Written questions by MacDonald.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the strength of the link between freedom of religion or belief and conflict prevention in the context of UK foreign policy.

The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, both in sub-Saharan Africa and across the world. On 8 July, the UK's Special Envoy for Religious Freedom, David Smith MP, set out the Government's new strategy on FoRB, providing a framework for engagement with other countries, and describing the links between the protection of FoRB and other goals including the prevention of conflict. As part of this strategy, the UK continues to support FoRB on the international stage, through our position in the United Nations, G7 and Article 18 Alliance.

What recent estimate he has made of the cost of repairs to military aircraft damaged by (a) acts of vandalism and (b) protest activity in 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 October 2025 to the hon. Member for Angus and Perthshire Glens (Dave Doogan) to Question 78509.

What criteria need to be met by a company before it receives a contract for military training services.

All prospective suppliers are to be checked that they are not on the Debarment List before they are invited to tender or awarded a contract. If the procurement is subject to the Procurement Act 2023 (“the Act”), prospective suppliers can be excluded from tendering in accordance with the grounds listed in Schedules 6 and 7 if the MOD is satisfied that the circumstances given rise to the event are continuing or likely to occur again.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that gambling harm prevention campaigns reach rural and remote communities.

The introduction of the new statutory levy on gambling operators, which came into effect in April 2025, guarantees sustainable funding for the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms which is entirely independent of the influence of the gambling industry.The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), as the gambling harms prevention commissioner in England under the levy, acknowledges the role that public health and awareness-raising campaigns can play in preventing health harms, including harms associated with gambling.OHID is working at pace to develop its gambling harms prevention programme, working closely with the gambling harms prevention commissioners in Scotland and Wales. OHID is considering the role of prevention campaigns in the future prevention programme at a national and Great Britain-wide level and will consider the reach of such activity across specific populations such as rural and remote communities. Further details will be confirmed before the end of this financial year.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of consulting with Members before allocating asylum accommodation in their constituencies.

The Home Office routinely engages local officials and elected members as part of the procurement process for specific types of accommodation, to enable us to gather local intelligence which informs our decision making. This engagement and disclosure is undertaken on a case by case basis as is necessary.

What steps she is taking to help reduce tensions within local communities arising from the use of (a) hotels and (b) military barracks to accommodate asylum seekers.

The Home Office works closely with local authorities, police, and health partners to ensure that military sites operate safely, with secure perimeters, on-site services and regular Multi-Agency Forums to address local concerns. This self-contained approach helps reduce pressures on local services and supports community cohesion.The Home Office works closely with local authorities and statutory partners to ensure that all asylum accommodation sites operate safely with regular engagement to address local concerns, reduce pressure on local services and support community cohesion.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of relocating asylum seekers from hotel accommodation to Ministry of Defence sites in mitigating tensions with local communities.

The Home Office works closely with local authorities, police, and health partners to ensure that military sites operate safely, with secure perimeters, on-site services and regular Multi-Agency Forums to address local concerns. This self-contained approach helps reduce pressures on local services and supports community cohesion.The Home Office works closely with local authorities and statutory partners to ensure that all asylum accommodation sites operate safely with regular engagement to address local concerns, reduce pressure on local services and support community cohesion.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to hold discussions with the devolved Administrations on supporting local authorities to transition away from the use of glyphosate-based herbicides in public spaces.

In March 2025, Defra, alongside the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive, published the UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP) 2025. The NAP sets out how we intend to increase the uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) across all sectors, including in the amenity sector. Defra will continue to work with devolved administrations to encourage sustainable practices in public spaces.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of pesticide use in (a) urban and (b) public spaces on (i) public health and (ii) biodiversity.

The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or animal health or pose unacceptable effects to the environment. Pesticides are subject to strict regulation in Great Britain (GB), and a pesticide is only approved in GB on the basis that it will not cause harm to human or animal health, and that there are no unacceptable effects to the environment. A pesticide may only be placed on the market in GB if the product has been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), GB’s pesticide regulator. This only happens following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the phasing out of pesticide use in public spaces in other European countries.

The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or animal health or pose unacceptable effects to the environment.There is a legal requirement to minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the public. It is for each Local Authority to decide the best way of delivering effective and cost-effective weed control in its operations while protecting people and the environment. We do of course continue to monitor action in other countries and learn from their experiences.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of geographical variation in access to community care equipment in (a) general, (b) rural areas and (c) remote areas.

Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under various pieces of legislation, including the Care Act 2014, to make arrangements for the provision of disability aids and community equipment, to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area. Responsibility for managing the market for these services, including commissioning and oversight of delivery, rests with local authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of his policies for preventing plastic pollution on beaches in (a) Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and (b) other coastal areas.

The UK Government funds the Marine Conservation Society to record litter from sections of our coast which helps us monitor the levels and trends of plastic pollution. The monitoring is undertaken in accordance with regionally-agreed protocols, and annual reports are published online: Annual beach litter reports (2023) - ME4168. Over the past six years, the total median litter count on UK beaches reveals a statistically significant downward trend, decreasing by 18.2 items/100m per year. Significant downward trends continue to be observed in several individual litter items, including those targeted by recent bans and consultations. Single-use plastics are significantly decreasing by 5.8 items/100m per year. The Department has also recently conducted and published a Post Implementation Review (PIR) on The Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020. The review found these measures have contributed to reducing plastic pollution, with items such as plastic‑stemmed cotton buds moving out of the UK’s top 10 most littered item list in 2021.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Scottish government on tackling plastic pollution affecting beaches in (a) Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and (b) other areas.

Plastic pollution is one of the greatest environmental challenges that we face today – it litters our beaches, threatens wildlife and contributes towards climate change. The UK Government works closely with the Scottish Government on plastic pollution and beach litter is monitored across the UK under the UK Marine Strategy. Annual reports on UK beach litter are published online: Annual beach litter reports (2023) - ME4168. Monitoring data is also reported in line with our obligations under the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic and is used in the OSPAR beach litter assessment: Abundance, Composition and Trends of Beach Litter. UK Government and the Devolved Governments have taken action to address some of the most commonly-found beach litter items – for example, legislation to restrict the supply of certain single-use plastic items has been introduced across UK nations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of plastic pollution on beaches in (a) Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and (b) other areas.

The UK Government funds the Marine Conservation Society to record litter from sections of our coast which helps us monitor the levels and trends of plastic pollution. The monitoring is undertaken in accordance with regionally-agreed protocols, and annual reports are published online: Annual beach litter reports (2023) - ME4168. Over the past six years, the total median litter count on UK beaches reveals a statistically significant downward trend, decreasing by 18.2 items/100m per year. Significant downward trends continue to be observed in several individual litter items, including those targeted by recent bans and consultations. Single-use plastics are significantly decreasing by 5.8 items/100m per year. The Department’s recently published Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the 2020 single use plastic bans and restrictions found evidence of reduced plastic litter on UK beaches, with plastic-stemmed cotton buds and straws showing significant declines. Cotton buds have dropped out of the UK’s top 10 most littered items in 2021 and reached their lowest levels in the Great British Beach Clean’s 28-year history.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of radio signal back up power systems in ensuring radio signals continue working during power cuts.

The Government understands the importance of access to information when other communications may be disrupted. Radio plays an essential role in providing such access. In order to fulfil DCMS responsibilities as Lead Government Department for Broadcast Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), DCMS works closely with broadcast CNI operators and technical authorities to maintain security and resilience against a wide range of scenarios including power outages.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the causes of acid rain.

Ammonia, NOx and sulphur were the main acidifying pollutants deposited onto UK woodland in 2021. Defra has published guidance and advice through Catchment Sensitive Farming on practical actions farmers can take to reduce emissions. Grant support has also been provided to help farmers invest in equipment, such as low emission slurry spreaders, that will reduce ammonia emissions. The Government has legally binding targets under the National Emission Ceilings Regulations 2018 to reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants such as ammonia and nitrogen oxides that contribute to nitrogen deposition which can negatively impact biodiversity in sensitive habitats.

Food and Rural Affairs, what monitoring networks her Department supports to measure acid deposition.

The Precipitation Network (Precip-Net) measures the chemical composition of rainwater at 48 UK sites. Acid air pollutants measured include ammonium, nitrates and sulphates. More information can be found here. It is part of the umbrella UKEAP (UK Eutrophying and Acidifying Pollutants) Network which also measures airborne concentrations of pollutants that lead to acidification and nitrogen deposition.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure compliance with international agreements on reducing transboundary air pollution contributing to acid rain.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a Party to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. We are fully compliant with our international commitments to reduce pollutants causing acid rain. The Government is committed to continuing cooperation with our neighbours to reduce transboundary air pollution and protect the public from the harm of pollution. The UK is playing an active role in ongoing negotiations to revise the 2012 amended Gothenburg Protocol, under the Convention.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed amendments to the ECHR on the protection of individual rights.

This Government is committed to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). However, commitment does not mean complacency, and we need to make sure the Convention evolves to face modern challenges.We are bringing forward legislation to clarify how Article 8 ECHR (right to a private life) operates domestically in relation to immigration rules to ensure an appropriate balance between the rights of individuals and the national interest. We are also looking at the interpretation of Article 3 ECHR (prohibition against torture and inhuman and degrading treatment) so that varied prison conditions or access to healthcare are not a bar to extradition or deportation.Our proposals are designed to strike a fair and proportionate balance between individual rights and the national interest. These changes will not weaken protections, but rather ensure that our legal framework remains robust, relevant, and trusted.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of acid rain.

The most recent assessment of the trends in acid deposition was published in the Air Pollution Trends Report 2024.