Written questions by Campbell.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the reasons for the frequency of recent interruptions to online services on the Parliamentary estate.

The recent interruption to network services was caused by a problem with the way Parliament-issued devices, such as laptops, connect to our network; this prevented users from accessing the corporate wi-fi network. During this period, users were advised of alternative ways to access services, by connecting to our Wi-Fi Connect service.The issue has now been resolved and there should be no further impact to users but, as a precaution, wherever possible future work in this area will be scheduled to coincide with recess periods. A representative from the PDS Members’ Services Team is happy to meet with the Member to discuss this and any other issues arising from the outage.The Digital Service manages all technical issues with the potential to have significant impact to Parliament through a dedicated “Major Incident” process. This is mobilised to help both triage and resolve the technical issue and also to manage the impact, including keeping users informed and implementing any workarounds to minimise disruption.

If he will hold discussions with representatives of businesses with government contracts on ensuring that UK residents who are entitled to a UK passport following the passing of the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024 are not excluded from employment because they hold dual nationality.

None planned, as there is no DBT policy in relation to Govt contracts which differentiates treatment of UK residents who are entitled to a UK passport following the passing of the British Nationality Act 2024 from other UK residents.

When was data added to the NHS Federated Data Platform for (a) NHS trusts and (b) integrated care systems.

The NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) began rolling out to National Health Service trusts in April 2024, following a pilot phase from 2022. Integrated care boards began receiving their local instances from September 2024. Each organisation controls its own instance, enabling secure data sharing, where permitted by data protection law and supported by the appropriate governance. Information on uptake and benefits is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/fdp-uptake-and-benefits/

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership on Northern Ireland in its first year of operation.

The UK acceded to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on 15 December 2024.This comprehensive agreement will support businesses by making it easier for them to trade with CPTPP, and all nations of the UK are expected to benefit.It will reduce tariffs on some of Northern Ireland’s most-exported products to CPTPP countries, with tariffs of up to 30% eliminated on UK exports of machinery to Malaysia within five years.Government analysis estimates that the UK’s accession could boost Northern Ireland’s economy by around £70 million annually when compared to 2019 levels, in the long run.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 44921 on Electronic Travel Authorisations: Northern Ireland, if she will make an estimate of the number of people travelling between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland since January 2025 that should have had a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation but did not.

The UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys made within the common travel area, including from Ireland into Northern Ireland, and holds no data on total journeys made.The Home Office makes data relating to electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) available as part of its quarterly release of immigration system statistics.

If she will have discussions with car manufacturer representatives on the advisability of continuing with the installation of Euro New Cap Assessment Programme systems on all new vehicles.

The Department for Transport has regular discussions with representatives from the automotive industry to help guide future policy. The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is an independent charity, of which the Department is one of many members. It provides information to consumers on the relative safety of a range of new vehicles, including cars, so that they can factor safety into their vehicle buying decisions. Not all new vehicles are rated, but the process incentivises manufacturers to develop increasingly safer vehicles through better design and the use of new technology. It imposes no mandatory requirements, and it is a commercial decision for the vehicle manufacturers to determine which safety systems they choose to fit.

Whether the source of the reported drone activity near (a) RAF Lakenheath, (b) RAF Mildenhall and (c) RAF Feltwell in November 2024 has been determined.

The Ministry of Defence Police is leading the investigation into drone activity in November 2024 over RAF sites on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and we continue to work in partnership with our allies and the appropriate civilian authorities. We are unable to release information relating to the ongoing criminal investigation or operational security matters.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterparts on the case of Mr. Jimmy Lai since November 2024.

Jimmy Lai's case remains an utmost priority. This Government continues to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and release Jimmy Lai.The Foreign Secretary has raised this case at every opportunity with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, including in February, and April this year. I also remain in regular contact with Mr. Lai's son and last met him on 28 April. I raised Mr. Lai's case most recently with Chief Secretary, Eric Chan, on 30 May 2025.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Security Investment Programme.

A full evaluation has been undertaken of the £100 million Security Investment Programme (SIP), whose aim was to help strengthen security and reduce crime in prisons. The findings of the evaluation have been published and can be found at the following: Security Investment Programme Evaluation - GOV.UK.

How many motorists have taken speed awareness courses after being charged with speeding offences in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of speed limit offences that resulted in ‘driver retraining’, as part of its annual ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Roads policing’ statistical release. The latest data is available here Police powers and procedures: Roads policing, to December 2023 - GOV.UK and covers the calendar year ending December 2023.In 2022, there were 1,355,293 speed limit offences that resulted in driver retraining. In 2023, there were 1,495,462 speed limit offences that resulted in driver retraining.Data for 2024 is due to be published in late 2025.

What estimate she has made of the number of migrants coming into Northern Ireland from the Irish Republic in (a) 2022 and (b) 2024.

