Written questions by Blackman.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to increase funding for the development of non-animal human-relevant testing methods.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are considering funding into alternatives for animal testing as part of the Spending Review and cannot commit funding amounts in advance of this process.The Government already invests £10m annually in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) to accelerate the development and adoption of 3Rs approaches. The NC3Rs is currently undergoing a five year funding review that will determine future allocation of resources. A significant amount of research funding in the UK also goes to underpinning technologies that have the potential to deliver the 3Rs.

With reference to her Department's report entitled The Buckland review of autism employment: report and recommendations, published 28 February 2024, how many recommendations of that report have been implemented.

The independent Buckland Review of Autism Employment reported to the last Government with recommendations to employers, third sector organisations and government on addressing barriers autistic people face when seeking and remaining in employment.This was a valuable piece of work. This Government is committed to raising awareness of neurodiversity (as a more inclusive concept including autism, ADHD and other conditions, recognising that these co-occur for many neurodivergent people) in workplaces. We have launched a review by an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to build on the Buckland Review and advise on how we improve experiences for all neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices. Recommendations are expected in the summer. Although we have set a more ambitious and inclusive scope by expanding beyond the focus of the Buckland Review, several of the recommendations specifically to Government are already in progress. These include working with employers to reform Disability Confident to improve the scheme's outcomes and realise its full potential, promoting and enhancing the visibility of the Support with Employee Health and Disability Service (SEHD), and launching our new Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work, to support disabled people, those with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment to get into and stay in work. We have also collaborated with ACAS to promote updated neurodiversity guidance for employers.

Whether the Propriety and Ethics Team has (a) carried out investigations into and (b) provided the Prime Minister with advice on (i) allegations of and (ii) the alleged involvement of Ministers in corruption in Bangladesh in the last 12 months.

Following a self-referral by the former Economic Secretary to the Treasury, the Hon Member for Hampstead and Highgate, the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards undertook a fact-finding process relating to recent media allegations about the former minister. Advice from the Independent Adviser was provided to the Prime Minister and published on gov.uk on 14 January 2025. As has been the case under successive administrations, it is a long-standing principle that Civil Service advice is given and treated in confidence. This includes detailing whether or not advice has been given and by whom.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will meet with representatives of the school milk supply chain to discuss the classification of school milk as a household waste.

I am responding to these PQs as the Minister who is responsible for Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR). In autumn last year my department published an assessment of the impacts of implementing pEPR, including on inflation, when the regulations were laid in parliament, however, this impact assessment does not include an assessment of the impact on specific sectors/products. The governments of the four nations of the United Kingdom will monitor the effectiveness and impact of the regulations and will amend them when and where appropriate.I will politely decline the meeting as I am aware of the issues around the definition of household packaging and its impact across a number of sectors. However my officials, who have been working with stakeholders on assessing the possibility of amending the household packaging definition, would be happy to meet representative of the milk supply chain.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of including school milk cartons in the Extended Producer Responsibility obligations on (a) Government and (b) school spending.

I am responding to these PQs as the Minister who is responsible for Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR). In autumn last year my department published an assessment of the impacts of implementing pEPR, including on inflation, when the regulations were laid in parliament, however, this impact assessment does not include an assessment of the impact on specific sectors/products. The governments of the four nations of the United Kingdom will monitor the effectiveness and impact of the regulations and will amend them when and where appropriate.I will politely decline the meeting as I am aware of the issues around the definition of household packaging and its impact across a number of sectors. However my officials, who have been working with stakeholders on assessing the possibility of amending the household packaging definition, would be happy to meet representative of the milk supply chain.

What steps she is taking to improve the compliance of license holders with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

All establishments licensed to breed or supply animals, or to carry out regulated procedures on animals under ASPA in Great Britain, are subject to the full requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).The Regulator conducts audits to assure establishments’ compliance with the terms of their licences, the Code of Practice and with ASPA. Each establishment will receive an audit at least every three years if it does not hold special species and at least every year if it holds specially protected species.The Regulator is presently undertaking a structured programme of reforms. This will increase the total number of Inspectors from 17 at the end of 2023, to 22 by end of 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) suppression of the freedom of (i) religion or (ii) belief, (b) persecution of people who convert to Christianity and (c) the targeting of house churches on Christians in Iran.

