Written questions by Bowie.

Pursuant to the oral answer of 14 October 2024 from the Minister for Veterans and People, Official Report, column 574, if he will clarify what the correct (a) welfare and (b) legal support are for veterans that are required to undergo legal proceedings relating to their service during the troubles in Northern Ireland.

The Government recognises the important service of veterans and serving personnel and the sacrifices they made to keep us all safe in Northern Ireland during the troubles. We will provide any former or current member of the Armed Forces involved in legal proceedings relating to their official duties with the appropriate welfare and legal support. Welfare support is tailored to individual veterans’ needs and circumstances and given on an opt-in basis. The MOD delivers this support through the most appropriate agency depending on the nature of the veteran’s service. In many cases, this would be the Army Operational Legacy Branch, who have a team of dedicated military support officers. Legal support too is tailored to the circumstances, including in what capacity veterans are involved in legal proceedings. Veterans are offered independent legal support at public expense where they are at risk of prosecution relating to actions taken during their employment.

What steps his Department is taking to support the Scotch whisky industry.

DBT leads a whole of Government effort, working with devolved governments and the sector to support this important industry, which exported £5.6bn of Scotch Whisky worldwide in 2023. We boost exports by leveraging trade agreements and removing barriers. For example, in August we announced the recognition of the Scotch Whisky Geographic Indicator in Brazil, valued at £25m over five years. We will continue to spotlight Scotch Whisky at global trade shows in key markets, including a spirits trade mission to India in November. The Export Academy food and drink programme, launched in October, offers dedicated upskilling to both emerging and experienced distilleries.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing an alcohol duty (a) exemption and (b) reduction for drinks that have a 15% or weaker alcohol by volume on community third places.

Pubs and breweries make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system. The current alcohol duty system supports pubs and breweries through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pay less duty. Draught Relief helps to level the playing field between pubs and supermarkets, allowing pubs and brewers to price their on-trade products more competitively. The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and rates that took effect on 1 August 2023. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the alcohol duty system under review during its Budget process.

What steps she is taking to protect pubs.

Pubs and breweries make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system. The current alcohol duty system supports pubs and breweries through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pay less duty. Draught Relief helps to level the playing field between pubs and supermarkets, allowing pubs and brewers to price their on-trade products more competitively. The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and rates that took effect on 1 August 2023. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the alcohol duty system under review during its Budget process.

Whether his Department holds information on the potential impact of electromagnetic fields from high-voltage electricity pylons on public health.

The National Policy Statement for electricity networks notes that all overhead power lines produce electromagnetic fields (EMF), and that Government policy is that exposure of the public to EMF from 275kV and 400kV lines should be limited to low levels in compliance with International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines (1998). Potential health effects associated with long-term low-level exposure to EMF have been extensively studied over recent decades and detrimental effects have not been found.

If she will make it her policy to not raise alcohol duty.

Pubs and breweries make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system. The current alcohol duty system supports pubs and breweries through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pay less duty. Draught Relief helps to level the playing field between pubs and supermarkets, allowing pubs and brewers to price their on-trade products more competitively. The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and rates that took effect on 1 August 2023. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the alcohol duty system under review during its Budget process.

If she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies on alcohol duty of the potential impact of having access to a (a) pub and (b) other community third space on mental health.

Pubs and breweries make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system. The current alcohol duty system supports pubs and breweries through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pay less duty. Draught Relief helps to level the playing field between pubs and supermarkets, allowing pubs and brewers to price their on-trade products more competitively. The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and rates that took effect on 1 August 2023. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the alcohol duty system under review during its Budget process.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure the financial viability of community third spaces.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has policy responsibility for a number of spaces in which communities may meet for social, cultural and sporting activities.In particular, DCMS leads government’s work with Civil Society, including voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs), which often run community centres and hubs. The department continues to support VCSEs with their financial viability by running grant programmes, growing the social investment market and through funding delivered by our Arm’s Length Bodies.Through the English Devolution Bill, MHCLG will introduce a strong new ‘right to buy’ to help local people acquire valued community assets, such as empty shops, pubs and community spaces.

Whether his Department is taking steps to streamline regulatory approval processes for new nuclear projects.

The UK has an enabling, robust and rigorous energy regulatory regime. The Government is taking steps towards speeding up and streamlining the planning process and will continue to work with the regulators to understand the potential for additional streamlining or removing of duplication from the regulation of energy projects including new nuclear projects. Evidence received from the Alternative Routes to Market for New Nuclear Projects consultation will allow us to further explore how the existing nuclear regulatory framework can accommodate new technologies and new use-cases.

