Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are being taken to ensure value for money in procurement of military equipment.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department ensures value for money is achieved in procurement of military equipment by combining appropriate procurement routes with rigorous appraisal, whole-life cost analysis, strong commercial oversight and independent scrutiny.

This ensures military requirements are delivered which provide the best balance of cost and effectiveness at an affordable cost to the taxpayer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of court closures on access to justice in rural areas.

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

We are committed to ensuring access to justice for all court users, including those in rural communities. There are currently no plans to permanently close any courts. Any future proposals would be subject to full public consultation and will consider all potential impacts on access to justice, including for rural court users.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to improve legal representation for individuals with mental health conditions.

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

The Government supports people with mental health conditions to solve their legal problems in a variety of ways, through legal aid and legal support.

We are committed to ensuring that individuals with mental health conditions have equal opportunity to access legally aided advice and representation as the wider population. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) Contracts ensure providers comply with their obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including prohibiting firms from declining to take a case because of any additional expense arising from the need to make reasonable adjustments. The Government recognises the vital work of legal aid mental health providers in supporting people with a legal issue relating to their mental health condition, and we are taking steps to support the civil legal aid sector through investment and digital transformation.

The Government is also funding legal support services to support access to justice for vulnerable people with social welfare problems, through nearly £20 million of multi-year funding for 58 frontline organisations that directly support people to access legal advice. Our legal support strategy also involves working across government to promote the co-location of social welfare advice services to make links between health and justice in a range of settings, including mental health settings. This will help scale effective models, such as health justice partnerships, and ensure that vulnerable groups can access holistic support as early as possible.

On representation more broadly for people with mental health conditions, the regulation of legal professionals in England and Wales operates independently of Government. Under the Legal Services Act 2007, responsibility for regulating solicitors rests with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), while the Legal Services Board provides independent oversight of the approved regulators.

Solicitors, like all service providers, are subject to duties under the Equality Act 2010, including the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled clients. In addition, the SRA requires solicitors to provide services in a way that meets clients' needs and to take appropriate account of vulnerability.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of levels of gaps in access to legal aid for family law cases.

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

This Government recognises the vital role that legal aid plays in supporting individuals in family proceedings. In 2024/25, the Government spent £854 million on the provision of family legal aid (£196 million on private family, and £658 milion on public family), and we continue to keep family legal aid policy under review.

In terms of geographic accessibility, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) commissions family legal aid services across geographic areas called procurement areas, and the LAA monitors the number of providers holding family legal aid contracts across England and Wales. The LAA’s standard is that there is a minimum of five family legal aid providers per procurement area. All procurement areas for family legal aid have legal aid coverage, although nine procurement areas currently have fewer than the commissioning standard of five providers.

These levels have remained stable since contracts commenced in September 2024, with no evidence that access to justice has been adversely affected, as individuals can access face to face services in neighbouring procurement areas or via remote means. Providers frequently operate across multiple areas and deliver services through a combination of local provision, outreach and remote advice. Where provision is lower than the commissioning standard, targeted engagement action has been taken to attract new providers to increase available supply of legal aid services.

Information about the number of legal aid contract holders is published as part of the LAA’s Official Statistics: Legal aid statistics quarterly: October to December 2025 - GOV.UK [Tables 9.1-9.8].

A detailed breakdown by procurement area in each category can be accessed via the Legal Aid Provider Contract Statistics Dashboard: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-guide-to-legal-aid-statistics-in-england-and-wales/legal-aid-statistics-data-visualisation-tools.

We have also recently made changes to legislation to ensure that legal aid continues to be available for domestic abuse victims. This includes ensuring legal aid is available for all victims of domestic abuse who can apply for leave to enter or remain in the UK, and to provide comprehensive availability of legal aid in respect to Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders. We are also conducting a review of the domestic abuse evidence requirements which need to be satisfied in order to access legal aid for private family matters. This is to ensure that they are not a barrier to victims accessing legal aid.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral answer of 18 June 2026 on support for Christians in Palestine, what representations she has made to the Government of Israel on the protection of Palestinian Christians, including clergy, religious workers and places of worship, and on accountability for harassment, vandalism and attacks affecting Christian communities and Christian property.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to championing freedom of religion or belief for all, and we are concerned by reports of harassment, vandalism and attacks affecting Christian communities. It is vital that the places of worship used by each religious community are treated with respect and dignity, and that all communities, including Palestinian Christians, are able to practise their faith or belief free from intimidation or violence. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem will continue to engage with church leaders and the Christian community in Palestine, to listen to their concerns.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the use of body-worn cameras by police officers.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the important role that body-worn video can play in supporting effective, transparent and accountable policing. College of Policing and National Police Chief’s Council guidance supports the use of body-worn video during police encounters, including stop and search. Operational decisions on its deployment remain a matter for Chief Constables.

The College of Policing, in its 2024 guidance, highlights that body-worn video can improve evidential capture, support transparency and accountability by providing an objective record of police-public interactions, and strengthen public confidence through facilitating scrutiny of police encounters and the use of police powers.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to improve support for victims and witnesses in the justice system.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson

The Ministry of Justice is investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in victim support services to date.

This funding includes:

- Funding for Police and Crime Commissioners who ensure victims can access local support that is best suited for them, including ring-fenced funding for community domestic abuse and sexual violence services

- The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) which funds 60 local specialist support services for sexual violence victims and survivors

- A national 24/7 sexual violence helpline

- The National Homicide Service

- The National Witness Service

In addition to the £550 million for support services in England and Wales, the Government is also investing £6 million over the next two years to deliver free, Independent Legal Advisers (ILAs) for victims of adult rape and assault by penetration to help them to understand their legal rights and navigate the legal system.

This work forms part of the wider cross-government VAWG strategy, with activity being undertaken across a number of departments to deliver a coordinated approach to preventing and responding to violence against women and girls.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also announced it is providing £499 million over the next three years to ensure vital support in domestic abuse safe accommodation is available to all victims when they need it.

In addition, the Ministry of Justice ran a consultation on a new Victims’ Code to make sure we get the foundations right for victims. The consultation sought the view of sector experts, criminal justice practitioners, young people and victims themselves on a number of proposals to ensure victims needs are met, and how to raise awareness and understanding of the Code. We are now taking time to consider responses, and we will issue a public response ahead of finalising the new Code and bringing it into force.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of CCTV footage in reducing crime in urban areas.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

CCTV is a long-established and widely used tool across England and Wales, operated by a range of public and private bodies to support crime prevention, public safety and investigations.

The Surveillance Camera Commissioner (SCC) is responsible for encouraging compliance with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice. The Code provides guidance on the responsible use of surveillance camera systems, including CCTV, by police and local authorities and voluntary adopters in England and Wales. This ensures public trust and compliance with data protection laws. The Commissioner also provides advice and information to the public and surveillance system operators about the effective, appropriate, proportionate, and transparent use of surveillance camera systems.

The SCC is progressing the delivery of a project to assess how overt surveillance, such as CCTV, can support the Government’s Safer Streets initiative and efforts to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG). The findings and recommendations are anticipated to be published later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the level of readiness of UK armed forces equipment.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Government has recognised the need to improve warfighting readiness in response to a deteriorating global security environment. The Defence Investment Plan sets out a decade-long programme of investment and transformation to equip the Armed Forces for modern warfare and begin improving readiness across Defence. It includes an additional £15 billion on top of the previous Spending Review settlement, with the majority of this additional day-to-day funding directed towards activities such as training and improving the availability of ships and aircraft to increase warfighting readiness.

The Ministry of Defence continually assesses the readiness and availability of military equipment to ensure that the Armed Forces are able to meet current and emerging operational commitments. I hope the Hon Member will understand that for reasons of operational security, the Department does not comment on the readiness profiles or availability of specific military capabilities.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of the capability of the armed forces to respond to emerging threats.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the response given to Question 13552 to the member for South Shropshire on 8 July 2026:

The Government is taking a broad programme of action to improve the readiness, lethality, and survivability of the Armed Forces. Through the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), we are investing £298 billion over the next four years to rebuild warfighting readiness, deliver the Strategic Defence Review, and develop a NATO-first Integrated Force. This includes action to improve recruitment, retention and morale through pay, housing, and childcare, alongside measures to grow Regular personnel numbers and strengthen the Strategic Reserve.

