Written questions by Barros-Curtis.

If he will consider allocating any unspent funds from the LGBTQ+ Financial Recognition Scheme to initiatives supporting the long-term wellbeing, health and welfare of LGBTQ+ veterans.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he has considered establishing a permanent programme of engagement with LGBTQ+ veterans following the closure of the Financial Recognition Scheme.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions have taken place with NHS England, the Office for Veterans' Affairs and devolved administrations on ongoing support for LGBTQ+ veterans.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of whether the Independent Impact Panel has sufficient capacity to determine all outstanding claims before the Scheme closes.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of representations from veterans who remain ineligible for elements of the restorative measures, including those dismissed before 1967 and those who contend they were compelled to leave Service because of the ban.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the National Year of Reading having engaged over 2.1 million children so far.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the impasse regarding the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina on regional stability in the Western Balkans;

The UK is committed to upholding the peace, stability and constitutional order in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in line with the Dayton Peace Agreement. We support maintaining the role of a fully empowered High Representative to uphold this. With our part...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what contingency planning her Department has undertaken in the event that the Peace Implementation Council is unable to reach agreement on a successor or continuation arrange

The UK is committed to upholding the peace, stability and constitutional order in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in line with the Dayton Peace Agreement. We support maintaining the role of a fully empowered High Representative to uphold this. With our part...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential risks posed to the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement arising from disagreement over the High Representative in Bosnia

The UK is committed to upholding the peace, stability and constitutional order in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in line with the Dayton Peace Agreement. We support maintaining the role of a fully empowered High Representative to uphold this. With our part...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina of members of the Peace Implementation Council not reaching consensus on the High Rep

The UK is committed to upholding the peace, stability and constitutional order in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in line with the Dayton Peace Agreement. We support maintaining the role of a fully empowered High Representative to uphold this. With our part...

What steps he is taking to help deter grey zone activity.

Following the Strategic Defence Review, Defence is focusing on transformation into an organisation ready for warfighting. This includes a renewed emphasis on home defence and resilience to grey zone threats to ensure effective deterrence. We will protect the UK from threats that undermine our sovereignty. There are also efforts on possessing military capabilities in sufficient quantities, and signalling a willingness to use those to either deny or to punish those undertaking or authorising grey zone attacks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she is taking steps to encourage the United Nations to assume direct operational oversight of humanitarian-aid delivery in Gaza.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary to the House on 18 November 2025, regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Our position remains that only the United Nations and their partners can deliver the scale of aid required.

Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish the revised Environmental Improvement Plan.

The government concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) and published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025. It is our intention to publish a revised EIP in due course, which will be our long-term plan for improving the natural environment and people’s enjoyment of it.

Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's planned budget is for the Darwin Plus programme in financial year 2025-26.

The Darwin Plus budget for 2025-26 is maintaining spending levels to support biodiversity across the UK Overseas Territories. This includes funding to sustain existing projects and award new projects. The Secretary of State announced funding to 43 new Darwin Plus projects with a lifetime value of £7.9 million in her speech at Countdown to COP30 on 9 October. Funding for Darwin Plus beyond March 2026 remains subject to Defra business planning processes. Updates on future funding rounds will be published on the Darwin Plus website as soon as more information becomes available.

Whether his Department is taking steps to increase research funding into the development of anti-epileptic drugs with fewer side effects and greater efficacy.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care including epilepsy treatment and side effects.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 epilepsy 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.Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated quarterly on the NIHR’s Open Data website, at the following link:https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/explore/The NIHR also works closely with other Government funders, including UK Research and Innovation, which is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and which includes the Medical Research Council, to fund research into a range of conditions, including epilepsy.

What steps her Department is taking to support access to (a) public transport and (b) mobility schemes for people with epilepsy who are unable to drive.

