Written questions by Lewell.

What assessment she has made of the reasons why the recent business rates revaluation results in projected increases of up to 76 per cent in liabilities for pubs over the three-year revaluation period, after transition, compared with projected increases of around 16 per cent for distribution warehouses.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. Government support also means that most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, including grassroots music venues, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. However, because of the support the Government has put in place, this has fallen to just 4%.

Whether it is her policy that the business rates system should level the playing field between high street businesses and online retailers.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. Government support also means that most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, including grassroots music venues, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. However, because of the support the Government has put in place, this has fallen to just 4%.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to amend policies on non-stun slaughter in the upcoming animal welfare strategy.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year. We will set out our priorities for animal welfare in the strategy upon publication.

What contingency plans the government has to (a) identify and (b) remove asbestos in schools scheduled for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete remediation.

The department takes the safety of children and those who work with them incredibly seriously.By the end of this parliament, every school and college in England, that is not being fully or substantially rebuilt, will be reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) free.For those schools needing to be rebuilt, under the School Rebuilding Programme every project will be in delivery by the end of the Parliament, with over half already underway.When asbestos is encountered in the process of removing RAAC, it will also be removed.More broadly, responsible bodies are duty-holders for asbestos management within their buildings and must follow requirements and standards set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The department requires responsible bodies to have robust asbestos management plans in place to manage their buildings effectively, in line with their legal duties, drawing on appropriate professional advice. HSE advice remains that it is generally safest to manage asbestos-containing materials in place, providing they are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the issue of non-stun slaughter will be included in the animal welfare strategy.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year. We will set out our priorities for animal welfare in the strategy upon publication.

With reference his Department's documents entitled Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System: 2024, updated on 3 October 2025, and Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System: 2023, published on 28 March 2024, how many victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 were female since 2021.

All those who choose to serve our country must be able to do so free from abuse, and with the dignity and respect they deserve. Sexual offending has no place in the Armed Forces, and anyone who commits a sexual offence can expect to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The number of victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 from 2021 to 2024 and in the published Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System official statistics were as follows, noting these are based on investigations opened (including referral and non-referral to the Service Prosecuting Authority) and not based on conviction. a) Rape: 4b) Sexual assault: 80c) Sexual activity with a child committed by a person in a position of trust: not recorded as a separate offence in the published official statistics. The total number of male and female victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 from 2021 to 2024 was 127. The number of female victims under the age of 18 is not published in the official statistics. Figures of fewer than three in each year have been suppressed to prevent inadvertent disclosure and are not included in these totals. Please note that I am unable to release any details concerning alleged victims of sexual offences which could lead to their identification. This is because of statutory restrictions and to ensure that victims of sexual offences are not deterred from coming forward. Therefore, in the interests of protecting the anonymity of the victims I will not be releasing information confirming whether any of the victims of sexual offences referred to in your question were based at the Army Foundation College at the time of the offence.

With reference his Department's documents entitled Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System: 2024, updated on 3 October 2025, and Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System: 2023, published on 28 March 2024, how many victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 were based at the Army Foundation College.

All those who choose to serve our country must be able to do so free from abuse, and with the dignity and respect they deserve. Sexual offending has no place in the Armed Forces, and anyone who commits a sexual offence can expect to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The number of cases involving victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 from 2021 to 2024 and in the published Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System official statistics were as follows, noting these are based on investigations opened (including referral and non-referral to the Service Prosecuting Authority) and not based on conviction. a) Rape: 4b) Sexual assault: 80c) Sexual activity with a child committed by a person in a position of trust: not recorded as a separate offence in the published official statistics. The total number of male and female victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 from 2021 to 2024 was 122. The number of female victims under the age of 18 is not published in the official statistics. Figures of fewer than three in each year have been suppressed to prevent inadvertent disclosure and are not included in these totals. Please note that I am unable to release any details concerning alleged victims of sexual offences which could lead to their identification. This is because of statutory restrictions and to ensure that victims of sexual offences are not deterred from coming forward. Therefore, in the interests of protecting the anonymity of the victims I will not be releasing information confirming whether any of the victims of sexual offences referred to in your question were based at the Army Foundation College at the time of the offence.

With reference his Department's documents entitled Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System: 2024, updated on 3 October 2025, and Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System: 2023, published on 28 March 2024, in how many cases involving victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 were offences of (a) rape, (b) sexual assault, and (c) sexual activity with a child committed by a person in a position of trust since 2021.

All those who choose to serve our country must be able to do so free from abuse, and with the dignity and respect they deserve. Sexual offending has no place in the Armed Forces, and anyone who commits a sexual offence can expect to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The number of cases involving victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 from 2021 to 2024 and in the published Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System official statistics were as follows, noting these are based on investigations opened (including referral and non-referral to the Service Prosecuting Authority) and not based on conviction. a) Rape: 4b) Sexual assault: 80c) Sexual activity with a child committed by a person in a position of trust: not recorded as a separate offence in the published official statistics. The total number of male and female victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 from 2021 to 2024 was 122. The number of female victims under the age of 18 is not published in the official statistics. Figures of fewer than three in each year have been suppressed to prevent inadvertent disclosure and are not included in these totals. Please note that I am unable to release any details concerning alleged victims of sexual offences which could lead to their identification. This is because of statutory restrictions and to ensure that victims of sexual offences are not deterred from coming forward. Therefore, in the interests of protecting the anonymity of the victims I will not be releasing information confirming whether any of the victims of sexual offences referred to in your question were based at the Army Foundation College at the time of the offence.

