Written questions by MacDonald.

What steps he is taking to strengthen military and defence cooperation with Estonia.

The UK and Estonia maintain a strong defence relationship and have a long history of working alongside each other through Baltic Air Policing, the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), Maritime and Land deployments through NATO and our enduring collaboration on NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF). The UK is the Framework Nation for NATO FLF Estonia and maintains a deployment of up to 1,000 UK Armed Forces personnel and saw hundreds of UK personnel rapidly deploy to Estonia earlier this year for Ex HEDGEHOG, which was a full demonstration of Estonia’s National Defence Plan.

What steps he is taking to strengthen military and defence cooperation with Denmark.

The UK and Denmark are close defence partners with shared security interests in the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea. We have a strong history of cooperation - bilaterally, in NATO and through the Joint Expeditionary Force. The Secretary of State for Defence met with the Danish Defence Minister on 15 October to discuss opportunities for further defence co-operation, including support to Ukraine. In September the UK deployed a specialist RAF Regiment counter-drone unit to Denmark to enhance security in response to the drone incursions at their airports.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing flexible payment options for visa renewal fees under the family route.

The Home Office publishes the estimated unit cost of processing immigration and nationality applications on Gov.UK. This can be reviewed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.Where a fee is required, the full payment must accompany the application in order for it to be considered as a valid application. The Government has no current plans for visa fees to be payable in instalments.

What estimate she has made of the administrative cost to her Department of processing visa applications under the family route in the last 12 months.

The Home Office publishes the estimated unit cost of processing immigration and nationality applications on Gov.UK. This can be reviewed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.Where a fee is required, the full payment must accompany the application in order for it to be considered as a valid application. The Government has no current plans for visa fees to be payable in instalments.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making Scottish Gàidhlig an official language of the United Kingdom.

DCMS has made no such assessment.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help promote public confidence in democratic institutions.

The Government is working closely with a wide range of stakeholders including the Electoral Commission to identify how best to improve public confidence in democratic institutions and tackle the barriers that affect attitudes towards those institutions and participation in our democracy. For example, MHCLG is exploring integrating the Register to Vote digital service with GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK app, which support citizens to access a range of government services more easily, and which could streamline the route to registration for many people. The Attorney General is also prioritising direct engagement with civil society groups and young people, to develop and strengthen the cultural acceptance of the rule of law as a fundamental democratic and British value, further helping to rebuild public trust in the institutions that underpin our democracy.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of safeguards to the right to peaceful protest.

Public order legislation has been developed in line with the UK’s human rights obligations, including those under the European Convention on Human Rights.The Home Secretary announced on 5 October that she has asked for review of public order legislation.

What guidance her Department provides to banks to encourage fair treatment of non-charitable community groups in relation to service charges and account fees.

Community groups make a valuable contribution across the country, and it is important that they can access suitable banking services. The provision of bank accounts to organisations, including companies, charities, and partnerships, is a commercial matter and differs fundamentally from the provision of accounts to individuals, due to differences in legal status, risk, and regulation. The Government continues to monitor wider access to bank account provision but recognises that this is largely a commercial matter in which it does not intervene. At the Government’s encouragement, however, UK Finance, working with banks, and charity representative groups have produced the Voluntary Organisation Banking Guide, which supports charities and other community groups in accessing banking services. This includes an account finder tool for charities and community groups, and includes information on fees. It is important that community groups consider a range of providers for their banking needs, as this encourages competition, improves choice, and helps keep prices competitive.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the potential lessons that could be learned from HMRC’s treatment of professional footballers affected by investment fraud for wider cases mis-selling of tax avoidance schemes.

HMRC works closely with partners across the football sector to deliver educational messages to support players and their agents in getting things right first time. HMRC recognises the damage caused to the tax system by those that promote tax avoidance schemes. It takes action to prevent that damage, for example by publishing details of schemes and promoters to help customers to steer clear of or otherwise exit such schemes. The Government is determined to do more to close in on promoters of marketed tax avoidance and recently consulted on a package of measures to strengthen HMRC’s powers to tackle them. HMRC also recognises that dealing with an enquiry and a tax liability can be stressful. HMRC is committed to supporting taxpayers who need extra support and offer ‘Time to Pay’ instalment arrangements where appropriate.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to local authorities on non-lethal deterrents for managing urban gull populations that comply with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Natural England has previously issued this guidance on managing wild birds using non-lethal measures. Neither Defra nor Natural England has assessed the merits of developing further targeted guidance for local authorities on this matter but we understand that NatureScot has recently updated its guidance and published data on the impacts of licensed activity on gull populations in Scotland. Natural England has also, this year, commenced a project on large gull management at the regional and national scale regarding both urban and rural gull populations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities to prevent gulls nesting in urban areas; and whether she has had discussions with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations on this matter.

There are a range of legal methods that can be used to deter gulls to prevent or at least minimise problems in urban areas. Natural England has issued this guidance on managing wild birds using non-lethal measures. It has also piloted two organisational licences with Bath and Northeast Somerset Council; and Worcester Council for the purposes of urban gull management. It has invited and encouraged other councils to apply if they are experiencing gull issues and offered advice. Furthermore, Natural England colleagues have spoken directly to local authorities and presented to council environmental health officers through webinars hosted by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. While current Defra Ministers have not held discussions with counterparts in the devolved Governments on this matter, a Natural England representative attended the recent Scottish ‘Gull Summit’ to share learning on how Natural England is working with local authorities on managing gulls and providing licensing support.

What steps his Department is taking to help support service personnel who are unable to attend the non-commissioned officer course due to a medical condition sustained during their military duties.

