Written questions by Lockhart.

How many Infected Blood Compensation scheme claimants, with a prognosis of less than 12 months life expectancy, are having their claims and registered intent notifications prioritised.

Based on community feedback, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) are prioritising claims for people who have been told by a medical professional that they may have 12 months or less to live. This is regardless of whether they are infected, affected, a beneficiary of an estate of a deceased infected person, or registered with an Infected Blood Support Scheme. IBCA collect information regarding this via their registration service, allowing them to prioritise claims appropriately.The delivery of compensation is a matter for the IBCA as an operationally independent body. IBCA publishes regular updates on its website of the progress made in delivering compensation, including how many individuals have received compensation payments across all groups.

What his timeframe estimation is for the final settling of all outstanding claims within the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, including those with registered intent.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) Framework Document, published in March 2025, sets out the timelines agreed between IBCA and Cabinet Office; namely for the bulk of infected people to be paid no later than the end of 2027 and the bulk of affected people to be paid no later than the end of 2029.These timescales have been agreed with IBCA, to ensure that the door is kept open for those who have not yet identified themselves as being infected or affected. In my oral statement to the House on 21 July 2025, I set out that these dates are not targets for delivery, but ‘backstops’, and I am pleased that all registered infected people have now been contacted to begin their claim, and that IBCA has started the first claims from all eligible groups.

What assessment was made of the potential merits of including an examination of the evidence base relating to the spike protein and lipid nanoparticles used in Covid‑19 mRNA vaccines within the scope for oral evidence of the UK Covid‑19 Inquiry; and whether the Government has received any correspondence from the Inquiry on whether such issues fall within its remit.

The UK COVID-19 Inquiry is an independent statutory inquiry. As an independent body, it is responsible for determining its own scope, lines of investigation, and the evidence it seeks. Decisions about whether to include examination of specific scientific or technical matters, such as the evidence base relating to spike proteins or lipid nanoparticles, fall within the inquiry’s discretion.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not received any specific correspondence or instruction from the inquiry relating to spike proteins or lipid nanoparticles.

How many staff of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have, in each of the last five years, (a) moved to roles with pharmaceutical companies or industry-funded bodies and (b) joined the Agency from such organisations; and what safeguards are in place to manage potential conflicts of interest arising from such movement.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) requires all staff to undertake a conflict-of-interest declaration upon joining the agency and then on a yearly basis. All declarations are assessed according to MHRA policy to ensure due consideration and agreement of required mitigations. The MHRA does not routinely record where staff move to when leaving the agency, however all staff are bound by the business appointment rules for crown servants and are required to seek prior agreement if they fall within the specified criteria. Further information on the business appointment rules for crown servants is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-appointment-rules-for-crown-servants/business-appointment-rules-for-crown-servantsIn relation to staff joining the agency, the MHRA does not record the information in the manner requested, but a manual review of the records from new joiners between the financial years 2021 to 2026 indicates that 47 staff have declared previous employment in a pharmaceutical or industry funded body. The following table shows a breakdown of the 47 staff who have declared previous employment in a pharmaceutical or industry funded body from 2021/22 to 2025/26, and in total:Financial yearNumber of staff2021/2202022/2352023/24172024/25142025/2611Total47 It should be noted that this assessment is a best estimate to match within the criteria requested and the number may be subject to change.

Whether the Department has modelled alternative funding structures for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency that would reduce reliance on industry fees; and if it will publish any assessments made of the impact of such models on regulatory independence.

No such modelling has been undertaken.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to enable smaller charities to contribute more effectively to public policy development, including through improving access to (a) tenders, (b) grant applications and (c) policy consultations.

This Government is doing much to reset the relationship with civil society and ensure we listen to - and heed - a broad range of voices from across the sector, including those from small charities. The Civil Society Covenant, launched by the Prime Minister in July 2025, sets out the ambition of this government to fully recognise the value of civil society. No.10 has established the Civil Society Council, to work in partnership with government at the highest level to drive and oversee the implementation of the Covenant. Our recently-launched £11.5 million Local Covenant Partnerships (LCP) Fund puts many of the Covenant’s principles into practice, including testing new approaches to commissioning and procurement. The LCP Fund will invest in 15 places across England to develop innovative partnership models between VCSE organisations and local public sector bodies. This in turn will increase levels of local VCSE delivery of public services, including from small charities, and work towards developing the local sector’s knowledge and confidence of commissioning structures and procurement processes.

