Written questions by Ballinger.

Whether a COBR meeting took place on OP RUBIFIC between 21 May 2024 and 25 June 2024.

It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees is not normally shared publicly.

How many meetings the Secretary of State for Defence attended on (a) OP RUBIFIC and (b) the Afghan Response Route between September 2023 and 4th July 2024; and if he will provide the date of such meetings.

When the Taleban seized control in 2021, many thousands of people who served and supported our British Armed Forces were left in Afghanistan.The UK made a commitment to honour the moral obligation we owe to those Afghans who stood with us, there was cross party support for this at the time. In February 2022, under the previous Government a spreadsheet with names of individual applicants for ARAP – the resettlement scheme for Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan – was emailed outside of official Government systems. This was mistakenly thought to contain the names of a small number of applicants, but in fact the email contained personal information linked to c18,700 applicants of ARAP and its predecessor scheme, the Ex-Gratia Scheme (EGS). The data related to applications made on or before 7 January 2022. A very small section of this spreadsheet appeared online on 14 August 2023, which is when the Government first became aware that the MOD's ARAP case working spreadsheet had been mistakenly included with the original email. The previous government decided to seek an injunction concerning the breach on 25 August 2023. The High Court granted a super injunction as a result. The previous Government also set up a new secret resettlement route to bring those affected to the UK. Former Ministers started work on this in Autumn 2023 and it was up and running by April 2024. This Secretary of State then commissioned an independent Policy Review from ex Deputy chief of Defence Intelligence Paul Rimmer. This began earlier this year and concluded and was presented to Ministers in June. The review examined the overall policy context in spring 2025, three years since the data incident and concluded that it appears “highly unlikely” that merely being on the dataset would be grounds for targeting. As the Defence Secretary outlined in his oral statement dated 15 July 2025, the Rimmer review was a very significant element in the Government’s decision to change policy to close the ARR, though not the sole element. This was not a decision taken lightly. We have now made the matter public so it can be subject to full Parliamentary scrutiny. The policy decisions we have now taken, in contrast to maintaining the policies and schemes we inherited from the previous Government, will result in an estimated £1.2 billion reduction in costs to the taxpayer. The previous Secretary of State was invited to attend ten meetings on OP RUBIFIC and the Afghan Response Route (ARR) between September 2023 and 4 July 2024. The dates of these meetings are outlined below. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic there may have been discussions on these topics that were not recorded. 20/09/202325/09/202305/10/202306/10/202318/12/202318/12/202319/12/202322/01/202428/03/202422/05/2024

How many meetings the Minister for Defence Procurement attended on (a) operation RUBIFIC and (b) the Afghan Response Route between August 2023 and 4 July 2024.

When the Taleban seized control in 2021, many thousands of people who served and supported our British Armed Forces were left in Afghanistan.The UK made a commitment to honour the moral obligation we owe to those Afghans who stood with us, there was cross party support for this at the time. In February 2022, under the previous Government a spreadsheet with names of individual applicants for ARAP – the resettlement scheme for Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan – was emailed outside of official Government systems. This was mistakenly thought to contain the names of a small number of applicants, but in fact the email contained personal information linked to c18,700 applicants of ARAP and its predecessor scheme, the Ex-Gratia Scheme (EGS). The data related to applications made on or before 7 January 2022. A very small section of this spreadsheet appeared online on 14 August 2023, which is when the Government first became aware that the MOD's ARAP case working spreadsheet had been mistakenly included with the original email. The previous Government decided to seek an injunction concerning the breach on 25 August 2023. The High Court granted a super injunction as a result. The previous Government also set up a new secret resettlement route to bring those affected to the UK. Former Ministers started work on this in Autumn 2023 and it was up and running by April 2024. This Secretary of State then commissioned an independent Policy Review from ex Deputy chief of Defence Intelligence Paul Rimmer. This began earlier this year and concluded and was presented to Ministers in June. The review examined the overall policy context in spring 2025, three years since the data incident and concluded that it appears “highly unlikely” that merely being on the dataset would be grounds for targeting. As the Defence Secretary outlined in his oral statement dated 15 July 2025, the Rimmer review was a very significant element in the Government’s decision to change policy to close the ARR, though not the sole element. This was not a decision taken lightly. We have now made the matter public so it can be subject to full Parliamentary scrutiny. The policy decisions we have now taken, in contrast to maintaining the policies and schemes we inherited from the previous Government, will result in an estimated £1.2 billion reduction in costs to the taxpayer. The previous Minister for Defence Procurement was invited to attend seven meetings on OP RUBIFIC and the Afghan Response Route (ARR) between August 2023 and 4 July 2024. Four of these meetings scheduled on 24 August 2023 and three on 25 August 2023. Due to its sensitive nature, there may have been discussions on these topics that were not recorded.

