Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent general aviation aircrafts, landing at small airports, airfields and airstrips, from facilitating the smuggling of (a) people, (b) drug and (c) arms.

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

The security of the UK border remains our top priority, and this government is committed to strengthening border security. Border Force conducts robust security checks on those arriving into the UK, including 100% checks on all notified general aviation flights and spot checks at aerodromes to reinforce security.

Border Force allocates resources based on assessed risk, applying intelligence and targeting techniques. We have significantly reduced the number of aerodromes authorised to handle international or Common Travel Area flights by 85%, and anyone who fails to submit the required information prior to flying faces civil penalties.

Border Force has implemented a range of initiatives to address vulnerabilities. These include:

• Substantially reducing the number of aerodromes permitted to handle flights to and from the UK.

• Introducing a civil penalties regime for non-compliance with airfield designation requirements.

• Person details checked on all notified GA flights.

• The General Aviation (Persons on Board, Flight Information and Civil Penalties Regulations), which came into force on 6 April 2024, require that specified information about General Aviation flights and persons onboard must be submitted online and in advance of departure to Home Office Systems. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in civil penalty.

• Working closely with the National Crime Agency and the police to counter threats such as smuggling, immigration crime and terrorism at UK airfields has resulted in seizures of Class A Drugs (in total approx 130kgs) at small airfields and identification of undocumented arrivals, leading to multiple criminal convictions and working with partners to identify non-compliant GA flights.

• Regular Home Office engagement with the GA community representatives and cross-government partners.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of statements by the President of the United States and senior US officials on the Republic of Cuba’s political future, in the context of recent US military actions in Venezuela.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses in that debate.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her Department's policy is on the sovereignty of the Republic of Cuba.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Consistent with the UN Charter, the UK recognises the principle of the sovereign equality of all UN Member States, including Cuba.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the conduct and outcome of the 29 October 2025 general election in the United Republic of Tanzania.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 November 2025 in response to Question 87702.

In addition, on 5 December, our High Commission in Dar es Salaam issued a statement alongside partners urging the Tanzanian government to address the shortcomings highlighted in the African Union and Southern African Development Community's preliminary election observation reports.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2025 to question 97955 titled Brinnington Station: Staff, what steps her Department can take when rail operators fail to comply with their obligations under the ticketing and settlement agreement.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

It is a requirement of the operators’ contracts that they must comply with all inter-operator schemes, which includes the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) and the associated schedules that relate to ticket office opening hours. Operators must make reasonable endeavours to ensure that ticket office opening hours stipulated in Schedule 17 of the TSA are adhered to. Where an operator is not meeting this requirement further action can be taken against the operator, including the formal contractual breach process which could include issuing a notice to improve performance.

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 Bangladeshi counterpart on the killing of Dipu Chandra Das.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 12 January in response to Question 101933.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 22 December 202, to Question 99888 titled Railways: Conditions of Employment, (a) what assessment her Department has made of the likely impact of Great British Railways on employment practices across the rail network and (b) whether her Department will make an assessment of potential differences in terms and conditions between outsourced and directly employed rail staff once workforce matters transfer to Great British Railways.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Great British Railways (GBR) aims to integrate track and train operations while modernising working practices to deliver consistent standards across the network. As work to establish GBR continues, matters relating to employee terms and conditions will be considered. The Government’s approach will be driven by what delivers best value for users of the railway, and for taxpayers who contribute to the costs of running it, as well as the interests of the workforce.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 22 December 2025 to question 99889 titled Railways: Anti-social Behaviour and Crimes of Violence, whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of statutory powers to intervene in budget-setting decisions made by the British Transport Police Authority.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA), the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the British Transport Police Force (BTP), plays a key role in ensuring there is independent and expert oversight of the BTP force. It agrees strategies and objectives, resourcing and budgets, and policy and regulatory requirements. The Department for Transport has powers to set overarching expectations of the Authority and I am satisfied that this oversight, as defined in the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, does not require amendment.