Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase Royal Navy presence in the Gulf in the context of HMS Lancaster being decommissioned.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Our significant maritime collaboration and senior Naval representation highlights our enduring commitment to stability and security in the region. Capabilities such as Maritime Domain Awareness, uncrewed systems, and a world class training offer ensure that our allies and partners are supported and ready to meet challenges in the region.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to reduce the number of overseas Royal Navy bases.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK Defence global footprint remains under constant review, across all overseas locations and bases, including those that support the Royal Navy. We continue to ensure that our footprint is fully optimised to meet the requirements of our Armed Forces world-wide.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to help reduce violations of the Firearms Act 1968.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s priority is public safety, and we look to ensure our controls on firearms are as strong as possible and keep the legislation under active consideration. It is imperative that we do everything we can to stop firearms getting into hands of criminals and those who would misuse them with devastating consequences.
The Firearms Act 1968 provides the framework for action to be taken by police forces, and we have seen the number of firearms offences fall to 5,053 from 5,991 over the past 12 months - for the year ending June 2025. We work in partnership with the National Police Chiefs Council, police forces and the National Crime Agency to respond to emerging firearms risks, and for example, we have recently taken action against some types of blank firing firearms which have found to be readily convertible into lethal weapons so they can be removed from circulation.
We are also ensuring licensing of firearms, as set out in the Firearms Act 1968, is as effective and robust as possible. Recent measures to support this include the revised Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers issued in August this year, the rollout of new national training to firearms licensing police personnel, and the increase in licensing fees to support full cost recovery.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she has taken to reduce the rate of digital exclusion among elderly people in a) England and b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We know that digital exclusion is a complex issue and some demographics are more likely to be digitally excluded than others, including older people – with statistics showing 86% of adults aged 60+ are online, compared to 95% of all UK adults in 2025 (2025 Consumer Digital Index report).
That’s why in February we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan which outlines the immediate steps we are taking to help more people benefit from being online.
Since then, we have launched the £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to support community-led projects across the UK. This includes 80 projects across England which will meet the specific and diverse needs of digitally excluded people – including older people - to get online with confidence.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she has taken to reduce the commission of crime in English prisons.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
His Majesty’s Prison and Probation service (HMPPS) has a layered approach to tackling criminality that emanates from within prisons. It deploys countermeasures such as X-ray body and baggage scanners, archway metal detectors and Enhanced Search Gates in place to stop smuggling of illicit items, such as mobile phones that are key enablers of crime in prisons.
Criminality in prisons is often orchestrated by Serious Organised Crime (SOC) nominals. HMPPS has a dedicated national SOC team that works collaboratively with law enforcement agencies and partners to identify and disrupt organised criminal activity in prison.
We bear down on crime in prison through adjudications, and prisoners who misbehave can face extra time in custody. The most serious crimes, including those where a mobile phone is being used to coordinate criminal activity, are referred to the police in line with the Crime in Prisons Referral Arrangement (CiPRA). We work closely with law enforcement partners through the Crime in Prisons Taskforce which was established to work closely with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure serious crimes are addressed through the criminal justice system, rather than solely through internal disciplinary measures.
In parallel, we are tackling the root causes of reoffending by addressing offenders’ underlying needs and supporting their rehabilitation journey. This includes providing a range of rehabilitative interventions, including education, employment and substance misuse support.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she has taken to improve computer literacy rates amongst elderly people in a) England and b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We know there are lower computer literacy rates amongst older people and this can lead to digital exclusion - with statistics showing 86% of adults aged 60+ are online, compared to 95% of all UK adults in 2025 (2025 Consumer Digital Index report).
That’s why the Government is committed to helping more older people build these skills and confidence including through the Government’s digital entitlement. This gives eligible adults, including elderly people, access to fully funded basic digital skills courses and qualifications.
The Government £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund is also funding projects directly helping more older people build the skills and confidence to get online - for example the £139,000 trial to co-design targeted strategies to improve digital inclusion for older people across England and London.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times his Department has given consent for a direction to be made under Section 13 (5) of the Building Safety Act 2022; and which local authorities are subject to such directions.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under Section 13 of the Building Safety Act 2022, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) may direct a relevant authority to do anything for the purpose of facilitating the exercise by the regulator of a relevant function, or enabling the relevant authority to facilitate the exercise by the regulator of a relevant function, as specified in the direction.
Under Section 13(5), a direction from the BSR may be given only with the consent of the Secretary of State. BSR has not directed or sought to direct any local authority (or fire and rescue authority) under Section 13(5) of the Building Safety Act 2022. Consequently, the Secretary of State has not given consent for any direction made under Section 13(5).
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when HMS Lancaster will be replaced at the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence keeps its force posture in the Middle East under continual review to safeguard the UK’s national security interests and operational requirements. We remain committed to working with our partners across the region.
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 assessment his Department has made of the impact of de-proscribing Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham on the UK's foreign policy objectives in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to my statement on gov.uk marking the one-year anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime and the written ministerial statement to both Houses on 22 October, which can be found respectively at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/minister-falconer-article-on-syria-anniversary-december-2025 and https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-10-22/hcws977
These set out, respectively, the UK's support for the efforts of the new Syrian government to build a more stable, inclusive and representative country and the decision that the Government came to on de-proscription.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she has considered the potential merits of widening the eligibility criteria for the Blue Badge scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government fully recognises the importance of ensuring that the Blue Badge scheme supports those who have their mobility impacted by substantial and enduring disabilities and other health conditions. The Department for Transport works closely with local authorities and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the Blue Badge scheme remains fair, effective, and focused on those who need it most.
The Department previously consulted on extending the Blue Badge eligibility criteria in 2019 to allow people with non-visible (hidden) disabilities to be eligible for a Blue Badge. The current eligibility criteria are focused on the impact on an applicant’s mobility, rather than based on specific disabilities or conditions, and can be found on GOV.UK.