Written questions by Rosindell.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make it a criminal offence to (a) intentionally or (b) recklessly (i) disturb or (ii) harass seals.

Defra’s Marine and Coastal Wildlife Code for England provides advice and guidance to help people visit the coast responsibly and minimise disturbance to marine wildlife, including seals.We continue to consider the evidence for legislative change. This includes the proposals submitted by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to the previous Government for amending the lists of species afforded protection by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including seals.

What assessment he has made of the impact of medicines shortages on the wellbeing of community pharmacy teams.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible front door to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals. The Department is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as we shift care from hospital to the community.There is an ongoing global supply problems that continues to impact medicine availability. The Department understands how frustrating and distressing this can be for patients, and we are working closely with industry, the NHS, manufacturers, and other partners in the supply chain to resolve issues as quickly as possible, to make sure patients can access the medicines they need. We recognise this pressure on community pharmacy teams and are working with Community Pharmacy England to support private contractors to deliver quality NHS services. Employers clearly have a key role in supporting their staff, and a number of resources are available from organisations such as Pharmacist Support, for free and confidential advice and support for mental health and wellbeing.

Whether she has had discussions with the Transport Commissioner for London on reducing the levels of particulate pollution on the London Underground.

Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London (TfL) on a variety of issues. However transport in London is devolved to the Mayor, and TfL is responsible for maintaining operations and ensuring health and safety is considered on its network.

Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislation to allow wheelchair users who have been (a) trapped insider their homes or (b) left outside to claim compensation from freeholders for lift malfunction.

The government recognises the importance to wheelchair users of having properly functioning lifts in residential blocks.Landlords are responsible for maintaining lifts and for carrying out periodic thorough inspections to ensure those lifts operate safely.Landlords who breach the terms of their lease may be challenged by leaseholders in the courts.Leaseholders may also challenge the reasonableness of service charges where work is carried out to a poor standard and can apply to the First-tier Tribunal to appoint a manager in cases of serious management failure.The government has no plans to introduce a statutory compensation scheme.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to publish a national beaver reintroduction strategy.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. Further information on this will be published in due course.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Royal Navy’s land-attack missile capability.

The Royal Navy has a potent land attack capability, equipped to strike from above, on, and beneath the water. This includes Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles launched from the Astute Class Submarines, Paveway IV precision guided bombs carried by the F-35B aircraft and the Naval Strike Missile, which is being fitted to surface ships.The Strategic Defence Review, announced in July 2024, will comprehensively evaluate all aspects of defence, including the Royal Navy's land attack capability.

What discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for the Home Department and (b) higher education institutions in England on reducing the number of instances of sexual assault reported in those institutions.

There is no place for sexual misconduct of any kind in higher education (HE) or anywhere else. The department expects university leaders to take positive action to tackle this blight wherever it grows on their campuses. To support universities to stamp out sexual misconduct, the Office for Students has introduced new requirements for preventing, addressing and investigating incidents. These take effect in August 2025. Departmental officials are working with sector bodies to ensure HE providers are prepared to implement the new measures that will establish, amongst other things, regulatory requirements for preventative training, reporting mechanisms and providing support to students. All HE providers will need to show they have the capability and resource capacity to implement the new requirements. More details of this condition can be found here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/student-protection-and-support/harassment-and-sexual-misconduct/prevent-and-address-harassment-and-sexual-misconduct/.

What steps he is taking to improve the cyber security of government digital infrastructure.

We are committed to strengthening security across all aspects of the Government digital estate.The Government Cyber Security Strategy sets a clear target for all government organisations to be resilient to known vulnerabilities and common attack methods by 2030.The recent report from the National Audit Office into Government Cyber Resilience showed that the response needs to be accelerated given the changing threat picture. Its recommendations include development of a whole of government approach, addressing the long-standing shortage of cyber skills, strengthening accountability for cyber risk, and better managing the risks posed by legacy IT. We welcome this report and are taking immediate steps to address its recommendations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to reduce instances of fly-tipping in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

Defra chairs the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG), through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders such as local councils and the Environment Agency to promote good practice on preventing fly-tipping. Various practical tools, including case studies and ‘how to’ guides on key issues such as setting up effective local partnerships, are available from their webpage which is available at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group. We will continue to work with the NFTPG to expand upon these materials.

What steps she is taking to work with relevant authorities to tackle the illegal (a) sale, (b) distribution and (c) use of fentanyl in England.

The Government takes seriously the threat from potent synthetic drugs, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and nitazenes, including protonitazene, and is taking action. Reducing drug harms has important benefits for the Government’s mission to deliver safer streets, improve health outcomes and break down barriers to opportunity.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 counter the distribution and use of these dangerous substances.To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together to ensure all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including those operating within dark web markets, as well as training Border Force dogs to detect a range of nitazenes and fentanyl to stop these substances entering the country in the first place.Fentanyl and protonitazene are both listed as Class A drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA 1971). This means that the supply of these drugs carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Possession carries a maximum penalty of up to 7 years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.The Government has recently introduced a generic control for nitazenes which is intended to reduce the likelihood that criminals can circumvent existing controls by making minor alterations to the chemical structure of nitazenes that are already controlled as Class A drugs under the MDA 1971. This legislation came into force on 15 January.Additionally, the unlawful sale of controlled drugs online is listed as a priority offence in the Online Safety Act, meaning that under this legislation technology companies must proactively remove this type of content from their platforms and use proportionate systems designed to minimise the risk of users from encountering such content. Law enforcement agencies continue to work with internet service providers to shut down UK-based websites found to be committing offences such as sale of illicit substances, this includes those operating on the dark web.Further, to support people with drug dependency who may be at risk of synthetic opioid harm, £267 million has been invested in drug and alcohol treatment this year, improving the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment services in England.

