Written questions by Wilson.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies on the protection of religious minorities of the recent killing of Dr Sheikh Mahmood in Pakistan; and what discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on encouraging transparent investigations into such incidents.

Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I discussed the deteriorating situation for Ahmadi Muslims with Pakistan's Minister of State for Interior in March 2025. In June 2025, ahead of Eid al-Adha, I raised the safety and dignity of Ahmadis with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. Our High Commission in Islamabad has raised the tragic killing of Dr Sheikh Mahmood with the Human Rights Minister and the Chief Minister of Punjab. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to fully investigate incidents of violence, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families.

How many serious, non-fatal, adverse reactions associated with the use of misoprostol have been reported to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in each of the last ten years; and how many fatal adverse reactions associated with the use of misoprostol have been reported to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in that period.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion meet applicable standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. The MHRA rigorously assesses the available data, including from the Yellow Card scheme, and seeks advice from their independent advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines, where appropriate, to inform regulatory decisions.It is important to note that a reaction reported to the Yellow Card scheme does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the medicine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have. Underlying or concurrent illnesses may be responsible, or the events could be coincidental.The following table shows the number of Yellow Card reports classified as serious, excluding fatal outcomes, and those with a fatal outcome, received for misoprostol from initial licensing of the medicine up to 13 May 2025:YearSerious reportsReports with a fatal outcome2015100201611120172822018402019712020130202119120221912023922024210202580 Reports received via the Yellow Card scheme can contain more than one suspect medicine. It should be noted that misoprostol is used in combination with mifepristone, as such 60 of the serious reports and five reports with a fatal outcome include both products as the suspect drug.Misoprostol is licenced for a variety of indications, including gastroprotection in duodenal and gastric ulcers, termination of pregnancy, and induction of labour. Mifepristone is licenced for termination of pregnancy and induction of labour.A list of the possible side effects of mifepristone and misoprostol are provided in the product information document for healthcare professionals, the Summary of Product Characteristics, and in the UK Patient Information Leaflet.A Yellow Card report is considered serious according to two criteria. Firstly, a reported reaction can be considered serious according to our medical dictionary. Secondly, if the original reporter considers the report to be serious, they can select from the six serious criteria available, which are: patient died due to reaction; life threatening; resulted in hospitalisation or prolonged inpatient hospitalisation; congenital abnormality; involved persistent or significant disability or incapacity; or if the reaction was deemed medically significant.

How many males have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for unlawful abortions in England and Wales in each of the last ten years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of prosecutions across 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 - GOV.UK.The offences that constitute unlawful abortion include procuring an illegal abortion under sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, as well as child destruction under section 1 of the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929. Information on the number of males and females who were proceeded against and convicted for these offences is available within the published data and can be accessed by filtering the ‘overall volumes’ dataset by sex. This data is held on a principal-offence basis and therefore reports information relating to the most serious offence that a defendant was dealt for.

How many females have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for unlawful abortion in England and Wales in each of the last ten years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of prosecutions across 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 - GOV.UK.The offences that constitute unlawful abortion include procuring an illegal abortion under sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, as well as child destruction under section 1 of the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929. Information on the number of males and females who were proceeded against and convicted for these offences is available within the published data and can be accessed by filtering the ‘overall volumes’ dataset by sex. This data is held on a principal-offence basis and therefore reports information relating to the most serious offence that a defendant was dealt for.

How many (a) serious but non-fatal and (b) fatal adverse reactions associated with the use of mifepristone have been reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in each of the last 10 years.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion meet applicable standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. The MHRA rigorously assesses available data, including from the Yellow Card scheme, and seeks advice from their independent advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines, where appropriate, to inform regulatory decisions.It is important to note that a reaction reported to the Yellow Card scheme does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the medicine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have. Underlying or concurrent illnesses may be responsible, or the events could be coincidental.The following table shows the number of Yellow Card reports classified as serious, excluding fatal outcomes, and those with a fatal outcome, received for mifepristone from the initial licensing of the medicine, up to 13 May 2025:YearSerious reportsReports with a fatal outcome20153020169120172512018902019612020802021502022502023222024100202560 Reports received via the Yellow Card scheme can contain more than one suspect medicine. It should be noted that mifepristone is used in combination with misoprostol, and as such 60 of the serious reports and five reports with a fatal outcome include both products as the suspect drug.Misoprostol is licenced for a variety of indications, including gastroprotection in duodenal and gastric ulcers, termination of pregnancy, and induction of labour. Mifepristone is licenced for termination of pregnancy and induction of labour.A list of the possible side effects of mifepristone and misoprostol are provided in the product information document for healthcare professionals, the Summary of Product Characteristics, and in the UK Patient Information Leaflet.A Yellow Card report is considered serious according to two criteria. Firstly, a reported reaction can be considered serious according to our medical dictionary. Secondly, if the original reporter considers the report to be serious, they can select from the six serious criteria available, which are: patient died due to reaction; life threatening; resulted in hospitalisation or prolonged inpatient hospitalisation; congenital abnormality; involved persistent or significant disability or incapacity; or if the reaction was deemed medically significant.

