Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ben Obese-Jecty this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,501–1,520 of 5,090 · this parliament
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2026 to question 111937, what the outcome was of the meetings with Mauritius in a) January and b) July 2009 on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to Question 109314 on 09 February 2026.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2026 to question 111937, what the respective views on the issue of sovereignty at that time were.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to Question 109314 on 09 February 2026.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2026 to question 111937, which Ministers were present at the meetings with Mauritius in a) January and b) July 2009.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to Question 109314 on 09 February 2026.
With reference to the press release titled “10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child”, published on 11 February 2026, by when does the government expect every secondary school to have an inclusion base.
On Wednesday 11 February, the department set out our ambition that, in time, every secondary school will have an inclusion base.Where new places are needed, this can be supported by the £3.7 billion in high needs capital that we are investing between 2025/26 and 2029/30. This funding is allocated to local authorities, who know their schools and will determine how best to spend funding to meet local need. £740 million of this funding has already been allocated, and allocations for 2026/27 will be published in the spring.
With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, how will individual’s personal data be used in preventative analytics “to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime”.
The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.
With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, what personal data will be accessed by the Ministry of Justice preventative analytics programme “to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime”.
The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.
What progress has he made in reducing the time taken by Veterans UK in case handling for medically discharged personnel.
The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Armed Forces and Veterans Services (AFVS), known as Veterans UK, administer the War Pension Scheme and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. Medical discharge cases are prioritised following the claims consideration process. This involves establishing Service-related factors linked to the discharge, often requiring information from third parties. Awaiting the return of these records does take time and, regrettably, this is something the MOD cannot influence. Where additional information is required, requests are sent with a specified timeframe for response, and follow-up action is taken if responses are not received within this period. Once all necessary evidence is received, the case is assessed, and the decision is communicated to the Service person.
How much of the Connect the Classroom funding will be spent on schools in the Huntingdon constituency.
The Renewal and Retrofit Programme, backed by £710 million to 2029/30, will be launched from April 2026 to improve the condition of school and college buildings and increase resilience to climate change so that buildings can last for decades and are net zero ready. This funding will also help protect more schools from flooding. The Programme will start with schools in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and the South East, and will be expanded from 2027 to other regions in England. The department will set out further details in due course on how schools and colleges can join the Programme from 2027.We are providing £325 million in additional targeted investment for digital connectivity until 2029/30, including expanding the Connect the Classroom programme. To date, almost £600,000 of Connect the Classroom funding has been provided to schools in the Huntingdon constituency. Through 2026/27, Connect the Classroom will continue to support schools on the regional improvement for standards and excellence programme, with additional selection criteria to be announced in the summer.
How much of the Renewal and Retrofit Programme's funding will be spent on schools in the Huntingdon constituency.
The Renewal and Retrofit Programme, backed by £710 million to 2029/30, will be launched from April 2026 to improve the condition of school and college buildings and increase resilience to climate change so that buildings can last for decades and are net zero ready. This funding will also help protect more schools from flooding. The Programme will start with schools in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and the South East, and will be expanded from 2027 to other regions in England. The department will set out further details in due course on how schools and colleges can join the Programme from 2027.We are providing £325 million in additional targeted investment for digital connectivity until 2029/30, including expanding the Connect the Classroom programme. To date, almost £600,000 of Connect the Classroom funding has been provided to schools in the Huntingdon constituency. Through 2026/27, Connect the Classroom will continue to support schools on the regional improvement for standards and excellence programme, with additional selection criteria to be announced in the summer.
What the UK contribution is to Operation Firecrest.
Operation FIRECREST will be delivered by the United Kingdom's Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales. I am unable to provide further detail of Operation FIRECREST in order to maintain the Operational Security of His Majesty's Armed Forces.
How many contracts have been awarded to Leonardo since 1 January 2026; and what the whole life value of those contracts is.
The Department has awarded two contracts to Leonardo, both commencing after 1 January 2026, with current total values of £4,795,802 and £24,963,000.
Pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2026 to question 111934 on Armed Forces: Parachuting, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the focus on a single battalion group on the number of Basic Parachute Courses available to Parachute Regiment soldiers.
The Strategic Defence Review position on military parachuting capabilities represents no change to the current Defence parachuting provision. Therefore, there is no anticipated change to the number of All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection courses or the Basic Parachute Course.
When was the last end-to-end review of the medical discharge process undertaken.
