Written questions by Taylor.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps with his international partners to reduce arms sales to warring parties in Sudan.

Support from external actors to both warring parties only prolongs the conflict and the terrible human suffering. In our engagement with international partners, the UK continues to emphasise the importance of refraining from activity that prolongs the fighting and rather use their influence to support a peaceful resolution to the conflict. We will continue to work closely with partners at the UN Security Council to enforce the existing UN sanctions regime and arms embargo on Darfur. There is also a longstanding UK arms embargo in place for the whole of Sudan.

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the wearing of balaclavas in public spaces.

Face coverings have a variety of legitimate purposes and as such the Government does not support a general ban on the wearing of balaclavas or other types of face coverings in public.However, the Crime and Policing Bill contains a new criminal offence of wearing, or otherwise using, an item that conceals identity in an area designated by police due to the risk of criminal activity taking place at protests. This will enable the police to put a stop to individuals hiding behind masks to avoid conviction for criminal activity at protests.

What discussions she has had with the police in Hertfordshire on tackling the driving of (a) motorbikes and (b) mopeds on (i) pavements and (ii) other public spaces in Hertfordshire.

Tackling anti-social behaviour involving vehicles is a priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.On 25 February 2025, the Crime and Policing Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill includes proposals to give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing vehicles.This will allow the police to quickly remove anti-social motorbikes and mopeds from pavements and other public spaces and send a clear message to antisocial drivers that their behaviour will not be tolerated.Enforcement of the law in Hertfordshire, including in relation to illegal driving of motorbikes, mopeds, on pavements and other public spaces, is an operational matter for Hertfordshire Police.

If she will hold discussions with the Parole Board on the potential impact of the release of James Hurley on PC Frank Mason's family.

James Hurley is rightly serving a life sentence for the murder of PC Frank Mason. The Court set his minimum term for the purposes of retribution and deterrence at 20 years. The minimum term expired on 8 January 2022, and from that date he became eligible for a review of his imprisonment by the independent Parole Board.To assist the Parole Board in making its determination, it received detailed risk assessments from experienced probation and prison officers. The Lord Chancellor also submitted an overarching view of Hurley’s remaining risk of serious harm. In the overarching view, the Lord Chancellor concluded that Hurley should not be released, because she had concluded that his risk remained too high for him to be safely managed in the community.Having considered all the reports, on 31 October 2024 the Parole Board directed Hurley’s release on life licence. The Lord Chancellor currently has only limited power to challenge a release decision by the Parole Board. Under the Parole Board Rules, she may apply to the Board to reconsider its decision where she has an arguable case that the decision is irrational or based on an error of law or reached in a procedurally flawed way. Unfortunately, there was no basis to apply for reconsideration, meaning that the release became final. Whilst the Lord Chancellor was disappointed by the outcome, she has to respect the independence of the Parole Board. By law, HMPPS then had to release him from prison.Hurley will be on licence for the rest of his life. He is currently subject to stringent licence conditions, including exclusion zones, and faces being recalled to prison if he breaches them. Mrs Neaves will be informed by her Victim Liaison Officer of any developments whilst Hurley is on licence. He is managed under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements. The statutory MAPPA framework requires the Probation and Police Service to work together to assess and manage the risks presented by known dangerous offenders.My thoughts are with Mrs Neaves at this difficult time.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the level of Russian involvement in the attack by pro-Assad forces prior to the outbreak of violence on the west coast of Syria in March 2025.

The events in Syria at the start of March 2025 were deeply concerning, and reports that large numbers of civilians have been killed are horrific. We are working as quickly as possible to establish from reliable sources of information what exactly happened and who was responsible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of harmful pesticides on the number of bees in Hertfordshire.

