Written questions by Jardine.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart about (a) freedom of religion in that country and (b) the case of Ehsan Shan.

The UK condemns the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan. I underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Azam Tarar on 19 November. On 20 November, I attended a meeting with Pakistan's Minister of Interior Mosin Naqvi, where the British High Commissioner and I raised concerns about threats of violence directed towards Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan. Officials at the British High Commission Islamabad regularly raise our concerns surrounding the mistreatment of minorities with the Pakistani authorities, including law enforcement officials. We regularly raise our opposition to the death penalty and concerns about the misuse of blasphemy laws, both in principle and in relation to specific cases.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting an exemption to the extra money owed in vehicle tax for cars with a list price of more than £40,000 if the vehicle is a registered taxi with wheelchair accessibility improvements.

The Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) is an additional Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) supplement payable from year 2-6 of a car’s lifecycle, and liable on new cars with a list price of £40,000 or more.Any vehicle modifications for disabled users made prior to first registration are not included when calculating the list price for the purposes of ECS. However, there is no exemption from the ECS for modifications made to taxis for disabled users after the first registration.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to review bilateral development aid to India in the context of India’s continuing trade relationships with Russia.

The UK Government recognises India's long and historic relationship with Russia. The UK Government regularly raises Russia's actions in Ukraine with India. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary raised this with Indian External Affairs Minister in September.Most of FCDO's bilateral development funding for India is targeted at helping tackle climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This is primarily done through investments and sharing expertise.Ministers are reviewing the FCDO's ODA budget to ensure it delivers on our priorities. We are committed to transparency and will publish ODA allocations for 2024-25.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) ensure the safety of and (b) mitigate potential risks posed by the decommissioning of nuclear submarines at Rosyth Royal Dockyard for surrounding residential areas.

All the submarines currently stored at Rosyth have already been defueled, which has significantly reduced overall potential risk. Further, steps include contractual requirements with Babcock International around safety and environmental factors. These include regular sampling of surrounding waters and beaches, and dismantling one boat as a demonstrator to determine the safest methods before starting on other boats. In addition to the safety and environmental activities the Ministry of Defence and Babcock undertake, we also comply with permits and regulatory requirements from the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR), the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). This includes annual emergency exercises with ONR to plan and test for any potential incidents, in the very unlikely event that a significant issue may occur.

Whether she plans to retain the graduate visa route at the current eligibility salary threshold.

The Graduate route does not have a salary threshold for eligibility.As set out in by the Home Secretary in her written statement on the 30th July, this Government values the economic and academic contribution that international students make to this country, including those here on the Graduate route.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle biodiversity loss.

Britain’s nature is in crisis. Nearly half of our bird species and a quarter of our mammal species are at risk of national extinction. Biodiversity has been declining at an unprecedented rate since 1970. That is why this Government has wasted no time in announcing a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan, to be completed by the end of the year, to make sure it is fit for purpose. We will introduce a new, statutory plan to protect and restore our natural environment, delivering on our legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030.