What steps she is taking to tackle the illegal (a) sale, (b) distribution and (c) use of protonitazene.

The Government takes seriously the threat from potent synthetic drugs, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and nitazenes, including protonitazene, and is taking action. Reducing drug harms has important benefits for the Government’s mission to deliver safer streets, improve health outcomes and break down barriers to opportunity.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 counter the distribution and use of these dangerous substances.To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together to ensure all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including those operating within dark web markets, as well as training Border Force dogs to detect a range of nitazenes and fentanyl to stop these substances entering the country in the first place.Fentanyl and protonitazene are both listed as Class A drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA 1971). This means that the supply of these drugs carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Possession carries a maximum penalty of up to 7 years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.The Government has recently introduced a generic control for nitazenes which is intended to reduce the likelihood that criminals can circumvent existing controls by making minor alterations to the chemical structure of nitazenes that are already controlled as Class A drugs under the MDA 1971. This legislation came into force on 15 January.Additionally, the unlawful sale of controlled drugs online is listed as a priority offence in the Online Safety Act, meaning that under this legislation technology companies must proactively remove this type of content from their platforms and use proportionate systems designed to minimise the risk of users from encountering such content. Law enforcement agencies continue to work with internet service providers to shut down UK-based websites found to be committing offences such as sale of illicit substances, this includes those operating on the dark web.Further, to support people with drug dependency who may be at risk of synthetic opioid harm, £267 million has been invested in drug and alcohol treatment this year, improving the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment services in England.

What steps she is taking with higher education institutions to improve (a) training for staff on and (b) levels of awareness of safeguarding at those institutions.

There is no place for sexual misconduct of any kind in higher education (HE) or anywhere else. The department expects university leaders to take positive action to tackle this blight wherever it grows on their campuses. To support universities to stamp out sexual misconduct, the Office for Students has introduced new requirements for preventing, addressing and investigating incidents. These take effect in August 2025. Departmental officials are working with sector bodies to ensure HE providers are prepared to implement the new measures that will establish, amongst other things, regulatory requirements for preventative training, reporting mechanisms and providing support to students. All HE providers will need to show they have the capability and resource capacity to implement the new requirements. More details of this condition can be found here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/student-protection-and-support/harassment-and-sexual-misconduct/prevent-and-address-harassment-and-sexual-misconduct/.

How many government cyber security roles were vacant on 4 February 2025; and what steps he is taking to recruit more people into cyber security roles.

The Government Security Group gathers data from cyber security teams across government through planned bi-annual commissions, providing updates on vacant roles in our workforce. In 2023, 251 cyber roles were reported vacant.The 2025 Government Security Workforce Commission, being undertaken currently, will provide updated data on current vacancy levels.

What information his Department holds on the value of investments in the UK that are held by the sovereign wealth funds of each state in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 3rd February is attached.

Whether her Department plans to support the expansion of Southend Airport.

The Government recognises a role for, and is supportive of, airport expansion where it provides economic growth and is compatible with our net zero targets and strict environmental standards. Should Southend Airport submit a planning application to expand the airport, it would be considered in line with the relevant planning process.

Whether she has plans to amend the rates of Air Passenger Duty.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced APD rates for 2026-27, including a partial adjustment to help compensate for two recent years of inflation that was higher than expected. As with all taxes, the Chancellor makes decisions on APD rates at fiscal events in the context of public finances.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to introduce a vaccination programme for avian influenza.

The vaccination of poultry and captive birds excluding those in licensed zoos in England against avian influenza is not currently permitted. However, Defra continue to invest in avian influenza research, and we continue to monitor the current situation and vaccine usage both in Europe and globally, as well as the effectiveness of any disease control measures taken, including vaccine development. While avian influenza vaccination will not be a viable option for the 24/25 high risk season, Defra have established a cross-government and industry task force to explore potential for use of vaccination as a preventive measure for avian influenza. The taskforce is due to publish an initial report in late spring and will be issuing a statement shortly to update on its work and the latest situation. Details of Defra’s approach and rational regarding avian influenza vaccination have been published here .

What steps her Department is taking to help stop high street bank closures.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, high streets and rural areas across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs, which will provide local residents and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services. Over 200 banking hubs have been recommended so far, and over 100 banking hubs are already open. Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefitting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. While branch closures are commercial decisions for banks and building societies, FCA guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

What steps she is taking to promote the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of officers within the British Transport Police.

The British Transport Police (BTP) are dedicated to building a modern, inclusive, and resilient force that reflects the communities it serves. Their latest headcount figures show the Force is successful at maintaining staff and officer numbers at a consistent level. The Force has focussed on leadership development to foster a culture of empowerment, empathy and support. They have introduced a new well-being programme for the workforce, and they are investing in technology, training and facilities to equip their officers with the necessary tools for the dynamic environment they operate in every day.BTP is also committed to creating a more representative workforce and have an outreach programme to encourage applications from candidates in underrepresented groups. BTP is launching a pilot in London for new recruits to join BTP as part time police constables. This is a commitment from BTP’s Learning and Development Strategy to attract high calibre applicants, from a range of backgrounds, who would otherwise not be able to apply or consider becoming a police officer.

What steps she plans to take to improve transport connectivity between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Whilst transport is devolved, the Department for Transport is committed to is enhancing links between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The Department is providing funding for Transport Scotland’s feasibility study to explore options to bypass the villages of Springholm and Crocketford on the A75 and is supporting the Windsor Framework to streamline transport and customs processes. The Government is also supporting key aviation routes, including the Public Service Obligation between City of Derry Airport and London Heathrow Airport.