Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
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 Pakistani counterpart regarding (a) the detention conditions, (b) welfare and (c) access to medical care of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 6 March in response to Question HL14686.
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations her Department has made to the Government of Pakistan on the imprisonment and detention conditions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan; and what further steps she plans to take to raise concerns relating to due process, judicial independence and international human rights obligations in Pakistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 December to Question 96582.
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations her Department has made to the Government of Pakistan regarding the trial of civilians in military courts since February 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is concerned by the use of military courts for civilians in Pakistan. We regularly raise our concerns with the Government of Pakistan and urge it to uphold its international obligations, including the right to a fair trial and due process. We continue to engage bilaterally and at senior levels to encourage legal proceedings to be conducted in line with international standards, including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Civil Justice Council’s review of litigation funding to strengthen protections for consumers, whether she plans to extend Financial Conduct Authority regulation to cover portfolio-based litigation funding.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council’s (CJC) review and is carefully considering all its recommendations.
As announced on 17 December 2025, the Government’s priority is to implement the CJC’s two primary recommendations: to clarify that Litigation Funding Agreements (LFAs) are not Damages-Based Agreements, and to introduce light-touch regulation of LFAs. Once this work has been completed, we will consider the CJC’s remaining recommendations, including those relating to portfolio funding, in more detail. We will provide further information in due course.
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information she holds on the involvement of Pakistani state actors in the surveillance, intimidation and physical harassment of Pakistani diaspora members residing in the UK.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The first duty of Government is to keep our country safe. Any attempt by a foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated, irrespective of where the threat emanates.
We do not routinely comment on intelligence matters. Wherever a threat is identified, we use all appropriate measures, including through our world‑class police and intelligence services, to mitigate risks to individuals. The Government will also deploy diplomatic measures, both publicly and privately, with perpetrating countries to prevent transnational repression and raise the costs of interference.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of state‑directed activity should report to the police via 101, 999, or at a local station. Allegations of unlawful activity will be handled sensitively, treated seriously, and swiftly investigated in line with UK law.
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to provide funding for the School Games Organisers Network and the Primary PE and Sport Premium beyond the 2025-26 academic year; what her planned timeline is for the procurement of the new School Sport Network; what steps are being taken to ensure continuity of the school sport workforce during this period of transition; and how her Department plans to support schools and local partnerships to provide high-quality PE, sport and physical activity opportunities for pupils.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
This government values PE and sport as a great opportunity to improve not only the health but also the wellbeing and lives of children and young people.
The government has confirmed funding for the School Games Organisers (SGO) network for the 2026/27 financial year. The commitment of further funding recognises the value of the SGO Network’s expertise and support, which will be vital as we move towards delivery of new Physical Education and School Sport Partnerships Network. Further details on the PE and School Sports Partnerships will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether funding provided through the Crisis and Resilience Fund from 1 April 2026 may be used by local authorities to provide holiday food vouchers for children eligible for free school meals; and what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the provision of such vouchers further to the closure of the Household Support Fund.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Yes, local authorities have discretion to design their own schemes within the published Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance and this can include supporting families eligible for free school meals during school holidays through Crisis Payments. This may or may not be through the blanket provision of vouchers to those on free school meals, as the Department for Work and Pensions recognise that some families eligible for free school meals may not routinely need crisis support during every school holiday.
By focusing on those most in need, local authorities can provide more targeted, holistic support that builds longer-term financial resilience, not just crisis intervention.
The guidance for local authorities is published on GOV.UK: Crisis and Resilience Fund: Guidance for local authorities in England (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029).
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle backlogs in the courts.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Sir Brian’s report set out a blueprint for pragmatic structural reform in our criminal courts and made clear that action across the process is essential.
The Courts and Tribunals Bill is the first step to putting that blueprint into law. Coupled with record investment in sitting days and criminal legal aid and modernisation of listing practices and use of case coordinators and blitz courts to boost efficiencies, we are taking a neglected service and bringing it, finally, into the 21st century.
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the age-related eligibility criteria for NHS screening and vaccination programmes, if he will make an assessment of (a) the evidential basis and decision-making process by which the upper and lower age limits for each programme are determined; and (b) the impact of those age thresholds on patient outcomes, including early diagnosis, morbidity, mortality, and health inequalities.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
For screening programmes, the Government is guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). It is only where the offer to screen provides more good than harm that a screening programme is recommended.
The UK NSC considers all of the latest scientific evidence when reviewing the case for screening for different conditions. As the policy is based on the benefits and harms to whole populations, the screening decisions are based on the effect on the whole population, rather than individual circumstances. Where there is a lack of evidence, the committee cannot be confident that screening would benefit the population as a whole. In these circumstances, the proportionate approach is to screen within the range that has evidence to support the policy.
The National Health Service bowel screening programme in England was recently extended from 60 – 74 years old to 50 – 74 years old. This aligns with the evidence of where the screening programme can do the most good with the least harm caused. Harm can include increased anxiety, misdiagnosis, over diagnosis (where unnecessary and invasive follow up tests are offered), or unnecessary treatment.
The UK NSC is awaiting the results of the AgeX trial which is looking at extending the upper and lower age thresholds for breast screening. The Committee is also working with researchers in Australia who are considering whether vaccination would have an impact on the lower age of cervical screening.
The UK NSC keeps these age brackets under review. The Committee recognises that screening programmes are not static and that, over time, they may need to change to be more effective.
The Government’s policy on groups eligible for vaccination programmes is based on the recommendation of the independent expert advisory committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). When advising on programme eligibility, including any upper and lower age limit for vaccination programmes, the JCVI evaluates clinical data from a wide range of sources including disease epidemiology, age specific estimates of disease burden including deaths and hospitalisations, as well as age-specific vaccine efficacy and cost-effectiveness analyses.
Patient outcomes, including early diagnosis, morbidity, mortality, and health inequalities are influenced by multiple health factors. It would therefore not be possible to make an accurate assessment of how age threshold for screening and immunisation alone impacted those outcomes.
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to reform corporate reporting requirements to support economic growth and competitiveness.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government has announced plans to modernise and simplify the corporate reporting framework and expects to publish its Modernising Corporate Reporting consultation shortly. The consultation will consider financial, non-financial, remuneration and corporate governance reporting, as well as options to drive greater digitisation. The proposals are intended to ensure the UK has one of the most proportionate, internationally competitive and investor-focused corporate reporting frameworks in the world. An improved framework creates the conditions for well-functioning markets and thereby drives economic growth.