Written questions by Onwurah.

Innovation and Technology, whether Innovate UK will resume its Smart Grants funding stream to support innovation-led start-ups.

The Smart grants programme has been paused while Innovate UK redesigns its funding programmes to best suit the needs of innovative businesses and align to the objectives of the Government’s Industrial Strategy.However, Innovate UK has launched a new £130 million ‘Growth Catalyst’ Innovate UK scheme focused on scaling innovative businesses in Industrial Strategy growth sectors. This offers grants, aligned private sector investment, and tailored support to companies, and this approach has a track record of driving 10:1 follow-on investment.

What support her Department provides to school trusts to safeguard against cyber attacks and to protect children's personal data.

The department provides guidance to help schools build their cyber resilience in our Cyber Security Standards, which address the core principles of cyber governance, processes and strategy.We have also introduced a free interactive assessment tool, Plan Your Technology, to help schools understand if they meet our Cyber Security Standards and support schools to achieve them. We have incorporated the cyber security standards into Keeping Children Safe in Education and the Academy Trust Handbook. The department also has a small, dedicated sector cyber security team to support schools. This team provides appropriate advice and guidance via regular targeted and broad communications and more specific incident signposting when required.The department’s Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) added cover for cyber incidents from 2022. With over 60% of schools RPA members, in the event of a cyber incident they have access to a 24/7 Incident Response Service.We also work closely with the National Cyber Crime Security Centre (NCSC), who offer cyber security tools and guidance for schools, including free Protective Domain Name Service.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has she made of the implications for UK waste disposal and consumer product policy of the levels of unwanted electrical items discarded annually by households which could be reused or repaired.

We have not undertaken this assessment. The WEEE Regulations 2013 are designed to minimise the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) incinerated or sent to landfill sites. The regulations require producers of electrical equipment to take financial responsibility for products they place on the market when they become waste and to ensure they are properly collected and treated. The Government is committed to move towards a Circular Economy where we keep products in use for longer and waste is designed out. In the new year, we will publish the Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how the Government will deliver this transition in sectors right across the economy, including electricals.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88639, how many eVisa error correction webforms have been completed since 12 December 2024.

The Department publishes a range of data on its digital status programme and will be, in due course, publishing management information on the volumes of eVisa error corrections webforms received.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 85147, what proportion of health research and development has been spent on dentistry in each of the past three years; and how the decision to allocate each sum to dentistry was arrived at.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 November 2025 to Question 85147 in which I noted that between 2022/23 and 2024/25 the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department’s research delivery arm, directly spent £18.2 million on research projects and programmes on dentistry research.Programme funding allocated to a particular topic area is not calculated as a proportion of total NIHR spend. This is because, in addition to directly investing in research projects and programmes, the NIHR also provides investment for cross-cutting research delivery within the National Health Service and wider health and care system, including research facilities and workforce, known as NIHR infrastructure.The NIHR funds research in response to receiving high-quality applications through regular funding opportunities. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 85760 on Visas: Digital Technology, when the eVisa error form was introduced; and how many of those forms have been received.

Between 1st November 2024 and 12th December 2024 customers could use the former Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) error form to report issues to UKVI on both their eVisa and their BRPs. A standalone eVisa error correction webform was then rolled out by UK Visas and Immigration on 12th December 2024.The Department publishes a range of data on its digital status programme and will be, in due course, publishing management information on the volumes of eVisa error corrections webforms received.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many British nationals are serving in the Israeli Defence Forces.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to the question 44556 on 23 April 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 85759 on Imports: Israel, how his Department determines whether there are doubts about the declared origin of goods.

HMRC takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement but does not provide specific details regarding checks, as it may serve to undermine compliance activity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has she made of the implications for her policies of the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner press release entitled “More than a human can bear”: Israel's systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since October 2023, published on 13 March 2025.

Allegations of sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians by Israeli forces are extremely concerning. We unequivocally condemn sexual violence in Palestine, in Israel, and wherever it occurs in the world. The UK has consistently called for all reports, to be fully investigated to ensure justice for victims and survivors. We continue to call on Israel to fully enable the UN and its agencies to deliver their mandate in Palestine, including allowing the UN and partners to implement protection programmes for survivors of gender-based violence and vulnerable groups.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 83308 on Export Controls: Israel, whether his Department has considered introducing a formal (a) certification and (b) verification mechanism for importers to demonstrate that goods originating from Israel are not produced in illegal settlements.

Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law. Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences. Where there are doubts about the declared origin of goods, HMRC undertakes checks to verify the origin and ensure fiscal compliance. Separately, we are conducting a review of Responsible Business Conduct, focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK, as outlined in our Trade Strategy.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the eVisa system since its rollout; and whether any complaints have been received on (a) accessibility issues and (b) inaccuracies in eVisa records.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition that strives to ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported as we transform our immigration system. All our digital status online services are designed to be compliant with relevant accessibility legislation. People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre to request that an account is created for them so they can access their eVisa. They can also get help to access their eVisa from Grant Funded Organisations or Local Authorities, or through the Assisted Digital Service if they are digitally excluded. We have increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK. In response to feedback from users, we have also provided information and guidance videos on GOV.UK which show all users how to access and use their UKVI account. If a person notices any inaccurate details in their eVisa, for example, their eVisa is showing a wrong date of birth or immigration status, or they cannot see their eVisa after creating their UKVI account, they should report the error as soon as possible via: eVisas: access and use your online immigration status: Report an error with your eVisa - GOV.UK Once the eVisa error form has been submitted, we prioritise the resolution of their issue and people will receive an email notification when the error or issue has been resolved.

