Written questions by Mundell.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on departmental responsibility for cannabis-based medicinal products.

The Home Office leads on drug legislation and the Department of Health and Social Care and its Arm’s Length Bodies oversee healthcare and medicine regulation. This regulatory framework applies to all drugs under Schedules 1-5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, including cannabis-based products for medicinal use.No changes are planned to the current responsibilities. The Government has asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the impact of the 2018 change in the law, which enabled the widened use of cannabis-based products for medicines, and will consider the recommendations in the usual way.

What the costs of operating the Impact Panel under the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme are; and whether the costs of operating the Impact Panel will be taken from the £75M allocated for reparations.

I am withholding the cost of operating the Impact Panel under the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme as this information is commercial in confidence. None of the operating costs are taken from the £75 million allocated for making payments under the Scheme.

What monies he has allocated to fund publicity for the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme in order to ensure awareness of the Scheme.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to ensuring that all eligible LGBT Veterans are made aware of the Financial Recognition Scheme. To this end, we have employed a range of communication channels, including social media platforms, partnerships with external charities, and engagement with relevant networks, to reach out to LGBT Veterans affected by the historic ban. It would not be appropriate to disclose the precise funding allocated to these publicity efforts, as this information is considered commercially sensitive. Our priority remains ensuring that those impacted by the ban are informed ahead of the Financial Recognition Scheme’s closure at 23:59 on 12 December 2026, and we will continue to work with stakeholders and utilise appropriate communication methods to achieve this.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans she to continue to provide the current level of funding to the Child Nutrition Fund.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers provided to Questions 89032 (18 November), 35685 (14 March) and 28246 (11 February) on the issues of global malnutrition and hunger; Question 46477 (30 April) on the Child Nutrition Fund; and Question 35278 (14 March) on the work of the fund in Nigeria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Child Nutrition Fund on nutrition outcomes for women, children and newborns in Nigeria.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers provided to Questions 89032 (18 November), 35685 (14 March) and 28246 (11 February) on the issues of global malnutrition and hunger; Question 46477 (30 April) on the Child Nutrition Fund; and Question 35278 (14 March) on the work of the fund in Nigeria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress she has made on helping to tackle global malnutrition and hunger.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers provided to Questions 89032 (18 November), 35685 (14 March) and 28246 (11 February) on the issues of global malnutrition and hunger; Question 46477 (30 April) on the Child Nutrition Fund; and Question 35278 (14 March) on the work of the fund in Nigeria.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Speaker's Committee has had discussions with the Electoral Commission on the capacity of Dumfries and Galloway Council to (a) conduct the Scottish Parliament constituency counts for the (i) Dumfriesshire and Galloway and (ii) West Dumfries constituencies and (b) administer the South of Scotland regional count at the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections.

The Electoral Commission is supporting all local authorities that are holding elections next May, including Dumfries and Galloway Council.To address challenges administering counts, and following consultation with Returning Officers (ROs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and the Electoral Commission, the Convener of the Electoral Management Board (EMB) for Scotland recently directed electoral administrators to count votes for the Scottish Parliament elections for the day after the polls, rather than overnight.Election staff from Dumfries and Galloway Council were among those who recently attended a joint event with EMB and Commission aimed at supporting EROs and ROs preparing for elections.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to fulfil the UK's outstanding funding pledge of £173 million to Unitaid.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer of 20 October given to question 80764.

When she expects temporary restrictions on the carrying of liquids by passengers using airports that fully operate Next Generation Security Checkpoints to be lifted.

Passengers can already carry liquids in containers up to 2L where their airport has upgraded to equipment which has passed relevant certifications.

What steps she is taking with the Rail Delivery Authority to provide free train travel to veterans for remembrance events in 2025.

Rail operators will be supporting the Armed Forces community during this year’s Remembrance commemorations by offering free travel to Veterans and serving military personnel attending Remembrance Sunday services. In addition, complimentary travel will be provided to Royal British Legion volunteers and collectors participating in London Poppy Day.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 51426 on Energy: Meters, what the sequence will be of the phased switch off of the Radio Teleswitch Service from the end of June.

Energy suppliers led by the RTS Taskforce are planning a careful phase out of the Radio Teleswitch Service from 30 June. The Government is working closely with the RTS Taskforce, industry and Ofgem to ensure the phase out process is planned effectively and consumers are appropriately protected.

Whether her Department is taking steps to establish a national freight network.

In 2022, the then Government committed to identifying a National Freight Network, starting with improving the Department’s dataset to then develop a strategic picture of the transport network used to move freight. This complex work is underway and our vision for the next phase will be set out in the new plan for freight later this year.

What steps she is taking to ensure that financial reparations to LGBT veterans are not considered in assessments for benefit entitlement.

Financial recognition payments made to LGBT veterans as part of the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme are not taken into account in the assessment of DWP means-tested benefits. The Department has legislated to disregard these payments and issued guidance to our staff to advise them that these payments should be disregarded in calculating benefit entitlement.

