Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands being ceded to Mauritius on (a) observance of and (b) the operation of AFCONE’s inspection regime for enforcing the Pelindaba Treaty; and whether her Department has raised these matters with counterparts in the United States.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 3 February to Question 109503 on the same issue.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will continue to fund the Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship in order to allow (a) the cohort already accepted for the scheme to continue and (b) substantive consultation with the sector to take place.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Over the past decade we’ve seen apprenticeship starts by those aged 16-24 fall by 40% and over half of all apprenticeship starts are now by learners aged 25 and over. At the same time, we have seen the apprenticeship offer increase to over 700 standards, many of which do not support critical skills shortages.

Even with record investment of £3.3bn in 2026-27, the Growth and Skills Levy budget is finite. With 100% of our budget spent last year we need to prioritise in order to deliver foundation apprenticeships and short courses alongside the core apprenticeship offer. We are therefore withdrawing funding from 16 apprenticeships from September 2026, including the Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist standard.

These changes will help to create the headroom to invest in our national skills priorities with more opportunities for more young people, and new apprenticeship units to provide a more flexible offer to businesses. We are continuing to fund the related Level 3 Outdoor Activity Instructor apprenticeship which provides an entry route into this profession.

All existing learners on the Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist standard will continue to be funded through to completion, and providers have been written to individually to confirm their transition arrangements. Employers who value this apprenticeship standard will also be able to use it on a privately funded basis.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies on the Chagos Islands of the joint naval exercises undertaken by South Africa with (a) China, (b) Russia and (c) other BRICS partners in South African waters in January 2026.

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

There are no implications for the Ministry of Defence's policy on the Chagos Islands of South Africa's joint naval exercises in its waters.

Countryside Alliance and the Countryside Clean Up

Theatre badge hats in high-risk clinical settings

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government in what year ministers were first made aware of the restricted 2014 report into nuclear fallout contamination and suppression of evidence thereof released under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on 27 February.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my gallant Friend the Minister for Veterans and People (Louise Sandher-Jones) in the House of Commons on 23 March 2026 to the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr Julian Lewis) in response to Question 120745 copied below.

I was first made aware of the unfinished draft document relating to historic nuclear testing at Christmas Island in December 2025. Following the release of the draft document by AWE, I wrote to interested MPs and LABRATS advising them of its release and explaining its contents on 2 March 2026.

Found: Sir Julian Lewis (Conservative MP for New Forest East) asked whether “if there is an increase in the