Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to prevent British companies from selling hunting trips to British nationals to shoot so-called canned lions for sport and trophies.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, which is the most effective approach the Government can take on this matter. The department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many households have been denied applications for social homes due to affordability checks; and what alternative options are available for those households in order to avoid homelessness.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has already taken action to remove barriers for those most in need to access social housing including exempting care leavers under 25 years old and victims of domestic abuse from local connection tests.
Local housing authorities and landlords may carry out pre-tenancy and affordability checks when considering a person's application for social housing and these can play an important role in ensuring that a tenancy is sustainable. We do, however, expect local authorities and landlords to show consideration for individual circumstances when considering these.
The government has made clear that it intends to review and update statutory guidance on social housing allocations to ensure that allocations reflect local need and effectively support vulnerable households. As part of that process, we will also consider ways that local authorities and landlords can work more cooperatively on these issues, including those at risk of homelessness.
My Department does not collect data to enable us to assess the number of households being denied social homes due to affordability checks.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of pre-tenancy checks by housing associations on the ability of households experiencing or at risk of homelessness to access social housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has already taken action to remove barriers for those most in need to access social housing including exempting care leavers under 25 years old and victims of domestic abuse from local connection tests.
Local housing authorities and landlords may carry out pre-tenancy and affordability checks when considering a person's application for social housing and these can play an important role in ensuring that a tenancy is sustainable. We do, however, expect local authorities and landlords to show consideration for individual circumstances when considering these.
The government has made clear that it intends to review and update statutory guidance on social housing allocations to ensure that allocations reflect local need and effectively support vulnerable households. As part of that process, we will also consider ways that local authorities and landlords can work more cooperatively on these issues, including those at risk of homelessness.
My Department does not collect data to enable us to assess the number of households being denied social homes due to affordability checks.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he will take to remove barriers to accessing a social home for those most in need.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has already taken action to remove barriers for those most in need to access social housing including exempting care leavers under 25 years old and victims of domestic abuse from local connection tests.
Local housing authorities and landlords may carry out pre-tenancy and affordability checks when considering a person's application for social housing and these can play an important role in ensuring that a tenancy is sustainable. We do, however, expect local authorities and landlords to show consideration for individual circumstances when considering these.
The government has made clear that it intends to review and update statutory guidance on social housing allocations to ensure that allocations reflect local need and effectively support vulnerable households. As part of that process, we will also consider ways that local authorities and landlords can work more cooperatively on these issues, including those at risk of homelessness.
My Department does not collect data to enable us to assess the number of households being denied social homes due to affordability checks.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 79968, which organisation will conduct that audit; when it is scheduled to begin; and how its findings will be reported to the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 December in response to Question 98592.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming testing regime for vaping products will require imported liquids to undergo the same emissions and ingredient analysis as UK-made liquids before being placed on the UK market.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to establish a new product registration scheme for tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products, including testing requirements.
On 8 October 2025, we published a call for evidence on a number of topics related to tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products, including the proposal to introduce a new product registration scheme. The evidence gathered will inform development of policy and a subsequent consultation next year.
Any new testing requirements introduced following consultation will apply to products produced in the United Kingdom and those imported into the UK.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will publish a timetable for introducing product-verification checks under the new vape registration scheme, in order to assist Trading Standards in identifying non-compliant high-capacity devices at point of sale.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to establish a new product registration scheme for tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. On 8 October 2025, we published a call for evidence on a number of topics related to tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. This includes the proposal to introduce a new product registration scheme.
In the call for evidence, we are seeking information on how best to implement the registration scheme. The evidence gathered will inform development of policy and a subsequent consultation next year.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level of resources required by the MHRA to implement the new registration and testing regime for vaping products established under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has yet been made as the registration scheme is still in the early stages of policy development. On 8 October 2025, we published a call for evidence on a number of topics related to tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including the proposal to introduce a new product registration scheme.
However, given the nature of vaping products, which are not healthcare products, officials from the Department and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) are considering whether OPSS would be better placed to oversee the future register. The Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will continue to be responsible for the current notification systems until further notice.
Powers in the bill will allow us to charge a fee for the ongoing and continuous registration of products. Exact details on fees, as well as the future registration scheme, will be subject to future consultation.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he plans to issue to local Trading Standards teams on identifying high-capacity non-compliant disposable vapes under the powers created by the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has been illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes since 1 June 2025. The Government is investing £10 million of new funding in Trading Standards in 2025/26, to support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales. As part of this package, we have provided training to over 760 Trading Standards officers on the single-use vapes ban, ensuring they have a strong understanding of the regulations and are confident in enforcing them.
Through this programme, we are also funding the Vaping Expert Panel, which provides guidance to Trading Standards officers on vaping products to support the consistent enforcement of regulations. The panel has published 20 pieces of guidance, and Trading Standards officers are able to contact the panel if they would like further clarification or advice.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential equality impacts of the PATHWAYS puberty blocker trial.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The government is committed to supporting research that delivers robust, evidence-based understanding of gender incongruence issues, especially for children and young people.
The PATHWAYS trial research protocol has rightly undergone a thorough independent review and has received all regulatory and ethical approvals.
The published protocol sets out how the researchers will collect relevant demographic information, including sex at birth, ethnicity, and country of birth.