Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) identify and (b) detain Islamic extremists.

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

This Government takes extremism seriously. We are committed to ensuring we have the required tools and powers to counter the activities of extremists. This includes challenging extremist narratives by taking a more muscular approach to identifying and watchlisting extremists, and ensuring dangerous overseas hate preachers and extremists are unable to enter the UK to spread their divisive rhetoric.

Islamist extremism continues to be one of the biggest threats we face and is at the heart of our approach to countering extremism and terrorism. We focus on the individuals, groups and environments, online and offline, which foster and enable hatred, and those who reject the fundamental values of our society and whose purpose is to divide and to terrify communities. These extremists must be challenged, and where their activities fall foul of our laws on hate speech, on public order, or on terrorism they will rightly be investigated and prosecuted.

The UK has one of the most robust counter-terrorism frameworks in the world which is deliberately widely drawn to capture the ever-diversifying nature of the terrorist threat that we face. This includes a wide range of terrorist offences and specialised powers for the police and Security Service to investigate and disrupt terrorist activity, support prosecution, and manage terrorist offenders, where activity meets appropriate thresholds. It is a matter for the operationally independent Police, Crown Prosecution Service and courts to decide if a crime has been committed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made about the readiness of the NHS to tackle co-ordinated cyber attacks.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the past year, we have invested £37.6 million across health and social care, building on the £338 million invested since 2017. Through our ambitious Cyber Improvement Programme, we are tackling the changing cyber risk head-on, expanding protection and services to better protect the health and care system.

NHS England’s Cyber Operations team provides 24/7 monitoring and expert support to National Health Service organisations who have been impacted by cyber-attacks. This includes specialist, on the ground, certified incident response services free of charge to NHS organisations who have been severely impacted by cyber incidents as well as technical and operational support to contain, investigate, and remediate incidents. Furthermore, we have developed guidance for leaders involved in cyber incidents to ensure there is a clear policy and process for how to respond across all elements of incidents.

We have a process in place to identify lessons and implement improvements following cyber incidents. Following the Synnovis cyber-attack in 2024, the Department and NHS England have made improvements to critical communications processes, added additional measures to improve resilience in the supply chain, and have set out clearer roles and responsibilities in incident management.

In 2023, a Health and Care Cyber Security Strategy was launched. Pillar 5 of the strategy focuses on exemplary response and recovery, as set out in the strategy health and care organisations should run annual cyber exercises to ensure there is a well-practiced and rapid response when incidents do occur.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much their Department has spent on (a) advertising and (b) marketing in each of the last three years.

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

The table below details Defra’s advertising and marketing costs for the 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25 financial years. Defra publishes details on spend on a monthly basis on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements.

The current Government came into power within the 2024/25 financial year and completed a review of all 131 public campaigns with spend of over £100k.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with UK fishers on (a) challenges and (b) support required.

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

Defra Ministers meet with representatives of the fishing industry regularly to discuss a wide variety of issues including to understand their perspectives on challenges and support they need.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made about the potential impact of high veterinary bills in the context of the cost of living pressures.

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

Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.

Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent conversations her Department has had with the Competition and Market Authority regarding veterinary bill costs.

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

Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.

Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to increase transparency of the prices of veterinary bills.

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

Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.

Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made about the potential impact of high veterinary bills on animal health.

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

Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.

Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made on the affordability of veterinary bills.

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

Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.

Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department are taking to help support people with veterinary bills.

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

Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.

Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the (a) economic state and (b) financial viability of independent veterinary businesses.

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

Defra has not done its own assessment of the economic state and financial viability of veterinary businesses., however, it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. As part of their market investigation, the CMA carried out an economic assessment of the sector. The CMA released its provisional decision report on 15 October for the veterinary profession to respond. The CMA will review all responses before releasing its final report. Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report, and the items within it, when it is published in the Spring. Some of the CMA’s provisional recommendation will require reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, on which Defra is currently consulting, and further assessments will be carried out as required.

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 parents and families who lose a child to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood.

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

We recognise the devastating impact of sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) on affected families and communities. It is important that grieving families and friends who have lost loved ones have access to the support they need, when they need it.

Bereavement support, including for parents and families affected by SUDC, is commissioned locally, in accordance with the needs of the local population. Information on SUDC is available on the National Health Service website, which also signposts to the charity SUDC.UK. This is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids

The Department funds research into SUDC through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Recent NIHR‑funded research includes studies focused on the promotion of safer sleeping practices for families at increased risk, the identification and management of genetic and cardiac risk factors, and the improvement of support for bereaved families.

The NIHR actively encourages and funds high-quality research into SUDC, ensuring flexibility in both the funding and research type to meet the needs of patients and families.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase research into Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood.

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

We recognise the devastating impact of sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) on affected families and communities. It is important that grieving families and friends who have lost loved ones have access to the support they need, when they need it.

Bereavement support, including for parents and families affected by SUDC, is commissioned locally, in accordance with the needs of the local population. Information on SUDC is available on the National Health Service website, which also signposts to the charity SUDC.UK. This is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids

The Department funds research into SUDC through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Recent NIHR‑funded research includes studies focused on the promotion of safer sleeping practices for families at increased risk, the identification and management of genetic and cardiac risk factors, and the improvement of support for bereaved families.

The NIHR actively encourages and funds high-quality research into SUDC, ensuring flexibility in both the funding and research type to meet the needs of patients and families.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to support research into Functional Neurological Disorder.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department delivers research into functional neurological disorder (FND) via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

This includes £350,000 of NIHR funding for research which seeks to co-develop behaviour change interventions to support people with FND to rehabilitate within the community, with the help of occupational therapists, enhancing their abilities to self-manage symptoms within daily routines.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including FND. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) diagnosis time and (b) medical care for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

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

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is now commonly referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), although the terms are still often used interchangeably.

