Written questions by Lockhart.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the current rules around party donations by single donors, with particular reference to donations from foreign entities.

As set out in our Manifesto and subsequently in our Strategy for Modern and Secure Elections published last July, we are bringing forward a number of reforms to strengthen our political finance rules on donations to close loopholes and tackle foreign interference in our elections. These reforms include: tighter controls on donations from companies to ensure they have a legitimate connection to the UK; greater due diligence checks on significant donations under a new ‘Know-Your-Donor' scheme; stronger checks and transparency thresholds for unincorporated associations; and requirements for donors to declare connected sources of their funding. On the 16 December 2025 the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced an independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. The purpose of the review is to provide an in-depth assessment of the current financial rules and safeguards that regulate political parties and political finance and make recommendations. The terms of reference for the review can be found here. Review findings will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Security Minister by the end of March 2026.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding to Northern Ireland elements of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review.

Many of the ambitions of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review support the vision for UK transport connectivity that Lord Hendy set out in his 2021 review report. That is why the UK Government provided financial support to Translink to undertake four Northern Ireland rail feasibility studies linked to the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. My department continues to engage positively with the Department for Infrastructure and remains willing to explore ways in which we can collaborate and share best practice in support of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. However, the development and implementation of rail schemes in Northern Ireland - including how they are financed - are devolved matters and therefore responsibility for them rests with the Northern Ireland Executive and Translink.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the timely processing of domestic abuse cases in courts; and what additional resources have been allocated to minimise case backlogs.

Whilst judges already prioritise cases involving vulnerable victims and witnesses, including domestic abuse, we know that victims who cases are heard at the Crown Court are waiting too long for justice.That is why this Government commissioned Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts. After considering the recommendations made in Part 1 of this report, we have announced our intention to take forward a bold package of structural reforms, designed to improve timeliness in the Crown Court and speed up justice for all victims, including victims of domestic abuse. This financial year we also funded 111,250 Crown Court sitting days – an all-time high.We have also published our Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy - ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse’ - setting out the Government’s approach to tackling domestic abuse and other offences perpetrated against women and girls. We are already acting by:Investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years.Repealing the Children Act’s presumption of parental involvement and expanding the Private Law Pathfinder pilot.Making trauma-informed training available to all criminal court staff by spring 2026 to improve how courts support victims.And exploring the expansion of Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing prior public notice of visits by members of the Royal Family to Northern Ireland, in the context of practice in other parts of the UK.

As with all Royal visits across the UK, announcement timelines take into account a number of factors, including security advice.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that international surrogacy arrangements meet the same a) standards and b) checks as international adoption laws.

I refer the Hon member to the answer provided to question HL6361 on 31 March 2025, a copy of which is reproduced below for ease of reference:The UK does not support international surrogacy involving any form of exploitation and is committed to eradicating all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking in line with Sustainable Development Goal 8.7. Globally the UK is proud to defend and promote universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights. At the multilateral level, and through our diplomatic and Official Development Assistance partnerships, we advocate that all people have the right to make informed decisions about childbearing, including if, whether and when to have children. Family planning interventions, including surrogacy, must always be voluntary and rooted in a human rights-based approach.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of regulations for a) the health and welfare of surrogate mothers and children born through surrogacy and b) ethical concerns associated with cross-border surrogacy arrangements.

I refer the Hon member to the answer provided to question HL6361 on 31 March 2025, a copy of which is reproduced below for ease of reference:The UK does not support international surrogacy involving any form of exploitation and is committed to eradicating all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking in line with Sustainable Development Goal 8.7. Globally the UK is proud to defend and promote universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights. At the multilateral level, and through our diplomatic and Official Development Assistance partnerships, we advocate that all people have the right to make informed decisions about childbearing, including if, whether and when to have children. Family planning interventions, including surrogacy, must always be voluntary and rooted in a human rights-based approach.

Whether he has had discussions with the US ambassador on opportunities to attract increased US investment to Northern Ireland; and what steps his Department is taking to facilitate such investment.

The Government engages regularly with the US administration to promote investment opportunities in Northern Ireland and I met the US Ambassador in Northern Ireland in July. Recent major investments, like Bank of America’s Belfast expansion, bringing with it over 100 jobs, confirm the significant interest in Northern Ireland from US businesses and investors. The UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal provides an important framework to reduce trade barriers, ensuring Northern Ireland remains an attractive destination for American firms.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Iran; and what steps she is taking to support religious freedom and human rights in that country.

We continue to monitor Iran's violations of the rights of religious minorities, and are committed to working with international partners to hold Iran to account. My Hon Friend the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, has worked closely on this issue - including hosting events in partnership with with Open Doors and Christian Solidarity Worldwide. We were integral to the delivery of an Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2025, which called on Iran to ensure Iranians have the right to freedom of religion or belief in accordance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on measures to control the spread of avian influenza in Northern Ireland.

Each of the three devolved Governments, along with the UK Government, is an integral part of the decision-making process for avian influenza control. They are core members of the regular chief veterinary officer strategic stocktakes and they also sit on the Animal Disease Policy Group (a UK-wide policy decision making group).

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of (a) social media groups that promote surrogacy and (b) the risks posed by such groups with relation to the trafficking of children.

Human trafficking is a priority offence under the Online Safety Act. The Act places duties on services to take steps to ensure they are not used for human trafficking.Ofcom, as the independent regulator, has strong enforcement powers under the OSA, including imposing fines, and—where necessary—using business disruption measures to ensure platforms comply with their safety duties.

