Written questions by Smith.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing funding for court-based sports facilities such as tennis and padel.

The Government's 27 January announcement of £85 million of investment via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2026/27 also set out that an additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. We are now working closely with the sport sector stakeholders and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. We will keep stakeholders and the wider sport sector updated as this work progresses, and we will announce plans once they have been fully developed. We are intent that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible. This will allow us to make progress in reducing inactivity levels and improving the physical and mental health of the nation.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the 10% commission payable on the resale of a park home, what financial data he plans to require park home site owners to provide that was not already covered in the report entitled Mobile homes: The impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission, published on 16 June 2022; and what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the compatibility of this policy with (a) consumer fairness and (b) levels of transparency in housing costs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 115901 on 9 March 2026.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to her Israeli counterparts on preventing further military attacks on Palestinian higher education institutions.

The UK has been clear with the Government of Israel on the imperative, under international humanitarian law, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including education institutions. We remain focussed on supporting the transition from an immediate ceasefire to a sustainable peace, in line with the 20-Point Plan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) treatment and (b) elimination of neglected tropical diseases.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 February in response to Question 111786.

For what reason recommendations for a sodium valproate redress scheme have not been implemented.

The Department continues to take forward work to explore redress for those affected by pelvic mesh and sodium valproate, which includes recommendations made by the Patient Safety Commissioner in the Hughes Report. We recognise the importance of these issues for all those affected. This remains a cross-Government policy area involving multiple organisations, and given the complexity of the issues involved, it is important we get this right.I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress following the Hughes Report and have made clear the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders. I have also written to the Patient Safety Commissioner regarding further steps to be taken to improve the lives of those affected by valproate and mesh. A copy of that letter is attached.

When his Department plans to publish a timetable for implementing redress recommendations from the Cumberlege Review and the Hughes Report.

The Department continues to take forward work to explore redress for those affected by pelvic mesh and sodium valproate, which includes recommendations made by the Patient Safety Commissioner in the Hughes Report. We recognise the importance of these issues for all those affected. This remains a cross-Government policy area involving multiple organisations, and given the complexity of the issues involved, it is important we get this right. A timetable for a response has not yet been finalised.I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress following the Hughes Report and have made clear the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders.

What information his Department holds on the number of children who have (a) been harmed by sodium valproate use during pregnancy and (b) received a diagnosis of Foetal Valproate Spectrum.

The Department does not hold information regarding the number of children that have been harmed by sodium valproate use during pregnancy, or those who have received a diagnosis of foetal valproate spectrum.The National Disease Registration Service in NHS England collects and quality assures data about people with congenital conditions and rare conditions across the whole of England.In the most recent official statistics on congenital conditions in England, the 2022 Congenital Condition Official Statistics Report, which contains information on congenital conditions detected in babies delivered in England between 1 January and 31 December 2022, as well as in previous publications of this series back to its inception in 2018, there were no foetus' or babies reported to have a diagnosis of fetal sodium valproate syndrome.It is likely that while some of the individual conditions, for instance neural tube defects, cardiac, oro-facial clefts, and/or limb difference, that can be associated with this condition are recorded on the register, the overarching diagnosis of fetal sodium valproate syndrome may not yet be registered because fetal sodium valproate syndrome may take more than a year after birth to be confirmed as a diagnosis, so the number reported in any year is the minimum level in the population.The National Disease Registration Service is assessing the feasibility and reliability of better ascertainment of fetal sodium valproate syndrome by linking the congenital condition register to primary care prescription data.

On what dates his Department has met with patient groups representing families affected by sodium valproate since January 2024.

The current Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women's Health and Mental Health, Baroness Merron, the previous minister with responsibility for sodium valproate and pelvic mesh redress policy, held a roundtable with representatives of the sodium valproate patient groups in December 2024.Since then, I met with relevant stakeholders at various parliamentary events. I also met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress following the Hughes Report and have made clear the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders.

What steps his Department is taking to introduce mandatory alcohol labelling requirements.

In Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to strengthening and expanding on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages. The plan can be accessed online at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-futureMy officials have recently completed a round of stakeholder engagement regarding the policy. We are working at pace to review all available and emerging data and evidence. This work will inform the development assessment of policy options that will be set out in formal consultation in due course.

What plans his Department has to publish updated guidance on managing conflicts of interest between civil servants and Ministers in relation to unhealthy commodity industries.

The Department already has established arrangements in place to manage conflicts of interest for both ministers and civil servants, including where these relate to engagement with representatives of unhealthy commodity industries.Ministerial conduct is governed by the Ministerial Code, which sets out requirements on the declaration and handling of ministers’ interests. Civil servants are bound by the Civil Service Code, and by departmental policies that set out how actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest must be identified, declared, and managed.The Department keeps its internal guidance under regular review to ensure it remains aligned with cross-Government standards and supports transparent and accountable decision-making.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will reply to the letter of 7 November 2025 on Christianity in the Holy Land from the hon. Member for East Wiltshire and the hon. Member for and Lancaster and Wyre.

We will announce further details in the near future of the 12 March conference to help establish an International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine, including attendees, and I thank the Hon Member for her constructive proposals. On her letter of 7 November 2025, I apologise for the delay in responding, and I will ensure that a reply is with her shortly.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Heads of Churches in the Holy Land on their (a) attendance at and (b) participation in the Israel-Palestine peace summit of 12 March 2026.

We will announce further details in the near future of the 12 March conference to help establish an International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine, including attendees, and I thank the Hon Member for her constructive proposals. On her letter of 7 November 2025, I apologise for the delay in responding, and I will ensure that a reply is with her shortly.

How many prescriptions were issued for each drug categorised under the (a) (i) clonazepam and (ii) other benzodiazepines, (b) z-drugs, (c) antidepressants, (d) opioids, (e) pregabalin and (f) gabapentin drug groups in the last 12 months and the total number of unique identified patients for each drug.

The NHSBSA holds patient identifiable information for the number of items dispensed and claimed for reimbursement. The following table shows the total number of prescription items for clonazepam and other benzodiazepines, z-drugs, antidepressants, opioids, pregabalin, and gabapentin drug groups, as well as the percentage and number of unique identified patients for those drug groups for 2024/25:Drug GroupTotal number of prescription itemsTotal number of unique identified patientsPercentage of items where the patient has been identifiedClonazepam1,073,70884,37998.19%Other benzodiazepines6,560,1701,122,86097.01%Clonazepam and other benzodiazepines7,633,8781,193,47797.17%Z-drugs4,888,101721,64198.20%Antidepressants92,642,1108,888,22999.25Opioids39,015,4405,559,69198.99Pregabalin9,607,609851,69699.44**Gabapentin7,413,842783,59199.44**Notes:for the clonazepam and other benzodiazepines drug groups, the figures represent patients who have received any combination of clonazepam and/or other benzodiazepines, as no patient is counted twice within this row, even where multiple medications have been received; andfor the pregabalin, and gabapentin drug groups, please note these figures refer to the combined category of gabapentinoids.Patient count totals included in the table should not be aggregated.

If she will visit Dr Sophie Nightingale at Lancaster University and her specialist lab investigating generative AI and its use to create sexual digital forgeries to discuss the contribution of that research to the Violence Against Women and Girls strategy.

The Government recognises and shares concerns about the proliferation of AI-enabled products and services that facilitate the creation of sexual forgeries, including deepfake non-consensual intimate images (NCII).The Data (Use and Access) Act inserts new offences into the SexualOffences Act 2003, criminalising the creation and requesting the creation ofan intimate deepfake without consent (or reasonable belief in consent).In addition to this offence, the Government announced that it will ban nudification apps and other tools designed to create synthetic NCII to stop victims’ images being tampered with and exploited without their consent. This was announced in the Freedom from Violence and Abuse: Cross-government Strategy to Build a Society for Women and Girls, which was published on 18 December.The Home Office introduced world-leading measures, making the UK the first country to outlaw the possession, creation and distribution of AI tools for generating child sexual abuse material, as well as criminalising paedophile manuals that instruct others on developing such tools. We have also introduced an AI testing defence to help strengthen safeguards against AI models being used to create sexual digital forgeries.We recognise the important role of academics in this space, including Dr. Sophie Nightingale, with whom Government officials have engaged. We look forward to continuing this engagement to combat and prevent AI-enabled harms.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of research by Dr Sophie Nightingale at Lancaster University into generative AI and its use to create sexual digital forgeries.