We condemn Iran's severe repression of Freedom of Religion or Belief including against Christians. The UK was integral to the delivery of the Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, which called on Iran to cease monitoring individuals on account of their religious identity, to release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities as part of a religious minority group, and to ensure religious rights are upheld. We will continue to raise human rights issues directly with the Iranian government, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Indian counterpart on (a) the alleged demolishing of properties belonging to the Hindu Nallur Mutt in Chikkamagaluru and (b) the protection of freedom of religion or belief in India.

The UK Government condemns any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. Concerns about the rights and opportunities of some religious minorities and communities in India are widely reported, and our High Commission in New Delhi and network of Deputy High Commissions across India track these issues closely.Dialogue concerning freedom of religion or belief is an important aspect of the UK-India relationship, and where we have specific concerns, we raise them directly with Indian authorities. Our network in India also meets regularly with religious representatives from different faith communities.

If he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to reduce imports of software and hardware for key industries from countries that may pose a risk to national security.

Our import controls and sanctions regimes play an important role in supporting the UK's foreign policy and national security objectives including by restricting the import of controlled goods from any source country and specified goods from those countries subject to UK sanctions.The Government does not speculate on future import controls or sanctions as to do so could reduce their impact. We continue to monitor the effectiveness of our import controls and the sanctions regime.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart in relation to reports that Hindu students in Karachi have faced disciplinary action and legal proceedings for celebrating Holi.

Promoting freedom of religion or belief is a key part of the UK's diplomatic engagement overseas. I underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024 and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November 2024. The British High Commission regularly raises the rights of religious minorities, including Hindus, at the highest levels. However, we are not prepared to discuss the detail of individual cases where to do so could endanger individuals and their families. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people, including those of religious minorities, in accordance with international standards.

With reference to the report by the University of Bath entitled New report reveals potential $28 million tax discrepancy involving British American Tobacco in Kenya, published on 12 February 2025, if the Serious Fraud Office will reopen the investigation into British American Tobacco.

Following a three-year investigation, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) determined in January 2021 that this case did not meet the evidential test as defined in the Code for Crown Prosecutors and it was closed.As is long-standing practice, the SFO can neither confirm nor deny if it is considering reopening the investigation into British American Tobacco Plc.

Whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of recent trends in the level of tobacco bundle purchases on the taxes received via the minimum excise duty on cigarettes.

The Chancellor has not held any discussions with cabinet colleagues on this topic. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the tobacco duty system under review during its Budget process.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle tobacco bundle packs; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of prohibiting the promotion of these bundles.

The Department has not made an assessment on the potential merits of prohibiting the sale of bundles, consisting of hand rolling tobacco, cigarette papers, and filters, being sold together at a discount.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill gives my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care powers to regulate the features of all tobacco products, including their size and shape, as well as the number of individual products contained in an individual packet. The bill also widens this power to cover tobacco related devices, herbal smoking products, and cigarette papers. The bill gives my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care the power to make, via regulations, prohibitions, requirements, and limitations on the supply of these products. This power would cover bundles of products that are sold in a package together.Tobacco taxation is a matter for HM Treasury. As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, duty rates on all tobacco products were increased, in line with the tobacco duty escalator, by 2% above Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation. The duty rate on hand-rolling tobacco was increased by a further 10% to 12% above RPI inflation, to reduce the gap with duty on cigarettes. These changes came into effect on 30 October 2024. High and increasing rates of tobacco duty are proven to incentivise those who currently smoke either to quit or to smoke less, and support public finances.

What steps he is taking to help tackle health inequalities in prostate cancer.

Making improvements across different cancer types, including prostate cancer, is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the National Health Service’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer earlier, we have invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms. This research will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis by targeting black men in trial recruitment, ensuring that one in ten participants are black men.We have also asked the National Screening Committee to review the evidence for prostate cancer screening, including for high-risk groups like black men.As part of our wider strategy on early diagnosis, we are directly targeting our activity at areas we know will make a difference. This includes awareness raising campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms and encourage people to get checked.The NHS England Cancer Programme also commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients, including those with prostate cancer.Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve access to treatments and outcomes for all tumour types, including prostate cancer. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be. We will provide updates on this in due course.We need to tackle the inequalities that people from different groups face, which will be part of the National Cancer Plan as we look at addressing all barriers to providing cancer care across prevention, diagnosis, screening and treatment.

