Written questions by Campbell.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 74957 on Citroën: Air Bags, whether her Department has received a response to its letter to Stellantis on the recall of Citroën cars.

I can confirm that Stellantis replied to the letter from the Secretary of State on 12 August. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency officials continue to have regular engagement meetings with representatives from Stellantis about the Citroën/DS recall and continue to support Stellantis, prioritising safety while minimising economic and social impact.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Creative Industries Sector Plan in helping creative businesses in Northern Ireland.

The Creative Industries Sector Plan was announced in June and contains ambitious proposals to bolster growth in the creative industries across the UK. The Sector Plan highlights Belfast & Derry/Londonderry as a high potential cluster for creative industries growth and recognises their unique investment offer. UK wide activity outlined in the Sector Plan includes increased funding to the UKRI Creative Industries Clusters Programme, increased access to support from the British Business Bank and increased exporting support from UK Export Finance. DCMS is committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure creative businesses benefit from this activity. Northern Ireland has a thriving screen sector. DCMS will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to support this sector, including continued annual funding from the UK Government, through the British Film Institute, to Northern Ireland Screen to support the Irish Language and Ulster-Scots Broadcast Funds.

Media and Sport, for what reason the Natural History Museum informs potential customers in Northern Ireland that it is unable to ship to EU countries.

This is a matter for the Natural History Museum which is operationally independent of the Government. I understand that the Natural History Museum is aiming to resume e-commerce sales to Northern Ireland in the near future.

What plans she has to meet with her Irish counterpart to discuss the increase in the amount of illegal drugs being smuggled into that country.

The National Crime Agency’s latest National Strategic Assessment notes the Common Travel Area, and particularly the routes between Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Great Britain, continue to be exploited by criminals for the purposes of serious and organised crime including the smuggling of illicit commodities.The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland have a strong operational relationship which includes continual engagement and practical joint operations to present a combined deterrent to organised criminals targeting both the UK and Ireland.This is supported by senior twice-yearly dialogues, which Home Office officials feed into. At these we discuss key issues that are shared between Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

What estimate he has made of the number of women who did not have a postnatal check-up with their general practitioner after six to eight weeks in each of the last three years.

The Department does not hold this information. NHS England has published guidance written in collaboration with the Royal College of General Practitioners on the six-to-eight week postnatal check-up for all women who have given birth. This provides an important opportunity for general practitioners to listen to women in a discreet, supportive environment to provide personalised postnatal care for their physical and mental health and support them with family planning.

What the change in obesity rates has been among young adults in the last 10 years.

NHS England publishes data from the Health Survey for England (HSE) which collects data annually on measured height and weight of adults in England which is used to calculate the prevalence of obesity in the population.The following table shows the prevalence of obesity among young adults aged between 16 and 24 years old from 2012 to 2022, the latest period for which data is available:Survey yearPercentage of adults aged between 16 and 24 years old living with obesity201213.1%201311.1%201410.8%201516.4%201611.3%201715.5%201813.5%201912.9%2020no data20217.9%202213.9%Source: HSENotes:There is no HSE data for 2020. Pandemic-related restrictions meant that fieldwork for HSE 2020 could not be carried out during most of the year.The data for 2021 is produced using adjusted self-reported height and weight, as pandemic-related restrictions meant the survey was not conducted as a face to face interview. The self-report data was adjusted to better align with measured height and weight, but the estimates are not directly comparable with other years of HSE data that uses measured height and weight. Obesity prevalence among young adults has remained stable in the last 10 years, with some variation in the estimates which may be due to the small sample size of the HSE when split by age. It is expected that data from the 2024 survey will be published in early 2026.

Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the Director General of the BBC on increasing locally (a) produced and (b) sourced (i) radio and (ii) television output.

Under its current Charter, the BBC has an obligation to ‘reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions’. Ofcom sets specific obligations for the BBC on programme making in the nations and regions including requiring that at least 50% of network TV programme hours and production spend must be made outside the M25, and 30% of relevant radio spend outside the M25. The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the Government in determining how it meets its obligations, and it is subsequently for the independent regulator Ofcom to hold the BBC to account in meeting those obligations. BBC reporting shows it is consistently meeting or exceeding these quotas.The Secretary of State does not have specific plans to discuss this issue with the Director General. However, as part of the next Charter Review, the Government will engage with the BBC and others to consider how to ensure the BBC truly represents and delivers for every person in this country including to be more ambitious in growing our world-leading TV sector outside of London and the South East, and to commission content in every part of the country.

Whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the NHS England Help Us Help You campaign on cancer symptom awareness.

The Department and NHS England recognise the importance of directly targeting awareness campaigns at areas that we know will make a difference, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms and encourage people to get checked.NHS England runs Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and to address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns are evaluated in line with best practice, considering media metrics, campaign awareness, understanding and intention to act, along with analysis of operational data.The most recent phases of Help Us Help You, which ran between January and March 2025, saw increases in symptom knowledge and intention to act. NHS England is undertaking operational data analysis, with early data showing an increase in cancer diagnosis at the same time as campaign activity. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.

How many people have been (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted as a result of Operation Gull in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

To maintain the highest standards of accuracy, the Home Office prefers to refer to published data, as this has been subject to rigorous quality assurance under National Statistics protocols prior to publication. Information about arrests, charges and convictions as a result of Operation Gull is not available in our published data.Our published national data on enforcement activity is available at the following link and includes data on detected irregular arrivals to the UK: Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2025 - GOV.UK

Whether her Department is taking fiscal steps to help support the growth of the mutual and co-operative sector.

The Government has announced multiple measures to unlock the full potential of the mutual sector, including in a package announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at Mansion House 2024. The package included funding for the Law Commission to complete independent reviews of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and the Friendly Societies Acts 1974 and 1992. These reviews will put forward recommendations to develop a more modern and supportive legislative environment for the mutuals registered under the relevant Acts. The Government will carefully consider the findings of the Law Commission reviews to understand whether reform of the legislation is needed to ensure these businesses are supported to grow and succeed into the future. The package also contained non-fiscal measures to support the growth of the sector. This included a call for evidence on potential reform to the credit union common bond in Great Britain, responses to which are now being considered. The government also asked the Prudential Regulatory Authority and Financial Conduct Authority to produce a report on the current mutuals landscape by the end of 2025 and welcomed the establishment of the Mutual and Co-operative Sector Business Council. Finally, the government committed to progressing further amendments to the Building Societies Act 1986 following two statutory instruments being laid in October 2024, creating a more supportive legislative environment for building societies. HM Treasury is currently progressing these measures. Together, they reinforce the government’s commitment to support the mutual and co-operative sector. Please note that co-operatives and credit unions policy are devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive.

Whether she expects to receive the report from the Payments Vision Delivery Committee before the Conference recess.

At the Mansion House event in July 2025, the Payments Vision Delivery Committee set out a new model for the design and delivery of the next generation of retail payments infrastructure in the UK. The Committee’s publication can be found here: Payments Vision Delivery Committee Update - GOV.UK Under the new model, the Committee will set the strategy for retail payments infrastructure in line with the ambitions of the government’s National Payments Vision, and this strategy will be translated into design by the new Retail Payments Infrastructure Board. The Board will be chaired by the Bank of England and will have broad representation from across the ecosystem. A new industry-owned and industry-led Delivery Company will be responsible for procuring and funding the new infrastructure, overseen by the Board. The Committee will publish its strategy this autumn and the Bank of England is working at pace to establish the new Board with a view to its first meeting taking place in October. The Committee will also publish the Payments Forward Plan by end-2025, including a sequenced plan of future initiatives and a recommended monitoring approach.

Pursuant the Answer of 2 September to Question 69743 on Universal Credit: Expenditure, whether she has had discussions with the OBR on the sustainability of the forecasted levels of expenditure on Universal Credit payments by the end of the current Parliament.

This Government is committed to a social security system which raises employment and living standards by supporting and incentivising people into work and to work more, reduces poverty by supporting people at times of higher cost and dependency, and promotes fairness and controls overall spending to ensure the long-term sustainability of the system for future generations. The Government’s welfare cap rule also helps ensure the long-term sustainability of the welfare system. A new welfare cap covering the current parliament was introduced at Autumn Budget 2024. The financial sustainability of the benefit system, including Universal Credit, is considered in the round as part of the forecasts for annually managed expenditure which are produced twice yearly as part of the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast process.

