theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the estimated cost to the public purse is of a single Global Combat Air Programme Tempest platform. \p Maria Eagle: By working together, the UK and our international partners will deliver the military capability we need to overcome fast evolving threats, share costs to support affordability, and ensure the UK remains interoperable with some of our closest partners and at the core of NATO. At this stage, the unit price of each aircraft is unknown.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of (a) 28 February 2025, to Question 31166 and (b) 5 March 2025 to Question 34449, on Ministers: Aviation, if he will list the number of individual journeys that aggregates to the £4,282 cost. \p Maria Eagle: Between 5 July and 31 December 2024 there were 36 tasks relating to Ministers who travelled on the RAF Envoy.

It has been the practice of successive administrations not to publish granular information relating to the official movements of Ministers and those accompanying them within the United Kingdom. Information about official overseas Ministerial travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

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Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has plans to instruct Ofcom to conduct an impact assessment of the decision to designate end-to-end encryption as a risk factor in their Illegal Harms Codes of Practice and illegal content risk assessment guidance. \p Feryal Clark: The Online Safety Act does not ban any service design, including end-to-end-encryption. Under the Act, providers must risk assess the design of their service. Ofcom can only recommend measures in codes of practice that are technically feasible. Separately, Ofcom has powers to direct companies to develop and deploy accredited and accurate technology to identify and remove child sexual abuse material on private communications, but only when all other measures have not adequately addressed the risk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

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Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure that Ofcom publishes details of (a) meetings and (b) correspondence with large social media companies. \p Feryal Clark: Under the Online Safety Act Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety in the UK. In order to carry out its regulatory functions, it is important that Ofcom maintains regular contact with regulated online services, including large social media companies. Ofcom publicly consults on its draft guidance and codes of practice, and many consultation responses are published on its website, including responses from some regulated services. Ofcom is accountable to Parliament and is required to publish an annual report and accounts. Ofcom is also in scope of the Freedom of Information Act.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

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Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help reduce misogynistic content online. \p Feryal Clark: The Online Safety Act requires in-scope services to proactively tackle the most harmful illegal content, including illegal misogyny.

Where this type of abuse is not illegal, services likely to be accessed by children must provide safety measures to protect them from harmful and age-inappropriate content and activity, including content which is hateful and abusive. Category 1 services will also need to remove legal misogynistic content, where it is prohibited in their terms of service.

The Act requires Ofcom, the regulator, to publish guidance about protecting women and girls online, which it published in draft for consultation on 25 February.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

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Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help protect children from (a) deception, (b) bullying, (c) abuse and (d) harmful content online. \p Feryal Clark: Our priority is the implementation of the Online Safety Act so children benefit from its protections.

The Act requires services to protect users from illegal content. Companies will also need to assess whether their service is likely to be accessed by children and provide safety measures to protect them from harmful and age-inappropriate content and activity, such as abuse, bullying, and content that promotes eating disorders or self-harm. Measures include using age assurance and changing their algorithms to filter out harmful content.