What steps the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is taking to improve clinician reporting of myocarditis and pericarditis in the Yellow Card system; and whether the Department has assessed under‑reporting rates for these conditions.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is committed to continually strengthening the Yellow Card scheme to support patient safety. The MHRA regularly promotes awareness through public health campaigns, conferences, established networks, and new educational resources available on the Yellow Card website. Further information is available on the MHRA website at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agencyReporting rates through spontaneous reporting systems, such as the Yellow Card Scheme, are highly variable, and dependent not just on the condition, but other factors such as the product, public interest, and media attention. As such, the MHRA does not hold estimates of under reporting rates for these conditions.The MHRA is expanding and improving digital reporting routes. Every National Health Service webpage relating to a medicine or vaccine now links to the Yellow Card scheme, and the MHRA is working with NHS colleagues to enhance integration with the NHS App to increase visibility and reporting by the public. Yellow Card reporting is now embedded in almost all general practice clinical IT systems, enabling healthcare professionals to submit reports directly on behalf of patients.Over recent years, the MHRA has delivered a major upgrade programme to modernise the Yellow Card scheme’s technology and infrastructure. This includes improving the quality and timeliness of submitted information, making it easier to report, adding conditional questions to reduce follow up, and support real time signal detection of safety issues.The Yellow Card app has also been modernised to mirror the website, broaden reporting options, including defective and counterfeit medicines, and improve access to safety data. Multifactor authentication has been introduced to enhance account security and enable future integration with the NHS login. The app has also been upgraded to a progressive web application, providing a seamless and engaging user experience across devices.Together, these improvements increase public awareness, make reporting, including of myocarditis and pericarditis, easier, and enhance the MHRA’s ability to identify and assess emerging safety concerns across healthcare products.

How many whistleblowing reports relating to conflicts of interest have been submitted within the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in each of the last five years; and whether the Department will publish anonymised summaries of the issues raised.

In the last five years, three internal whistleblowing reports relating to conflicts of interest have been made to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) nominated officers.Nominated officers are trained individuals designated to give confidential advice, support, and guidance on whistleblowing concerns to staff, and to help staff escalate those concerns appropriately. The following table shows the number of whistleblowing reports related to conflicts of interest, from 2021/22 to 2025/26, up to 20 March 2026:YearNumber of whistleblowing reports related to conflicts of interest2021/2202022/2302023/2402024/2502025/263 There are no requirements or plans to publish summaries of these whistleblowing reports. The MHRA submits data annually to the Cabinet Office on all whistleblowing investigations that have taken place and publishes a short summary of its internal whistleblowing actions, including the number of whistleblowing investigations, in its Annual Report and Accounts.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the paper by the Online Safety Act Network entitled Strengthening the Online Safety Act: A Ten-point plan for Government, published in January 2026.

We regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, to ensure our policymaking remains rooted in evidence and responsive to emerging harms. Contributions from organisations across the sector, including the Online Safety Act Network, form an important part of this dialogue.The Online Safety Act is one of the most robust systems globally to tackle illegal content and protect children from harmful content. However, there is growing agreement that more should be done to keep children safe online, which is why the Government has launched the Growing Up in the Online World consultation and National Conversation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to condition the continuation of UK funding to the Palestinian Authority on the removal of (a) antisemitic content and (b) incitement to violence from its school textbooks.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on this topic on 3 March at Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Oral Questions, and on 9 March in response to Question 115698.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the role that small, high‑harm online platforms play in hosting antisemitic content that is subsequently amplified by larger platforms.

Antisemitic content is divisive, hateful and has no place online. The government expects Ofcom to use its full powers in the Online Safety Act to tackle it.Antisemitic material that meets the criminal threshold is illegal content, and the Act’s duties apply to all regulated services, regardless of size.To address risks from smaller platforms, Ofcom has established a ‘small but risky’ supervision taskforce. This focuses on identifying smaller services posing severe risks, engaging with them, assessing compliance and escalating concerns to Ofcom’s Enforcement team.

What information his Department holds on trends in the number of children born via surrogacy abroad, in particular in (a) Kazakhstan and (b) Nigeria.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in the number of children entering the United Kingdom who have been born through surrogacy in countries where commercial surrogacy operates, on the UK's not-for-profit surrogacy framework.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have published advice for those considering surrogacy overseas, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surrogacy-overseas/surrogacy-overseasThis clearly sets out the possible risks and the processes for returning to the UK with a child born through an international surrogacy arrangement.The Department Health and Social Care does not hold any information on trends in the number of children born via surrogacy abroad, in particular in Kazakhstan and Nigeria.

Whether payments received by a surrogate mother in the UK are treated as income for the purposes of benefits assessments.

Surrogacy payments in the United Kingdom should only be for reasonable expenses. They are not taken into account as income for Universal Credit purposes. If any of the surrogacy payment is unspent in the period it is paid for, then this can be treated as capital if not spent by the end of the next assessment period. The normal capital rules apply to the build-up of unspent income if capital exceeds £6,000.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in the number of children entering the UK who have been born through surrogacy in countries where commercial surrogacy operates on the UK's not-for-profit surrogacy framework.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in the number of children entering the United Kingdom who have been born through surrogacy in countries where commercial surrogacy operates, on the UK's not-for-profit surrogacy framework.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have published advice for those considering surrogacy overseas, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surrogacy-overseas/surrogacy-overseasThis clearly sets out the possible risks and the processes for returning to the UK with a child born through an international surrogacy arrangement.The Department Health and Social Care does not hold any information on trends in the number of children born via surrogacy abroad, in particular in Kazakhstan and Nigeria.