If she will have discussions with representative bodies of car manufacturers on the extent of the recall of Citroën cars in connection with potential airbag problems.

The Secretary of State recently wrote to Stellantis to express serious concerns about the customer impact of the stop-drive recall currently affecting Citroën and DS Automobiles cars in the United Kingdom. That correspondence urged Stellantis to take immediate steps to:Improve the effectiveness of their customer support, and that they make effective their commitments for ensuring that all affected owners – especially those with urgent mobility needs – are provided with viable alternatives, whether through courtesy cars, financial compensation, or at-home repair servicesPrioritise vulnerable customers who rely on their vehicles for essential travel – such as key workers, carers, and individuals with disabilitiesEnhance transparency by clearly communicating the timelines for resolution, and the alternative transport or compensation provisions that are in place.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 59984 on Fire Prevention, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the response to wildfires during summer 2025.

Each fire and rescue authority is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in its local area (including wildfire), through the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) - having regard to the views of other key local responders. As the lead government department for wildfire, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) maintains regular engagement with other government departments including the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and Cabinet Office on this national risk. This is alongside the department’s work with national bodies including the National Fire Chiefs Council and England and Wales Wildfire Forum to monitor and review sector led improvements and mitigations. Since 2024 the Government has funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to the wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs that have been created in the small business sector in Northern Ireland in the period since the inception of the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland.

The £70million Investment Fund for Northern Ireland has been open for applications since November 2023. From inception to May 2025, a total of £18million has been lent or invested in 35 businesses in Northern Ireland; this investment has also led to the crowding in of an additional £12million in private sector funding.It is not possible at this early stage to estimate the number of jobs that have been created as a result. The benefits generated by the fund for the Northern Ireland economy, including additional Gross Value Added and jobs created, will be assessed by independent evaluations of the fund, likely to take place in 2026 at the earliest.

What will be the next steps following the launch of the Development Phase of the Global Combat Air Programme.

As set out in the joint statement following the Secretary of State for Defences’ meeting with H.E. Mr Nakatani Gen, Minister of Defense of Japan on 28 August 2025 “Recognising the significance of the GCAP”, the Ministers reaffirmed their personal commitment to it and to accelerating work to conclude the first international contract between the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO) and industry joint venture, Edgewing, by the end of 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 70326 on Hamas: Guided Weapons, if he will make representations to the UN on the need for an independent verifiable assessment of the number of missiles fired by Hamas into Israel on the dates in question, and which does not solely rely on data produced by Israel or Hamas.

The missile attacks in question are completely unacceptable, their source and impact are clear, and they reinforce why Hamas can have no role in the future governance of Gaza.

When he expects to receive the report of the latest review of prostate cancer diagnosis from from the UK National Screening Committee.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) received two evidence review reports about screening for prostate cancer and is considering them alongside experts. Subject to no further revisions being required, a public consultation will start this calendar year. This will run for three months as usual, and the UK NSC will then make a recommendation on prostate cancer screening. Once the recommendation is made, ministers will consider whether to accept it or not.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help increase participation among the 18 – 25 age group in forthcoming elections.

The government is committed to encouraging participation in our democracy, as set out in our manifesto. We recognise the importance of engaging young people in the democratic process and are taking active steps to address this. We are actively developing proposals to deliver this manifesto commitment, and are collaborating closely with the Electoral Commission, local authorities, think tanks, academics, and civil society organisations. Our work is focused on identifying the attitudinal barriers that prevent young people from participating in elections, and exploring effective interventions to overcome these challenges.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 63282 on Business: Cybercrime, what steps the National Cyber Security Centre is taking to tackle those incidents of cyber crime.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) works closely with Law Enforcement partners to respond to cyber crime. The NCSC also provides a range of services and guidance to help organisations defend against cyber incidents. These include the Early Warning service that shares threat intelligence of precursor indicators of ransomware.Additionally, the NCSC regularly publishes advice and guidance on the mitigations that organisations can implement to help prevent them becoming a victim of cyber crime (https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online/). For example, the Cyber Essentials scheme is recommended as the minimum standard of cyber security for all organisations (https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberessentials/overview). Organisations are 92 per cent less likely to make a claim on their cyber insurance if they have implemented the five controls outlined in Cyber Essentials.