Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Government of Vietnam regarding the release of political prisoners requiring medical care; and what steps she is taking to promote freedom of religion or belief in Vietnam.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Vietnam is a focus country in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Freedom of Religion and Belief Strategy, launched in July 2025, and we raise the issue on a regular basis with the Government of Vietnam. We also regularly raise concerns about the treatment of political prisoners, including access to appropriate medical care, through bilateral engagement and also jointly with the support of other diplomatic missions.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of pet-related work absences, including those linked to veterinary care and emergencies.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government does not collect or hold information on the reasons for absence relating to the care of pets, including those linked to veterinary care and emergencies.
Employers are responsible for managing wider categories of employee absence, including any time taken for caring responsibilities relating to pets, in line with their own workplace policies.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of regional disparities in the availability of lorry diver facilities; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistent provision across England.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A national survey of lorry parking is underway to provide a fresh baseline on the availability of secure lorry parking and HGV driver welfare provision throughout England. This will include region by region analysis of overnight lorry parking, utilisation rates and distribution of sites.
The national survey was last conducted in 2022 and provided the evidence base for the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme which will provide up to £37.5 million investment from government and industry in 30 counties across England. This is on top of up to £30 million investment in lorry parking by National Highways and industry in lorry parks along the strategic road network in England.
The government is prioritising improvements to the planning system. Strengthened policy on freight and logistics has been proposed in the recent consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to improve the consideration of freight, including lorry parking, in the planning system.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential risks to supply chains of inadequate roadside facilities for lorry drivers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has not carried out an assessment of the potential risks to supply chains of inadequate roadside facilities.
The National Survey of Lorry Parking was last conducted in 2022 and provided the evidence base for the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme which will provide up to £37.5 million investment from government and industry in 30 counties across England. This is on top of up to £30M investment in lorry parking by National Highways and industry in lorry parks along the strategic road network in England.
A new National Survey of Lorry Parking is underway, which will provide a fresh baseline on the availability of secure lorry parking and HGV driver welfare provision throughout England. The Survey is scheduled to be published in the autumn.
To strengthen the UK’s supply chain security, the Government is launching a new Supply Chain Centre based in the Department for Business and Trade. This marks a change in government’s approach to protecting the UK’s economy and security in turbulent geopolitical times. It will take a more assertive, strategic and data-led approach, and lead a targeted programme of work to ensure the UK can access the goods it needs to thrive in a rapidly changing world.