Journeys from Ireland to the UK are within the Common Travel Area (CTA). As part of the CTA arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls of individuals arriving in the UK by air or sea from within the CTA, and no immigration checks are undertaken at the land border with Ireland.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the World Bank on aligning new financial flows with the timelines of the Paris Agreement.

The World Bank Group's International Development Association and International Bank of Reconstruction and Development have aligned all their new financial operations with the Paris Agreement since 1 July 2023.The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for Development met with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga on 4 June 2025 and they discussed the Bank's upcoming energy strategy.The Group remains committed to align the rest of its institutions, the International Financial Corporation and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, with the Paris agreement in their new financial operations from 1 July 2025.

How many cases where legal aid was obtained to appeal against requests for release of the costs of legal aid to be made public remain not concluded since 2019.

The requested information is not centrally held.It is unclear what types of ‘appeal’ are being referred to. It has been interpreted to be a reference to appeals to the General Regulatory Chamber against decisions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release information relating to legal aid expenditure.Such appeals are not within the scope of legal aid funding in accordance with Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. To the extent that legal aid for these appeals may be granted under the provision for Exceptional Case Funding they would be recorded as ‘miscellaneous’ cases on the Legal Aid Agency’s database.

How many people claimed the Blind Person's Allowance in the 2023-24 financial year.

The most recent estimates of the number of individuals claiming the Blind Person’s Allowance are published as part of HMRC’s statistics publication ‘Tax Reliefs Statistics’ within the file ‘Estimated cost of non-structural tax reliefs (December 2024)’ under the IT tab: Non-structural tax reliefs - GOV.UK https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6749e1adebabe47136b3a295/non_structural_cost_estimates_december_2024.ods

What steps he is taking with the (a) Northern Ireland Executive and (b) Royal Portrush Golf Club to help create a lasting (i) sporting and (ii) economic legacy following the Open Golf Championship in July 2025.

Royal Portrush will stage the 153rd Open Golf Championship next month, providing another outstanding showcase for golf in Northern Ireland. The 148th Open, held at Royal Portrush nine years ago, became the biggest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland, delivering a combined economic and media benefit of more than £100 million to the region. I visited Royal Portrush Golf Club in April which was an excellent opportunity to learn more about their preparations which are well underway. I would encourage the Right Honourable Member to share any suggestions he has to help create a lasting sporting and economic legacy from the Open with the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, and the Department for Business and Trade. Economic growth is the number one priority of the Government. That is why we are working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to create a thriving, competitive and regionally balanced economy in Northern Ireland through increased investment, job creation, and higher living standards.

What steps she plans to take to roll out banking hubs beyond the lifetime of the existing programme.

The Government recognises the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, businesses and high streets in East Londonderry and across the UK. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 160 are already open. Banking hubs offer everyday counter services provided by Post Office staff, allowing people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank to carry out wider banking services. The banking hub initiative does not have a set end date. Where a branch closure is announced or a community has submitted a cash access assessment request, LINK, the independent industry coordinating body responsible for making access to cash assessments, assesses a community’s access to cash needs, and will recommend appropriate solutions where it considers that a community requires additional cash services, such as a banking hub or deposit service. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

Whether she plans to publish a consultation on draft measures to support young and novice drivers before the summer recess.

We absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads and are exploring options to tackle the root causes of this for young people and novice drivers. Further details will be provided in due course.

What recent progress his Department has made on reducing the rate of prostate cancer among younger men.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 May 2025 to Question 52196.

How many (a) charges have been brought, (b) prosecutions there have been and (c) convictions there have been for unlawful abortions in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.

All women in England and Wales should have access to safe, regulated abortions on the NHS under our current laws. It is for Parliament to decide the circumstances under which abortions should take place, allowing members to vote according to their moral, ethical or religious beliefs. Decisions to bring a prosecution about abortion are for the independent Crown Prosecution Service.The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of notifiable offences, including the number of procuring illegal abortion offences, and intentional destruction of a viable unborn child offences, recorded by the police in England and Wales. This information is published as official statistics each quarter. The latest information, to the year ending December 2024, can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/police-recorded-crime-and-outcomes-open-data-tablesThe Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions under the Infant Life (Preservation) Act at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact the implementation of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme on inbound international tourists arriving in Northern Ireland from the Irish Republic.

Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) have been introduced to enhance our ability to screen travellers upstream and stop those who pose a threat from travelling to the UK. Individuals arriving in the UK, including those crossing the land border into Northern Ireland, will need to continue to enter in line with the UK’s immigration framework, including the requirement to obtain an ETA, where applicable. We are working with a wide range of partners to promote the ETA scheme, ensuring it is communicated effectively to visitors to Northern Ireland. The application is quick and light-touch, and many applications are decided within minutes. Since the scheme’s introduction until the end of 2024, over 1.1 million ETAs have been granted. The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.