theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 73797 on Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme: Finance, how much funding was provided to each local authority; and what information his Department holds on how that funding was spent. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The 44 places that received funding through the Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme were awarded grants of between £55,000 and £557,000. Local authorities have been required to report to the department on how the funding has been spent and, once completed, their project evaluations.

Over 300 projects have been supported through the Programme to strengthen community connections and increase resilience to divisive narratives. Examples include school-based workshops on hate crime and extremism, inclusive sports sessions for marginalised groups, interfaith events, creative arts and cultural festivals, and training for community leaders on tackling misinformation and promoting cohesion.

To date, local authorities have reported supporting over 25,000 people through community engagement, cohesion, and awareness activities and provided training to over 8,000 people on topics such as community cohesion, countering extremism, and tackling hate crime.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which Minister is responsible for overseeing the Government’s Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition; whether a successor has been appointed to the role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Faith and Communities; and what arrangements are in place for the Group’s secretariat and stakeholder engagement. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Minister responsible for overseeing the Government’s Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition is Miatta Fahnbulleh. The secretariat hasn’t changed. This independent Working Group engaged extensively with a wide range of communities and have now provided their independent, evidence-based advice to Ministers for consideration. Ministers are reviewing the advice and next steps in due course.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2025 to Question 75610 on Anti-muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group, if he will publish the (a) individuals and (b) organisations that the group's secretariat has recorded the working group as having met. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: Alongside drawing on their own expertise, the independent working group engaged widely to ensure the definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of communities across the United Kingdom. To build on the extensive engagement they had undertaken, the Working Group launched a Call for Evidence which closed on Sunday 20 July. It was open to the public and any individual or organisation was able to submit evidence.
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Paul Holmes:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what changes have been made to (a) funding for individual projects and (b) the total quantum of funding for cultural projects allocated levelling up funding prior to July 2024; and if he will list the projects for which funding was cancelled. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Levelling Up Fund committed £4.8 billion to mixed use projects under the themes of regeneration, transport and culture. In September this government announced the consolidation of the Levelling Up, Towns and Pathfinder funds into a single, consolidated funding pot, the Local Regeneration Fund. This fund honoured all funding from the constituent programmes; providing local authorities with greater flexibility, more local control and less bureaucracy, freeing them up to get on with delivery impacts in our communities across the UK.

An additional £99.8 million of funding was awarded to Levelling Up cultural projects announced by the previous administration at the Spring Budget 2024. Due to the extremely challenging fiscal legacy and unfunded commitments this government inherited these projects were consulted upon, confirming £67 million of funding to 10 projects across the UK and withdrawing funding for six Local Authorities: Maldon, Redditch, High Peak, Erewash, Somerset and Northamptonshire being withdrawn.

In September this government announced the consolidation of the Levelling Up, Towns and Pathfinder funds into a single, consolidated funding pot, the Local Regeneration Fund. This fund honoured all funding from the constituent programmes; providing local authorities with greater flexibility, more local control and less bureaucracy, freeing them up to get on with delivery impacts in our communities across the UK.
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with (a) Brighton and Hove council, (b) Tower Hamlets council and (c) Birmingham City Council on the taking down of St George’s flags. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Prime Minister has been clear that he supports the flying of flags across the country. Flags should be an embodiment of bringing our country and our communities together. Decisions about whether flags should be removed are devolved to local authorities and it is for them to assess the impacts of removing or allowing flags to remain.

My Department engages with local authorities on a regular basis across numerous meetings. Where the subject has been raised we have been clear that everyone can make their own decisions, including local councils, on flying flags and that guidance exists to support them, such as ‘Flying flags: a plain English guide” - as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 (as amended in 2012 and 2021) – which outlines the regulations related to the flying of flags in England.

It is important that the decisions taken by local authorities reflect the character and values of the communities they serve. Where symbols are used in ways that threaten public safety, it is right that action is taken to address this.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to Answer of 19 September 2025 to Question 75610 on Anti-muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group, whether the working group (a) received and (b) accepted responses from extremist organisations. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Working Group launched a Call for Evidence to build on the extensive engagement they had undertaken. The Call for Evidence closed on Sunday 20 July. It was open to the public and any individual or organisation was able to submit evidence.

The Working Group did not engage with any organisations that are subject to the Government’s non-engagement policy.
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions the Government had with the US Government on the definition of Islamophobia. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The government does not have an official definition of anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia and so it has not engaged with any foreign government on this. However, we have established a working group to advise government on a definition of anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, including on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims. Alongside drawing on their own expertise, the working group have engaged widely to ensure the definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of communities across the United Kingdom.
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Claire Hanna:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department allocated to football clubs through the levelling up funds in Northern Ireland. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: Crusaders Football Club, in Belfast was awarded £2.2 million from the Levelling Up Fund for its Shore Road Skills Centre project.

This is the only direct allocation of Levelling Up Funds to a football club in Northern Ireland.

Other football clubs in Northern Ireland may have benefited from funding delivered and administered by local authorities.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to support Christian communities in (a) urban and (b) rural areas in England. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: This Government’s commitment to valuing the contribution which Christians make to society is evident through our engagement with a wide range of churches at national, regional and local levels. MHCLG funds several cohesion initiatives which directly support religiously diverse communities across England, including the Near Neighbours programme which is a delivery arm of the Church of England’s Church Urban Fund. Urban and rural Christian communities may also be the beneficiaries of other programmes across government, including the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme which provides VAT relief for repairs to our historic places of worship, including churches, which are central to both our local and national life.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support survivors of child sex abuse committed (a) by military personnel and (b) on military bases. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: The safety of the children of Service personnel, and young people under the age of 18 undertaking training, is of utmost importance to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and we are committed to safeguarding and supporting victims of child sexual abuse. Our safeguarding system ensures that all concerns are dealt with promptly, sensitively, and align with statutory requirements.

The MOD provides support to victims of serious crime, regardless of age, through the Victim Witness Care Unit, which is part of the Defence Serious Crime Command, when the offence has been committed by persons subject to service law. In the case of child victims, due to the heightened risk and safeguarding concerns, the Victim Liaison Officer (VLO) will take a proactive approach by engaging with Appropriate Adults, Social Workers, and specialist support services, such as Sexual Assault Referral Centres or Independent Sexual Violence Advisers.

The VLO will also prioritise identifying local services near the victim's or family's location, including Advocacy services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. In all circumstances, the victim will be supported by a range of personnel and agencies, both internal and external to Defence, to ensure their individual needs are fully met.

Our safeguarding process is clearly set out in the Defence Safeguarding Policy (Joint Service Publication (JSP) 834), which defines the protection responsibilities and ensures safeguarding training is provided to equipped personnel with the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfil their safeguarding duties effectively.

Defence Direction and Guidance for Training and Education (JSP 822) outlines that personnel under the age of 18 have particular care and welfare needs as well as additional legal requirements. JSP 822 flags that maturity and experience can vary considerably between individuals and as such those who are under the age of 18 may be more at risk than older trainees. It also directs establishments to provide comprehensive Supervisory Care Directives, record a Commander’s Risk Assessment and to comply fully with JSP 834.

The Army Foundation College, Harrogate AFC(H) fully implements the MOD’s Zero Tolerance policies. It reports every instance of unacceptable sexual behaviour, and it has robust policies and processes in place to ensure the safety of students. Prior to each new intake of Junior Soldiers, AFC(H) Permanent Staff undertake refresher training covering all aspects of safeguarding, welfare and unacceptable sexual behaviour.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of charging members of Overseas Territory Regiments home rates rather than overseas rates for attendance at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: There is no distinction between the home and international rates for attendance at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The only difference is whether costs are charged, and this is dependent on a number of factors which are considered at the time of application. These include the country’s GDP, historic links and the regiment’s place in the British Army Order of Battle.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 31 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, whether he made progress on enhancing the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force with France at the France-UK summit in July 2025. \p Al Carns: The July 2025 UK-France summit saw a complete overhaul of the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) into the Combined Joint Force (CJF) with significant changes to structure, focus, coordination mechanisms and leadership. This is outlined in the Lancaster House 2.0: Declaration on Modernising UK-French Defence and Security Cooperation press release of 10 July 2025.
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Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to expand defence procurement processes to enable greater participation by (a) advanced manufacturers in the Calder Valley valve industry and (b) other small and medium sized businesses. \p Luke Pollard: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hold a crucial place in UK defence. They are the backbone of the UK economy and are vital to delivering the innovation, expertise and agility that we need now and in the future. This is recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy, as well as the Department’s Social Value policy.

We work with our largest suppliers through a network of their SME Champions, trade associations and SME representatives to ensure that smaller companies have access to opportunities in our supply chain and that our prime contractors are adopting policies, such as fair payment practices, that support small businesses working in defence. We are also introducing a new SME Commercial Pathway as part of our broader acquisition transformation. Through this pathway, Defence will increase the number of opportunities for SMEs, and make our contracting processes simpler, less onerous and faster.

