Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his Department’s policy to reintroduce Lord Lieutenancies of the historic counties abolished upon the creation of Greater London in 1965.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The allocation of Lieutenancies to counties was set out in the 1997 Lieutenancies Act and there are currently no plans to amend it.

The Government attaches great importance to the history and traditions of this country and recognises that the tapestry of our historic counties is one of the bonds that draws the nation together. Whilst the Government shares your enthusiasm for promoting historic counties, it has no plans for any legislation on historic counties.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with his (a) French and (b) Belgian counterparts on the use of European Union passport e-gates by British nationals in (i) the European Union and (ii) Gare du Nord station.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continue to engage with European counterparts on expanding access to e-Gates for British nationals travelling to the EU.

The use of e-Gates for third country nationals is decided by EU Member States on a country-by-country basis. British nationals are already able to use e-Gates at Gare du Nord station.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to support research and development of the ACI-24 Alzheimer’s disease treatment.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The Government is strongly committed to supporting research into dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease treatment, and has committed to doubling funding for dementia research to £160 million per year, by the end of 2024/25.

In addition, the NIHR’s infrastructure provides funding for clinical expertise, specialist facilities, the workforce, and support services, which underpin research across a range of clinical areas, including Alzheimer’s disease treatments. Specifically, the NIHR’s Oxford Health Clinical Research Facility (CRF) has enabled the delivery of the ABATE part 1 trial, which seeks to study the effects of the ACI-24 vaccine in those diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The NIHR’s CRFs are purpose-built facilities for early-phase, experimental medicine, and supporting life science companies throughout the research process from study, design, data collection, and trial management.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the level of carbon emissions produced by electricity (a) generated and (b) imported to Great Britain from the EU in (i) 2015, (ii) 2020 and (iii) 2023.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

(a) Greenhouse gas emissions estimates from electricity generation in Great Britain in 2015 were 100.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e). In 2020, emissions from electricity generation in Great Britain were 46.6 MtCO₂e. This includes emissions from major power producers, but not emissions from companies generating their own electricity.

Estimates for 2023 for Great Britain will be published in 2025.

(b) The UK Government has not produced estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from the generation of electricity imported from the EU to Great Britain as these are not within the geographical scope that it is required to report on.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made the potential role of kinetic energy floor tiling in decarbonising the British energy supply.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department has not made any assessment of the potential role of kinetic energy floor tiling in decarbonising the British energy supply as the power output achievable is very small compared to the total power requirements of the UK.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the proportion of (a) coal, (b) gas fired, (c) nuclear and (d) renewable generated electricity which is imported into Britain via interconnector each year.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department does not hold data estimating the proportion of imported electricity generated from each fuel type. Total electricity imports by country are published in Energy Trends table 5.6.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has taken steps to increase the number of dog legislation officers following the introduction of the XL Bully dog ban.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra are working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Home Office to assess enforcement capability and capacity in relation to the ban on XL Bully type dogs. We have supported the police to deliver additional training to Dog Legislation Officers to make sure the ban is effectively enforced.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to measure the effectiveness of the XL Bully ban over the next five years.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is developing a monitoring and evaluation plan to assess the effectiveness of the XL Bully dog ban.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Mayor of London on the designs for the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

HM Government has had no discussions with the Mayor of London on the designs for the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department plans to incorporate wildlife crime into the Policing Education Qualification Framework.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government recognises the importance of tackling wildlife crime, which is why, along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Home Office directly funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) to help tackle these crimes.

The NWCU provides intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to the police and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime. This includes supporting cases referred by Border Force to the National Crime Agency or to individual forces. The NWCU is also the UK policing focal point for EUROPOL and INTERPOL wildlife crime activity.

In addition, the National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners, can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities.

Training standards and the national policing curriculum (covering initial training for all officers) are set by the College of Policing to ensure all officers benefit from the same high standard of initial training, regardless of which force they join. Officers undertake further training and development in the course of their career, which may be tailored to their specific role.

We do not currently have plans to incorporate wildlife crime into the Policing Education Qualification Framework.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure continued supply of veterinary medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland; and what steps she has taken to avoid veterinary regulatory divergence.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Since EU Exit, a grace period has been in place and continues to be in place until the end of 2025 to safeguard the continued supply to Northern Ireland. The UK Government is committed to securing a long-term sustainable solution ahead of December 2025 that will properly support the flow of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland from Great Britain on an enduring basis.