What steps her Department plans to take to help tackle the cost of ferry journeys between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Ferry services between Great Britain and Northern Ireland operate in a commercial and competitive market without intervention from the Government. The Department for Transport has no plans to subsidise ferry services between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential economic impact of the Windsor Framework on businesses in Northern Ireland trading with Great Britain.

The Government is committed to the Windsor Framework and protecting the UK internal market. Over 15,000 businesses are now registered to take advantage of facilitations for freight and parcels under the Windsor Framework, and the Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring Panel reported last year that 96% of goods moved by freight between Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the first half of 2025 did so within the UK internal market system. The frequency of identity checks on agri-food products was recently reduced from 10% to 8% of consignments. We are also negotiating an SPS agreement with the EU that will smooth flows of trade still further, protect the UK’s internal market, reduce costs for businesses and improve consumer choice in Northern Ireland.

What plans his Department has to encourage collaboration between NHS Trusts and pharmaceutical companies to enhance cancer clinical trials.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.We are incentivising clinical trials and strengthening collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and National Health Service trusts by streamlining processes and cutting set‑up times to 150 days by March 2026, ensuring the United Kingdom offers a faster, more competitive environment for delivering high‑quality research. The Department funded National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research and research infrastructure which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research. This includes Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, co-funded by NIHR, Cancer Research UK, and the Little Princess Trust, which form a UK-wide network that brings together world leading laboratory and clinical researchers to deliver pioneering early phase cancer trials for adults and children. Additionally, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will introduce a 14-day assessment route for phase 1 trials, adopting an innovative stepwise approach, restoring a rapid pathway for the earliest testing of new medicines in people, a key draw for global pharmaceutical companies deciding where to base their research. NHS England is delivering specific collaborative initiatives with industry such as the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP). The NHS CVLP is a platform that is speeding up access to clinical trials for cancer vaccines and immunotherapies for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. The CVLP platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic. Different companies have been involved in the CVLP and trials in the CVLP portfolio have included cancers such as head and neck cancer melanoma and colorectal cancer. 35 Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs), including primary care been established largely within NHS trusts. CRDCs will expand capacity, streamline set-up, and give patients faster access to innovative treatments and clinical trials, including those concerning cancer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the state of religious freedom in India and the treatment of minority faith communities.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 December in response to Question 98409.

What arrangements exist between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for the interception of unidentified or hostile aircraft in Irish airspace.

Access to Irish airspace is managed through extant diplomatic channels as per international norms with clearance being requested and granted for state aircraft under set conditions. UK Military aircraft do not enter the sovereign airspace of Ireland for operational purposes, without the express prior agreement of the Irish Government. Questions on sovereign airspace access and associated regulations are for individual nations to answer, therefore any questions on Irish airspace should be directed to the Irish Government.

Whether he plans to provide additional funding to address regional disparities the availability and quality of in social housing in Northern Ireland.

Social Housing policy is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department for Communities. This Government has provided the Executive with a record £19.3 billion per year on average over the Spending Review period. It is for the Executive to allocate this money in line with its priorities.

How many illegal immigrants are currently being housed in Northern Ireland; and what steps are being taken to process their cases.

In accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered. Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK The Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives, including innovative tooling to speed up decision-making, reduce the time people spend in the asylum system, decrease the number of people awaiting an interview or decision, and improve the quality and consistency of our work. Our efforts span the entire asylum journey and will enable us to maximise capacity and progress cases in a more efficient and cost-effective way. We have taken action to speed up asylum processing so that asylum seekers do not wait months or years, at vast expense to the taxpayer, for a decision. The number of outstanding asylum decisions is falling, and we continue to make good progress.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve the availability of clinical trials for cancer patients across the UK.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.The Department funds research and research infrastructure through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which supports National Health Service patients, the public, and NHS organisations across England to participate in high-quality research, including clinical trials into cancers.The NIHR provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research', which promotes participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies, including those with cancer, and register their interest.NHS England is delivering The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, a platform that is speeding up access to clinical trials for cancer vaccines and immunotherapies for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer.The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country. It will ensure that more patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and to clinical trials.The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Private Members Bill. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials, on for example pancreatic cancer, to take place in England, by ensuring the patient population can be more easily contacted by researchers.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle the increase in haulage costs for transporting goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Hauliers play a very important role in supporting trade within the UK. The Government meets regularly with stakeholders involved in trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, such as representatives of the road haulage and wider logistics industry, including to understand cost pressures. Hauliers transporting goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are supported by measures such as the extension of the 5 pence cut in fuel duty until the end of August 2026 and for Great Britain, discounts of up to £120,000 on new electric trucks are available thanks to an additional £18m to increase the Plug-in Truck Grant until the end of March 2026. Existing rates apply to Northern Ireland.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take steps to end the use of the lethal dose 50% test (LD50) in animal experiments.

The Government is committed to supporting the uptake and development of alternative methods to the use of animals in science. The Replacing Animals in Science strategy uses a ‘baskets’ approach to group animal tests according to how ready they are for replacement, based on the maturity of potential alternative methods. In addition, the Government-funded National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) has ongoing work to replace, reduce and refine LD/LC50 tests. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate may also require animal testing in either the development of new veterinary medicines or for routine product quality control to ensure that only safe and effective veterinary medicines are marketed and supplied.