The illegal content duties are now in effect and the child safety duties will be enforceable by this summer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support university-partnered venture capital investment companies outside the Oxford, Cambridge and London triangle; and whether Ministers in his Department have met with those companies. \p Feryal Clark: The Government is committed to driving innovation and economic growth across the UK. DSIT Ministers regularly meet with investors in science and technology sectors. Research England’s Connecting Capabilities Fund (CCF) has supported university collaborations, leading to the Northern Gritstone and Midlands Mindforge venture capital funds, and the Northern Accelerator. Innovate UK’s Investor Partnerships programme supports investors like Northern Gritstone and Qantx with R&D funding for their companies. The government supports venture capital through tax reliefs such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme and programmes from the British Business Bank who are an investor in Northern Gritstone. Government continues to assess opportunities to strengthen the UK’s leadership in innovation-led investment.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March to Question 36204 on James Scott Rhys Anderson, what discussions he has had with (a) the Russian ambassador to the UK and (b) senior Russian officials on the imprisonment of James Anderson. \p Stephen Doughty: The Ukrainian authorities have confirmed British national James Anderson was serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, meaning he holds Prisoner of War (PoW) status. Ukraine holds responsibility for engagement on any members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who are captured as PoWs, regardless of their nationality. We strongly condemn the sentencing of Mr. Anderson in a Russian court on false charges. Under international law, PoWs cannot be prosecuted for participating in hostilities. We demand that Russia respect its obligations under the Geneva Conventions, including that PoWs are treated humanely, and condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war for political and propaganda purposes. The UK regularly raises Mr Anderson's case with our Ukrainian partners. We recently raised Mr Anderson's case with the Russian Ambassador, making it clear that Mr. Anderson must be treated as a PoW, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. We remain in close contact with Mr Anderson's family and are providing consular support.
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Monica Harding:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the value is of the humanitarian reserve (a) as of 17 March 2025 and (b) in each of the next three years. \p Stephen Doughty: The £50 million Humanitarian Crisis Reserve (HCR) has been fully allocated and spent for financial year 24/25. The value of the HCR in future years is yet to be determined.
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Noah Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of asking British International Investment to produce a critical minerals strategy that (a) strengthens the UK's supply chains and (b) supports its development goals. \p Stephen Doughty: British International Investment's (BII) mission is to help solve the biggest global development challenges by investing patient, flexible capital to support private sector growth and innovation. With regards to the critical minerals sector, BII's role is currently most relevant where it supports investments in the enabling infrastructure around critical minerals projects. As part of BII's next strategy, we will consider whether and how BII's approach to critical minerals should evolve.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 34796 on China: Cook Islands, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of that strategic agreement on (a) his policies and (b) the policies of the Overseas Territories in the Indo-Pacific. \p Catherine West: The UK Government will continue its policy of working to maintain a free, secure and open Indo-Pacific where international norms are respected. As part of the UK Government's constitutional responsibility for the defence, external relations and internal security of the British Overseas Territories, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has considered the impact of the strategic agreement on the one Territory in the Indo-Pacific (Pitcairn). This constitutional responsibility is different from that between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. As the UK retains the responsibility for external relations of the British Overseas Territories, the Territories are not able to enter into bilateral international treaties.
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Monica Harding:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what percentage of Gross National Income he plans to allocate to overseas spending in the 2025-26 financial year. \p Stephen Doughty: The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Given the multi-year nature of many international development spending commitments, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is currently reassessing its ODA spending plans for the financial year of 2025/26 to ensure they deliver maximum value for money in the context of the transition to spending 0.3 per cent of gross national income on ODA by 2027. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.
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John Glen:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the adequacy of levels of freedom of religion or belief in Cameroon; and what steps he is taking to support this right in that country. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Cameroon Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and worship. The UK Government continues to monitor civil and political rights in Cameroon and is committed to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). This includes advocating for the protections of all vulnerable communities through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora as well as bilaterally with the Government of Cameroon and other influential parties.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect Christians from persecution in (a) Rwanda and (b) the Democratic Republic of Congo. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Protection of civilians, promotion of respect between different religious and non-religious groups, and human rights are priorities for the UK. The UK continues to work through UN bodies and other multilateral fora to promote and protect these rights. Recent attacks by IS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on Christian communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are alarming and we are deeply saddened by the loss of life. Ministers and senior officials including our Ambassador in Kinshasa regularly raise the importance of civilian protection with the Government of DRC. The UK continues to remind all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law and make clear that all those who have committed human rights violations and abuses must be held accountable.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has banned the use of DeepSeek. \p Catherine West: The Government has a robust set of security policies in place to oversee how information is handled, within our buildings, on our IT, and by our staff. We keep these policies under constant review to ensure they are applicable to new technologies. The AI Playbook for the UK Government outlines that only corporately assured Generative AI tools should be used to process HMG information. Everyone who works in Government has a duty of confidentiality and a responsibility to safeguard any government information or data that they process, access or share, and all government departments are required to meet a range of mandatory security standards.
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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help support a transitional justice process in Syria. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Throughout our engagement with the interim authorities and our international partners, we have maintained that a clear path towards transitional justice will be an essential element for the success of a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition. Our programming directly supports grassroots organisations working on gender-sensitive and victim-centred approaches to transitional justice, as well as documenting crucial evidence. We also support the operations of United Nations bodies, such as the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, working with Syrians to achieve their aspirations for justice and accountability.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to provide funding to help (a) track and (b) return children kidnapped following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK has supported 'Save Ukraine', an NGO which helps to return Ukrainian children, and 'Bring Kids Back UA' through The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine. We were pleased to see another group of children returned via Qatari mediation in September 2024, and are grateful for Qatar's continued engagement. UK efforts also focus on communications, sanctions, and accountability. The UK is a member of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, and in November 2024 we announced a third round of sanctions targeting those attempting to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the United States’ decision to freeze USAID funding on humanitarian aid programmes in Lebanon. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: USAID spent $293 million on programmes in Lebanon in 2024 and $3.3 billion since 2017, primarily in education and water sectors. Changes in USAID programmes are a matter for the US. The UK is a strong supporter of Lebanon and supports humanitarian assistance through a range projects, including cash assistance to the most vulnerable, education for out-of-school children and strengthening social protection systems.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria he will use to assess whether to provide UNRWA with funding in 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We cannot yet confirm funding allocations for financial year 2025-26, but continue to assess all overseas development assistance robustly against government priorities. The UK has provided £41 million this financial year for United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This supports delivery of UNRWA's vital work, ensuring that Palestinians have access to humanitarian assistance, education and healthcare in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the region.
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Iqbal Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will suspend arms sales to Israel. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We have continued to review export licences for items to Israel and assess that there are no extant licences for items that might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian law. This is subject to the specific measures set out to Parliament excluding exports to the global F-35 programme from the scope of the suspension. There are a number of export licences which we have assessed are not for use by the Israeli Defense Forces in military operations in Gaza and therefore do not require suspension. These include military items such as components for trainer aircraft or components for air defence systems, and other, non-military, items such as food-testing chemicals, telecoms and data equipment.
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Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his (a) Middle Eastern and (b) Palestinian counterparts on reducing the impact of damage to (i) educational and (ii) cultural facilities in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We are deeply alarmed by the disproportionate impact of the conflict on children in Gaza. Education is a priority sector, and we are engaging with partners to ensure children's needs are integrated into recovery planning. The destruction of cultural facilities is also highly concerning. The Foreign Secretary welcomed the Arab initiative of a Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza, alongside Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy on 8 March. We are funding technical expertise to support Palestinian Authority planning for Gaza's recovery and reconstruction. The UK is engaging with international partners to support a Palestinian-led recovery.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20th March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume. We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations, we continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on October 7th 2023, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel, but we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to US Secretary of State Rubio, to EU High Representative Kallas, to UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher and plans to speak to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar and Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs in the debate on Israeli-Palestinian Peace: International Fund on 11 March 2025, Official Report, column 368WH, when the inaugural meeting of the international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace will take place in London; and who will be present. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign Secretary is committed to convening a meeting to support civil society in the region. On 11 March, I answered a Westminster Hall Debate on this topic, where I emphasised the UK's commitment to supporting peace efforts in the Middle East and to help find a resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. We want to make sure that the meeting will have the desired effect of building trust across communities, and that the timing is sensitive to the circumstances in the region.