The Government is determined to safeguard the supply of veterinary medicines in all scenarios, and our key priority is to pursue technical discussions with the EU to find a solution that removes the barriers to supply; in return we are willing to provide assurances and safeguards to the EU. The newly established Veterinary Medicines Working Group, including experts, industry representatives and elected representatives, is playing a key role in advising the Government on identifying solutions at pace.

We are also taking steps to make it easier for businesses to apply for a licence on a UK-wide basis and facilitate continued veterinary medicines supply to the whole of the UK. New legislation (the Veterinary Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2024) has been laid in Parliament and is expected to come into force very soon.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the recent increase in cases of tuberculosis.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

To support tuberculosis (TB) control in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England launched a collaborative TB Action Plan in July 2021. This has specific actions and measurable objectives to improve the prevention, detection, and control of TB in England. This action plan is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-tb-action-plan-for-england

The UKHSA and NHS England continue their work with partners to raise awareness of TB among vulnerable communities and healthcare professionals, to support early detection and diagnosis of TB. The measures identified in the action plan are currently being reviewed in the light of the current increase in cases, to ensure resources are focused on the actions with the highest benefit.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government firmly believes that Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 plays a very important part in our overall approach towards tackling dangerous dogs. The existing legal framework for dog control equips the police and local authorities with appropriate powers to tackle dangerous dogs and irresponsible dog ownership. We are working in partnership with the police, local authorities and animal welfare organisations to ensure that the full range of existing dog control powers are effectively applied to encourage responsible dog ownership and reduce the risk of dog attacks.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government supports local authorities in their provision of (a) lollipop men and women and (b) other road safety measures for children.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The provision of the school crossing patrol service is a matter for the local authority. Legislation gives local authorities the power to make arrangements for the patrolling of places where children cross roads, on their way to or from school, but does not impose a duty on them to do so.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding was provided for (a) dementia and (b) cancer research in the 2022-23 financial year.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Government responsibility for delivering dementia research and dementia research funding is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation.

In 2022/23, we estimate that total Government spend on dementia research was £99.9 million, with £35.1 million of this being via the NIHR. The Department of Health and Social Care spends £1.3 billion per year on health research through the NIHR. NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23, and the NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group.

The NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including all cancers and dementia types. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the land-attack missile capabilities of the Royal Navy; and what steps he has taken to strengthen those capabilities.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Capability assessment is routine activity for Defence, ensuring that the UK Armed Forces keeps pace with the emerging threat and adopts the latest technology.

The Royal Navy (RN) is capable of delivering land attack from all domains: Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles launched from Astute Class Submarines; Paveway IV precision guided bombs from F-35B; and most recently, the Naval Strike Missile, which is in the process of being fitted to surface ships.

Several future options, which include a land attack capability, are also under consideration as part of the Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon programme which will equip future RN ships. We continually keep all such capabilities under review, including as part of our wider munitions strategy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to ensure that the Dragonfire laser directed-energy weapon achieves operational capability.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has committed to accelerating DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) into operational capability to meet real world threats. Thus far, the DragonFire system has been tested against a range of targets, proving to be highly effective. This has been further evidenced through Dstl's Operational Analysis, confirming the technology's benefits against the threats faced by the Royal Navy in the Red Sea. The MOD has also invested in understanding the risks of integrating systems onto Royal Navy vessels and therefore has experience in the matter. To deliver at greater pace, we will be using the principles of Minimum Deployable Capability and spiral development, as set out in our new Integrated Procurement Model.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department is taking steps to maintain energy security in the context of the availability of electricity supplies from (a) central and (b) western Europe.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK has a secure and diverse energy system. The market has successfully delivered sufficient electricity supplies amidst a recent period characterised by high energy prices and increased uncertainties caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Electricity System Operator’s (ESO) Summer Outlook expects sufficient supply to meet demand at all times this summer; net imports into Great Britain from mainland Europe; and to be able to support exports if needed.

We continue to work with Ofgem and ESO to monitor energy security and ensure ESO can deploy all tools at its disposal if needed to secure supply.