The DIP is also increasing the Armed Forces’ ability to deter and, if required, fight and win. We are investing in autonomous and uncrewed systems, long-range missiles, artificial intelligence, armoured vehicles, and precision strike capabilities. Key examples include more than £5 billion for autonomous systems, £1.8 billion for the Digital Targeting Web to connect sensors, decision-makers and weapons across domains, and further investment in Project ASGARD to expand the Army’s recce-strike capability.

These investments also improve survivability. The Government is strengthening protection against air, missile, drone, cyber, and electromagnetic threats, including £790 million for Integrated Air and Missile Defence, more than £750 million for short-range counter-drone protection, and £2.5 billion for the Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force. We are also investing in space-based surveillance, critical underwater infrastructure protection, battlefield protection, medical support, and counter-CBRN capabilities.

Taken together, these measures will provide improved early warning of threats, make the Armed Forces more ready to deploy, more lethal in combat, and better protected against the threats they are most likely to face. They are part of a wider programme of investment across people, stockpiles, infrastructure, digital systems, munitions, and force protection.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total defence budget allocation is for the current financial year.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence's total budget allocation for financial year 2026-27 is £68.3 billion. This provides funding for defence outputs across the Department, including personnel, equipment, operations, infrastructure, and support activities.

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 strengthen follow up support for self-harm patients once they leave emergency services care.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

NHS England expects all patients presenting to emergency departments following self-harm or suicidal ideation to receive a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment by appropriately trained mental health professionals prior to discharge in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng225

The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework states that in 2026/27, mental health practitioners across all providers should undertake training and deliver care in line with Staying safe from suicide: Best practice guidance for safety assessment, formulation and management, which states that all care should be undertaken using the biopsychosocial approach.

Through the national mental health liaison programme, all Type 1 Emergency Departments now have access to 24/7 liaison mental health services, supporting timely assessment, safety planning, and onward care. Responsibility for clinical governance and safe discharge arrangements rests with local providers and integrated care systems, which are expected to have policies in place covering risk assessment, follow-up, and patient safety.

NHS England is also supporting systems to strengthen community based mental health support and wider urgent and emergency mental health pathways, including through Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres, crisis alternatives, NHS 111 option 2, and the rollout of Mental Health Emergency Departments. These developments aim to ensure people who self-harm or experience suicidal distress can access timely, compassionate, and therapeutic support both during and following a mental health crisis.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve accessibility for disabled people in public services.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

We are continuously working across government, engaging with stakeholders and listening to the views of disabled people to improve accessibility in public services.

For example, following the publication of our BSL Advisory Board’s report ‘Locked out’ last November, which highlights the barriers faced by the Deaf community in relation to their experience of health and social care services, we are working with them to address the key recommendations from that report.

We are also exploring ways to improve the accessibility of government communications, so that all disabled people can be made aware of changes to existing government policies and are able to contribute to the development of new policies.

The Disability Confident scheme supports employers, including many public sector bodies, to adopt more inclusive and accessible recruitment and workplace practices. The scheme provides guidance, tools and support to build confidence in attracting, recruiting and retaining disabled people, while ongoing work with stakeholders and wider reform activity is strengthening the scheme to ensure it better supports accessibility and inclusion, informed by the lived experience of disabled people and designed to drive continuous improvement across organisations.

Last year I also announced our plans for a UK Government Plan for Disability. The Plan will:

○ summarise work already underway across Government to champion the rights of disabled people, including by making public services more accessible;

○ develop a set of aspirations for Government to prioritise next in order to break down barriers for disabled people; and

○ ​set out a clear vision ​that will show what this Government is aiming to achieve for disabled people in the longer term​.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are being taken to support veterans transitioning into civilian employment.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This government is fully committed to ensuring veterans and their families have access to the employment support they need. One of the key commitments in the Veterans’ Strategy is to ensure that the unique skills, experience and personal values of veterans are appreciated, understood and that they are provided with opportunities to contribute to our national security, our economy and our communities.

A range of programmes are in place to support those leaving service in finding fulfilling and sustainable careers which make full use of their unique skills and experience.

The Career Transition Partnership is the initial point of employment provision for those transitioning into civilian life, with assistance available for up to two years before and two years after leaving service. CTP provides holistic transition support to help Service leavers prepare for civilian life and employment.