Defra has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of pesticides on Hertfordshire’s bee population. Defra funds a monitoring programme providing information about the concentrations of different pesticides in honey collected from beehives across England, and the subsequent risk to honeybees. Defra partly funds the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS) which generates systematic data on the abundance of bees and other flower-visiting insects at a national scale. Data from PoMS insect surveys contributes to providing an invaluable resource from which to measure trends in pollinator populations and target conservation efforts. England biodiversity indicators provide data about the relative abundance of wild bees. These schemes collect data from around the country and have been designed to ensure regional representation, but do not allow assessment of the impact of pesticides on bee populations locally. Pesticides are only authorised following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. This includes an evaluation of the effect on bees. Use of the neonicotinoid pesticide Cruiser SB is not allowed on sugar beet in England in 2025 as an application for its emergency use was not approved. This decision underlines the Government’s commitment to protecting pollinators and the wider environment.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of repurposing decommissioned Bofors anti-aircraft weapons for use in Ukrainian.

We have not assessed the potential merits of repurposing decommissioned Bofors anti-aircraft weapons for Ukraine, as the system was withdrawn from UK service in the 1970s and Defence no longer holds these systems. We have not received any requests from the Armed Forces of Ukraine for Bofors guns.We continue to work closely with the Ukrainian Government to ensure the capabilities we provide meet the tactical demands of the conflict as it evolves to resist Russia's illegal invasion. We have provided a number of capabilities to Ukraine that are similar to Bofors anti-aircraft weapons, and we have refurbished a number of previously decommissioned capabilities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10916 on Chelsea Football Club: Sales, for what reason the Government is unable to access these funds.

The proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club are currently frozen in a UK bank account. A licence from the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is needed to move or use the proceeds, but they are not Government funds.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of computer numerical control machines exported to Ukraine.

Computer numerical control (CNC) machines enable the precise production of advanced components. We have not received requests for CNC systems in the last two years. The Ministry of Defence is not taking any steps to increase the number of systems to Ukraine as we have not provided these type of systems to Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence has and continues to work closely with the Armed Forces of Ukraine to understand their specific requirements, this includes the provision of components and specific tools to enable production of systems and capabilities in Ukraine.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of computer numerical control machines to Ukrainian defence companies.

Computer numerical control (CNC) machines enable the precise production of advanced components. We have not received requests for CNC systems in the last two years. The Ministry of Defence is not taking any steps to increase the number of systems to Ukraine as we have not provided these type of systems to Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence has and continues to work closely with the Armed Forces of Ukraine to understand their specific requirements, this includes the provision of components and specific tools to enable production of systems and capabilities in Ukraine.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of joint ventures between the UK and Ukrainian defence industries.

The UK recognises the need to develop strong defence industrial partnerships with Ukraine to accelerate and deepen UK and Ukrainian defence industrial capacity and capability, and to rebuild its defence industrial base. Through Task Force HIRST, we actively encourage the development of partnerships and joint ventures between UK defence industry and local Ukrainian companies, and HMG has led five successful Trade Missions to Ukraine to bring together UK and Ukrainian Government and defence industry representatives, as well as international partners, to identify opportunities for developing sustainable, long-term cooperation and partnerships. I recently led a trade mission of UK, Dutch and Norwegian firms to Ukraine in support of these and other aligned objectives.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the potential impact of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 on the number of walkers in Scotland.

No, the Secretary of State has not had discussions with the Scottish Government on the potential impact of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 on the number of walkers in Scotland.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to extend the right to roam.

Our countryside and green spaces are a source of great national pride, and which boost public health and wellbeing, but too many across the country are left without access to the great outdoors. That is why the last Labour Government expanded public access by introducing the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which provided the public a right of access to large areas of mountain, moor, heath, down, registered common land and coastal margin in England. We will be reviewing the maps of this open access land ahead of the statutory deadline of 1 January 2031, to ensure that the public have clear information which can help them to access this land. The Government has decided to repeal the cut-off date which will save hundreds of miles of unregistered historic rights of way from the threat of extinguishment in 2031 ensuring that they can continue to be enjoyed by the public for years to come. We are continuing to increase access to nature for families to enjoy, for example through our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new National River Walks, plant three new National Forests, and empower communities to create new parks and green spaces in their communities with a new Community Right to Buy. We will announce further details on our plans for improving access to nature in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of the public's right to roam on levels of (a) mental health, (b) obesity and (c) stress.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential. The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. We will be working across Government departments to achieve this, including with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). Defra is already working closely with DHSC, alongside other partners, in the delivery of the Green Social Prescribing programme which directly examines the impact of increased use of nature-based interventions and activities on participants’ health and wellbeing. The first phase of the programme ran from October 2020 - March 2023, achieving around 8,500 referrals and demonstrating statistically significant improvements in participants’ mental health.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the number of vape shops on high streets in Hertfordshire on the prosperity of those high streets.