ESO Summer Outlook weblink: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/316126/download

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made representations to HM Treasury on the inclusion of imported electricity in Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism taxation.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Electricity generation was not included within the initial sectoral scope of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), announced in December 2023. The approach aligns with free allowance allocations, under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which are not provided to electricity generators.

In making the decision, the government looked primarily at three factors: inclusion in the UK ETS, carbon leakage risk, and feasibility and effectiveness.

The sectoral scope of a UK CBAM will remain under review. The design and delivery of a CBAM is subject to consultation, closing on 13 June 2024.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of electricity is forecast to be imported via interconnector by (a) 2030 and (b) 2040.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As set out in our net zero and power sector scenarios,^[1] the UK could become a net electricity exporter in future. In 2030, net exports are 2.4% of gross generation supplied in the higher electricity demand scenario. The UK remains a net importer in the lower electricity demand scenario with net imports providing an additional 2.3% to gross generation supplied. In 2040, net exports are 8.2% of gross generation supplied in the higher electricity demand scenario and 6.6% in the lower demand scenario.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-and-emissions-projections-2021-to-2040

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will take steps to reform the capacity market to ensure that new gas power plants have parity with interconnectors.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The technology-neutral Capacity Market (CM) provides all forms of capacity, including new and existing gas generation and interconnectors, with the right incentives to be on the system to deliver when needed.

All capacity in the CM is derated by technology type, to account for expected contributions to electricity security of supply during times of system stress. Derating factors for all technology types are determined annually and are set out in the Electricity System Operator’s Electricity Capacity Report and Secretary of State’s decision on CM auction parameters each year and are published online.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his Department’s policy to extend the service of the Type 45 Destroyer beyond 2038.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Type 45 Destroyer Class is currently due to be Out of Service in 2038 and no decision has been taken on an extension beyond this date.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when her Department last made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of imported electricity through interconnectors on energy security.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government consider that interconnectors will play a key role in enabling greater security of supply by providing access to a more diverse electricity generation mix, responding to shocks in the GB system by importing electricity.

The Capacity Market (CM) is our main tool for ensuring security of electricity supply. CM auction targets are set based on advice from the Electricity System Operator’s Electricity Capacity Report which considers the contribution interconnectors make to security of supply.

With the exception of 2022, GB has historically been a net importer of electricity, though ESO forecasts suggest that GB will likely become a net exporter in future.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the use of electricity interconnectors on energy (a) security and (b) supply.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government consider that interconnectors will play a key role in enabling greater security of supply by providing access to a more diverse electricity generation mix, responding to shocks in the GB system by importing electricity.

The Capacity Market (CM) is our main tool for ensuring security of electricity supply. CM auction targets are set based on advice from the Electricity System Operator’s Electricity Capacity Report which considers the contribution interconnectors make to security of supply.

With the exception of 2022, GB has historically been a net importer of electricity, though ESO forecasts suggest that GB will likely become a net exporter in future.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing the use of imported electricity on (a) industrial and (b) domestic energy prices.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Interconnectors are built to share energy with some of our closest European allies, who are also generating renewable, clean energy at affordable prices, enabling access to lower-cost electricity for GB consumers. Analysis supporting the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan ^[1] showed that increasing the level of interconnection could reduce system costs by over £1bn annually (based on 2012 prices).

New interconnectors are subject to an independent and robust regulatory process run by Ofgem, ensuring that only projects which bring benefits to GB consumers are built.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transitioning-to-a-net-zero-energy-system-smart-systems-and-flexibility-plan-2021

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of funding provided by UK Research and Investment for research papers.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

UKRI is the national funding agency that invests in and facilitates research and innovation activities across the United Kingdom. Research papers are a key means of communicating the results of research and innovation activities contributing to the body of knowledge across different research areas.

Every £1 of public R&D funding leverages around £2 of additional private sector investment. The UK is a leader in science and research. With less than one per cent of the world’s population, the UK accounts for 6.3% of the world’s academic publications, and 13.4% of the most highly cited research publications.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to ensure that research papers funded through UK Research and Innovation are politically neutral.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Decisions on research papers funded by UKRI are made through independent evaluation by experts who are required to be politically neutral in their decision making.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department have made an assessment of the impact of the local government finance settlement on Havering Council.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 makes available up to £64.7 billion, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion or 7.5% in cash terms on 2023-24. This above-inflation increase demonstrates how the Government stands behind councils up and down the country.