What steps he is taking to help reduce syphilis diagnoses among heterosexual populations; and what targeted interventions he is (a) planning and (b) implementing.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published a sexually transmitted infection (STI) prioritisation framework in 2024 to inform local prioritisation decisions for the control of STIs, including syphilis. The UKHSA’s STI Prioritisation Framework is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sti-prioritisation-frameworkThe UKHSA also previously published a Syphilis Action Plan, which is focused on actions to control and prevent syphilis, which include:increasing the testing frequency of gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men who are at the greatest risk of syphilis, and increasing the re-testing of syphilis cases after treatment;delivering partner notifications to the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV’s standards;maintaining high antenatal screening coverage and vigilance for syphilis throughout antenatal care; andsustaining targeted health promotion.The wider population of heterosexual men and women should be offered a full sexual health screen when clinically appropriate, and especially when attending sexual health services. The UKHSA’s Syphilis Action Plan in available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/syphilis-public-health-england-action-plan

What steps he is taking to reduce the transmission of syphilis (a) among high-risk groups and (b) in general.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published a sexually transmitted infection (STI) prioritisation framework in 2024 to inform local prioritisation decisions for the control of STIs, including syphilis. The UKHSA’s STI Prioritisation Framework is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sti-prioritisation-frameworkThe UKHSA also previously published a Syphilis Action Plan, which is focused on actions to control and prevent syphilis, which include:increasing the testing frequency of gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men who are at the greatest risk of syphilis, and increasing the re-testing of syphilis cases after treatment;delivering partner notifications to the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV’s standards;maintaining high antenatal screening coverage and vigilance for syphilis throughout antenatal care; andsustaining targeted health promotion.The wider population of heterosexual men and women should be offered a full sexual health screen when clinically appropriate, and especially when attending sexual health services. The UKHSA’s Syphilis Action Plan in available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/syphilis-public-health-england-action-plan

What steps he is taking to ensure that antenatal screening for syphilis is (a) effective and (b) accessible to pregnant women.

Syphilis screening is offered to all pregnant women in early pregnancy. The proportion of women taking up the test, known as coverage, has remained high in England for a number of years. The acceptable threshold is 95%, and the achievable threshold is 99%. Coverage has been above the achievable threshold in England since the screening year from 2016 to 2017.This shows that pregnant women are being offered screening for syphilis as part of the NHS Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening (IDPS) programme, are accepting the test, and are receiving their screening result. The blood test used for the IDPS programme is generally well-accepted by pregnant women, as seen by the high coverage rates.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the Global Fund on tackling (a) HIV (b) tuberculosis and (c) and malaria globally.

The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria is the world's largest multilateral funder of global health grants in low- and middle-income countries . Since 2002, the Global Fund partnership has saved over 65 million lives and reduced the combined death rate from the three diseases by 63 per cent. In countries where the Global Fund invests, AIDS-related deaths have been reduced by 73 per cent, TB deaths have been reduced by 36 per cent and malaria deaths have been reduced by 28 per cent.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department is having with (a) their international counterparts and (b) private sector donors on maintaining their levels of funding for the Global Fund.

As the co-hosts of the Global Fund's 8th replenishment with South Africa we are actively engaging with both international counterparts and private sector partners to advocate maintaining or increasing funding for the Global Fund. The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) pledged $150 million to the Global Fund on 2 April at an event in parliament celebrating the contribution of the private sector. Minister West spoke at the meeting and welcomed the pledge, the first of the replenishment.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps with (a) Ukrainian health authorities and (b) NGOs to ensure the continuity of HIV services in Ukraine.

As a founding member and third largest investor, the UK is a committed partner of the Global Fund to fight health risks including HIV/AIDS. Since 2002, the Global Fund has invested more than US$980 million in Ukraine for HIV and TB programmes and to support strong and resilient health systems. The Global Fund allocated US$27.7 million in emergency funding to Ukraine between March 2022 and August 2023 to support the continuity of HIV (and TB) prevention, testing and treatment services. Through the investments of the Global Fund partnership, nearly 120,000 people received antiretroviral therapy for HIV in Ukraine in 2023 alone. Figures for 24/25 are not yet available.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support HIV (a) prevention and (b) treatment programs in Ukraine.

As a founding member and third largest investor, the UK is a committed partner of the Global Fund to fight health risks including HIV/AIDS. Since 2002, the Global Fund has invested more than US$980 million in Ukraine for HIV and TB programmes and to support strong and resilient health systems. The Global Fund allocated US$27.7 million in emergency funding to Ukraine between March 2022 and August 2023 to support the continuity of HIV (and TB) prevention, testing and treatment services. Through the investments of the Global Fund partnership, nearly 120,000 people received antiretroviral therapy for HIV in Ukraine in 2023 alone. Figures for 24/25 are not yet available.