Written questions by Rosindell.

If he will take steps to help protect jobs that could otherwise be replaced by increased use of artificial intelligence.

New technologies, including AI, have the potential to boost wages, drive up productivity and empower workers. The government’s approach to new technologies is to protect good jobs, enable good future jobs and ensure rights and protections keep pace with technological change; safeguarding against discrimination; and putting the worker voice at the heart of Britain’s digital transition. AI is expected to augment roles, rather than replace them. A report by the International Labour Organisation corroborates this, indicating that some roles are more exposed to AI, but that AI is not able to fully replace human employees.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on whether the position of Honorary Consul of Kiribati is planned to be filled in the next 12 months.

There are no plans to appoint an Honorary Consul in Kiribati. The British High Commissioner for Fiji is the accredited non-resident High Commissioner for Kiribati.

What steps he is taking to increase recruitment and retention in the Ministry of Defence Police.

Officer recruitment is dependent on a number of factors including operational need and changes in Defence priorities. As a result, our recruitment targets fluctuate throughout the year. Recruitment is kept under constant review and is driven by Defence requirements and takes account of the number of leavers and joiners at any given time. There are currently recruitment and retention issues affecting policing nationally. To counteract this, we target our recruitment campaigns in locations facing the most acute recruitment challenges, and we use a variety of outreach methods to promote opportunities to join the Force, including social media; events; briefings; and our recruitment website.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) primary and (b) secondary school provision in Romford constituency.

Primary and secondary pupil numbers are forecast to rise from 2025/26. The department will work with local authorities and trusts to manage future demand.The department has previously approved two primary free school projects to serve planned housing development in the Rainham and Romford planning areas. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has asked the department to review mainstream free schools planned by the last government, and that have not yet opened, to ensure that they continue to meet a need for places in the local area and offer value for taxpayers’ money. As part of this, we are working with the London Borough of Havering to review the need for the planned provision in Romford.

What steps she is taking to help prevent (a) violent crime and (b) theft of personal property on railway infrastructure.

Tackling violent crime is a priority for the British Transport Police (BTP) and they are committed to taking action to prevent the theft of personal property. BTP works closely with rail industry partners to ensure that passengers and rail staff feel safe on the network. The BTP tackles violent crime through specialist policing capabilities designed specifically to prevent crime and harm on the railways and strong partnerships with Home Office forces. They utilise a range of policing techniques including overt and covert patrols at hot spot locations, regular high-visibility patrols across the network and use internal and external intelligence to assist in targeting locations. To help prevent theft from passengers BTP officers conduct high-visibility patrols on trains, stations, and platforms, particularly in areas with higher crime rates. These patrols serve as a deterrent and allow officers to spot and address suspicious behaviour early on. BTP frequently runs campaigns to remind passengers to stay vigilant and keep their belongings secure. This includes visible signage, announcements, and social media alerts with tips for safeguarding personal items.

How much his Department spent on external recruitment consultants in each of the last 5 years.

Since entering Government, we have taken immediate action to stop all non-essential Ministry of Defence consultancy spending. The information requested specifically on external recruitment consultants is not held centrally.

What steps she is taking to help prevent suicide on railway infrastructure.

The Department is committed to working with the rail industry to reduce the number of deaths by suicide. Each rail operator is responsible for delivering a suicide prevention plan and maintaining accreditation to the independently assessed Safeguarding on Rail Scheme. Their plan must include training of public-facing staff in suicide prevention, putting in place mitigation measures at stations and promoting avenues of help for vulnerable people at risk of suicide or self-harm. The British Transport Police works in collaboration with its partners to ensure incidents are managed swiftly and people are treated with dignity. Network Rail has a long-standing relationship with The Samaritans, and funds the ‘Small Talk Saves Lives’ campaign. Since launching in 2017, the campaign has successfully raised awareness within railway stations and other public settings about the need to trust your instincts and start a simple conversation if you think someone might need help.

What steps she is taking to help improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention in the British Transport Police.

The British Transport Police (BTP) are dedicated to building a modern, inclusive, and resilient force that reflects the communities it serves. Their latest headcount figures show the Force is successful at maintaining staff and officer numbers at a consistent level. The Force has focussed on leadership development to foster a culture of empowerment, empathy and support. They have introduced a new well-being programme for the workforce, and they are investing in technology, training and facilities to equip their officers with the necessary tools for the dynamic environment they operate in every day. BTP is also committed to creating a more representative workforce and have an outreach programme to encourage applications from candidates in underrepresented groups. BTP is launching a pilot in London for new recruits to join BTP as part time police constables. This is a commitment from BTP’s Learning and Development Strategy to attract high calibre applicants, from a range of backgrounds, who would otherwise not be able to apply or consider becoming a police officer.

How many military personnel have (a) been recruited into the Armed Forces and (b) not passed basic training in each of the last 10 years.

The new Government inherited a very challenging recruitment and retention position for all Services, and has made improving recruitment and readiness of our Armed Forces an early priority. The Defence Secretary has already made announcements to improve recruitment and further announcements will be made by the Ministry of Defence in due course. The requested information is provided in the attached spreadsheet.

If he will take steps to streamline the recruitment for military personnel.

The new Government is focused upon improving Armed Forces recruitment, modernising and refining our policies and processes to attract the best possible talent. 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; a commitment to create 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 Programme which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken with local authorities to help prevent (a) mould-related illnesses and (b) rodent infestations in housing provided by local authorities.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 11562 on 6 November 2024.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to meet with the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in the next 12 months.

The Foreign Secretary will engage with authorities in Hong Kong where there are clear UK interests, including on international stability, climate, health and bolstering our trade relationship. There are no current plans for the Foreign Secretary to visit Hong Kong or meet any individuals from the Hong Kong Government. Any proposed visits will be made public as and when relevant.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many UK nationals have requested consular assistance in Somaliland in each of the last five years.

There is very limited in-person consular support available in Somaliland. Consular assistance is overseen remotely from the British Embassy in Ethiopia. As such, our case management system does not enable us to isolate all consular assistance cases from within Somaliland. The FCDO advises against all travel, or all but essential travel in some regions, to Somaliland. British nationals in Somaliland should read our travel advice and sign up for alerts.

How many applications her Department received from pensioners living in countries where the UK State Pension is not uprating yearly requesting that their pension be temporarily uprated because they are visiting (a) the UK or (b) travelling to a country where the State Pension is uprated in each year since 2021; and what the cost to the public purse was of maintaining a team in her Department to administer such requests in the same period.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

If she will hold discussions with Anne Puckridge on the exclusion of certain countries from the annual uplift to the UK State Pension during her visit to the UK in December 2024.

There are currently no plans to hold discussions with Anne Puckridge on this issue. The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK state pension is payable worldwide and is uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating. Up-rating is based on levels of earnings growth and price inflation in the UK which has no direct relevance where the pensioner is resident overseas. Over many years, priority is given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits. People move abroad for many reasons and this can have an impact on their finances. However, the decision to move abroad is voluntary and remains a personal choice dependent on the circumstances of the individual. For a number of years, advice has been provided to the public that the UK State Pension is not uprated overseas except where there is a legal requirement to do so. HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions publish information on the Government website.

If he will take steps he will take to tackle reductions in hull numbers within the Royal Fleet Auxiliary since 2003.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is an organisation of highly valued, specialist personnel. The Royal Navy, which includes the RFA, continues to ensure it has sufficient assets available to deliver its operational outputs. The Fleet Solid Support Programme will deliver three new solid support ships, entering service with the RFA in the early 2030s.

What steps his Department has taken with the Royal Navy to support the mental health of officers in the Royal Navy.

The Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy (RN) have implemented several specific measures to promote the psychological wellbeing of officers, recognising the unique challenges they face, especially in high-stress operational environments.For those personnel requiring medical intervention, the Defence Medical Services (DMS) provide a responsive, flexible, accessible, and comprehensive treatment service. The DMS is reshaping mental health provision to reduce waiting lists, improve timelines for patient recovery and refocus on earlier intervention. This will provide a single point of access for specialist mental health networks allowing quicker access to initial assessment and earlier allocation to the right treatment pathway.Additionally, the RN provides mental health and stress management training, and continues to explore new initiatives to further enhance mental health support for all of our personnel.

How much the average meal costs on a Royal Navy warship; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of fully funding food provision on Royal Navy warships.

Good nutrition is fundamental to military capability and the happiness of our personnel. It is essential for achieving optimum physical and mental performance, and for good health. The Royal Navy (RN) is committed to providing catering based on sound nutritional principles that support the health and performance of its people. The RN covers the cost of accommodation, bills and food when personnel are at sea and subsidises it when they are not. The Daily Messing Rate (DMR), which is used to calculate the level of food supplies aboard a ship, is currently set at £5.67 to cover all three meals. The DMR is set quarterly, and this figure covers the current quarter only (October - December 2024).

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to work with relevant authorities to improve social housing fire defences in Romford constituency.

This government has committed to accelerating remediation of unsafe housing in response to the Grenfell Tower fire.Registered Providers of social housing are responsible for making sure their buildings are made safe in a proportionate and timely way. We expect all Registered Providers to identify and assess their housing stock and to remediate their buildings quickly. We are working with the regulators to make sure that this happens.Work to fix unsafe cladding has been too slow.  Ministers recently met regulators and other industry partners to press for action to make buildings safe. We are contacting all metro mayors in England to ask for their support in implementing local remediation acceleration plans. We will announce further steps to accelerate remediation shortly.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the local government funding formula.

After years of delays to much needed fair funding reform, the Government will update and improve the approach to funding allocations within the Local Government Finance Settlement by redistributing funding to ensure that it reflects an up-to-date assessment of need and local resources.This will start with a deprivation-based approach in 2025-26 with additional funding targeted to the places that need it most. Broader redistribution of funding will follow through a multi-year settlement from 2026-27.We will be publishing a policy statement in late November, where we will set out our intentions for reform of the local government finance system.