Written questions by Easton.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to support the growth of the Dartmoor pony population.

To help enable growth, Defra supports the conservation of livestock and equines, including the Dartmoor Pony, by monitoring populations of native breeds, with data published in the annual UK National Breed inventory. Defra also protects eligible native breeds at risk from culling during notifiable disease outbreaks. Defra can utilise the Zootechnical animal breeding legislation to support the recognised breed society to meet the aim of their approved breeding programme. Actions will be available in Countryside Stewardship for grazing with both cattle and ponies. The Dartmoor Pony is listed on the Native Breeds at Risk list so are eligible for payments under the native breeds supplements. Defra have also made it clear within the new offer that ponies are exempt from stock removal requirements, in recognition that removal of ponies from moorland is neither feasible nor desirable in most circumstances. For those with existing Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements and those currently working with Natural England on new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications, the new moorland offer will be subject to monitoring and evaluation, particularly in the first year. Any change in the pony population during this time will be investigated and further mitigations will be explored if necessary. At present Defra are focussed on developing a new and improved SFI offer, more information will be available in due course.

What plans his Department has to increase the number of serving personnel in the British Army.

The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration, and we are committed to addressing this through a range of targets, initiatives and measures. The British Army continues to implement Future Soldier, with a whole force of over 100,000 comprising of 73,000 Regular Service Personnel and 30,100 Army Reserve. Recruiting and retention remain one of our highest priorities - the Army/Capita Recruiting Partnering Project is completely focused on delivering a significant increase in recruitment in 2025-26, with the Army’s Retention Strategy focusing on reducing voluntary outflow. On 6 February 2025 we announced the award of the contract for the new tri-service Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS). It will provide a streamlined, single-entry point for prospective recruits, with the aim of attracting the best talent from across the country into the Armed Forces. The service will launch in 2027, replacing the individual schemes run by the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force. Further announcements will be made in due course, in line with the future Strategic Defence Review.

What steps he is taking to ensure (a) oversight of and (b) international collaboration in research into solar radiation management technologies.

The Government is not in favour of using Solar Radiation Modification. Given the significant uncertainty around the possible risks and impacts of deployment on the climate and environment, the Government is not deploying SRM and has no plans to do so.The Department works closely with the international research community to evaluate the latest research on Solar Radiation Modification including participating in forums such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of tackling (a) trauma, (b) addiction and (c) mental health in reducing the rate of re-offending among young people; and whether she has had discussions with (i) UHub in North Down and (ii) other organisations that (A) provide counselling and (B) promote emotional well-being.

The Ministry of Justice recognises that addressing trauma, substance misuse and mental health challenges among young people is key to reducing re-offending rates – and that early intervention and prevention is an important part of this. In England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice has provided over £100 million to Youth Offending Teams this year, to support their delivery of needs-based interventions to reduce their risk of reoffending.As justice is devolved in Northern Ireland, I have not discussed youth justice matters with uHub in North Down. However, in England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice works with a range of organisations that provide counselling and promote emotional wellbeing, including through our Turnaround youth justice early intervention programme.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing a new approach to help tackle hyper prolific offending through (a) the monitoring of offenders, (b) effective intervention programmes and (c) the enforcement of appropriate legal penalties; and whether she has had discussions with the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the potential impact of its Reducing Offenders Unit on crime rates.

We take prolific offending seriously and recognise that prolific offenders commit a disproportionate number of offences. Between 2000 and 2021, for example, prolific offenders represented nearly 10% of offenders but accounted for just over 50% of convictions.That clearly cannot continue. That is why the Lord Chancellor asked David Gauke to specifically consider the issue of prolific offenders as part of the Sentencing Review, to ensure that we have fewer crimes committed by prolific criminals.Prolific offenders often have a complex set of needs, and to tackle the underlying causes of offending community sentences may also have rehabilitative requirements attached, including drug, alcohol and mental health difficulties. We are:Better linking data within and across Departments to better understand and support individuals with complex needs, such as prolific offenders.Piloting Intensive Supervision Courts which target the root cause of offending through supervision and intervention delivered by a multi-agency team.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many lorries transporting goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland have been turned away at points of entry in the last 12 months due to (a) incorrect or (b) incomplete paperwork under the provisions of the Windsor Framework.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given the hon. Member for North Down, Alex Easton, on 13 November, PQ UIN 12673.

What guidance her Department has issued on processing cases of irregular migrants who have been found to be involved in violent crime.