The level of support provided depends on length of service and discharge category, with bespoke pathways for those with significant barriers to employment due to injury or illness. Eligible Service leavers may access resettlement leave, training grants, travel costs and specialist briefings.

For veterans who are more than two years post-service, as well as their families, additional support is provided through Op ASCEND. This initiative, which provides tailored employment support into sustainable civilian careers has already engaged with over 600 employers and 5,000 veterans and family members.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the UK’s involvement in international peacekeeping operations.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK remains committed to international peacekeeping operations, recognising their vital role in promoting global stability and security. The Ministry of Defence regularly assesses the adequacy of the UK’s involvement, ensuring that our contributions align with both national security interests and international obligations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the adoption of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and drones in the armed forces.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) identifies a shift towards greater use of AI and autonomy as an immediate priority for Defence. It also highlights how lessons from Ukraine demonstrate that technological innovation is vital to stay ahead of our adversaries.

The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) implements this vision through specific, funded programmes. The Government is investing over £5 billion in autonomous systems over the next four years, including in a Hybrid Navy, uncrewed ground vehicles and new autonomous fighter jets capable of operating from land bases or aircraft carriers. The DIP also commits £1.8 billion to a Digital Targeting Web across all domains, and provides specific targeted investments in AI, including through Taskforce RAID, Project FRONTIER and Project ASGARD, to accelerate decision-making, improve targeting and integrate sensors, deciders and effectors across all domains. We have also established UK Defence Innovation, with a ringfenced budget of £1.6 billion over the next four years, to ensure we can fund the exploitation of emerging technology.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment has been made of the level of resilience of military infrastructure to climate change and natural disasters.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) assesses the resilience of military infrastructure to climate change and natural hazards through its ongoing risk assessment programme.

For military infrastructure, the MOD uses its published Climate Impact Risk Assessment Methodology (CIRAM) to assess climate-related risks across both the UK and overseas Defence estate and their potential impact on site operations, assets and personnel.

In addition, the MOD completed a Natural Hazards Assessment and Horizon Study in 2023 to strengthen its understanding of current and emerging risks to military infrastructure.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support is being provided to defence manufacturers to innovate and maintain global competitiveness.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Industrial Strategy promotes deeper collaboration with allies through co-research, co-development, and co-production, enabling UK firms to share costs, access larger markets, and deliver interoperable capabilities. It emphasises alignment with NATO standards and allied procurement approaches to facilitate exports and provides clearer long-term demand signals to give UK industry confidence to invest and innovate successfully alongside allied firms.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are being taken to maintain the security of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

For reasons of national security, I cannot provide details of how we secure the UK’s nuclear deterrent. The UK’s nuclear deterrent is subject to a comprehensive security regime that is in turn subject to rigorous oversight and assurance, alongside independent regulation by the Defence Nuclear Security Regulator.

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 effectiveness of devolution deals in improving local public services.

Answered by Nesil Caliskan

MHCLG has drawn on a range of devolution evidence over time, including evaluations of programmes and interventions delivered through devolved arrangements, wider analysis of devolution-related outcomes, and evidence generated by local areas themselves. This includes support for mayoral areas to evaluate the Investment Funds that have historically accompanied devolution deals. We continue to build the evidence base and are considering what further evaluation would add most value in understanding the impacts of devolution, including on local public services.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to improve access to community facilities and public services in lower socioeconomic areas.

Answered by Nesil Caliskan

Through the UK Government's Pride in Place Programme, up to £5.8 billion is being invested over ten years in 284 neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of deprivation. In Northern Ireland, this includes up to £20 million funding and support each for Coleraine and Derry~Londonderry in phase one of the programme. In each place, the local neighbourhood board will work with the community to decide how this funding is spent, which may include investment in community facilities, where this reflects community priorities.

Northern Ireland’s share of funding derived from phase two of the Pride in Place Programme and the Pride in Place Impact Fund for 2025-26 to 2028-29 will be delivered as part of the Local Growth Fund.

