Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what consideration he has given to the development of skills required by the defence industry in Fife.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK Government recognises how important the defence industry in Fife is for the UK’s national security, which is illustrated by the Type 31 frigate programme. That is why, alongside the launch of the Scotland Defence Growth Deal on 12 March, we announced £10 million would be invested towards the creation of two Defence Technical Excellence Colleges, including one in the East of Scotland. These colleges will ensure that the training and education pipeline is in place to give the defence industry in Scotland, including in Fife, the skilled workforce it requires.
Although the Scottish Government have not yet confirmed that they are willing to match fund the second Defence Technical Excellence College in Scotland I remain of the view that this is a superb opportunity and I hope constructive conversations can begin soon.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK is taking to support the International Criminal Court.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to support the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and its independence, and we welcome their ongoing investigations in Sudan, Libya and Ukraine. This is reflected in our practical support for their activities, including witness protection and sentence enforcement, and our funding of £14.3 million for the ICC's 2026 budget.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans she has to increase support for families in the context of trends in the cost of energy caused by the conflict in Iran.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the impact of the Iran conflict on households across the UK, not least as a result of pushing up on global energy prices.. A rapid de-escalation of the conflict remains the best way to protect people from rising bills.
To protect families from the most acute cost pressures, the Government has already taken action by stepping in at the start of the conflict to help heating oil customers with spiralling costs. Last month, the Government announced measures to reduce the impact of fuel costs on drivers – including an extension to the fuel duty cut until the end of the year – as well as a broader package to ease the cost of living over the summer holidays in particular.
Thanks to decisions the Government made at the Budget, the energy price cap fell by £117 on 1st April, with savings locked in until the end of June. The Government has also expanded the £150 Warm Home Discount to 6 million lower income households and provided an additional £1.5 billion capital investment to tackle fuel poverty through the Warm Homes Plan.
The Government is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and preparing for a range of scenarios. We stand ready to act if market conditions worsen significantly later this year, with cross-Government contingency work underway on the design of potential future targeted and temporary support.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in defence spending on Wales.
Answered by Anna McMorrin - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
This UK Labour Government promised a Defence Growth Deal for Wales and we have delivered on that commitment.
Wales is central to the security of the United Kingdom and I’m proud that our Defence Growth Deal, backed by £50 million of UK Government investment, will transform the nation into a centre for innovation, creating highly-skilled jobs and driving growth across the country.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she will consider extending the validity of driving theory tests from two years to three years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it. It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.
Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on the opening of a humanitarian corridor between Gaza and the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House I made on 5 January, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and several of her counterparts on 30 December, available on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on access to Gaza for a) Palestinian doctors and b) international doctors.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House I made on 5 January, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and several of her counterparts on 30 December, available on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's proposed timeline is for banning cages in relation to hens and pigs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The recently published Animal Welfare Strategy sets out that ending the use of cages and crates is a key priority for this Government.
We are currently consulting on a proposed timeline to ban the instalment of new enriched ‘colony’ cages for the keeping of laying hens and any other caged systems used for pullets and breeder layers from 2027 and the use of existing cages from 2032.
As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy we will be consulting on pig farrowing crates and a proposed timeline for the transition away from the use of farrowing crates to alternative systems: either flexible or free farrowing.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the CAA cannot release occurrence information on pilot fatigue events.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (“MOR”) Regulations mean that the Civil Aviation Authority can only use information from MORs for the purpose for which they have been collected. The CAA does not make any information from MORs available. The CAA only uses information from MORs to maintain or improve aviation safety, not to attribute blame or liability.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many incidents of pilot fatigue have been reported to the Civil Aviation Authority in each of the past 10 years.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Where a fatigue issue may have led to a safety incident, the UK CAA's Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) scheme requires that operators send a report to the UK CAA. However, these reports can only be used to improve aviation safety, and the CAA cannot release occurrence information on pilot fatigue events.
The risk of flight crew fatigue is managed under regulations which limit the number of hours pilots can be on duty over a given period of time. The CAA monitors and oversees UK Airlines’ management of flight time to ensure that airlines have appropriate and effective systems in place to manage fatigue.
Although the UK CAA do interact with the HSE on matters of mutual interest, it should be noted that the HSE has no remit in regard to the FTL (Flight Time Limitations) regulations.