I have also met with representatives of the Alliance for Middle East Peace to discuss their proposal for an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Foreign Secretary and I welcome the opportunity to discuss further with civil society organisations their work and the prospects for peacebuilding.  Since day one, the Government has prioritised working to end this conflict and secure the safe release of hostages, in co-ordination with international partners. We will continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire deal as the first step towards long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, and the wider region.
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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the call for investigations into the recent violence in Latakia, Syria, on religious communities by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We welcome the interim authorities' establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate and prosecute individuals who committed crimes during the violence. We are in regular discussion with our UN and NGO partners, as well as with other international partners, to get a fuller understanding of the impact of the violence and to assess needs and responses. As my statement to the House on 10 March made clear, the interim authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians, set out a clear path to transitional justice, and make progress towards an inclusive political transition. We will judge them by their actions and will continue to monitor closely the treatment of all civilians in Syria.
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Damien Egan:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the UK’s soft power capabilities. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Soft power is fundamental to the UK's impact and reputation around the world. It fosters friendships, builds relationships, promotes our values, and drives our own growth and prosperity. But we have not taken a sufficiently strategic approach to our huge soft power assets as a country. This is why we have set up a Soft Power Council to channel British expertise in these areas. Members of the Soft Power Council are establishing working groups to devise ways of deploying our soft power and broadening the reach of key moments in the global calendar. They will also help shape and drive a new Soft Power Strategy for the UK that will deliver on our foreign policy priorities.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) the families of British citizens and (b) British citizens impacted by the (i) ongoing security situation surrounding the Mozambique liquefied natural gas project and (ii) insurgency in the Cabo Delgado region. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK continues to support British nationals throughout the ongoing IS-Mozambique insurgency in northern Mozambique. This includes engagement with families of those affected by security issues in Cabo Delgado. The UK is supporting efforts to counter the insurgency there, including through programmes aimed at building local resilience to violent extremism.
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Irene Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle gender-based violence in Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK remains committed to tackling gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Sudan. On 23-25 January, the Foreign Secretary visited the Sudan-Chad border to raise awareness of the conflict in Sudan and its impact on neighbouring countries, speaking directly to Sudanese refugees, including survivors, who shared harrowing stories of sexual violence and torture. The UK has galvanised international efforts on this issue, including through the UN Human Rights Council, Security Council and International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative. On 13 March, the Minister for Africa chaired a UN Security Council (UNSC) Briefing on CRSV in Sudan, highlighting the worsening trends and emphasising the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. This event followed his Sudan Roundtable with the Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan in Geneva on 25 February for permanent representatives which aimed to raise awareness of the critical human rights situation. The UK also co-led a Resolution at the UNSC with Sierra Leone on the protection of civilians which called on parties to take urgent steps to prevent CRSV and to improve protection and access to services. Despite unanimous support from the Council, the Resolution failed to pass due to a Russian veto.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with UK Export Finance on funding for the Mozambique liquefied natural gas project. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regularly engages with UK Export Finance officials on funding for the Liquified National Gas Project in Mozambique. UK Export Finance is currently in talks with project sponsors and other lenders regarding the latest status of the project. These discussions are commercially sensitive and remain ongoing.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the recent increase in the number of internally displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on UK humanitarian aid distribution. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is a leading humanitarian partner in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We have allocated over £80 million in humanitarian support this financial year, supporting emergency lifesaving assistance and providing access to clean drinking water treatment for malnourished children, as well as life-saving sexual and reproductive health services. The humanitarian crisis is dire and rapidly worsening. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced since January.

