Written questions by MacDonald.

What the (a) dates and (b) locations are of each of the radio teleswitch service switch-off phases.

The Radio Teleswitch (RTS) signal has been switched off in some carefully targeted localised areas, where suppliers have the capacity to respond quickly in case of any issues. Industry’s phase out plan is flexible and subject to change, as suppliers must demonstrate to Ofgem and Government that they are sufficiently prepared before they can proceed further. Suppliers are continuing to contact households with RTS meters to arrange appointments to have them replaced in advance of any switch offs, but are also encouraging consumers to not wait, with over a quarter of a million meters having already been replaced across GB this year. Ofgem has also been contacting local authorities and members of parliament to inform them of planned activity in their area ahead of any switch offs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking through the UN to respond to reports of Russian airspace violations over NATO member states.

Recent incursions into Poland, Romania and Estonia were reckless violations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) airspace. NATO responded to the incidents immediately and decisively, shooting down drones over its airspace for the first time. This was combined with a strong political response at NATO - with two Article 4 discussions - as well as at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and UN. On 12 September, the UK condemned Russia's violations of NATO airspace at a UN Security Council session following the Poland incursions, noting that its actions violated the most basic principles of the UN Charter. Then on 22 September, following the air incursions into Estonia, the Foreign Secretary again underlined to the UN Security Council that Russia's actions are a threat to the values and principles that underpin the UN. We will continue working with our Allies at NATO, as well as through the OSCE and UN, to stress in the clearest terms that Russian recklessness is completely unacceptable, and that NATO is ready and able to defend its territory.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of UN mechanisms for monitoring humanitarian needs in Ukraine; and what steps her Department is taking to help improve those mechanisms.

The UK has committed up to £5.3 billion in non-military support to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, including over £477 million in humanitarian assistance to date. The UK's humanitarian strategy for Ukraine aims to protect vulnerable groups, prioritise those most in need, and mitigate the worst impacts of the conflict on people. On 12 September 2025, during her first visit to Kyiv, the Foreign Secretary announced a £100 million humanitarian support package for the 2025/26 financial year. This funding will help civilians in frontline communities, protect the most vulnerable, and provide emergency assistance to those impacted by Russia's continued attacks.We are delivering our humanitarian aid through all parts of the international humanitarian system, including the UN, Red Cross, and NGOs. We work closely with these partners to ensure that humanitarian needs are accurately assessed and that aid reaches the most vulnerable.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that electricity pricing structures support private sector investment in zero-emission transport infrastructure.

Our announcement on Reformed National Pricing in the summer set out a package of reforms that will deliver a more strategic and coordinated approach to the energy system, provide stronger signals for efficient siting of new assets and improve overall operation efficiency. This will support increased investment by industry in the coming years by encouraging market stability, reducing transitional burdens on industry and transport, and providing certainty for investors.We will continue to work with stakeholders across industry through the development and delivery of these reforms, ensuring that any associated costs with changes to processes are kept to a minimum.

Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of the number of households that will lose the ability to make emergency calls during a power cut following the switch to digital landlines.

The Government is committed to ensuring any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers. No household should be left without means to contact emergency services in the event of a power cut following the PSTN migration.In December 2023 and November 2024, major communication providers signed and agreed the safeguards in the PSTN Charter and Non-Voluntary Migrations Checklist, including providing vulnerable customers with free battery back-up devices for power cuts. Ofcom General Conditions state that these devices should last for a minimum of one hour, but in practice many providers issue units that provide 4-7 hours of battery life.In December 2023, Ofcom launched a public Call for Input on the power back-up at mobile access sites. Ofcom published an update on this work in February 2025, confirming they are completing further analysis to determine the appropriate and proportionate measures that mobile operators should put in place.

How many doctors who completed foundation training (a) successfully secured a specialty training post immediately after completion, (b) remained without a specialty training post one year after completing foundation training and (c) have taken up medical employment abroad in each of the last five years.

