Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a comparative assessment of the adequacy of recruitment and retention strategies for armed forces personnel in (a) the UK and (B) other NATO countries.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 January 2024 to Question 9841 to the hon. Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the VECTOR-SR speed cameras are (a) visible to road users and (b) compliant with regulations.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government’s Home Office Type Approval (HOTA) process oversees the accuracy and reliability of vehicle speed measurement devices to ensure they meet the specified requirements.

It is up to the traffic authority, the police and other agencies to decide whether to install speed cameras and how they wish to operate them.

This is a local decision in which the Department does not become involved.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department had discussions with (a) road safety groups and (b) the public prior to the (i) approval and (ii) rollout of VECTOR-SR cameras.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government’s Home Office Type Approval (HOTA) process oversees the accuracy and reliability of vehicle speed measurement devices to ensure they meet the specified requirements.

It is up to the traffic authority, the police and other agencies to decide whether to install speed cameras and how they wish to operate them.

This is a local decision in which the Department does not become involved.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is taking steps to ensure that drivers are aware of the introduction of new ultra speed cameras.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government’s Home Office Type Approval (HOTA) process oversees the accuracy and reliability of vehicle speed measurement devices to ensure they meet the specified requirements.

It is up to the traffic authority, the police and other agencies to decide whether to install speed cameras and how they wish to operate them.

This is a local decision in which the Department does not become involved.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review the current funding formula for schools to ensure that it is adjusted for (a) inflation and (b) increases in the cost of living.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The overall core school budget will total £60.7 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, the highest ever level in real terms per pupil. School funding is therefore set to have risen by £11 billion next year, compared with 2021/2022.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he is taking steps to (a) ensure consistency in the accessibility of departmental communications and (b) support the use of (i) sign language videos, (ii) audio recordings and (iii) other accessible formats in such communications across Departments.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

On 5 February 2024 the government published the final Disability Action Plan together with the independent analysis of the consultation findings. The Disability Action Plan sets out 32 practical actions which the government will take forward over the next 12 months.

Action 28 outlines steps the government is taking to ensure consistency in the accessibility of departmental communications. These steps include the publication of accessible standards, revising and improving guidance, training, and monitoring. The accessibility guidance emphasises the need for government organisations to consider the communication needs of individuals and, where appropriate, the provision of BSL and commonly-requested alternative formats.

In July 2024, the government will publish the second BSL report that will outline what ministerial departments have done to promote and facilitate the use of BSL in their communications with the public. This follows the publication of the first BSL report in July 2023, which included a number of actions to continually improve the government’s use of BSL in public communications (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-british-sign-language-bsl-report-2022)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's press release entitled £5 million fund to tackle fatal drug deaths across the UK, published on 29 August 2023, how this funding will be distributed; and what criteria her Department is using to select projects for this funding.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of the Reducing Drug Deaths Innovation Challenge, which aims to reduce drug-related deaths across the United Kingdom, the Department is investing in 12 projects to develop technologies aimed at improving detection, response, or intervention in potential drug-related deaths.

Applicants submitted proposals, and these were assessed by an independent panel. Detailed assessment criteria were worked up by NHS Fife, and then moderated before awards were made. They included how well the project met the challenge described in the competition scope, the main technical challenges addressed, what similar products were available and how the proposal differentiated from them, project plan and milestones, expertise, cost, and commercial potential. We awarded funding to 12 projects, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/5-million-fund-to-tackle-fatal-drug-deaths-across-the-uk

This funding supports wider Government initiatives to tackle drug misuse in society. The UK’s drugs strategy, published in December 2021, has a key objective to prevent 1,000 drug deaths in England by 2025. This aligns with work within and across the four nations of the UK to improve systems of support and reduce drug-related deaths.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to provide public health interventions for people at risk of overdosing on (a) naloxone and (b) other synthetic opioids.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is actively monitoring, and responding to, the continued threat posed by the growing levels of potent synthetic opioids such as nitazenes and illicit fentanyl in the United Kingdom. A core part of this response is expanding access to naloxone, which is a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The Government recently consulted on proposed amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 so that more professionals and services can give out take-home supplies of naloxone to those at-risk of an overdose, as well as their friends and family. This consultation closed on 6 March 2024, and we will publish the next steps in due course.

