Written questions by Chambers.

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.

How many suicides were attended by police 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.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will commit to publishing Minette Batters’ farming profitability review in full.

Defra has worked with Baroness Minette Batters on a Farming Profitability Review to help farm businesses grow and contribute to the economy. The department is grateful for her hard work to finalise this review and Defra is carefully looking at the 57 recommendations. The Farming Profitability Review (FPR) will be published in December, ahead of Christmas. This review will feed into Defra’s wider work on the Farming Roadmap and the Land Use Framework, both due next year. Together, these will set out the Government’s long-term vision for agriculture and provide farmers with the certainty they need to plan for the future.

Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will accept the recommendations from the Farming Profitability Review in full.

Defra has worked with Baroness Minette Batters on a Farming Profitability Review to help farm businesses grow and contribute to the economy. The department is grateful for her hard work to finalise this review and Defra is carefully looking at the 57 recommendations. The Farming Profitability Review (FPR) will be published in December, ahead of Christmas. This review will feed into Defra’s wider work on the Farming Roadmap and the Land Use Framework, both due next year. Together, these will set out the Government’s long-term vision for agriculture and provide farmers with the certainty they need to plan for the future.

Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to publish its response to the Farming Profitability Review.

Defra has worked with Baroness Minette Batters on a Farming Profitability Review to help farm businesses grow and contribute to the economy. The department is grateful for her hard work to finalise this review and Defra is carefully looking at the 57 recommendations. The Farming Profitability Review (FPR) will be published in December, ahead of Christmas. This review will feed into Defra’s wider work on the Farming Roadmap and the Land Use Framework, both due next year. Together, these will set out the Government’s long-term vision for agriculture and provide farmers with the certainty they need to plan for the future.

What estimate he has made of the number of patients who no longer meet the criteria to reside in hospital in the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

The Department does not hold data on the number of patients who no longer meet the criteria to reside at a hospital level. However, figures by trust are published monthly by NHS England, and are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/discharge-delays/acute-discharge-situation-report/For the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which includes the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, there were on average 159 adult patients, occupying 19.9% of adult acute beds, who had no criteria to reside but were not discharged by the end of the day in October 2025. This was 5.9% higher than the England average of 14% for October 2025.To support trusts to tackle discharge delays, the Government published a new policy framework for the £9 billion Better Care Fund (BCF) in January 2025. This gives the National Health Service and local authorities accountability for setting and achieving joint goals for reducing discharge delays and preventing avoidable emergency admissions and care home admissions. Some areas are receiving targeted support from the BCF support programme.

Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of Health and Social Care on the potential merits of introducing heart screening for young people participating in physical education in (a) schools and (b) universities.

The department has not held specific discussions with the Department for Health and Social Care on heart screening for young people participating in physical education.All pupils attending compulsory education are required to take part in physical education as part of the national curriculum. We expect schools to be aware of the risks associated with sporting activities and to provide a safe environment for pupils. The government recognises the value of physical activity in enhancing the health and wellbeing of young people.Universities are autonomous institutions and are responsible for decisions about the welfare and health of their students.

How many and what proportion of payouts from maternity services were rated by Care Quality Commission as (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) requires improvement and (d) inadequate on safety in 2025.

NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. NHSR has advised that the information is not held in the format requested.NHSR does not hold data on the number or proportion of maternity service compensation payouts categorised by Care Quality Commission (CQC) safety ratings.Clinical negligence payments often relate to incidents that happened many years ago. The legal test for negligence is completely separate from the criteria used by the CQC for safety ratings, which do not assess whether an incident meets the legal definition of negligence.

Whether he plans to allocate funding to innovative diagnostics to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

The United Kingdom’s 2024 to 2029 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national action plan (NAP) highlights the importance of accurate diagnostic testing to guide effective antibiotic use.Outcome six of the NAP commits to cross-sector working to develop diagnostics as a tool to tackle AMR. The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has invested over £16 million into programme funding for AMR diagnostics research. The Department also funds the NIHR HealthTech Research Centres, which accelerate development of healthcare technologies, including diagnostics.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has taken steps to help prevent the use of British weapons by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.

I refer the Hon. Member to the response provided to the Urgent Question on Sudan: Protection of Civilians on 30 October.

If he will host the Global Ministerial Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2028.

The United Kingdom is looking forward to participating actively in the fifth Ministerial High-Level Conference on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which will be held in Nigeria in 2026. The Government is considering how best to celebrate the 2028 centenary of the UK's discovery of penicillin. We will internally consider whether this will include bidding to host the sixth Ministerial High-Level Conference on AMR, which will take place in 2028.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 80723 on Stray Dogs, with which stakeholders her Department has met.

The Department regularly meets key stakeholders to discuss issues affecting animal welfare. This includes the Canine and Feline Sector Group, a coalition of organisations from the animal welfare, veterinary, and pet industry sectors which includes the RSPCA and Dogs Trust.

What steps he is taking to (a) support, (b) rollout and (c) ensure equality of regional access to whole Genome Sequencing for primary brain cancer patients; and what plans he has to review (i) refrigeration issues, (ii) access and (iii) speed of processing.

