Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of foreign-owned technology platforms being subject to overseas jurisdictions on levels of UK data sovereignty; and what safeguards are in place to help prevent their use for intelligence-gathering purposes.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All organisations processing personal data in the UK must comply with the UK’s data protection framework, including the UK GDPR, regardless of where they are headquartered. This includes requirements that apply when personal data is transferred overseas, and organisations must ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place where required.
The UK has world-leading investigation and enforcement capabilities to ensure that data is collected and handled responsibly and securely. The Information Commissioner’s Office has powers to investigate, issue fines and require corrective action where organisations fail to comply with the UK’s data protection framework, and individuals may seek redress if their data is misused.
As threats to UK data evolve our response will be agile and proportionate. We actively monitor threats to UK data and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary to protect our national security.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the extent to which foreign-owned technology platforms operating in the UK may be compelled by overseas governments to share user data; and what steps she is taking to protect against espionage and national security risks arising from such arrangements.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All organisations processing personal data in the UK must comply with the UK’s data protection framework.
The UK has strong safeguards to ensure that data is collected and handled responsibly and securely. Companies registered in the UK are subject to our legal framework and regulatory jurisdiction. Personal data transfers abroad are subject to a high level of legal protection. Failure to comply can result in enforcement action.
As threats to UK data evolve our response will be agile and proportionate. We actively monitor threats to UK data and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary to protect our national security.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which body has overall responsibility for consolidating greenhouse gas emissions data across the central government office estate; and what estimate has been made of the total cost across all departments of measuring, collecting, reporting and validating that data in 2024–25.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra consolidates greenhouse gas emissions. This is published in GGC annual reports. The last published report for 2021 to 2024 published here Greening Government Commitments April 2021 to March 2024 report - GOV.UK estimates in year 3, the Government’s overall emissions were 41% lower than the baseline based on data reported to Defra at that time.
There is no estimate of cost of this work however a small team of c.2FTE produces this report as part of wider responsibilities. Departments are encouraged to provide data that is already collected for other purposes and are not required to put in place specific arrangements to collect this data solely for GGC reporting purposes.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what specific support and guidance has been provided to NHS services in a) Leicester and b) the East Midlands to identify and manage infants presenting with symptoms consistent with the cereulide toxin exposure.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), along with partner agencies in the devolved administrations, have been supporting the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, and local authorities with their investigations responding to the recall of infant formula products potentially contaminated with cereulide toxin.
Briefing notes with situational updates on successive formula recalls, case numbers and guidance on management of cases were issued on 7 January 2026, 27 January 2026, and 12 February 2026 to primary care including general practitioners, National Health Service clinicians, private hospitals, and other health care professionals across the whole of England. These communications reminded health care professionals to notify cases to the UKHSA and included advice on clinical assessment and management of cases of cereulide toxicity, diagnostic testing of clinical samples and of recalled formula for toxigenic Bacillus cereus or detection of cereulide toxin gene. The briefing notes were extensively cascaded across various professional networks, for instance Royal College of General Practitioners, Emergency medicine, Neonatology and Paediatrics.
This has led to the UKHSA receiving multiple clinical notifications from across England, allowing us to investigate potential cases further, including testing individual batches of recalled formula from the households of children who have presented to healthcare settings for presence of the toxin.
Throughout this process the UKHSA’s health protection teams and experts in gastrointestinal infections have engaged with and supported NHS clinicians and families of children who may have ingested recalled batches of formula.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 118042, whether the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has considered introducing additional tracking mechanisms to identify which recruitment channels generate successful applicants.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uses the Civil Service recruitment service for all of its recruitment.
For campaigns up to November 2025, DVSA used the data available from the Civil Service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates, however the information is limited and does not give 100% coverage.
In December 2025, DVSA introduced a DVSA specific survey. This is sent to everyone who is offered an interview. This is then followed by another survey sent to anyone who successfully moves onto training. The data will be crossed referenced, however DVSA currently only has data for one complete and one ongoing campaign.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 118043, how much the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has spent on advertising driving examiner vacancies in each of the last three years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the driver recruitment campaigns that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has spent advertising on, in each of the last three financial years to date.
Financial Year | Spend (£) | Number of Campaigns |
2023/24 | 19,675.05 | 4 |
2024/25 | 30,903.89 | 3 |
2025/26 | 8,000.00 | 3 |
Total | 58,578.94 | 10 |
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the equity of the current single person council tax discount given the relative burden on single-occupancy households.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A full council tax bill assumes that there are at least two adults living in a dwelling. Where there is only one liable adult resident in a property, the bill is reduced by 25%. This is effectively a 50% reduction in the personal element of the bill. The Government has no plans to change the single person discount.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of postponing the proposed increase in fuel duty, given the current situation in the Middle East.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is already taking action to ensure that fuel at the pump remains affordable.
At Budget 2025, the Government extended the 5p-per-litre cut for a further five months, until the end of August this year. The Government has also cancelled the increase in line with inflation for 2026/27; instead, rates will only gradually return to early 2022 levels by March 2027.
Since Autumn Budget 2024, the Government's decisions to freeze fuel duty will save the average motorist over £90 – or 8-11 pence per litre – compared to the plans inherited from the previous government.
As the Chancellor has set out, a rapid de-escalation in the Middle East remains the best way to keep prices low at the pump.
As with all taxes, the Government keeps fuel duty under review.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to prevent subscription-based streaming services from being brought within the scope of the TV licence fee.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
A TV licence is currently required to watch live TV, and to watch or download any BBC programme on iPlayer. Households are therefore already required to hold a TV licence to watch live TV on a subscription-based streaming service.
The Government launched the BBC Charter Review last year. As part of the BBC Charter Review, we are looking at a range of options to support the BBC with sustainable and fair funding, including how the BBC can operate more efficiently, generate more commercial revenue, and how the licence fee could be reformed including the scope of services for which a TV licence is required.
The Government is now considering responses to the public consultation, and these will inform policy decisions for the next BBC Royal Charter. These will be set out in a White Paper, expected to be published later this year.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 120878, whether those efficiencies will contribute to a reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy in 2026–27.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government expects efficiencies made through public ownership to contribute to a reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy during the Spending Review period of 2026-27 to 2028-29, inclusive. This includes £395m of efficiencies from corporate initiatives as part of the Departmental Efficiency Plan, £52m of which are forecast to be delivered in 2026-27.