Written questions by Rosindell.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the (a) pay and (b) benefits of (i) UK and (ii) Saint Helenian police officers of the same rank serving in Saint Helena are comparable.

In St Helena, a locally recruited Police Constable's starting salary is £12,049 per year, which is above the national average salary (£9,970). The St Helena Government has responsibility for setting pay and benefits levels for members of The Royal St Helena Police Service, including those appointed as technical cooperation officers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, by what year he expects Saint Helena to become financially self-sustainable; and whether it is his policy that this will be primarily achieved through promoting tourism.

The St Helena Government leads on local economic development, with assistance from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which provides technical and financial support. The UK funded Tourism Development Fund is supporting the development of the island's tourism industry, which has potential to drive forward greater financial self-sufficiency as visitor numbers grow.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many people are employed as technical cooperation officers to support the Government of Saint Helena; and what the total cost of of those posts is.

The St Helena Government employs technical cooperation officers in key positions across its portfolios including health, education, legal chambers and the police where it is not possible to recruit locally. The St Helena Government has responsibility for the recruitment of its human resources and the remuneration provided.

What steps he is taking to help prevent personnel reduction in the armed forces.

The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration. We have made a series of announcements to improve Armed Forces recruitment and retention since July 2024. To increase recruitment into the Armed Forces, recent policies have included a 35% pay increase for new recruits; one of the largest pay increases in the last 20 years for existing personnel; scrapping over 100 outdated medical policies; the implementation of a new military direct-entry cyber pathway; and setting an ambition to make a conditional offer of employment to candidates within 10 days, and a provisional training start date within 30 days. These activities and their impacts will inform the development of the Armed Forces Recruitment Service which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces. To support retention of Armed Forces personnel, the Armed Forces pay increase represents a significant investment in our people, and we have gone further in announcing a £30,000 financial incentive to a cohort of tri-Service Air Engineers as well as an £8,000 retention payment for a cohort of Army personnel. These measures support the retention of key skills and personnel in Defence through appropriate financial recognition. Furthermore, in recognising the significant sacrifices that our military families make in serving our nation, we have protected the integrity of the Continuity of Education Allowance, repurchased the Service Family Accommodation estate from Annington Homes and extended Wraparound Childcare to families serving overseas which will potentially save up to £3,400 annually for Service families.

What steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent cocaine-related deaths in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

The increase in alcohol related deaths and those linked to cocaine usage is concerning. The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidenced-based, high-quality treatment to reduce the numbers of alcohol and drug related deaths. Local authorities are responsible for assessing the local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet those needs. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Havering Borough Council, of which Romford is a part, will receive £400,302 from this additional grant funding in 2025/26.The Department has an action plan in place to reduce drug and alcohol-related deaths, which is currently being reviewed to ensure that it is grounded in the latest understanding of the drivers of drug and alcohol related deaths, and is responding to these. In 2024, the Department published guidance for local authorities and their partnerships on how to review adult drug and alcohol-related deaths and near-fatal overdoses to prevent future deaths.Alongside the funding allocations, the Department has a range of existing and forthcoming best practice resources and guidance that supports those working in the sector to tailor drug and alcohol treatment services to meet local needs to improve treatment outcomes. The commissioning quality standard provides guidance to local authorities on how to ensure they have a shared understanding of local need, including the experiences of diverse populations. The commissioning quality standard can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-servicesLater this year the Department will also be publishing the United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment, which will include recommendations on developing effective, accessible, and inclusive services. The aim of the guidelines is to promote and support good practice and improve the quality of service provision, resulting in better outcomes. The Department continues to work with all local areas to address unmet needs and drug and alcohol misuse deaths, and to drive improvements in the continuity of care. This includes the Unmet Need Toolkit, which can be used by local areas to assess local need and plan to meet it.

What steps he has taken to increase co-operation between (a) British armed forces and the (b) Italian armed forces.

Italy remains one of the UK’s most critical partners for European defence and security. The UK has a valuable and longstanding partnership with Italy built on deep tri-service links and historic cooperation in the combat air and weapons sectors. Through annual 2+2 meetings between our Foreign and Defence Secretaries, our bilateral High-Level Military Dialogue, and regular interaction through other groupings such as NATO and E5 Defence Ministers Group, we continuously explore how our nations can better work together to address issues of shared strategic interest. The closeness of our relationship is exemplified by our commitment to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). Alongside Italy and Japan, we have made great progress delivering GCAP, achieving Treaty Ratification between all partner nations in December 2024 and establishing the GCAP Headquarters, based in Reading. This programme will not only deliver a cutting-edge combat aircraft but will foster closer defence cooperation between the three nations while also strengthening each country’s defence industry, creating jobs and fostering economic growth. Outside of GCAP, the bi-annual Senior Armaments Export Group meeting brings together Government and industry to understand how we can best work together to pursue opportunities for deeper collaboration on defence programmes and exports. In February 2025, British and Italian capability directors signed a Statement of Intent focusing on complex weapons cooperation, adding more structure to this relationship. Operationally our relationship is strong. We continue to deepen interoperability between our Carrier Strike Groups. As the only other European nation with carrier-capable F-35B aircraft, the Italian Armed Forces are providing a crucial contribution to the UK’s 2025 Carrier Strike Group deployment, Op HIGHMAST.

Whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of making prescriptions free for people with chronic, long-term conditions.

The Department has made no estimate. There are extensive arrangements currently in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone, including for those with chronic, long-term conditions.Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place, for which those with heart disease may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. The scheme provides income related help to people who are not automatically exempt from charges but who may be entitled to full or partial help if they have a low income and savings below a defined limit.To support those with greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three month and 12 month certificates available, which can be paid for in instalments.

What steps he is taking with relevant authorities to help prevent alcohol-related deaths in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

The increase in alcohol related deaths and those linked to cocaine usage is concerning. The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidenced-based, high-quality treatment to reduce the numbers of alcohol and drug related deaths. Local authorities are responsible for assessing the local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet those needs. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Havering Borough Council, of which Romford is a part, will receive £400,302 from this additional grant funding in 2025/26.The Department has an action plan in place to reduce drug and alcohol-related deaths, which is currently being reviewed to ensure that it is grounded in the latest understanding of the drivers of drug and alcohol related deaths, and is responding to these. In 2024, the Department published guidance for local authorities and their partnerships on how to review adult drug and alcohol-related deaths and near-fatal overdoses to prevent future deaths.Alongside the funding allocations, the Department has a range of existing and forthcoming best practice resources and guidance that supports those working in the sector to tailor drug and alcohol treatment services to meet local needs to improve treatment outcomes. The commissioning quality standard provides guidance to local authorities on how to ensure they have a shared understanding of local need, including the experiences of diverse populations. The commissioning quality standard can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-servicesLater this year the Department will also be publishing the United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment, which will include recommendations on developing effective, accessible, and inclusive services. The aim of the guidelines is to promote and support good practice and improve the quality of service provision, resulting in better outcomes. The Department continues to work with all local areas to address unmet needs and drug and alcohol misuse deaths, and to drive improvements in the continuity of care. This includes the Unmet Need Toolkit, which can be used by local areas to assess local need and plan to meet it.

What steps he is taking to work with relevant authorities to prevent heat-related deaths in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP) aims to protect everyone from the health effects of adverse weather and to build community resilience. The plan informs local preparedness activities, including in the Borough of Romford. The 2025 to 2026 AWHP is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67fe2667694d57c6b1cf8d3c/AWHP_2025_to_2026.pdfThe plan is supported by a series of guidance materials for stakeholders to prepare for and respond to significant adverse weather events. The heat health alerts provide suggested actions according to the alert level. People can sign up to access the Weather Health Alerts email service at the following link:https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=mRRO7jVKLkutR188-d6GZn06Ss-xPLpCuYeyOZ-eFiFUMEVIMDRTOE5FVzFFM0NXNjFMWUlWMkJVMCQlQCN0PWcu

Whether he is taking steps to reduce the procurement time of new surface fleet assets for the (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy are committed to accelerating the pace of procurement. In a period of ever-increasing technological advancement, the ability to harness new capabilities and leverage innovation at pace is critical to the Navy as a credible, modern and capable force. Accelerating procurement is recognised across Defence, forming an important outcome within the Defence Industrial Strategy, and is being considered as part of the Security Defence Review. The establishment of the National Armaments Director Group as part of Defence Reform also seeks to energise the military-industrial relationship to drive pace into procurement.

Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent cold-related deaths of farm animals in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

All farm animals are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation whether on-farm, during transport or at slaughter, with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 making it an offence either to cause any captive animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide the welfare needs of the animal. It is the responsibility of livestock keepers and authorised transporters to have contingency plans in place to ensure their animals' welfare in extreme weather, including advice on checking on animals more regularly and ensuring all animals have easy access to water on a daily basis, and not transporting animals in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. We also publish advice on GOV.UK specifically for keepers: Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) also closely monitors weather forecasts and issues guidance to all authorised transporters on key actions that can be taken when transporting animals to help mitigate the impact of extreme temperatures.

Whether his Department has taken recent steps to increase naval co-operation between the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy.

The Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy have strengthened their naval cooperation through joint exercises, personnel exchanges, and collaborative projects such as the deployment of HMCS Ville de Quebec with the Carrier Strike Group and the development of the Global Combat Ship platform.

