Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the devolved Administrations on measures to help support leaseholders who experience increases in ground rents.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The legislation governing leasehold ownership currently applies only in England and Wales. The policy area is devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and it would be for the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly to determine whether, and how, they might wish to legislate on such matters.

In respect of England and Wales, the government remains firmly committed to its manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation. We are continuing to work closely with the Welsh government to drive forward our ambitious leasehold and commonhold reform programme.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on trends in the level of avian influenza outbreaks.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Disease control is a devolved matter, and it is for the devolved administrations to assess their disease risks and respond accordingly. However, each of the four UK administrators are an integral part of the decision-making process and are represented at the National Disease Control Centre ‘bird table’ meetings. Representatives of each devolved administration also sit on both the Animal Disease Policy Group (a UK wide policy decision making group) and the joint Government – Industry Avian Influenza Core group.

Further information on the avian influenza situation and controls in Northern Ireland can be found on the DAERA-NI website at https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/avian-influenza-ai.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many employment tribunals cases have been heard since September 2024.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Our latest published statistics for Employment Tribunals can be found using the following link: www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.

Published data details the number of receipts by jurisdiction and the number of claims disposed of but does not include overall number of cases heard. Disposals by outcome for cases successful at hearing, unsuccessful at hearing and dismissed at a preliminary hearing are published in the main tables in ET_3_R.

This data is currently published up to March 2025 for reform cases only. Employment Tribunals are currently undergoing a transition from paper based systems to digital systems. Only those cases received on digital systems are included in this data.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that vulnerable people are not adversely impacted by welfare reforms.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

At the heart of our reforms is the principle that those who can work should work. If you need help into work, the government should support you, while those who can’t work should be supported to live with dignity.

We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable. That is why we are legislating in the Universal Credit Bill to ensure any claimants who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria – or who qualify under Special Rules for End of Life – see their combined standard allowance and LCWRA rise at least in line with inflation every year until 2029/30.

The Timms Review will also ensure that PIP is fair and fit for the future, and will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase awareness of the potential risks of unregulated online pharmacies.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Pharmacies based in Great Britain must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Patients can check if a pharmacy is registered on the GPhC website. The GPhC has recently updated their guidance for online pharmacies to strengthen their safeguards, to prevent people from receiving medicines that are not clinically appropriate for them, and which may cause them harm.

Not all providers of medicines online are pharmacies registered with the GPhC. In such cases, the matter falls to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which is responsible for regulating the sale, supply, and advertising of medicines which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. These regulations apply equally to medicines advertised, sold, or supplied via the internet. The MHRA and its Criminal Enforcement Unit actively seeks to identify individuals involved in unlawful activity and, where appropriate, prosecutes those who put public health at risk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many jobs have been lost due to high street shop closures in the last 12 months for which data is available.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 14th July is attached.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question 43513 on Financial Services: Curriculum, what assessment she has made of the impact of financial education in the national curriculum.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Financial education is an important way of equipping children and young people with the skills and knowledge to achieve good financial wellbeing. This is why it forms part of the national curriculum in England.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s interim report, published in March, sets out that the Review has heard consistently that children, young people and their parents want more focus on the applied knowledge and skills that will equip them for later life and work, such as financial education.

The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who have arrived illegally using boats in the last six months.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes daily statistics on detected small boat arrivals to the UK in the Small boat activity in the English Channel - GOV.UK release.

More detailed published data on small boat arrivals to the UK are provided in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’, with the nationality, age grouping and sex of arrivals shown in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of March 2025.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the the Secretary of State for Education on the level of uptake of community energy projects in schools.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The first major project announced by Great British Energy (GBE) was a total £180 million investment from the UK government and GBE to install rooftop solar panels on schools and hospitals in England, which could see millions invested back into frontline services.

The Department for Education (DfE) is in the process of selecting around 200 schools, targeting deprived areas. 11 schools have already had panels installed under the scheme. The remaining schools set to benefit will be announced this summer, with all schools that are part of the scheme are expected to have solar panels installed by the end of the year.

As part of the GBE announcement in March on investment for devolved governments, £1.62 million was allocated to Northern Ireland. This will be used for renewable energy schemes which can be deployed either onto public sector buildings or to support new community or local renewables schemes.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on improving water safety.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra works closely with the devolved Governments on a range of shared priorities and will discuss any relevant matters as necessary, including at meetings of the Interministerial Group (EFRA).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms exist with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive for (a) communication and (b) support to ensure immigration legislation is applied consistently.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum are excepted matters under the Northern Ireland (NI) devolution settlement, and the Home Office works closely with the NI Executive on areas where Nationality, Immigration and Asylum matters impact on transferred matters that are the NI Executive’s responsibility.