We are also delivering fairer funding for local government in England, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement in a decade. This Settlement strengthens the relationship between deprivation and funding need. By 2028-29, the top 10% most deprived areas will receive 45% more funding per head than the least deprived. The majority of funding in the Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what measures are being taken to protect sensitive court and prison data from cyber threats.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) approach to protecting the department and its data against cyber threats is contained in the MoJ's cyber security strategy (MoJ Cyber Security Strategy). This sets out how we aim to achieve our ambition to be government-leading in the provision of secure services, which includes prisons and courts data.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of electronic monitoring tagging schemes for offenders.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice has published a number of evaluations examining the effectiveness of different forms of electronic monitoring.

• The Acquisitive Crime Impact Evaluation (2025) found that acquisitive crime offenders serving custodial sentences of 12 months or more who were subject to GPS trail monitoring on release were around 20% less likely to reoffend than comparable offenders who were not monitored.

• The Radio Frequency Curfew Impact Evaluation (2025) found that offenders subject to an electronically monitored curfew requirement as part of a community sentence were around 20% less likely to reoffend and were more likely to comply with other requirements of their order.

• Evidence of alcohol monitoring tags for community orders shows very high compliance, with no alcohol consumption or tampering recorded on 97% of monitored days.

• The Domestic Abuse Perpetrators on Licence Process Evaluation (2025) found that probation practitioners and victim-support staff were generally positive about the use of electronic monitoring as a tool to manage domestic abuse risk, and to provide reassurance to victims. Further evaluation of the scheme is ongoing, with interim findings published earlier this year and a full impact evaluation due in 2027.

The Government will continue to build on this evidence base as it expands the use of electronic monitoring and implements reforms recommended by the Independent Sentencing Review. Under the new post-custody progression model, there will be a presumption that individuals leaving custody will be electronically monitored for the period they would otherwise have spent in custody under the previous arrangements. This will enable probation to monitor significantly more offenders in the community while supporting effective risk management.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to support the rehabilitation of offenders with drug or alcohol dependencies.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Sustained engagement in treatment and recovery is essential to tackling the underlying causes of offending. We work closely with health partners to refer offenders into treatment as early as possible and support ongoing engagement.

We are committed to diverting offenders with drug or alcohol needs away from custody and into community-based support where appropriate. This includes strengthening the use of Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) and Alcohol Treatment Requirements (ATRs) as part of community sentences which aim to tackle the causes of offending behaviour through structured treatment. Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators have been recruited across all probation regions in England and Wales to strengthen links between treatment providers and probation. We are also expanding the Intensive Supervision Courts from four to eleven. This problem-solving approach offers wrap around support, treatment and judicial oversight, enabling offenders to remain in the community while tackling the root causes of their offending, such as drug or alcohol misuse.

For those where a prison sentence is appropriate, we need to make prison a place that reforms offenders and provides opportunities for recovery. We have funded Incentivised Substance Free Living Units in 88 prisons where prisoners agree to be regularly drug tested and can access enhanced opportunities and have funded Drug Strategy Leads to ensure local drug strategies are effectively implemented. We are also increasing access to mutual aid groups across the estate, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

We recognise that the first few weeks after leaving prison are a high-risk for relapse, overdose and reoffending. To support prison leavers to continue their recovery journey in the community, we are strengthening links between prisons, probation, and treatment providers, improving information sharing between treatment providers and probation and enabling virtual pre-release appointments with community treatment via secure laptops.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are being taken to improve intelligence sharing between the armed forces and other security agencies.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Strategic Defence Review reaffirmed the importance of greater integration across Defence, the intelligence agencies and wider Government to deliver a coherent and integrated national security response to increasingly complex threats. The Military Intelligence Services (MIS) is a single intelligence enterprise across the Ministry of Defence, bringing together our entire intelligence capabilities and organisations to operate as a more integrated and effective force.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been made of the level of threat from hostile state actors to the UK.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Government, including the Ministry of Defence, keeps the threat posed by hostile state actors under constant review through the intelligence and security agencies, military intelligence services and other national security partners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the UK’s cyber defence capabilities.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Defence prioritises cyber security and regularly reviews its resilience through the GovAssure scheme. This process relies on the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) to assess risk and drive improvements in cyber security and resilience. We are committed to the delivery of our objectives under the publicly available Cyber Resilience Strategy for Defence.