Whether his Department plans to consult tea producers for the review of Responsible Business Conduct.

In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review into the UK's approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses, modern slavery, and environmental harms in global supply chains. Throughout the review, we will harness the insights and expertise of businesses and investors from across the economy, as well as trade unions, academia and civil society.Stakeholders will also be given the opportunity to feed into the National Baseline Assessment on the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which will run in parallel and inform the review.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that companies are legally obliged to prevent (a) human rights abuses and (b) environmental harms in their supply chains.

The UK has a range of measures in place to promote RBC across the economy. In the Trade Strategy, the Government also launched a review into the UK's approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses, modern slavery, and environmental harms in global supply chains.The review will be a neutral, objective appraisal of policy, led by departmental officials. It will consider the effectiveness of the UK's current regime and alternative means of supporting responsible business practices. To complement the review, the FCDO is conducting a National Baseline Assessment (NBA) on the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the implementation by some NHS Integrated Care Boards of minimum waiting times for elective treatment; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this on (a) patient choice (b) the ability to meet NHS constitutional access standards.

There is no formal policy supporting minimum waits in the National Health Service. However, the NHS Standard Contract technical guidance for 2025/26 states that commissioners may choose to include minimum waiting times in Activity Planning Assumptions to ensure the delivery of targets within agreed financial allocations. The full guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/08a-nhssc-2526-contract-technical-guidance-final.pdfPatients continue to have a legal right to choose where they go for their first appointment when referred to consultant-led care as an outpatient.We will work closely with all systems to ensure they deliver the expected level of improvement in waiting times set out in 2025/26 Planning Guidance, which is the first step in delivering on our commitment that by March 2029, 92% of patients wait no longer than the constitutional standard of 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Carer’s Allowance overpayments on individuals in receipt of the benefit; and what steps her Department is taking to support carers in receipt of overpayments.

This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by unpaid carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends with disabilities. When we came into government, it became clear that there were far too many cases where hard-working carers had been left with large overpayments to be repaid, sometimes worth thousands of pounds. As a result, we commissioned an independent review of earnings-related overpayments of Carer’s Allowance to understand exactly what has gone wrong and make the necessary improvements needed. We expect to receive the report from the Independent Review shortly. We will then publish the report, and our initial response, as soon as is practicable thereafter. The review is not a substitute for legal proceedings, and the existence of the review does not prejudice any business-as-usual activity by DWP. The government has not been treading water while waiting for the review. We have already taken steps to address the problem carers have been experiencing. For example, we have introduced the largest increase in the earnings limit since Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976. The earnings limit is now 16 hours work at National Living Wage levels and over 60,000 additional people will be able to receive Carer’s Allowance between 2025/26 and 2029/30.We carefully balance our duty to the taxpayer to recover overpayments with safeguards in place to manage repayments fairly. Carers have a responsibility to ensure they are entitled to benefits and to inform the DWP of any changes in their circumstances that could impact their award. Support remains in place with DWP’s Debt Management Service who are available to speak to anyone who has had an overpayment about the terms of their repayment. To help prevent overpayments building up in the first place, we want to make it as easy as possible for carers to tell us when something has changed in their life which could affect their Carer's Allowance. That is why we will continue to review and improve communications, including some trials during 2025, so customers are more aware of what changes they need to report and are regularly reminded to do so and in a way that suits them.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the UK military support to Lebanon.

