Written questions by Lockhart.

What recent steps he has taken to implement the National Suicide Prevention Plan; and what further steps he is taking to help tackle suicide rates.

The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies eight priority groups for targeted and tailored support at a national level. The strategy also identifies key risk factors for suicide, providing an opportunity for effective early intervention. The purpose of the Suicide Prevention Strategy is to set out our aims to prevent suicide through action by working across Government and other organisations. One of the key visions of the strategy is to reduce stigma surrounding suicide and mental health, so people feel able to seek help, including through the routes that work best for them. This includes raising awareness that no suicide is inevitable. NHS England published Staying safe from suicide: Best practice guidance for safety assessment, formulation and management to support the Government’s work to reduce suicide and improve mental health services. The guidance requires all mental health practitioners to align their practice to the latest evidence in suicide prevention, and is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/staying-safe-from-suicide/ The NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework states that in 2026/27, all integrated care boards must ensure mental health practitioners across all providers undertake training and deliver care in line with the guidance. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. This includes transforming mental health services into neighbourhood mental health centres open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, improving assertive outreach, expanding talking therapies and giving patients better access to all-hours support directly through the NHS App.

Whether his Department plans make an assessment of the use of (a) fibrous forms of talc, (b) tremolite and (c) actinolite in products used by the NHS.

From a medicines perspective, additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is aware of general concerns in relation to the presence of asbestos in talcum powder. However, pharmaceutical grade talc has strict controls on the presence of asbestos. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for Purified Talc states that “Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not suitable for pharmaceutical use”. Furthermore, testing is required to confirm the absence of asbestos.NHS Supply Chain procurement activities require suppliers to comply with United Kingdom regulatory requirements such as the United Kingdom Accreditation Service or international equivalent accreditation for International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 and ISO 13485, to ensure that products procured under NHS Supply Chain frameworks and used within the National Health Service in England are subject to rigorous safety assessments.

What steps HM Treasury is taking to increase enforcement of financial sanctions and prevent terrorist financing in Northern Ireland.

HMT undertakes an evidence-based approach to ensure that counter-terrorism sanctions are used in a timely and effective manner in support of national security and to prevent terrorism, including addressing terrorist financing risks. HMT assesses every instance of reported non-compliance with financial sanctions, working in collaboration with law enforcement partners where necessary, and takes action in all cases where we conclude a breach has occurred.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with her Azerbaijani counterpart on reports of harassment of religious leaders, including instances of torture and sexual assault; and what steps she is taking to promote religious freedom in the country.

The UK is committed to standing up for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) globally. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We will work to uphold the right to FoRB through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora and in our bilateral work. We regularly raise human rights obligations and commitments with the Azerbaijani authorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international counterparts on the protection of religious minorities in Syria.

Further to the answer given on 18 September to question 74583, I again raised this with the Syrian Foreign Minister during his visit to London in November.

What the total expenditure has been on the upkeep and maintenance of Stormont House since the Northern Ireland Office vacated the building in 2022; and what future plans his Department has for the use or disposition of the property.

Stormont House is owned and managed by the Northern Ireland Executive. Consequently, the Northern Ireland Office has incurred no expenditure on the building's upkeep or maintenance since vacating the premises in 2022.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking with international counterparts to ensure the protection of Alawite women and girls in Syria in the context of recent reports of abduction.

Further to the answer given on 18 September to question 74583, I again raised this with the Syrian Foreign Minister during his visit to London in November.

Whether the National Wealth Fund has plans to fund projects in Northern Ireland.

The National Wealth Fund (NWF) is committed to ensuring the benefits of its investments are felt in all four nations of the UK, and opened a Belfast office in December 2024.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that rural areas in Northern Ireland have equitable access to 5G and next-generation broadband.

The government wants all areas of the UK, including rural areas in Northern Ireland, to benefit from reliable and high-quality mobile coverage, and this is reflected in our ambition for all populated areas of the UK to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. My department continues to work closely with the mobile network operators to deliver on this ambition, ensuring the investment committed by operators delivers benefits to such communities, including by removing barriers to deployment where they exist and it is practical to do so. Regarding next-generation broadband access, Project Stratum received £199 million of UK government funding and delivered gigabit-capable broadband to almost 81,100 premises in Northern Ireland. This project, delivered by Fibrus, completed delivery in June 2025.The Northern Ireland Department for the Economy (DfE) is currently undertaking a Project Gigabit procurement to help fill remaining gaps in gigabit broadband coverage predominantly targeting rural and hard to reach areas.

How many times drones have been recorded delivering (a) weapons and (b) drugs into prisons in each of the last three years.

We publish the number of drone incidents in England and Wales in the HMPPS Annual Digest, please see table 6_1 in the Finds tables. The latest issue covers the 12-month period to March 2025, with a time series of drone incidents starting from the 12-months to March 2021. Any increase in reported drone incidents should not be interpreted as an increase in incursions; it may reflect more focused reporting. Drone incidents should not be interpreted as definitive evidence of the delivery of weapons and drugs into prisons, as they include all incidents where a drone is sighted. Data specific to deliveries of illicit items cannot be disclosed for security reasons.

Media and Sport, what measures her Department has put in place to protect historic places of worship.

The Department offers support for the protection and preservation of historic places of worship through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which in January 2025 was extended for a further year to March 2026 with a £23 million budget. This scheme allows religious organisations to reclaim the VAT costs of eligible repairs and renovations, recognising the vital heritage and community role of these sites. Furthermore, DCMS arm's length bodies provide additional funding. The National Lottery Heritage Fund is committing around £100 million between 2023 and 2026 to help secure the future of places of worship across the UK. This includes £15 million dedicated to large-scale projects aimed at enhancing the heritage sector's sustainability and security. A further £85 million is expected to be awarded through National Lottery Heritage Grants over the next three years to improve the condition of places of worship and help develop the necessary skills for their future preservation. In exceptional circumstances, some listed places of worship may also be eligible for Heritage at Risk funding provided by Historic England. In addition, the Department funded a Heritage At Risk Capital Fund in 2025/26 and of 37 projects awarded funding, 4 were places of worship receiving £1,387,842 in total.

