Written questions by Easton.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the early flu season on (a) corridor care, (b) hospital capacity and (c) patient outcomes.

We continue to monitor the impact of flu and the performance of hospitals over the winter months.The Department is continuing to take key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on accident and emergency, increasing vaccination rates, and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care boards and trust winter plans to ensure that they are able to meet demand and ensure patient flow.Flu is a recurring pressure that the National Health Service faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant people, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.

What steps her Department is taking to support investment in port infrastructure to (a) strengthen the UK’s supply chains and (b) boost regional economic growth.

The UK’s ports sector is largely privately owned and operated, with the Government’s role primarily to ensure that the policy and regulatory environment supports investment. Ports policy is devolved, with the Department for Transport responsible for ports in England and Milford Haven in Wales. My Department is streamlining planning and regulatory processes for these ports, including by updating the National Policy Statement for Ports.The Government provides targeted support where there are clear public benefits, such as on decarbonisation. In September the Department announced a £448 million extension to the UK SHORE programme, the biggest ever Government investment in commercial maritime across the UK. In addition, my Department is working with the National Wealth Fund, which has committed at least £5.8 billion of its capital to five sectors, including UK ports. The Government is also establishing a new Supply Chain Centre which will be used to review priorities for our Public Financial Institutions and sector grant funds, ensuring that economic resilience is embedded into future investment and financial support.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the BBC Board on compliance with statutory obligations on impartiality; and whether her Department plans to bring the BBC's editorial standards under Government control.

As set out in my response to WPQ 89121, the Secretary of State has been speaking regularly to the Chair of the Board in relation to the points raised in a letter written by Michael Prescott. The public expects and deserves the highest editorial standards from the BBC. The Secretary of State has been consistently clear that where these standards are not met, firm and transparent action must follow. The BBC is editorially and operationally independent from the Government and this is a crucial component of why people trust it. As such, the BBC Board is responsible for setting and overseeing the BBC’s editorial guidelines and standards. It is then for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to ensure the BBC is fulfilling its obligations to audiences, including on impartiality and accuracy, as outlined in the Charter.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to (a) Agricultural Property Relief and (b) Business Property Relief on the (i) financial viability of family-run farms, (ii) long-term sustainability of British agriculture and (iii) mental wellbeing of people working within the sector; and if she will review that policy before the Autumn Budget 2025.

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free. The Government has set out that the reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates across the UK claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data. The Government published a tax information and impact note on 21 July 2025 and this is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. More generally, I also refer the Honourable Member to the responses to UIN 66576, UIN 83976, and UIN 86576, which all demonstrate the mental health support provided to farmers by the Government. The Government will also invest more than £2.7 billion a year in sustainable farming and nature recovery from 2026-27 until 2028-29. This includes the largest financial investment into nature-friendly farming ever.

Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the BBC Board on the editing of a speech by the President of the United States on 6 January 2021 in an edition of Panorama broadcast in October 2024; and what recent discussions she has had with the BBC Board on its adherence to its editorial guidelines on (a) impartiality and (b) accuracy in political reporting.

The Secretary of State has been speaking regularly to the Chair of the Board in relation to the points raised in a letter written by Michael Prescott, a former independent adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee (EGSC). Dr Samir Shah, Chair of the BBC, has rightly apologised for editorial failings, and has committed to a number of steps including undertaking a review of each item set out in Michael Prescott’s letter and reviewing how the EGSC works and propose changes.The public expects and deserves the highest editorial standards from the BBC. The Secretary of State has been consistently clear that where these standards are not met, firm and transparent action must follow. The Government therefore welcomes the steps set out by the Chair, and the Secretary of State will continue to seek updates on their progress.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve access to (a) specialist healthcare, (b) information at diagnosis and (c) financial support for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their population, including for Parkinson’s. In doing so, the Government expects ICBs to take account of the relevant guidelines and best practice in designing their local services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline on Parkinson’s disease, code NG71, states that people with Parkinson’s should have an accessible point of contact with specialist services, which can be provided by a Parkinson’s nurse specialist, and that all individuals should be offered access to the services provided by these specialist nurses to support ongoing care and adviceNHS England has established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care to support ICBs to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including for those with Parkinson’s. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions. A toolkit is being developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which will include components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and RightCare Toolkit for Progressive Neurological Conditions aim to improve care for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s Connect allows healthcare professionals to refer patients at the point of diagnosis directly to support that Parkinson’s UK offers, such as local support groups, a confidential helpline, and online learning resources.The Diagnosis Connect service will directly refer patients to specialist charities at the point of diagnosis for personalised advice, information, guidance, and support.The Department for Work and Pensions offers Personal Independence Payments (PIP) to individuals with health conditions or disabilities. However, there is currently no automatic entitlement to PIP in relation to a specific health condition, except in cases of people nearing the end of life.