Any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity. Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months. A foreign national convicted of an offence that has caused serious harm, who is a persistent offender or who poses a threat to national security will also be considered for deportation where it is deemed to be conducive to the public good under the Immigration Act 1971. Guidance on the use of those powers can be found here: Deporting foreign nationals on conducive grounds: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

What steps her Department is taking to decarbonise school buildings through (a) energy efficiency retrofitting and (b) renewable energy installations; and how these measures will help ensure that the Department meets its net zero commitments.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department is committed to supporting the UK net-zero carbon targets. Since 2021, our own building standards require that all new school buildings we deliver are net-zero carbon in operation and are adapted to climate change​.The department is providing support for all schools and colleges to start on their journey towards net zero via our new online sustainability support for education platform and our climate ambassador programme. Where schools are considering options to become more sustainable, including considering decarbonisation of their energy supply, our ‘Get help for buying’ service provides support to ensure that schemes procured are of high quality and value to the sector. More information can be found at: https://gethelpbuyingforschools.campaign.gov.uk/.​Details of other government funding available to public bodies for sustainability, prepared by the Crown Commercial Service can be found at: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/social-value/carbon-net-zero/funding-and-grants.Capital funding allocated to the school sector each year can also be used for projects that improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of school buildings, as well as improving the condition of the estate to keep schools safe and operational.The department has allocated £2.1 billion in condition funding for the 2025/26 financial year, which is £300 million more than the previous year.In addition, the department is working with Great British Energy, as part of their solar programme, and investing a total of £80 million to install solar and other related interventions in 200 schools and colleges. This is targeting areas of deprivation, to reduce emissions and energy bills, whilst also combining it with a behaviour change and skills programme that seeks to inspire young people to take up career and training opportunities in clean energy and construction.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on the Chagossian people of transferring sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius; and whether the Government has made an assessment of the feasibility of establishing a protected reservation or similar arrangement on the islands to enable the return and settlement of the native Chagossian population.

We have worked hard to ensure this agreement reflects the importance of the islands to Chagossians.  We will finance a new trust fund for Mauritius to use in support of the Chagossian community. We will also work with Mauritius to start a new programme of visits for Chagossians to the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. Mauritius will be able to develop a programme of resettlement on the islands, other than Diego Garcia.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the findings of the Clonoe Inquest.

Following careful consideration, on 22 March 2025 the Ministry of Defence wrote to the Coroner to outline its intention to apply for a judicial review. In the Government’s view, the findings of the Coroner do not properly reflect the context of the incident, nor the challenging circumstances in which members of the armed forces served in Northern Ireland. The MoD has also confirmed that it is funding the veterans in question to seek a judicial review and it is continuing to provide them with welfare support.As I explained in the debate on this issue in the House on 2 April 2025, the almost universally opposed Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 Act has been found by the domestic courts to be unlawful in a number of respects. I am consulting widely, including with veterans, and plan to bring forward replacement legislation which is fair, balanced, proportionate and compatible with our international and domestic human rights obligations.

What steps he is taking to improve Northern Ireland’s (a) constitutional and (b) economic links with the rest of the United Kingdom.

In line with the Good Friday Agreement and the principle of consent upon which it rests, Northern Ireland will remain a part of the United Kingdom for as long as a majority of its people wish for it to be. The Government is committed to continuing to take forward Safeguarding the Union, and to protecting Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market. In February we launched Intertrade UK, which will advise on opportunities to promote and boost trade across the UK, including strengthening East West trade. We are also committed to seeking a SPS/veterinary agreement with the EU, which could deliver tangible benefits for businesses across the UK and further smooth the flow of trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Government on the potential impact of border checks in the Irish Sea on the (a) availability and (b) shelf life of perishable goods in supermarkets in Northern Ireland.

The Windsor Framework protects the UK internal market by ensuring the smooth flow of trade across the whole of the UK. Certain checks are required on goods moving through the UK Internal Market System as part of a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to tackling criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease risks.

What discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of her Department's welfare reforms on people in Northern Ireland.

The department works closely with all the Devolved Governments, including the Northern Ireland Executive, on a range of policy matters.Proposals for reform to the system of health and disability benefits were set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published on 18 March 2025. The consultation will run for a full 12 weeks, once all accessible versions are published. Social security and employment support are transferred in Northern Ireland, although the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive work closely together to maintain parity between their respective social security systems, to the extent agreed between them. We welcome comments on the consultation from individuals and organisations in Northern Ireland, which will then be shared with the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.The Government published the OBR-certified costings of individual measures on the day of the Spring Statement on 26 March.We will work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure we are helping people in Northern Ireland into work and off benefits, and on the interactions between reserved and devolved areas of responsibility as a result of these proposals.