The Government recognises and shares concerns about the proliferation of AI-enabled products and services that facilitate the creation of sexual forgeries, including deepfake non-consensual intimate images (NCII).The Data (Use and Access) Act inserts new offences into the SexualOffences Act 2003, criminalising the creation and requesting the creation ofan intimate deepfake without consent (or reasonable belief in consent).In addition to this offence, the Government announced that it will ban nudification apps and other tools designed to create synthetic NCII to stop victims’ images being tampered with and exploited without their consent. This was announced in the Freedom from Violence and Abuse: Cross-government Strategy to Build a Society for Women and Girls, which was published on 18 December.The Home Office introduced world-leading measures, making the UK the first country to outlaw the possession, creation and distribution of AI tools for generating child sexual abuse material, as well as criminalising paedophile manuals that instruct others on developing such tools. We have also introduced an AI testing defence to help strengthen safeguards against AI models being used to create sexual digital forgeries.We recognise the important role of academics in this space, including Dr. Sophie Nightingale, with whom Government officials have engaged. We look forward to continuing this engagement to combat and prevent AI-enabled harms.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85806, on what evidential basis his Department chose to issue a call for evidence rather than a consultation.

The Government invited views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system. A Call for Evidence ran for four weeks, primarily via an online survey, and this attracted a significant number of responses. Alongside discussions were held with key stakeholders to supplement the evidence we received. This process enabled us to elicit views and draw on evidence in relation to the key recommendations of the Licensing Taskforce.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Questions 85811 and 85813, if he will publish all evidence received by the Licensing Taskforce (a) during meetings and (b) through written evidence or other stakeholder engagement.

The Government is undertaking activity to implement the initial announcements made by the Chancellor on 26 November. Those include a guidance document (the National Licensing Policy Framework) which is already available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-licensing-policy-framework-for-the-hospitality-and-leisure-sectors and taking forward legislation to reform the Temporary Event Notices available to on-trade licensed premises. In addition, plans are being developed to assess the remaining recommendations made by the Taskforce and in relation to these the need for further legislation and guidance will be considered in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85808, if he will publish all responses received to the call for evidence on proposed licensing reforms.

On 26 November an initial analysis of responses to a number of the Call for Evidence questions was published, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system. We will be publishing a summary of responses received to all of the call for evidence on proposed licensing reforms in the New Year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85812, whether he plans to introduce his Department's proposed reforms to alcohol licensing through (a) legislative changes to the Licensing Act 2003 or (b) regulatory guidance.

The Government is undertaking activity to implement the initial announcements made by the Chancellor on 26 November. Those include a guidance document (the National Licensing Policy Framework) which is already available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-licensing-policy-framework-for-the-hospitality-and-leisure-sectors and taking forward legislation to reform the Temporary Event Notices available to on-trade licensed premises. In addition, plans are being developed to assess the remaining recommendations made by the Taskforce and in relation to these the need for further legislation and guidance will be considered in due course.

Whether registered social workers will be eligible for the 5 year pathway to settlement for skilled frontline public service workers.

In May 2025, the Immigration White Paper set out an increase in the baseline qualification period for settlement from five years to ten, which was collectively agreed across government. A Fairer Pathway to Settlement sets out the Government’s proposed model for earned settlement and accompanies the current public consultation on settlement reform, which is open until 12 February 2026. The consultation seeks views on the proposal that there should be a shorter pathway to settlement for those working in vital public services, particularly where earnings are based on national pay scales and may not meet the proposed threshold for an income-based reduction in the qualifying period. This might include, for example, medical and teaching professionals working in public services. However, it is envisaged that the above reduction in the qualifying period for public service roles would apply only to those working in skilled occupations (at RQF Level 6 or above). Full details on earned settlement will be finalised following the conclusion of the public consultation.