Everyone entering the UK, regardless of where they enter from, is required to meet UK immigration requirements. Anyone identified attempting to circumvent UK border controls is liable to be detained and, if they are not lawfully present within the UK, removed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using drones for defence missions.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets a new vision for how our Armed Forces should be conceived. This envisages a combination of conventional and digital warfighters; the power of drones, AI, and autonomy complementing the 'heavy metal' of tanks and artillery. It identifies that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence within the UK's conventional forces. As in Ukraine, this would provide greater accuracy, lethality, and cheaper capabilities-changing the economics of Defence. To support this shift towards autonomy, the Government has already announced an additional £2 billion this parliament on autonomy, making total spend on autonomy £4bn, including establishing a new Drone Centre.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested in the UK for gathering intelligence.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests in England and Wales by offence group, as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series. The most recent data can be accessed here: Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024 - GOV.UK

However, the data is collected by broader offence group e.g. “public order offences”, therefore data on arrests for more specific offences are not held by the Home Office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps is she taking to tackle racist attacks on community centres; and what discussions she has had with the devolved Administrations on this matter.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

We have a strong legal framework in place to deal with the perpetrators of racist and other forms of hate crime and expect the perpetrators of these abhorrent offences to be brought to justice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help prevent bullying amongst staff in health settings.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Bullying is unacceptable in any workplace and has no place in the National Health Service. All employers across the NHS should have a robust policy on bullying outlining how it should be handled and the support available to staff.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan this autumn setting out how we will ensure all NHS staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on approving new drugs for Alzheimer's disease.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on whether new medicines should be routinely funded based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. NICE evaluates all new medicines, including medicines for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, and aims to publish guidance for the NHS as close as possible to licensing. The NHS in England is legally required to fund recommended treatments, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.

NICE published its final draft guidance on the disease-modifying treatments lecanemab and donanemab, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, in June. NICE concluded that the evidence presented so far shows that neither donanemab nor lecanemab provide enough benefit to justify the substantial resources the NHS would need to commit to implement access to them. NICE has received appeals against its draft recommendations which are scheduled to be heard by an independent panel in October 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people across the UK have been hospitalised for opioid overdoses.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions and related diagnosis information, including finished admission episodes due to opioid overdoses.

The total number of finished admission episodes in England relating to opium, heroin, or other opioids in 2023/24 was 6,582. Further data is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2023-24

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been admitted to hospital for detached retinas in the last six months.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions and related diagnosis information, including finished admission episodes due to detached retinas.

The total number of finished admission episodes in England relating to retinal detachments and breaks in 2023/24 was 21,466. Further data is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2023-24

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of existing legislation surrounding violence against women and girls.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

This Government is taking action to deliver a transformative, cross-government approach to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) underpinned by a new strategy which will be published later this year. We have already sought to strengthen the legislation surrounding violence against women and girls. We have introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill a range of measures including a new spiking offence, provisions strengthening the law on child sexual abuse on managing sex offenders, and on strengthening the law on stalking, taking intimate images without consent, and exposure offences. In the Data (Use and Access) Act we are banning the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes.

I also look forward to reviewing the Law Commission’s recommendations on how we can introduce legislation to change practice relating to the use of evidence in sexual offence prosecutions, so that practitioners do not rely on or perpetuate so-called rape myths and misconceptions at court. In particular, the Law Commission will make recommendations on the admissibility of evidence relating to so-called false allegations, sexual behaviour evidence, and the use of special measures.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what additional security his Department plans to provide to UK army bases.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As per my statement on Monday 23 June 2025, a full security review is being conducted across the defence estate. Further plans will be announced in due course after the completion of the review.

Whilst the Army will undertake some specific measures to provide additional security for its infrastructure as part of this wider work, these cannot be disclosed for reasons of operational security.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to raise awareness on the potential risks associated with AI.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We are hugely optimistic about how AI will transform the lives of British people for the better – but advanced AI could lead to serious security risks.

The UK Government has been clear eyed about the risks AI could bring and have been clear on the need to balance these risks, for example via:

• The National Security Strategy, published in June, outlines the government’s focus on building the UK national security agenda for AI around three pillars: creating more national capacity; accelerating adoption in key sectors; and advancing understanding of the national security risks.
• The Chronic Risk Analysis, also published by the Government in June, assesses longer-term challenges and risks. It highlights that while AI offers significant economic and societal benefits, its rapid advancements pose enduring challenges, including outpacing safety measures, misuse, and potential disruptions to society and the economy. Balancing these risks and opportunities is crucial.
• Establishing the AI Security Institute (AISI) which was set up to equip governments with a scientific understanding of AI’s risks.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to increase locations for paddle boarding across the UK.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including paddle boarding.