Innovation and Technology, with which countries does the UK operate international science partnership funds; and how much and what proportion of the funding for the partnership with Japan is from (a) public and (b) private sources and (i) domestic and (ii) foreign contributors.

The International Science Partnership Fund currently operates in:United States of America, Japan, Canada, India, South Korea, Switzerland, Australia, Germany, Israel, Taiwan, China, Ireland, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Denmark, and Latvia (non-ODA)South Africa, Kenya, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Philippines, Vietnam, Turkey, and Ghana (ODA)Information on spend in Japan is not provided under the exemptions in the Ministerial Code that cover information that is not currently held and where there would be a disproportionate cost to gaining it.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with science and discovery centres on their financial resilience since the covid-19 pandemic.

The Government recognises the important role these centres play in engaging the public with science and inspiring young people. As set out in the answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 84033, Minister Vallance has followed up with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to explore a coordinated approach to supporting these centres. I refer my honourable friend to that answer for further detail.

How much the Department has spent on dental research in each of the last three years.

The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).  Between the 2022/23 and 2024/25 financial years, the NIHR directly spent £18.2 million on research projects and programmes on dentistry research. The following table shows the spend on dentistry research, to the nearest £100,000, from 2022/23 to 2024/25 and in total over that period:Financial yearSpend2022/2023£5.1 million2023/2024£7.1 million2024/2025£6.1 millionTotal£18.2 million The Department, through the NIHR, also funds clinical academic training for doctors and dentists through the Integrated Academic Training Programme. This includes Academic Clinical Fellowships (ACFs) at the pre-doctoral level and Clinical Lectureships (CLs) at the post-doctoral level. From 2022 to 2024, 53 ACFs and 15 CLs were recruited in dentistry, with an estimated total value of over £14 million across the duration of the awards.In addition, investments in NIHR infrastructure, not included in the figures above, support the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality translational, clinical, and applied research that is funded by the NIHR’s research programmes, other public funders of research, charities, and the life sciences industry. This has supported the delivery of over 50 studies and the recruitment of over 12,000 participants in research under the specialty area of oral and dental health in the last three financial years.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including dental research. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

What comparative assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the adult oral health survey (a) before and (b) after the decision to no longer include the examination of patients in the survey.

There has been no comparative assessment of the effectiveness of the adult oral health survey (AOHS) before and after the changes in data collection. This decision occurred for the 2021 survey only, to adapt to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, where face to face examinations were not feasible. The most recent 2023 AOHS survey has reintroduced a clinical examination of participants.An online and paper survey without an oral examination was undertaken in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results from this survey, published in January 2024, are therefore not comparable to the rest of the survey series. The most recent AOHS, provisionally scheduled to be published on 9 December, is a comprehensive survey that will include results of an oral examination of consenting participants. The survey is similar in content to the one that was conducted in 2009 and published at the time by NHS Digital.

What proportion of Israeli goods imported to the UK are from the Occupied Territories.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as an accredited official statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.

Innovation and Technology, what proportion of Government cloud services are hosted on (a) AWS, (b) Google and (c) Microsoft infrastructure.

The State of Digital Government report estimates up to 60% of the government estate is currently hosted on cloud platforms, mostly using AWS, Microsoft and Google. More granular data on the split between AWS, Google and Microsoft infrastructure is not currently held. However, the Government Digital Service in DSIT is developing a cloud consumption dashboard to provide government with greater visibility of cloud usage and costs across the public sector.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the impact of the AWS outage on 20 October 2025 on Government Digital Services.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is leading Government’s response to the AWS outage that took place on Monday 20 October 2025. DSIT continues to work across government and with businesses to understand the full impacts of the outage. All AWS services were restored on Monday evening and DSIT is in contact with AWS to understand how such events can be mitigated in the future.The outage affected a number of suppliers and departments, and it will take some time to fully understand the scale of the impact. DSIT will be gathering a full picture of the impact on government in the coming weeks.The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this Winter, which will set out a clear approach for the Government and the Wider Public Sector to manage cyber security and resilience incidents.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the resilience of Government Digital Services to outages.

In the 2025 State of Digital Government review, cyber security and digital resilience risks were identified as critically high across the public sector, and we are taking immediate action to make Government services more secure, resilient and reliable.Government has a robust set of policies that ensure there are well-defined and tested incident management processes in place, providing continuity of essential functions in the event of system or service failure.Furthermore, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this Winter, which sets out a clear approach for Government and the public sector to manage cyber security and resilience incidents.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has issued guidance to financial institutions on its investment decisions in the context of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, published in July 2024.

There is guidance on gov.uk setting out the clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity.