Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts about strengthening cooperation to prevent small boat crossings in the English Channel.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is working with European partners to strengthen collective efforts to deter illegal migration and prevent dangerous Channel crossings, most notably with France. The UK maintains regular engagement with the French Government at all levels on illegal migration and border security.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress her Department has made towards implementing the Debt Relief Scheme for eligible energy customers who accrued debt between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2024.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is working with Ofgem, which is considering a range of options to reduce energy debt. It is important that any intervention provides effective and fair support, is deliverable, and does not impose disproportionate costs on other consumers. The Government and Ofgem are therefore undertaking further work to develop the best approach to tackling both the stock of existing energy debt and the flow of new debt.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what procedures his Department has in place to support Universal Credit claimants experiencing immediate financial hardship while errors in their earnings calculations are being investigated.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Universal Credit claimants experiencing immediate financial hardship while an earnings issue is under investigation are encouraged to contact the Department. Staff will consider the claimant's individual circumstances and discuss support available. Where an error affecting entitlement is identified, the Department, working with HMRC/Employers where appropriate, will correct the earnings at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the context of the recommendations of the Independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation published in June 2026, what progress the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce has made towards developing a national action plan, including measures to address racial inequalities in maternal outcomes.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is currently considering a wide range of evidence and proposals to inform its development of the Maternity and Neonatal Action Plan, and in her response to the debate on Baby Loss Awareness Week on 12 October, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is chairing the taskforce, made clear that inequalities in maternal mortality related to ethnicity would be a key focus for its work, and that the action plan will be published before the end of the year.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of routinely publishing maternity outcomes by ethnicity at NHS trust level to support the identification of and action on racial inequalities in maternity care.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is currently considering a wide range of evidence and proposals to inform its development of the Maternity and Neonatal Action Plan, and in her response to the debate on Baby Loss Awareness Week on 12 October, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is chairing the taskforce, made clear that inequalities in maternal mortality related to ethnicity would be a key focus for its work, and that the action plan will be published before the end of the year.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress her Department has made towards setting a target to close the Black and Asian maternal mortality gap.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is currently considering a wide range of evidence and proposals to inform its development of the Maternity and Neonatal Action Plan, and in her response to the debate on Baby Loss Awareness Week on 12 October, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is chairing the taskforce, made clear that inequalities in maternal mortality related to ethnicity would be a key focus for its work, and that the action plan will be published before the end of the year.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of children in West Berkshire participating in the Nursery Milk Scheme in 2026/27.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As of September 2026, there were 123 registered childcare providers participating in the Nursery Milk Scheme within the West Berkshire local authority area. It is not possible to determine the number of children supported.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2026 to Question 27159, what steps her Department is taking to review existing project licenses authorising the use of dogs for regulatory toxicology as scientifically satisfactory non-animal methods become available; and what measurable reduction in the number of dogs used for regulatory toxicology she expects as a result of its strategy to phase out the use of animals in scientific research.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s first responsibility is to protect the public. Safety testing remains essential to ensure that medicines and other products do not create unacceptable risks. We will therefore not remove established requirements until robust alternatives are validated and accepted for their intended regulatory purpose.
This is consistent with our ambition to replace animals in science. Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, dogs may be used only where no scientifically satisfactory non-animal method is available. That requirement applies throughout a project licence, and authorised work must change where new evidence means animal use is no longer justified.
By 2030, the Government aims for validated alternatives to reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates by at least 35% in dedicated pharmacokinetic studies and 50% in dedicated cardiovascular safety studies. We will drive reductions as quickly as scientific progress allows, but will not set an arbitrary overall target that could put numerical reduction ahead of public safety.
We will not trade away public safety, but nor will we permit animal use where reliable alternatives can provide the necessary protection.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Department has made of the adequacy of existing safeguards to protect the financial sustainability, ownership suitability, fan engagement and heritage of football clubs outside the scope of the Independent Football Regulator, particularly those with overseas owners.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Too many football fans have had to fight to protect their club’s future, identity and heritage, so we established the Independent Football Regulator to better protect clubs, empower fans and keep clubs at the heart of their communities. The IFR’s recently published State of the Game report highlights the perilous state of football’s finances across the entire pyramid.
The IFR has a tightly defined scope focused on the top five tiers of English men’s football. We do not believe extending the scope beyond the top five tiers would be proportionate to the burden on clubs below the National League. As soon as a club moves up to the National League’s first tier, it would need to meet IFR requirements. The State of the Game report calls for action to be taken at National League level to ensure football governance matches up to the risk within the game.
The scope of the IFR will be kept under review and the Football Governance Act 2025 commits the Secretary of State to publish a report reviewing the operation and effect of the Act within five years of the regime being operational, which will include consideration of whether the appropriate competitions have been specified.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to raise concerns about the environmental impact of mining and glacier loss on the Tibetan Plateau; and what representations he has made on independent environmental monitoring in that region.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly engage China on climate and environmental issues, including through the UK-China Climate Dialogue. The Government is concerned about glacier loss, and tackling the climate and environmental crisis is a priority for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. We have supported research into climate and environmental risks including for the Tibetan Plateau. The UK also supports climate resilience in the wider Himalayan region, outside of China, through the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia programme, including the Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme.