Written questions by Dhesi.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was provided on 5 March in response to Question 115943.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

Any disclosure of specific meetings relating to defence is restricted to protect the principle of collective responsibility, allowing officials to debate policies freely in private.Various teams across the Department for Business and Trade contribute towards ongoing conversations in relation to the Home Defence Programme. The responsibility for this policy area is shared across several teams and does not fall to one singular official or directorate.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Ministry of Defence officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence. The Ministry of Defence is actively contributing to this work, particularly playing a key role within the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme. This is clear from the recent comments by the Chief of the Defence Staff at the Munich Security Conference. Under Defence Reform, the Ministry of Defence have set up dedicated civil servant and military teams to cohere the planning and to input to the Home Defence programme. The work is led from within the Defence Security Policy and Military Strategy Operations and Commitments areas, under DG Security Policy and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Military Strategy and Operations, working across the Department of State, Military Strategic Headquarters, Defence Nuclear Enterprise and National Armaments Directorate Group. There is a dedicated SCS2 senior civil servant, Director Homeland Defence and Strategic Threats, who with Assistant Chief Defence Staff Military Strategy is cohering the programme across the SCS2/2 star civil servant and military leads delivering different aspect of the programme.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Cabinet Office officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence.The Cabinet Office coordinates the Home Defence Programme working closely with the MoD and other departments. This is led by the COBR Director and COBR Directorate, with oversight by the Deputy National Security Advisor (DNSA) for Intelligence, Defence and Security.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Department for Transport officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence. Led by the Director of Resilience, Analysis, International and Sanctions the Department for Transport is actively contributing to this through the work of several different teams including those in the Resilience, Analysis, International and Sanctions Directorate and the Transport Security Directorate. DfT regularly meet with the transport sector and colleagues across government to discuss and improve transport resilience and security.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. A range of senior officials from across the Ministry of Justice, including the Permanent Secretary, regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Scotland Office officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence. The Scotland Office is actively contributing to this work and is working closely with other UK Government Departments to ensure effective delivery in Scotland, as well as coordination with the Scottish Government where responsibilities for resilience are devolved.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Wales Office officials regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security and defence.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Defra officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is actively contributing to this work with a team coordinating the department’s planning for home defence. This is overseen by the Director for Ministerial, Growth & Resilience, currently SRO for the Home Defence Programme.

What plans his Department has to increase the number of specialist Parkinson's nurses in Slough constituency.

The Department does not hold a central count of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses working in the Slough constituency. Workforce planning, including decisions about the number and type of specialist nurses needed locally, is the responsibility of individual employers and their integrated care boards, which are best placed to assess the needs of their populations.We continue to work with NHS England through programmes like Getting It Right First Time to support improvements in access to specialist care for patients with Parkinson’s disease. We have also set up the United Kingdom‑wide Neuro Forum, which brings together the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations, and health services and Neurological Alliances of all four nations to share best practice and address system-wide challenges, including neurology workforce challenges.The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.

What recent estimate he has made of the number of specialist Parkinson nurses working in Slough constituency.

The Department does not hold a central count of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses working in the Slough constituency. Workforce planning, including decisions about the number and type of specialist nurses needed locally, is the responsibility of individual employers and their integrated care boards, which are best placed to assess the needs of their populations.We continue to work with NHS England through programmes like Getting It Right First Time to support improvements in access to specialist care for patients with Parkinson’s disease. We have also set up the United Kingdom‑wide Neuro Forum, which brings together the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations, and health services and Neurological Alliances of all four nations to share best practice and address system-wide challenges, including neurology workforce challenges.The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

HM Treasury officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence.The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is actively contributing to this work.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Home Office officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence.The Home Office is actively contributing to this work, with a range of directorates across the department engaging in matters related to defence and security, including in Homeland Security Group and Public Safety Group.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Department for Energy Security & Net Zero officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence.The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero is actively contributing to this work. This is part of the Energy Security & Resilience Directorate's portfolio, with the Deputy Director for Energy Resilience responsible for leading our response.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Northern Ireland Office (NIO) officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence. NIO directorates are actively contributing to this work, engaging the defence industry, businesses and academia to evaluate Northern Ireland’s defence sector contribution. We are also collaborating with partners to assess and strengthen collective preparedness against emerging threats. These efforts are jointly led by the Director of Security, International and Politics and the Director of Growth, Public Service Transformation and NI Fiscal Sustainability.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Department officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence. The Department is actively contributing to this work. This includes ensuring the health sector has flexible, adaptable, and scalable capabilities that can respond to a range of threats. These capabilities include equipment, for instance stockpiles and countermeasures, including medicines and medical equipment, skilled people, such as clinicians and public health staff, and infrastructure, for instance technology, diagnostics, testing.

Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

DCMS Ministers have regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience. The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. DCMS officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence. The department is actively contributing to this work and regularly attends Cross-Whitehall fora on national resilience including meetings on the Home Defence Programme.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

Senior officials from the Resilience and Recovery Directorate in MHCLG regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security, defence and resilience as well as the associated public communications required to deliver these lines of efforts. The conversation on National Defence was a recommendation in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which the Government accepted. The Ministry of Defence is the lead department for delivering the SDR, with support from the Cabinet Office, and particularly from the National Security Secretariat. As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year, cross-departmental effort designed to deliver on the whole-of-society approach to national security and defence allowing Government, the private sector and public to play their part in strengthening the UK’s resilience to any potential future shocks. This work addresses the risks and threats the UK faces, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack. MHCLG is actively supporting this work, including liaising with Local Resilience Forums.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Officials from the department regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence.The department is actively supporting this work. Officials in the department are in regular discussions with the Ministry of Defence and other government departments about the critical role children and young people play.