Innovation and Technology, what support her Department provides to small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Ireland to improve their cybersecurity resilience.

Improving the cyber security of our nation’s small and medium-sized enterprises is critical to the resilience of our wider economy. We recognise many SMEs lack the resources to invest in their cyber security. As such, the government has developed a wide range of free tools, guidance and training to help SMEs implement cyber security measures, including the recently launched Cyber Action Toolkit which provides SMEs with tailored advice.NCSC-certified Cyber Advisors are available to provide advice and guidance on commercial terms, including in Northern Ireland, and SMEs are eligible for a free 30- minute consultation. Additionally, the government’s Cyber Essentials scheme helps all organisations, including SMEs, implement critical cyber security controls, protecting them from most common cyber attacks. We recently completed a funding programme across the UK, which included supporting 170 organisations in Northern Ireland to get certified to the scheme.

Whether he plans to expand opportunities for defence-related apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.

As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, we announced a £182 million skills package that includes initiatives which will support apprentices in the defence sector in Northern Ireland. We will work with the Northern Ireland Executive, industry and other key stakeholders to ensure we maximise such support.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of AI technologies on early cancer detection.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology invests in cancer research via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the Department of Health and Social Care via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). UKRI and NIHR support research which explores the impact of AI on cancer diagnosis, including the NIHR £11 million Edith trial (using AI to assist radiologists in breast cancer screening). AI presents significant opportunities for improving outcomes and diagnosis for cancer patients and driving faster triage of patients with suspected symptoms. Evaluations of the impact of AI on cancer diagnosis are ongoing.

Media and Sport, if she will meet with the National Churches Trust regarding support for the protection of historic places of worship.

DCMS recognises the value and expertise of the National Churches Trust in supporting the protection of historic places of worship. Baroness Twycross, the Minister for Heritage, is open to meeting with the National Churches Trust. The Department has engaged in various meetings with representatives of the sector, including the National Churches Trust, throughout the year, and the Minister looks forward to continuing this important dialogue.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote Northern Ireland’s economic and cultural interests through UK embassies overseas.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to ensuring the Devolved Governments' economic and cultural interests are promoted internationally. Invest Northern Ireland officials are co-located in a number of FCDO overseas posts, and across the world our missions work to promote Northern Ireland, and the UK as a whole. This includes supporting Northern Ireland Ministers when they travel overseas.As part of a series of new Heads of Mission Roadshows to UK countries and regions, our High Commissioner to Singapore visited Northern Ireland in September 2025 to advance opportunities for Singaporean foreign direct investment in Northern Ireland. The most recent Soft Power Council Meeting was also held in Belfast in October. This was a key forum for the FCDO, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Devolved Governments and stakeholders in Northern Ireland to come together and create a unified strategy that can leverage the UK's cultural offer internationally.I was delighted to host representatives of Northern Ireland creative industries at the recent Western Balkans summit at Hillsborough Castle, and to showcase the best of Northern Ireland to visiting Foreign Ministers and officials.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 in protecting children in Northern Ireland.

The Online Safety Act requires services to protect children in the UK from both illegal and age-inappropriate content. These protections are now in force, as of 25 July, children in Northern Ireland should be seeing a tangible difference in their online experiences.Ofcom are already taking robust action against non-compliant services failing to fulfil their duties. Since the children’s safety duties have been in force, over 6,000 services have implemented highly effective age assurance to prevent children seeing the most harmful online content; improving protections for millions of children online.We will continue to monitor the Act’s effectiveness and will not hesitate to take further action to protect children online if evidence shows this is necessary.

What steps he is taking to ensure that patients have timely access to innovative cancer medicines.

In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS is legally required to fund NICE recommended medicines, normally within three months of final guidance, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding from the point of a positive draft NICE recommendation. NICE aims wherever possible to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing to ensure that patients are able to benefit from rapid access to clinically and cost effective new medicines.The Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out the measures we are taking that will mean that patients are able to access medicines three to six months faster, including improved alignment between the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s decisions and NICE guidance publication.In England in 2024/25, 93% of NICE recommendations for cancer treatments were positive. Positive includes recommended, optimised, recommended in the cancer drugs fund (CDF), and optimised in the CDF.Health is a devolved matter and as such it would not be appropriate for me to comment on access to medicines within the devolved administrations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of the treatment of (a) Christians and (b) other religious minorities in Chad at the United Nations.

The UK condemns any attacks on individuals on the basis of their religion or belief, including in Chad. We consistently call on all actors in Chad and around the world to respect human rights, freedom of religion or belief, and international humanitarian law.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will assess the effect of the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme and the Veterinary Medicines Health Situations Scheme on the agri-food supply chain in Northern Ireland during the first year of implementation.

We are confident in the two schemes being introduced by the Government and will continue to closely monitor the situation over the upcoming year and beyond. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) will be conducting an assessment of the effectiveness/use of the two schemes in 6-12 months after first implementation. Our current assessment is that there will be minimal disruptions to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland and the agri-food supply chain will continue as it is now. The use of these schemes will not in any way impair the ability of businesses in Northern Ireland to sell to businesses and consumers in the EU, including live animals or products of animal origin. They will be able to sell in the EU as they do now, and they do not need to make any changes. The two schemes will take effect from 1 January, and we will monitor their effectiveness.