This Government has already announced an ambitious but achievable target to spend £7.5 billion with SMEs by 2028 which will see direct spend increase by approximately £700 million during the next three years, and we will launch a new Office For Small Business Growth to provide SMEs with better access to the defence supply chain, ensuring that thousands of small businesses in the UK, including those in the Calder Valley, continue to lead the way in developing the world-beating technologies and services that we will need.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of military families who will be affected by the Forces First approach in each of the next three years. \p Luke Pollard: The Forces First approach will mean more Service personnel have access to the high-quality homes and home-ownership opportunities they deserve and will form part of the upcoming Defence Housing Strategy. This approach will be applied by agreement with local authorities and development partners on a site-by-site basis, so it is not possible to currently estimate the number of military families who will benefit in future years.

A trailblazer for this approach is already underway at Ministry of Defence (MOD) Feltham in South-West London, where the MOD, the London Borough of Hounslow and the Greater London Authority have agreed to adopt a Forces First approach as part of a groundbreaking partnership to develop the site. Once vacated, this new development alone is expected to deliver hundreds of homes and jobs.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press notice entitled New defence deals with India deepen strategic partnership and boosts UK business, published on 9 October 2025, what estimate his Department has made of the potential value of contracts for defence supply chain companies in (a) the UK and (b) Buckingham and Bletchley constituency following the defence agreements signed with India. \p Luke Pollard: UK defence industry stands to benefit from over £350 million from contracts secured for maritime electric propulsion and Lightweight Multirole Missiles. These initial contracts will incorporate content sourced directly from the UK’s extensive defence supply chain network. The announced deals have the potential to deliver additional agreements in the future, further boosting UK businesses, jobs and growth.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure that defence industrial co-operation with India supports UK strategic priorities. \p Luke Pollard: The UK and Indian Governments are working together on extensive defence capability collaboration to strengthen supply chain resilience which will feature co-development and co-production of selected capabilities. This aligns with objectives published in both the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Both countries will enjoy an established portfolio of capabilities across multiple domains, enabling interoperability by our Armed Forces and mutual prosperity for our defence industries.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the new defence agreements with India on UK defence exports. \p Luke Pollard: The recent agreements made with India will positively affect UK defence exports in areas such as maritime electric propulsion and complex weapons. We are also exploring opportunities for further collaboration with India through implementation of a Defence Industrial Roadmap, including in emerging technologies and land mobility platforms.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Military families and veterans prioritised in ‘forces first’ housing scheme, published on 29 September 2025, whether the planned 100,000 homes on surplus land will be in addition to existing Government housebuilding targets. \p Luke Pollard: The Defence Secretary has identified the long-term potential for 100,000 homes on Ministry of Defence (MOD) surplus land, demonstrating the opportunity for MOD to contribute to the Government’s important housebuilding ambitions. A new approach to realising this opportunity will be set out in the Defence Housing Strategy later this year.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many local (a) suppliers and (b) contractors have been engaged in the delivery of the (i) single living accommodation and (ii) solar projects at Weeton Barracks. \p Luke Pollard: New Single Living Accommodation (SLA) at Weeton Barracks is currently being delivered through the Ministry of Defence’ Future Defence Infrastructure Services contractor, VIVO.

VIVO as the principal contractor, engages with sub-contractors who need to demonstrate how they will meet social value criteria including tackling economic inequality, tackling workforce inequality, and utilising support from local Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, where appropriate.

For the Weeton project, the workforce for the on-site construction was drawn from the local area to support employment and the local economy.

Contractor Mitie were appointed to deliver the solar project at Weeton Barracks. Mitie’s policy for sourcing local suppliers and contractors is driven by commitment to sustainability and social value, aiming to increase supply chain resilience and local economic support.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what comparative assessment he has made of the (a) design, (b) sustainability and (c) cost per bedspace of the single living accommodation under construction at (i) Weeton Barracks and (ii) other recently built single living accommodation across the Army estate. \p Luke Pollard: Weeton Barracks is in the first wave of the Army’s Single Living Accommodation (SLA) upgrade programmes since the Single Living Accommodation Management (SLAM) Programme completed in 2017. The building complies with the Government’s Net Zero Carbon Strategy, the UK Infrastructure 10-Year Strategy and tackles the recommendations of the National Audit Office Report: Improving Single Living Accommodation February 2021.

Cost efficiency is a key driver of Defence’s procurement strategy for the SLA programme, and all tenders are reviewed, benchmarked and assured against market data to ensure value for money is delivered to meet the performance specifications.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department provided to (a) Defence Transition Services, (b) Personal Recovery Units and (c) the Veterans Welfare Service in each year since 2023. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of medically discharged service personnel were referred to (a) Defence Transition Services, (b) Personal Recovery Units, (c) Personal Support Groups and (d) the Veterans Welfare Service in each year since 2023. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 22 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on strengthening Europe’s collective industrial base. \p Luke Pollard: The UK recently launched its Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) which reaffirms our belief that close cooperation with our European allies is essential. We remain clear that, in order to effectively deter and defence against increased aggression, we need to strengthen our shared defence industrial base to ensure Europe is able to secure the critical capabilities needed at the necessary speed, scale and value for money. As part of these efforts, we have set out our ambition to explore the potential for enhanced cooperation through the EU’s SAFE instrument. We have also re-set our bilateral relationships with France, helping to strengthen the European complex weapons industrial base through Lancaster House 2.0, and with Germany, strengthening the land combat industrial sector, through the Trinity House agreement. While the new UK-Norway defence partnership, including the Type 26 procurement, will sustain 4.000 jobs in the UK.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 36 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, whether he has made recent progress on developing capability under the defence partnership with India. \p Al Carns: Defence Partnership India was formally launched in India at Aero India in February 2025. Since its inauguration there have been advancements in a range of capability areas across the air, maritime and land domains, as can be seen through the recent announcements from the Prime Minister’s visit to India earlier this month. For example, the Indian Army will procure THALES Lightweight Multirole Missiles through a Government-to-Government arrangement between our countries and both Prime Ministers were pleased to confirm the intent to finalise the Inter-Governmental agreement on cooperation in developing maritime electric propulsion systems to Indian Naval Platforms.
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Ben Obese-Jecty: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 the themes will be of each of the next three six-monthly foreign and security policy dialogues. \p Al Carns: The Government pledged in its manifesto to pursue a new relationship with the EU to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO. The recently released Strategic Defence Review (SDR) further reiterates this commitment and recognises that international partnerships are crucial for the UK’s security and prosperity. The Government delivered on this commitment at the UK-EU Summit on 19 May where we agreed a new and ambitious Security and Defence Partnership (SDP).

Implementation of the SDP is a joint effort with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and is progressing. Since May, my Rt Hon Friend, Defence Secretary John Healey has held discussions with the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, where they discussed their ambition to explore the potential for enhanced UK-EU cooperation under SAFE. In October, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary will both meet with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, for the first UK/EU foreign and security policy dialogue under the SDP.

In addition, Ministers and officials from across Government have held consultations with their EU counterparts on a range of issues, including but not limited to, tackling irregular migration and hybrid threats. We continue to work with EU counterparts to strengthen dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation across the range of issues covered in the SDP, including maritime and space security.

As the Defence Secretary has previously said to this House, this Government will ensure that any UK commitment– whether financial or non-financial – will provide value for the UK taxpayer and supports our defence goals. We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO First defence policy.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many medically discharged service personnel were provided with mental health assessments as part of their discharge process in each year since 2023. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: The number of UK Armed Forces personnel medically discharged with a Structured Mental Health Assessment (SMHA) entered into their electronic medical record is as follows:

Service personnel undergoing medical discharge who are under the care of specialist mental health services may not have a SMHA as this is intended to identify unmet mental health needs prior to discharge.

Only information on SMHA’s that is recorded on electronic medical records is available for electronic searches. Figures therefore are a minimum.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average time was between a service personnel being medically discharged and them receiving a copy of their full medical records in each of the last three years. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: When an individual leaves the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence recognises the importance of facilitating the transfer of healthcare information to their civilian healthcare provider(s).

On leaving Defence Medical Services (DMS) care, Service personnel are provided with a medical care summary, known as an FMed133, and advised to register with an NHS GP and provide them a copy of their FMED 133.

If a patient’s full DMS health record is required, this is provided on request to their NHS GP. Given this and that some records are never requested, no accurate estimate can be made of the average time from discharge to the receipt of the medical records by the NHS GP.

