theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Wendy Chamberlain:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department undertakes Child Rights Impact Assessments for international development policies. \p Stephen Doughty: As a ratifier of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the rights and wellbeing of children. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not undertake mandatory Child Rights Impact Assessments, but it is FCDO policy to consider the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which includes age, and Safeguarding responsibilities across our policies and investments.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Nicaraguan counterpart on the detention of (a) Carmen María Sáenz Martinez and (b) Lesbia del Socorro Gutiérrez Poveda. \p Catherine West: We share widespread international concern about the relentless suppression of human rights in Nicaragua. We continue to urge the Nicaraguan authorities to re-establish democratic freedoms in our engagements with the Nicaraguan Embassy and in Managua, as well as through our public statements in international fora. Most recently, on 28 February at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, we raised our grave human rights concerns, including relating to freedom of religion and belief, and arbitrary detentions. Nicaragua's declaration on 27 February that it is leaving the UN Human Rights Council does not change the need to hold the authorities accountable for the suppression of human rights in Nicaragua.
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Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure the economic stability of the Falkland Islands and other Overseas Territories when responding to US tariffs. \p Stephen Doughty: HM Government is working closely with the governments of the Falkland Islands and other affected Overseas Territories to understand the impact of the US tariffs, including facilitating access to UK Department for Business and Trade expertise. I spoke with the Chair of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly shortly after the tariffs were announced where I offered our full support. We continue to work closely with the Governments of the Overseas Territories to support their economic development.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the Terms of Reference for the appointment of Baroness Batters to lead a Farm Profitability Review. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Terms of Reference for Baroness Minette Batters’ review of farm profitability were published on 7 April 2025 - Farming Profitability Review: terms of reference - GOV.UK.
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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the reintroduction of pine martens project on Exmoor. \p Mary Creagh: No assessment has been made of the effectiveness of reintroductions of pine martens project on Exmoor as the release of pine martens on Exmoor is yet to take place.

Devon Wildlife Trust, as part of their pine marten reintroduction project, have released pine marten on Dartmoor. These releases occurred in October 2024 and the Trust are closely monitoring the released animals through surveys, radio collars, camera traps and analysis of their faeces. Natural England, alongside NatureScot, provided guidance to the project throughout its development to ensure legal requirements in relation to licensing were met and full consideration of best practice were given (Reintroductions and other conservation translocations: code and guidance). This includes the requirements for detailed monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the projects results and impacts.

Natural England continues to liaise with the project to ensure best practice going forward.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration. \p Mary Creagh: The Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy and has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England with a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis. The Circular Economy Taskforce will start with five sectors: agrifood, built environment, chemicals, and plastics; textiles and transport.

We recognise that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy and will consider the evidence for appropriate action from right across the economy as we develop our strategy.
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory scheme to require drive through fast food outlets to print car registration details on purchased food packaging. \p Mary Creagh: We do not think it would be appropriate to require take-away food vendors to implement a vehicle registration number printing and tracing system for packaging due to the potential costs involved, which may outweigh any benefits. Data protection concerns have been raised. However, we strongly support voluntary initiatives to reduce littering.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the UK’s declining wild bird populations. \p Mary Creagh: This Government remains committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species including wild birds. That is why, on the 30 July 2024 the Government announced a review of the 2023 Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) and the intention to develop a revised EIP to protect and restore the natural environment with delivery information to meet the Environment Act targets. This includes reversing the decline in species and reducing the risk of extinction.

Government actions to restore and create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042 will support a wide range of native bird species. In addition, under the Environmental Land Management scheme we have several offers to support the management, restoration and creation of habitats that support a range of bird species.
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Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) a Minister from his Department plans to attend the next round of negotiations on the UN Global Plastics Treaty in Geneva. \p Emma Hardy: The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution is scheduled to take place from 5 to 14 August 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.

As with previous negotiating committee sessions, the UK will have a strong negotiating presence to push for the agreement of an ambitious and effective Treaty covering the full plastics life cycle. No decisions have been taken on Ministerial attendance.
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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) investigations have been opened and (b) enforcement action taken under the Water Industries Act 1991, section 3(3)(a). \p Emma Hardy: Section 3(3)(a) of the Water Industry Act 1991 sets a requirement on water companies ‘to have regard to the desirability of preserving for the public any freedom of access to areas of woodland, mountains, moor, heath, down, cliff or foreshore and other places of natural beauty’.

The Secretary of State is not currently investigating or undertaking enforcement action under Section 18 of the Water Industry Act in respect of this requirement.
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Andy Slaughter:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 3.54 of the Office for Budget Responsibility's publication entitled Economic and fiscal outlook, published in March 2025, if he will publish the assessments referenced. \p Mary Creagh: In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging volumes and recycling rates.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the UK meets its 2030 nature recovery targets. \p Mary Creagh: Our biodiversity targets, alongside other statutory targets on tree canopy and woodland cover, water and air quality, marine protected areas, and resource efficiency, will drive action for nature recovery.

We have pledged up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration over the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26, benefiting nature and biodiversity.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies are being prepared and published across England by responsible authorities. They will enable effort to be focussed on the actions and locations which will have most benefit to nature and the wider environment.

Our Environmental Land Management schemes will restore, maintain and enhance existing ‘high value’ biodiversity assets, create new wildlife rich habitats, incentivise nature friendly and sustainable farming measures to reverse declines in farmland species and support bespoke species recovery actions.

At COP16, we confirmed our vision for protecting and effectively managing 30% of land for nature by 2030 (30by30).

The Government has concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23). We published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025, to be followed by publication of a revised EIP. The revised EIP will focus on cleaning up our waterways, reducing waste across the economy, planting millions more trees, improving air quality and halting the decline in species by 2030.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle persecution of birds of prey. \p Mary Creagh: Bird of prey persecution is a national wildlife crime priority and there are strong penalties in place for offences committed against birds of prey and other wildlife. Where any wild bird of prey is killed illegally the full force of the law should apply to proven perpetrators of the crime.

Defra supports the work of the national Bird of Prey Crime Priority Delivery Group, which brings together police, government and stakeholders from conservation and country sports organisations to tackle bird of prey persecution.

Furthermore, Defra is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime (including bird of prey crime) by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is providing £424,000 for NWCU in 2025-2026.

In addition, Defra provides funding to the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme, which makes enquiries into the death of wildlife that may have resulted from pesticide or rodenticide poisoning. We have also provided funding to Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) to develop DNA forensic analysis for the police and other organisations investigating crimes against peregrine falcons.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a licensing system for grouse shooting in England. \p Mary Creagh: The Government recognises well-managed grouse shooting can be an important part of a local rural economy, providing direct and indirect employment. It also appreciates that many people hold strong views on the issue of grouse shooting and there is evidence to suggest a link between it and crimes against birds of prey. While Defra has not yet made any formal assessment of the potential merits of the licensing of grouse shooting in England, it will continue to work to ensure a sustainable, mutually beneficial relationship between grouse shooting and conservation
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect blue carbon habitats from damaging human activities. \p Emma Hardy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Poole, Neil Duncan-Jordan, in February 2025, PQ 28248.

In England, we have established a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which cover the majority of our saltmarsh and seagrass habitats. While blue carbon habitats may not always be an explicitly designated feature, MPA protection may still yield benefits.

Our focus is now on ensuring that these MPAs are effectively protected to allow the designated features to achieve favourable condition. Three Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMAs) designations in English waters came into force in summer 2023. Two of the three designated sites, Allonby Bay and North East of Farnes Deep, contain blue carbon habitats.