Sport is a devolved policy area in Northern Ireland for which the Department for Communities is responsible.

In England, the Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment to ​P​addle UK, the National Governing Body for ​p​addle sports, which receives up to £1​0.​2 million for five years to invest in community initiatives.

Our rivers, lakes, canals, and seas play a vital role in helping people across the country to get physically active, while enjoying the benefits of being outside in nature. The Government will continue to work collectively to improve access to clean water in order to allow more people to enjoy the benefits of water sports and water-based recreational activities, including paddle boarding.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on new dog breeding laws.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Animal welfare is a devolved matter in the UK. This means that responsibility for animal welfare policy in each of the nations, including the regulation of dog breeding, is the responsibility of the relevant nation’s Ministers.

Defra works closely with the devolved Governments on a range of shared priorities, including animal welfare, and will discuss any relevant matters as necessary, including at meetings of the Interministerial Group (EFRA).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps schools are taking to help make children aware of the dangers of groomers online.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Keeping children safe is an absolute priority for this government and schools play a critical role in this.

As part of statutory relationships education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education in secondary schools, pupils are already taught about online safety and harms.

The new statutory guidance, published on 15 July, is clear that pupils should be taught about online sexual harassment and online sexual abuse including grooming and sextortion, about understanding the risks and signs that they may be at risk of grooming or exploitation, and how to seek help where there is a concern. This guidance is accessible at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68761d6b39d0452326e28e6f/RSHE_statutory_guidance_-_July_2025_.pdf.

The department also publishes ‘Keeping children safe in education’, the statutory guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.

This guidance provides schools and colleges with robust information on how to protect pupils and students online and how to respond to any concerns or signs of abuse including grooming.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support dementia patients with (a) memory loss and (b) other symptoms.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

Those with dementia will also benefit from more joined up care through co-created care plans, and by 2027, 95% of those with complex needs will have an agreed care plan.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent on public realm schemes in England in the last 12 months.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The information requested is not held centrally.

This Government is fully committed to rejuvenating our high streets.  The Plan for Neighbourhoods provides £1.5bn to support up to 350 communities across the country.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many physical attacks there have been on judges in the last five years.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Secretary of State for Justice regards Judicial Office Holders’ safety with great importance. There are robust security and safety systems at court/tribunals to protect all court users and the department works with the Police and Judicial Office to deliver effective judicial security outside of court and online.

Physical attacks on Judicial Office holders are incredibly rare. There have been two instances in the past five years. When serious incidents such as these do occur, they are subject to robust investigations to ensure lessons are learnt to prevent recurrence and ensure all security and safety risks are managed to as low a level as reasonably practicable. Over £20m in additional funding in 25/26 has been allocated to a programme of works to further strengthen existing physical and online security arrangements.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help encourage participation in clinical trials.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

The Department is working to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future.

The Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research.

The NIHR provides an online service called Be Part of Research, which promotes participation in health and social care research, by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them, including clinical trials.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people under 50 years old have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the last three years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The latest data available, from March 2025, shows that the number of people under 50 years old diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the last three years were as follows:

• 335 patients from April 2022 to March 2023;
• 330 patients from April 2023 to March 2024: and
• 332 patients from April 2024 to March 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of babies born with rare diseases in the first half of (a) 2025 and (b) 2024.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases. Digital data and technology are an underpinning theme of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) is part of NHS England and manages two disease registration services, including the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS). The NCARDRS records those people with congenital abnormalities and rare diseases across the whole of England. Further information on the NDRS and the NCARDRS is available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrs

Currently, there is no single rare disease registry. The NDRS can access information from the Newborn screening programme, which enables early identification, referral, and treatment of babies with nine rare but serious conditions. The NDRS also approaches services for access to patient data for other rare conditions, but this is not blanket coverage at this stage. There are a number of rare diseases registries, some funded via NHS England, and some via industry or charities. Due to this, NDRS records would not be a full picture of everyone born with a rare disease.

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 merits of using nano needles to detect cancers.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department looks at opportunities to utilise technology to improve diagnostic performance and bring down cancer waiting times. We are committed to backing an innovative clinical research ecosystem in the United Kingdom so that patients can be among the first to benefit as we make the National Health Service fit for the future.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has not currently made a specific assessment of the potential merits of using nanoneedles to detect cancers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of short-term funding grants on the ability of drug treatment services to (a) provide long term care and (b) retain staff.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for greater certainty regarding funding and the ability to set clear budgets.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet these needs. It is also the responsibility of local authorities to set the length of the contracts with services.