For those using opiates, treatment is the safest place to be. The Government is investing an additional £780 million over three years, through to 2024/25, to create a world-class treatment and recovery system, the largest ever single increase in treatment and recovery funding in England. £532 million is being invested specifically to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services. This funding is in addition to the Public Health Grant, and will grow the capacity and quality of the drug treatment system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to improve how it collects data on non-fatal overdoses involving synthetic opioids.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has a longstanding surveillance system in place to collect information on the nature and location of novel drug use, drug markets, and reports alerting us to drug harms experienced. We continue to monitor the threat posed by synthetic opioids, and are working to improve drug surveillance on synthetic opioids through development of an early warning system. The early warning system dashboard will pull together overdose-response data from ambulances, toxicology labs, and other key sources, so we know in near-real time where to target responses.

We know that most overdoses take place when individuals are alone or accompanied by others also using drugs. This means they are largely transitory and hidden events with no opportunity for sampling. A key indicator, therefore, are those who do come into contact with first responders, who are administered the lifesaving opioid reversal drug naloxone, or who are admitted to hospital. Ambulance data represents an opportunity for rapidly identifying local spikes in overdoses and, for this purpose, we are establishing data feeds with ambulance trusts in England on callouts where naloxone has been administered.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps to help ensure digital (a) literacy and (b) understanding among legal professionals.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice is driving the digital transformation of the legal sector by providing £6 million for the LawtechUK programme, which aims to increase innovation and adoption of lawtech in the delivery of UK legal services. Lawtech describes technologies which aim to support, supplement, or replace traditional methods for the delivery of legal services.

LawtechUK offers a range of free education programmes designed to help organisations interested in harnessing the benefits of innovation for their legal operations. This includes Lawtech Bridge which brings together startups and established legal businesses to explore approaches to digital innovation.

LawtechUK also organises events aimed at raising awareness and increasing understanding of lawtech. For example, a recent Lawtech Student Fair brought together law firms, alternate legal service providers and lawtech providers with students and junior lawyers to help ensure the next generation of lawyers are digitally literate and embracing technology.

Whilst the Government aims to support a flourishing and innovative legal sector, the legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operate independently of the Government. The Solicitor’s Regulation Authority, the approved regulator for solicitors, supports innovation in the legal sector through their Innovate programme by helping law firms run their business creatively, supporting technology firms looking to develop products for legal businesses and bringing together law firms and innovators.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help support the mental health of victims while they wait for rape trials.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Supporting victims of sexual violence and abuse is an absolute priority for this government.

We have taken a number of steps to support the mental health of victims while they wait for rape trials.

In December 2022, the Ministry of Justice launched the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line to provide victims and survivors access to vital help and information whenever they need it.

In August 2023, we launched the recommissioned Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, providing £26 million to over 60 specialist support services.

The Government is also quadrupling funding for victim and witness support services by 2024/25, up from £41 million in 2009/10. This includes additional ringfenced funding to increase the number of Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) to around 1,000 by 2024/25 - a significant increase on the number of ISVAs and IDVAs.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the number of internally-displaced people in West Papua since December 2018; and whether his Department is taking diplomatic steps to help support those people.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to monitor the ongoing issue of internal civilian displacement caused by clashes between separatists and Indonesian security forces in Papua. We have raised our concerns with the Indonesian Embassy in London. Officials from the British Embassy in Jakarta have also visited Papua in March 2022 and met with officials, police, local business, human rights defenders, environmentalists and religious leaders. Embassy officials also visited the region again in February and July 2023.