Tri-Service Medical Policy (Joint Service Publication (JSP) 950) sets out the standards and guidance for assessing medical conditions across the Armed Forces. Whilst JSP 950 provides consistency across the Services in terms of procedures and governance, each Service applies these standards according to its own operational demands given that personnel may find themselves subject to significantly different environments and roles. This includes medical boards which have the authority to recommend medical categories that may result in a Service Person’s discharge from the Armed Forces. Defence recognises that discharge for medical reasons can have implications for financial stability, housing, and wellbeing. The discharge process is therefore designed to mitigate these risks through coordinated case management, warm handovers to civilian services, and the provision of compensation where eligible, based on a structured timeline of actions commencing nine months prior. Actions include final medical and dental reviews, resettlement interviews, pension and administrative preparation, and tailored support for those who are wounded, injured, or sick. All personnel discharged for medical reasons are automatically referred to Veterans Services to ensure that they and their families can continue to access tailored support with health, housing, employment, and welfare as they transition into civilian life. Feeback is collected from those using Veterans Services, as well as the Career Transition Partnership, both of which routinely capture insight on the challenges encountered during discharge and subsequent transition to civilian life. This feedback informs continuous improvement work within both Defence medical pathways and transition policy. We recognise the need to develop a cohered Occupational Health Service to simplify policy and processes, improve patient experience, and better support the retention of Armed Forces personnel. The new Joint Defence Termination check list, being created in conjunction with the single Services aims, in particular, to protect those leaving Service earlier than they expected by ensuring all safeguarding steps are completed.
With reference to the press release titled “10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child”, published on 11 February 2026, what is the estimated total cost of establishing an inclusion base in every secondary school.
On Wednesday 11 February, the department set out our ambition that, in time, every secondary school will have an inclusion base.Where new places are needed, this can be supported by the £3.7 billion in high needs capital that we are investing between 2025/26 and 2029/30. This funding is allocated to local authorities, who know their schools and will determine how best to spend funding to meet local need. £740 million of this funding has already been allocated, and allocations for 2026/27 will be published in the spring.
What assessment has he made of the potential impact of the medical discharge process on (a) recruitment and (b) retention across all three services.
Tri-Service Medical Policy (Joint Service Publication (JSP) 950) sets out the standards and guidance for assessing medical conditions across the Armed Forces. Whilst JSP 950 provides consistency across the Services in terms of procedures and governance, each Service applies these standards according to its own operational demands given that personnel may find themselves subject to significantly different environments and roles. This includes medical boards which have the authority to recommend medical categories that may result in a Service Person’s discharge from the Armed Forces. Defence recognises that discharge for medical reasons can have implications for financial stability, housing, and wellbeing. The discharge process is therefore designed to mitigate these risks through coordinated case management, warm handovers to civilian services, and the provision of compensation where eligible, based on a structured timeline of actions commencing nine months prior. Actions include final medical and dental reviews, resettlement interviews, pension and administrative preparation, and tailored support for those who are wounded, injured, or sick. All personnel discharged for medical reasons are automatically referred to Veterans Services to ensure that they and their families can continue to access tailored support with health, housing, employment, and welfare as they transition into civilian life. Feeback is collected from those using Veterans Services, as well as the Career Transition Partnership, both of which routinely capture insight on the challenges encountered during discharge and subsequent transition to civilian life. This feedback informs continuous improvement work within both Defence medical pathways and transition policy. We recognise the need to develop a cohered Occupational Health Service to simplify policy and processes, improve patient experience, and better support the retention of Armed Forces personnel. The new Joint Defence Termination check list, being created in conjunction with the single Services aims, in particular, to protect those leaving Service earlier than they expected by ensuring all safeguarding steps are completed.
What procedures are in place to enable effective handover of medical records from Defence Medical Services to the NHS for medically discharged personnel.
When an individual leaves the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the importance of facilitating the transfer of healthcare information to their civilian healthcare provider(s). On leaving Defence Medical Services (DMS) care, Service personnel are provided with a medical care summary, known as an FMed133, and advised to register with an NHS GP and provide them a copy of their FMED 133. If a patient’s full DMS health record is required, this is provided on request to their NHS GP. To improve the transfer of healthcare information, DMS is working towards the greater interoperability with NHS systems and the electronic transfer of medical records from DMS to NHS GPs. Under Programme CORTISONE, the MOD has awarded a £7.8 million contract to Leeds software company, The Phoenix Partnership, to provide a modern electronic healthcare records system for the Armed Forces. Scheduled for roll out in 2027, this will digitalise military medical records and integrate MOD systems with the NHS.
Pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2026 to question 111934 on Armed Forces: Parachuting, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the focus on a single battalion group on the number of All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection courses run each year.
The Strategic Defence Review position on military parachuting capabilities represents no change to the current Defence parachuting provision. Therefore, there is no anticipated change to the number of All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection courses or the Basic Parachute Course.
With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, what permissions do the Government require in order to access personal data for use in preventative analytics “to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime”.
The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.
With reference to the Times Radio interview with preventative analytics advisory panel lead Professor Mark Mon Williams at 0727 on 16 February 2026, what children’s health data will be shared with a) schools and b) police forces as part of the preventatives analytics programme.
The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.
With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, by what date he plans to establish the advisory panel on preventative analytics for youth justice.
The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.