What steps he is taking to increase public awareness of pre-payment certificates as a means to help reduce the cost of prescriptions.

Promotion of pre-payment certificates (PPCs) is carried out by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), who promote the use of their online eligibility checker in the first instance, to enable people to check if they are entitled to free prescriptions or the NHS Low Income Scheme, before they purchase a PPC. They undertake PPC-specific communications activity such as:- paid social media adverts, for instance running adverts in 2023/24 and 2024/25 to promote PPCs;- posts on the Help with Health Costs Facebook and X channels promoting PPCs, with about one per week, amongst information about other exemptions;- collaboration with NHS England to run a social media campaign promoting PPCs to people with certain medical conditions that aren’t covered by a medical exemption certificate;- promotion of PPCs to pharmacy teams in a quarterly e-bulletin; and- work with the media to place stories promoting PPCs, which are typically annual data-led media releases.NHSBSA analysis shows that in 2023/24 an estimated 3.3 million patients received a prescription using a PPC, while the number of PPCs issued has steadily risen from approximately 2.29 million in 2018/19 to approximately three million in 2023/24, suggesting growing awareness. Additionally, the hormone replacement therapy PPC was introduced in 2023/24, and 566,000 certificates were issued in its first year.

Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent heat-related deaths of farm animals in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

All farm animals are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation whether on-farm, during transport or at slaughter, with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 making it an offence either to cause any captive animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide the welfare needs of the animal. It is the responsibility of livestock keepers and authorised transporters to have contingency plans in place to ensure their animals' welfare in extreme weather, including advice on checking on animals more regularly and ensuring all animals have easy access to water on a daily basis, and not transporting animals in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. We also publish advice on GOV.UK specifically for keepers: Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) also closely monitors weather forecasts and issues guidance to all authorised transporters on key actions that can be taken when transporting animals to help mitigate the impact of extreme temperatures.

Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce harms done by (a) foxes and (b) badgers to agricultural property.

It is lawful for farmers and landowners to manage foxes causing damage to property, so long as this is done in a lawful and humane way. Advice on protecting property from damage by foxes is included in this Natural England guidance note: Foxes, moles and mink: how to protect your property from damage - GOV.UK. Badgers are a protected species. There are options to legally manage damage problems but if these are unsuccessful and the damage is serious, farmers may apply for a licence to take action to address damage problems from Natural England. There is no charge for these licences.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the security of subsea infrastructure between the UK and Canada.

Subsea cables are critical to UK telecommunications digital infrastructure, and the Government are committed to maintaining and enhancing their security. This is a whole-of-Government effort including the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, alongside industry and international partners. The Royal Navy plays a critical part in this RFA Proteus. the UK's first Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROS), is now operational and using its leading-edge technology to monitor underwater infrastructure in areas of UK sovereign interest.

What steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent cold-related deaths in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP) aims to protect everyone from the health effects of adverse weather, and to build community resilience. The plan informs local preparedness activities, including in the Borough of Romford, and is exercised regularly. The 2025 to 2026 AWHP is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67fe2667694d57c6b1cf8d3c/AWHP_2025_to_2026.pdfThe plan is supported by a series of guidance materials to support stakeholders to prepare for and respond to significant adverse weather events. The cold health alerts provide sector specific suggested actions according to the alert level. People can sign up to access the Weather Health Alerts email service at the following link:https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=mRRO7jVKLkutR188-d6GZn06Ss-xPLpCuYeyOZ-eFiFUMEVIMDRTOE5FVzFFM0NXNjFMWUlWMkJVMCQlQCN0PWcu

What steps he has taken to increase security of subsea infrastructure between the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

Subsea cables are critical to UK telecommunications digital infrastructure, and the Government are committed to maintaining and enhancing their security. This is a whole-of-Government effort including the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, alongside industry and international partners. The Royal Navy plays a critical part in this RFA Proteus. the UK's first Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROS), is now operational and using its leading-edge technology to monitor underwater infrastructure in areas of UK sovereign interest.

Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent cold-related deaths of household pets in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the Act), owners and keepers must protect their animals from harm and provide for their welfare needs in line with best practice. The Act is supported by Codes of Practice for Dogs and Cats. The Codes include guidance on providing a suitable environment for the animal, including information on protecting the animal from extreme temperatures and weather conditions. Local authorities and the police have powers to enforce the Act and can intervene where an animal is suspected to be suffering.

What steps she has taken to work with relevant authorities to ensure that the nutritional value of food served in cafeterias in state education facilities is (a) maintained and (b) improved.

It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The school food standards regulate the food and drink provided at school. School governors and trustees have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the school food standards and should work with the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.To support governors and trustees, the department, along with National Governance Association, are running a pilot online training course on school food.