With reference to the loss of Chinook ZD576 on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994, for what reason the Full Authority Digital Engine Control system of the RAF Chinook fleet at that time was (a) accepted off-contract without verification of the Safety Critical Software and (b) without a Certificate of Design and Performance; and whether the his Department's Independent Safety Assurance Authority raised any concerns regarding its implementation.

Our deepest sympathies remain with the bereaved families of this tragic accident. I refer the hon. Member to The Mull of Kintyre Review published in 2011, specifically pages 17-18, which covers this aspect of the detailed inquiries into the tragic loss of Chinook ZD 576.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of training given to firefighters attending people in mental health crisis.

Fire and rescue authorities (FRA) as employer are responsible for ensuring that firefighters receive the training they need to safely respond to the wide range of incidents that they attend. The National Fire Chiefs Council maintains national operational guidance for fire and rescue services to draw upon when developing operational policies, procedures and training. The fire and rescue national framework requires all fire and rescue authorities to work collaboratively with partner agencies such as NHS, mental health services, and the police and integrate training reflecting current societal risks such as mental health crises. Each FRA must align its training and response strategies to meet these national policy expectations.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of training given to police officers attending people in mental health crisis.

The College of Policing set the professional standards for police in England and Wales. The College’s core guidance includes the initial training for officers under the Policing Education Qualifications Framework which incorporates autism, learning disabilities, mental health including their powers under section 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and vulnerabilities. Through this, officers are taught to assess vulnerability and amend their approaches as required.The College further promotes the need for frameworks to assess vulnerability, to aid in consistent identification, support decision making, and to trigger appropriate safeguarding action. Such principles and practices are set out in a number of college products, including the Detention and Custody Authorised Professional Practice.Police officers are not mental health experts, neither are they expected to be. However, the training available to police officers in respect of mental ill health or other vulnerabilities is aimed at equipping them to identify potential issues and to know when interventions from partner agencies and health professionals may be needed.Policing is operationally independent, and it is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake and to set and enforce standards, giving them the flexibility to address their own local challenges, needs and priorities. They are inspected biannually by His Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) whose role is to independently report on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces, including inspecting how forces protect vulnerable people.The College of Policing’s Approved Professional Practice for mental health is currently undergoing a full review, which will be going out for public consultation in the coming months.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the recent attack on Druze civilians in Suwayda Province, Syria; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to protect the community.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided for question HL10173 on 26 September 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Kyrgyz counterpart on the (a) imprisonment and (b) torture of (i) Pastor Pavel Shreider and (ii) members of the True and Free Reform Adventist Church; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure their release.

The UK regularly engages with Kyrgyzstan both bilaterally and in multilateral settings on a range of issues, including human rights matters. I raised Human rights concerns during our Strategic Dialogue in February this year. In Kyrgyzstan's most recent UN Universal Periodic Review in April this year, the UK raised concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression and recommended amending legislation regarding "Incitement of racial, ethnic, national, religious interregional hatred". Our Embassy in Kyrgyzstan monitors the human rights in the country and works closely with civil society organisations and multilateral partners.

What data his Department holds on the reasons for passengers travelling on the Chinook Mk2 aircraft involved in the Mull of Kintyre crash in 1994.

I refer the hon. Member to The Mull of Kintyre Review undertaken by the Rt Hon Lord Philip published on 13 July 2011. This review states that “This was an annual tasking to transport Northern Ireland based senior intelligence and security officers to a security conference outside the Province (p12)”.

What investigation was carried out into the incidents involving the Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system that caused the replacement of a Chinook helicopter’s number 1 engine on arrival at RAF Odiham in April 1994 and the subsequent replacement of that engine five days later following a second FADEC incident.

It is assumed that this question is asked in relation to Chinook ZD576, the helicopter involved in the tragedy on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994. The Board of Inquiry into this tragic accident refers to issues relating to the No. 1 Engine, the investigations into these issues and the remedial action that was taken stating that: “Both engine malfunctions concerned the No 1 Engine Change Unit (ECU). The first malfunction concerned a torque indication fault and this was rectified by the replacement of the ECU. The second malfunction concerned an undemanded rise in N1 and Power Turbine Inlet Temperature. The fault could not be satisfactorily diagnosed, and both the ECU and engine control unit were replaced.” This extract from the BoI is included on page 8 of the House of Lords Report of RAF Board of Inquiry published 8 November 2001.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the introduction of neonatal care leave and pay in Northern Ireland.

