Written questions by Chambers.

Whether a film can qualify for the AVEC and IFTC tax credits if all other eligible criteria is met but all the images and audio were created by AI.

Details on the eligibility criteria for the Audio Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) and Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC) can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-audio-visual-expenditure-credits-for-corporation-tax. The Government continues to monitor the use of AI in film production and keeps the tax system under constant review.

What assessment she has made of the benefits of updating the Education Act 1944 with regard to distance thresholds for school transport.

The government is committed to creating opportunities for all children so that they can achieve and thrive. The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport.The eligibility criteria are set out in the Education Act 1996 and were amended by the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Whilst the statutory walking distances have been in place since the 1940s, children within walking distance can now also have free travel if they cannot walk to school because of their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the route is unsafe. Extended rights to home to school travel now support school choice for children from low-income families where the cost of transport may otherwise be a barrier. We do not currently have any plans to change the existing statutory framework for home to school travel.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the UK's artificial intelligence regulation.

AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, which is why the UK believes that the vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at the point of use. In response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the Government committed to work with regulators to boost their capabilities.This is complemented by the work of the AI Security Institute which has deepened our understanding of the critical security risks posed by frontier.The Government will act where evidence shows further measures are needed. New offences in the Crime and Policing Bill will criminalise AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material. The Secretary of State has also confirmed that the Government is examining how emerging AI services, such as chatbots, interact with the Online Safety Act, and what further measures may be required. The Government remains committed to ensuring the UK is prepared for the changes AI will bring.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential risk of the widespread use of artificial intelligence systems on children.

The Government takes the safety of children extremely seriously. We recognise the potential risks that AI systems pose, and that is why strong protections already apply. Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope AI services must assess the risk of harm to users from illegal content on their services and implement measures to manage and mitigate this risk. Where services are likely to be accessed by children, they will be required to take action to protect them from harmful content. In‑scope AI services must assess and mitigate the risk of illegal content, including AI‑generated material.Government has been clear that it will continue to take further action where required. We have introduced new offences in the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material. Additionally, the Secretary of State has confirmed in Parliament that the government is exploring how emerging services, such as AI chatbots, interact with the Online Safety Act and what further measures may be required.

How his Department calculated the cost of additional spending on medicines over the spending review period.

In relation to the recently announced plans to increase the standard cost-effectiveness threshold used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), costs will start smaller but will increase over time as NICE approves more life improving and life-saving medicines. Total costs over the Spending Review period are expected to be approximately £1 billion. The final costs will depend on which medicines NICE recommends and the actual uptake of these.We have no plans to publish an impact assessment or details of the modelling which led to this estimated figure. This deal is a vital investment that builds on the strength of our National Health Service and world leading life sciences without taking essential funding from our frontline NHS services.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department instructed Jonathan Benger to meet with the United States Ambassador.

Ministers, officials and executives from a wide range of UK departments and agencies are in regular dialogue with US interlocutors on an equally wide range of issues. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not hold records of all such discussions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the US ambassador on the potential summoning of Jonathan Benger.

Ministers, officials and executives from a wide range of UK departments and agencies are in regular dialogue with US interlocutors on an equally wide range of issues. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not hold records of all such discussions.

Whether he plans to develop a national infection strategy.

The Government already has evidence-based policies in place to embed system-wide infection prevention and control measures to mitigate the impact of infection.For example, the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) for England provides guidance on infection control for National Health Service healthcare staff of all disciplines in all care settings. The NIPCM, last updated in July 2025, is a live document that is updated in line with new evidence and lessons learned. More broadly, the UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) 2024 to 2029 contains targets and commitments to address rises in both infection and in antimicrobial prescribing that could arise as a consequence of infection. Further information on the UK 5-year action plan for AMR is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-5-year-action-plan-for-antimicrobial-resistance-2024-to-2029

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on adding chalk streams to the list of irreplaceable habitats in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Chalk streams are a large source of national pride. As one of Britain’s most nature-rich habitats, they support some of our rarest wildlife. During the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill last year, the Government committed to consulting on National Planning Policy Framework to give explicit recognition to chalk streams in the new suite of planning policies for decision making and seek to ensure that chalk streams are explicitly recognised as features of high environmental value. Also, Local Nature Recovery Strategies statutory guidance will be amended to encourage chalk streams to feature prominently. The Government has has also set out clearer expectations for development proposals to assess and mitigate adverse impacts to water quality on these sensitive waterbodies. The consultation on changes to the NPPF is available here: National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system - GOV.UK and will remain open for responses until 10th March 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether mandatory testing of seized illegal meat imports includes testing for infectious agents such as foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, and antimicrobial resistance genes.

Defra does not test seized illegal meat imports for infectious agents. Border Force and local authorities seize illegal meat imports, which must be safely disposed of in accordance with animal by-products rules.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to support the sovereignty of NATO allies.

The UK is steadfast in its commitment to NATO. For over 75 years, NATO has kept us safe, prosperous and united.Last week, the Foreign Secretary visited the Arctic Circle, where she emphasised that Arctic security is a critical transatlantic partnership issue for the security of the UK and NATO, and that we will tackle this emerging threat as an alliance.We are committed to upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders.Europeans continue to take greater responsibility for their own security, including through historic increases in defence spending.

Innovation and Technology, what recent progress her Department has made on introducing an artificial intelligence bill; what timetable has been set for its publication; and what interim regulatory steps are being taken to help tackle risks relating to artificial intelligence.