Defra set up the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership in partnership with DESNZ and the Devolved Administrations to address evidence gaps around these important habitats. We are funding a multi-year research project to increase our understanding of UK seabed sediment carbon storage and sequestration, the impact of human activities and to model potential management interventions. Initial outputs from this work were published in January 2025.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the carbon storage potential of natural blue carbon habitats; and what steps he is taking to help protect these habitats. \p Emma Hardy: To progress the evidence base on blue carbon habitats in UK waters the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership (UKBCEP) was established in 2022. Through the UKBCEP, Defra is working together with Devolved Governments and DESNZ to address key blue carbon research questions including assessing their carbon storage potential. A working group was set up under the UKBCEP to help to address the evidence gaps preventing the inclusion of saltmarsh in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory (UKGHGI). In January 2025, Defra published a roadmap towards the potential inclusion of saltmarsh in the UKGHGI. We also published initial outputs from a multi-year research project to increase our understanding of UK seabed sediment carbon storage in January 2025.

In England, we have established a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which cover the majority of our saltmarsh and seagrass habitats. While blue carbon habitats may not always be an explicitly designated feature, MPA protection may still yield benefits.

Our focus is now on ensuring that these MPAs are effectively protected to allow the designated features to achieve favourable condition. Three Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMAs) designations in English waters came into force in summer 2023. Two of the three designated sites, Allonby Bay and North East of Farnes Deep, contain blue carbon habitats.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of microplastics in UK drinking water sources; and what steps he has taken to regulate and reduce microplastic pollution in the water supply chain. \p Emma Hardy: Drinking water quality is a devolved matter and therefore I can only respond in relation to England.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has published two research projects on microplastics in drinking water – one in January 2019 reviewing the potential risks from nanoparticles and microplastics and another in October 2022 looking at the removal of microplastics by drinking water treatment processes. This found that more than 99.99% of microplastic particles were removed through conventional drinking water treatment processes and that microplastics were present at very low levels in drinking water. Their contribution to total daily exposure, and presenting a potential risk to human health, was likely to be low or insignificant. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recommended that routine monitoring of microplastics in drinking water was not necessary at this time.

The DWI published a report in December 2024 recommending revisions to some of the parameters listed in the drinking water regulations.
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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor the effective implementation of Government consultation principles on the needs of people affected by air pollution. \p Emma Hardy: Defra seeks to align its consultations with the Cabinet Office consultations principles, published in 2018, to ensure our consultations are accessible to a wide variety of stakeholders and gather the best possible information to assist with policy development.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ensure that Ofwat's enforcement case investigation into Thames Water is (a) performed and (b) concluded in a timely manner. \p Emma Hardy: It is not appropriate for the Government to comment on an ongoing investigation. We have a system of independent environmental and economic regulation, and the recently introduced Water (Special Measures) Act provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies in the next investment period. This includes powers for Ofwat to set rules on remuneration, governance, and financial reporting. The Government will continue to work with regulators to hold water companies to account on poor performance and to drive improvements which benefit customers and the environment.
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Tony Vaughan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the water quality of Dymchurch and St Mary’s Bay. \p Emma Hardy: The Environment Agency (EA) takes statutory samples and ensures compliance with the requirements of the Bathing Water Regulations. They collect investigative samples and analyse the results alongside other environmental data to help identify sources of pollution.

Dymchurch and St Marys Bay are priority bathing waters for local EA teams this year. No single source of pollution has been identified at these locations. The EA will continue to work with others including the water company, the local authority and communities to improve and protect water quality by identifying and stopping polluting inputs.

Water quality improvements at St. Marys Bay last year saw a return to ‘sufficient’ classification. This bathing water no longer has advice against bathing status, however there is still work to do to ensure water quality continues to improve.

The EA has worked in partnership with Southern Water to find and eliminate possible sources of contamination from their network, including misconnections. Southern Water has completed extensive checks of their sewerage infrastructure and have rectified issues throughout the investigations.

The EA encourages local communities to report pollution incidents that could be impacting bathing, surface or groundwater to their 24/7 incident hotline so they can respond and stop any pollution.
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Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive were outstanding as of 12 March 2025; and what steps his Department is taking to process applications submitted before the scheme was closed. \p Daniel Zeichner: As of the 24 March, of the applications that had been submitted for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 14,191 had received an agreement offers and 3,700 had not yet received an agreement offer.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to review the rules for Ofsted-registered childminders claiming Government funding for children to whom they are related. \p Stephen Morgan: It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.