What estimate she has made of the potential impact of her Department's proposed welfare reforms on the Northern Ireland block grant.

For any funding implications of these welfare reforms, the arrangements set out in the Statement of Funding Policy will apply in the usual way.Where UK Government programmes are in Annually Managed Expenditure (AME), such as welfare, the UK Government provides AME funding to the Northern Ireland Executive. Where the Northern Ireland Executive offers broadly comparable terms, the UK Government funds the costs of the programme.If the Northern Ireland Executive offers more generous terms, the higher costs must be met by the Northern Ireland Executive.As set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published on 18 March, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will continue to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on the proposals, in line with the general principle of parity in matters of social security between DWP and its counterpart in Northern Ireland, the Department for Communities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to (a) protect and (b) promote the freedom of religion or belief in Iran.

The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding.We condemn Iran's restrictions against FoRB. We were proud to help deliver the Iran Human Rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, which called on Iran to cease monitoring individuals on account of their religious identity and to ensure rights are upheld. We will continue to raise the issue directly with the Iranian government, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Extender Producer Responsibility fee structure on the glass packaging industry; and whether he has considered adopting a units-based metric.

Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (EPR) will move the cost of dealing with household packaging waste away from taxpayers and onto the packaging producers (applying the ‘polluter pays principle’). This will give producers responsibility for the costs of the packaging they use throughout its life cycle, encouraging businesses to reduce their use of packaging and use packaging which is easier to recycle and reuse. The Government is not currently considering the adoption of a units-based metric for EPR fees. Extender Producer Responsibility disposal fees for packaging are calculated in £ per tonne of household packaging placed on the market in accordance with the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. Whilst producers report the packaging they supply on a weight basis, the costs for managing different material types, such as glass, are apportioned according to relevant cost drivers for their collection and management, including the volume of the container in bins and collection vehicles. This ensures the fair apportionment of costs between material types in line with the regulations.

What discussions he has had with his (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) international counterparts on the potential deployment of UK troops in support of potential international peacekeeping operations in Ukraine; and what assessment he has made of whether such a deployment would be consistent with the UK’s foreign and defence policy.

The Secretary of State regularly holds discussions with his Cabinet colleagues and international counterparts on the war in Ukraine and how we can continue to best support Ukraine going forward. On 2 March, the Prime Minister chaired the Leaders Meeting on Ukraine, hosting counterparts from across Europe including Türkiye, the NATO Secretary General and the Presidents of the EU Commission, EU Council and Canada, to discuss our support for Ukraine.The UK is ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.We are not going to get into any further details at this stage and our focus is on ensuring Ukraine is in as strong a position as possible. When, how and on what terms this war comes to an end can only be decided by negotiations with Ukraine at the heart of them.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to negotiate a veterinary agreement with the European Union to ensure the continued supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland beyond December 2025; and what alternative solutions are being considered to mitigate potential supply chain disruptions.

Maintaining availability of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland after the end of 2025 is a priority. This Government continues to progress work on this issue as quickly as possible and we continue to engage with industry to understand their intentions for supply after the grace period and what alternative products could be available. The Government has seen positive signs that the size of the issue is reducing, as businesses are making changes to their operations. The Veterinary Medicines Working Group, including experts, industry representatives and elected representatives, has also been re-established to advise the Government on this matter. The Government is committed to resetting our EU relationship, including by seeking to negotiate an SPS agreement. We have been clear that an SPS agreement could boost trade and deliver significant benefits on both sides. We will not be providing a running commentary on discussions with the EU and it is too early to comment on what may be in scope of an agreement.

If he will make a comparative assessment of the cost to the public purse for (a) inquiries and (b) legal proceedings relating to (i) the deaths of four men following the use of lethal force in County Tyrone in February 1992 and (ii) other lethal incidents involving the IRA from the same period.

The cost of public inquiries will differ according to the scope of each Inquiry. The cost of legal proceedings will also differ substantially according to the scope of each case. It is not therefore possible to provide an accurate comparative assessment of the cost to the public purse of those respective undertakings. The Northern Ireland Office’s spend on legal costs is included within our Annual Report and Accounts, although we do not differentiate between legal costs we incur and costs we pay to claimants’ lawyers. Costs for public inquiries are published by the Inquiries themselves.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Palestine refugee visa scheme on (a) social cohesion, (b) public services and (c) immigration levels; and what steps she is taking to ensure that the scheme is implemented in a way that balances (i) humanitarian responsibilities and (ii) the need to maintain community stability.

Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules and our suitability requirements. Consideration will be given to compelling, compassionate and exceptional circumstances raised and may be taken into account where certain requirements are not met.