Genomic testing is delivered through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service via seven regional NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (NHS GLHs). Testing follows the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes whole genome sequencing (WGS) for neurological tumours, including primary brain cancers, for both diagnostic and treatment purposes. NHS England has produced national sample handling guidance for WGS of solid tumours, including brain tumours, to standardise collection, processing, and transport. This supports collaboration between neurosurgeons, pathologists, and NHS GLHs to maintain DNA quality and improve access to WGS. Approaches to the handling of fresh tissue have been reviewed, including the use of tissue stabilisers, to reduce some of the barriers of having to acquire, freeze, and transport the frozen tissue, which will speed up processes. These measures aim to address variability and ensure equitable regional access to WGS for brain tumour patients. NHS England monitors performance through Patient Level Contract Monitoring data and works with NHS GLHs to address variation and drive improvements.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of and (b) effectiveness of the response from local authorities in tackling stray dogs.

The Government regularly meets with stakeholders to understand the issues and trends affecting the sector. This includes the impact of the rising cost of living on pet owners and welfare organisations, as well as issues local authorities may face in meeting their obligations related to stray dogs under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press notice entitled More lost pets to return home as microchipping system reformed, published on 29 March 2024, what progress her Department has made on introducing a central portal to search pet microchip records.

The Department is working closely with the Association of Microchip Database Operators to explore the development of an industry-led solution that would make it easier for authorised users to access information contained on the databases digitally.

What plans his Department has to include all low-grade (a) Astrocytomas and (b) gliomas that eventually become high-grade terminal cancers in its forthcoming cancer plan.

The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.The plan will include further details on speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.The Government recognises the significant impact of rare cancers, such as glioma brain tumours, on patients and on their families and carers, and has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours, and increasing life expectancy.

What steps his Department is taking to improve support for family carers.

Our 10 Year Health Plan will boost support for family carers via digital tools like MyCarer, and include them in care planning and shared decision-making processes.We have already taken action. We have raised the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit to £196 per week - the biggest increase since 1976. We have also launched an independent commission into adult social care, to shape adult social care and address unpaid carers’ needs.

What steps he is taking to improve the identification of young carers by adult mental health services.

Local authorities are required by law to take reasonable steps to identify young carers in their area that need support, and to undertake an assessment of need, where appropriate. To support local authorities in their child protection duties, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which was introduced to Parliament in December 2024, contains provisions that will strengthen multi-agency working with children and families by introducing a new duty on safeguarding partners, including local authorities, police, and health services.We recognise that, when someone is admitted to a mental health hospital or detained under the Mental Health Act, young carers are not always appropriately identified by adult mental health services. To improve this, as part of the reforms to the Mental Health Act, we plan to encourage individuals to make the presence of any young carers known in their Advance Choice Document. This document is intended to be a source of key information for mental health professionals if the individual experiences a mental health crisis.Furthermore, provisions in the Mental Health Bill aim to ensure that people who care for a patient’s welfare, such as young carers, are proactively involved in the patient’s statutory care plan by the clinician. We will include guidance in the revised Mental Health Act Code of Practice to help ensure young carers are appropriately involved and supported.NHS England is working to support the identification of young carers and has recently published guidance for general practitioners. NHS England is also utilising data to help support greater joined up work between health, education, and social care.

What steps she is taking to support victims of economic abuse when applying for monies that they are entitled to through the Child Maintenance Service.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) takes the issue of domestic abuse extremely seriously and recognises that domestic abuse can take many forms including physical, emotional, or financial abuse, violent or threatening behaviour and coercive control. The CMS has procedures in place to ensure victims and survivors of domestic abuse can use its services safely. CMS caseworkers will also signpost, where needed, to suitable domestic abuse organisations, if domestic abuse is raised or suspected. All CMS caseworkers have extensive training, equipping them to be able to comprehensively act on a range of scenarios. For our most challenging and complex case groups, caseworkers complete and receive regular refresher training on specific aspects of customer service situations such as domestic abuse, advanced customer support and supporting vulnerable customers. Specialist Case Team is one of the measures CMS have introduced to manage cases with the most challenging or complex domestic abuse concerns. This has minimised the need for parents to recount their history of domestic abuse and caseworkers to deliver support to some of the most vulnerable customers. For parents using the Direct Pay service, the CMS can act as an intermediary to facilitate the exchange of bank details to help ensure there is no unwanted contact between parents and can provide information on how to set up bank accounts with a centralised sort code, which reduces the risk of a parent’s location being traced. The Government has announced plans to reform the Child Maintenance service, replacing the existing Direct Pay Service and moving to a service where the CMS collects and transfers all payments. This will remove any requirement for victims and survivors to provide evidence of domestic abuse, which we know can be difficult and traumatising. It will also remove any need for contact between parents and remove the need for receiving parents to report missed or late payments. The CMS will monitor all payments and take swift action as soon as payments break down. Managing all CMS cases in one service will allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster, and better support victims and survivors of domestic abuse who use the CMS.

Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of start-ups have relocated to Silicon Valley in the last ten years.

There is currently no available dataset that accurately provides the number or proportion of start-ups that have relocated to Silicon Valley. The UK remains Europe’s top tech ecosystem and the third most valuable globally. However, the Government knows that start-ups can face difficulties when scaling here. Our ambitious Industrial Strategy sets out our vision to make the UK, by 2035, one of the top three places in the world to create, invest in and scale-up a technology business. This includes an ambition to create the UK’s first trillion-dollar technology business by 2035. The government will achieve this through reforming the business environment by addressing the need for greater investment, skills, infrastructure, planning reform, regulatory reform and access to international markets.