The quality of the public realm and the prosperity of high streets and town centres is of vital importance. The Government is supporting local efforts to reduce vacancy on high streets, including through High Street Rental Auctions, because of the damaging effect persistently empty shops can have on the vitality of town centres.The Government also recognises public sentiment about the value of some high street businesses will be mixed. Occupation of vacant units must in general be preferred to the alternative, including because of the benefits to high street footfall. The government encourages local partnership working between landlords, local government, businesses and residents to develop a unique vision for their high street. The planning system provides some tools to support these efforts, including the emphasis placed on local plans and diversification of primary shopping areas in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to make government digital services accessible to people without strong digital skills.

The Government Digital Service supports and incentivises departments to design digital services that are simple and easy to use. The Service Manual provides patterns to help departments design both online services for people with limited digital literacy and offline channels to support users, such as in person support at Post Offices for OneLogin.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the Child Maintenance Service takes action against people who are in arrears.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply and has made significant improvements to the process to speed up action when payments first break down and to target enforcement action more effectively.Where parents fail to take responsibility for paying for their children, the CMS will not hesitate to use the full range of strong enforcement powers available. These include, using Enforcement Agents (previously known as bailiffs) to take control of goods, forcing the sale of property, removal of driving license or UK passport, deductions directly from earnings and bank accounts or even commitment to prison.8% (£682.1 million) of the total maintenance due to be paid since the CMS began, remains to be collected through Collect & Pay but this is falling.In the past year to September 2024, the CMS collected £16.8 million from paying parents with civil enforcement actions in process and an additional £5.4 million from paying parents with our most serious enforcement action in process.In the twelve months to September 2024, there were 2,857 applications to the courts in England, Wales and Scotland for our most serious enforcement powers. Of these the courts issued two immediate prison sentences and 316 suspended prison sentences.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help tackle mould in (a) council and (b) housing association properties in Hertfordshire.

The government is committed to working with social housing providers to ensure that homes are safe, decent, warm, and free from damp and mould.The Deputy Prime Minister made a Written Ministerial Statement on 6 February (HCWS423) confirming that the government will be bringing Awaab’s Law into force for damp and mould in October 2025.Awaab’s Law is vital legislation that will empower social tenants to hold their landlords to account using the full force of the law if they fail to investigate and fix hazards within their homes within set timescales. It will also allow tenants to access the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord does not adhere to strict timelines for action.The government is also committed to consulting on a new Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards this year.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the Child Maintenance Service takes action against people committing fraud by hiding assets in order to avoid paying child maintenance.

Most parents pay some or all their maintenance liability without issue however, the Child Maintenance Service is aware of a small number of parents whose maintenance liability is inconsistent with their financial resources, usually because they can choose to support themselves via a complex arrangement of assets instead of, or in addition to, taking a salary.Cases involving complex income or suspected fraudulent behaviour can be looked into by the FIU. This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions to check the accuracy of information the CMS is given.In the quarter ending September 2024, 300 financial investigation cases were referred to the Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) in addition to 875 ongoing cases from previous quarters. In the same quarter, 340 financial investigations were completed of which 210 resulted in a maintenance assessment change.

What steps he is taking to help tackle speeding by motor vehicles in rural areas of Hertfordshire.

Excess speed is still a major cause of death and serious injury on our roads. Anyone who breaks the speed limit should expect to face sanction.Enforcement of speeding offences in rural areas of Hertfordshire and the deployment of available resources and capabilities is an operational matter for Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Chief Constable and Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner to determine, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.