The government wants everyone to have access to reliable and affordable public transport, and we appreciate how important this is for people who are unable to drive.We are committed to improving bus services, so they are more inclusive and enable everyone to travel safely and confidently. In December last year, the government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill which includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local bus services. From safer and more accessible bus stops and stations, to more comprehensive disability training for drivers and frontline staff and a new requirement for local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks, the Bill will help ensure that local bus services better meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including disabled people who are unable to drive.The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free bus travel in England, to those of state pension age and those with eligible disabilities between 9:30 and 23:00 on weekdays, and all day at weekends and bank holidays. Those who would, if they applied for a driving licence, have their application refused on the grounds of medical fitness, are eligible for an ENCTS bus pass.The government also has ambitious plans to reform the rail sector, unifying track and train under one organisation. The cornerstone of the Government’s plan for rail reform is to establish Great British Railways (GBR), a publicly owned arm’s length body charged with running Britain’s railways in the public interest. GBR will be a new, publicly owned company with accountable, integrated leadership across track and train, sitting at the heart of the reformed rail sector. This will help drive a more consistent passenger experience ensuring a relentless focus on high performance and service standards for Britain’s railways.Accessibility is one of the Government’s six priorities for the railway and will be central to GBR. To support this, the Railways Bill includes legal requirements relating to accessibility that will ensure that the interests of passengers, including those with accessibility needs, will be a fundamental part of decision-making on the railways.We are already taking action ahead of the establishment of GBR to make rail travel easier and more reliable for disabled passengers, including investing over £10 million in upgrades to the Passenger Assist Scheme which supports disabled passengers and those with additional needs to use the rail network with confidence and in safety. We have improved information about the facilities available to provide support to passengers at stations and will be publishing a rail accessibility roadmap which sets out the actions we are taking to make the railway more accessible ahead of GBR being established.

What steps her Department is taking to introduce robust human rights and environmental due diligence legislation for UK businesses operating within global supply chains.

The UK has a range of measures in place to promote 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 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 measures to support responsible business practices, including mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence. It will have due regard to the effectiveness of any measures on supply chain resilience and the livelihoods of global producers.

What progress the Government has made on (a) ensuring equal treatment for BCSSS members and (b) transferring the whole of the investment reserve to the benefit of all members.

The previous Minister of State for Industry met the BCSSS Trustees on 22 April, 11 June and 22 July and confirmed the Government’s commitment to considering their proposals regarding the reserve and the future of the scheme. DESNZ will now engage HM Treasury with a view to agreeing a way forward on the transfer of the reserve to members.The Government is aiming to reach agreement on an outcome that can be implemented later this year which will benefit scheme members.

What steps she is taking to prevent people who have committed sexual offences from obtaining parental responsibility or contact orders for children conceived as a result of their crimes; and whether she plans to introduce amendments to the Children Act to close this loophole.

The Government has included a measure in the Victim and Courts Bill which will restrict the exercise of an offender’s parental responsibility where they are sentenced to four or more years imprisonment for a serious child sexual abuse offence against a child for whom they hold parental responsibility. Given these changes are untested, the Government has chosen to focus on the cases involving the highest degree of direct risk to children first.However, the Government recognises the discussions around the appropriate scope of the measure, including whether to extend it to offenders convicted of rape where a child has been conceived as a result. We are looking at this closely and will continue to work across Parliament as the Bill progresses.The welfare of a child must be the court’s paramount consideration when making decisions about that child’s life. Courts already have powers under the Children Act 1989 to restrict the exercise of parental responsibility and to control who the child should live or spend time with, if it is in the child’s best interest to do so. When considering arrangements to be made for a child, including the extent to which parental responsibility should be exercisable and who exactly the child should live or spent time with, the court must have particular regard to a list of welfare factors, including any harm the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering.

How many football bans have been given to offenders in the last (a) 12 and (b) 18 months.

The Home Office publishes annual statistics on football banning orders in England and Wales in the ‘Football-related arrests and banning orders, England and Wales’ Official Statistics release. The most recent data covering the 2023 to 2024 football season and can be accessed at the following link: Football-related arrests and banning orders: 2023 to 2024 season - GOV.UKData on football banning orders for the 2023 to 2024 domestic season are available in the accompanying ‘detailed football banning order statistics data tables’.Data for the 2024 to 2025 football season will be released on 17 July 2025: Football-related arrests, banning orders: 2024/25 domestic season - Official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.