Written questions by Taylor.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 38911 on Clothing: Public Places, whether she plans to take steps to help support residents who are scared to leave their homes due to people wearing balaclavas in town centres in Hertfordshire.

This Government wants town centres to be vibrant, welcoming places where businesses thrive and people feel safe and come to shop, socialise and live. What the Hon Member describes about town centres in Hertfordshire is absolutely unacceptable.As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, and to support making the country’s streets safer, £66.3 million of Hotspot Action funding has been awarded to all 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales for 2025/26. Hertfordshire will receive £1 million of that funding.In addition, under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, section 60AA permits officers on patrol to require the removal of face coverings over a 24 hour period, if an authorisation is in place, where there are grounds to believe criminal activity may take place in a particular area, and will last for 24 hours.Furthermore, stop and search powers permit individuals to be stopped by officers if there are grounds to suspect they are going to commit offences, such as robbery and theft.The implementation of a new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee is also key to people feeling safe in their communities. The guarantee includes restoring patrols to town centres and delivering an additional 13,000 neighbourhood policing officers, PCSOs and special constables by the end of this parliament.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the sale of drug paraphernalia in high street retail outlets on levels of drug use among young people.

Under Section 9A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (“the Act”), a person who supplies or offers to supply any article which may be used (or adapted to be used) in the unlawful administration of a controlled drug, is guilty of an offence.An exception is made in the Act around the provision of hypodermic syringes, and there are further exceptions in the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, for the provision of certain articles when provided in the context of drug treatment.Enforcement is a matter for the police.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to protect shared ownership leaseholders from excessive administration fees imposed by housing associations during the resale of their share; and whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that such fees are proportionate to the share being sold.

Shared ownership landlords are required to publish clear information about the resales process for shared ownership properties on their websites. They are also required to outline their current selling fee in a ‘Key Information Document’ provided to prospective shared owners before reservation. Some shared ownership leases will also state the resale fee which can be charged by shared ownership landlords. The government is considering what more can be done to improve the experience of shared owners.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he ha made of the potential merits of using swift bricks when building new homes.

Natural England has identified that the lack of nest sites is a pressure on certain bird species, including the swift. Therefore, provision of swift bricks may aid recovery alongside other actions, such as to increase food resources. The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in December 2024, included several changes designed to enhance and protect the environment. For example, it expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features such as swift bricks which support priority or threatened species. Defra policy officials are also working with MHCLG colleagues to consider what action may be appropriate to drive up rates of swift brick installation in new build properties.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps with his international partners to reduce arms sales to warring parties in Sudan.

Support from external actors to both warring parties only prolongs the conflict and the terrible human suffering. In our engagement with international partners, the UK continues to emphasise the importance of refraining from activity that prolongs the fighting and rather use their influence to support a peaceful resolution to the conflict. We will continue to work closely with partners at the UN Security Council to enforce the existing UN sanctions regime and arms embargo on Darfur. There is also a longstanding UK arms embargo in place for the whole of Sudan.

What discussions she has had with the police in Hertfordshire on tackling the driving of (a) motorbikes and (b) mopeds on (i) pavements and (ii) other public spaces in Hertfordshire.

Tackling anti-social behaviour involving vehicles is a priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.On 25 February 2025, the Crime and Policing Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill includes proposals to give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing vehicles.This will allow the police to quickly remove anti-social motorbikes and mopeds from pavements and other public spaces and send a clear message to antisocial drivers that their behaviour will not be tolerated.Enforcement of the law in Hertfordshire, including in relation to illegal driving of motorbikes, mopeds, on pavements and other public spaces, is an operational matter for Hertfordshire Police.

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the wearing of balaclavas in public spaces.

Face coverings have a variety of legitimate purposes and as such the Government does not support a general ban on the wearing of balaclavas or other types of face coverings in public.However, the Crime and Policing Bill contains a new criminal offence of wearing, or otherwise using, an item that conceals identity in an area designated by police due to the risk of criminal activity taking place at protests. This will enable the police to put a stop to individuals hiding behind masks to avoid conviction for criminal activity at protests.

