Written questions by Shannon.

What progress she has made on the proposed electronic travel authorisation scheme in Northern Ireland.

The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme was introduced on 25 October 2023 to enhance our ability to screen travellers upstream and stop those who pose a threat from travelling to the UK. It will be extended to eligible European nationals on 5 March 2025, and will be a requirement for this cohort for travel from 2 April 2025. 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 if applicable.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help protect Ahmadi places of worship worldwide.

The UK Government is committed to championing the right to freedom of religion or belief, for all, everywhere. We are aware of reports of the desecration of Ahmadi Mosques in Pakistan and continue to monitor the situation. The Minister for the Middle East underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when he met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November, and also discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November. In response to the desecration of an Ahmadi Mosque in Daska on 16 January, the British High Commissioner raised the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights in a message to the Punjab Minorities Minister, on 23 January. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people, including religious minorities, in accordance with international standards.

What estimate he has made of the number of defence projects that are over budget.

The latest published Government Major Projects Portfolio data shows variance against budget for the Ministry of Defence's major projects and can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mod-government-major-projects-portfolio-data-2024

How many applications there have been for firearms licenses in the last 12 months.

The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the number of applications for firearms licence certificates in the statistical publication on firearm and shotgun certificates. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates: April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV. UK (www.gov.uk).The number of applications for firearms licence certificates can be found in data table 1.Data for the year ending 31 March 2025 will be released between June and July 2025: Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2024 to March 2025 - Accredited official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.

What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on supporting the Northern Ireland health service.

Improving health outcomes across the UK is a priority mission for this Government. Although health is devolved in Northern Ireland, the Government has been clear that it wants to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to transform its public services and improve outcomes for people living in Northern Ireland.UK Government Ministers regularly engage with Executive Ministers in Northern Ireland, including the Health Minister, to discuss plans to improve public services.

What assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of trends in the uptake of IVF in the last five years.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority published its Fertility Trends analysis in July 2024, based on the previous four years’ worth of data. The analysis is available at the following link:https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/publications/research-and-data/fertility-treatment-2022-preliminary-trends-and-figures/This document has helped inform the Department’s work with NHS England to consider future policy options to support integrated care boards to provide more equitable in-vitro fertilisation services.

What steps she is taking to support newly recognised refugees into employment in the agricultural sector.

DWP provides a wide range of support in Great Britain to help refugees into work. Employment support in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter. DWP Support for refugees includes access to Restart, Sector Based Work Academies, work experience and help with English language skills where appropriate. We also work with national employers, trade associations and partners across a wide range of labour market sectors, including those from the agricultural sector, encouraging local Jobcentre link ups and the use of Find a Job to support people into work. To support agricultural recruitment specifically, DWP is working with Defra and key Trade Associations to develop and deliver their long-term strategy designed to build and develop a skilled workforce for both seasonal and long-term roles in the agriculture sector.

What discussions he has had with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on funding research through public health agencies.

The Department works closely with all of the devolved administrations on shared research interests. The Department has an arrangement with the devolved administrations that allows research hosts, including universities and research active National Health Service organisations, in the devolved administrations to apply for National Institute for Health and Care Research funding, due to funding contributions from the Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh administrations. These arrangements are in place due to consultation between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office, Health and Care Research Wales, and Health and Social Care Research and Development in Northern Ireland. In support of this, the Department has regular discussions with senior officials in the devolved administrations on health and social care research.

How many of the military homes his Department bought back in December 2024 are in Northern Ireland.

No military homes in Northern Ireland were brought back from Annington Property Limited as part of the Annington Deal which was announced on 17 December 2024. Military housing in Scotland and Northern Ireland is predominantly owned directly by the Ministry of Defence.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Iraqi counterpart on the recent memorandum of understanding between BP and the Iraqi government on Iraqi oil fields.

The Foreign Secretary met with Prime Minister Sudani and Foreign Minister Hussein during their Guest of Government visit to the UK. The BP deal was not raised during these engagements. This was a commercial agreement between the Government of Iraq and BP. The Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in Syria, development of the UK-Iraq security partnership, expanding trade (including £12.3 billion of export wins for UK companies announced during the visit) and cooperation on irregular migration. During their engagement, the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Hussein signed the Memorandum of Cooperation on Climate Change.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent trends in the level of police funding on the prevalence of police activity in local communities.

As set out at the final police funding settlement on 30 January, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement.Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.5 billion, an increase of up to £1.1 billion compared to the 2024/25 police funding settlement. This equates to a 6.6% cash increase, and 4.1% real terms increase in funding.

How many deaths in police custody there have been in the last five years.

Data on deaths in police custody for England and Wales is produced by the Independent Office for Police Complaints in its annual report: Annual deaths during or following police contact report - 2023/24 | Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)There have been 95 deaths in police custody in England and Wales for the period 2019 – 2024 as follows;Year19/2020/2121/2222/2323/24Deaths1819112324

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with Lord Hoffmann on the renewal of his tenure as a Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal judge; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of this appointment on the Government's support for political freedom in Hong Kong.

Retired UK judges that choose to serve on Hong Kong courts do so under their own personal judgement, which is their right as private citizens. The UK judiciary and legal profession remain independent from the UK Government. It is for remaining retired UK judges to decide for themselves whether to continue their service in Hong Kong.

What assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of diagnosis for rheumatoid arthritis.

No specific assessment has been made of recent trends in the level of diagnosis for rheumatoid arthritis in England. In 2023/24, 0.8% of patients in England aged 16 years old and older had a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis recorded on the practice disease register. Therefore, there are estimated to be approximately 460,000 people with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in England. This data is from the Fingertips data collection and is based on the Quality and Outcomes Framework, with further information available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/msk/data#page/4/gid/1938133186/ati/15/iid/91269/age/164/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1/page-options/tre-do-0.The percentage of patients with rheumatoid arthritis has remained fairly stable since the Fingertips data on rheumatoid arthritis was first collected in 2013/14. In 2013/14, 0.7% of patients in England aged 16 years old and older had a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis recorded on the practice disease register.

What safeguards are in place to manage the use of AI in the NHS.

There are strict safeguards in place throughout the National Health Service to protect data. All providers of services which handle patient data must protect that data in line with UK General Data Protection Regulations, and the Data Protection Act 2018, and every health organisation is required to appoint a Caldicott Guardian to advise on the protection of people’s health and care data, and ensure it is used properly. This includes where artificial intelligence (AI) is used in relation to patient records.The NHS AI Lab and Sciencewise, which is funded by UK Research and Innovation, held a public dialogue on how the public feels decisions should be made about access to their personal health data for AI purposes. The NHS AI Lab conducted a discovery exercise to design approaches based on insights from the public, which is now informing broader data stewardship initiatives, for example as part of the Secure Data Environments.To mitigate the likelihood and severity of any potential harm to individuals arising from use of data in AI, the Information Commissioners Office has developed detailed AI guidance which provides an overarching view of data protection, including Data Protection Impact Assessments and UK General Data Protection Regulations. They have also produced an AI toolkit to support organisations auditing compliance of their AI-based technologies.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of waiting lists for prostate cancer diagnosis.

No assessment has been made of the adequacy of waiting lists for prostate cancer. However, we know that patients, including those with suspected prostate cancer, are waiting too long for diagnosis. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time or earlier, treating it faster, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.As we set out in our new plan for reforming elective care, we are committed to improving performance on cancer waiting times. Further details will be set out in a dedicated national cancer plan and the NHS’s annual operational planning guidance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to provide humanitarian aid in Sudan.

The UK continues to provide humanitarian assistance to support people in Sudan and those who have fled the country. The UK has recently doubled its Official Development Assistance (ODA) this year in response to the conflict in Sudan to £226.5 million - the vast majority of which is spent on vital humanitarian aid including support for the regional refugee crisis. This funding includes support to key UN agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF who are providing life-saving food assistance in Sudan. We are also one of the largest donors to the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) which delivers life-saving multi-sectoral support to communities across Sudan and is now piloting support to the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs). The UK also continues to support the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), including their work on emergency preparedness and response, protection of civilians, and providing life-saving healthcare across Sudan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has plans to provide financial support to (a) local women-led initiatives and (b) community groups in Afghanistan.

In 2024/2025, we are providing £161 million for humanitarian and essential services support to the most vulnerable and marginalised Afghans, through trusted non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and UN agencies. We are committed that at least 50 percent of people reached with UK aid in Afghanistan will be women and girls. Through our contribution to the World Bank led Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund (ARTF), we have supported a $20 million project of support to Afghanistan civil society. The project has supported NGOs and civil society organisations (CSOs) that improve basic service delivery and promote socio-economic empowerment of women and girls, including 100 women-led organisations.

Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on steps to help tackle knife crime in the devolved nations.

Halving knife crime is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.Policing and justice in Northern Ireland, apart from national security, is a devolved matter but the Home Office works with a wide range of partners to share best practice and knowledge.I will work with my Northern Ireland Ministerial colleagues on this important Government priority.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on trends in the level of trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Northern Ireland goods move freely to Great Britain and are unaffected by regulation 2017/625. Regulation 2017/625 is explicitly disapplied for goods moved via the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme.