmes such as the SAF and ZEV Mandates, ZEHID, UK SHORE, the Advanced Fuels Fund, and the CAA’s Hydrogen in Aviation Regulatory Challenge. The Government will also be publishing a renewed Hydrogen Strategy in 2026 to sharpen priorities and deepen industry collaboration, alongside a forthcoming Zero Emission HGV and Coach Infrastructure Strategy.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the outcomes of the pilot launched in October 2024 to provide free mental health support for jurors who hear distressing cases in Crown Courts across England and Wales will be published.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is an important civic duty. Whilst many people find it worthwhile, we recognise that some trials can be challenging. There is no formal process for keeping in touch with jurors following service, and if a juror is left distressed by any aspect of their service, they are encouraged to seek specialist support through their GP, the NHS 111 helpline which includes a dedicated mental health option, or the Samaritans.
The enhanced support for jurors pilot concluded in March 2025 and the evaluation is expected to be published soon. The Government recognises the important role jurors play and is considering how best to strengthen support in light of the pilot evaluation.