For Havering Council, this Settlement represents an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £15.82 million (7.2%) – making available a total of up to £236.4 million in 2024-25. We have also published details of support agreed with a small number of councils, including Havering Council, that have requested financial support on an exceptional basis due to specific local issues that they are unable to manage themselves.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the state of Havering Council’s finances.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 makes available up to £64.7 billion, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion or 7.5% in cash terms on 2023-24. This above-inflation increase demonstrates how the Government stands behind councils up and down the country.

For Havering Council, this Settlement represents an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £15.82 million (7.2%) – making available a total of up to £236.4 million in 2024-25. We have also published details of support agreed with a small number of councils, including Havering Council, that have requested financial support on an exceptional basis due to specific local issues that they are unable to manage themselves.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what plans he has to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the signing of the Entente Cordiale.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

On 8 April, the UK and France celebrated the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale with joint changing of the guard ceremonies at Buckingham Palace and the Élysée Palace. Throughout this anniversary year, our respective embassies are organising events reflecting the breadth of the UK-France relationship, showcasing our longstanding cooperation on issues including climate change, science, sport, culture, defence, education, and trade. In meetings last week, I reflected on this anniversary and positive state of the relationship with my French counterpart and with the French Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the economic impact of the free trade agreements with (a) Australia and (b) New Zealand since they came into force.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department’s impact assessments of the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreements were published on 17 December 2021 and 28 February 2022 respectively. These impact assessments set out the potential long-run incremental economic impact of these FTAs and are available on gov.uk.

The agreements entered in force on the 31 May 2023, and we continue to monitor the economic impact of the two Governments.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has met with his (a) Canadian and (b) New Zealand counterparts in 2024.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I can confirm that the Secretary of State for Defence has met his Canadian counterpart on two occasions in 2024, and has spoken with his New Zealand counterpart once and will meet with her in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on banking.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The adoption and deployment of AI is increasingly prevalent in the financial sector and has the potential to significantly improve productivity, both for individual banks and at an aggregate level. The government is committed to supporting the digital sector and has invested more than £3.5 billion in AI since 2014.

The government’s response to the AI White Paper consultation sets out how we are encouraging the safe use of AI across the economy by strengthening our global AI leadership (including by hosting the world’s first AI Safety Summit) and supporting the UK’s regulators to deliver on our pro-innovation framework.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to support (a) Australian rules football, (b) ice hockey and (c) surfing.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Supporting grassroots sport is a key government priority and we are committed to ensuring everyone, no matter their age, background or ability, should be able to play sport and be active. In our sport strategy ‘Get Active’ we set out our unapologetic ambition to build a more active nation, with a target to get 3.5 million more people classed as ‘active’ by 2030.

The Government provides support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which receives £323 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

Since 2019 Sport England has provided the following support:

• Australian rules football- £100,020

• Ice hockey- £2,060,816

• Surfing- £1,362,561

Sport England also provides support for grassroots sport through a range of available funds, including the Small Grants Programme and the Active Together Fund. Further information on these funds and eligibility criteria can be found here.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available to (a) animal rescue organisations and (b) local authorities to care for XL Bully puppies that do not meet the legal breed standard for a banned type of dog, but may eventually grow to do so.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

My Department is engaging closely with local authorities and rescue and rehoming organisations to monitor the impacts of the XL Bully dog ban.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK–St Helena development partnership summary, published in July 2023, whether he has taken recent steps to support tourism in St Helena.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government works closely with St Helena's leadership to support tourism development and funded the construction of St Helena Airport to improve access to the Island. The UK Government provides significant financial aid to St Helena (up to £34.06 million in 2024/25). This includes support for the delivery of public services, the airport and £500,000 of ringfenced funding for tourism development, with the same level of tourism support also provided in 2023/24. In addition, up to £30 million is being provided between 2019-28 for long-term capital infrastructure development.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will encourage the use of traditional architectural styles in new developments.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 21850 on 23 April 2024. If he has any more representations on this issue, we would be happy to receive them.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how many UK nationals have requested consular assistance in Zimbabwe in each of the last three years.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Following initial triage of inquiries, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) provided consular assistance to the following number of British nationals in Zimbabwe:

