Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that companies operating in the UK are carrying out robust due diligence to identify and prevent modern slavery practices within their operations and supply chains.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s current approach to tackling forced labour in global supply chains is focused on driving transparency. Section 54 of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses with a turnover of £36m or more to publish modern slavery statements.
The Government launched a review in the Trade Strategy, into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains.
The review is progressing and is considering the effectiveness of the UK’s current regime and the merits of alternative measures to support responsible business practices, including mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence. We shall update the House when the review is complete.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 53771 on Railways: Finance, what recent progress she has made on the Union Connectivity Development Fund.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Union Connectivity Development Fund (UCDF) has provided financial support for a range of transport connectivity projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This includes funding to support four rail feasibility studies in Northern Ireland, the conclusions of which have just been published in a Translink report.
While there are no plans for further UCDF-supported projects once those already underway are concluded, the Department remains committed to its strong partnerships with the Devolved Governments, focusing on collaboration, capacity building and the sharing of best practice, where appropriate.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contracts Elbit Systems has with the Government; and which defence contracts it is being considered for.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence is unable to confirm what contracts Elbit Systems has with wider Government. It would also not be appropriate to comment on any future ongoing competitions.
Asked by: Peter Swallow (Labour - Bracknell)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support students with dyslexia in the context of the Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report and the SEND white paper.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive the support they need to achieve and thrive, including those with dyslexia. The Curriculum and Assessment Review emphasised inclusion and high standards for all, recommending evidence-led resources to help teachers adapt curricula for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We know that effective early identification and intervention is critical to improving the outcomes for children and young people with SEND. We are strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve early identification in mainstream settings. This includes recently published evidence reviews from University College London which highlight the most effective tools, strategies and approaches to identify and support different types of needs
The department also recently announced new government-backed research into SEND identification, which will aim to develop and test effective approaches to help the early identification of children needing tailored educational support.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 95257 on Children: Data protection, if she will publish a Data Privacy Impact Assessment on the entire Bill.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
A single Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) cannot be conducted on the entire Bill. DPIAs are intended to evaluate specific data processing activities that may present high risks to individuals’ data protection rights, rather than entire pieces of legislation. The department has ensured that all Bill provisions involving personal data comply with data protection legislation by consulting the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under Article 36 of UK GDPR.
We continue to engage with the ICO key measures, such as the Consistent Identifier and Children Not in School (CNIS) measures, to identify and mitigate any data protection risks. In line with our commitment to transparency, we will publish summaries of these DPIAs to provide assurance that children’s data will be processed lawfully and securely once the measures become operational.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) effectiveness and (b) timeliness of patient referrals between organisations in the NHS.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We’re improving referral processing by introducing a Single Point of Access model, which will provide consistent clinical triage and use digital solutions to streamline processes and reduce duplication. This will ensure patients are directed to the right care quickly.
To support general practitioners and avoid delays, we’re introducing national standards for response times and guidance to underpin clinical triage and advice quality. These will be monitored locally by integrated care boards and reviewed regularly.
The NHS App also already allows people to book and manage their secondary care referrals in 100% of acute trusts, with 89% allowing patients to manage follow up appointments too, with 100% expected in 2026.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2025 to question 93149, if she will publish the Programme-level Key Performance Indicators for RISE advisors.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is committed to transparency and accountability. To that end, we will publish the aggregated information on programme-level performance measures and key performance indicators so stakeholders can see how the programme is delivering against its objectives.
Advisers, whether working with targeted schools or through the universal offer, play a vital role in achieving these programme-level outcomes. Their work is aligned to the overarching measures that define success for the programme.
The department does not intend to publish individual adviser objectives. These are part of personal performance management and may constitute personal data, that cannot be disclosed under data protection requirements.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by when will the first phase of the Light Mobility Vehicle Project be completed.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) sub programme is in its Concept Phase. On current plans, formal market engagement will commence in early 2026.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the level of threat posed by Russia’s Arctic naval modernisation programme, including the introduction of armed icebreaking patrol vessels, on UK and allied maritime security in the High North.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence keeps Russian military capabilities and investment under continuous review. We work closely with our NATO Allies to understand the implications of Russian military capability development for Alliance security. NATO is strengthening its deterrence and defence as a result of the increasing threat from Russia and will continue to adapt as necessary.
Hypersonic missiles are just one type of many Russian air and missile capabilities. In light of the increasing threat the UK faces, His Majesty's Government announced up to £1 billion of investment for Integrated Air and Missile Defence in the Strategic Defence Review.
This is part of a comprehensive and integrated approach to deterring and defending against the range of strategic threats we face.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what analysis his Department has conducted on the strategic implications for NATO of Russia’s enhanced Arctic infrastructure, including air base expansions and deployment of advanced air defence systems such as S-400 on Novaya Zemlya.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence keeps Russian military capabilities and investment under continuous review. We work closely with our NATO Allies to understand the implications of Russian military capability development for Alliance security. NATO is strengthening its deterrence and defence as a result of the increasing threat from Russia and will continue to adapt as necessary.
Hypersonic missiles are just one type of many Russian air and missile capabilities. In light of the increasing threat the UK faces, His Majesty's Government announced up to £1 billion of investment for Integrated Air and Missile Defence in the Strategic Defence Review.
This is part of a comprehensive and integrated approach to deterring and defending against the range of strategic threats we face.