Humanitarian access to the areas with populations of displaced people is a key challenge, due to the ongoing insecurity and closure of airports, for example. The UK is working with partners to improve humanitarian access and humanitarian partners are active and adapting to deliver life-saving services. We call on all parties not to obstruct the vital services that humanitarians are providing, and to cease hostilities and uphold the protection of humanitarian workers, as outlined in international humanitarian law.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Congolese counterpart on illegal mining activities by armed groups in North Kivu. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is deeply alarmed by the events unfolding in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We also condemn the recent offensives by the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Rwanda Defence Force, including the capture of Goma and Bukavu, as an unacceptable violation of DRC's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a breach of the UN Charter. The Foreign Secretary visited Kinshasa in February and met with President Tshisekedi. During their meeting they discussed reports of illicit mineral extraction in eastern DRC. We are deeply concerned by reports from the UN Group of Experts about M23 and Rwanda illegally extracting critical minerals from the DRC. We have been clear that illegal economic activity must stop.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Kenya on the potential impact of the recent drought on UK-Kenya agricultural cooperation. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK has strengthened its partnership with Kenya to enhance agricultural resilience amid worsening droughts. The Kenyan Government, with support from the UK through the Hunger Safety Net Programme, makes monthly cash transfers to 133,800 households in the North East Arid and Semi-Arid lands of Kenya. These cash transfers have provided a consistent source of income to households, minimising the impact of the recent drought. Water shortages have also heightened the need for sustainable irrigation and climate-smart agriculture, areas where UK programmes like Commercial Agriculture for Smallholder Agribusiness (CASA) and Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) play a key role through a combination of technical assistance, grants, and access to investment to grow climate resilient agribusiness. The Foreign Secretary last spoke to His Excellency Musalia Mudavadi on 29 January when they had a wide ranging conversation across our shared priorities.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with Historic England on the reasons for which it did not appear at the public inquiry on the Chinese Embassy planning application. \p Chris Bryant: DCMS Ministers have had no such discussions.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of pensioners who (a) are in poverty and (b) rely on free terrestrial television to watch TV. \p Stephanie Peacock: The department does not currently hold data that combines TV distribution method, age and poverty.