• 2020: 76
• 2021: 33
• 2022: 33
• 2023: 27

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he plans to expand the consular mission in Harare.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

There are no plans to increase the number of consular staff in Harare. Staffing levels are regularly reviewed and a regional resilience model is in place to support surges in demand.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the recent increase in cases of tuberculosis.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Comprehensive analyses of surveillance data in relation to tuberculosis (TB) in England are published in the UK Health Security Agency’s annual reports, which are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-in-england-2023-report-data-up-to-end-of-2022

Provisional 2023 data indicates that notifications have increased by over 10%, from 4,380 in 2022 to 4,850 in 2023. Non-United Kingdom born individuals account for an increasing proportion of TB notifications in England, accounting for 79.1% of notifications in 2022. Approximately half of those notifications were within six years of entry to the UK.

People with TB continued to be concentrated in large urban areas, and in the most deprived postcodes. Social risk factors, including alcohol or drug misuse, homelessness, imprisonment, mental health needs, and asylum seeker status, were reported in 16% of individuals notified with TB in 2022.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with her counterpart in the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK and Taiwan already share a deep, £11bn trade and investment relationship.

Trade Talks with Taiwan are longstanding and held annually to boost trade and support economic growth. To build on this the UK and Taiwan are developing an Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) to further increase trade and investment. This will promote co-operation and support British businesses to take advantage of opportunities, initially in investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero.

Minister Huddleston hosted the 26^th UK Taiwan Trade Talks in London on 8 November 2023, and I met with Taiwan’s Minister Deng in February at the WTO’s 13^th Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to improve trade links with the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK and Taiwan already share a deep, £11bn trade and investment relationship.

Trade Talks with Taiwan are longstanding and held annually to boost trade and support economic growth. To build on this the UK and Taiwan are developing an Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) to further increase trade and investment. This will promote co-operation and support British businesses to take advantage of opportunities, initially in investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero.

Minister Huddleston hosted the 26^th UK Taiwan Trade Talks in London on 8 November 2023, and I met with Taiwan’s Minister Deng in February at the WTO’s 13^th Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK’s aid relationship with China.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We stopped direct government-to-government aid to the Chinese Government in 2011. In a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) in April 2021, the FCDO committed to cut Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded programmes in China by 95 per cent from the 2021-22 financial year, which it has delivered. All new ODA programme funding has been limited to supporting our open societies and human rights objectives in China.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding her Department plans to provide to UK Research and Innovation in the next three financial years.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT is responsible for the majority of the Government’s spending on R&D, including UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) budget of £25.1 billion across the current Spending Review (FY2022/23 – 2024/25). This includes an allocation of over £8.8 billion in financial year 2024/25.

As outlined by the Chancellor at Spring Budget 2024, the next Spending Review to set future financial year budgets will be held after the General Election.

DSIT has budgets and plans in place until at least April 2025. Government will agree departmental budgets for financial years following this as part of the usual budget setting process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how much aid his Department has provided to China in the last five years.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We stopped direct government-to-government aid to the Chinese Government in 2011. Total FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) China spend between 2018-2022 was £103.5 million, including ODA spend such as British Council activity. In a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) in April 2021, the FCDO committed to cut ODA funded programmes in China by 95 per cent from the 2021-22 financial year, which it has delivered. All new ODA programme funding has been limited to supporting our open societies and human rights objectives in China. The projects we fund using ODA typically aim to support those in China who work to improve human rights. Final data for UK ODA spend in 2023 will be available when the next Statistics on International Development (SID) is published in September 2024. A significant proportion of this funding was spent by the British council.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the guidance entitled Get a copy of military records of service, what the average waiting time is for applications to be processed in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

In providing copies of military records of service, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not record waiting times for the processing of applications. Where an individual is seeking information about themselves, known as a Subject Access Request (SAR), the MOD adheres to guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office. This stipulates that a public authority must supply the information within one month, but can take up to 90 days for complex cases. Further information can be found at the following link: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/time-limits-for-responding-to-data-protection-rights-requests/#:~:text=If%20the%20organisation%20needs%20something,from%20the%20day%20of%20receipt.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve access to artificial intelligence training.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department is committed to creating a world-leading skills system which is employer-focused, high-quality and fit for the future.