While the Department has not had any recent discussions with medical professionals about care for people with MASLD, NHS England has recently commenced a programme for the transformation of liver services. This programme is being led by the NHS England Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group (HPB CRG). HPB CRG is working with partners to co-produce resources to raise public knowledge and awareness of all forms of liver disease. In time, this may include incorporating liver health checks into the NHS Making Every Contact Count and NHS Health Checks initiatives.

The HPB CRG is also aiming to improve early diagnosis and intervention through developing evidence-based best-practice pathways for both primary care and referral to secondary care services. The HPB CRG is looking at access and equity of access to diagnostic tests across England and exploring the applicability of automated Fib4 tests and Intelligent Liver Function Testing, potentially utilising community diagnostic centres.

The British Society for Gastroenterology is currently updating its pathways and guidance for MASLD for both primary and secondary care, diagnostics, and treatment, which we anticipate will be published soon. There are also a number of ongoing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assessments looking at new treatments for MASLD, including Resmetirom and Semaglutide. Outputs and recommendations are expected to be published in mid-2026.

Clinical teams also have access to NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Advice and Guidance toolkit and templates for gastroenterology, which feature advice on managing abnormal liver function tests and MASLD. These templates enable general practitioners to seek timely advice from secondary care specialists, helping to reduce unnecessary delays.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with medical professionals about care for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

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

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is now commonly referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), although the terms are still often used interchangeably.

While the Department has not had any recent discussions with medical professionals about care for people with MASLD, NHS England has recently commenced a programme for the transformation of liver services. This programme is being led by the NHS England Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group (HPB CRG). HPB CRG is working with partners to co-produce resources to raise public knowledge and awareness of all forms of liver disease. In time, this may include incorporating liver health checks into the NHS Making Every Contact Count and NHS Health Checks initiatives.

The HPB CRG is also aiming to improve early diagnosis and intervention through developing evidence-based best-practice pathways for both primary care and referral to secondary care services. The HPB CRG is looking at access and equity of access to diagnostic tests across England and exploring the applicability of automated Fib4 tests and Intelligent Liver Function Testing, potentially utilising community diagnostic centres.

The British Society for Gastroenterology is currently updating its pathways and guidance for MASLD for both primary and secondary care, diagnostics, and treatment, which we anticipate will be published soon. There are also a number of ongoing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assessments looking at new treatments for MASLD, including Resmetirom and Semaglutide. Outputs and recommendations are expected to be published in mid-2026.

Clinical teams also have access to NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Advice and Guidance toolkit and templates for gastroenterology, which feature advice on managing abnormal liver function tests and MASLD. These templates enable general practitioners to seek timely advice from secondary care specialists, helping to reduce unnecessary delays.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made about the effectiveness of the Early years foundation stage statutory framework in offering sufficient guidance on safe sleep for babies.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which all early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance

The Early Years qualification requirements and standards document sets out the minimum qualification requirements that staff must meet to work within early years settings. Both the Level 2 and Level 3 qualification criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision. This document is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.

In September 2024, the department worked in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance, which is available on the Foundation Years platform. This covers unsuitable sleeping products, suitable sleeping surfaces and the safe use of blankets. This guidance can be found at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2024/09/safer-sleeping-practices-for-early-years-educators/.

To make the existing requirements clearer for all, we plan to add further detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safer sleep experts, including The Lullaby Trust, on proposed new wording and plan to introduce these changes as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her department is taking to ensure all nursery staff receive sufficient training regarding safe sleep for babies.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which all early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance

The Early Years qualification requirements and standards document sets out the minimum qualification requirements that staff must meet to work within early years settings. Both the Level 2 and Level 3 qualification criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision. This document is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.

In September 2024, the department worked in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance, which is available on the Foundation Years platform. This covers unsuitable sleeping products, suitable sleeping surfaces and the safe use of blankets. This guidance can be found at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2024/09/safer-sleeping-practices-for-early-years-educators/.

To make the existing requirements clearer for all, we plan to add further detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safer sleep experts, including The Lullaby Trust, on proposed new wording and plan to introduce these changes as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government has plans to increase levels of safe sleep regulations for babies in the Early years foundation stage statutory framework.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which all early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance

The Early Years qualification requirements and standards document sets out the minimum qualification requirements that staff must meet to work within early years settings. Both the Level 2 and Level 3 qualification criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision. This document is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.

In September 2024, the department worked in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance, which is available on the Foundation Years platform. This covers unsuitable sleeping products, suitable sleeping surfaces and the safe use of blankets. This guidance can be found at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2024/09/safer-sleeping-practices-for-early-years-educators/.

To make the existing requirements clearer for all, we plan to add further detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safer sleep experts, including The Lullaby Trust, on proposed new wording and plan to introduce these changes as soon as possible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people living in Home Office supported asylum accommodation have been accused of a crime.

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

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of people in asylum accommodation who have been accused of a crime. Allegations of criminal activity are matters for the police, who are responsible for recording, investigating, and progressing criminal reports.

Home Office accommodation providers and operational staff work closely with local police forces to share relevant safeguarding information and to manage risks within the asylum accommodation estate. Where incidents occur, established processes ensure that appropriate action is taken to protect both asylum seekers and staff, and additional support is deployed where necessary.