The UK's longstanding position is to respect the territorial integrity of Indonesia, which includes the region of Papua. Within this framework, we strongly support the efforts of the Indonesian authorities and civil society to address the legitimate concerns of the people of Papua, including strengthening human rights protections, providing humanitarian assistance and ensuring that all Papuans benefit from the sustainable and equitable development of their province.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Indonesia on the rights of indigenous tribes in the context of the dismissed lawsuit brought by the Auyu tribe against palm oil development in Tanah Merah.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has regular dialogue with the Government of Indonesia on forestry and land use (FOLU) issues, including through its Memorandum of Understanding on FOLU issues signed in 2022. The Second Permanent Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office visited Indonesia in February 2024 and met with conservation organisations, civil society groups and business owners to observe efforts to progress sustainable forestry policy.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed bio-ethanol food estate in West Papua on (a) the environment and (b) local (i) communities and (ii) ecosystems.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government is aware of proposals for the Food and Energy Estate programme in Merauke. We work closely with the Government of Indonesia to help increase the sustainability of commodity production, including by limiting deforestation and other environmental impacts, and supporting local communities' access to livelihoods.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with international partners on strengthening multilateral approaches to prevent the circumvention of sanctions against Russia through third countries.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK coordinates closely with the EU, US, G7 and other international partners to tackle circumvention via multilateral fora and strategic consultations. Senior officials attend the Sanctions Coordinators Forum in Brussels, most recently in February 2024 focusing on strengthening enforcement of Russia sanctions. With the EU, US and Japan we have agreed a list of 50 Common High Priority items; battlefield-critical components we are targeting through joint diplomatic engagement with third countries. With the US and EU we have jointly engaged with the UAE, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, and Serbia, to highlight circumvention risks and offer technical support.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department is taking steps with counterparts in Azerbaijan to track the final destinations of UK exported vehicles.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has banned the direct export of thousands of goods to Russia, including luxury vehicles. UK Regulations also prohibit the circumvention of our sanctions. We have been clear to UK business that they need to satisfy themselves that their goods will not end up in Russia. With EU and US partners, we are engaging a range of third countries to reduce the risk of sanctioned goods reaching Russia.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made representations to his counterpart in Indonesia on the use of excessive force by security personnel during protests.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We regularly monitor ongoing tensions in the event of large-scale protests in Indonesia. Protests following the election on 14 February in Jakarta have been significantly smaller and more peaceful than those seen following previous elections. We have worked throughout the electoral process to support civil society in strengthening Indonesia's democracy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce regional variations in early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer treatment is a priority for the Government, as is increasing early cancer diagnosis, as both are key contributors to reducing cancer health inequalities. The National Health Service is improving cancer pathways to get people diagnosed faster once referred, and is looking into alternative routes into the system, including non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway, but who are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer. This will help support faster ovarian cancer diagnosis. 113 NSS pathways are currently operational, with more in development.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he plans to take to support UK (a) nationals and (b) businesses in Hong Kong, in the context of the external interference offence included in the Article 23 legislation passed in Hong Kong on 19 March 2024.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Hong Kong is required to ensure national security legislation complies with international standards and upholds rights and freedoms, as set out in the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law, and international law. Hong Kong's reputation as an international city was founded on respect for the rule of law, the independence of its institutions, its high degree of autonomy, and protection of the rights and freedoms afforded to all people living and working there. The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, rushed through the legislative process despite its significance, will have far-reaching implications for all of these areas. That is why the Foreign Secretary on 19 March urged the Hong Kong authorities to respect rights and freedoms and act in accordance with its international commitments and legal obligations. We continue to analyse the extent of the impact this will have on British nationals and businesses in Hong Kong, and have updated our Travel Advice and Overseas Business Risk accordingly.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the potential impact of Article 23 on the (a) civil liberties and (b) human rights of people in Hong Kong.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Hong Kong is required to ensure national security legislation complies with international standards and upholds rights and freedoms, as set out in the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law, and international law. Hong Kong's reputation as an international city was founded on respect for the rule of law, the independence of its institutions, its high degree of autonomy, and protection of the rights and freedoms afforded to all people living and working there. The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, rushed through the legislative process despite its significance, will have far-reaching implications for all of these areas. That is why the Foreign Secretary on 19 March urged the Hong Kong authorities to respect rights and freedoms and act in accordance with its international commitments and legal obligations. We continue to analyse the extent of the impact this will have on British nationals and businesses in Hong Kong, and have updated our Travel Advice and Overseas Business Risk accordingly.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she is taking steps with (a) tech companies and (b) non-profits to improve the accessibility of digital content for people facing literacy barriers.

Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This Government has been clear that ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age is a key priority and continues to take steps to offer needed support, including through the new Cross-Whitehall Ministerial Group for Digital Inclusion.

