Written questions by Dodds.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his counterparts in Kyrgyzstan on legislation aimed at controlling so-called foreign representatives.

The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has not made direct representations to his counterparts in Kyrgyzstan regarding the 'Law on Non-Commercial Organisations'.Our Embassy in Bishkek has however raised concerns about the impact of this law with the relevant authorities. The UK also made recommendations about this law during Kyrgyzstan's Universal Period Review in the UN Human Rights Council in April. The UK regularly encourages Kyrgyzstan to continue to allow civil society organisations to operate with independence and without harassment. I underlined the importance of respect for rights and freedoms with my Kyrgyz counterparts in April 2025 and raised human rights more broadly with the Kyrgyz during the inaugural UK-Kyrgyz Strategic Dialogue in February 2025.

What assessment his Department has made of the value for money of the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) requires energy suppliers to fund energy efficiency and heating upgrades in eligible homes, with costs recovered through consumer bills. Since 2013, 4.2 million measures have been installed in 2.5 million homes. ECO4’s final impact assessment projected a positive net present value of £0.8 billion, underscoring the strong social impact and economic value of ECO.

Whether past experience of depression is used as a criterion within the online recruitment process for selecting potential future members of the territorial army.

The Defence Secretary has undertaken to review the current recruitment policies and has already announced several changes to prior outdated approaches. An update to Joint Service Publication (JSP) 950 Leaflet 6-7-7, which sets out the Medical Employment Standards for the Armed Forces, was published in August 2024 following an intensive period of review undertaken by clinical experts, Defence personnel staff and the recruiting agencies. The updated JSP 950 Leaflet 6-7-7 is now in use and applies to both Regular and Reserve Forces. In the case of mood disorders, including depression, the update confirms that candidates with a single episode of depressive disorder may be able to join the Armed Forces providing they meet certain criteria. For mild or moderate episodes, candidates may be eligible providing the episode has lasted for less than two years and candidates have remained asymptomatic without relapse following the completion of all treatment for at least one year or for severe episodes for at least two years post treatment.

Whether experiencing acne (a) in the past and (b) at present is used as a criterion within the online recruitment process for selecting potential future members of the territorial army.

The Government inherited a recruitment crisis from the last Government.The Defence Secretary has undertaken to review the current recruitment policies and has already announced several changes to prior outdated approaches. An update to Joint Service Publication (JSP) 950 Leaflet 6-7-7, which sets out the Medical Employment Standards for the Armed Forces, was published in August 2024 following an intensive period of review undertaken by clinical experts, Defence personnel staff and the recruiting agencies. The updated JSP 950 Leaflet 6-7-7 is now in use and applies to both Regular and Reserve Forces. In the case of acne, the update confirms that candidates with acne that has resolved with or without treatment, are now able to join the Armed Forces.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held recent discussions with his G20 counterparts on the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

Sudan is a personal priority for the Foreign Secretary, who chaired the London Sudan Conference on 15 April. The conference was co-hosted by the AU, EU, France and Germany, and all G20 counterparts. It was also attended by G20 members including Canada, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. Discussions at the conference included recognising the urgency of the humanitarian situation, including the impact of refugees on neighbouring states, and how best countries can align and strengthen efforts to get assistance to those who need it most. Delegates also agreed to use their influence with the parties, and urge them to lift all impediments, and guarantee safe, rapid, and unimpeded access throughout Sudan for humanitarian supplies and personnel.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to United Nations World Food Programme press release entitled Tens of millions at risk of extreme hunger and starvation as unprecedented funding crisis spirals, published on 28 March 2025, whether he has had discussions with the World Food Programme on Sudan.

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is the largest and most severe globally. Tens of millions of people require life-saving aid with almost 640,000 people projected to be experiencing catastrophic famine conditions. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Ministers and officials are in regular communications with representatives from the World Food Programme (WFP). On 10 March, the Minister for Development met the WFP Country Director for Sudan alongside other senior United Nations staff. More recently, WFP staff participated in a UK organised roundtable meeting about the crisis in Sudan as part of preparations for the UK's Sudan London Conference, taking place on 15 April.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the environmental impact of disposable period products and (a) environmentally friendly and (b) reusable products.

Defra has not carried out a comparative assessment of the environmental impact of different types of period products.

With reference to paragraph 17.7 of the NHS Standard Contract 2024/25 Service Conditions, published in February 2024, what steps her Department is taking to offer reusable period products.

The Government recognises the importance of women and girls being able to access the care they need for their reproductive health, including period products.Since 2019 it has been a requirement in the NHS Standard Contract that the National Health Service must offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them.Paragraph 17.7 places an obligation on providers to ensure that supplies of appropriate sanitary products are available and are, on request, provided promptly to inpatient service users free of charge. It is for individual providers to decide what products to provide and how best to meet their obligations.

With reference to her Department's guidance entitled Period product scheme for schools and colleges, published 9 September 2024, what proportion of organisations have ordered (a) environmentally friendly and (b) reusable products during the 2024-25 academic year to date.

The period product scheme provides a wide range of products for organisations to choose from. These include environmentally friendly tampons and pads, alongside reusable products such as menstrual cups and period pants. Schools and colleges know their learners best and therefore have the freedom to select the most suitable products for their learners, considering the cost and type of product.When choosing products, girls and women will inevitably have a range of priorities including whether the product is familiar, comfortable and whether it is environmentally friendly. The department therefore offers a range of products to allow organisations and learners a choice. We will be monitoring product choice closely, while continuing to seek opportunities to encourage the use of sustainable products as the scheme develops.In the 2024/25 academic year up to February 2025, 45% of ordering organisations had ordered environmentally friendly or reusable products.