This is reported to the Cabinet Office on an annual basis. Details of specific assessments are not shared publicly for security reasons.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of UK service personnel deployed overseas.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We take the security of all our personnel deployed overseas seriously and robust measures are in place to protect our Armed Forces personnel. Their safety is our top priority. Although for operational security reasons the Department do not comment on specifics for this activity, the Ministry of Defence keeps the force protection measures of our Service personnel under constant review.

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 adequacy of access to social care services for the elderly.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales

In England, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to meet the eligible needs of the people in their area including the elderly.

Local authorities in England are also tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes commissioning a diverse range of care and support services that enable people to access quality care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are delivering adult social care, specifically how local authorities are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. All reports and ratings are published on the CQC’s website.

The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available in England for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding he has allocated for homelessness prevention programmes in the current financial year.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

To support local authorities, we have introduced significant reforms to how we deliver funding to local authorities, to provide multi-year certainty and greater flexibility for them to be able to tailor services to meet local needs.

The government is providing £3.6 billion funding for homelessness services from 2026/27 to 2028/29, including just over £2.2 billion for local authorities to prevent and address homelessness and rough sleeping through the Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant. £969m of Temporary accommodation funding, previously part of the Homelessness Prevention Grant is distributed using the new Fair Funding Assessment which, with a new built-in formula now also reflects proportional need for temporary accommodation across the country. You can find out more about how allocations were made here.

In addition to the ringfenced Homelessness and Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant, local authorities are able to draw from their wider funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement to support deliver homelessness and rough sleeping outcomes.

You can find local authority level allocations on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities to tackle homelessness.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Homelessness is a devolved issue, and the government set out our plans to tackle homelessness in England through the National Plan to End Homelessness in December 2025, which you can find on gov.uk here.

Our Plan sets out a credible plan to get back on track to ending homelessness, including medium-term change to support local authorities and public services to shift from crisis to prevention through cross government targets, £3.6 billion funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next 3 years and new duties on services to work together to prevent homelessness.

In the short-term, we are taking action to tackle the worst forms of temporary accommodation and supporting local authorities to develop better alternatives by ending the unlawful use of B&Bs for families and continuing to work with local authorities with the highest use of B&B accommodation over the next through years through an expanded Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme backed by £30 million funding.

We will also halve long-term rough sleeping by the end of this parliament, including through £159 million new funding for supported housing, £37 million for voluntary, community and faith organisations, and £15 million for councils to test new approaches.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the number of rough sleepers.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The government publishes quarterly and annual data on the estimated number of people sleeping rough in England on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to temporary accommodation for vulnerable households.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Homelessness Code of Guidance sets out the statutory duties of local housing authorities in England to help prevent and relieve homelessness. Where homelessness cannot be prevented, local authorities have a duty to provide temporary accommodation to households that are eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need. You can access the Code of Guidance on gov.uk here.

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 adequacy of the provision of youth services in local communities.

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

As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient educational and recreational activities for young people.

On the 10th December, the Government published ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ alongside a State of the Nation report. It is backed by over £500 million of funding over the next few years from DCMS for things to do outside of school, support when and where young people need it, more safe spaces and access to trusted adults. This includes investing in selected local areas to develop high-quality youth offers and local leadership through our Local Youth Transformation Programme. Learnings will be shared across the youth and local government sectors to establish national best practices.

We have also worked to ensure that metrics covering youth services are included within the Local Outcomes Framework under the priority outcome very Child Achieving and Thriving’ to increase consistency and quality of youth service delivery across local areas.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps he has taken to protect critical national infrastructure from cyber threats.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The Government is working tirelessly to improve the cyber resilience of our most critical services and systems, including the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill, currently going through Parliament, will strengthen the UK’s cyber defences to tackle the evolving cyber threats we face. The Bill will protect more essential and digital services from cyber attacks, enable cyber regulators to be more effective, and provide the Government with the flexibility to respond to new threats in the cyber landscape.

In addition, the new Cyber Resilience Index, currently under development, will allow us to monitor progress of interventions against cyber resilience across the CNI landscape, ensuring that they keep pace with the evolving threat.

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 is taking to reduce waiting times for social housing, including changes to the stock of social and affordable housing; and what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on this matter.

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

Local authorities are responsible for designing and managing their own housing allocations policies to meet local need, including managing their own housing registers (waiting lists).