Whilst Defence sets medical employment standards, it is left to the discretion of the single Services how these should be applied to specific professions. Personnel who are medically unable to attend career related courses can receive support specific to individual circumstances and their branch of Service. In general they will have access to welfare officers, career management advisors, chaplaincy services, and dedicated welfare organisations, and they may be granted extensions to promotion timelines. The Armed Forces are committed to supporting personnel who face such challenges, and we continue to review policies to ensure fairness and inclusivity wherever possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her Scottish counterpart on the potential impact of plastic pollution on beaches in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Inverness, Skye and West Ross Shire constituency.

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.

What steps his Department is taking to support service personnel at the top of their pay scale and unable to be promoted due to medical limitations.

The issue of Service personnel being unable to promote due to medical limitations is managed within single Service policies. Each case is managed on an individual basis, recognising unique circumstances. In instances where Service personnel are permanently medically downgraded, the Services may be able to find a suitable position, or the Service person may choose to leave the Service with the appropriate remuneration if applicable. In some instances, Service personnel may be awarded an acting rank, and receive the associated pay, but they will not substantively promote in order to safeguard overall workforce planning and progression. At present, there are no plans to revise existing policies or procedures.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK banks provide accessible banking services for community groups that are not registered charities.

Community groups make a valuable contribution across the country, and it is important that they can access suitable banking services.However, decisions about what products are offered, and to whom, remain commercial decisions for banks and building societies, due to differences in legal status, risk, and regulation. This also necessitates that decisions concerning the provision of products, including account charges, are largely commercial decisions for these institutions.At the Government’s encouragement, UK Finance, working with banks and charity representative groups, have produced the Voluntary Organisation Banking Guide, which supports charities and other community groups in accessing banking services. This includes an easy-to-use account finder tool for charities and community groups, and includes information on fees.It is important that community groups consider a range of providers for their banking needs, as this encourages competition, improves choice, and helps keep prices competitive.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of account service charges on small local community groups which are not registered charities.

Community groups make a valuable contribution across the country, and it is important that they can access suitable banking services.However, decisions about what products are offered, and to whom, remain commercial decisions for banks and building societies, due to differences in legal status, risk, and regulation. This also necessitates that decisions concerning the provision of products, including account charges, are largely commercial decisions for these institutions.At the Government’s encouragement, UK Finance, working with banks and charity representative groups, have produced the Voluntary Organisation Banking Guide, which supports charities and other community groups in accessing banking services. This includes an easy-to-use account finder tool for charities and community groups, and includes information on fees.It is important that community groups consider a range of providers for their banking needs, as this encourages competition, improves choice, and helps keep prices competitive.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that Scottish banknotes are treated as legal currency by businesses operating in England.

The UK is unusual in allowing several commercial banks to issue their own banknotes. As well as Bank of England issued notes, authorised banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue banknotes in those jurisdictions. However, it remains the individual retailer’s choice whether to accept or decline any form of payment, including cash or card, based on their consideration of factors such as customer preference and cost. Legal tender status does not oblige businesses to accept a particular form of payment in everyday transactions. This stems from legal tender having a narrow technical meaning in UK law, specifically referring to what constitutes a valid payment of debt in court proceedings. If a debtor pays into court in legal tender, they have a good defence against a claim for non-payment. More broadly, the Government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those in vulnerable groups, and is committed to protecting access to cash for individuals and businesses who choose to use it. In recognition of this, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 introduced safeguards to protect the public's access to cash.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of account service charges on the operation and sustainability of small community groups which are not registered charities.

Community groups make a valuable contribution across the country, and it is important that they can access suitable banking services.However, decisions about what products are offered, and to whom, remain commercial decisions for banks and building societies, due to differences in legal status, risk, and regulation. This also necessitates that decisions concerning the provision of products, including account charges, are largely commercial decisions for these institutions.At the Government’s encouragement, UK Finance, working with banks and charity representative groups, have produced the Voluntary Organisation Banking Guide, which supports charities and other community groups in accessing banking services. This includes an easy-to-use account finder tool for charities and community groups, and includes information on fees.It is important that community groups consider a range of providers for their banking needs, as this encourages competition, improves choice, and helps keep prices competitive.

What discussions her Department has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the guidance it provides to banks on the treatment of small community groups that operate for public benefit but are not registered charities in relation to account service charges.

Community groups make a valuable contribution across the country, and it is important that they can access suitable banking services. The provision of bank accounts to organisations, including companies, charities, and partnerships, is a commercial matter and differs fundamentally from the provision of accounts to individuals, due to differences in legal status, risk, and regulation. The Government continues to monitor wider access to bank account provision but recognises that this is largely a commercial matter in which it does not intervene. At the Government’s encouragement, however, UK Finance, working with banks and charity representative groups, have produced the Voluntary Organisation Banking Guide, which supports charities and community groups in accessing banking services. This includes an account finder tool for charities and community groups, and includes information on fees. It is important that community groups consider a range of providers for their banking needs, as this encourages competition, improves choice, and helps keep prices competitive.

What discussions her Department has had with J D Wetherspoon on their policy on accepting Scottish banknotes in their premises in England.

There is no legal requirement for businesses to accept specific forms of payment. Each business decides which payment methods to accept based on factors including cost and customer needs and preferences. The Government has no plans to compel businesses to accept any particular form of payment. That said, in recognition that millions of people continue to use cash, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 introduced safeguards to protect the public's access to cash. The UK is unusual in allowing several commercial banks to issue their own banknotes. As well as Bank of England issued notes, authorised banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue banknotes in those jurisdictions. However, it remains the individual retailer’s choice whether to accept or decline any form of payment, including cash or card, based on their consideration of factors such as customer preference and cost. Treasury Ministers meet with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the regular business of government. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel.