Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of working with comparator countries to understand causal factors in trends of mental health disorders in children and young people.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst there has not been a formal assessment of the trends in children and young people’s mental health problems in England compared to other countries, work continues with partners across the United Kingdom and internationally on a range of issues relating to mental health, including mental health disorders in children and young people.
Through resources such as the Global Burden of Disease study, we closely monitor international policy developments in mental health to harness insights. For example, the six new 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres being piloted across England are inspired by the community model of mental health care originally pioneered in Trieste, Italy.
Estimates of the rates and trends in the prevalence of adults’ and children and young people’s mental health problems are reported in the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey series and the Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey series.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
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 trend of mental health disorders in children and young people in England in relation to the trend in poor mental health in adults.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst there has not been a formal assessment of the trends in children and young people’s mental health problems in England compared to other countries, work continues with partners across the United Kingdom and internationally on a range of issues relating to mental health, including mental health disorders in children and young people.
Through resources such as the Global Burden of Disease study, we closely monitor international policy developments in mental health to harness insights. For example, the six new 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres being piloted across England are inspired by the community model of mental health care originally pioneered in Trieste, Italy.
Estimates of the rates and trends in the prevalence of adults’ and children and young people’s mental health problems are reported in the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey series and the Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey series.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
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 trends of mental health disorders in children and young people in England compared to other comparator countries.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst there has not been a formal assessment of the trends in children and young people’s mental health problems in England compared to other countries, work continues with partners across the United Kingdom and internationally on a range of issues relating to mental health, including mental health disorders in children and young people.
Through resources such as the Global Burden of Disease study, we closely monitor international policy developments in mental health to harness insights. For example, the six new 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres being piloted across England are inspired by the community model of mental health care originally pioneered in Trieste, Italy.
Estimates of the rates and trends in the prevalence of adults’ and children and young people’s mental health problems are reported in the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey series and the Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey series.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve (a) military and (b) other defence cooperation with Italy.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Through regular meetings between our Defence Secretaries, our bilateral High-Level Military Dialogue, and interaction through other groupings such as NATO and E5 Defence Ministers Group, we continuously explore how the UK and Italy can better work together to address issues of shared strategic interest.
In recent years, the relationship has been consolidated by our commitment to the Global Combat Air Programme alongside Japan which achieved Treaty Ratification in December 2024. Additionally, in February 2025, we signed the Statement of Intent for Capabilities and Complex Weapons which will enable deeper collaboration on defence exports and industry. Operationally, only two European nations with carrier-capable F-35B aircraft, we continue to deepen interoperability between our Carrier Strike Groups. This was clear to see during Ex MED STRIKE which took place during the UK Carrier Strike Group's transit of the Mediterranean earlier this year. During this exercise, the UK's Carrier Strike Group combined with the Italian Carrier Strike Group, conducting essential training together including on anti-submarine warfare and air defence tactics.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his European allies on the potential merits of jointly developing (a) aircraft and (b) other defence platforms as an alternative to reliance on US procurement.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State has had recent discussions with both US and European Allies regarding joint development and procurement of defence capabilities. The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets out our need for a NATO First approach and enhanced cooperation. To this end, the Secretary of State’s recent discussions with the US, the UK’s most important bilateral alliance, have explored how the UK can maximise its industrial and technological collaboration to strengthen collective security and prosperity beyond already unprecedented UK-US industrial and nuclear cooperation. To the same end, the Secretary of State’s recent discussions with European Allies, including through the E5 format, consisting of the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Italy, represent a strong collaboration within the Alliance to develop a collective industrial base and deliver NATO critical warfighting capabilities. These capabilities include Complex Weapons with France, Land systems with Germany, and the Global Combat Air Programme which includes Italy.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 22 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, with which NATO allies he is seeking to strengthen bilateral relations.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK is committed to deepening our relationship with a broad range of Allies. Pages 73-75 as well as 82 - 84 of the Strategic Defence Review provide a clear list of allies with which the UK should develop closer ties. These are: the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Poland Estonia, Norway, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Lithunua, The Netherlands, Romania, and Greece. This is not exhaustive; the Ministry of Defence maintains close links with all Allies in NATO.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 34 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what recent progress he has made on strengthening the interoperability of carrier strike groups with Italy.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Italy is an important partner of the United Kingdom, demonstrated in the context of Carrier Strike, through our memberships of NATO, the F-35 Lightning II programme, and the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative (ECGII).
Interoperability has been strengthened during the ongoing deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG) on Operation HIGHMAST, during which HMS PRINCE OF WALES worked alongside the Italian Navy’s ITS CAVOUR CSG in the Mediterranean Sea in May 2025. Combined training activity emphasised UK-Italian CSG interoperability and integration across all domains, including UK and Italian F-35B jets flying sorties by day and night, and the opportunity for Italian Navy F-35Bs to land on, and launch from, HMS PRINCE OF WALES. Further combined training opportunities to strengthen UK-Italian CSG interoperability are planned during the UK CSG’s return passage later this year.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of participating in the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile export market.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD), working closely with MBDA UK and the Meteor partner nations, supports the export of the Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile which is a strategically important capability manufactured and assembled in the UK. Currently, Meteor is integrated on the Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen and Rafale combat air platforms and is operated by/on contract with 14 countries including the UK. The UK and Italy are working to integrate Meteor on F-35, which will be the most widely procured combat air platform in history. Additionally, the MOD is playing a key role in supporting Republic of Korea’s integration of Meteor on to its KF-21 aircraft. This resulted in a significant export sale of Meteor in 2023. All future UK BVRAAM development will be conducted with exportability as a fundamental requirement.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, from which countries the House of Commons sources the paper for its (a) official headed stationery and (b) other printed parliamentary materials.
Answered by Nick Smith
Official headed stationery is sourced from the following locations:
All overprinting of paper envelopes is carried out in the UK, including embossing and phosphor band print. Overprinting of letterheaded paper is carried out in the UK.
Business papers (the Order Paper, bills etc) are printed on paper which has been manufactured in Germany and France. These are bought through a UK-based paper merchant.
Under current legislation and guidance, specifying the origin of goods or services is only permitted if it is necessary to do so in order for our requirements to be understood. The legislation expressly provides that any requirement specifying the origin must allow for equivalents where these exist. Parliament endeavours to purchase British goods and support domestic supply chains where it is possible and appropriate to do so.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her priorities are to tackle illegal immigration; and how these differ from her immediate predecessor.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
As the Home Secretary has set out, she will do whatever it takes to secure our borders; working to restore order to the asylum system, ensuring that the rules are properly respected and enforced, and working upstream to tackle those facilitating illegal migration.
The now embedded Border Security Command (BSC) is leading the national response to preventing small boats crossing the English Channel. The BSC work closely with the National Crime Agency, Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, and overseas counterparts in countries such as France, Germany, Italy, and Iraq. This collaborative approach has already led to widely publicised raids, arrests, and new bilateral agreements that will further strengthen enforcement and intelligence-sharing over the coming months.
To ensure we restore order to the asylum system, we are committed to meaningful reform of our current immigration system and processes. We will legislate to reform our approach to the application of Article 8 in the immigration system. Alongside this we will also pursue international reform, working closely with our partners in the Council of Europe. These reforms will restore the correct balance between individual rights and the wider public interest of controlling migration.