To improve the transfer of healthcare information, DMS is working towards the greater interoperability with NHS systems and the electronic transfer of medical records from DMS to NHS GPs. Programme CORTISONE is expected to implement changes over the next one-two years.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel were medically discharged in each year since 2023. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: The Ministry of Defence publishes annual statistical information on medical discharges in the UK Armed Forces. The number of UK regular Armed Forces personnel medically discharged in each year since 2023 can be found in the published information available at the following links:

2023:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-service-personnel-medical-discharges-financial-year-202324

2024:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-service-personnel-medical-discharges-financial-year-202425
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support veterans to (a) secure employment, (b) access appropriate housing and (c) access mental health support following medical discharge. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: This Government is fully committed to ensuring that all veterans, including those undergoing medical discharge, have easy access to support when and where it is needed. Personnel who are medically discharged are automatically referred to Defence Transition Service (DTS) or Veteran Welfare Service (VWS). Service leavers, veterans, and their families can access support, help and information with issues that may endure beyond discharge irrespective of their reason for discharge. DTS/VWS clients are supported according to their needs and preferences, this may be simple transitional needs or enduring healthcare support for more complex challenges including PTSD.

For employment support, the Ministry of Defence-hosted Career Transition Partnership (CTP) is the initial point of employment support provision for veterans for up to two years before and after leaving military service. For individuals facing significant barriers to employment due to medical conditions, CTP provides tailored support through the CTP Assist programme. This initiative offers bespoke, intensive assistance to help those with additional needs successfully transition into civilian employment. Op ASCEND is available two years after discharge and connects veterans and their families with employers and supports them into sustainable careers in strategic sectors.

For housing support, Op FORTITUDE is the support referral pathway to connect veterans at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness and the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme funds housing organisations to deliver wraparound care and support services to veterans.

Structured Mental Health Assessments conducted by Defence GPs are part of the medical discharge process, and where personnel leaving the Armed Forces have an enduring need for mental healthcare, Defence Medical Services work in partnership with the NHS to ensure continuation of care. Personnel who have been assessed and diagnosed with a mental health need are able to access Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) for up to six months after discharge to provide continuity of care during the transition period until appropriate handover to other services can be completed as required.

Veterans can also access specialist mental and physical health support through Ops COURAGE and RESTORE, which provide a broad range of specialist mental health, physical and wellbeing care services to veterans in England, with similar services available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_138

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to mental health services for (a) service personnel and (b) veterans. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: Defence Medical Services (DMS) has established Defence Mental Health Networks (DMHNs) across the UK to improve access to mental health services for Service personnel. These specialist community mental health services provide enhanced access to expert assessment and treatment for service personnel experiencing mental health disorders. By introducing new single points of access, enabling the sharing of specialist skills across network locations, and consolidating clinical and governance processes, DMHNs are reducing wait times to enhanced assessments and core treatment therapies.

DMS has further introduced standardised training for primary care clinicians incorporating emerging digital interventions to ensure that service personnel can access initial mental healthcare at any Defence medical centre.

Op COURAGE, the Veterans’ Mental Health, and Wellbeing Service, provides an integrated mental health care pathway for veterans in England, with similar services in other parts of the UK.

Earlier this year, we announced VALOUR, a new commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support, which will ensure easier access to essential care and support for veterans across the country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_139

Sir Julian Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the contract to build small craft to support the Royal Navy was awarded to a foreign shipbuilder; and what British-based firms competing for that contract had their bids rejected. \p Luke Pollard: The contract in question is a sub-contract awarded by Serco to procure 24 new vessels for the Royal Navy. This sub-contract is part of the Defence Marine Services In-Port Services contract between the Ministry of Defence and Serco, and accounts for less than 25% of the total contract value. The In-Port Services contract was sourced via a competitive tender process; however, Serco was the only tenderer to submit a bid. In accordance with the legislation in force at the time, Serco was free to select its sub-contractors, and the Ministry of Defence was not permitted under this legislation to require Serco to discriminate on grounds of nationality.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_140

Emma Lewell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2025 to Question 77519 on Armed Forces: Mefloquine, when he expects the issue of claimants' legal costs to be resolved. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: The claimant's legal costs are the subject of negotiation between the parties, and it is hoped that they will be resolved soon. It is not currently possible to provide a timeline.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_141

Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has undertaken analysis of barriers to inward investment from sovereign wealth funds into UK (a) infrastructure and (b) growth sectors. \p Chris Bryant: This government maintains strong relationships with leading sovereign wealth funds, engaging in regular dialogue to understand barriers they face when investing in UK infrastructure and growth sectors. The UK's 10 Year Strategy Infrastructure aims to restore confidence and drive growth with £725 billion for infrastructure, transforming project delivery. The Industrial Strategy White Paper identified key investment barriers including planning delays, infrastructure gaps, regulatory burdens, and skills shortages. Government reforms to address these barriers include the Strategic Sites Accelerator, regulatory innovation, planning improvements, and targeted support for industrial clusters and skills development.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_142

Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of foreign sovereign wealth funds to the Government’s strategy for attracting long-term investment into the UK economy. \p Chris Bryant: The Government recognises the important role that foreign sovereign wealth funds play in supporting long-term investment in the UK. The UK continues to attract significant investment from sovereign wealth funds, including through strategic partnerships with funds from the Gulf region. This includes a recent £2 billion investment partnership with Bahrain to support sectors such as clean energy, technology, and manufacturing. This investment contributes to economic growth, job creation, and the development of key infrastructure across the country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_143

Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that inward investment from India contributes to the UK’s net zero targets. \p Chris Bryant: DBT’s recently published Industrial Strategy sets out the Government’s ambition to be a global leader in clean energy by 2035, doubling investment levels across our frontier clean energy industries to over £30billion per year and creating good jobs across the country. To support this, the Office for Investment acts as a dedicated unit and proactive sales force for the UK, working internationally to secure transformational investment in line with HMGs strategic priorities. It has the commercial knowledge and expertise to originate and land deals, including working to land investment from India.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_144

Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen the UK’s institutional relationships with major global sovereign wealth funds. \p Chris Bryant: This government expanded the Office for Investment (OfI) including pursuing deeper investment collaboration with global sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in support of our first Modern Industrial Strategy.

The OfI manages multi-billion-pound Sovereign and Strategic Investment Partnerships with SWFs and provides a channel for collaboration. The OfI has already facilitated multi-billion-pounds in commitments and multi-billion-pounds in capital deployed from these partners, contributing to growth and prosperity across the country.

This effort continues; The Government is sending a senior delegation to the Future Investment Initiative in Saudi Arabia later this month to strengthen ties further with Saudi and global SWFs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_145

Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to cap companies' charges for (a) all customers and (b) the elderly (i) when customers are locked out of their homes, (ii) mechanical failures in the home and (iii) all other domestic emergencies. \p Kate Dearden: Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, traders are required to carry out a service with reasonable care and skill, and within reasonable time. Traders must also charge a “reasonable price” for services.

Otherwise, the prices businesses charge for a service are commercial decisions for them. This encourages businesses to compete, innovate and grow, creating an economy based on productive relationships and fairly won business reputations.

Under the Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024, traders must take reasonable steps to ensure consumer reviews on their sites are genuine. To help consumersidentify reliable traders, the government supports approved code schemes that provide high standards of customer service and defined routes for redress.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_146

David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of an agreement with Ukraine on egg imports on domestic egg production,. \p Chris Bryant: Under our Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine, tariffs on all goods are temporarily removed until March 2029, except for poultry and eggs, where the liberalisation is due to end on 31 March 2026.

We consistently consider the views and impact on our domestic industry, and this is reflected in our approach to tariff liberalisation support for Ukraine. We will continue to take these views into account as part of our policy development process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_147

Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that requirements on agencies to offer guaranteed hours contracts do not reduce flexibility; and if he will consider reforms to allow such contracts to be requested by workers on the basis of hours worked with their agency. \p Kate Dearden: The Government believes agency workers should be able to access a contract which reflects the hours they regularly work. Agency workers who prefer a more flexible arrangement can reject any guaranteed hours offer.

It will generally be hirers’ responsibility to offer guaranteed hours to qualifying agency workers, but regulations will be able to transfer the obligation on agencies or other intermediaries in certain scenarios. We will consult to ensure the measures work for agencies, hirers and agency workers.

We believe it could create undesirable barriers for agency workers to access guaranteed hours if they had to request guaranteed hours offers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_148

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support rural pubs in Lincolnshire. \p Kate Dearden: The Government recognises the significant role hospitality businesses play in driving economic growth, employment and community cohesion, especially in rural areas. That is why we are offering targeted support for the sector, such as the Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects such as Pub is The Hub to encourage local investment.

In April, we launched a Taskforce to consider ways to create a more balanced premises licensing system that not only safeguards communities but also supports responsible businesses. On 7 October the Government issued a Call for Evidence on Reforming the licensing system - GOV.UK (deadline: midday, 6 November 2025). These reforms are part of the Small Business Strategy, which also tackles late payments, improves access to finance, and cuts red tape. We want planning and licensing systems to work fairly for businesses and residents.

Additionally, we’re creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value and continue to work closely with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council to boost productivity and resilience by working together to address the challenges facing businesses.