DCMS is currently undertaking a project to evaluate the future distribution of television over the next decade. This project will continue to consider the impact of any decision on potentially vulnerable groups.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that her Department’s Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum takes account of the needs of rural communities. \p Stephanie Peacock: DCMS is currently undertaking a project to evaluate the future distribution of television as the sector continues to evolve over the next decade. As part of this project, the Government published independent research led by Exeter University last year that included data on the use of different distribution methods by a range of different demographic groups, which included rural communities. The Government has also commissioned follow up qualitative research to understand in more detail the specific preferences, motivations and barriers regarding TV viewing among a variety of groups including rural households.

A wide range of views are being sought from across the TV sector, audience groups and infrastructure through the Stakeholder Forum. This includes a number of groups representing rural and UK-wide audiences, such as the Rural Services Network.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_377

Dan Tomlinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that generative AI developers are obliged to disclose the use of (a) creative writing and (b) other works in AI training. \p Chris Bryant: Our consultation on the impact of AI on the copyright regime, which was published on 17 December and closed on 25 February, received over 10,000 responses. The consultation took views on a number of topics related to how AI interacts with copyright law, including transparency obligations on AI forms. We will now consider the full range of responses we have received and will continue to develop our policy approach in partnership with creative industries, media and AI stakeholders. No decisions will be taken until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers for the creative industries.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_378

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many individual representations her Department has received from Staffordshire County Council in relation to the ceramics industry in North Staffordshire in each of the last five years. \p Chris Bryant: We have no record of any such representations.
wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_379
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_379

Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much his Department spent on redesigning the logo for Great British Energy in 2025. \p Michael Shanks: Great British Energy’s branding and logo were developed in-house with government resources.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_380

Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether external (a) firms and (b) individuals were hired for the Great British Energy logo redesign. \p Michael Shanks: Great British Energy’s branding and logo were developed in-house with government resources.
wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_381
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_381

Tom Rutland:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of zonal electricity pricing on consumer energy bills. \p Michael Shanks: The previous government consulted on various options to reform the electricity market and the government has committed to making a decision by the middle of 2025. We are developing further analysis to determine the impact of zonal or reformed national pricing on different consumers, geographical locations and businesses, working closely with the Department for Business and Trade.

The fundamental quantitative analysis will include scenario modelling of the electricity system to understand the wide-reaching impacts of market reforms. This will produce estimates of changes in the total electricity system cost and distributional consequences for consumer bills. This analysis will inform the final decision on market reform in mid-2025.
wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_382
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_382

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs. \p Michael Shanks: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is committed to being an inclusive place to work, in line with our DESNZ Values, and we value all colleagues whose work helps to achieve this. We have not explored the cost impacts of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles. In line with the Civil Service Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Expenditure guidance, published in May 2024, we value internal efficiency as part of promoting efficient and effective EDI practice.
wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_383
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_383

Richard Foord:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to re-open judicial processes for British military veterans in new legacy legislation. \p Hilary Benn: The Government is committed to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 and to implement mechanisms that are human rights compliant and can command confidence across communities in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. We have taken important action in fulfilling that commitment by laying a draft remedial order in Parliament that will, amongst other things, remove all provisions from the Act that would have provided immunity from prosecution - including for terrorist crimes.

The approach taken by the last Government was found in many respects to be unlawful and was opposed by many - including families who lost relatives whilst serving the State in Northern Ireland. The veterans I have met, however, have also expressed legitimate concerns that the way we collectively deal with the past must be fair, balanced and proportionate while recognising the circumstances of the time.

This Government’s approach will ensure that legacy cases are dealt with sensitively, efficiently and lawfully, and that veterans who engage with legacy mechanisms are provided with the appropriate support. We remain committed to engaging widely with all interested parties, including veterans, to help determine an appropriate way forward, including what provisions should be included in primary legislation that I have committed to introduce when parliamentary time allows.
wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_384
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_384

Jim Shannon:To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to encourage more young people to attend places of worship. \p Marsha De Cordova: One of the key priorities set by the National Church Institutions, working with the dioceses, is to double the number of children and young active disciples by 2030.  From 2022-2023, there was an increase of 4% in the number of children and young people attending places of worship. The commitment to growing engagement with young people is not merely about increasing numbers in congregations, but improving understanding, cultural awareness, and engagement with Christianity, its teachings and theology.  Significant central funding has been allocated to support the vision, and in 2023/24, the Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) invested £158 million to deliver the Church's vision and strategy in local communities and parishes.  27% of this funding was dedicated to young people, and research was conducted to address key challenges. Investments are being made in training for clergy, starting new worship services, and building relationships between schools and churches.  Resources have been produced for churches to encourage them to develop volunteers with young people. We are also seeking to grow digital engagement through 'The Way UK’.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-25 conversation_385

Jim Shannon:To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have had discussions with local churches in coastal areas on steps to encourage young people to join church related (a) youth clubs and (b) weekend events. \p Marsha De Cordova: One of the key priorities set by the National Church Institutions, working with the dioceses, is to grow our mission to children and young people. Significant funding has been committed to support this vital work.  In 2023/24, the Diocesan Investment Programme invested £158 million to deliver the Church's vision and strategy in local communities and parishes. This funding has been directed towards areas of deprivation and seaside towns where young people often have fewer opportunities for personal growth and development.  The last funding round supported the Diocese of Carlisle to support missional, younger and more diverse faith communities, including in Barrow-in-Furness with an investment of £6.8 million, you can read more about the project here: https://www.carlislediocese.org.uk/news/2025/03/10/diocese-carlisle-awarded-68-million-fund-missional-growth/

Many churches offer opportunities for young families via toddler groups, Messy Church and a range of other intergenerational activities to improve wellbeing and tackle loneliness and isolation. In addition the Church is actively encouraging, inspiring, and equipping local churches to support youth clubs, run bespoke youth events, before school breakfast groups, after school clubs, and various activities especially during weekends or holiday periods.  A recent partnership with Youthscape has successfully launched around 200 new youth-related missional activities, with a large number in Portsmouth Diocese and the Channel Islands. Missional Youth Church Network is focusing on working with young people in areas of socio-economic deprivation including in Southampton.
wrans/answers2025-11-18 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-18 conversation_1

Jim Dickson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to bring regulation on packaging of cigars and cigarillos in line with that for cigarettes. \p Ashley Dalton: As set out in the November 2024 Government response to the consultation 'Mandating quit information messages inside tobacco packs', we are considering introducing more stringent packaging requirements for all tobacco products, including cigars and cigarillos, tobacco related devices, cigarette papers, and herbal smoking products.

We ran a call for evidence on standardising packaging for all tobacco products between November 2024 and January 2025. We will publish a consultation next year on future regulations. We will listen very carefully to the views and evidence put forward by stakeholders.
wrans/answers2025-11-18 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-18 conversation_2

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking explore potential (a) genomics and (b) AI opportunities for (i) preventing, (ii) diagnosing and (iii) treating bowel cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will use genomics, predictive analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to shift from sickness to prevention, enabling earlier diagnosis and personalised care.

The National Health Service Genomic Medicine Service provides equitable access to cancer genomic testing, guided by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes over 200 cancer indications. NHS England’s Cancer Genomics Improvement Programme is delivering quality improvement initiatives and establishing Cellular Pathology Genomic Centres to streamline clinical pathways and accelerate genomic testing.

In addition, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department of Health and Social Care fund research via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) into AI applications for cancer diagnosis. This includes the £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund, the £10 million Cancer Data-Driven Detection programme, and the £11 million Early Detection using Information Technology in Health Trial.

The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) is also funding the £11 million NIHR i4i/OLS Cancer Healthcare Goals: Early Cancer Diagnosis Clinical Validation and Evaluation programme, which includes a project to assess a breath test technology's effectiveness by using AI for gastrointestinal cancers in over 8,000 patients (including bowel cancer). AI offers significant opportunities for faster triage and improved outcomes, and evaluations of its impact are ongoing.