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 public awareness of the health risks associated with inhaling nitrous oxide.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has worked with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Association to develop lesson plans on drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, which include specific references to the dangers of nitrous oxide. The lesson plans target primary and secondary students, teaching them how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. They are available at the following link:

https://pshe-association.org.uk/drugeducation

The Government also has a drug and information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce drug and alcohol misuse and its harms by providing awareness to young people, parents, and concerned others. Information on nitrous oxide and the danger of its misuse is available at the following link:

https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/nitrous-oxide

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the unlawful (a) sale and (b) supply of nitrous oxide.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023 came into force on 8 November 2023, classifying nitrous oxide as a Class C drug. It is illegal to produce, supply, import or export nitrous oxide where a person knows, or is reckless as to whether, it will be consumed for its psychoactive effects. The Home Office is responsible for drug policy and legislation.

Schedule 20 to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024 includes a provision prohibiting advertisements directly encouraging children to buy, or persuade their parents or other adults to buy, products for them. This prohibits retailers from advertising nitrous oxide to those under the age of 18 across any medium, including online.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered the potential merits of establishing a compensation scheme for women who have experienced harm associated with pelvic mesh implants.

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

The Government is carefully considering the work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out recommendations for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, including options for financial compensation.

The Government has deep sympathy for all those affected and recognises the profound impact that these harms have had on individuals and their families.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that he wants to make meaningful progress during this Parliament, although a decision to provide compensation has not yet been made. We recognise how difficult and disappointing this uncertainty is for those affected, and we will ensure that the public is kept informed as soon as any decision on redress is made.

I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes since I have been in post, and had a very fruitful discussion about the ongoing health initiatives led by the Department regarding sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. Details of the Government’s work to date are set out in recent letters to the Dr Hughes, which are published on her website.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of potential impacts of activities of Iranian state-affiliated media organisations, including Press TV, operating in the United Kingdom on the public; and whether she has considered aligning the UK’s approach with that of allies who have taken action against such entities.

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

We work closely with a range of partners to tackle malign state-backed influence and interference in our society. Where there is clear evidence that Iranian-linked or aligned organisations are undertaking unacceptable activity, the Government will respond accordingly.

We will continue to use all appropriate tools at our disposal to protect against these threats. This includes placing Iran on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) to bolster our oversight of Iran’s influence activities. The enhanced tier of the FIRS requires individuals and organisations to register arrangements with specified foreign powers or entities that may pose a risk to the UK's safety and interests. In addition to this, the UK has 550 sanctioned more than 550 Iranian individuals and organisations. This includes the IRGC in its entirety.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports that Press TV is being used to identify and assess individuals in the United Kingdom for potential recruitment by Iranian intelligence services; and what steps she is taking to protect UK residents, including members of the Jewish community and Iranian diaspora in the UK, from such activity.

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

The Government's first priority is our national security, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to protect the UK, and its people, from state threats. Where there is clear evidence that Iranian-linked or aligned organisations are undertaking unacceptable activity, the Government will respond accordingly.

The UK has a comprehensive set of measures to counter threats posed by the Iranian regime. The UK has sanctioned over 550 Iran-linked individuals and entities, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has been sanctioned in its entirety.  We have placed the entire Iranian State, including its intelligence agencies – the IRGC and MOIS – on the enhanced tier of  the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS). Any organisation in the UK that fails to declare a registrable arrangement with the Iranian state will be committing a criminal offence punishable by a substantial fine or up to five years in prison.

Furthermore, we engage directly with communities who may be at heightened risk, including members of the Jewish community and the Iranian diaspora. The National Protective Security Authority and Counter Terrorism Policing continue to provide protective security advice and support to individuals and organisations threatened by states.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Lord Walney’s March 2026 report entitled Undue Influence: The Iranian Regime’s Abuse of the UK Charity System, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Charity Commission's powers to respond to concerns relating to hostile foreign state influence, including the Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust and the Islamic Centre of England; and whether she plans to increase those powers.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Charity Commission is alive to the threat of hostile foreign state influence in charities and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. Any allegation or evidence of criminal offences, including terrorism, is referred to the police to investigate.