How many patients have reported adverse outcomes following rectopexy mesh procedures in the last ten years; and whether his Department has considered those cases in determining eligibility for mesh-related redress schemes.

Up to and including the 16 March 2026, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has received a total of 3,303 adverse incident reports. Please note that this search was conducted across all relevant brands, models, and manufacturers associated with the Global Medical Device Nomenclature CT codes listed above and the data is not linked to specific procedures. As such, the data provided will include reports concerning mesh used in a range of different surgical applications, not limited to rectopexy. It is important to note that this data does not directly correlate to the number of United Kingdom procedures undertaken in the UK.Adverse incident reports are not a direct measure of the number of individual patients affected, as the same incident, or user, may be reported multiple times and duplicates cannot always be reliably linked, and figures may also include cases drawn from published literature and may change slightly as further details are received. Reports may describe recognised complications, and their inclusion does not establish causation or fault with any particular device, so the data should not be interpreted as a summary of known or proven adverse reactions.The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. The abovementioned data will form part of the Department’s considerations regarding a redress scheme.

Whether he has had discussions with whistleblowers from the former Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service regarding the PATHWAYS Puberty Blocker Trial.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has met with a variety of stakeholders to discuss gender services, including former staff at the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service. Baroness Cass also met with former Gender Identity Development Service staff, including whistleblowers, while developing her Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People.The review rightly received cross-party support, as the most definitive assessment of children’s gender services and gender identity to date. It also recommended a clinical trial to gather the evidence required.Given that there are live legal proceedings, we are unable to comment on the PATHWAYS trial.

What steps he is taking to implement a data linkage study of the Gender Identity Development Services.

The Government and National Health Service are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review in full. This includes carrying out the data linkage study. Since taking over responsibility for delivery of the data linkage study, NHS England has taken time to undertake due diligence work on the data sources critical to the study, and to work with organisations to refine the planned approach to data sharing. In common with usual research practice, the data linkage study protocol will be made available in the public domain once independent research and ethical approvals have been appropriately secured, at which point the analytical work can begin.

What steps he is taking to support detransitioners.

We are working with NHS England to implement the recommendations from the Cass Review to ensure everyone gets the high-quality care they need. This includes setting up a clinical pathway and provision for people considering detransition. Following engagement with those with lived experience, on 30 October 2025, NHS England published a call for evidence on a clinical pathway for adults who have previously undergone a gender transition and who wish to detransition, to bring together professional opinion. The call for evidence closed on 28 December 2025. NHS England is considering all relevant feedback that was submitted. It will collate views, evidence, and insights into a summary evidence report. NHS England will use this evidence, together with other intelligence and further engagement, to begin to define a clinical pathway which will be tested through further stakeholder engagement and public consultation later this year.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his polices on the care of gender distressed children of the US judgment in the case of Fox Varian.

No assessment has been made. Surgical interventions for gender dysphoria are not performed on patients under 18 years old on the National Health Service. In line with NHS England’s national service specification, surgical interventions on the NHS are only available to adult patients who have a clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a specialist adult gender clinic, and who meet strict clinical criteria. The Government and NHS England have made a clear commitment to implement all the recommendations in the Cass Review’s final report. NHS England’s ambitious action plan sets out how it will continue to transform and improve services, helping to tackle waiting lists while ensuring safe and holistic care.

How many times the Motor Insurance Taskforce met since its establishment; on what dates those meetings took place; which organisations and departments were represented; and whether she plans to publish minutes or summaries from those meetings.

The work of the motor insurance taskforce focused on issues and concerns associated with the cost of insurance premiums and claims that are shared across the UK.The taskforce heard representations that some of the unique features of the motor insurance market in Northern Ireland have led to increasing costs there. Some of those, such as road safety and costs associated with taking claims through the judicial system, are devolved matters for the Northern Ireland Executive to consider. The government will continue to work constructively with the Executive on relevant areas of policy.The taskforce met for the first time on 16 October 2024 and subsequently met on 28 April 2025 and 21 July 2025, which was the final meeting of the taskforce. Taskforce members were the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Department for Education, Department for Business and Trade, Financial Conduct Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority as well as the Department for Transport and HM Treasury, who were the co-chairs.We do not plan to publish the minutes or summaries of meetings as they cover the formulation and development of ‘live’ government policy and to do so would hinder future policy development as it could inhibit a free exchange of views.