Written questions by Blackman.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Indian counterpart on (a) the alleged demolishing of properties belonging to the Hindu Nallur Mutt in Chikkamagaluru and (b) the protection of freedom of religion or belief in India.

The UK Government condemns any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. Concerns about the rights and opportunities of some religious minorities and communities in India are widely reported, and our High Commission in New Delhi and network of Deputy High Commissions across India track these issues closely.Dialogue concerning freedom of religion or belief is an important aspect of the UK-India relationship, and where we have specific concerns, we raise them directly with Indian authorities. Our network in India also meets regularly with religious representatives from different faith communities.

If he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to reduce imports of software and hardware for key industries from countries that may pose a risk to national security.

Our import controls and sanctions regimes play an important role in supporting the UK's foreign policy and national security objectives including by restricting the import of controlled goods from any source country and specified goods from those countries subject to UK sanctions.The Government does not speculate on future import controls or sanctions as to do so could reduce their impact. We continue to monitor the effectiveness of our import controls and the sanctions regime.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart in relation to reports that Hindu students in Karachi have faced disciplinary action and legal proceedings for celebrating Holi.

Promoting freedom of religion or belief is a key part of the UK's diplomatic engagement overseas. I underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024 and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November 2024. The British High Commission regularly raises the rights of religious minorities, including Hindus, at the highest levels. However, we are not prepared to discuss the detail of individual cases where to do so could endanger individuals and their families. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people, including those of religious minorities, in accordance with international standards.

With reference to the report by the University of Bath entitled New report reveals potential $28 million tax discrepancy involving British American Tobacco in Kenya, published on 12 February 2025, if the Serious Fraud Office will reopen the investigation into British American Tobacco.

Following a three-year investigation, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) determined in January 2021 that this case did not meet the evidential test as defined in the Code for Crown Prosecutors and it was closed.As is long-standing practice, the SFO can neither confirm nor deny if it is considering reopening the investigation into British American Tobacco Plc.

Whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of recent trends in the level of tobacco bundle purchases on the taxes received via the minimum excise duty on cigarettes.

The Chancellor has not held any discussions with cabinet colleagues on this topic. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the tobacco duty system under review during its Budget process.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle tobacco bundle packs; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of prohibiting the promotion of these bundles.

The Department has not made an assessment on the potential merits of prohibiting the sale of bundles, consisting of hand rolling tobacco, cigarette papers, and filters, being sold together at a discount.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill gives my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care powers to regulate the features of all tobacco products, including their size and shape, as well as the number of individual products contained in an individual packet. The bill also widens this power to cover tobacco related devices, herbal smoking products, and cigarette papers. The bill gives my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care the power to make, via regulations, prohibitions, requirements, and limitations on the supply of these products. This power would cover bundles of products that are sold in a package together.Tobacco taxation is a matter for HM Treasury. As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, duty rates on all tobacco products were increased, in line with the tobacco duty escalator, by 2% above Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation. The duty rate on hand-rolling tobacco was increased by a further 10% to 12% above RPI inflation, to reduce the gap with duty on cigarettes. These changes came into effect on 30 October 2024. High and increasing rates of tobacco duty are proven to incentivise those who currently smoke either to quit or to smoke less, and support public finances.

With reference to the National Prostate Cancer Audit's report entitled NPCA State of the Nation Report 2024, published in January 2025, if he will take steps to tackle inequalities in accessing NICE-recommended treatments following advanced prostate cancer diagnosis for (a) black men and (b) men from areas of socio-economic deprivation.

Making improvements across different cancer types, including prostate cancer, is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the National Health Service’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer earlier, we have invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms. This research will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis by targeting black men in trial recruitment, ensuring that one in ten participants are black men.We have also asked the National Screening Committee to review the evidence for prostate cancer screening, including for high-risk groups like black men.As part of our wider strategy on early diagnosis, we are directly targeting our activity at areas we know will make a difference. This includes awareness raising campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms and encourage people to get checked.The NHS England Cancer Programme also commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients, including those with prostate cancer.Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve access to treatments and outcomes for all tumour types, including prostate cancer. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be. We will provide updates on this in due course.We need to tackle the inequalities that people from different groups face, which will be part of the National Cancer Plan as we look at addressing all barriers to providing cancer care across prevention, diagnosis, screening and treatment.

What steps he is taking to help tackle health inequalities in prostate cancer.

Making improvements across different cancer types, including prostate cancer, is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the National Health Service’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer earlier, we have invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms. This research will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis by targeting black men in trial recruitment, ensuring that one in ten participants are black men.We have also asked the National Screening Committee to review the evidence for prostate cancer screening, including for high-risk groups like black men.As part of our wider strategy on early diagnosis, we are directly targeting our activity at areas we know will make a difference. This includes awareness raising campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms and encourage people to get checked.The NHS England Cancer Programme also commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients, including those with prostate cancer.Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve access to treatments and outcomes for all tumour types, including prostate cancer. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be. We will provide updates on this in due course.We need to tackle the inequalities that people from different groups face, which will be part of the National Cancer Plan as we look at addressing all barriers to providing cancer care across prevention, diagnosis, screening and treatment.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made representations to the government of Pakistan on the case of Akash Karamat.

