Written questions by Maguire.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure aid air drops are carried out safely to avoid unintentional harm.

In the last few years, the UK has been involved in a limited number of aid air drops operations, specifically into Gaza. The latest effort in July 2025 was led by Jordan where up to £500,000 of humanitarian aid was procured by the UK and placed onto Royal Jordanian Air Force aircrafts. In line with humanitarian principles, we assess all delivery methods to minimise unintended consequences and ensure aid does not exacerbate existing vulnerabilities or tensions. We have been clear from the start that whilst airdrops into Gaza would have helped to alleviate the worst of the suffering, land routes serve as the only viable and sustainable means of providing aid at scale.

How many people eligible under the ARAP scheme are still awaiting relocation.

On 9 October 2025, there were circa. 4,200 applicants and their family members who had received notification of eligibility under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme and were awaiting relocation to the UK. The figure is an estimate, as complete family details are not available yet for all eligible applicants. Additionally, officials are still processing cases and so the figure is subject to change as further eligibility decisions are granted.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of placing further sanctions on people attempting to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children.

As the Foreign Secretary said in her statement to the House on 15 October: "The forcible deportation - and kidnapping - of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the most disturbing aspects of this war. We have been supporting organisations such as Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine, which are supporting efforts to return Ukrainian children. Just two weeks ago, Baroness Harman attended the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children event at the UN General Assembly. We will continue to do all we can to support the return of those children."Last month, the UK announced sanctions against those supporting the forcible deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, a despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. Our sanctions aim to hold those responsible to account and shed light on those crimes. UK sanctions are strategically coordinated with allies to impose severe costs on Putin and his regime. We work closely with EU partners, and where appropriate, we seek to align our approaches to sanctions, including against those involved in the deportation of Ukrainian children.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve the standard of education delivered in (a) prisons and (b) young offender institutions.

Improving education standards in prisons and young offender institutions (YOIs) is a priority for the Ministry of Justice. Governors and Heads of Education, Skills and Work tailor provision to meet local needs, supported by regional managers and strengthened oversight of contracts. Investment in digital infrastructure is widening access across the estate to enable secure and flexible learning opportunities. Governors can commission both enrichment and vocational courses via the Dynamic Purchasing System, and pathways to employment are further supported by apprenticeships and the Future Skills Programme which provides short-sector specific training opportunities in areas like construction and waste management for those nearing the end of their sentence and provides a guaranteed job interview on release. Ofsted and HMIP feedback are closely monitored, and establishments are held to account for improvements.To support inclusive education, all prisons, including YOIs, have Neurodiversity Support Managers, and public YOIs have qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators. The Youth Custody Service has launched ‘Roadmaps to Effective Practice’ in partnership with NHS England, education providers and psychology services, focused on improving safety, behaviour and education. Each YOI has a site-specific plan for education with performance monitored, and broad, balanced curriculums are being developed to support trauma-informed child-centred rehabilitation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the UK’s reliance on imported produce from countries facing high climate-related agricultural vulnerabilities.

To ensure a consistent supply of food, the UK relies upon a combination of strong domestic production from the UK’s agricultural and food manufacturing sectors, and a diverse range of overseas supply sources. Trade supports UK food supply resilience. This is due to the UK having diverse trade routes, strong international supply and purchasing power. At home, the Government’s recently published Good Food Cycle identifies priority outcomes for resilient domestic production for a secure supply of healthier food, and also to create conditions for the food sector to thrive and grow sustainably, including investment in innovation and productivity, and fairer more transparent supply chains. We have allocated £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much her Department has spent on market systems strengthening by country in the most recent period for which data is available.

Market system strengthening has been a core part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) approach to development for over two decades. Roughly 50 different country programmes, and at least 15 centrally managed, multi-country programmes have been identified that broadly deliver impact through this approach, and many more contain elements of the approach. The following table shows spend estimates for the top ten countries, for calendar year 2024, through projects which are primarily Market System Strengthening. A comprehensive estimate is not possible due to definitional issues, and there may be additional programmes containing elements of the approach.Estimated market system strengthening spend by country in 2024 (£millions)Country2024 FCDO ODA spendZambia26.7Kenya12.4Uganda9.2Nigeria8.0Sierra Leone6.1Pakistan5.7Ethiopia5.4Ghana4.1Bangladesh3.8Zimbabwe2.4Additional non-country specific programmingCountry2024 FCDO ODA spendAfrica Regional31.9Middle East regional8.6Other Multi country programming [Note 1]77.4Source: Statistics on International Development: Final UK ODA Spend 2024.Note 1. Programmes that benefit several developing countries, across regions, cannot be tagged to a specific country or region and are tagged as benefitting "Developing countries, unspecified".

What her Department's timetable is for publishing its planned consultation on bringing the licensing of shotguns under Section 2 of the Firearms Act 1968 in line with the licensing requirements under Section 1 of that Act.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns, to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. We intend to publish this consultation later this year.

What steps her Department is taking to prevent Russian crypto assets being purchased in Britain.

Since 2020 UK cryptoasset firms have been subject to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations, requiring strict supervision, customer checks and suspicious activity reporting. Since 2023, these firms have also been required to collect, verify and share information about the sender and receiver of transfers.The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (2023) gave law enforcement new powers to seize criminal cryptoassets. These powers, alongside the 475 new financial investigators funded by the Economic Crime Levy, new crypto track-and-trace technologies, and public-private working, empower law enforcement to tackle crypto crime, including peer-to-peer transactions between self-hosted wallets.In addition, Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) works alongside other government agencies to tackle the threats posed to sanctions by illicit cryptoasset activity. OFSI’s recent Cryptoassets Threat Assessment informs how UK cryptoasset firms can combat breaches. OFSI is fully prepared to pursue any sanctions offences, and continues to scale up its enforcement capacity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the release of the Ukrainian children held in Russia and its occupied territories.

As the Foreign Secretary said in her statement to the House on 15 October: "The forcible deportation - and kidnapping - of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the most disturbing aspects of this war. We have been supporting organisations such as Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine, which are supporting efforts to return Ukrainian children. Just two weeks ago, Baroness Harman attended the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children event at the UN General Assembly. We will continue to do all we can to support the return of those children."Last month, the UK announced sanctions against those supporting the forcible deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, a despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. Our sanctions aim to hold those responsible to account and shed light on those crimes. UK sanctions are strategically coordinated with allies to impose severe costs on Putin and his regime. We work closely with EU partners, and where appropriate, we seek to align our approaches to sanctions, including against those involved in the deportation of Ukrainian children.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure employers provide reasonable adjustments for employees with epilepsy.

All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled employee, including employees with epilepsy, would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support people with disabilities to partake in sport activities.

The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone. ​At my recent visit to Kiveton Park FC it was a pleasure to see firsthand how the club’s inspirational work is empowering disabled children to experience the benefits of sport. We are committed to breaking down the barriers that contribute to the persisting inequalities in participation and want to ensure that everyone can experience the physical, mental and social benefits that come with being active. To achieve this, the Government works closely with its Arm's-Length Bodies, Sport England and UK Sport, as well as other partners in the sector, to improve access to sports for all. Sport England's ten-year Uniting the Movement strategy reinforces its commitment to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for those from under-represented groups, including disabled people. Sport England has ensured that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with Disability Rights UK, Activity Alliance, Aspire, and Sense.

What assessment his Department has made of the the potential merits of increasing prison educators pay in line with their counterparts in other further education workplaces.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the vital role prison educators play in supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Prison educators are employed by Further Education or Training Providers contracted to deliver education in custody. As such, their pay and terms and conditions are set by those providers. Providers typically align prison educator pay with equivalent roles in community-based further education settings.

Whether he plans to review the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund in the South East, in the context of changes in food and housing costs.

In January 2025, the Department published an evaluation of the fourth Household Support Fund (HSF) scheme, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. We will use findings from delivery of the Household Support Fund to inform policy for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, starting from 1 April 2026.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of further sanctions on Russia that target the network of camps being used for indoctrinating Ukrainian children.

As the Foreign Secretary said in her statement to the House on 15 October: "The forcible deportation - and kidnapping - of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the most disturbing aspects of this war. We have been supporting organisations such as Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine, which are supporting efforts to return Ukrainian children. Just two weeks ago, Baroness Harman attended the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children event at the UN General Assembly. We will continue to do all we can to support the return of those children."Last month, the UK announced sanctions against those supporting the forcible deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, a despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. Our sanctions aim to hold those responsible to account and shed light on those crimes. UK sanctions are strategically coordinated with allies to impose severe costs on Putin and his regime. We work closely with EU partners, and where appropriate, we seek to align our approaches to sanctions, including against those involved in the deportation of Ukrainian children.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle gender-bias as a barrier to leadership progression for women.

