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 help increase the number of microchipped horses.

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

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

It is a legal requirement in the Equine Identification (England) Regulations 2018 that all equines resident in England (except certain populations of wild or semi-wild equines on designated areas) are microchipped. The law applies retrospectively, to include older equines born before microchipping legislation was introduced and applies to equines imported to GB for more than 90 days. Enforcement of these requirements is the responsibility of Local Authorities.

The Government recognises the importance of improving equine identification. Defra is engaging with industry to consider improvements to this.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle money laundering in (a) shops and (b) other services using high street premises.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises that cash intensive businesses such as barber shops and nails bars can be exploited by criminals who seek to legitimise their criminal cash, enabling them to profit from their illegal activities. Addressing cash-based money laundering is one of the strategic priorities of the National Economic Crime Centre, which sits within the National Crime Agency, who are currently working with partners to drive an increased operational response to this threat, including money laundering through cash intensive businesses.

In parallel, the National Police Chiefs Council economic crime co-ordinators are engaged in the development of Clear Hold Build strategies to help police forces tackle serious and organised crime. Clear Hold Build aims to reclaim and rebuild neighbourhoods affected by organised crime and increase public confidence in the police and partner agencies. This includes tackling financial crime on the high street.

While businesses such as barber shops are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority they interact with regulated businesses, such as banks, who under the Money Laundering Regulations are required to undertake customer due diligence and under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 submit reports to the National Crime Agency if they suspect money laundering.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the cost of wholesale medications bought by the National Health Service.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has well established mechanisms to control the level of spend on medicines. For example, the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth, the statutory scheme for branded medicines to control their growth in sales, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s evaluations all ensure that spend on new medicines represents a clinically and cost effective use of National Health Service resources.

The Government’s policy on generic medicines is to allow suppliers freedom of pricing for their products, relying on competition between suppliers and efficient purchasing by community pharmacies to deliver value for money for the NHS. However, this can mean that prices can fluctuate because of normal market forces, and can go up as well as down. Typically, this approach leads to some of the lowest prices of generic medicines in Europe.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help reduce the level of administration for companies applying for export licences.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) is implementing a new digital export licensing system, LITE, to provide a modern digital service that streamlines the export licence application process.

ECJU has an ongoing programme of Continuous Improvement and we routinely identify and implement opportunities to make targeted improvements to the way we operate and manage the export licensing service to help us adapt to the changing demands on the system.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to improve the export licence process.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) is implementing a new digital export licensing system, LITE, to provide a modern digital service that streamlines the export licence application process.

ECJU has an ongoing programme of Continuous Improvement and we routinely identify and implement opportunities to make targeted improvements to the way we operate and manage the export licensing service to help us adapt to the changing demands on the system.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support export manufacturing.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to supporting UK businesses, including those in the manufacturing industry, to grow and export. Under the umbrella of the recently announced Business Growth Service, UK businesses can access DBT's wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.

As part of our work on a new trade strategy and a small business strategy, we are looking at further proposals to help UK businesses to export more.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people with Sickle Cell Anaemia.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as sickle cell anaemia.

The National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme seeks to improve outcomes and the quality of life for those with sickle cell disorder. This programme has launched two-year emergency department bypass pilots to provide services for people requiring emergency care for an uncomplicated vaso-occlusive crisis. It also includes work to provide digital care plans across London and Manchester, to improve the safety of blood transfusions, as well as educational programmes, which include information on genetic counselling.

In February 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy) for use in the National Health Service in England through the Innovative Medicines Fund, and it is now available for eligible patients.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to provide sustainable funding to the British Transport Police.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set independently by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) and the Department of Transport has no powers to intervene in this process. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%. This is comparable with the budget settlements of Home Office police forces.

The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle horse smuggling.

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

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 9 September 2024 to PQ 2709.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Review of the Taking Control of Goods (Fees), published on 17 July 2023, when she plans to (a) (i) consult on the proposals and (ii) bring forward the legislative proposals outlined in that review and (b) bring forward legislative proposals to increase the fixed fees for High Court and non-High Court Fees.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to ensuring that there are fair and sustainable enforcement processes available to judgment creditors for the enforcement of judgment debts and fines. We also want to ensure that those facing enforcement action, particularly the most vulnerable in society, are treated fairly.

The Government notes the findings of the 2023 review of the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 and will set out the way forward shortly.

The Government supports the important work undertaken by the Enforcement Conduct Board to ensure that people facing enforcement action are treated fairly. We are actively considering whether further legislation is required to ensure appropriate oversight of enforcement firms and enforcement agents using the Taking Control of Goods procedure.

The Government will set out its approach in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make her policy that local authorities that employ an internal team of certificated enforcement agents to collect fees under the (a) Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2014 and (b) Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 must be accredited by the Enforcement Conduct Board.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to ensuring that there are fair and sustainable enforcement processes available to judgment creditors for the enforcement of judgment debts and fines. We also want to ensure that those facing enforcement action, particularly the most vulnerable in society, are treated fairly.

The Government notes the findings of the 2023 review of the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 and will set out the way forward shortly.

The Government supports the important work undertaken by the Enforcement Conduct Board to ensure that people facing enforcement action are treated fairly. We are actively considering whether further legislation is required to ensure appropriate oversight of enforcement firms and enforcement agents using the Taking Control of Goods procedure.

The Government will set out its approach in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 23 September 2022 to Question 51944 on Enforcement Conduct Board, if she will make it her policy to review the legal status of the Enforcement Conduct Board within two years of its operation.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to ensuring that there are fair and sustainable enforcement processes available to judgment creditors for the enforcement of judgment debts and fines. We also want to ensure that those facing enforcement action, particularly the most vulnerable in society, are treated fairly.

The Government notes the findings of the 2023 review of the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 and will set out the way forward shortly.

The Government supports the important work undertaken by the Enforcement Conduct Board to ensure that people facing enforcement action are treated fairly. We are actively considering whether further legislation is required to ensure appropriate oversight of enforcement firms and enforcement agents using the Taking Control of Goods procedure.

The Government will set out its approach in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much British Transport Police has spent on the implementation of infrastructure to accommodate electric police vehicles in each of the past 5 years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police has provided the following figures:

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much British Transport Police has spent on electric vehicles in each of the past 5 years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police have provided the following figures:

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to the United Nations on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has not made representations to the United Nations (UN) on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 9120 on Francesca Albanese, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have (i) met and (ii) had discussions with UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese since 24 October 2024.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

There have been no meetings between FCDO Ministers/Officials and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese since 24 October 2024.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met with the Human Rights Council of the United Nations to discuss the reappointment of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has not met with the Human Rights Council to discuss the reappointment of the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. UN Appointments are a matter for the UN.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has not conducted an assessment on the effectiveness of the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to the United Nations on statements by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on (a) Israel and (b) the causes of the 7 October attacks.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has not made representations to the United Nations (UN) on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of invoices from UK suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt between September 2024 and February 2025.

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

The department’s prompt payment performance is published quarterly at the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defra-prompt-payment-data-april-2015-to-march-2024

In the most recent published period, covering October, November and December 2024, 99.4% of the payments were to UK suppliers.

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Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke Stress Awareness Month

Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week

Armenian genocide

Mass deportation of illegal migrants

The death of His Holiness Pope Francis

St George’s Day 2025

Found: James McCleary (Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes): HC Hansard, 24 November 2024, col 713; and Andrew Rosindell

Found: James McCleary (Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes): HC Hansard, 24 November 2024, col 713; and Andrew Rosindell