If he will make an estimate of the quantity and proportion of energy infrastructure that will be required to meet his (a) onshore and (b) offshore power targets that will be sourced from Chinese companies.

This Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we have different interests, and challenge where we must. Alongside efforts to de-risk our supply chains, we will therefore also continue to work with our international partners to manage the continued implications of overreliance on any one actor.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of reliance on China-owned companies for the supply of energy infrastructure on national security.

The Government will carry out an audit of the UK’s relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor, to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of deploying Small Modular Reactors on the Government's net-zero targets.

The government is clear that new nuclear power stations, such as Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, and small modular reactors (SMRs), will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. Great British Nuclear (GBN), the government’s expert nuclear delivery body, is running an SMR technology selection process procurement. In September 2024, GBN concluded the initial tender phase of the procurement and down-selected to four companies. In the next stage of the process, bidders will be invited to enter negotiations with GBN.

If he will make an estimate of the quantity and proportion of energy infrastructure that will be required to meet his solar power targets that will be sourced from Chinese companies.

Solar power is a mature technology with well-established and competitive global supply chains, with industrial-scale solar panel manufacturing mainly concentrated in Asia, the US and EU. We have relaunched the Solar Taskforce which will be focusing on identifying and taking forward the actions needed to develop resilient, sustainable and innovative solar supply chains, to support our ambition of radically increasing the UKs solar power capacity by 2030.

What steps he is taking to support (a) international climate commitments and (b) other global nuclear energy initiatives.

The Government is committed to restoring the UK’s global climate leadership, building on its mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. We will work with countries to deliver on the Global Stocktake agreed at COP28. We intend to announce our own ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2035 at COP29, accelerate action through initiatives such as the Global Clean Power Alliance and push for an ambitious new global climate finance goal at COP29. The UK actively supports the safe and secure use of nuclear energy through our work at the International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Agency and International Energy Agency.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the UK has the (a) skills and (b) workforce to support the expansion of nuclear energy as part of the net-zero transition.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK nuclear industry has the necessary skills needed to deliver our nuclear ambitions. Recognising the need for urgent action, the nuclear sector across civil and defence are responding collaboratively to deliver sustained long-term action that will develop a robust nuclear skills base, including through the delivery of the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision to suspend arms export licences to Israel on relations between the UK and the US.

We have been clear that this is our own independent process, specific to the UK and according to our own law. The Strategic Export Licensing Criteria state that the Government will not issue or maintain export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law. We have deemed that there is such a risk and have taken the necessary decision. The US-UK relationship remains strong and we are united by decades of unrivalled security and defence cooperation. Our priority remains achieving a ceasefire in Gaza in which we see hostages released, civilians protected and aid floods in.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs' oral statement of 2 September 2024, Official Report, column 37, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of suspending some arms exports to Israel on levels of community cohesion.

Government is alert to the damage to community relations caused by the attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October last year and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, and that there remains potential for events to cause this to become heightened. For this reason, my Department constantly monitors trends relating to community tensions based on information from local government, the police and civil society partners including, since 2 September, representatives of a range of Jewish community organisations. Communities have expressed a wide range of responses to the announcement on 2 September, and we understand the concerns that have been raised by some Jewish communities. We continue to engage closely with our partners across communities to provide reassurance, reduce tensions and encourage cohesion.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK’s decision to suspend some arms exports licenses with Israel on intelligence-sharing with that country.

It is a long-standing policy that we do not discuss detailed intelligence matters and so I regret I am unable to provide any additional detail.

What discussions he has had with (a) the United States and (b) Australia on the potential merits of expanding Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement to include Canada.

In recognition of the enduring partnership the UK holds with Canada, alongside Canada's close bilateral defence partnerships with each member of AUKUS, the Prime Minister, President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese, announced on 17 September that we were consulting with Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea to identify possibilities for collaboration on advanced capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II. This collaboration on a project by project basis was discussed again at the AUKUS Defence Ministers Meeting in London on 26 September.Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom continue to work together as members of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), a collaboration of 14 countries and the European Union, to catalyse public and private investment in responsible critical minerals supply chains globally.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of inviting Canada to join Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement.

In recognition of the enduring partnership the UK holds with Canada, alongside Canada's close bilateral defence partnerships with each member of AUKUS, the Prime Minister, President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese, announced on 17 September that we were consulting with Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea to identify possibilities for collaboration on advanced capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II. This collaboration on a project by project basis was discussed again at the AUKUS Defence Ministers Meeting in London on 26 September.Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom continue to work together as members of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), a collaboration of 14 countries and the European Union, to catalyse public and private investment in responsible critical minerals supply chains globally.