Written questions by Rosindell.

When he expects to publish draft regulations on the ban on high-caffeine energy drink sales to under 16s; what lead in time she considers appropriate for vending operators; and whether the Government plans a staged implementation or any pilot programme for new enforcement technologies.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Whether he plans to introduce restrictions on the sale of coffee and other high caffeine beverages to under 16s.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

With reference to his Department’s Impact Assessment entitled Banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 years, published on 23 June 2025, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the proportion of high-caffeine energy drinks sold to children under 16 years by (i) vending machines (ii) corner shops and convenience stores and (b) the primary sources of high-caffeine energy drinks sold to children under 16 years.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

With reference to his Department’s Impact Assessment entitled Banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 years, published on 23 June 2025, what steps his Department is taking to tackle access to high-caffeine energy drinks by children under 16 years at home or through friends; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of banning vending machine sales of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 years on the level of overall consumption; and what plans his Department has to take further regulatory steps towards a wider ban of such drinks.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

What plans his Department has to undertake trials or pilots of restrictions on high-caffeine energy drink sales through vending machines prior to national implementation, including to improve the evidence base and inform future policy decisions.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Whether it remains his Department's policy to restrict the age threshold to 16 for purchasing high-caffeine energy drinks; whether he is considering increasing that threshold to 18; and what assessment he has made of the compatibility of this policy with plans to lower the voting age to 16.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

What assessment his Department has made of (a) how gyms with existing over 18 membership policies could enforce restrictions on sales via vending machines where a parent purchases a high-caffeine energy drink for a child and (b) the potential impact of this policy on predominantly adult only facilities.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

What duties the proposed policy on banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16s would place on gyms supervising under 16 sessions to enforce possible vending machine restrictions; and what assessment he has made of (a) the level of customer intervention required to enforce such restrictions and (b) the potential risks of confrontation or conflict arising from those duties.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Whether his Department has modelled compliance expectations for unmanned 24 hour vending machines in (a) workplaces and (b) leisure settings.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

What assessment his Department has made of adequacy of the level of regulation on vending operators following the implementation of the planned ban on high-caffeine energy drinks for under 16s and the Deposit Return Scheme.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Whether his Department has reviewed international deployment of age verification technology for vending machines, including jurisdictions trialling such systems, associated costs and measured outcomes, prior to assessing its suitability for the UK.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

How many Royal Navy destroyers and frigates were fully operational and deployable at immediate readiness in each of the last 12 months.

The Royal Navy maintains a high state of operational readiness across its core capabilities, including the Continuous At Sea Deterrent, Carrier Strike, frigates and destroyers, submarines, aviation, the Royal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The Fleet is deployed globally to protect the UK’s security and interests, working alongside allies and partners.It is important to understand readiness as a constant cycle with ships moving regularly through maintenance, training, deployment and recovery phases. For reasons of operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not give detailed information on past or current levels of readiness for individual Royal Navy warships.

What factors contributed to the time taken between the drone attack on Cyprus and the deployment of HMS Dragon from Portsmouth.

We do not comment on deployment decisions for reasons of operational security.

Pursuant to the written answer to Question 108177 of 3 February 2026 whether any exempt vignettes were granted to family members of consular officers who do not fall into the aforementioned categories.

The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the operational readiness of the Royal Navy.

The Royal Navy maintains a high state of operational readiness across its core capabilities, including the Continuous At Sea Deterrent, Carrier Strike, frigates and destroyers, submarines, aviation, the Royal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The Fleet is deployed globally to protect the UK’s security and interests, working alongside allies and partners.It is important to understand readiness as a constant cycle with ships moving regularly through maintenance, training, deployment and recovery phases. For reasons of operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not give detailed information on past or current levels of readiness for individual Royal Navy warships.

When his Department last conducted a review of the UK’s defence posture in the South Atlantic; and whether he plans to commission a new assessment.

I refer the hon. gentleman to the response given to Question 118648 on 16 March 2026. For operational and personnel security reasons we do not disclose the precise force levels deployed in the South Atlantic.

For what reason the French Navy responded more quickly than the Royal Navy to the recent drone incident in Cyprus.

We cannot comment on the deployment decisions of other nations.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK’s military capability to defend the Falkland Islands from potential aggression.

I refer the hon. gentleman to the response given to Question 118648 on 16 March 2026. For operational and personnel security reasons we do not disclose the precise force levels deployed in the South Atlantic.

What the force levels are at RAF Mount Pleasant; and whether he plans to review them.

I refer the hon. gentleman to the response given to Question 118648 on 16 March 2026. For operational and personnel security reasons we do not disclose the precise force levels deployed in the South Atlantic.

How many and what proportion of Chevening Scholars have claimed asylum in the United Kingdom since 2019.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of people claiming asylum where the latest leave held prior to claim was a study visa is published in table Asy_D01a of the ‘Asylum claims and initial decisions datasets’. The number of student entry clearance visas issued is published in table Vis_D02 of the 'Entry clearance visas datasets'.The requested information on asylum claims from Chevening scholars is not available from published statistics.Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.