Our 2021 Online Media Literacy Strategy seeks to support organisations to undertake activity in a more coordinated, wide-reaching, and high-quality way. Over the last year, we have funded 13 media literacy projects aimed at vulnerable and/or hard-to-reach citizens, including young women excluded from mainstream education and children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

The Online Safety Act empowers Ofcom to request information from in-scope companies about their media literacy activities to allow better visibility of tech industry efforts.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help promote freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in West Papua, in the context of recent reports of political imprisonment in that region.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government remains committed to upholding and defending human rights, freedom of speech and equality at home and oversees. We are aware of increased tensions in the Papua region and we continue to monitor developments closely. We have raised the issue of Papua with the Indonesian Embassy in London. Officials from the British Embassy in Jakarta visited Papua in March 2022 and met with officials, police, local business, human rights defenders, environmentalists and religious leaders. They also visited the region in February and July 2023.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure the (a) integrity and (b) confidentiality of digital evidence in sexual assault cases.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

The Government’s Rape Review highlighted the importance of digital forensics and disclosure of digital material in improving our response to sexual offences.

We have legislated to put the Forensic Science Regulator (FSR) and code of practice on a statutory footing. Compliance with the FSR’s code will ensure the integrity of digital evidence presented to the courts, helping to maintain public confidence in our systems.

Through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (2022), we introduced a clear statutory basis for requesting devices from victims of crime so that information is only shared with their agreement and where necessary and proportionate and in response to a reasonable line of enquiry. This helps forces to ensure that the high standards of Data Protection Act are met when processing sensitive personal information belonging to victims of crime.

We are also working across the system to ensure that police forces have the technology and capabilities they require. In 23/24, the Home Office invested £8.2m to increase capacity and speed in digital forensics, including supporting selective extraction and examination of data on digital devices to better protect victims from intrusive investigations.

To drive further improvements in the response to sexual offences, we invested £9.4m in Operation Soteria, bringing together police and academics to develop a new national operating model for the investigation of rape which is currently being implemented by all police forces in England and Wales.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing sanctions for cases of puppy smuggling.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In August 2021, the Government launched a consultation on proposed restrictions, including enforcement measures, to the commercial import and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. We are carefully reviewing the feedback gathered from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, and a summary will be published soon.

The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill will contain powers that will enable future regulations, including penalties and offences, for non-compliant commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department provides guidance to water companies on best practice for debt collection.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Guidance on best practice for debt collection by water companies was published in May 2022 by Ofwat, the independent economic regulator, in its Paying Fair Guidelines. These guidelines include best practice principles and minimum expectations for the provision of support to customers who are in debt and to those who are facing debt recovery action.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to include information about the benefits of eating (a) wholemeal and (b) traditionally made bread in the school curriculum to promote healthier eating habits.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The government wants to support the health and well-being of everyone. The department recognises the importance of education in delivering this aim and is supporting schools in a number of ways to provide high-quality healthy eating education for their students.

The department does not specify how schools should teach the curriculum. It is a framework setting out the content of what the department expects schools to cover in each subject and trusts that teachers will develop the right approach for pupils in their particular school.

Cooking and nutrition are a discrete strand of the national curriculum for design and technology and is compulsory for key stages 1 to 3. The curriculum aims to teach children how to cook and how to apply the principles of healthy eating and nutrition. Students should become competent in a range of cooking techniques, as well as understanding the characteristics of a broad range of ingredients. The curriculum does not specify bread, but teachers may choose to include it among the foods they study.

A food preparation and nutrition GCSE, introduced in September 2016, requires pupils to understand and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating when preparing and cooking food. Pupils learn about bread when studying food groups, where they could learn about the nutritional benefits of wholemeal. Similarly, they develop dough making skills in the preparation section of the course, allowing them to learn about traditional bread making.

The importance of healthy eating is also included in the science curriculum for both primary and secondary schools. Healthy eating is covered through topics relating to nutrition and digestion, which cover the content of a healthy diet and the impact of diet on how the body functions.

The statutory guidance for Relationships, Sex and Health Education includes content on the importance of daily exercise, good nutrition and the risks associated with an inactive lifestyle, including obesity.

Oak National Academy will be providing a fully resourced curriculum for key stage 1 to key stage 3 for food and nutrition. This will align with the national curriculum and also Oak’s guiding principles, which focus on the knowledge and skills specific to food and nutrition.

In addition, the standards for school food are set out in the requirements for school food regulations 2014, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standards-for-school-food-in-england. These regulations are to ensure that schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. The standards require bread, with no added fat or oil, to be available every day. The ‘School food standards practical guide’ encourages use of wholegrain varieties of starchy foods, as well as using at least half wholemeal or granary flour when making bread, puddings, cakes, biscuits, batters and sauces. The ‘School food standards practical guide’ can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools/school-food-standards-practical-guide#the-standards-for-school-lunch.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which sectors have seen a reduction in exports since 31 January 2020; and what estimate she has made of the impact on GDP of those reductions by sector.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

UK trade statistics experienced higher levels of volatility between 2019 and 2022, due to the pandemic, global recession, supply chain disruption, EU Exit, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, price inflation, and data collection changes. Hence the department uses 2018 as the most recent stable baseline when comparing trends over time. Over this period (2018 to 2023) and after adjusting for inflation, UK exports of services rose £44bn (13%) and exports of goods (excluding precious metals) fell £45bn (-12%). With goods exports to the EU down £22bn (-13%) and down £22bn (-12%) to non-EU countries.

Changes in UK exports by commodity groups and service types are published by the ONS in their monthly UK trade publication. In 2023 compared to 2018, UK GDP increased by £80bn (4%) in real terms. This was driven by an £84bn (5%) increase for the services sector. We have not estimated how much of this was due to any change in exports.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which industries have seen a reduction in exports since 31 January 2020; and what proportion those exports have reduced by.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

UK trade statistics experienced higher levels of volatility between 2019 and 2022, due to the pandemic, global recession, supply chain disruption, EU Exit, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, price inflation, and data collection changes. Hence the department uses 2018 as the most recent stable baseline when comparing trends over time. Over this period (2018 to 2023) and after adjusting for inflation, UK exports of services rose £44bn (13%) and exports of goods (excluding precious metals) fell £45bn (-12%). With goods exports to the EU down £22bn (-13%) and down £22bn (-12%) to non-EU countries.

Changes in UK exports by commodity groups and service types are published by the ONS in their monthly UK trade publication. In 2023 compared to 2018, UK GDP increased by £80bn (4%) in real terms. This was driven by an £84bn (5%) increase for the services sector. We have not estimated how much of this was due to any change in exports.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Southern Water on updating its sewage infrastructure, in the context of recent sewage discharges into the River Test.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has regular engagement with water companies to discuss a range of issues including measures to reduce sewage discharges, and improvements to water company infrastructure.

For example, in December 2023, he wrote to all water company Chief Executives, requesting that they improve sewer maintenance programmes over the next twelve months to help prevent storm overflow discharges.

Southern Water’s forward investment plan for sewage infrastructure, including planned improvements near the Test, is detailed in their draft business plan for the next Price Review period, which will run from 2025 - 2030. This is currently being reviewed by Ofwat. Ofwat’s determination will be issued later this year.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Environment Agency is taking to monitor levels of (a) ammonia and (b) e-coli in the River Test.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency (EA) has deployed a real time Water Quality monitor both upstream and downstream of Fullerton storm overflow in February 2024. The real time monitor is providing data on the ammonium levels in the river Test.

Data from upstream and downstream is being collected and analysed regarding the impact on the overall water quality of the river along with other parameters such as turbidity.

The EA has confirmed that there is no requirement to monitor e-coli in this instance as the ammonium data is the key indicator of water quality that may be compromised by organic material from an anthropogenic process, entering the watercourse.

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 with regulators to (a) safeguard the interests of consumers and (b) help ensure the financial stability of the water sector.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The five yearly Price Review process is currently underway for the period 2025-30, in which Ofwat sets an overall cap on the total amount that each water company may recover from their customers. As part of this process, Ofwat balances the interests of consumers with the ability of companies to finance the delivery of their services.

Regarding safeguarding consumer interests, Government is mindful consumers are concerned about their bills. For this reason, Defra expects all water companies to make customers aware of available support, including WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks, and debt management assistance. We are continuing to work with industry to explore options to improve existing social tariff arrangements and welcome the planned household charging trials in 2024-25.

Regarding financial stability, Ofwat assesses and monitors the financial resilience of each company on an individual and ongoing basis and challenges companies where they identify this is needed. As part of this work, Ofwat produces an annual ‘Monitoring Financial Resilience Report’ to provide a publicly available assessment of the financial resilience of each water company. Through this publication, Ofwat aims to promote a focus on efficient investment that secures long-term resilience and delivers long-term value for money for customers and the environment.

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 help ensure the (a) continuity and (b) quality of water services for people served by Thames Water.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Whilst the Government recognises Thames Water needs to take significant steps to improve its performance, Thames Water nonetheless provides some of the highest quality drinking water in the world along with other water companies in England.

Regulators ensure that companies have yearly performance commitment targets for continuity and quality of supply and hold companies to account when these targets are not reached. Government Ministers will shortly be meeting with Thames Water to reassert the importance of meeting all targets set by the regulators and ensure no customer is affected by failure to do so.

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 help tackle chronic loneliness in people over the age of 65; and what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of those steps.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Many people experience loneliness and social isolation, and the Government is committed to reducing the stigma associated with loneliness, and building a more connected society. Government, local councils, health systems and voluntary and community sector organisations all have an important role to play in achieving this.

Since publishing the first ever government Strategy for Tackling Loneliness and appointing the world’s first Minister for Loneliness in 2018, we have invested almost £80 million in tackling loneliness. These interventions include a national communications campaign that aims to reduce the stigma of loneliness, which has reached at least 25 million people across the country. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is also delivering the ‘Know Your Neighbourhood Fund’ to boost volunteering and reduce loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England. We have also brought together over 750 people from across the public, private and charity sectors through our Tackling Loneliness Hub, where members can learn from events and workshops, share the latest research and collaborate on new initiatives.

Last March, we published the fourth annual report of our Tackling Loneliness Strategy. It contains over 60 new and ongoing commitments from 11 government departments. So far, we have made progress against at least 46 of these commitments and at least 7 have been completed. Due to the nature of the commitments many have now been incorporated into business as usual. The fifth annual report will provide a full update on commitments, and is due to be published in May.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons he used a private charter flight for his visit to Rwanda in December 2023; and whether his Department made an assessment of the potential merits of using alternative forms of transport.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)

All Government spend goes through thorough due diligence to ensure best value for money.

Stopping the boats is one of our top priorities. The cost of the asylum system could reach up to £11 billion per year by 2026, so bold solutions like our partnership with Rwanda are required.

Various elements, such as security and timing, will be taken into consideration when looking at Government travel, including use of the Government’s plane.

On the visit, the Home Secretary signed a joint treaty with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Dr Vincent Biruta, strengthening the UK and Rwanda’s Migration and Economic Development Partnership and directly addressing the concerns of the Supreme Court.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department takes to assess the (a) potential impact and (b) value for money of (i) his visit to Rwanda in December 2023 and (ii) other ministerial overseas visits.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)

All Government spend goes through thorough due diligence to ensure best value for money.

Stopping the boats is one of our top priorities. The cost of the asylum system could reach up to £11 billion per year by 2026, so bold solutions like our partnership with Rwanda are required.

Various elements, such as security and timing, will be taken into consideration when looking at Government travel, including use of the Government’s plane.

On the visit, the Home Secretary signed a joint treaty with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Dr Vincent Biruta, strengthening the UK and Rwanda’s Migration and Economic Development Partnership and directly addressing the concerns of the Supreme Court.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with (a) local communities and (b) voluntary organisations to combat loneliness and social isolation in (i) older men and (ii) all elderly people.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Many people experience loneliness and social isolation, and the Government is committed to reducing the stigma associated with loneliness, and building a more connected society. Government, local councils, health systems and voluntary and community sector organisations all have an important role to play in achieving this.

Since publishing the first ever government Strategy for Tackling Loneliness and appointing the world’s first Minister for Loneliness in 2018, we have invested almost £80 million in tackling loneliness. These interventions include a national communications campaign that aims to reduce the stigma of loneliness, which has reached at least 25 million people across the country. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is also delivering the ‘Know Your Neighbourhood Fund’ to boost volunteering and reduce loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England. We have also brought together over 750 people from across the public, private and charity sectors through our Tackling Loneliness Hub, where members can learn from events and workshops, share the latest research and collaborate on new initiatives.

Last March, we published the fourth annual report of our Tackling Loneliness Strategy. It contains over 60 new and ongoing commitments from 11 government departments. So far, we have made progress against at least 46 of these commitments and at least 7 have been completed. Due to the nature of the commitments many have now been incorporated into business as usual. The fifth annual report will provide a full update on commitments, and is due to be published in May.