The department will continue its work to ensure that the education system is able to adapt to deliver upskilling and to provide the skills that learners need for the workplaces of the future, including jobs that will be impacted by, or require the use of, artificial intelligence (AI).

World class T Levels are boosting access to high-quality technical education for thousands of young people and creating a skilled workforce for the future. 18 T Levels are available in a range of in-demand subject areas, including T Levels in digital subjects, which have been designed by employers and will help to equip students with the skills and knowledge required for great careers in the digital industry.

Employers have designed over 30 high-quality apprenticeships in digital occupations, including Level 7 Artificial Intelligence Data Specialist, which will provide cutting edge skills in AI. Since it was introduced in May 2020, starts in this standard have grown from 100 in the 2020/21 academic year to 350 in the 2022/23 academic year.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) are revising the Level 7 Artificial Intelligence Data Specialist standard this year to ensure it meets employers’ needs. They have also developed Level 5 in Data Engineering and are currently developing Level 6 Machine Learning Engineer. These standards include high levels of content regarding the application and use of AI.

IfATE are also hosting workshops with a range of stakeholders to discuss the impact of AI on skills requirement across the economy and will be updating the Digital Skills and Characteristics Framework with AI-related content when it is revised next year. This will ensure all employers are thinking about the use and impact of AI when developing or revising occupational standards.

Skills Bootcamps are delivering skills training for the digital sector in 2024/25 in each English region. There are also online Skills Bootcamps in AI Marketing and Content Creation and AI and Machine Learning.

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) provide the skills needed for a range of specialist digital occupations, such as cyber security technologist and software developer. There are 56 digital HTQs currently approved for teaching and a further ten approved for teaching from September 2024. HTQs provide a range of opportunities and pathways to build up the skills needed for AI-related roles.

In higher education, the department is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to deliver new postgraduate AI and data science conversion courses to boost skills and diversity in AI jobs. The government is also investing £117 million in doctoral training for AI researchers.

In 2023, the department’s Unit for Future Skills (UFS) developed a Science and Technology Jobs and Skills Dashboard to understand the supply and demand of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills to develop critical technologies like AI and quantum. This data will support improved access to relevant training.

The UFS has also undertaken analysis which attempts to quantify the impact of AI on the UK job market. It shows the occupations, sectors and geographic areas expected to be most affected by AI and large language models, as well as the training routes that typically lead to these highly affected jobs.

Digital and computing skills will play an important role for individuals developing and using AI in the future workforce. The department is harnessing government and external expertise through the Digital and Computing Skills Education Taskforce to increase the number of people taking digital and computing qualifications and attract a diverse range of individuals into digital jobs.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Government is taking steps to protect the historic county status of (a) Essex and (b) other counties.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government attaches great importance to our country’s history and traditions and encourages recognition of our historic counties, often marked by local celebrations on county days. I write to local leaders to encourage and support these celebrations throughout the year. This year, there are 56 registered historic county flags across Great Britain, which includes the addition of three new flags for Banffshire, Berwickshire and Morayshire. My department proudly flies each registered county flag in Whitehall to mark county days, and this includes flying the flag for Essex.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding her Department plans to provide to UK Research and Innovation in the next three financial years.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to Question UIN 22712 on Monday 29th April.

ANZAC Day 2024

Found: Davies Richard Fuller Greg Smith Julian Sturdy Kevin Foster Stephen McPartland Ian Paisley Andrew

Found: Davies Richard Fuller Greg Smith Julian Sturdy Kevin Foster Stephen McPartland Ian Paisley Andrew

Found: Davies Richard Fuller Greg Smith Julian Sturdy Kevin Foster Stephen McPartland Ian Paisley Andrew

Found: Davies Richard Fuller Greg Smith Julian Sturdy Kevin Foster Stephen McPartland Ian Paisley Andrew

Found: Davies Richard Fuller Greg Smith Julian Sturdy Kevin Foster Stephen McPartland Ian Paisley Andrew

Found: Davies Richard Fuller Greg Smith Julian Sturdy Kevin Foster Stephen McPartland Ian Paisley Andrew