Written questions by Shannon.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on increasing youth engagement in sports outside school.

The Secretary of State and I regularly meet with Ministerial counterparts from the Department for Education on a range of issues, including young people’s engagement in sport both inside and outside the school day.As an example, in March, I attended a meeting with a range of National Governing Bodies on their role in enhancing access to sport and physical activity inside and outside the school day, hosted by the Minister for School Standards.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help protect (a) children and (b) young people from online gambling harms.

Since 2020, children and young people have been taught about the risks relating to gambling as part of the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum in England. 30% of statutory gambling levy funding will be allocated to prevention activity, including education and early intervention to help raise awareness of harmful gambling and the support available.There are also a range of robust protections in place to ensure that gambling advertising, whenever it appears, is socially responsible, with a particular regard to the need to protect children, young persons and other vulnerable persons from being harmed and exploited.We continue to monitor the best available evidence to inform how we reduce gambling harm amongst children and young people.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the tourism sector in urban areas.

The government is committed to the tourism sector maintaining its competitiveness. VisitBritain launched its latest ‘Starring Great Britain’ campaign in January, which will harness the powerful draw of Film and TV to drive inbound tourism towards UK’s cities and regions.DCMS has announced a new Visitor Economy Advisory Council that will see industry and government work together to work towards the creation of a Visitor Economy Growth Strategy, set to be launched in autumn, mapping out plans to support the growth of the tourism industry.The Government is implementing the most significant overhaul of regional destination management in a generation, creating a portfolio of nationally supported, strategic and high-performing Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) in partnership with VisitEngland, including those in urban areas such as London and Manchester.

What estimate she has made of how many people have been absent from work because of long term sickness due to respiratory illness over the last 12 months.

The estimated number of people aged 16 to 64 in the UK who had a long-term (4 weeks or more) sickness absence from work due to respiratory illness, e.g. asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD], bronchitis or pneumonia, between January and December 2024 (the latest data available) was 60,000. This represents around 4% of people who had a long-term sickness absence. Source: Annual Population Survey (APS) - unpublished

What steps his Department is taking to help increase awareness of employment opportunities pertaining to the North Sea.

In March, the government launched a consultation setting out the next steps in its overarching objective to make the North Sea a world leading example of an offshore clean energy industry. Britain is well-placed to use the skills and expertise of our existing offshore workforce and supply chain to get ahead in the global race for new jobs and industries. We are working with industry to explore public awareness campaign options promoting the opportunities from clean energy jobs (including those in the North Sea), as announced in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2024 to Question 2087 on Horse: Smuggling, what estimate his Department has made of the number of horses smuggled from the United Kingdom at (a) Dover and (b) other ports for which the latest data is available.

APHA defines a smuggled animal as one that is illegally exported: it is one that is not travelling on appropriate paperwork, has not been declared and/or is concealed. This means that robust data on the numbers of horses and ponies illegally smuggled out of the United Kingdom in the last 5 years is not readily available, as APHA can only report on inspected animals; those that are presented or intercepted. APHA holds data for the period September 2023 to date for Dover only. We have previously provided the data from September 2023 to 30 July 2024. See PQ 45796 for the most recent data on recorded exports. Between 31 July 2024 to present, APHA Dover inspected 197 horses/ponies being exported into mainland Europe, including those originating from Ireland and transiting through Great Britain. Of these, 65 were found to be non-compliant due to contraventions of official controls related to animal health and the welfare of animals in transport.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on ending the Ukraine-Russia war.

We share President Trump's desire to bring this barbaric war to an end and remain in close touch with the US at every level. Following talks between the US and Ukraine on 11 March, and the US and Russia on 13 March, the Foreign Secretary spoke to Secretary of State Rubio. The Foreign Secretary also spoke to the Secretary of State on 22 April prior to the peace talks between the US, Ukraine, France, Germany and the UK.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the economic benefits of the (a) motorbike road racing season and (b) Ulster Superbike Championship in Northern Ireland.

The Government is committed to supporting economic growth in the sport sector, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.DCMS has not made an assessment of the economic benefits of the motorbike road racing season or the Ulster Superbike Championship in Northern Ireland specifically. However, the motorsport road racing season has an impact on the economy directly with live races, including at Brands Hatch, Silverstone, the North West 200 and others, as well as the indirect impact it makes via R&D advancements. These events are a highlight for many local communities, doing so much to make the UK the home of motorbike racing.In September 2024, DCMS published the Sport Satellite Account. The results estimated that the sport sector as a whole contributed £53.6 billion directly to the UK economy in 2021 (equivalent to 2.6% of the total UK Gross Value Add in 2021).The Sport Satellite Account estimated that the sport sector contributed £1.2 billion directly to the Northern Irish economy in 2021 (equivalent to 2.6% of the total Northern Irish Gross Value Add in 2021).

What the (a) role and (b) remit of National Clinical Directors will be following the abolition of NHS England.

Two medical directors have been confirmed in the NHS England transformation executive team. One for secondary care, the other for primary care.Ministers and senior Department officials are working with the new executive team in NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to determine the leadership, structure, and requirements needed to support the creation of a new centre for health and care.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support displaced people in Sudan.

The Sudan conflict has caused the largest and fasted growing displacement crisis in the world, with almost 13 million displaced since April 2023. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary announced £120 million of new life-saving aid for this year, to support over to 650,000 people in Sudan. The UK is also playing an active role at the Security Council to help protect Sudanese civilians through public interventions, senior engagements, Council products and sanctions. We continue to push the warring parties take every precaution to safeguard Sudanese civilians.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to address Iran's support for terrorism against (a) the UK and (b) the UK's allies.

On 7 May, I raised directly with the Iranian Ambassador Iran's unacceptable threats against the UK and its allies, including state-backed assassination plots and support for proscribed terrorist groups. The UK already has more than 450 sanctions designations in place on Iranian individuals, entities and criminal networks.Furthermore, on 4 March the UK announced new measures to counter the threat from the Iran. This includes specifying Iran on the Enhanced Tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which will require anyone directed by Iran to conduct activity in the UK to register with the Home Office. Failure to do so will be a criminal offence. In concert with partners, the UK will continue to use all appropriate tools at our disposal to protect the UK and its allies against any threats from Iran.

What steps he is taking to help tackle obesity.

Supporting people to stay healthier for longer is at the heart of the Government’s Health Mission. We face a childhood obesity crisis, and the Government will take action to tackle the root causes of obesity head on, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.We are committed to tackling the obstacles driving obesity. We have already laid secondary legislation to restrict the advertisements of less healthy food and drink to children on television and online, we have announced changes to the planning framework for fast food near schools, and we are taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective and fit-for-purpose. We are also committed to banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16 year olds.While prevention will be key to addressing obesity, so is ensuring appropriate treatment is accessible. Over 28% of adults in England are living with obesity and even modest weight loss can benefit health and reduce the risk of developing obesity-related diseases. The NHS and local government provide a range of services to help people living with obesity to manage their weight. These range from 12-week behavioural programmes, including the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme, to specialist services for those living with severe obesity and associated co-morbidities, which can include obesity medicines or surgery.We are also working collaboratively across Government to deliver a resilient food system that promotes health and food security. The Food Strategy will work to provide healthier, more easily accessible food to help people live longer, healthier lives.Further action on obesity under the Government’s Health Mission will be set out in due course.

What steps he is taking to improve cancer testing across the UK.

The Government is focused on reducing waiting times for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in England. The Department has invested approximately £1.5 billion of capital funding in 2025/26 for new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners, creating capacity for over 30,000 more procedures and 1.25 million diagnostic tests. Furthermore, the National Health Service has hit its pledge early to deliver over two million more elective care appointments.The National Cancer Plan for England will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. It has the overarching goal to ultimately bring England’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world and provide an NHS that is there when patients need it.

What progress he has made on funding for new research into dementia prevention medication.

The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR delivers a range of research on dementia prevention, through direct funding of projects as well as investment in wider infrastructure.Research supported by the NIHR’s Oxford Applied Research Collaboration reported that a new shingles vaccine, Shingrex, is protective against dementia. Additional research supported by the NIHR’s Southwest Peninsula Applied Research Collaboration examined health data from over 130 million individuals, and has shown that common medications like anti-inflammatory drugs, antiviral medications, and antibiotics are associated with a reduced risk of people developing dementia.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including dementia prevention medications. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on dementia to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps to help protect the (a) human and (b) educational rights of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The UK remains committed to protecting the human and educational rights of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).We support human rights, including through projects to provide legal support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in BiH and to assist social cohesion in heavily divided communities.Our embassy in Sarajevo regularly raises educational rights in engagements with BiH authorities, underlining our support for an inclusive future in BiH where fundamental rights are respected and all may access education.We continue to work with international partners, including through the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, to support these aims.

What discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on tackling shop lifting.

The measures relating to shop theft in the Crime and Policing Bill will be enacted in England and Wales; however, we have had regular engagement with the Northern Ireland Executive – and will continue to do so as the Bill makes its passage through Parliament - on measures in the Bill.

How many people under 50 have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the last 12 months.

Information is not held in the format requested. However, using Hospital Episode Statistics data, the following table shows a count of Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) for patients under 50 years old with a primary diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for 2023/24 and provisionally for February 2024 to January 2025:ICD-10 diagnosis codeDescription2023/242024/25J41Simple and mucopurulent chronic bronchitis2414J42Unspecified chronic bronchitis186183J43Emphysema530551J44Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease3,7273,640J47Bronchiectasis1,7411,834 An FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are typically counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes, which is the approach we have used here. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.

How many registered chiropractors there are in the UK.

The General Chiropractors Council (GCC) is responsible for collecting data on the numbers of chiropractors in the United Kingdom. They publish an annual report which provides the number of chiropractors in the UK, which is available at the following link:https://www.gcc-uk.org/about-us/publicationsIn the GCC 2023 annual report, it states that there were 3,752 chiropractors on the register.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help increase global immunisation rates.

The UK is one of the largest donors to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. We have committed £1.65 billion to the current strategic period covering 2021-2025, supporting Gavi to immunise 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives from vaccine preventable diseases. Since 2000, Gavi has vaccinated more than 1 billion children, saving over 18 million lives. Furthermore the UK supports polio eradication and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Since 1995, we have contributed £1.4 billion, reducing polio cases by over 99 per cent and limiting endemic countries to Pakistan and Afghanistan. GPEI's efforts have enabled over 20 million people to walk who might have been paralysed by polio.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of smuggling prosecutions.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions by individual year for a wide range of offences at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.Smuggling offences together with their HO offence code can be identified using the Offence Group Classification which is available in the above link. The number of prosecutions together with annual trends for offences related to smuggling can then be accessed by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and Convictions tab, using the “HO Offence code” filter and selecting the relevant HO offence code.