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the use of blasphemy laws to undermine human rights in Pakistan. During my visit to Pakistan in November, I raised the issue of blasphemy-related violence with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. The misuse of blasphemy laws to target religious minorities is particularly troubling. The UK Government regularly raises this issue at the highest levels - pressing for due process to prevent wrongful convictions and ensure fair trials for those accused. We are not prepared to discuss the detail of individual cases where to do so could put individuals and their families' lives at risk.

With reference to the press article entitled Mind the gap: supporting prison leavers with mental illness from the University of Manchester, published on 27 March 2024, what steps he is taking to ensure that prison leavers with severe mental health issues receive the necessary support with (a) housing, (b) access to services, and (c) community reintegration.

The National Health Service’s RECONNECT care after custody service supports prison leavers with an identified health need, including severe mental illness, to transition to community-based services, and starts working with them before they leave prison. NHS England is piloting Enhanced RECONNECT in four areas to support people leaving prison who are identified as being of high risk of harm to the public and who have complex health needs to access appropriate community services. NHS England is also piloting new models of care in the community for those with severe mental illness in six neighbourhood areas from this spring. These will provide people and their families with 24/7 support if they are in crisis without needing to book an appointment, as well as provide housing or employment advice to support them to stay well.

What funding his Department is providing to support the implementation of ongoing and holistic post-release support for prison leavers with severe mental health issues.

The NHS RECONNECT service supports people leaving prison with identified health needs to make the transition to community-based services, including mental health services, which are funded by local health and care systems.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of (a) abduction, forced conversion, and marriage of minor Hindu girls and (b) systemic discrimination against Hindu minorities in Pakistan.

The UK is committed to tackling the forced marriage and conversion of women and girls in Pakistan, including Hindu women and girls. I raised this issue with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister in November, and the British High Commission continues to advocate for new laws to end child and forced marriage and forced conversion. Through supporting policy reform and community empowerment, UK programming is also helping to tackle the discrimination faced by marginalised communities. The Aawaz II programme convenes influential community and faith leaders and minority representatives, including from Hindu communities, to change social behaviours and promote interfaith harmony, and works directly with communities to raise awareness of the harms of early and forced marriages.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of alleged reports of violence against (a) religious minorities and (b) Christian communities in the Dhamirahat region of Bangladesh.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Following the student-led protests in July and August 2024, we have been closely monitoring the situation for minorities, including Hindus and Christians in Bangladesh. In November 2024, I visited Bangladesh and discussed the importance of the protection of religious minorities with Chief Adviser Yunus. We are providing up to £27 million under the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme for protecting civic and political space, fostering collaboration, reducing corruption, and mitigating tensions that lead to violence. We will continue to engage with the Interim Government of Bangladesh on the importance of FoRB.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Bangladeshi counterpart on (a) violence and (b) persecution against religious minorities since August 2024.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Following the student-led protests in July and August 2024, we have been closely monitoring the situation for minorities, including Hindus and Christians in Bangladesh. In November 2024, I visited Bangladesh and discussed the importance of the protection of religious minorities with Chief Adviser Yunus. We are providing up to £27 million under the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme for protecting civic and political space, fostering collaboration, reducing corruption, and mitigating tensions that lead to violence. We will continue to engage with the Interim Government of Bangladesh on the importance of FoRB.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent reports of the persecution of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). We monitor human rights and FoRB closely in Bangladesh. We raise this issue with the Bangladeshi authorities. Our Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme promotes: the protection of civic and political space; collaboration; efforts to reduce corruption; and efforts to mitigate tensions that lead to violence. We are providing up to £27 million under this programme.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent (a) meetings and (b) other discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart on the (a) arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and (b) potential implications of that arrest for the rights of minority communities in that country.

The UK is committed to promoting and protecting human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). We monitor human rights in Bangladesh closely, including following student-led protests in Bangladesh. I understand the concerns about the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das. In November, during my visit to Bangladesh, I discussed the importance of protecting religious minorities, including the Hindu community, with Chief Adviser Yunus. I underlined the UK government's commitment to religious freedom in Bangladesh. We will continue to engage with the Interim Government of Bangladesh on the importance of FoRB.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of (a) historical reports and (b) recent reports of increased violence and persecution against Indian Hindus in Bangladesh.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Following the student-led protests in July and August, we have been closely monitoring the situation for minorities in Bangladesh. In November, I visited Bangladesh and discussed the importance of the protection of religious minorities, including the Hindu community, with Chief Adviser Yunus. We are providing up to £27 million under the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme for protecting civic and political space, fostering collaboration, reducing corruption, and mitigating tensions that lead to violence. We will continue to engage with the Interim Government of Bangladesh on the importance of FoRB.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he plans to take to help support the semiconductor industry.

This Government is committed to building on the UK’s world-class strengths in the semiconductor sector to accelerate growth and unlock real-world benefits for citizens.Last month, we announced new support for semiconductor scale-ups to advance high-potential innovations. We are backing UK semiconductor firms producing vital technology to scale up and drive economic growth.We will also collaborate with the international community, including the EU and the G7, to ensure the UK remains a key global player.