Written questions by Lavery.

Innovation and Technology, what further action the Government plans to take to help reduce the negative impacts of social media on the mental health of young people and wider society.

Protecting children from harm online is a priority for the Secretary of State and the Government. One of the Secretary of State’s first actions in the job was to criminalise intimate image abuse and cyberflashing. We have legislated to make content that promotes self-harm and suicide priority offences in the Online Safety Act. The Secretary of State and I have acted to prevent platforms hosting child sexual abuse material and material that contributes to violence against women and girls by banning AI nudification apps, requiring platforms to take down non-consensual intimate images 48 hours after they are reported, make it so that women only need to report non-consensual intimate images once and requiring platforms to act faster to address intimate images, strangulation pornography, and pornography depicting adults role-playing as children . We have always been clear that there is still more to do.On 2 March we published a consultation and national conversation which seeks views and evidence on a range of measures that could further protect children online and enhance their wider wellbeing.The consultation includes exploring banning social media and gaming for children below a certain age and restricting access to risky and ‘addictive’ features and functionalities.

Innovation and Technology, whether the Government plans to introduce legislation to limit the creation of echo chambers and the use of harmful algorithms that promote hate for financial gain.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must tackle illegal content, including terrorist content and religious or race-based hatred. They must protect children from additional forms of legal content, including hate or abuse.Services must ensure their algorithms do not promote this content, and Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to ensure this. Government has met with Ofcom to encourage their enforcement on this issue.In response to the Social media, misinformation and harmful algorithms report by the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, government committed to ensuring individuals have a say over the content they are presented by algorithms. DSIT committed further to exploring options requiring platforms to provide users with greater control over their algorithms in Protecting What Matters, the government’s plan to improve social cohesion.

Innovation and Technology, whether the Government plans to bring forward further legislation to help prevent and hold online platforms accountable for the monetisation of hate-driven engagement.

The Online Safety Act places duties on online platforms to tackle illegal content that stirs up hatred and to protect children from legal content that is hateful or abusive. Platforms must ensure their algorithms do not promote these types of content. In March, MHCLG published Protecting What Matters, in which DSIT, in partnership with DCMS, committed to engaging the advertising industry and platforms to further understand how advertising can inadvertently fund legal but harmful content and consider potential solutions to this issue.

Innovation and Technology, what consideration the Government has given to introducing further regulations on social media companies to address the prevalence of hate speech online.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must tackle illegal content, including terrorist content and religious or race-based hatred. They must protect children from additional forms of legal content, including hate or abuse.Services must ensure their algorithms do not promote this content, and Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to ensure this. Government has met with Ofcom to encourage their enforcement on this issue.In response to the Social media, misinformation and harmful algorithms report by the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, government committed to ensuring individuals have a say over the content they are presented by algorithms. DSIT committed further to exploring options requiring platforms to provide users with greater control over their algorithms in Protecting What Matters, the government’s plan to improve social cohesion.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of US action in the Middle East on British citizens.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 17 March.

Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government intends to take to regulate social media algorithms that promote or amplify hateful content.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must tackle illegal content, including terrorist content and religious or race-based hatred. They must protect children from additional forms of legal content, including hate or abuse.Services must ensure their algorithms do not promote this content, and Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to ensure this. Government has met with Ofcom to encourage their enforcement on this issue.In response to the Social media, misinformation and harmful algorithms report by the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, government committed to ensuring individuals have a say over the content they are presented by algorithms. DSIT committed further to exploring options requiring platforms to provide users with greater control over their algorithms in Protecting What Matters, the government’s plan to improve social cohesion.

What consideration the Government has given to the potential merits of introducing legislation aimed at making electric vehicles more affordable, in the context of increases in the cost of oil.

The Government is reducing the upfront costs of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by providing grants for zero emission cars, vans, trucks, and wheelchair accessible vehicles; this includes the £2 billion Electric Car Grant, which has already helped over 90,000 drivers to choose an electric vehicle (EV). Drivers of ZEVs also benefit from favourable tax rates, such as generous company car tax incentives, and can save up to £1,400 a year on running and maintenance costs compared to a petrol car if they can charge at home using off-peak tariffs. A breakdown of how this is calculated is available here: https://cleanenergy.campaign.gov.uk/electric-vehicle/. The Government provides grants to support the rollout of domestic and workplace chargers, while the £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant will ensure that more people without off-street parking can benefit from cheaper and more convenient domestic EV charging. The Government recognises that high charging costs could pose a barrier to widespread EV adoption, especially for those reliant on public networks. In response, the Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of public charging costs, examining the drivers behind price increases and measures to make public charging accessible and affordable for all users.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment the Government has made of the level of requirement for additional legislation to help prevent social media companies from promoting extreme ideologies through their platforms.

The government is committed to tackling extremism in all its forms, and we constantly review our understanding of emerging radicalising threats to our society.Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must tackle illegal content, including terrorist content and that which stirs up hatred based on religion or race. They must also protect children from additional forms of legal content, including hateful or abusive content.We are committed to keeping our online safety regime under review to ensure it keeps up with rapidly evolving harms.

What support the Government intends to provide to individuals who have experienced mental harm as a result of social media use.