To better support upper tier and unitary local authorities’ vital public health work, from 2026/27 we will bring together over £4 billion of public health funding for local government, by consolidating service specific grants into the Public Health Grant. It is our intention to publish indicative Public Health Grant funding alongside the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year, with final multi-year local authority Public Health Grant allocations published early in the new year. This will give local authorities more advanced notice of their total funding allocations, further empowering them to plan more effectively and better manage their services.

Alongside the funding allocations, the Department and NHS England have also published a 10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, from 2024 to 2034, which is the first national workforce plan for this specialist part of the health workforce in England and outlines key milestones to grow, train, and develop staff.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of drug treatment services have fewer than 24 months of secured funding.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for greater certainty regarding funding and the ability to set clear budgets.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet these needs. It is also the responsibility of local authorities to set the length of the contracts with services.

To better support upper tier and unitary local authorities’ vital public health work, from 2026/27 we will bring together over £4 billion of public health funding for local government, by consolidating service specific grants into the Public Health Grant. It is our intention to publish indicative Public Health Grant funding alongside the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year, with final multi-year local authority Public Health Grant allocations published early in the new year. This will give local authorities more advanced notice of their total funding allocations, further empowering them to plan more effectively and better manage their services.

Alongside the funding allocations, the Department and NHS England have also published a 10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, from 2024 to 2034, which is the first national workforce plan for this specialist part of the health workforce in England and outlines key milestones to grow, train, and develop staff.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that teachers are adequately trained to deal with students with ADHD.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, including those with neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD, and we are committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers.

The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and this is embedded in teacher training. From September 2025, all new teachers will benefit from 3 years of evidence-based training through the revised initial teacher training and early career framework. This has significantly more content related to supporting pupils with SEND, including content adapted from the new national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators.

To ensure ongoing review, the department’s Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings. Additionally, the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national, cross-governmental programme, backed by £22 million of investment, which deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children in mainstream primary schools.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle organised crime.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The government is committed to tackling Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). SOC is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK. It costs lives, blights communities, hampers economic growth, and corrodes the global reputation of the UK and its institutions.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) plays a pivotal role in disrupting SOC and In November last year the Prime Minister announced an additional £58m to the Agency’s core budget in 2025/26 to support NCA’s disruptions of serious and organised crime. This represents an increase of 9% from their 2024/25 core budget.

In addition, on 11 June 2025, the Chancellor announced up to £280 million per year for the Border Security Command by the end of the spending review period in 2028-2029. We’ve boosted the NCA’s capacity to tackle organised immigration crime by funding 100 new specialist officers, bringing the total dedicated FTE close to 500.

We have also introduced the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to bring forward new laws to protect the UK border and our communities. This includes a series of measures to enhance the effectiveness of SCPOs, including a new Interim Serious Crime Prevention Order (ISCPO), which will speed up the process for placing restrictions on suspects to prevent, disrupt and restrict serious crime. The Bill also brings forward new criminal offences related to the possession and supply of articles used in serious crime, targeting those who enable or facilitate such activity. (SOC articles included are vehicle concealments, pill presses and templates for 3D printed firearms components).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support people who served in Operation Banner.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

We owe the people who served on Operation Banner a huge debt of gratitude. Their professionalism and in many cases personal sacrifices saved many lives and helped to bring about peace in Northern Ireland. I will continue to champion their cause as we deal with Northern Ireland’s legacy. We are working hard to ensure that veterans’ interests are fully considered in any future legislation on this matter.

I am acutely aware of the impact that military service can have on veterans and their families. Where a veteran (or serving member of the Armed Forces) faces allegations arising from activities related to their duties, they are offered appropriate legal support at public expense.

The Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), run by the Ministry of Defence, provides free one-to-one support for veterans or anyone supporting a veteran, and their families, with a national network of welfare managers across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

More broadly, in England, Op COURAGE provides support with mental health and wellbeing for veterans, and Op RESTORE is the veterans’ physical health and wellbeing service, with similar services available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Housing support is available across the United Kingdom via Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway connecting veterans with support

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on people imprisoned under blasphemy laws for exercising religious beliefs in that country.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government remains deeply concerned by the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, particularly where they are used to target individuals for peacefully exercising their religion or belief. We regularly raise this issue at senior levels, urging Pakistani authorities to uphold due process, ensure fair trials, and protect those at risk. In March and June 2025, I raised concerns about freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) with Pakistani ministers. Working with the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, we are committed to championing the right to FoRB for all around the world - promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral organisations, our bilateral work, and our programme funding.

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