Written questions by Thomas.

What assessment she has made of the compatibility of the US National Security Strategy with the UK's Strategic Defence Review.

It is for the US to answer questions about the specifics of their own National Security Strategy. The UK shares the US’s objectives of bringing the war in Ukraine to an end, strengthening Euro-Atlantic security, burden sharing through NATO and increased defence spending, which are all set out in our Strategic Defence Review. The Defence Secretary discussed this when he met with US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, in December. Our commitment to NATO and to European security is ironclad.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of isolating the cost of electricity from natural gas.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24th October to my hon Friend the Member for Slough (TanmanJeet Singh Dhesi) to question UIN [14374].

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she had with her French counterpart on nuclear support to NATO.

The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to her French counterpart, including on matters relating to NATO defence. The NATO Strategic Concept states that the independent strategic nuclear forces of the United Kingdom and France have a deterrent role of their own and contribute significantly to the overall security of the Alliance. The UK and French separate centres of decision-making contribute to deterrence by complicating the calculations of potential adversaries.

What assessment he has made of the viability of the purchase of F-35As as an expansion of the UK nuclear deterrent in the context of the US National Security Strategy.

The United Kingdom is purchasing at least 12 F-35A aircraft. The aircraft will allow the UK to participate in NATO's Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA) nuclear mission. The nuclear weapons allocated to the NATO DCA nuclear mission are United States (US) nuclear weapons and the US retains control and custody over them. NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept states that the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance, particularly those of the US, are the supreme guarantee of the security of the Alliance. The Government has no plans to expand the UK nuclear deterrent beyond our existing submarine-based system but continues to keep its nuclear posture under constant review in light of the international security environment and the actions of potential adversaries.

What recent steps she has taken to seize frozen Russian assets and use them to resource Ukraine.

The Government remains determined to ensure Russia is held accountable for the damage it has caused, and continues to cause, in Ukraine. We will continue work and coordinate with G7 and EU partners to ensure that Ukraine gets the funding it needs, ensuring any options developed by the Government are in line with international law. We continue to pledge that Russia's sovereign assets will remain immobilised until they cease the war and pay compensation to Ukraine.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of community energy networking.

The Government is ambitious about the role of local and community energy in delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. We will publish our Local Power Plan soon which will set out how we will work with communities to deliver significant growth in community energy. Ministers and officials in the department, have visited community energy projects and attended events held by community energy affiliated organisations throughout this year, such as Community Energy England's Annual conference on 1st July 2025. In March 2025, the department also hosted the DESNZ ‘Community Energy Day’, bringing together over 100 representatives from community energy groups and around 40 civil servants from across Government departments. The event provided a platform to showcase innovative projects, foster collaboration, and was widely regarded as a highly successful and energising day, with both ministerial and official attendance. We also fund the Net Zero Hubs. The Net Zero Hubs also organise events, conferences and webinars across England to increase collaboration between local authorities and community groups, showcase funding opportunities, and increase the pipeline of community energy projects, like Northumberland Community Energy’s planned further rollout of rooftop solar panels.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps she has taken to help return Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 October 2025 in response to Question 80930, and I would add that - on 3 December - the UK co-sponsored a UN General Assembly resolution for the 'Return of Ukrainian Children'.I also refer the Hon Member to the answers provided by the Foreign Secretary during departmental questions on 2 December.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of funding British content creators through the taxation of online platforms.

We support domestic film and TV production through the tax system and through funding. The Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) provides companies with a generous tax credit worth 34 per cent of their UK production costs on a film or high-end TV programme, or 39 per cent of their production costs on an animation or children’s TV programme. As of 1 April 2025, films with a UK lead writer or director and budgets of under £23.5 million are able to claim an enhanced 53 per cent rate of AVEC on up to £15m of core expenditure. This applies to expenditure incurred from 1 April 2024. This will support the next generation of independent films and help develop a pipeline of UK film talent. Film and TV are priority sub-sectors for our Industrial Strategy, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have committed to a new £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years to develop independent UK screen content, support inward investment, and showcase the best of UK and international film. This includes a scaled-up £18 million per year UK Global Screen Fund (2026–2029) to develop international business capabilities, enable co-productions and distribute independent UK screen content. The Government wants to ensure that there is a balanced film and TV sector and welcomes international investment, including from subscription video-on-demand platforms. We therefore have no plans to introduce additional taxes or levies on these services. However, DCMS will continue to engage with major streaming services, with the independent production sector and with public service broadcasters on how best to ensure mutually beneficial conditions for all parties.

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to develop a UK major events strategy.

The UK is a world-class host for major events, and the government is investing in a decade-long pipeline to drive economic growth and community impact.Support for sporting events is already established through the Gold Framework. Additionally, DCMS will launch a new Visitor Economy Growth Strategy next year to strengthen the business events industry and enhance the UK's global competitiveness.The Department welcomes the CMS Select Committee Inquiry into major events and continues to engage with industry to address challenges and identify further opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the availability of low-quality, online children’s content on levels of SEND diagnosis.

Research from the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education demonstrates that rates of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) identification are increasing internationally, and England is one of the countries with a relatively higher percentage change of pupils identified with SEND. The research is available here: https://www.european-agency.org/activities/data/cross-country-reports My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced on 4 December the launch of an independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism so children, young people and adults can receive the right support The SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years makes it clear that meeting the needs of a child with special educational needs does not require a diagnostic label or test. Instead, we expect teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support children’s educational content creators on online platforms.