How many (a) charges, (b) prosecutions and (c) convictions for unlawful abortion there have been in England and Wales in each of the last ten years.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to MP Mr Gregory Campbell East of Londonderry, Democratic Unionist Party on 5 June 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his Nigerian counterpart on the closure of churches in the Kabylia regions of Northern Nigeria.

The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, including in the Kabylia regions of Northern Algeria. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe. Our Embassy in Algiers raises FoRB with the Algerian authorities, doing so most recently when our Ambassador met the Minister of Religious Affairs on 10 February. Our Embassy remains in regular contact with minority religious groups on how best to support FoRB. We will continue to raise the issue and advocate for freedom of expression for all, including in Kabylie and for the operation of the Protestant Church of Algeria.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure mobile gaming operators disclose the (a) presence of loot boxes and (b) probabilities of obtaining rewards.

We are committed to ensuring all video games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone and that, where they contain loot boxes, appropriate protections are in place for players of all ages, including children. In 2020, the previous Government ran a call for evidence on loot boxes which found an association between purchasing loot boxes and problem gambling behaviours, although research has not established whether a causal link exists.In response, DCMS convened a Technical Working Group of video game representatives which developed new industry-led guidance, published in July 2023, to improve player protections. Measures include disclosing the presence of loot boxes prior to purchase, and giving clear probability disclosures so players can easily access clear and simple information to inform their decision to purchase.The Government has urged all video games companies to adopt the guidance in full and we have commissioned independent academic research to assess its effectiveness.

Whether she considered including the (a) role and (b) conduct of HMRC within the remit of the Independent Review of the Loan Charge.

The Government has commissioned an independent review of the Loan Charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers. The Government does not think it is right for people affected by the Loan Charge to have to wait years for any progress on bringing this matter to a close for them and has therefore ensured that the review has a focused remit, allowing it to report by this summer. The Government will respond by Autumn Budget 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Uzbekistan on in relation to reports of (a) harassment of Christian converts, (b) restrictions on house church gatherings and (c) employment discrimination against members of religious minorities.

The UK remains committed to championing freedom of religion or belief for all. Whilst the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has not made direct representations to his counterparts in Uzbekistan regarding these issues, our Embassy in Tashkent regularly raises human rights with the relevant authorities in Uzbekistan and maintains a dialogue with human rights groups in the region. In Uzbekistan's most recent UN universal periodic review the UK raised our concerns regarding upholding freedom of religious belief amongst other human rights concerns and we continue to seek opportunities to raise concerns where appropriate.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the regulation of gambling advertising considers the potential impact on public health.

Gambling operators providing services to customers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Gambling Commission and comply with the conditions of their operating licences. The Commission expects operators to obey the laws of all other jurisdictions in which they operate, and requires them to report any regulatory investigation or finding into their activities in any other jurisdiction.Operators must inform the Commission if they have a substantial customer base outside of Britain and state why they consider themselves legally able to offer facilities to those customers. It is for authorities in other jurisdictions to investigate whether operators are complying with their gambling laws, but where a licensee is found to be operating illegally overseas, the Commission may consider their suitability to hold a licence in Britain.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK, and operates independently of the Government. There are a range of robust rules in place through the Advertising Codes enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to ensure that gambling advertising and marketing is socially responsible and does not exacerbate harm.Compliance with the Codes is required as part of Gambling Commission licence conditions. The ASA continually reviews the best available evidence to ensure rules are effective and updates protections as required.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of allegations of electoral fraud during the Georgia elections held on 26 October 2024.

The UK supports the findings and conclusions of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) election observation mission following Georgia's 26 October parliamentary elections. That includes reports of election-day irregularities which demonstrate that the elections were not conducted according to international standards. We call on the Georgian Dream Government to implement all ODIHR recommendations as a matter of urgency. On 15 May, I raised my concerns over Georgia's negative democratic trajectory with Georgian Dream representative, Deputy Prime Minister Davitashvili. I am currently considering how to support election monitoring in the upcoming municipal elections.

Media and Sport, whether the Gambling Commission requires gambling operators to disclose information on their overseas operations in order to gain a UK license.

