Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help improve pay and conditions for court interpreters in the contracted service.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on Friday 5 September to Question 73395: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-08-29/73395.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of protections for defendants under the Single Justice Procedure.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government acknowledges the criticisms in relation to the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) and the importance of ensuring that the SJP is accessible and fair to all defendants. That is why we launched a consultation on the oversight and regulation of private prosecutors which included a chapter on the adequacy of safeguards in the SJP. The consultation closed on 8 May and work is ongoing to analyse the responses received and look at ways to reform the SJP, which improves safeguards and efficiency in the process.
The Government response to the consultation is expected to be published later this year.
There are several existing safeguards built into the SJP process to ensure a defendant’s fair trial rights are protected. The defendant retains the right to have a full hearing in open court. SJP is available where they waive that right, either expressly or by failing to respond to the process, but only in circumstances where the court has first satisfied itself that the relevant documents were served on the accused.
If a defendant does not know about the case until after it has finished, they can make a statutory declaration to that effect, which will restart the proceedings again from the beginning. Magistrates can adjourn the case if further information is required, or refer the case to be heard in open court if it would be more appropriate than continuing under SJP.
Where a defendant pleads not guilty, the case is listed for summary trial before a bench of magistrates in open court.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Independent Technical Review of Qualifications and Experience Requirements for the Provision of Spoken Language Interpreting of 17 March 2025, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the sufficient recruitment of qualified Level 6 interpreters.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of ensuring a sufficient supply of qualified Level 6 interpreters to meet the needs of the justice system. Following the publication of the Independent Technical Review of Qualifications and Experience Requirements for the Provision of Spoken Language Interpreting on 17 March 2025, the Department has taken steps to support recruitment and professional development in this area.
The review established Level 6 as the default professional standard for all interpreters working in complex justice settings, and its recommendations have been incorporated into the new Qualifications Framework now embedded in the upcoming contract specifications.
To support long-term sustainability, the Department has established two key stakeholder groups: the External Stakeholders Forum and the Future Pipeline Advisory Group. The latter is specifically focused on addressing ongoing challenges in interpreter supply, including qualification development.
The Future Pipeline Advisory Group will look at ways to expand access to Level 6 qualifications, particularly in rare languages where formal qualifications may not currently exist.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether an agreement to link the UK and EU Emissions Trading Schemes will be in place before the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism comes into force on 1 January 2026.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
At the UK-EU Summit on 19 May, both sides agreed in the Common Understanding to work towards establishing a link between their respective carbon markets by way of an agreement linking the United Kingdom Emission Trading Scheme (UK ETS) and the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS).
The UK is looking to secure a linking agreement with the European Union as fast as is feasible. We are taking forward preparations at pace and look forward to beginning negotiations.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UK’s energy (a) policy and (b) regulatory frameworks support the sustainable growth of data centres by (a) providing long-term clarity on low-carbon power generation and flexibility technologies, (b) introducing planning and connection guidance for new data centres, (c) reviewing private wire network regulations, (d) enabling timely and strategic electricity network connections, (e) reducing non-domestic electricity costs and (f) coordinating infrastructure planning across (i) land, (ii) water and (iii) energy systems.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The AI Energy Council, chaired by the DESNZ and DSIT Secretaries of State, is working to understand the future energy demand of data centres and the policy and regulatory options for enabling faster connections that are compatible with Clean Power 2030. It has five working groups, co-led with partners from industry and academia, respectively considering demand forecasting, grid connections, sustainability, AI opportunities and corporate PPAs in more detail. In terms of infrastructure planning more broadly, the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan provides detail on this for 2025-30, while the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan currently being developed will do so for 2030-50.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve the monitoring of per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment from the risks posed by PFAS. We are working across Government to assess levels of PFAS in the environment, their sources and potential risks to inform our approach to policy and regulation. This includes a multi-year programme run by the Environment Agency (EA) to better understand sources of PFAS pollution in England. Part of the programme is to identify and assess the most significant sites of PFAS contamination. We are developing strategies for managing risks to the environment, and where appropriate working with partner authorities to assess and manage risk to the public.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has consulted the International Panel on Climate Change on the future of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Should the developers of the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields choose to re-submit applications for consent they will need to undertake a comprehensive assessment of scope 3 emissions, drawing on appropriate sources of information as referenced in the guidance that we have published. As these projects may be subject to future regulatory decisions, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to secure capital investment in sustainable aviation fuel.
Answered by Mike Kane
We are supporting investments in UK sustainable aviation fuel “SAF” production facilities through the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF). We extended this funding for a further year through the Autumn Budget, investing an additional £63 million, and the Spending Review 2025 will continue support for SAF production in the UK to 2029/30.
In addition to providing grant funding under the AFF our SAF Bill, currently before the House, will deliver a SAF Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This mechanism will help unlock investment in UK SAF production and grow this emerging sector.
We are also encouraging the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels in the UK through a SAF Mandate. The mandate, one of the first pioneering policies of its kind, came into force on 1st January 2025 and increases investor certainty by building domestic demand for SAF.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that awards made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority are paid out in a timely manner.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 3 July 2025 to Question 63019.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to ensure the protection of Greek communities in Northern Cyprus.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As a Guarantor Power and a friend to all Cypriots, the UK fully supports the UN-led Settlement process and stands ready to assist through all diplomatic channels. The best way to improve the lives of all Cypriots, including Greek communities living in the north of the island, is through a just and lasting settlement. I represented the UK at the next round of informal talks on 16 to 17 July 2025 and will continue to encourage the sides to maintain the recent momentum in the UN-led process.