As part of the Government’s action plan for social cohesion we have announced that the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities will be extended. This includes automatically disqualifying individuals with a criminal conviction for hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and helping the Charity Commission to disqualify charity trustees who have been excluded from the UK, deprived of British citizenship or are engaged in conduct which promotes violence or hatred.

HMRC require that for a charity to qualify for an exemption from tax, their income and gains should be applied solely to charitable purposes. Charities may use Gift Aid funds for purposes that align with their charitable objectives and comply with UK charity law. Misuse would breach the Charity Commission rules and could result in regulatory action and tax charges.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Lord Walney’s March 2026 report entitled Undue Influence: The Iranian Regime’s Abuse of the UK Charity System, if she will ensure that charities subject to live Charity Commission investigations relating to hostile foreign state influence and extremism do not receive public support mechanisms, including Gift Aid.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Charity Commission is alive to the threat of hostile foreign state influence in charities and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. Any allegation or evidence of criminal offences, including terrorism, is referred to the police to investigate.

As part of the Government’s action plan for social cohesion we have announced that the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities will be extended. This includes automatically disqualifying individuals with a criminal conviction for hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and helping the Charity Commission to disqualify charity trustees who have been excluded from the UK, deprived of British citizenship or are engaged in conduct which promotes violence or hatred.

HMRC require that for a charity to qualify for an exemption from tax, their income and gains should be applied solely to charitable purposes. Charities may use Gift Aid funds for purposes that align with their charitable objectives and comply with UK charity law. Misuse would breach the Charity Commission rules and could result in regulatory action and tax charges.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of UK financial regulations in preventing hostile states, including Iran, from exploiting cryptocurrency platforms accessible in the United Kingdom to raise funds.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK has a robust anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and sanctions regime to counter hostile state activity.

Cryptoassets are in scope of the UK’s Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations, which require regulated firms to apply enhanced due diligence to business relationships and transactions involving high risk third countries, including Iran. This includes verifying customers’ identities and undertaking checks on source of funds and wealth.

The UK has imposed financial sanctions on Iran in response to their de-stabilising and hostile behaviour. These sanctions apply to cryptoassets as well as traditional finance. HM Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) delivered a cryptoasset Threat Assessment in July 2025 to support industry their implementation and compliance efforts.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Government’s 2026 Fraud Strategy on levels of fraud facilitated through online platforms before the Online Safety Act duties on fraudulent advertising take full effect.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

While the OSA continues to be implemented, fraud is a ‘priority offence’ under the Act, with platforms already required to mitigate against criminals using their services and to remove scam content if it appears. Ofcom has existing robust powers to act where services do not fulfil their regulatory obligations.

In the Summer, Ofcom is to go further, publishing its register of Category 1 and 2A services and consult on additional duties for these platforms to tackle paid-for fraudulent advertising.

The Home Office’s Fraud Strategy was published on 9 March and so Government has not yet conducted a review of its impact.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department is taking steps to hold online platforms accountable for fraudulent advertising on their services prior to the full implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

While the OSA continues to be implemented, fraud is a ‘priority offence’ under the Act, with platforms already required to mitigate against criminals using their services and to remove scam content if it appears. Ofcom has existing robust powers to act where services do not fulfil their regulatory obligations.

In the Summer, Ofcom is to go further, publishing its register of Category 1 and 2A services and consult on additional duties for these platforms to tackle paid-for fraudulent advertising.

The Home Office’s Fraud Strategy was published on 9 March and so Government has not yet conducted a review of its impact.

Found: Rebecca Paul (Conservative; Reigate) Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat; Stratford-on-Avon) Mark Sewards

Found: Sureena Brackenridge; Damien Egan; Dr Caroline Johnson; John Milne; Joy Morrissey; Darren Paffey; Mark Sewards

Found: Q29 Mark Sewards: I have a couple of questions for Amanda.

Found: Q29 Mark Sewards: I have a couple of questions for Amanda.