Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she has taken to tackle the trade of illegal tobacco.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the hon. Member to the response to UIN 77749.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will ensure that betting duty on greyhound racing (a) online, (b) in betting shops and (c) on course remains the same as for bets on horseracing.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
We consulted on measures to simplify gambling duty and improve compliance. The consultation closed on 21 July and all responses are being carefully considered. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax at fiscal events and will set out our response to the consultation at the Budget.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85119 on Malta: Politics and Government, whether she plans to (a) review the sovereign status of the Sovereign Order of Malta and (b) establish formal diplomatic relations with that entity.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 4 November to question 85119.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to support the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal 2025.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our country, to recognise the dedication of those who serve in our Armed Forces today to safeguard the peace we enjoy, and to offer our respect and gratitude for their Service.
The Poppy Appeal is a vital part of the nation's annual Remembrance commemorations, and as a veteran myself I was immensely proud, along with everyone in the Ministry of Defence (MOD), to support the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal 2025.
Through the Armed Forces Covenant, the Government remains committed to ensuring that veterans and their families receive the support they need, including through partnerships with organisations like the Royal British Legion.
The MOD continues to work closely with the Royal British Legion to support their efforts in raising funds and awareness for the Poppy Appeal. This includes amplifying their campaigns through our communication channels and supporting their work to provide vital services to veterans and their families. We also work closely with local authorities and community organisations to promote the Poppy Appeal and ensure that Remembrance events are well-supported across the UK.
We have also actively promoted the Poppy Appeal across the Armed Forces and the wider Defence community, encouraging personnel, veterans, and staff to participate in fundraising activities and, as always, to wear their poppies with pride.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department has made to his counterpart in Ukraine on the capture of North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces and their reported desire to defect to South Korea.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns North Korea's military support for Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, and we remain deeply concerned about the deepening strategic relationship between Russia and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which has significant implications for Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security.
Decisions regarding the status and future of prisoners of war captured in Ukraine are for the Ukrainian authorities to determine, in consultation with relevant partners and in accordance with applicable legal and humanitarian frameworks.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's report entitled Scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain: 2024, published on 23 October 2025, what assessment she has made of (a) the number of animals used in experiments in British laboratories for (i) basic and (ii) applied research in 2024 and (b) trends in the number of animals used in experiments in British laboratories for (A) basic and (B) applied research.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
In 2024, there were 2.64 million regulated scientific procedures carried out in Great Britain involving living animals. This is a decrease of 1% on the previous year, and the lowest number since 2001.
The trends in the number of animals and types of procedures carried out each year are influenced by a range of extraneous factors, for example requirements for research and testing which include products being brought to market.
The Home Office is responsible for regulating under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) to assure compliance with protections afforded to animals used in science and to administrate the licensing framework. Data trends and requirements will be assessed by the authorities whom have particular responsibilities and requirements for the use of animals of science.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's report entitled Scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain: 2024, published on 23 October 2025, what assessment she has made of (a) the number of animals used in experiments in British laboratories in 2024 and (b) trends in the number of animals used in experiments in British laboratories.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
In 2024, there were 2.64 million regulated scientific procedures carried out in Great Britain involving living animals. This is a decrease of 1% on the previous year, and the lowest number since 2001.
The trends in the number of animals and types of procedures carried out each year are influenced by a range of extraneous factors, for example requirements for research and testing which include products being brought to market.
The Home Office is responsible for regulating under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) to assure compliance with protections afforded to animals used in science and to administrate the licensing framework. Data trends and requirements will be assessed by the authorities whom have particular responsibilities and requirements for the use of animals of science.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the contribution of gaming machines to the level of pubs’ supplementary income.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises the contribution of pubs to the nighttime economy in the UK, as well as the commercial pressures they face.
Although the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Gambling Commission do not hold official statistics on the contribution of gaming machines to the level of pubs’ supplementary income, we recognise that gaming machines are an important source of revenue to many pubs across the country.
Trade associations representing the pub sector, including the British Beer and Pub Association, UK Hospitality and the British Institute of Innkeeping, recently emphasised the importance of gaming machines in pubs, estimating that 48% of pubs have at least one gaming machine, with the total income from these machines equating to £622m per year.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the UK to national security in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government remains committed to keeping people safe. I pay tribute to those who work so hard to ensure peace and security across the United Kingdom.
In relation to national security in Northern Ireland, the fact that the Northern Ireland Related Terrorism threat level was reduced in March 2024 to SUBSTANTIAL and remains there is testament to the tremendous efforts of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and security partners.
In recognition of the security situation in Northern Ireland, the Government is providing the PSNI with £113 million over three years in Additional Security Funding to help address Northern Ireland’s specific security challenges and continue keeping people safe.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to reduce prescription drug-related deaths in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has taken decisive action to reduce prescription drug-related deaths in England by tackling overprescribing and improving patient safety. In September 2021, the Department published the National Overprescribing Review, which set out measures to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate treatment. These measures include better use of technology, more effective prescription reviews, and alternatives to medicines where clinically appropriate.
In March 2023, NHS England issued a framework entitled Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms. This framework sets out five actions for integrated care boards, focusing on the early identification of risk, personalised care planning, and shared decision-making to support safe tapering of medication and alternative treatments. These steps aim to improve patient outcomes by reducing harm from dependency-forming medicines such as opioids and benzodiazepines.
Integrated care boards are the National Health Service organisations responsible for arranging the provision of health services within their area in line with local population need and taking account of relevant guidance.