The government has launched a review into how effectively social housing providers use their properties, including exploring ways to reduce the time homes are left empty, encourage greater movement within the sector to address under-occupancy and overcrowding, and support people to move into more suitable properties.

Housing is a devolved matter but my Department regularly engages with the devolved administrations across a range of issues, including housing.

I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 2 July 2025 (HCWS771) and 28 January 2026 (HCWS1283), and the Social and Affordable Homes Programme policy statement published on 7 November 2025, which can be found on gov.uk here.

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 is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support timely investment in wastewater infrastructure for new housing developments; and what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on this matter.

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

The government recognises the importance of wastewater provision on new developments. Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new sewage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans.

The water resources planning guideline published by the Environment Agency and Ofwat, sets out how those companies should forecast demand for water based on existing customers and planned levels of household and non-household growth, with the number of planned developments being based on published local plans.

My officials work closely with other government departments, especially Defra, on matters relating to wastewater capacity and infrastructure. I would also note that responsibility for water and wastewater capacity is devolved, and that devolved institutions are best placed to determine the appropriate approach in their respective nations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of defence training exercises with allied nations.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK Armed Forces constantly reviews the effectiveness of its military exercises according to key metrics to ensure the activity is having the desired impact and improving force readiness, capability, interoperability with allies or deterrence messaging.

The UK continues to enhance the effectiveness of its training exercises with NATO and other allies across all domains, including air, land and maritime. Such examples include the ongoing Op FIRECREST Carrier Strike Group deployment in the High North, Exercise SEA BREEZE, a maritime countermeasures exercise with NATO allies, and the upcoming multinational air exercise COBRA WARRIOR Pt 2.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to increase the level of funding to local authorities to deliver statutory services.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authority funding is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland.

The government recognises the significant pressures that councils are facing and is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities. We are delivering fairer funding, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade.

The 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26, this includes over £4 billion new grant funding.

We are empowering local leaders and giving them flexibility to prioritise spending according to local need.

In England, the new Local Outcomes Framework will be used to understand progress across 16 priority outcomes in local areas. This will improve transparency and enable the public, government, local government and local partners to have a shared view of progress.

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 is taking to ensure accountability and transparency in local government spending.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authority funding is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland.

The government recognises the significant pressures that councils are facing and is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities. We are delivering fairer funding, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade.

The 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26, this includes over £4 billion new grant funding.

We are empowering local leaders and giving them flexibility to prioritise spending according to local need.

In England, the new Local Outcomes Framework will be used to understand progress across 16 priority outcomes in local areas. This will improve transparency and enable the public, government, local government and local partners to have a shared view of progress.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of affordable housing.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 28 January 2026 (HCWS1283) and 2 July 2025 (HCWS771).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of brownfield site utilisation in new housing construction.

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

My Department publishes a release entitled ‘Land use change’ on previously developed (brownfield) land. Yearly data is available from 2013-14 to 2021-22 and can be found here.

My Department is working to update the land use statistics, which includes the new residential addresses release, to take advantage of new, more granular data from Ordnance Survey. Publication is expected to resume this year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of planning restrictions on the level of housing supply.

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

My Department has made no assessment of the potential impact of undefined planning restrictions on housing supply.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to increase the supply of social housing.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 28 January 2026 (HCWS1283) and 2 July 2025 (HCWS771).

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 is taking to ensure that new developments include adequate infrastructure and community services.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published in December 2024 makes clear that local planning authorities should plan positively for the provision and use of shared spaces, community facilities, transport and other infrastructure to enhance the sustainability of communities and residential environments, taking into account local strategies to improve health, social and cultural wellbeing for all sections of the community.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to community facilities and public service infrastructure.

We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to improve safeguarding for victims of modern slavery.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people. Safeguarding victims of modern slavery, and human trafficking is a priority, and this Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover.

Child victims are supported through statutory local authority support, and the Government-funded Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) service, which provides advocacy and specialist support to children referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and the professionals supporting them. In September 2025, the invitation-to-tender for the national contract was launched, which will expand the current service coverage from two-thirds of local authorities to all child victims referred into the NRM in England and Wales.

Adult victims of modern slavery identified through the NRM in England and Wales can access the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). The MSVCC provides safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help victims access a range of services, including healthcare and legal advice. The Government will enhance support available to victims through the forthcoming Support for Victims of Modern Slavery contract, which will replace the MSVCC in 2027.