With reference to the National Prostate Cancer Audit's report entitled NPCA State of the Nation Report 2024, published in January 2025, if he will take steps to tackle inequalities in accessing NICE-recommended treatments following advanced prostate cancer diagnosis for (a) black men and (b) men from areas of socio-economic deprivation.

Making improvements across different cancer types, including prostate cancer, is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the National Health Service’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer earlier, we have invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms. This research will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis by targeting black men in trial recruitment, ensuring that one in ten participants are black men.We have also asked the National Screening Committee to review the evidence for prostate cancer screening, including for high-risk groups like black men.As part of our wider strategy on early diagnosis, we are directly targeting our activity at areas we know will make a difference. This includes awareness raising campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms and encourage people to get checked.The NHS England Cancer Programme also commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients, including those with prostate cancer.Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve access to treatments and outcomes for all tumour types, including prostate cancer. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be. We will provide updates on this in due course.We need to tackle the inequalities that people from different groups face, which will be part of the National Cancer Plan as we look at addressing all barriers to providing cancer care across prevention, diagnosis, screening and treatment.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made representations to the government of Pakistan on the case of Akash Karamat.

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the use of blasphemy laws to undermine human rights in Pakistan. During my visit to Pakistan in November, I raised the issue of blasphemy-related violence with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. The misuse of blasphemy laws to target religious minorities is particularly troubling. The UK Government regularly raises this issue at the highest levels - pressing for due process to prevent wrongful convictions and ensure fair trials for those accused. We are not prepared to discuss the detail of individual cases where to do so could put individuals and their families' lives at risk.

What funding his Department is providing to support the implementation of ongoing and holistic post-release support for prison leavers with severe mental health issues.

The NHS RECONNECT service supports people leaving prison with identified health needs to make the transition to community-based services, including mental health services, which are funded by local health and care systems.

With reference to the press article entitled Mind the gap: supporting prison leavers with mental illness from the University of Manchester, published on 27 March 2024, what steps he is taking to ensure that prison leavers with severe mental health issues receive the necessary support with (a) housing, (b) access to services, and (c) community reintegration.

The National Health Service’s RECONNECT care after custody service supports prison leavers with an identified health need, including severe mental illness, to transition to community-based services, and starts working with them before they leave prison. NHS England is piloting Enhanced RECONNECT in four areas to support people leaving prison who are identified as being of high risk of harm to the public and who have complex health needs to access appropriate community services. NHS England is also piloting new models of care in the community for those with severe mental illness in six neighbourhood areas from this spring. These will provide people and their families with 24/7 support if they are in crisis without needing to book an appointment, as well as provide housing or employment advice to support them to stay well.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of (a) abduction, forced conversion, and marriage of minor Hindu girls and (b) systemic discrimination against Hindu minorities in Pakistan.

The UK is committed to tackling the forced marriage and conversion of women and girls in Pakistan, including Hindu women and girls. I raised this issue with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister in November, and the British High Commission continues to advocate for new laws to end child and forced marriage and forced conversion. Through supporting policy reform and community empowerment, UK programming is also helping to tackle the discrimination faced by marginalised communities. The Aawaz II programme convenes influential community and faith leaders and minority representatives, including from Hindu communities, to change social behaviours and promote interfaith harmony, and works directly with communities to raise awareness of the harms of early and forced marriages.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of alleged reports of violence against (a) religious minorities and (b) Christian communities in the Dhamirahat region of Bangladesh.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Following the student-led protests in July and August 2024, we have been closely monitoring the situation for minorities, including Hindus and Christians in Bangladesh. In November 2024, I visited Bangladesh and discussed the importance of the protection of religious minorities with Chief Adviser Yunus. We are providing up to £27 million under the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme for protecting civic and political space, fostering collaboration, reducing corruption, and mitigating tensions that lead to violence. We will continue to engage with the Interim Government of Bangladesh on the importance of FoRB.