Parents are free to choose the childcare that is right for them and their children, and childminders are not prevented from caring for related children. Funding made available for the entitlements to early education for children aged 9 months to 4 years-old, however, cannot be claimed by, or spent on, childminders providing childcare for related children.

This restriction for local authority funding relatives is set out in the Childcare Act (2006). Section 18(4) of the 2006 Act specifically excludes care provided for a child by a parent or other relative, and section 18(8)(c) of the 2006 Act states that a relative, in relation to a child, means “a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister, whether of the full blood or half blood or by marriage or civil partnership”.

Successive governments have taken this same approach to avoid creating an incentive for adults to register to become childminders and being paid to look after related children that they are already looking after on an informal basis. Allowing childminders to receive funding for looking after related children would not be an effective use of public money and may have a negative impact on the viability of existing childcare businesses. For this reason, we have no plans to change this long-standing position at this time.

Although childminders cannot receive entitlements funding for related children, flexibilities within staff to child ratios can be used to allow childminders who are caring for related children to avoid limiting the income they can earn.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support apprenticeships in the hairdressing industry. \p Janet Daby: Apprenticeships are a great way for individuals to begin or progress a successful career in the hair and beauty industry. Employers in the sector have developed several apprenticeships, including the level 2 hairdressing professional standard, to help them develop their workforce.

The department continues to promote apprenticeships to young people, adults and employers through the Skills for Life campaign.

Employers can benefit from £1,000 payments when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, or apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care. To support smaller employers access apprenticeships, the government pays full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an EHC plan, or have been in local authority care.

Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 where they earn less than £967 a week, or £50,270 a year.
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Alison Hume:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department plans to provide for targeted mainstream provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities in each of the next three financial years. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Overall schools funding is increasing by £3.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and will total over £64.8 billion, compared to almost £61.6 billion in 2024/25. Most schools’ funding is not allocated or ring-fenced for specific purposes. Schools decide how to spend their budgets to meet their legal duties and other responsibilities, including support for their pupils with SEND.

Of the increase in total schools funding, £1 billion will be for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion.

Decisions on schools funding for the years beyond 2025/26 will be taken following the forthcoming spending review.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the neighbourhood policing grant allocation for each police force has been calculated. \p Dame Diana Johnson: As a central part of the Safer Streets Mission, £200 million has been made available in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel.

In 2025-26, funding for this grant has been allocated using the Police Funding Formula, and details of the force-level allocations have been confirmed in individual letters directly with forces.
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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Table 7.3 : Experimental procedures by species of animal: regulatory use by origin of legislative requirement, Great Britain 2014 to 2023 of her Department’s Statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain: 2023, published on 11 September 2024, which UK legislative requirements were intended to be satisfied by the 12 procedures carried out on beagles. \p Dan Jarvis: With reference to the Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals in Great Britain 2023, Table 7.3, the 12 procedures carried out on beagles were to satisfy legislative requirements on the testing of medicinal products for human use.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the merits of providing local councils with the power to close premises where serious and organised crime has been detected by (a) landlords and (b) those renting the property. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Local authorities may already use the closure power under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, to close premises quickly which are being used, or are likely to be used, to commit nuisance or disorder. Courts may in turn grant a Closure Order where a person has engaged in criminal behaviour on the premises. This existing power is designed specifically to protect victims and communities by enabling swift action where premises are creating harm.

Alongside these powers, the Government is introducing a new criminal offence of ‘cuckooing’, being brought forward in the Crime and Policing Bill. This offence will criminalise the control over another person’s home for criminal purposes, particularly where vulnerable individuals are targeted and exploited. It will enable stronger action against criminals who prey on others in this way and help ensure victims are protected from this crime. The Government will publish guidance to support implementation of the new offence, including on how law enforcement partners can work with local authorities as part of a multi-agency response to tackle cuckooing.

These tools and legislative measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to empowering local authorities and law enforcement agencies to take robust action against serious and organised criminal activity.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the number of (a) police officers, (b) police community support officers, (c) special Constables and (d) redeployed police officers to be recruited by each police force in year one of the neighbourhood policing grant allocation programme. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government has committed to restoring neighbourhood policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. As set out in the 2025-26 police funding settlement, £200 million of funding has been allocated to forces in England and Wales in 2025-26 to kickstart the recruitment of 13,000 additional police officers and PCSOs into neighbourhood policing roles by the end of this Parliament.

On 9 April, the Government published force allocations and projections for total neighbourhood policing growth in year one as agreed with each force.

This can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neighbourhood-policing-grant-allocations-and-projections-2025-to-2026
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of current gross misconduct hearings for Warwickshire Police; and what the average length of time taken to conclude gross misconduct hearings for Warwickshire Police was over the past five years. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office does not hold information on the number of current gross misconduct hearings for police forces, including Warwickshire Police. Nor does it publish information on the average length of time taken to conclude gross misconduct hearings.

The Home Office does however collect and publish data on the number of police complaints, conduct matters, and misconduct proceedings (including cases and allegations) on an annual basis in the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics.

The latest information covers cases finalised in year ending 31 March 2024. The data tables accompanying these statistics contain information on individuals referred to proceedings by proceeding type and Police Force Area (table MP1), and the subsequent misconduct finding level (table MP3).

Tables CM7a and RC7a contain information on the total time to finalise conduct and recordable conduct matter cases, by Police Force Area. These statistics include all finalised cases, including those not referred to misconduct proceedings or where no action was deemed necessary.

These statistics are designated Official Statistics in Development to acknowledge that they should be interpreted with caution, particularly when comparing between years. Please see the user guide for further details https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/user-guide-to-police-misconduct-statistics/user-guide-to-police-misconduct-statistics.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with (a) animal welfare activists and (b) Marshall Bio Resources on the mass rearing of beagles for the purpose of animal testing. \p Dan Jarvis: The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) with the Home Office and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs involvement is leading on a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.

Pharmaceutical legislation requires that, before a medicine can be approved for testing in humans, it is tested in a rodent and non-rodent species under international guidelines. This may include dogs as an appropriate model. The majority of Beagles bred for use in science (85%) are for the purposes of regulatory testing under legislation on pharmaceutical products for human use. The number of Beagles bred is largely determined by the forecast needs of the pharmaceutical industry that require testing of medicines.

The Home Office regulator ensures compliance of all work licensed with the rigorous requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act. The number of animals used in scientific research and testing, including Beagles, is published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit#statistics.

The Home Office assures that, in every research proposal, animals are replaced with non-animal alternatives wherever possible, the number of animals are reduced to the minimum necessary to achieve the result sought, and that, for those animals which must be used, procedures are refined as much as possible to minimise their suffering.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many licences for the use of animals for scientific purposes were granted (a) in 2023-24 and (b) since 5 July 2024. \p Dan Jarvis: The number of licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act for the use of animals in scientific procedures is published in the Regulator’s Annual Report.

The Report for 2023 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-reports.

During 2023, 460 new project licences were granted. The Report for 2024 will be published later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what areas will local grooming gang inquiries be conducted in. \p Jess Phillips: Our focus is to deliver meaningful change for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including by grooming gangs. That means protecting more children, getting justice for victims and pursuing and punishing the perpetrators of these abominable crimes.

On 8 April I made a statement to Parliament setting out a detailed update on Government action to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as a progress update on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. This included an update on our work to develop a new best practice framework, backed by additional funding, to support local authorities that want to undertake local inquiries or other related activities, including the independent local inquiry commissioned by Oldham Council, for which we have already announced our support.

To develop this framework, we have engaged with a range of experts, victims and survivors, drawing on the lessons from local independent inquiries like Telford, Rotherham and Greater Manchester. We are now in the process of testing the framework with stakeholders, including local areas, to ensure it will effectively facilitate work improve local responses to grooming gangs offending. We will publish the details of the framework and the national fund next month.

