Written questions by Ribeiro-Addy.

What information his Department holds on the most common reasons for cancelled NHS blood donation appointments in the last 12 months.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England.NHSBT does not collect the reasons for short notice, within two days of the appointment, or advanced, further ahead, cancellations either by the donor or by NHSBT. Cancellations can, for example, be due to issues with community venues or due to NHSBT needing to urgently prioritise appointments for donors from those blood groups needed most to meet hospital demand, therefore postponing donors from other blood groups.In the last 12 months, 109,808 appointments were cancelled at short notice, which is 5.2% of all appointments. 80,264 appointments were cancelled more than two days in advance, which is 3.8% of booked appointments.Donors may also be deferred during a donation session if they do not meet the eligibility criteria, in place to protect either the donor or recipient’s health. The most common reason for donor deferral is haemoglobin levels.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the blood donation eligibility requirements for recent travel.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England, and blood donor selection guidelines are prepared by the Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee (JPAC).The JPAC has a comprehensive process to review and assess reports of disease outbreaks from across the world. Assessment of a donor's travel history is an important means of reducing the risk of transfusion transmitted infections.For some infections, such as West Nile virus or malaria, it is possible to test the donation rather than defer the donors. But for other infections, NHSBT defers donors until they are past the incubation period. Currently, there are no further suitable validated tests that could be used for donation testing, although work is ongoing to evaluate potential new tests which may result in fewer deferrals.

What information his Department holds on the number of NHS blood donation appointments cancelled due to (a) low iron levels, (b) low haemoglobin and (c) travel to and from other countries.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England. NHSBT tests for haemoglobin levels rather than iron levels ahead of blood donation.Data for deferrals is currently held for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. In this period, 169,419 donations were deferred due to low haemoglobin levels, and 6,165 donations were deferred due to the donor’s recent travel to other countries where there is a risk of transmitting specific diseases to recipients via the blood donated.Information for donors on eligibility to donate, including on haemoglobin levels and donation after travel, is available at the following link:www.blood.co.uk

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to extradite British citizens potentially involved in the commission of war crimes in Gaza.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not hold specific information on British Nationals who have served with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The UK recognises the right of British dual nationals to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of the country of their other nationality. The FCDO advises against all travel to Gaza. Israel travel advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Allegations of war crimes should be submitted to the Met Police for investigation.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2024 to Question 13184 on Homicide: Aiding and Abetting, whether the Crown Prosecution Service has commenced the full national monitoring scheme.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to UINs 44005-44007 tabled on Friday 11 April 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that British citizens potentially involved in the commission of war crimes in Gaza are prosecuted in the UK.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not hold specific information on British Nationals who have served with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The UK recognises the right of British dual nationals to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of the country of their other nationality. The FCDO advises against all travel to Gaza. Israel travel advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Allegations of war crimes should be submitted to the Met Police for investigation.

If she will hold discussions with British Airways on the frequency of flights between the UK and Ghana.

DfT officials hold regular discussions with airlines, airports and international partners, including Ghana, to facilitate global connectivity. Routes operated, the frequency and management of those routes, are commercial decisions made freely by airlines as an independent business. As these are commercial decisions, the DfT has not had any discussions with British Airways on the frequency of its UK-Ghana route. The recently updated UK- Ghana Air Services Agreement allows for additional direct flights to operate between the UK and Ghana to be operated by an interested and designated UK or Ghanaian airline.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of British citizens participating alongside the Israel Defense Forces during Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not hold specific information on British Nationals who have served with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The UK recognises the right of British dual nationals to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of the country of their other nationality. The FCDO advises against all travel to Gaza. Israel travel advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Allegations of war crimes should be submitted to the Met Police for investigation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he made of the potential impact of the reduction in Official Development Assistance funding on programmes in Ghana in the 2025-26 financial year.

The UK remains committed to a modern development partnership with Ghana. Our development partnership has seen success in supporting the Government of Ghana to deliver smart reforms in good governance, revenue, economic transformation, forestry protection and improving public services. The impact on specific programmes is being worked through following the decision to reduce UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5 per cent of GNI to 0.3 per cent in 2027. Whilst reducing ODA will inevitably have an impact, the UK will continue to play a globally significant role in development, and work with Ghana to support growth and poverty reduction.

Whether she plans to introduce statutory requirements for financial institutions to (a) notify people when a Cifas fraud marker is placed against them and (b) ensure access to an independent appeals process.

The Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance Scheme (CIFAS) is the UK’s fraud prevention service. Services like CIFAS play a crucial role in safeguarding against financial fraud, supporting the Government’s broader efforts to protect individuals and businesses from these crimes. When a financial institution suspects fraudulent activity, they can register a "marker" against a customer's credit report on the National Fraud Database, which is managed by CIFAS. As stated on their website, the markers themselves are not created by CIFAS, but rather by the financial institutions who suspect fraud. CIFAS only provides the infrastructure for these markers to be registered and accessed by other members. We do not have plans to introduce statutory requirements for financial firms to notify people when a CIFAS marker has been assigned. If an individual believes that a CIFAS marker has been incorrectly assigned, they should first raise it with the organisation that recorded it to the CIFAS database for them to review. If they do not remove the marker then the individual can go directly to CIFAS. The individual can also apply to have a further review conducted by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The Treasury has not assessed the potential merits of bringing CIFAS under the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the effectiveness of the (a) regulatory oversight and (b) accountability of Cifas.

The Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance Scheme (CIFAS) is the UK’s fraud prevention service. Services like CIFAS play a crucial role in safeguarding against financial fraud, supporting the Government’s broader efforts to protect individuals and businesses from these crimes. When a financial institution suspects fraudulent activity, they can register a "marker" against a customer's credit report on the National Fraud Database, which is managed by CIFAS. As stated on their website, the markers themselves are not created by CIFAS, but rather by the financial institutions who suspect fraud. CIFAS only provides the infrastructure for these markers to be registered and accessed by other members. We do not have plans to introduce statutory requirements for financial firms to notify people when a CIFAS marker has been assigned. If an individual believes that a CIFAS marker has been incorrectly assigned, they should first raise it with the organisation that recorded it to the CIFAS database for them to review. If they do not remove the marker then the individual can go directly to CIFAS. The individual can also apply to have a further review conducted by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The Treasury has not assessed the potential merits of bringing CIFAS under the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority.

What estimate she has made of the number of individuals who are wrongly flagged by CIFAS each year; and what steps she has taken to prevent such errors.

Services like CIFAS (Credit Information Fraud Avoidance Service) play a crucial role in safeguarding against financial fraud, supporting the government’s broader efforts to protect individuals and businesses from these crimes.CIFAS is a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates fraud prevention by providing a platform for financial institutions to share information about potential fraud risks. When a financial institution suspects fraudulent activity, they can register a "marker" against a customer's credit report on the National Fraud Database, which is managed by CIFAS. As stated on their website, the markers themselves are not created by CIFAS, but rather by the financial institutions who suspect fraud. CIFAS only provides the infrastructure for these markers to be registered and accessed by other members.Individuals affected by CIFAS markers have the right to challenge and seek removal of incorrect or unjustified markers. Individuals can do that by submitting a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) to obtain details of the marker and can then contact the organisation that applied the marker to request evidence and removal if necessary. If the organisation denies the request, CIFAS provides an independent review within 14 days, with further options available through the Financial Ombudsman service.The Home Office has not assessed the number of individuals incorrectly flagged by CIFAS as it does not hold this information.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing Cifas under the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority.

The Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance Scheme (CIFAS) is the UK’s fraud prevention service. Services like CIFAS play a crucial role in safeguarding against financial fraud, supporting the Government’s broader efforts to protect individuals and businesses from these crimes. When a financial institution suspects fraudulent activity, they can register a "marker" against a customer's credit report on the National Fraud Database, which is managed by CIFAS. As stated on their website, the markers themselves are not created by CIFAS, but rather by the financial institutions who suspect fraud. CIFAS only provides the infrastructure for these markers to be registered and accessed by other members. We do not have plans to introduce statutory requirements for financial firms to notify people when a CIFAS marker has been assigned. If an individual believes that a CIFAS marker has been incorrectly assigned, they should first raise it with the organisation that recorded it to the CIFAS database for them to review. If they do not remove the marker then the individual can go directly to CIFAS. The individual can also apply to have a further review conducted by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The Treasury has not assessed the potential merits of bringing CIFAS under the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of incorrectly applied CIFAS fraud markers on (a) small business owners and (b) sole traders.