For more than a decade, the UK has been a trusted partner of the Lebanese Armed Forces, providing £106 million of financial support and offering training, infrastructure, and equipment. In collaboration with international partners, we continue to work closely with the Lebanese Armed Forces, identifying opportunities to support capability development to ensure the Lebanese Armed Forces are able to exert a monopoly of force across Lebanon. Over the past six months, we have completed construction of key infrastructure to enhance border security on the eastern border and will be seeking to work with the Lebanese authorities to replicate this in the South. We have also started training Lebanese Armed Forces troops to conduct area security operations in southern Lebanon. This support package is confirmed and will cost £10 million for financial year 2025-26. We also continue to coordinate our bilateral support with international partners. This government recognises the critical role the Lebanese Armed Forces play in ensuring future stability and security in Lebanon.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing support with energy costs to defence manufacturers engaged in energy-intensive steel casting.

For Energy Intensive Industries overall, our Clean Power 2030 target is the key to long-term sustainable price reductions. From 2027, the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs by up to £40 per megawatt hour for over 7,000 electricity-intensive businesses in manufacturing sectors. Eligibility will be determined following consultation, which will open shortly, with a review point in 2030. The government is also increasing support through an uplift for our most energy-intensive industries eligible for the British Industry Supercharger, with an uplift of the Network Charging Compensation (NCC) scheme to 90% from 2026. The government will set out further details on its plans to decarbonise industry, in its Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan in October.

What steps his Department is taking to support the (a) capacity and (b) operational readiness of the Lebanese Armed Forces, in the context of (i) disarmament initiatives and (ii) regional stability in southern Lebanon.

For more than a decade, the UK has been a trusted partner of the Lebanese Armed Forces, providing £106 million of financial support and offering training, infrastructure, and equipment. In collaboration with international partners, we continue to work closely with the Lebanese Armed Forces, identifying opportunities to support capability development to ensure the Lebanese Armed Forces are able to exert a monopoly of force across Lebanon. Over the past six months, we have completed construction of key infrastructure to enhance border security on the eastern border and will be seeking to work with the Lebanese authorities to replicate this in the South. We have also started training Lebanese Armed Forces troops to conduct area security operations in southern Lebanon. This support package is confirmed and will cost £10 million for financial year 2025-26. We also continue to coordinate our bilateral support with international partners. This government recognises the critical role the Lebanese Armed Forces play in ensuring future stability and security in Lebanon.

Whether her Department plans to introduce further legislative measures to enhance road and pedestrian safety in relation to (a) electrically assisted pedal cycles and (b) electric scooters.

This Government takes road safety very seriously and reducing those killed and injured on our roads is a key priority. There are already strict laws in place for e-cyclists and e-scooter users, and police have the power to prosecute if these laws are broken. The Department is working with the Home Office on new offences intended to tackle those rare instances where a user’s behaviour is dangerous or careless, and results in the death or serious injury of another road user.This is in addition to the new powers for the police to seize any vehicle, including e-cycles and e-scooters, being used in an anti-social manner and without first being required to give a warning.

What estimate his Department has made of the amount of goods originating from Israeli settlements within the Occupied Palestinian Territories that are being labelled as originating from within Israel’s pre-1967 borders.

HMRC are responsible for the conduct of origin verification checks on imported goods. Where there are doubts about the declared origin of goods, HMRC undertakes checks to verify the origin of those goods to ensure fiscal compliance. Data on imports from Israel is available on uktradeinfo.com/trade-data.

What investigations his Department is conducting into goods originating from Israeli settlements within the Occupied Palestinian Territories being labelled as originating from within Israel’s pre-1967 borders; and what enforcement measures are available.

The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel.The overseas business risk guidance, available on gov.uk, provides information for UK operators on how goods from Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories should be labelled.Where there are doubts about the declared origin of goods, HMRC undertakes checks to verify the origin of those goods to ensure compliance.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22080 on Housing: Bricks, what steps her Department is taking to increase the rate of swift brick installation in new build properties.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 22080 on 15 January 2025.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the mortgage guarantee scheme beyond 30 June 2025.

The Government recognises the difficulties some prospective first-time buyers face in buying a home, and is committed to helping them get on the housing ladder.We committed in our manifesto to introduce a permanent and comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme to help buyers who struggle to save for a large deposit. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor confirmed our intention to introduce this scheme. We will announce further details of this scheme in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the UK’s capacity to attract investment in dementia clinical trials, in the context of the availability of disease-modifying treatments in other countries that have not yet been approved for use by the NHS.