The Government is committed to supporting high-quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content, and the considerable benefits it brings. The popularity of online services, including video-sharing platforms, means there is now more choice than ever for young audiences. The Government is engaging with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high-quality content. We want to ensure children’s programming is easily accessible, and continues to inform, educate, and entertain young people into the future.

What steps is she taking to ensure that the National Curriculum includes immersive experiences.

The government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, published on 5 November, sets out our plans for a refreshed curriculum to ensure that all pupils develop the knowledge and skills that we know are essential for life, work and innovation. Schools are trusted to use their judgement to choose high quality resources and deliver their lessons in ways that work best for their pupils.

Pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 93580 on Eating Disorders: Mental Health Services, which external stakeholders his Department is engaging with in the development of the modern service framework for mental health.

The Government plans to publish the modern service framework for severe mental illness in the latter half of 2026.Engagement on the modern service framework will involve a wide range of stakeholders, such as people with lived experience, clinicians, allied professionals, social workers, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, commissioners, and National Health Service Leaders. We have recruited a third Co-Chair for the Modern Service Framework, Jo Lomani, who is a national mental health co-production lead and expert by lived and living experience, to support the implementation of our lived-experience involvement and co-production strategy. This aims to ensure that people who use mental health services stay at the centre of everything we do.

Pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 93580 on Eating Disorders: Mental Health Services, when the Government expects to publish the modern service framework for mental health.

The Government plans to publish the modern service framework for severe mental illness in the latter half of 2026.Engagement on the modern service framework will involve a wide range of stakeholders, such as people with lived experience, clinicians, allied professionals, social workers, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, commissioners, and National Health Service Leaders. We have recruited a third Co-Chair for the Modern Service Framework, Jo Lomani, who is a national mental health co-production lead and expert by lived and living experience, to support the implementation of our lived-experience involvement and co-production strategy. This aims to ensure that people who use mental health services stay at the centre of everything we do.

What assessment has her Department made of the potential merits of incorporating history-based video games to enhance learning.

Schools are trusted to use their judgement to choose high quality resources and deliver their lessons in ways that work best for their pupils. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review has recommended that the department works with experts to assess the validity of digital practice in subjects, and we will consider inclusion of relevant digital content in the national curriculum based on this process.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that online platforms offer children diversity of content.

The Government is committed to supporting high-quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content, and the considerable benefits it brings. The popularity of online services, including video-sharing platforms, means there is now more choice than ever for young audiences. The Government is engaging with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high-quality content. We want to ensure children’s programming is easily accessible, and continues to inform, educate, and entertain young people into the future.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to Independent Care Boards on the commissioning of providers for audiology care as an alternative to hospital services.

In line with the direction of travel set by 10-Year Health Plan, we expect integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission services to meet the reasonable needs of their populations rather than being prescriptive and adopting a one size fit all model for England. This is intended to allow services to be tailored in accordance with the local area needs. This means that National Health Service audiology services are locally commissioned.We have also published for the first time an overview of the core community health services, Standardising Community Health Services, which includes audiology, that ICBs should consider when planning for their local populations to support improved commissioning and delivery of community health services.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure proper support for venues transitioning to the requirements of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 during the implementation period.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, also known as Martyn’s Law, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025.An implementation period of at least 24 months is now underway, giving those responsible for premises and events sufficient time and support to meet their new obligations. It will also allow time for the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to establish its new regulatory function.The Act is intended to improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK. It will require certain premises and events to ensure steps have been taken to prepare for potential terrorist attacks. Larger premises and events will be required to consider and, where appropriate, implement steps to reduce their vulnerability to acts of terrorism.Statutory guidance will be published during the implementation period to help those responsible to understand the requirements set out in the legislation. The guidance is being designed to be easy to follow, requiring no specialist expertise or the use of third-party products or services.The Home Office continues to engage with businesses and organisations, including through attendance at industry events and a nationwide webinar series to raise awareness and understanding for sectors in scope of the Act, and regularly issues communications and updates via ProtectUK, Gov.uk, SIA.gov.uk and the Home Office and SIA social media channels.

Media and Sport, what steps is she taking to incorporate culture and community in national strategic ambition.

Culture and community are integral to our national strategic ambition, serving as powerful catalysts for economic growth: the Creative Industry sector contributes 2.4 million jobs and £124 billion GVA to the economy, and social cohesion: evidence shows that cultural participation can make communities feel safer and stronger.As a department, we are working across government to ensure that national strategies - such as the National Youth Strategy, the Industrial Strategy, Pride in Place and Arts Everywhere - recognise the value of culture in bringing together communities and driving social cohesion. In line with the Pride in Place strategy, we are committed to supporting those communities most in need, working with communities to invest in the spaces and structures that bring people together and restore a sense of pride in the places we live.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of business events on economic growth.

Business events can generate economic growth, create jobs, and boost the visitor economy across the country. In 2024, business events contributed a reported £33.6 billion to the UK economy as a whole according to data from UK Events.The average business traveller spends more than double that of a leisure tourist (£209 v £101) and, with 38% taking place outside of London, business events are an example of how events can support economic growth across the UKThe British Tourist Authority also supports organisations in attracting international business events across UK cities via the Business Events Growth Programme. In the 2024-25 financial year, the programme financially supported 36 international events across Britain and generated an additional £27.5 million in expenditure. These events were aligned with key Government priority sectors including healthcare and life sciences, engineering and manufacturing, technology, renewable energy and creative industries.