The Government is committed to supporting women to thrive in all areas of their lives. Supporting women into leadership is vital to the economy. This is why the government has recently refreshed the Women’s Business Council (WBC) which works to maximise women’s potential in the workplace. It is a government-backed, business-led initiative which reports to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The WBC’s members are senior leaders who strive to boost women’s representation in the workplace, helping to boost productivity, innovation and leadership. The Government also backs the independent, business-led FTSE Women Leaders Review which sets recommendations for Britain’s biggest companies to improve the representation of women on their boards and leadership teams. The scope of the Review covers the FTSE 350 and 50 of the UK’s biggest private companies. The FTSE Women Leaders Review report for 2025 shows that women now occupy 1,275 or 43% of roles on company boards and 6,743 (35%) of leadership roles at the 350 FTSE companies. This marks a year-on-year increase and means the target of 40% women’s representation by the end of this year continues to be achieved by FTSE350 businesses The government is committed to commencing the Equality Act 2010’s provision requiring registered political parties to publish anonymised data relating to the diversity of their candidate selections. We are currently exploring when and how to commence the provision under section 106. Officials are also engaging with civic society on how to improve the participation of women and girls in politics.

What steps her Department is taking to increase participation of women and girls in politics.

The Government is committed to supporting women to thrive in all areas of their lives. Supporting women into leadership is vital to the economy. This is why the government has recently refreshed the Women’s Business Council (WBC) which works to maximise women’s potential in the workplace. It is a government-backed, business-led initiative which reports to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The WBC’s members are senior leaders who strive to boost women’s representation in the workplace, helping to boost productivity, innovation and leadership. The Government also backs the independent, business-led FTSE Women Leaders Review which sets recommendations for Britain’s biggest companies to improve the representation of women on their boards and leadership teams. The scope of the Review covers the FTSE 350 and 50 of the UK’s biggest private companies. The FTSE Women Leaders Review report for 2025 shows that women now occupy 1,275 or 43% of roles on company boards and 6,743 (35%) of leadership roles at the 350 FTSE companies. This marks a year-on-year increase and means the target of 40% women’s representation by the end of this year continues to be achieved by FTSE350 businesses The government is committed to commencing the Equality Act 2010’s provision requiring registered political parties to publish anonymised data relating to the diversity of their candidate selections. We are currently exploring when and how to commence the provision under section 106. Officials are also engaging with civic society on how to improve the participation of women and girls in politics.

Communities and Local Government, what enforcement mechanisms are in place to ensure developers implement and maintain Sustainable Drainage Systems to the required standards in new developments.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 37386 on 18 March 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the level of funding for (a) conflict prevention, (b) mediation and (c) peacebuilding building efforts on levels of migration to the UK.

We take a comprehensive and integrated approach to tackling conflict using all our diplomatic, development and security levers and working closely with our international partners. This approach recognises that addressing conflict effectively is not only about how much we spend. This enables us to prioritise our resources where they have most impact, and take the broader action needed to address the drivers of conflict, and effect lasting change.

If his Department will introduce routine testing of menstrual products for chemical residues.

The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 require that only safe products, in their normal or reasonably foreseeable use, are placed on the market. There are obligations on Producers and distributors to where reasonable, sample test products to check safety. The Government employs a risk-based approach to product testing, targeting categories with a high potential for danger and do not test period products. During the passage of the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, the Government committed to consult on period product safety. Officials are currently reviewing the need for any further research and testing in this area to complement the consultation.

What estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of cyber-attacks against the NHS since 2021.

We do not hold data for the total economic impact of cyber incidents on National Health Service organisations specifically.Cyber-attacks can have a significant economic impact. The WannaCry cyber-attack in 2017 was estimated by the Department to have cost the NHS £92 million. Public estimates of the impact of the Synnovis cyber-attack stand at £32.7 million, according to accounts filed on Companies House.NHS trusts are independent organisations with their own set budgets, and a decision will be made on a case-by-case basis as to whether the economic impact of smaller incidents is assessed.Government is working to fully assess the impact of cyber-attacks on the wider public sector. It is worth noting that the economic impact of cyber incidents affected by a wide variety of complex factors. Further information about the financial cost of breaches or attacks can be found in the Cyber security breaches survey 2025, published by the Department for Science, innovation and Technology (DSIT). This is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2025/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2025