A national consultation is currently underway to seek views on measures to improve children’s online safety across social media, gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence chatbots. The consultation forms part of the Government’s broader programme to understand how technology impacts children’s wellbeing, and what more can be done to help families strike the right balance. Insights from this consultation will help inform future policy to better protect children’s mental health and ensure that digital platforms play their part in promoting safe and healthy online experiences.It is unacceptable that too many people, especially children and young people, are not getting the support they need for their mental health. We need a new approach to mental health that reduces waiting times, improves the quality of care, and strengthens prevention and early intervention.The Government has made progress to expand access to mental health support. In the first 12 months of the Government, nearly 40,000 more children and young people received support compared to the previous 12 months. This is helped by over 8,000 extra mental health workers being recruited since July 2024, against a target of 8,500 by the end of this Parliament. The rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges is being accelerated so that 100% pupils in England will have access to this innovative early support by 2029. NHS England has also set clear expectations for integrated care boards to reduce the longest waits for children and young people’s community mental health services.

What steps the Government is taking to strengthen the United Kingdom’s defence capabilities and improve national readiness.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence (Lord Coaker), on 8 April 2026 to Question HL15983 in the House of Lords. Defence plays an integral role in the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme. This coordinates civil and military preparations across the whole of Government and society for some of the most serious risks we could face, including communicating, empowering and engaging with all tiers of resilience actors to ensure that all sectors are prepared for and able to respond to the most catastrophic of risks. Alongside this, defence is refreshing our own homeland defence plan as a priority for 2026

Whether the Government has reviewed recent evidence on the potential impact of social media on users’ mental health.

The Government keeps the evidence on the relationship between social media use and mental health under close review and is committed to ensuring that children’s lives online are safe and enriching. A national consultation is currently underway to seek views on measures to improve children’s online safety across social media, gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence chatbots. The consultation forms part of the Government’s broader programme to understand how technology impacts children’s wellbeing, and what more can be done to help families strike the right balance. Insights from this consultation will help inform future policy to better protect children’s mental health and ensure that digital platforms play their part in promoting safe and healthy online experiences.With regards to specific evidence reviews, in 2019, the UK Chief Medical Officers published a review of the evidence on screen-based activities and mental health, which concluded that while there is an association between social media use and mental wellbeing, the evidence did not indicate a causal relationship and highlighted the need for more high-quality research. Since then, the Government has continued to work closely with academic experts to review emerging evidence, including studies funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.In January 2026, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology published a research report titled Understanding the impact of smartphones and social media on children and young people, which found a lack of high-quality causal evidence linking children’s mental health and wellbeing and their use of social media. We will now be paying close attention to the recently announced IRL Trial, led by Professor Amy Orben, as this is the first large scale randomised controlled trial investigating how limiting access to social media might affect adolescent mental health.

How HMRC will ensure parity in standards of advice, security compliance, and customer outcomes between those employed by the Managed Service Provider and those employed directly by HMRC.

The current staff provided by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) represent additional capacity in 2025/26. HMRC staff will not be made redundant as a result of this initiative. Other Government Departments (OGDs) already use MSP contracts to provide additional workforce flexibility. HMRC are currently in an initial approximately 18 month ‘proof of value’ phase using existing Government contracts. This will allow them to test, learn and ensure quality and value for money before wider implementation. HMRC provides the initial training for the services covered by the MSPs, before approving suppliers to train subsequent cohorts of staff themselves. All operational guidance is developed, owned and updated by HMRC, and HMRC retains full decision‑making authority, with a dedicated team actively managing the partnership. Callers are not informed whether the person they are speaking to is employed by HMRC or an MSP, as the service which they receive is the same. OGDs also take this approach.

What safeguards are in place to prevent the creation of a two tier workforce between Managed Service Provider staff and those directly employed by HMRC, and if she will make a statement.

The current staff provided by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) represent additional capacity in 2025/26. HMRC staff will not be made redundant as a result of this initiative. Other Government Departments (OGDs) already use MSP contracts to provide additional workforce flexibility. HMRC are currently in an initial approximately 18 month ‘proof of value’ phase using existing Government contracts. This will allow them to test, learn and ensure quality and value for money before wider implementation. HMRC provides the initial training for the services covered by the MSPs, before approving suppliers to train subsequent cohorts of staff themselves. All operational guidance is developed, owned and updated by HMRC, and HMRC retains full decision‑making authority, with a dedicated team actively managing the partnership. Callers are not informed whether the person they are speaking to is employed by HMRC or an MSP, as the service which they receive is the same. OGDs also take this approach.

Whether callers to HMRC are advised whether the person they are speaking to is employed by HMRC or a Managed Service Provider.

The current staff provided by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) represent additional capacity in 2025/26. HMRC staff will not be made redundant as a result of this initiative. Other Government Departments (OGDs) already use MSP contracts to provide additional workforce flexibility. HMRC are currently in an initial approximately 18 month ‘proof of value’ phase using existing Government contracts. This will allow them to test, learn and ensure quality and value for money before wider implementation. HMRC provides the initial training for the services covered by the MSPs, before approving suppliers to train subsequent cohorts of staff themselves. All operational guidance is developed, owned and updated by HMRC, and HMRC retains full decision‑making authority, with a dedicated team actively managing the partnership. Callers are not informed whether the person they are speaking to is employed by HMRC or an MSP, as the service which they receive is the same. OGDs also take this approach.

If she will give assurance that Managed Service Provider expansion will not result in a reduction in permanent civil service posts over the medium term, and if she will make a statement.

The current staff provided by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) represent additional capacity in 2025/26. HMRC staff will not be made redundant as a result of this initiative. Other Government Departments (OGDs) already use MSP contracts to provide additional workforce flexibility. HMRC are currently in an initial approximately 18 month ‘proof of value’ phase using existing Government contracts. This will allow them to test, learn and ensure quality and value for money before wider implementation. HMRC provides the initial training for the services covered by the MSPs, before approving suppliers to train subsequent cohorts of staff themselves. All operational guidance is developed, owned and updated by HMRC, and HMRC retains full decision‑making authority, with a dedicated team actively managing the partnership. Callers are not informed whether the person they are speaking to is employed by HMRC or an MSP, as the service which they receive is the same. OGDs also take this approach.

Whether HMRC has assessed the potential impact of differing terms, conditions, training, and turnover rates on service quality and resilience in relation to the use of Managed Service Providers.

The current staff provided by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) represent additional capacity in 2025/26. HMRC staff will not be made redundant as a result of this initiative. Other Government Departments (OGDs) already use MSP contracts to provide additional workforce flexibility. HMRC are currently in an initial approximately 18 month ‘proof of value’ phase using existing Government contracts. This will allow them to test, learn and ensure quality and value for money before wider implementation. HMRC provides the initial training for the services covered by the MSPs, before approving suppliers to train subsequent cohorts of staff themselves. All operational guidance is developed, owned and updated by HMRC, and HMRC retains full decision‑making authority, with a dedicated team actively managing the partnership. Callers are not informed whether the person they are speaking to is employed by HMRC or an MSP, as the service which they receive is the same. OGDs also take this approach.

What steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to implement recommendation nine of the Infected Blood Inquiry's report.

It is crucial we protect the safety of haemophilia care and the Government is committed to implementing recommendation 9 of the 2024 Infected Blood Inquiry report.The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as haemophilia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.This includes peer review of UK comprehensive care centres, which has been an essential part of haemophilia services for many years. The triennial audit was replaced in 2019 with a more formal peer review process on a five-year cycle.The final peer review report is expected to be published imminently and once published, will be shared with the NHSE Specialised Commissioning Quality Oversight Group for consideration and action. This will be supported by a letter to Integrated Care Boards and Trust Boards, emphasising the valuable role of peer review and ask for confirmation of their commitment to review and implement the peer review findings.The Haemophilia Service Specification has been updated by the Blood Disorders Clinical Reference Group and is making its way through final approvals, having undergone public consultation. The new specification includes a contractual requirement for providers to participate in, and act upon peer review findings.

Food and Rural Affairs, what evaluation her Department has made of levels of reliance on climate‑vulnerable food imports and the risks posed by extreme weather events overseas.

The UK has a resilient food system producing around 65% of all the food eaten in the country. Through international trade, the UK has access to food products that cannot be produced here, which supplements domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather do not affect the UK's overall security of supply. Whilst the UK has a high degree of food self-sufficiency, the UK Food Security Report 2024 shows that food security cannot be taken for granted. Climate and geopolitical volatility have weakened aspects of food supply stability since 2021, although food availability or the quantity of food available to the UK has been maintained thanks to continued resilience in food production.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the UK’s overall level of food self‑sufficiency, and what steps are being taken to increase domestic production of key staples.

UK self-sufficiency has remained broadly stable for several decades. In 2024, the UK was 65% self-sufficient for all food; 77% for food that can be produced here. In most scenarios, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes ensures a supply of food is maintained and can withstand disruptive events. The picture is nuanced, and moving to a higher level of self-sufficiency does not automatically make the UK more food secure. In December 2025, the Secretary of State announced the Farming & Food Partnership Board in response to the independent Farming Profitability Review led by Baroness Minette Batters. The Board will bring together farming, food, retail, finance and Government to take a strategic farm‑to‑fork approach to improving farming profitability and strengthening UK food production. It will oversee sector plans aimed at boosting productivity, reducing costs and opening new markets in ways that support health and environmental goals.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support controlled‑environment agriculture, regenerative farming and other sustainable methods.

The Government has allocated a record £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. Defra is targeting public money where it delivers most value, supporting farmers and land managers to help restore nature and boost farm productivity. Support includes the Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for 2026, which will be more focussed, more transparent and fairer, so that as many farmers as possible can benefit from agreements. It will open in two windows, the initial window from June 2026 being for small farms and farms without existing Environmental Land Management revenue agreements. Defra will reopen the Capital Grants offer in July. This new round will make £225 million available to farmers to buy equipment or services that help them make farming and environmental improvements across England. Defra has also announced £120 million will be available in farming grants for 2026 to boost productivity and innovation across the agricultural sector.