Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport 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 the system of installer self‑certification through Competent Person schemes on consumer protection for Green Deal participants.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Both the Green Deal and the competent person schemes contain consumer protections but they work independently of each other. Therefore, work paid for through the Green Deal and carried out by a competent person scheme installer will benefit from both sets of consumer protections. The Department has done no recent research of the effects of competent person schemes on consumer protection for Green Deal participants.
The Green Deal is a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero policy. It was a loan scheme that existed to help people make energy saving improvements to their home that was mostly active during 2013-2015. The Green Deal has its own consumer protection system provided for by the Green Deal Framework Regulations and Code of Practice, and its own system of participant authorisation requiring certification of installers by the Green Deal Oversight and Registration Body.
Competent person scheme operators register and oversee installers who can self-certify that their work meets the building regulations. These schemes have existed for more than 20 years and cover small building work such as plumbing and electricity. The scheme operators offer consumer protections such as ensuring registered installers are properly qualified and dealing with complaints.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947 not being applied retrospectively on the ability of veterans to claim compensation; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of legislating to remove this restriction.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 November 2025 to Question 91751 to the hon. Member for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire (Mr Angus MacDonald).
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Caribbean counterparts on migration on the island of Hispaniola.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned about the serious security and humanitarian crisis in Haiti, which is driving significant migration pressures on Hispaniola and neighbouring islands. We are working with international partners to address this, including through the creation of the Gang Suppression Force and support for UN sanctions on those responsible for instability in Haiti. In October, I spoke with the Haitian Foreign Minister, Jean-Baptiste, and the Dominican Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Rubén Silié Valdez, about the significant challenges in Haiti. The Minister for International Development also met the Haitian Foreign Minister on 17 November. During my visit to Jamaica last week, migration from Haiti to nearby islands was raised in discussions with partners.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring public service broadcasters to make all regional programming widely available live on their designated internet programme services.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Media Act 2024 introduces a new prominence regime that, once commenced, will require particular online major TV platforms to carry and give appropriate prominence to designated public service broadcaster apps (referred to in the legislation as designated internet programme services).
Ofcom will designate which internet programme services this new regime will apply to according to clear criteria, which includes stipulating that any designated service must make a significant contribution towards their public service remit and that remit content within the designated service must be readily discoverable.
We expect an important outcome of the way we have designated the new regime will achieve appropriate prominence for public remit content, which includes provision of content that reflects the lives and concerns of different communities and regions across the UK.
Ofcom is also required to issue a statement on their proposed methodology they will apply when making their designation decisions for internet programme services, which they have consulted on. Ofcom issued their final Statement on their methodology on 22 July 2025.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the availability on designated internet programme services of public service broadcasters’ live regional programming.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Media Act 2024 introduces a new prominence regime that, once commenced, will require particular online major TV platforms to carry and give appropriate prominence to designated public service broadcaster apps (referred to in the legislation as designated internet programme services).
Ofcom will designate which internet programme services this new regime will apply to according to clear criteria, which includes stipulating that any designated service must make a significant contribution towards their public service remit and that remit content within the designated service must be readily discoverable.
We expect an important outcome of the way we have designated the new regime will achieve appropriate prominence for public remit content, which includes provision of content that reflects the lives and concerns of different communities and regions across the UK.
Ofcom is also required to issue a statement on their proposed methodology they will apply when making their designation decisions for internet programme services, which they have consulted on. Ofcom issued their final Statement on their methodology on 22 July 2025.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has taken recent steps to support Armenian cybersecurity.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 8 December to question 96636.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the current timescales for members of the Teachers Pension Scheme, who have submitted their remedial service statement and are awaiting payment of funds owed, to be paid those funds.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme administrator, Capita are processing Remediable Service Statement (RSS) choices and aim to complete payments as quickly as possible. The relevant regulations provide for a member’s RSS choice to be put into payment as soon as is reasonably practicable. As part of the implementation arrangements for payments, it was not possible to start payments until June 2025 as time was needed to allow for recruitment, training, development of instructions, and IT enhancements to be made and implemented.
Members’ original pension benefits will continue to be paid until their choice has been implemented, at which point backdated interest will be applied to their payment.
Payment of members’ RSS choices is a high priority, and the department is continually exploring ways to improve payment and processing times with Capita, which includes providing further funding for additional staff and automating payment and processing functions.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help support recent progress by Haiti’s transitional presidential council to hold elections.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is supporting international efforts to stabilise security in Haiti, and advance Haitian-led solutions. We welcome the Haitian Government's efforts to agree an electoral timetable, while acknowledging that continued gang violence remains a major obstacle. We are backing the UN-supported international Gang Suppression Force, which aims to tackle that violence, and enable progress towards free and fair elections. I spoke with the Haitian Foreign Minister in October and met with the Coordinator of Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council in November to reaffirm UK support.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of allegations of the use of bromobenzyl cyanide by Georgian authorities against demonstrators.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I was deeply concerned by the BBC report alleging that Georgian police used toxic chemicals against protesters in Tbilisi in late 2024, and we expect Georgia to fulfil its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention to ensure that any alleged breaches of the Convention's prohibitions on uses of toxic chemicals are properly investigated.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the threat of Russian-backed disinformation campaigns to (a) peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, (b) Armenian democracy and (c) relations between Armenia and the United Kingdom.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Together with our international partners, we remain committed to supporting lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and to safeguarding Armenia's electoral integrity and democratic resilience, including against any attempted acts of information manipulation and interference by Russia. Working closely with our international partners, we are always ready to defend the information environment and will always act to disrupt any malign activity targeting democratic elections. I held constructive discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the OSCE Ministerial on 4 December.