Services like CIFAS (Credit Information Fraud Avoidance Service) play a crucial role in safeguarding against financial fraud, supporting the government’s broader efforts to protect individuals and businesses from these crimes.CIFAS is a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates fraud prevention by providing a platform for financial institutions to share information about potential fraud risks. When a financial institution suspects fraudulent activity, they can register a "marker" against a customer's credit report on the National Fraud Database, which is managed by CIFAS. As stated on their website, the markers themselves are not created by CIFAS, but rather by the financial institutions who suspect fraud. CIFAS only provides the infrastructure for these markers to be registered and accessed by other members.Individuals affected by CIFAS markers have the right to challenge and seek removal of incorrect or unjustified markers. Individuals can do that by submitting a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) to obtain details of the marker and can then contact the organisation that applied the marker to request evidence and removal if necessary. If the organisation denies the request, CIFAS provides an independent review within 14 days, with further options available through the Financial Ombudsman service.The Home Office has not assessed the number of individuals incorrectly flagged by CIFAS as it does not hold this information.

With reference to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023, whether the CPS has updated its case management system to flag joint enterprise cases for detailed manual assessment.

In early 2024, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) updated its case management system to enable a new national ‘flag’ to be applied to prosecutions for homicide and attempted homicide brought on a joint enterprise basis. Each prosecution also now receives an enhanced level of supervision from a case management panel, chaired by a senior legal manager.The CPS will publish a report on the monitoring data collected during the 2024/25 financial year in the summer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding the UK has provided to support social programmes benefiting cocoa farming communities in Ghana in the last five years.

The UK has supported a number of global programmes relevant to the cocoa sector in Ghana, most notably 'Partnerships for Forests' (£120 million for 2015-24 across six countries including Ghana) and the 'Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) Programme' (£141.5 million since 2019, of which £17 million was allocated to Ghana). In addition, a bilateral 'Ghana Agricultural Transformation Programme' (£900,000 over four years) also included investments supporting cocoa companies to trial schemes to improve cocoa farmers' livelihoods.

What legal advice she has sought on the UK's military assistance to the US in Yemen.

The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by the Law Officers, or requested of the Law Officers, and the Convention applies to your question.The Law Officers’ Convention can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to promote educational exchanges between the UK and Ghana.

Over the last 40 years, the Government's Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarship programmes have funded Masters-level education for almost 2,500 Ghanaian nationals at UK universities. This support allows talented and motivated Ghanaians to gain knowledge and skills in areas such as education, health and STEM subjects. The British High Commission in Accra hosts an annual Young Leaders Summit on International Youth Day to highlight the UK's role in promoting educational exchanges in Ghana, to support the development of young leaders. The UK-Ghana Science Technology and Innovation strategy also recognises and celebrates dozens of university-to-university partnerships operating across the two countries.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what initiatives his Department is supporting to strengthen cultural ties between the UK and Ghana.

The British High Commission in Accra hosts regular networking events with the Ghana diaspora to share information and build connections to promote culture, trade and investment. This includes our annual Diaspora New Year networking event hosted by the High Commissioner which gathers up to 1,000 influential people from the UK/Ghana diaspora. Through collaboration with the British Council, the UK supports emerging creative talent through the Creative Economy Programme and sponsors projects across theatre, dance, visual arts and design.

With reference to the Crown Prosecution Service Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023, whether the CPS convened a scrutiny panel in January 2024 as planned that focused on joint enterprise cases where evidence of gang association was a feature.

As Minister Sackman has set out in other substantive answers on the the matter of joint enterprise, we are aware of concerns about the impact of joint enterprise doctrine on defendants and their families. That is why more broadly the Government continues to keep the law in this area under review.With regard to the role of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), following publication of the Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023, the CPS held two national scrutiny panels on joint enterprise, with input from external stakeholders with relevant expertise and experience, to review the findings of the pilot and scrutinise joint enterprise casework. This review included a national scrutiny panel held on 1 February 2024 which focussed on joint enterprise cases where evidence of gang association was a feature.The pilot found ethnic disparities in the caseload, but it was not possible to draw strong conclusions from the analysis due to the relatively small sample size (190 cases involving 680 defendants).The CPS updated its case management system to commence a full national monitoring scheme in 2024. This monitors all homicide and attempted homicide prosecutions brought on a joint enterprise basis and will report annually. The CPS will publish a report on the monitoring data collected during the 2024/25 financial year in the summer.Self-identified defendant ethnicity data from the police or other investigative authorities, subject to varying levels of error and omission at local levels, is uploaded to the CPS’ case management system. This can record the ethnicity category “W3 Gypsy and Irish Traveller” in accordance with criminal justice system data standards.