Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is able to take to encourage Ofcom to sanction Royal Mail if it fails to fulfil its Universal Service Obligation.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.

In October last year, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its quality of service targets and has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and implement a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement. This is the third consecutive fine issued by the regulator after Royal Mail failed to meet service levels in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to support the prosecution of (a) individuals who post comments online about defendants prior to trial which could prejudice legal proceedings, and (b) the tech platforms on which those comments are published.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Contempt of Court Act 1981 is clear that publishing information that creates a substantial risk of serious prejudice or impediment to any active proceedings can be contempt of court. These rules and restrictions are in place to ensure that trials are fair and justice is delivered.

The Government recognises that social media is putting these long-established rules under strain especially in cases where partial or inaccurate information appears online. This is why we asked the Law Commission to expedite part of their review on contempt of court. In November 2025, the Law Commission published part 1 of their report setting out recommendations for a new framework of contempt liability. The Government is considering their recommendations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what advice and support his Department is providing to people in Shropshire who claim they have contracted, or might develop, serious illnesses as a result of using Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products.

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

Individuals in Shropshire who believe they may have been affected by use of talcum products should seek medical advice from their general practitioner. They may also wish to consider contacting specialist organisations for support and information on legal action.

The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe. Additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.

The MHRA is aware of general concerns in relation to the presence of asbestos in commercial talcum powder. However, pharmaceutical grade talcum powder has strict controls on the presence of asbestos. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for Purified Talc states that “Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not suitable for pharmaceutical use”. Furthermore, testing is required to confirm the absence of asbestos.

Oversight of commercial talc powder, including advice and support, falls within the remit of the Department for Business and Trade and specifically the Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). The OPSS is the regulator of product safety and seeks to ensure that manufacturers, importers, and all those in the supply chain take steps to ensure that consumer products are safe, and they take any reports of negative health outcomes related to products incredibly seriously. Any serious undesirable effects related to cosmetic products should be directly reported to OPSS, to ensure that they can take the correct action. If a consumer wishes to report a serious undesirable effect, OPSS recommend contacting Trading Standards who can support with the process.