Gambling operators providing services to customers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Gambling Commission and comply with the conditions of their operating licences. The Commission expects operators to obey the laws of all other jurisdictions in which they operate, and requires them to report any regulatory investigation or finding into their activities in any other jurisdiction.Operators must inform the Commission if they have a substantial customer base outside of Britain and state why they consider themselves legally able to offer facilities to those customers. It is for authorities in other jurisdictions to investigate whether operators are complying with their gambling laws, but where a licensee is found to be operating illegally overseas, the Commission may consider their suitability to hold a licence in Britain.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK, and operates independently of the Government. There are a range of robust rules in place through the Advertising Codes enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to ensure that gambling advertising and marketing is socially responsible and does not exacerbate harm.Compliance with the Codes is required as part of Gambling Commission licence conditions. The ASA continually reviews the best available evidence to ensure rules are effective and updates protections as required.

If he will consult stakeholders on the potential impact of the removal of anti-dumping and countervailing measures on non-folding e-bikes imported from China on UK cycle manufacturers.

I refer the Rt. hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7th May to question UIN 48699 (Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament).The Trade Remedies Authority is responsible for assessing the evidence presented to them by UK industry and other stakeholders in an investigation prior to submitting a recommendation to the Secretary of State. If industry is concerned about the impact of unfair foreign trade practices, they should directly engage the Trade Remedies Authority.

What steps he is taking to support cycle manufacturers.

UK bicycle manufacturers stand to benefit from the Secretary of State’s pro-business agenda, as outlined in the Government’s Industrial Strategy Green Paper. The strategy targets key growth levers, boosting scale-ups, growing the co-operative economy, revitalising high streets, improving access to finance, unlocking new markets, and strengthening business capabilities, creating a more competitive and resilient business environment. Recently, the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service (BGS) to streamline the process for businesses across the UK to access the support they need to grow. The Department will continue to engage with the industry on key issues moving forward.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) revoking anti-dumping and (b) countervailing measures on non-folding e-bikes imported from China on UK cycle manufacturing.

I refer the Rt. hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7th May to question UIN 48699 (Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament).The Trade Remedies Authority is responsible for assessing the evidence presented to them by UK industry and other stakeholders in an investigation prior to submitting a recommendation to the Secretary of State. If industry is concerned about the impact of unfair foreign trade practices, they should directly engage the Trade Remedies Authority.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of conducting a review into the adequacy of the system of (a) oversight and (b) accountability of HMRC.

I have overall ministerial responsibility for HMRC and have chaired its Board since September 2024. HMRC is headed by a body of Commissioners, appointed by the Crown, who are required to publish a Charter of Standards of behaviours and values for how they will deal with taxpayers and report on performance against these standards annually. Taxpayers can challenge HMRC’s decisions in the specialist tax tribunal or through the civil courts. Senior HMRC officials are also accountable to parliament and regularly give evidence to the Treasury and Public Accounts committees.I have set priorities for HMRC to close the tax gap, improve day to day performance and the overall customer experience, and reform and modernise the UK tax and customs system. These are hardwired into the Department’s business plan, and we will be setting out more detail about how we will transform to deliver these priorities in a Transformation Roadmap.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of making the (a) marketing and (b) operation of disguised remuneration schemes a criminal offence.

The promotion or operation of mass marketed tax avoidance schemes is not, in or of itself, a criminal offence, unless the promoter is acting in breach of an HM Revenue and Customs Stop Notice.The Government is committed to tackling tax avoidance and is consulting on a package of measures, including potential new criminal powers, to facilitate swifter and stronger action against those who own or control promoter organisations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his French counterpart on the attack on a Muslim worshipper in La Grand-Combe on 25 April 2025; and what steps he is taking to help support (a) freedom of religion or belief and (b) the protection of religious minorities in that country.

The UK is strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. The UK champions the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our position at the UN, G7, and other multilateral fora, and in our bilateral work. Ministers and officials engage with their French counterparts on a broad range of issues and the UK works with France and other partners through the International Contact Group on FoRB. This group met most recently in the margins of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March. Officials also regularly engage with faith leaders in France.

For what reason people who have settled have been excluded from the review into Loan Charge settlements.

The Government believes the review must bring the Loan Charge to a close for those people who still owe substantial amounts of money but can see no way to resolve their debtsThe Government is committed to tackling promoters of tax avoidance and is currently consulting on a package of measures, powers and sanctions to facilitate swifter and stronger action against those who own or control promoter organisations. Further options are under consultation targeting those tax advisors and legal professionals behind avoidance schemes.