No particular assessment has been made.The Department is committed to turbocharging medical research and delivering better patient care, to make the United Kingdom a world-leading destination for clinical research. We are working to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes and accelerate the development of medicines and therapies of the future, including treatments for dementia.The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Government funders are investing in dementia research across all areas, from causes, diagnosis and prevention to treatment, care and support, including for carers.The NIHR is investing nearly £50 million to the UK Dementia Trials Network, which will deliver a coordinated network of early phase dementia trial sites. This will be complemented by the £20 million Dementia Clinical Trials Accelerator, designed to position the UK as the destination of choice for late phase clinical trials in dementia and neurodegenerative diseases.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) seed oils, (b) added gluten and (c) processed food standards on public health.

Government advice on a healthy, balanced diet is encapsulated in the United Kingdom’s Eatwell Guide. This is underpinned by the robust independent risk assessments and recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).SACN has not undertaken a specific assessment of seed oils. However, SACN’s 2019 report on ‘Saturated fats and health’ concluded that reducing saturated fats reduces the risk of heart disease and lowers cholesterol. SACN recommended that saturated fat intake is reduced and saturated fats are substituted with unsaturated fats. Vegetable oils, including seed oils, are higher in unsaturated fats and lower in saturated fat than alternatives such as butter, ghee and palm oil. The topic of individual fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, of which seed oils may be a source, is on SACN’s watching brief.SACN has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of added gluten on health outcomes. However, gluten-containing carbohydrate foods were considered as part of SACN’s report on ‘Carbohydrates and health’ published in 2015. SACN recommended that approximately 50% of total dietary energy should be derived from carbohydrates. Government dietary advice, as depicted in the Eatwell Guide, is that we should choose wholegrain or higher fibre versions of starchy carbohydrates wherever possible. Management of clinical conditions for which gluten has a role is under the remit of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.There are no food standards on processed foods. However, the evidence on processed foods and health has been assessed by SACN in position statements published in 2023 and 2025. SACN has concluded that the observed associations between higher consumption of (ultra) processed foods and adverse health outcomes are concerning. SACN has recommended that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt and free sugars and low in fibre. This is based on the nutrient content of many ultra-processed foods and concerns raised in relation to health. SACN will continue to keep the topic under review.

If he will introduce legislation to (a) protect and (b) guide the ambulance service on a statutory footing.

National Health Service ambulance services have already been placed on a statutory footing through existing legislation.NHS England will publish further guidance to support integrated care boards in their commissioning of ambulance services in 2025/26, and will provide a new ambulance commissioning specification for 2026/27.

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban car insurance companies from using age to determine insurance premiums for older drivers.

The Government takes uninsured driving seriously. This is achieved through Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE), a scheme where the Motor Insurers’ Bureau and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency collaborate to identify uninsured drivers and police enforcement on the road. All drivers must be insured to drive the vehicle they are using and for the purpose it is used for. As with all drivers, they are subject to roadside enforcement by the police. Motor insurers are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the policies that they offer, and it is for them to decide the level of risk that they take in issuing any policy to a given applicant. They use a range of criteria to assess the potential risk a driver poses, including the age of the applicant, the type of vehicle being insured, the postal area where the applicant lives and the driving experience and record of the applicant. The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. The Equality Act 2010 provides general protection against age discrimination for people of all ages. However, the Act also includes an exemption for those conducting an assessment of risk for the purposes of providing a financial service to another person. This means that motor insurance companies are still able to take age into account when considering the premium to be paid or indeed whether to insure people of any particular age group.

Whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that (a) hospitals offer (i) gluten and (i) dairy free food that is not high in added sugars and (b) people with restricted diets have access to (A) healthy and (B) fresh food when in hospital.

NHS England has published their Food and Drink Standards, which set out the expectations for National Health Service trusts regarding the food they provide to patients and staff. Emphasis is placed on providing healthy, nutritious food options. The standards include requirements that hospital food has:healthy, balanced meal options, providing animal and plant-based protein, starchy carbohydrates, fat, fibre, and micronutrients, including iron and calcium, and both milk and non-milk products;adequate and varied provision;culturally appropriate options, taking account of local needs; andprovision for a range of dietary requirements, for instance vegetarian and vegan, and allergies, for instance gluten and nut-free options.