How many and what proportion of families are eligible to participate in the Healthy Start scheme.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start Scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start Scheme and the latest uptake figures, where data is available, are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/This data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household. In September 2025, Healthy Start supported over 356,000 people.The latest uptake figures, where data is available, are from March 2022. These figures represent the uptake across both the paper based and digital scheme. The paper based scheme closed at the end of March 2022.Due to an issue that was identified with the source data that is used to calculate the uptake of the Healthy Start Scheme, the uptake percentage is not currently being published. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care continue to work with the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHSBSA to resolve this issue. The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible.

What the uptake figures were for the Healthy Start scheme in the latest period for which data is available.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start Scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start Scheme and the latest uptake figures, where data is available, are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/This data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household. In September 2025, Healthy Start supported over 356,000 people.The latest uptake figures, where data is available, are from March 2022. These figures represent the uptake across both the paper based and digital scheme. The paper based scheme closed at the end of March 2022.Due to an issue that was identified with the source data that is used to calculate the uptake of the Healthy Start Scheme, the uptake percentage is not currently being published. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care continue to work with the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHSBSA to resolve this issue. The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible.

What recent discussions he has had with Kosovo counterparts on (a) strengthening defence and security collaboration and (b) industrial and armed forces cooperation.

As one of the first countries to recognise Kosovo’s independence in 2008, the UK has a strong bilateral defence relationship. We continue to play a leading role in the professionalisation of the Kosovo Security Force since its inception in 2009. Today our cooperation focusses on areas including training and exercising, defence education and defence reform. HMG also continue to explore future defence export opportunities to Kosovo. Alongside bolstering Kosovo’s security and resilience, this cooperation aims to support jobs throughout the United Kingdom and maintain our world-class defence-industrial base. Defence exports as well as bilateral defence cooperation were issues discussed when the Kosovan Director for Policy and Strategy met with UK Defence officials in the margins of DSEI in September.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Kosovo counterparts on a bilateral security agreement.

I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59980. We will update the Hon. Member and other colleagues in the usual way if there are any further developments to report. I met the acting PM of Kosovo on 22 October.

What the total cost to the public purse is for compensation paid to (a) (i) former and (ii) current armed forces personnel and (b) their solicitors in relation to the use of Lariam by the Armed Forces.

The Ministry of Defence is unable to disclose the total amount of damages paid out for common law claims related to Lariam as they are subject to the usual confidentiality undertaking agreed with claimants' legal representatives. The same applies to claimant legal costs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2025 to Question 77519 on Armed Forces: Mefloquine, when he expects the issue of claimants' legal costs to be resolved.

The claimant's legal costs are the subject of negotiation between the parties, and it is hoped that they will be resolved soon. It is not currently possible to provide a timeline.

How much the Government has spent on litigations with the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign group in each year since 2015.

We do not hold yearly breakdowns. Based on the information held, since 2015, the recorded legal costs on litigations with WASPI including disbursements and VAT are £82,700.84.

Whether results of (a) blood tests, (b) urine tests and (c) chest x-rays taken from UK troops serving at nuclear weapons tests were shared with (i) the US, (ii) Canada, (iii) Australia and (iv) New Zealand.

This Government has reset the relationship with nuclear test veterans and the organisations that support them. We remain committed to listening to their concerns and working collaboratively to address them. The Ministry of Defence is looking comprehensively at what information the Department holds regarding nuclear test veterans' medical records. I will update this House when we are in a position to share findings. On the hon. Member's specific question about information shared with the US, Canada, and New Zealand, we have not been able to find any evidence of this. General aspects of radiological and health protection management were shared with Australia during the tests. The 1985 Australian Royal Commission was provided with information on the management of radiological and health protection.

Whether his Department holds information on UK participation in civilian radiation experiments conducted by the US during the Cold War.

There is no evidence of any UK participation in unethical US radiation experiments on humans. Officials located ministerial correspondence dating from 1996 that summarise the details of UK conducted voluntary civilian experiments involving the use of low-level radioactive material at Harwell, Porton Down and AWE Aldermaston, dating back to the 1950s. These experiments were conducted appropriately and with due regard to the health and safety of the individuals involved who received a radiation dose significantly less than average national UK background radiation exposure. No reported illnesses or fatalities have resulted from these studies. I will place a copy of that document in the Library of the House.

For what reason his Department's settlement of Lariam claims involved a non-disclosure agreement with solicitors acting for veteran claimants.

Hilary Meredith Solicitors and the Ministry of Defence agreed to the inclusion of a confidentiality clause in the court order covering the damages settlement. It is a common feature of out of court settlements to keep confidential the amount of damages paid to claimants as well as the amount of legal costs paid to their solicitors.

Whether the Health and Safety Executive plans to update its Standard Occupational Classification asbestos mortality statistics to include (a) deaths over 75 and (b) non-occupational exposures.

The Health and Safety Executive does not currently plan to change the basis for its mesothelioma and asbestosis mortality statistics by last occupation of the deceased. These statistics use routinely collected data from the Office for National Statistics (for deaths in England and Wales) and National Records of Scotland (for deaths in Scotland) which currently only includes coded information on last occupation up to age 74 for deaths in England and Wales. The accuracy of occupational information is known to decline at older ages. The purpose of these statistics is to examine the relative frequency of recording of different occupations across this standard age range as evidence about the occupations most likely to be substantial sources of past asbestos exposure. These kinds of analyses cannot directly address the question of non-occupational exposure or provide a definitive assessment of past sources of occupational risk. They do however, together with other research evidence, help to identify the kinds of work associated with the highest risks historically.

What the total cost was of the sums agreed by his Department with Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd in connection with cases relating to the use of Lariam by armed forces personnel; and how many such claims have been settled.

Damages have been settled in all 434 claims brought by Hilary Meredith Solicitors against the Ministry of Defence relating to the use of Lariam. The claimants' legal costs have still to be resolved.