With reference to her Department's guidance entitled Period product scheme for schools and colleges, published 9 September 2024, what methods she uses to highlight to eligible schools and colleges the availability of (a) environmentally friendly and (b) reusable products.

The period product scheme provides a wide range of products for organisations to choose from. These include environmentally friendly tampons and pads, alongside reusable products such as menstrual cups and period pants. Schools and colleges know their learners best and therefore have the freedom to select the most suitable products for their learners, considering the cost and type of product.When choosing products, girls and women will inevitably have a range of priorities including whether the product is familiar, comfortable and whether it is environmentally friendly. The department therefore offers a range of products to allow organisations and learners a choice. We will be monitoring product choice closely, while continuing to seek opportunities to encourage the use of sustainable products as the scheme develops.In the 2024/25 academic year up to February 2025, 45% of ordering organisations had ordered environmentally friendly or reusable products.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Under 17 Car Club on the geographical scope of the Pathfinder Initiative; and whether she has plans to hold such discussions.

The Secretary of State for Transport has not had any discussions with the Under 17 Car Club but the Government welcomes initiatives to help young people drive safely.

Which projects using NHS data undertaken by (a) Novartis, (b) IQVIA, (c) AstraZeneca, (d) Merck, (e) Novo Nordisk, (f) GSK, (g) Roche and (h) Janssen-Cilag have adopted the (i) no value sharing, (ii) free or discounted products, (iii) royalty or revenue share, (iv) profit share, (v) intellectual property ownership share, (vi) equity share and (vii) fee for access NHS value sharing approaches.

The Department and the National Health Service in England are moving to a system of “data access as default” for secondary uses of NHS data, which is being supported by the implementation of Secure Data Environments (SDEs). This means that NHS data is increasingly accessed through secure platforms rather than shared with researchers.Across the NHS Research SDE Network, which is a consortium of national and regional NHS-led SDEs, access to data is usually subject to a fee on a cost-recovery basis. Some SDEs are also exploring options of royalty or revenue sharing, profit sharing, intellectual property ownership sharing, and equity sharing. These approaches are supported by the Value Sharing Framework for NHS data partnerships, which sets out principles for NHS organisations to ensure fair value returns, including sharing in the value created by their data. Details of these are not collected centrally.Each platform within the NHS Research SDE Network publishes a data use register that summarises the projects in progress, including those conducted by the commercial organisations referenced. Local data partnerships between NHS trusts and private companies outside the SDE network would not be collected on the same registers, and some details may be commercially sensitive.

If she will make it her policy to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that all cars should include an emergency glass hammer.

The carriage by motorists of emergency equipment such as first aid kits, warning triangles, high visibility jackets and escape tools is not generally prescribed in law. The Highway Code recommends the carriage of many items of emergency equipment and my officials are currently working on proposals to clarify the Highway Code recommendations including adding the carriage of an appropriate escape tool.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 28 January 2025 in the debate on Road Safety: Young Drivers, Official Report, Column 49-51WH, which (a) channels, (b) content providers and (c) mechanisms other than LADBible her Department is using to increase awareness of the THINK! campaign among young drivers.

The Government's flagship road safety campaign, THINK!, aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. THINK! plays an important role in raising awareness of risky driving behaviours amongst young people. This has recently included campaigns on drink-driving and speeding on rural roads, two of the leading factors in fatal collisions and areas where young male drivers are overrepresented in the casualty data. THINK! campaigns target digital channels and platforms that are frequently used by young people. This includes paid advertising on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit and being amongst the first campaigns to trial advertising on TikTok as part of a Government pilot), digital audio (including podcasts, digital radio and music streaming apps such as Spotify), online video (for example on Youtube, Twitch and via digital display advertising), and working with popular online influencers in collaboration with LADbible. THINK! also uses traditional channels, such as broadcast radio, cinema and out-of-home advertising, to target environments and situations that are contextually relevant to young drivers (i.e. around or during an actual car journey). THINK! frequently uses interactive and innovative approaches to drive up ad engagement with young men. Recent examples include an interactive Snapchat lens for a drink drive campaign, a ‘perception test’ game to illustrate the dangers of speeding, and a gamified quiz to highlight the facts on seatbelt usage. The THINK! campaign partnered with alcohol brands, including Heineken and Eisberg, to launch the THINK! 0% platform in December 2024, reaching young drivers at the point-of-sale in pubs and bars and encouraging them to choose a non-alcoholic alternative if driving. Throughout the year, the THINK! campaign engages with local stakeholders and partners, including road safety officers, local councils and police forces to promote road safety and support further education on the subject of dangerous driving.

With reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for the Future of Roads in the debate on Road Safety: Young Drivers on 28 January 2025, Official Report, column 49WH, which interventions examined by the Driver2020 research project will be taken forward.

As work progresses on the new road safety strategy, we are considering measures, including those in the Driver2020 project, and assessing their potential impacts to tackle the root causes of young driver collisions without unfairly penalising young drivers.

With reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for the Future of Roads in the debate on Road Safety: Young Drivers on 28 January 2025, Official Report, column 49WH, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of international evidence on (a) lower or zero alcohol limits and (b) minimum learning periods for young drivers.

As work progresses on the new road safety strategy, we are considering measures, including those in the Driver2020 project, and assessing their potential impacts to tackle the root causes of young driver collisions without unfairly penalising young drivers.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 28 January 2025 in the debate on Road Safety: Young Drivers, Official Report, Column 49-51WH, what steps she is taking to support local-level interventions to make roads safer.

As work progresses on the new road safety strategy, we are considering measures, including those in the Driver2020 project, and assessing their potential impacts to tackle the root causes of young driver collisions without unfairly penalising young drivers.