Data published by the General Medical Council shows it is becoming more common for doctors to not progress from completion of the second year of the foundation programme directly into specialty training. The following table shows the proportion of foundation year two (F2) doctors who had progressed into speciality training within 12 months of completion of foundation training and the proportion who had not progressed into speciality training within 12 and 24 months of completing F2 for each of the last five years where data is available. Doctors not progressing are not necessarily leaving employment but more likely to enter periods of employment under locally employed doctor contracts or to undertake planned periods working in other settings or countries. Foundation Two YearIn speciality training within a yearNot in speciality training after a yearNot in speciality training after two years201837.5%62.5%33.1%201933.6%66.4%36.5%202030.7%69.3%40.5%202129.6%70.4%43.7%202224.9%75.1%47.7%202322.4%77.6% Source: General Medical Council, Education Data Tool Progression Reportshttps://edt.gmc-uk.org/progression-reports/recruitment-from-f2 The United Kingdom Foundation Programme Office, the body which operates and develops the UK medical foundation training programme has in some years run a Career Destination Survey for those completing F2.In 2024, 13.4% of respondents to the F2 Career Destinations Survey went abroad after completing their foundation programme (into training, service posts, or still seeking a post outside of UK), which is a higher proportion compared to 2019 (9.3%).It is important to note though when comparing these results that the F2 Career Destinations Survey was mandatory to the completion of the foundation year programme in the year 2019 leading a response-rate of 93.1%. In 2024, the F2 Career Destinations survey was not mandatory leading to a response rate of 18%.The Department is unable to provide information on the number of doctors who completed their training taking up medical employment abroad in the years 2020-2023 as the UK Foundation Programme’s F2 Career Destinations Survey was not run during this period.The 2024 F2 Career Destinations Survey report is available at the following link:https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/UKFP-2024-F2-Career-Destination-Survey-Report.pdfThe 2019 F2 Career Destinations Survey report is available at the following link:https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/F2%20CDS_2019.pdfAs set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will work across Government to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out further details in due course.

What discussions her Department has had with (a) bus operators and (b) electricity providers on the potential impact of electricity standing charges on the operating costs of zero-emission bus fleets.

We are committed to expanding the electricity network to support the electrification of transport and are working closely with bus operators and DESNZ about electricity provision for depots. Due to lower operating costs of battery electric buses compared to diesel buses, this makes them an attractive option for bus operators.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of electricity network charging costs on the (a) financial viability of electric bus operations and (b) transition away from diesel vehicles.

We are committed to expanding the electricity network to support the electrification of transport and are working closely with bus operators and DESNZ about electricity provision for depots. Due to lower operating costs of battery electric buses compared to diesel buses, this makes them an attractive option for bus operators.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) military and (b) other defence cooperation with Malta.

The UK enjoys a strong and historic defence relationship with Malta. In March 2025, representatives from the UK MOD and Armed Forces of Malta signed the UK-Malta Bilateral Cooperation Plan for Defence. Under this Framework, both nations intend to continue to develop effective working relationships, utilise planned ship visits to share expertise and establish contacts, and facilitate opportunities for training courses in the UK.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on the resilience of mobile masts serving rural communities to prolonged power outages.

Whilst telecommunications services are generally resilient, they can be disrupted, and we recognise the impact that prolonged power cuts can have, especially on rural communities. In December 2023, Ofcom launched a public Call for Input on the power back-up at mobile access sites across the UK. They published an update on their work in February this year, confirming they are completing further analysis to determine the appropriate and proportionate measures that mobile operators should put in place. The Department has supported this work and looks forward to its conclusions.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure that the vulnerability registers maintained by energy providers are shared with telecommunications providers to prioritise additional support for vulnerable customers during the Public Switched Telephone Network migration.

The Government is committed to ensuring that vulnerable people are identified and appropriately supported during the Public Switched Telephone Network migration. For legal and data protection reasons, data on vulnerable people from energy providers cannot be shared with communication providers. Instead, communication providers committed in the Non-Voluntary Migrations Checklist to sign data sharing agreements with local authorities to identify vulnerable people.In addition, BT and Virgin Media funded, with government support, a national communications campaign to encourage vulnerable people to self-identify. Communication providers have also used data from alarm receiving centres, alongside their individual/standard approaches to identifying vulnerable customers via outreach.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure that rural households are offered appropriate mitigation measures before being switched from analogue to digital telephone services.

The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers across the UK.The Government has published guidance for communication providers on providing vulnerable customers with supported journeys where necessary. This includes customers who are landline dependent, perhaps due to living in rural locations with less mobile connectivity. Communication providers have committed in the Non-Voluntary Migrations Checklist that these customers will be provided with a battery back-up unit for use in case of a power cut.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2025 to Question 76223 on Project Gigabit: Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the number of premises without access to gigabit-capable broadband in (a) Inverness, Skye, and West Ross-shire constituency with (b) the national average.

According to the independent website ThinkBroadband.com, 68% of premises in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and 89% of UK premises can access gigabit-capable broadband.As per the answer to question 76223, the Open Market Review process in Scotland is carried out by the Scottish Government. It will have the most up to date information on the hon. Member’s constituency.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the affordability of visa application and renewal fees under the family route.

Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review; however, the Home Office provides for exceptions to the need to pay application fees in a number of specific circumstances. These include affordability-based waivers for entry clearance and leave to remain on family and human rights grounds.Considerations regarding fees charged on the family route have also been addressed in published Equalities Impact Assessment, which can be found at the following link: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/363/pdfs/uksiod_20250363_en_001.pdf.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to support UN investigations into reports of (a) forced re-education, (b) ideological indoctrination and (c) other violations of children’s rights in territories of Ukraine under Russian occupation.

We consistently raise awareness of child deportations in our communications and across multilateral fora and have raised this issue at the UN Security Council, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the UN Human Rights Council. Most recently, we raised the issue at the UN General Assembly, as well as in UN Security Council meetings on missing persons in armed conflict on 15 May, and on the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine on 8 April, and we also raised it at the annual open debate on children and armed conflict on 26 June 2024. In April, the UK supported the renewal of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine at the Human Rights Council.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking with telecommunications providers to ensure that battery back-up solutions provided to households during the Public Switched Telephone Network migration are sufficient to cover the average duration of power cuts in rural areas.

The Government is committed to ensuring any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers. No household should be left without means to contact emergency services in the event of a power cut following the PSTN migration.In December 2023 and November 2024, major communication providers signed and agreed the safeguards in the PSTN Charter and Non-Voluntary Migrations Checklist, including providing vulnerable customers with free battery back-up devices for power cuts. Ofcom General Conditions state that these devices should last for a minimum of one hour, but in practice many providers issue units that provide 4-7 hours of battery life.In December 2023, Ofcom launched a public Call for Input on the power back-up at mobile access sites. Ofcom published an update on this work in February 2025, confirming they are completing further analysis to determine the appropriate and proportionate measures that mobile operators should put in place.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the provision of humanitarian (a) aid and (b) other assistance to civilians affected by the conflict in Ukraine.

The UK has committed up to £5.3 billion in non-military support to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, including over £477 million in humanitarian assistance to date. The UK's humanitarian strategy for Ukraine aims to protect vulnerable groups, prioritise those most in need, and mitigate the worst impacts of the conflict on people. On 12 September 2025, during her first visit to Kyiv, the Foreign Secretary announced a £100 million humanitarian support package for the 2025/26 financial year. This funding will help civilians in frontline communities, protect the most vulnerable, and provide emergency assistance to those impacted by Russia's continued attacks.We are delivering our humanitarian aid through all parts of the international humanitarian system, including the UN, Red Cross, and NGOs. We work closely with these partners to ensure that humanitarian needs are accurately assessed and that aid reaches the most vulnerable.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of existing contingency arrangements to ensure access to emergency services during prolonged power outages in areas affected by the Public Switched Telephone Network migration.

The Government is committed to ensuring any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers. No household should be left without means to contact emergency services in the event of a power cut following the PSTN migration.In December 2023 and November 2024, major communication providers signed and agreed the safeguards in the PSTN Charter and Non-Voluntary Migrations Checklist, including providing vulnerable customers with free battery back-up devices for power cuts. Ofcom General Conditions state that these devices should last for a minimum of one hour, but in practice many providers issue units that provide 4-7 hours of battery life.In December 2023, Ofcom launched a public Call for Input on the power back-up at mobile access sites. Ofcom published an update on this work in February 2025, confirming they are completing further analysis to determine the appropriate and proportionate measures that mobile operators should put in place.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2025 to Question 76224 on Broadband: Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the number of households with copper-based broadband connections in (a) Inverness, Skye, and West Ross-shire constituency with (b) the national average.

As stated in answer to question 76224, we estimate 18,540 households (35%) in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency are reliant on copper-based broadband. Using data from the same source (Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2025 Spring Update), we estimate 33% of residential properties in Scotland and 26% of residential properties in the UK are reliant on copper-based broadband connections. Most of these premises may also have recourse to connectivity through fixed wireless access.These figures are accurate as of January 2025.Figures for copper-based connections include broadband delivered by mixed technologies such as gigabit capable coaxial cable, fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), as well as solely copper-based technologies such as ADSL.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2025 to Question 76225 on Mobile Phones: Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the number of not-spot areas in (a) Inverness, Skye, and West Ross-shire constituency with (b) the rest of the UK.

The regulator, Ofcom, publishes data that allows for this comparison to be drawn. In Ofcom’s Connected Nations Spring Update, published on 8 May 2025, it is reported that approximately 24% of the constituency of Inverness, Skye and West Ross-Shire has no 4G geographic coverage from any mobile network operator (MNO). This compares to approximately 4% of the UK landmass not having any 4G geographic coverage from any MNO. Similarly, while around 20% of premises in the constituency lack 5G coverage outside from any MNO, approximately 4% of UK premises lack 5G coverage outside from any MNO.A further update to this data is expected to be published later this year, providing the latest mobile network coverage data, including at a national and Westminster Constituency level.