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 help tackle moderate to high-levels of social isolation experienced by some older men.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Many people experience loneliness and social isolation, and the Government is committed to reducing the stigma associated with loneliness, and building a more connected society. Government, local councils, health systems and voluntary and community sector organisations all have an important role to play in achieving this.

Since publishing the first ever government Strategy for Tackling Loneliness and appointing the world’s first Minister for Loneliness in 2018, we have invested almost £80 million in tackling loneliness. These interventions include a national communications campaign that aims to reduce the stigma of loneliness, which has reached at least 25 million people across the country. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is also delivering the ‘Know Your Neighbourhood Fund’ to boost volunteering and reduce loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England. We have also brought together over 750 people from across the public, private and charity sectors through our Tackling Loneliness Hub, where members can learn from events and workshops, share the latest research and collaborate on new initiatives.

Last March, we published the fourth annual report of our Tackling Loneliness Strategy. It contains over 60 new and ongoing commitments from 11 government departments. So far, we have made progress against at least 46 of these commitments and at least 7 have been completed. Due to the nature of the commitments many have now been incorporated into business as usual. The fifth annual report will provide a full update on commitments, and is due to be published in May.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's press release entitled More synthetic opioids banned to protect communities, published on 20 March 2023, what assessment he has made of the impact of the change in legal status on the (a) spread and (b) use of these substances.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling Class A drugs, including synthetic opioids, is a priority for the Government due to the harm caused to users, society and the economy.

The HMG Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is working with partner agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Police Chiefs Council to deliver an evidence-based response to the level of risk posed by synthetic opioids, and implement policies to stem the demand and supply of these dangerous substances.

As of 20 March, 15 dangerous synthetic opioids have come under the tightest controls as Class A drugs. An impact assessment has been published which outlines the potential impacts of the legislation, and which includes a qualitative assessment of the potential use and spread of these substances.. By controlling these substances, we anticipate an increase in public awareness of their harms and that law enforcement are able to respond to the supply and production of these drugs.

To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together in a zero-tolerance approach, ensuring all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including dark net markets. Dedicated teams use a range of tools and techniques generally unavailable to most investigators and we make sure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe.

Border Force are leading on a series of intensifications at the border to strengthen our intelligence on how these substances reach the UK. Furthermore, Home Office supports the NCA’s International Liaison Officer network and Border Force’s international work through funding posts in key transit and source countries to stop drugs from coming to the UK in the first place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle the importation of nitazenes into the UK.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling Class A drugs, including synthetic opioids, is a priority for the Government due to the harm caused to users, society and the economy.

The HMG Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is working with partner agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Police Chiefs Council to deliver an evidence-based response to the level of risk posed by synthetic opioids, and implement policies to stem the demand and supply of these dangerous substances.

As of 20 March, 15 dangerous synthetic opioids have come under the tightest controls as Class A drugs. An impact assessment has been published which outlines the potential impacts of the legislation, and which includes a qualitative assessment of the potential use and spread of these substances.. By controlling these substances, we anticipate an increase in public awareness of their harms and that law enforcement are able to respond to the supply and production of these drugs.

To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together in a zero-tolerance approach, ensuring all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including dark net markets. Dedicated teams use a range of tools and techniques generally unavailable to most investigators and we make sure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe.

Border Force are leading on a series of intensifications at the border to strengthen our intelligence on how these substances reach the UK. Furthermore, Home Office supports the NCA’s International Liaison Officer network and Border Force’s international work through funding posts in key transit and source countries to stop drugs from coming to the UK in the first place.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to shorten the diagnostic pathway for ovarian cancer by allowing the CA125 blood test and ultrasound to be undertaken at the same time.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is supporting NHS England in developing Best Practice Timed pathways, to support the ongoing improvement effort to shorten diagnosis pathways, reduce variation, improve patient experience of care, and meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard. This standard ensures patients are told they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out, within 28 days of urgent cancer referral from general practice or screening service.