I welcome the introduction earlier this year of neonatal care leave and pay in Great Britain, which will provide vital support to parents whose babies require specialist care in the first weeks of life, ensuring they will have additional time away from work at such a critical time.My ministerial team and officials regularly engage with the Northern Ireland Executive and we are aware of the ongoing discussions about the possibility of leave and pay for parents whose newborn babies require neonatal care being introduced in Northern Ireland.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Cuban counterpart on the resentencing of Donaida Pérez Paseiro on 11 June 2025; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure her release.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer of 20 October 2025 to question 78060 which sets out our position. The UK continues to call for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Cuba, without condition. We are monitoring the situation closely.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of requiring company directors to obtain digital identification through Companies House from November 2025 on administration for businesses.

Identity verification is designed to be quick and straightforward. Individuals can verify their identity digitally through GOV.UK One Login, for free, via an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), such as an accountant or solicitor, or in-person at the Post Office. In most cases, the digital route takes a few minutes.Our 2024 Impact Assessment concluded that the familiarisation and time-based costs to businesses of identity verification are minimal. The cost to an average officer for identity verification is £10.50, and up to £25.20 for a harder-to-verify individual (2019 prices) and £2.10 to confirm each appointment.

What assessment he has made of the impact of being part of the UK on Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is a much valued part of the UK and brings an enormous richness to the life of our country. Northern Ireland also benefits hugely from being part of the UK.For example, the Northern Ireland Executive will receive a record settlement of £19.3 billion per year on average between 2026-27 and 2028-29. This is the largest in the history of devolution, and provides Northern Ireland with over 24% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK.As part of the UK, Northern Ireland will benefit from: £1.9 billion investment in Belfast defence manufacturing; access to £20 billion UK R&D spending; £2 million funding for Queen's University Belfast's Cyber AI Hub; access to £3 billion in UK-wide funding for the advanced manufacturing sector; £310 million over four years as part of the City and Growth Deals; and at least £30 million as part of the Local Innovation Partnership Fund.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty on his Departmental responsibilities.

The Ministry of Justice adheres to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty. The principles inform a range of work across the Department. For example, in 2021, the Ministry of Justice was one of the first Departments to participate in the now civil service-wide initiative Great Place to Work for Veterans. Additionally, we introduced Advance into Justice in March 2022 as a fast-track scheme for service personnel leaving the Armed Forces to become prison officers. The scheme has since been expanded to include a wider range of roles across His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and for all those who have served in the Armed Forces, as well including spouses and legal partners of service personnel.Across the prison estate, almost all prisons have a Veterans in Custody Support Officer to provide tailored support to veterans who find themselves in prison. HMPPS also delivers services via many third sector organisations (including military charities such as SSAFA) who provide a prison in-reach service offering resettlement advice to veterans whilst in custody and guidance in preparation for release. We also have 2 Veterans Activity Hubs at HMP/YOI Holme House and HMP Risley which provide safe and supportive spaces for former service personnel in custody.The Department will continue to work with the Ministry of Defence on the Covenant’s Statutory Guidance and implementation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterpart on reports of (a) degrading treatment of and (b) discrimination against (i) Christian and (ii) Hindu prisoners in that country; and what diplomatic steps she taking to help ensure the protection of religious minority prisoners in that country.

The UK Government is concerned by reports of degrading treatment and discrimination against Christian and Hindu prisoners in Pakistan. Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of our diplomatic engagement and we continue to advocate for their rights with senior Pakistani officials, including in meetings between myself and Pakistan's Human Rights and Interior Ministers earlier this year.Our High Commission in Islamabad also engages regularly with civil society and human rights defenders to monitor prison conditions and advocate for reforms. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to uphold its international obligations and ensure the safety and dignity of all prisoners, regardless of faith.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty to include all of her Department's responsibilities.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation that those who serve, or have served, in the Armed Forces, and their families, including the bereaved, will be treated fairly and not disadvantaged in accessing public and commercial goods and services as a result of their military service. It also allows for special provision, when justified, for those who have sacrificed the most, such as the bereaved and injured. The Covenant Legal Duty helps promote better outcomes for the Armed Forces community when accessing key public services of healthcare, housing, and education, and this will soon be extended to transport. The Department for Transport is well-equipped to meet its obligations under the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty, ensuring that armed forces personnel and their families do not face undue disadvantage when accessing transport services. The Department will continue to work with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the Covenant’s Statutory Guidance and implementation.