The government does not speculate on legislation ahead of future parliamentary sessions.A range of existing rules already apply to Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation and other forms of sectoral regulation.AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, which is why the UK believes that the vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at the point of use. In response to the AI Action Plan, the Government committed to work with regulators to boost their capabilities.This is complemented by the work of the AI Security Institute which has deepened our understanding of the critical security risks posed by frontier.However, the government will not hesitate to act where evidence suggests that further action is necessary.On 3 December 2025, the DSIT Secretary of State confirmed in Parliament that the government is exploring how emerging services, such as AI chatbots, interact with the Online Safety Act and what further measures may be required. Further to this, we are signing the commencement order to urgently bring powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent into force.We will also legislate to criminalise nudification apps. This new criminal offence will make it illegal for companies to supply tools specifically designed to create non-consensual intimate images.The government remains committed to ensuring the UK is prepared for the changes AI will bring.

Innovation and Technology, what fines, sanctions or enforcement measures her Department is applying to technology companies that make available artificial intelligence tools capable of generating sexually explicit images, in particular of women and children.

Under the Online Safety Act, sharing, or threatening to share, a deepfake intimate image without consent is a criminal offence. The government will also urgently bring into force a new offence which criminalises the creation of intimate images without consent.We will also legislate to criminalise nudification apps. This new criminal offence will make it illegal for companies to supply tools specifically designed to create non-consensual intimate images.Ofcom is the enforcement regulator for the Online Safety Act and it has confirmed it is opening a formal investigation into X due to concerns over non consensual intimate images.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to prevent software companies from releasing artificial intelligence tools that enable the creation of sexually explicit images, in particular of women and children.

Under the Online Safety Act, sharing, or threatening to share, a deepfake intimate image without consent is a criminal offence. The government will also urgently bring into force a new offence which criminalises the creation of intimate images without consent.We will also legislate to criminalise nudification apps. This new criminal offence will make it illegal for companies to supply tools specifically designed to create non-consensual intimate images.Ofcom is the enforcement regulator for the Online Safety Act and it has confirmed it is opening a formal investigation into X due to concerns over non consensual intimate images.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times and improve contact accessibility for Child Maintenance Service users in Winchester constituency.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to improving accessibility and customer experience for all users, including those in the Winchester constituency. The Department recognises that call waiting times and contact routes have not always met expected standards and has taken steps to address this.CMS has implemented the Digital Assist Telephony Service to support customers to use online services and reduce avoidable call demand.CMS has invested in enhanced telephony routing to prioritise vulnerable customers and direct callers to the right support quickly, with additional operational capacity deployed when required to maintain service levels. CMS has extended weekday telephony hours to 6pm to meet demand.CMS has expanded digital self-service, including Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance (GHACM) and My Child Maintenance Case (online account), which provide 24/7 access for parents to manage their case without needing to call, improving accessibility and offering greater flexibility on how and when customers make contact. Communication has been further improved through the introduction of online messaging for specific processes, with further expansion planned.By promoting self-service options online and efficient call routing, we have freed up valuable resources to deliver a more responsive service and allow caseworkers more time to better assist customers who need to reach out to us via telephone. These measures are delivering progresses.The Department will continue to monitor performance and invest in further improvements to ensure customers receive timely, high-quality support through the channels that best meet their needs and remains committed to providing a reliable, fair and responsive service for all parents across the country.

What estimate he has made of the number of apps which offer mental health advice via (a) chatbots and (b) large language models.

The Department has not made an assessment or estimated the number of mental health advice chatbots and large language models.Publicly available artificial intelligence (AI) applications that are not deployed by the National Health Service, such as ChatGPT and Character AI, are not regulated as medical technologies and may offer incorrect or harmful information. Users are strongly advised to be careful when using these technologies.

Innovation and Technology, how many meetings she has had since taking on her post on the safety risks posed by AI chatbots to children.

I meet regularly with civil society, industry and Ofcom to discuss online safety, including the risks of AI chatbots to children.AI services allowing users to share content with one another or that search the live web are covered under the Online Safety Act and have a duty to protect users from illegal content, and children from harmful content.I have already asked officials to investigate how the Act covers AI chatbots and I am considering what more can be done.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of an independent national review into the use and oversight of ventricular assist devices in the NHS.

Guidance on the use of medical devices is a matter for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which has existing guidance on the use of left ventricular assistance devices available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg516

How many deaths have been recorded in inpatient mental health settings in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not held centrally. All deaths of children and young people under the care of Tier 4 inpatient children and young people’s mental health services are routinely reported to the Department via NHS England. Such deaths are also notified to the Care Quality Commission and the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health.Since 2019, there have been a total of 23 deaths of young people aged under 18 years old in contact with Tier 4 services, including those on home leave, or who had absconded. We are unable to provide the information broken down by year, as the annual data held by NHS England includes a small patient count of fewer than five cases which could lead to the identification of individuals.All providers are required to notify the Care Quality Commission of the deaths of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. The following table shows the number of deaths of patients detained under the Mental Health Act notified to the Care Quality Commission in the last five years:YearTotal202047420214052022410202333520243432025311Total2278Source: the Care Quality CommissionNotes:this data does not include deaths in mental health inpatient settings where the patient was not detained under the Mental Health Act; anddata for 2025 is up to 2 December 2025.This data is counts of notifications to the Care Quality Commission under Regulation 17 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, Notification of death or unauthorised absence of a service user who is detained or liable to be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

How many police officer suicides were recorded in the last five years.

The Home Office does not collect data on the number of suicides attended by police or the number of police suicides.Data on suicides by occupation have previously been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/adhocs/2726suicidebyoccupationinenglandandwales2023and2024provisional.A National Action Plan for Suicide Prevention and Postvention in policing has been launched, which aims to reduce rates among the police workforce as well as enhancing data recording. The plan, which includes ensuring adequate training for the police workforce, emphasises a supportive environment that promotes mental health and combats stigma to ensure that those affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts can access appropriate and timely support.