The Government has also taken steps to strengthen safeguarding and support for victims. We have launched an updated NRM referral form to improve the quality of referrals, better reflect victims’ experiences and support more informed and consistent decision-making.

To add, we understand that embedding the voices of people with lived experience in policymaking is imperative to achieving better outcomes. We are strengthening our engagement with existing sector-led Lived Experience Advisory Panels (LEAPs). These panels, coordinated by trusted experts, offer a safe and inclusive environment and provide access to a broad range of survivor perspectives. In March 2026, we held eight survivor engagement workshops to better understand lived experience on the themes of definitions, identification, and decision-making. The evidence we have received is informing the on-going policy development to improve the process of identifying victims of modern slavery, human trafficking, and exploitation.

Amnesty International UK report on the anti-rights movement in the UK

Bell ringing in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Death of Jim Hampton

Techbuyer, Harrogate, receives King's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development

Torbay RNLI 160th anniversary

Russian sanctions

Keele Business School, Higher Education Provider of the Year at the Midlands Education Awards 2026

20th anniversary of Shine Harrogate

Retirement of Godfrey Asare and Margaret Labulo from the Members' Tea Room

Military housing

Local Housing Allowance rates

St Mary’s Primary School’s Speech Fest 2026

Local government reorganisation in Newcastle-under-Lyme

2026 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year

The King's Award for Enterprise in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Abuse Doesn't Fly campaign

Yoker Athletic Football Club's 140th anniversary

Newcastle-under-Lyme and the 70th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award

WOW travel tracker and Ysgol Llanfawr

Madeley Carnival 2026

Merchant Navy Day

Legacy League 2026 fundraising for Newbury Cancer Care

Work of the Dove Service in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Proposed Scottish Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame

Retford Town Hall

Closure of High Borrans Outdoor Education Centre

10 years since the start of Edinburgh’s 20mph scheme

Hedgehog Rescue

Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club, 175th anniversary

Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Alex Thaddeus Hairdressing, Cupar

100th anniversary of the Campaign to Protect Rural England

Norman MacLeod

Falkirk Spring Clean 2026

55th anniversary of 2nd Banbridge Beaver Scout Colony

Sony's market practices

Bank closures, digital exclusion and cyber risks

Childhood dementia awareness and support

Etone College Secondary School of the Year award

Royal Mail delivery standards

Glaucoma Awareness Week 2026

The Bookmonger, Bearsden Cross

Emmeline Pankhurst Day

Changing Places Awareness Day 2026

Bracknell community mural

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Generation Z and the State Pension

UK Town of Culture 2028 shortlist

Landau Centre, Newstead

East Neuk Festival co-founder

30 years of the Spice Girls

The Boar's Head in Auchtermuchty

Cancer and access to travel insurance

Masala City, Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year

Nelson Mandela Day

30th anniversary of the State Visit of President Nelson Mandela of the Republic of South Africa to the United Kingdom

Spotlight Dance Academy, Minehead

Passion4Fusion

Eisteddfod y Garreg Las 2026

60th anniversary of the Llynpenmaen (Penmaenpool) pleasure boat sinking

Drylaw Telford Community Association

Orkney creel fishery, Community Catch Standard accreditation

Walford Mill Crafts’ 40th anniversary

Charlotte Payne selection for the 2026 Commonwealth Games

Glasgow Warriors' pre-season fixture at Old Anniesland

Dementia Heroes' contribution to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Newcastle and Stafford College Group Awards 2026

Nina Barough CBE awarded Freedom of the City of London

Appointment of 11 Honorary Aldermen by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

The Odyssey's filming in Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey constituency

Support for post offices

Healthwatch Swindon at Gorse Hill Baptist Church

Celebration of English traditions

Emergency and volunteer search and rescue services across Wales

John MacDonald’s fundraising walk for Men Matter Scotland

50th Annual Scottish Transport Extravaganza

Security for at-risk MPs

National Day of Memory for Victims of Honour-Based Abuse

School meals at Compton and Up-Marden Primary School

Hampshire Day 2026

Richard Pengelly

Hockey pitch provision

Shahid Choudhary

Memorial plaque for Ann Widdecombe