If she will hold discussions with the Parole Board on the potential impact of the release of James Hurley on PC Frank Mason's family.

James Hurley is rightly serving a life sentence for the murder of PC Frank Mason. The Court set his minimum term for the purposes of retribution and deterrence at 20 years. The minimum term expired on 8 January 2022, and from that date he became eligible for a review of his imprisonment by the independent Parole Board.To assist the Parole Board in making its determination, it received detailed risk assessments from experienced probation and prison officers. The Lord Chancellor also submitted an overarching view of Hurley’s remaining risk of serious harm. In the overarching view, the Lord Chancellor concluded that Hurley should not be released, because she had concluded that his risk remained too high for him to be safely managed in the community.Having considered all the reports, on 31 October 2024 the Parole Board directed Hurley’s release on life licence. The Lord Chancellor currently has only limited power to challenge a release decision by the Parole Board. Under the Parole Board Rules, she may apply to the Board to reconsider its decision where she has an arguable case that the decision is irrational or based on an error of law or reached in a procedurally flawed way. Unfortunately, there was no basis to apply for reconsideration, meaning that the release became final. Whilst the Lord Chancellor was disappointed by the outcome, she has to respect the independence of the Parole Board. By law, HMPPS then had to release him from prison.Hurley will be on licence for the rest of his life. He is currently subject to stringent licence conditions, including exclusion zones, and faces being recalled to prison if he breaches them. Mrs Neaves will be informed by her Victim Liaison Officer of any developments whilst Hurley is on licence. He is managed under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements. The statutory MAPPA framework requires the Probation and Police Service to work together to assess and manage the risks presented by known dangerous offenders.My thoughts are with Mrs Neaves at this difficult time.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the level of Russian involvement in the attack by pro-Assad forces prior to the outbreak of violence on the west coast of Syria in March 2025.

The events in Syria at the start of March 2025 were deeply concerning, and reports that large numbers of civilians have been killed are horrific. We are working as quickly as possible to establish from reliable sources of information what exactly happened and who was responsible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of harmful pesticides on the number of bees in Hertfordshire.

Defra has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of pesticides on Hertfordshire’s bee population. Defra funds a monitoring programme providing information about the concentrations of different pesticides in honey collected from beehives across England, and the subsequent risk to honeybees. Defra partly funds the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS) which generates systematic data on the abundance of bees and other flower-visiting insects at a national scale. Data from PoMS insect surveys contributes to providing an invaluable resource from which to measure trends in pollinator populations and target conservation efforts. England biodiversity indicators provide data about the relative abundance of wild bees. These schemes collect data from around the country and have been designed to ensure regional representation, but do not allow assessment of the impact of pesticides on bee populations locally. Pesticides are only authorised following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. This includes an evaluation of the effect on bees. Use of the neonicotinoid pesticide Cruiser SB is not allowed on sugar beet in England in 2025 as an application for its emergency use was not approved. This decision underlines the Government’s commitment to protecting pollinators and the wider environment.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of repurposing decommissioned Bofors anti-aircraft weapons for use in Ukrainian.

We have not assessed the potential merits of repurposing decommissioned Bofors anti-aircraft weapons for Ukraine, as the system was withdrawn from UK service in the 1970s and Defence no longer holds these systems. We have not received any requests from the Armed Forces of Ukraine for Bofors guns.We continue to work closely with the Ukrainian Government to ensure the capabilities we provide meet the tactical demands of the conflict as it evolves to resist Russia's illegal invasion. We have provided a number of capabilities to Ukraine that are similar to Bofors anti-aircraft weapons, and we have refurbished a number of previously decommissioned capabilities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10916 on Chelsea Football Club: Sales, for what reason the Government is unable to access these funds.

The proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club are currently frozen in a UK bank account. A licence from the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is needed to move or use the proceeds, but they are not Government funds.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of computer numerical control machines to Ukrainian defence companies.

Computer numerical control (CNC) machines enable the precise production of advanced components. We have not received requests for CNC systems in the last two years. The Ministry of Defence is not taking any steps to increase the number of systems to Ukraine as we have not provided these type of systems to Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence has and continues to work closely with the Armed Forces of Ukraine to understand their specific requirements, this includes the provision of components and specific tools to enable production of systems and capabilities in Ukraine.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of computer numerical control machines exported to Ukraine.

Computer numerical control (CNC) machines enable the precise production of advanced components. We have not received requests for CNC systems in the last two years. The Ministry of Defence is not taking any steps to increase the number of systems to Ukraine as we have not provided these type of systems to Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence has and continues to work closely with the Armed Forces of Ukraine to understand their specific requirements, this includes the provision of components and specific tools to enable production of systems and capabilities in Ukraine.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of joint ventures between the UK and Ukrainian defence industries.

The UK recognises the need to develop strong defence industrial partnerships with Ukraine to accelerate and deepen UK and Ukrainian defence industrial capacity and capability, and to rebuild its defence industrial base. Through Task Force HIRST, we actively encourage the development of partnerships and joint ventures between UK defence industry and local Ukrainian companies, and HMG has led five successful Trade Missions to Ukraine to bring together UK and Ukrainian Government and defence industry representatives, as well as international partners, to identify opportunities for developing sustainable, long-term cooperation and partnerships. I recently led a trade mission of UK, Dutch and Norwegian firms to Ukraine in support of these and other aligned objectives.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to extend the right to roam.

Our countryside and green spaces are a source of great national pride, and which boost public health and wellbeing, but too many across the country are left without access to the great outdoors. That is why the last Labour Government expanded public access by introducing the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which provided the public a right of access to large areas of mountain, moor, heath, down, registered common land and coastal margin in England. We will be reviewing the maps of this open access land ahead of the statutory deadline of 1 January 2031, to ensure that the public have clear information which can help them to access this land. The Government has decided to repeal the cut-off date which will save hundreds of miles of unregistered historic rights of way from the threat of extinguishment in 2031 ensuring that they can continue to be enjoyed by the public for years to come. We are continuing to increase access to nature for families to enjoy, for example through our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new National River Walks, plant three new National Forests, and empower communities to create new parks and green spaces in their communities with a new Community Right to Buy. We will announce further details on our plans for improving access to nature in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the potential impact of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 on the number of walkers in Scotland.

No, the Secretary of State has not had discussions with the Scottish Government on the potential impact of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 on the number of walkers in Scotland.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of the public's right to roam on levels of (a) mental health, (b) obesity and (c) stress.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential. The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. We will be working across Government departments to achieve this, including with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). Defra is already working closely with DHSC, alongside other partners, in the delivery of the Green Social Prescribing programme which directly examines the impact of increased use of nature-based interventions and activities on participants’ health and wellbeing. The first phase of the programme ran from October 2020 - March 2023, achieving around 8,500 referrals and demonstrating statistically significant improvements in participants’ mental health.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the number of vape shops on high streets in Hertfordshire on the prosperity of those high streets.

The quality of the public realm and the prosperity of high streets and town centres is of vital importance. The Government is supporting local efforts to reduce vacancy on high streets, including through High Street Rental Auctions, because of the damaging effect persistently empty shops can have on the vitality of town centres.The Government also recognises public sentiment about the value of some high street businesses will be mixed. Occupation of vacant units must in general be preferred to the alternative, including because of the benefits to high street footfall. The government encourages local partnership working between landlords, local government, businesses and residents to develop a unique vision for their high street. The planning system provides some tools to support these efforts, including the emphasis placed on local plans and diversification of primary shopping areas in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to make government digital services accessible to people without strong digital skills.

The Government Digital Service supports and incentivises departments to design digital services that are simple and easy to use. The Service Manual provides patterns to help departments design both online services for people with limited digital literacy and offline channels to support users, such as in person support at Post Offices for OneLogin.