Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 92953 on State Retirement Pensions: Women, if he will make an estimate of the number of women born in the 1950s who have died since the publication of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's findings (HC 638) on 21 March 2024.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and National Records Scotland (NRS) publish annual data on deaths by sex and age group on their websites.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 92498 on Terrorism: Northern Ireland, what the evidential basis is that removing immunity from prosecution of perpetrators of crimes during the Troubles will increase the likelihood of them giving testimony on unsolved murders of which they have knowledge; and what assessment he has made of the compatibility of (a) information disclosed by individuals to the ICIR being inadmissible in criminal and civil proceedings with (b) the work of the ICIR not impinging on criminal investigations.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government has not removed the prospect of immunity from prosecution for any individual. The provisions in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 were found to be incompatible with our human rights obligations and never commenced. I refer the Honourable gentleman to my answer of 24 November 2025 pursuant to Question 92498.

Regarding the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval, clause 72(5)(c) of the Troubles Bill is clear that it must not do anything which would risk having, or would have, a prejudicial effect on any actual or prospective legal proceedings in any part of the United Kingdom or Ireland.

This is supported by clause 75, which ensures that the ICIR cannot accept a request in relation to a case where an investigation is required for the purposes of ECHR compatibility, or where the Legacy Commission is conducting a criminal investigation. If the ICIR accepts a request, but that case is subsequently subject to a criminal investigation by the Legacy Commission, the ICIR must cease exercising its functions in relation to that case.

This approach to ‘sequencing’ between the Legacy Commission and the ICIR will ensure that the discharge of our ECHR obligations and the conduct of criminal investigations will not be prejudiced by the information retrieval process available through the ICIR.

In any case, the inadmissibility provisions attached to the ICIR relate only to information provided to it. It does not confer immunity on any individual. That means that, while information provided to the ICIR cannot be used in criminal and civil proceedings, individuals to which that information relates can still be subject to legal proceedings should evidence be obtained via other means.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 91895 on Undocumented Migrants: Nationality and Proof of Identity, and with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum of 17 November, Official Report column 468, for what reason that information is not available in an easily accessible format; if he will make it his policy to collect that information in an easily accessible format, particularly with reference to illegal arrivals on small boats; and whether he still plans to write to the Rt hon. Member for New Forest East with the specific percentages.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

During an oral contribution in Parliament on 17 November I committed to follow up in writing in reference to a question posed by the Rt Hon Member and plan to do this as soon as possible.

Sinking of SS Tilawa

Life and legacy of Saskia Jones

Thanking postal workers

Royal Naval Association Torbay

Buying community energy locally