Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) make representations to the Iranian authorities on lifting the internet blackout and (b) assist Iranian citizens to stay connected via alternative channels.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to urge Iran to immediately restore access to the internet and communications. Iran must respect its citizens' fundamental rights and freedom.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 potential implications for his policies of research from King’s College London, Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Leeds entitled Comparing the Outcomes of In-Vitro Fertilization in Same-Sex Female Couples Using Their Partner's Egg Versus Their Own Egg: A Systematic Review, published on 19 August 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s (HFEA) Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee reviews the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment. The last 10 years of evidence were reviewed in June 2025, and further information on the findings of this review can be found at the following link:
HFEA changed the information on its website relating to the risks of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) because of this review, including risks associated with reciprocal IVF. Further information can be found at the following link:
https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/risks-of-fertility-treatment/
The study had not been published at the time of the review and will be included in the next review by HFEA.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 potential implications for his policies of research by Velez et al entitled New-Onset Mental Illness Among Gestational Carriers, published on 25 July 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s (HFEA) Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee reviews the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment, including surrogates. The last 10 years of evidence were reviewed in June 2025, and further information on the findings of this review can be found at the following link:
The study had not been published at the time of the review and will be included in the next review by the HFEA.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of (a) social media groups that promote surrogacy and (b) the risks posed by such groups with relation to the trafficking of children.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Human trafficking is a priority offence under the Online Safety Act. The Act places duties on services to take steps to ensure they are not used for human trafficking.
Ofcom, as the independent regulator, has strong enforcement powers under the OSA, including imposing fines, and—where necessary—using business disruption measures to ensure platforms comply with their safety duties.