Written questions by Wrigley.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with supermarkets on the potential impact of online-only discounts on older people without smartphones.

Ministers and officials in the department regularly engage with retailers on a wide range of issues affecting consumers, including affordability and access to food. The Government expects retailers to consider the needs of all customers, including older people and those who may find it difficult to access online services. Supermarkets are responsible for their own pricing and promotional strategies, but we know that many offer a range of in-store and online discounts to ensure fair access.

Whether NHS England has included requirements for sovereign AI capability in contracts awarded under the Federated Data Platform.

A mandatory requirement across all awarded contracts under the NHS Federated Data Platform is that any processing of data, whether involving artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities or not, must adhere to strict UK data governance regulations. This explicitly includes a data residency requirement, stipulating that all data must be stored and processed within the United Kingdom. This ensures all data remains subject to UK law and regulatory oversight.The use of any foundational models is restricted exclusively to models that are hosted within the UK and all with UK endpoints. This policy ensures that the core AI processing, in addition to the data itself, remains within the nation's jurisdiction, thereby ensuring a sovereign AI capability by design.

With reference to page 91 of his Department's policy paper entitled Fit for the future: 10 year health plan for England, published 1 July 2025, what criteria was used to determine which conditions should receive a modern service framework; and whether respiratory health meets these criteria.

Everyone in the National Health Service is responsible for delivering high-quality care. As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board will oversee the development of a new series of service frameworks to accelerate progress in conditions where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. The Government will consider other long-term conditions with significant health and economic impacts for future waves of modern service frameworks.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of planned changes to funding for NHS services in Devon on (a) health inequalities and (b) funding for public health programmes.

NHS Devon’s financial planning aligns with the NHS England planning round. The integrated care board is developing detailed commissioning intentions to allocate resources in line with its five-year Health and Care Strategy. This strategy prioritises tackling health inequalities through targeted prevention, integrated neighbourhood care, and population health management. Funding for local authority public health programmes is not affected by changes to NHS Devon’s internal budget allocations.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 63915 on Digital Technology: Proof of Identity, for what reason the Government has now taken such steps.

The Government has announced plans for a new national digital identity credential to be available to UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. This will make it easier for people to securely access the services they are entitled to, where they want to, while also helping to prevent illegal working and deter illegal migration. Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new digital ID by the end of this parliament.We recognise the importance of both cybersecurity and privacy. We will consult and engage on the practical operation of the scheme, and the data structures underpinning it, as it is developed. The data for the digital ID scheme will be federated, as doing so is good practice for things like this. That means most data will stay where it is already safely stored, such as in HM Passport Office or other government departments, and only joined up if and when needed.Following the Machinery of Government changes of 23/10/2025 policy responsibility now sits with the Cabinet Office.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement on the number of cross-border transfers of livestock since 2020.

We have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Area which will slash costs and remove red tape. The removal of the need for Export Health Certification would save trading businesses up to £200 per consignment each time goods are sent.Later we will start the detailed negotiations on the SPS agreement, as well as the other commitments from our summit in May.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of launching a compensation scheme for passengers without seat reservations who did not get a seat on a train.

There are currently no plans to introduce compensation for passengers unable to find a seat.The walk-up nature of the railway in Great Britain supports full access to rail services, but at busy times could mean seating is not guaranteed. Some train operators offer seat reservations up to two hours before the departure of a train.If a passenger holds a First-Class ticket and no First-Class seats are available, they are entitled to a refund of the difference between the fare paid and that of the appropriate Standard Class fare.

When her Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 5 August 2025 from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot, case reference MW09483.

The Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum responded on 17 September 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2025 to Question 73088, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for replies to MP Correspondance.

We are aware of previous technical issues on our UC regional MP hotlines. Since the introduction of a single UC national MP hotline this issue has now been resolved.We have also seen a significant increase in correspondence coming into the Department over the last 6 months. To reduce timescales in responding to MP correspondence, we are in the process of putting additional resources into our complaints and correspondence teams.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2025 to Question 73088 on Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services, what assessment she made of the potential impact of the DWP MP Hotline not answering casework calls.

We are aware of previous technical issues on our UC regional MP hotlines. Since the introduction of a single UC national MP hotline this issue has now been resolved.We have also seen a significant increase in correspondence coming into the Department over the last 6 months. To reduce timescales in responding to MP correspondence, we are in the process of putting additional resources into our complaints and correspondence teams.

If he will award medals to the crew of the HMS Diamond for their work during the period of November 2023 and July 2024.

Medallic recognition for the operational activity undertaken by HMS Diamond during the period November 2023 and July 2024, is under consideration by the Ministry of Defence in accordance with the existing process.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2025 to Question 68534 on Members: Correspondence, when she plans to reply to the enquiry with case reference MW07790.

I refer the Hon. Member to my answer to written question 75770. I apologise for the delay.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a 10% commission charge on the sale of park homes on park home owners.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 69040 on 24 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if he will publish a consultation on (a) reducing and (b) abolishing the 10% commission charge on the sale of park homes.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 69040 on 24 July 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the roll-out of badger TB vaccination programmes.

Significant progress has been made in rolling out badger vaccination as part of our strategy to eradicate bovine TB. Large-scale vaccination is being delivered by Animal and Plant Health Agency field teams, alongside a farming community-led initiative in East Sussex, demonstrating that vaccination is practical at scale, including in areas where culling has previously taken place. In 2024, over 4,000 badgers were vaccinated across England, the highest annual total to date. Further work includes a new project led by the National Farmers’ Union which is now underway in Cornwall to explore scalable and cost-effective approaches to vaccination delivery, and the establishment of a new badger vaccination field force from next year to further accelerate rollout in areas where bovine TB incidence remains high and is worsening. Work on a comprehensive new bovine TB strategy is progressing at pace, and together with these measures, will help drive down disease rates, protect farmers’ livelihoods, and support our commitment to end the badger cull by the end of this Parliament.

Whether the then Prime Minister met Peter Thiel between July 2019 and September 2022.

Details of official meetings held in a ministerial capacity with external organisations or individuals are declared quarterly on GOV.UK. This includes the meetings of the former Prime Minister.

What guidance was in use in 2019 on keeping written records of meetings between Ministers and external stakeholders.

Guidance for the Management of Private Office Information and Records is published on www.gov.uk. The guidance was last updated in December 2023. Previous versions are available on the website of The National Archives.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 73442 on Deposit Return Schemes: Newton Abbot, if she will make it her policy to ensure that remote collection points are available in villages without a (a) supermarket, (b) grocery store, (c) convenience store and (d) newsagent.

The scheme administrator, UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd. (UK DMO), is responsible for ensuring there is a comprehensive network of return points so that consumers can easily return their containers, including in rural areas. Other types of organisations that sell in-scope drinks containers – including hospitality venues, food-to-go stores, schools, hospitals, gyms, sports centres and community centres – although not mandated to host a return point, can apply to operate one voluntarily. This has been popular in other international DRSs as organisations see the benefit of increased footfall. UK DMO will undertake regular reviews of the return point network to consider the number, location and accessibility of return points.

Whether she plans to consult businesses on firearm licencing.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to having a consultation specifically on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns.When launched we will welcome and carefully consider all the views put forward, including those from businesses.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the programme of engagements was for President Isaac Herzog during his visit to the UK in September 2025.

President Herzog came to the UK on a private visit, but his programme included meeting the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary on Wednesday 10 September.