Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support biodiversity in rural communities.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to restoring and protecting nature in rural communities through delivering our legally binding biodiversity targets on species abundance, species extinction and habitat creation and restoration. The Land Use Framework (LUF) shows we have enough land to deliver all our targets and outcomes but need to be more strategic in its use.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are being prepared across the whole of England to enable local areas to set priorities for biodiversity and environmental improvement and to propose where action is most needed.
Each strategy is being led by a local authority and co-developed with input from local communities, landowners, and stakeholders, ensuring that it reflects the unique environmental and social context of the local area, including rural areas.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to promote ethical business practices.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK has a range of measures in place to promote ethical business practices. In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review of the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on addressing human rights abuses, labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains. The review is objective and evidence‑based, examining both existing policies and potential alternative approaches. We will update the House when the review is complete.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to prevent pensioner poverty.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to supporting pensioners, ensuring they have financial security and dignity in retirement. From 6 April, both the basic and new State Pensions will increase by 4.8%, benefitting over 12 million pensioners by up to £575. Our commitment to maintain the Triple Lock throughout this Parliament – helping to raise the value of the State Pension over time – will see pensioners’ yearly incomes rising by up to £2,100.
Pension Credit continues to provide a vital financial safety net by guaranteeing a minimum level of income – called the Standard Minimum Guarantee – which will also increase by 4.8% from 6 April, protecting pensioners on the lowest incomes.
Crucially, receipt of Pension Credit also opens the door to a whole range of additional support, which is why maximising Pension Credit take-up is a key departmental priority. We have been running the biggest campaign to date encouraging pensioners and their families to check their eligibility and to apply.
Housing Benefit continues to support pensioners who rent, and pensioner homeowners on income-related benefits, including Pension Credit, may receive Support for Mortgage Interest to help with interest on eligible secured loans. And around nine million pensioners in England and Wales will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment from Winter 2025/26.
From April, the new Crisis and Resilience Fund will provide a long-term mechanism for local authorities to support vulnerable households at risk of hardship. The Fund will provide a safety net for people on low incomes who face financial crisis, including unforeseen increases in essential costs, and need immediate support.
We have also revived the Pensions Commission, which will make recommendations to government on a future pensions framework that is strong, fair and sustainable - one that delivers financial security in retirement and supports those approaching retirement. The Pensions Commission is expected to publish an interim report this Spring.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for family court cases.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This Government is committed to improving the performance of the Family Courts, and the Family Justice Board has agreed system-wide priorities and targets for reducing delay across England and Wales. The latest published data shows a reduction in the national average case duration for both public and private law cases.
In London, which has particular challenges around Family Court delays, a dedicated Family Justice Strategy has been implemented, bringing together key partners and the judiciary. This work has included targeted investment over 2025/26 to tackle the outstanding private law caseload by providing additional court capacity and a focus on ensuring that courts follow the Public Law Outline, with clear arrangements for overseeing performance. These measures have already delivered a reduction in delays.
Child Focused Courts for private law now operate in 10 of 43 family court areas and seek to enhance the experience of children and families. They have additionally demonstrated significant impact on timeliness. Cases are concluding between 11-30 weeks quicker on average under the model and outstanding caseloads have been reduced by up to 50%. The Government announced on 17 March its intention to roll this model out nationally by the end of this Parliament.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help prevent radicalisation in communities.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government is committed to ensuring all communities are safe from radicalisation. Prevent is about stopping people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism and tackles the ideological causes of terrorism, as well as providing early intervention for people at risk of radicalisation.
Prevent deals with all forms of terrorist ideologies, and works closely with communities and organisations to support them in safeguarding people at risk of being radicalised, as well as to disrupt groups that radicalise others, both online and in communities. As announced in the Protecting What Matters publication on the 9th March 2026, our Disruptions team, which horizon scans for extremist influence and events, will be expanded with additional resource to disrupt extremist networks at a national and local level.
The Prevent programme also provides training for educators, healthcare professionals and other frontline staff to help them identify and protect those susceptible to radicalisation. A Prevent referral allows of a multi-agency safeguarding assessment to be conducted, and for a tailored package of support to be offered. This helps to support individuals to move away from radicalisation.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to help protect UK (a) businesses and (b) investors from fraud where people found liable by UK courts are resident in jurisdictions like Dubai that do not consistently enforce UK judgments.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office published its new Fraud Strategy on 9 March. This enhanced plan focuses on disrupting fraud before it reaches a target, safeguarding individuals and businesses by building resilience and responding with victim support and justice. Backed by £250million of investment, the Government has made it clear it will work with partners at home and abroad to clamp down on the fraud epidemic.
The strategy sets out how we will safeguard UK citizens and businesses. Working with the Federation of Small Businesses, the City of London Police, NCSC and the NCA, the Government has developed and published a checklist for businesses to protect themselves against fraud, which can be found on the Stop! Think Fraud website. This is in addition to personal and consumer advice for individuals, also provided on the website.
International collaboration is also a critical part of our response, and we are committed to strengthening the global response on fraud. The UK sponsored a UNODC-INTERPOL Global Fraud Summit which took place on 16-17 March. This Summit brought together over 1,400 delegates, including 115 countries, 400 senior business leaders and 40 ministers. The Summit strengthened global standards on fraud and agreed a framework between governments and industry to facilitate greater international action to protect UK citizens and businesses.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is given to local authorities on supporting carers’ mental health.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, local authorities are required by the Care Act 2014 to undertake carers assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support at their request. As stipulated in the Care and Support Statutory Guidance, a carer’s mental health must be considered when considering whether a carer has eligible needs.
The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements. Part of this includes an increase to the National Health Service contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund. The Better Care Fund includes funding that can be used for carer support, including short breaks and respite services. Local areas determine how the money is best used to support carers, depending on local need and with reference to their statutory responsibilities, but this can certainly include support for carers’ mental health.
Adults, including carers, who need support with common mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies or be referred by their general practitioner. As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we are expanding Talking Therapies so that 915,000 people complete a course of treatment by March 2029.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on employment in the next five years.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises that AI is transforming workplaces, demanding new skills and augmenting existing roles. We have launched the AI and the Future of Work Unit - a cross‑government function dedicated to ensuring AI delivers positive outcomes for the economy, jobs, and workers. We are preparing for a range of possible futures to ensure this transformation boosts productivity and opportunities and the Government launched an assessment of AI impacts on the labour markets in January 2026.
To build a digitally skilled workforce to support long-term economic growth, drive innovation and expand individual opportunity we are supporting AI Skills Boost to upskill 10 million workers in AI skills by 2030. We have already delivered more than 1 million AI training courses have been delivered to workers across the UK.
Building on the Future of Work Unit, the Chancellor announced a new AI Economics Institute in her recent Mais Lecture. This joint HMT-DSIT institute will incorporate the FoW Unit, as part of a broader focus on the economics of AI, including labour market, productivity and other impacts.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to ensure that teachers receive training in safeguarding children.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The initial teacher training (ITT) Criteria set out requirements for ITT courses leading to qualified teacher status. Course design must encompass all aspects of the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework, including safeguarding duties; and accredited providers are required to ensure trainee teachers are aware of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KSCIE), guidance that schools and colleges must have regard to. KCSIE is clear that every school must have a designated safeguarding lead who takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. In line with KCSIE, all staff should undergo safeguarding and child protection training (including online safety) at induction. Additionally, all staff should receive regular safeguarding and child protection updates, including online safety (e.g., via email, e-bulletins, staff meetings) as required, and at least annually, to continue to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to support exchanges between British and Ukrainian scientists, engineers and innovators working on defence and security technologies.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DSIT does not lead defence or security cooperation with Ukraine, which is driven by other government departments under the 100 Year Partnership. DSIT is supporting Ukrainian and UK researchers and businesses through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) grants and Horizon Europe funding, which offer routes for scientific exchange.