In March 2023, NHS England published guidance for local health and care systems to implement a timed gynaecological cancer diagnostic pathway, including for ovarian cancer. The gynaecological pathway ensures that at day zero, when presenting with symptoms, an ultrasound and a minimum data set is obtained, which includes a full blood count. For patients with suspected ovarian cancer, the minimum dataset should also include tumour marker CA125, with confirmation of suspicious features of ovarian cancer on ultrasound.

The guidance further ensures that patients with persistent abdominal symptoms, raised CA125, and a normal pelvic scan should be referred through the non-specific symptoms rapid diagnostic centre pathway. Women over 50 years old with elevated CA125 and palpable mass or ascites, or both, or with a previous ultrasound with risk of malignancy, should be referred straight to a computed tomography scan.

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 (a) support and (b) promote sustainable and regenerative wheat farming practices.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We understand the increasing importance of farmers having access to crop varieties that are resistant to climate change and variable weather conditions, to maintain crop quality and yields.

The recent Precision Breeding Act is a major step in unlocking growth and innovation in technologies like gene editing and supports Defra’s efforts to reinforce food security in the face of climate change. Through the Act we want to encourage researchers and commercial breeders to be at the forefront of capturing the potential benefits of precision breeding for British farmers and consumers. For instance, research into wheat that is resilient to climate change is currently underway at the John Innes Centre. Gene editing techniques have been used to identify a key gene in wheat that can be used to introduce traits such as heat resilience whilst maintaining high yield.  This could help to increase food production from a crop that 2.5 billion people are dependent on globally.

Our Genetic Improvement Networks also provide a platform for knowledge exchange for breeders, producers, end users and the research base, and a means for the delivery of scientific knowledge, resources and results to add value to UK crops.

The £270 million Farming Innovation Programme supports industry-led research and development in agriculture and horticulture. All projects support productivity and environmental outcomes that will benefit farmers and growers in England. In our latest ‘climate smart’ farming themed competition, we awarded over £11 million to projects investigating novel approaches to growing and managing crops. Previous competitions have also supported crop-related research.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with (a) the National Crime Agency and (b) local police forces on collaboration on tackling dark net markets involved in the distribution of synthetic opioids.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling Class A drugs, including synthetic opioids, is a priority for the Government due to the harm caused to users, society and the economy.

The HMG Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is working with partner agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Police Chiefs Council to deliver an evidence-based response to the level of risk posed by synthetic opioids, and implement policies to stem the demand and supply of these dangerous substances.

As of 20 March, 15 dangerous synthetic opioids have come under the tightest controls as Class A drugs. An impact assessment has been published which outlines the potential impacts of the legislation, and which includes a qualitative assessment of the potential use and spread of these substances.. By controlling these substances, we anticipate an increase in public awareness of their harms and that law enforcement are able to respond to the supply and production of these drugs.

To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together in a zero-tolerance approach, ensuring all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including dark net markets. Dedicated teams use a range of tools and techniques generally unavailable to most investigators and we make sure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe.

Border Force are leading on a series of intensifications at the border to strengthen our intelligence on how these substances reach the UK. Furthermore, Home Office supports the NCA’s International Liaison Officer network and Border Force’s international work through funding posts in key transit and source countries to stop drugs from coming to the UK in the first place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how his Department plans to assess the impact of the Synthetic Opioid Taskforce on the (a) supply and (b) demand for these drugs.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling Class A drugs, including synthetic opioids, is a priority for the Government due to the harm caused to users, society and the economy.

The HMG Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is working with partner agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Police Chiefs Council to deliver an evidence-based response to the level of risk posed by synthetic opioids, and implement policies to stem the demand and supply of these dangerous substances.

As of 20 March, 15 dangerous synthetic opioids have come under the tightest controls as Class A drugs. An impact assessment has been published which outlines the potential impacts of the legislation, and which includes a qualitative assessment of the potential use and spread of these substances.. By controlling these substances, we anticipate an increase in public awareness of their harms and that law enforcement are able to respond to the supply and production of these drugs.

To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together in a zero-tolerance approach, ensuring all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including dark net markets. Dedicated teams use a range of tools and techniques generally unavailable to most investigators and we make sure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe.

Border Force are leading on a series of intensifications at the border to strengthen our intelligence on how these substances reach the UK. Furthermore, Home Office supports the NCA’s International Liaison Officer network and Border Force’s international work through funding posts in key transit and source countries to stop drugs from coming to the UK in the first place.