The Home Secretary also wrote to all local authorities in the country last month to update them on the actions we have taken in this area, and ask them to review their own local progress in tackling child sexual abuse and exploitation, and investigating historic cases of those crimes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Brendan O'Hara:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on whether any police forces have sent officers to Israel since October 2023. \p Dame Diana Johnson: We do not share details of operational policing deployments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support Ukrainians whose visas are due to expire without automatic renewal. \p Seema Malhotra: The UK has offered or extended sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their families under the Ukraine Schemes, thanks to the immense generosity of the British public. We are determined to continue to provide stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and who still need our sanctuary.

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, provides up to an additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK for those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission.

Any person who applies for the UPE before their current permission expires will automatically have their current permission extended by Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 until any final decision is made in their case. Those successful will be granted permission to stay under the UPE for 18 months.

Applications can be made under the UPE free of charge.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) passports and (b) other documents issued by her Department can be used to prove someone's sex. \p Seema Malhotra: A birth certificate issued by the General Register Office records sex at birth. A British passport issued by HM Passport Office includes a M or F sex marker, denoting the sex of the holder.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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David Reed:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of limitations on enhanced cybersecurity techniques under the current Computer Misuse Act 1990 on (a) the economy, (b) full-time equivalent jobs and (c) contracts awarded to other jurisdictions. \p Dan Jarvis: The Government recognises the major role UK cybersecurity professionals play in supporting the economy and protecting the UK’s resilience against cyber threats, and it is vital that we support them.

In an increasingly digital world, the Home Office is committed to ensuring the Computer Misuse Act remains up to date and fit for purpose. The Home Office is reviewing the CMA. As part of this, officials are considering the issue of strengthened legal protections for legitimate cyber security researchers and how this could unlock economic growth. However, this work is complex and requires careful consideration, in order to protect law enforcement’s ability to prosecute cyber criminality.

The Home Office will provide further updates in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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David Reed:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to assess the impact of the barriers imposed by the Computer Misuse Act 1990 on cybersecurity professionals' ability to deploy and use artificial intelligence tools to enhance the UK’s resilience against increasing cyber threats. \p Dan Jarvis: The Government recognises the major role UK cybersecurity professionals play in enhancing and protecting the UK’s resilience against cyber threats, and it is vital that we support them.

In an increasingly digital world, it is important that the CMA remains up to date and fit for purpose. The Home Office is in the process of reviewing the CMA, including considering the impact of emerging technologies such as AI. It is important that any changes brought forward are proportionate and do not undermine law enforcement’s ability to take action against cyber criminals. The Home Office will update on proposals taken forward in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Access for All funding allocated to Thirsk Station has been placed on hold. \p Simon Lightwood: The feasibility work for Thirsk station is underway and we expect all 50 of the feasibility studies announced last year to be complete in the spring. We expect to be able to confirm which stations will move forward over the summer. The Access for All programme continues to be heavily oversubscribed.

We remain committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the valuable social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of practical driving tests. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 18 December 2024, DVSA set out a 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. Details of which are available on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dvsa-sets-out-plan-to-reduce-driving-test-waiting-times).

On 23 April, the Secretary of State announced further action that the government is taking to reduce driving test wait times. Details of these measures have also been published on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/transport-secretary-acts-to-make-thousands-of-extra-driving-tests-available-each-month).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he has taken to work with the Northern Ireland Assembly to improve the built infrastructure of Northern Ireland. \p Hilary Benn: Responsibility for infrastructure policy is devolved to Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure. The UK Government is working closely with the devolved governments to ensure that the UK’s nations and regions have the infrastructure they need to boost economic growth and serve their communities.

The Northern Ireland Executive received £18.2 billion from the UK Government for 2025-26 - the largest financial settlement in real terms in the history of devolution. Whilst it is for the Executive to decide how it utilises this funding, I welcome the Executive’s commitment to producing a long term strategic infrastructure plan and I look forward to its publication.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make caste-based discrimination illegal. \p Seema Malhotra: No one should suffer prejudice or discrimination on any grounds, including any perception of their caste.

The judgment of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in Tirkey v. Chandhok shows that someone claiming caste discrimination may rely on existing statutory remedies in the Equality Act 2010 where they can show that their ‘caste’ is related to their ethnic origin, which is itself an aspect of 'race' under the 2010 Act.