Written questions by Reid.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed restructuring within the FCDO on staff based in East Kilbride.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to its three locations in the UK: King Charles Street in London, Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes and Abercrombie House in East Kilbride. Location is not a factor when making decisions in the FCDO restructuring process and all roles will be available to staff across all three locations, except in a very small number of cases where a specific business requirement has been identified. The FCDO has been consulting with trade unions throughout the restructure process and will continue to do so.

What the average waiting time was between approval of an Access to Work application and support being put in place in 2025.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on the future of FCDO jobs in East Kilbride.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to its three locations in the UK: King Charles Street in London, Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes and Abercrombie House in East Kilbride. Location is not a factor when making decisions in the FCDO restructuring process and all roles will be available to staff across all three locations, except in a very small number of cases where a specific business requirement has been identified. The FCDO has been consulting with trade unions throughout the restructure process and will continue to do so.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent engagement she has had with trade unions representing FCDO staff in East Kilbride on restructuring proposals.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to its three locations in the UK: King Charles Street in London, Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes and Abercrombie House in East Kilbride. Location is not a factor when making decisions in the FCDO restructuring process and all roles will be available to staff across all three locations, except in a very small number of cases where a specific business requirement has been identified. The FCDO has been consulting with trade unions throughout the restructure process and will continue to do so.

If he has made an estimate of the total output of Torness nuclear power station over the last year and what proportion of Scottish generation this represents.

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

How many days in the last year the electricity grid in Scotland was supplied with electricity generated elsewhere in the UK.

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Whether his Department made an assessment of the impact of zonal pricing of electricity on inward investment into Scottish low carbon electricity.

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

What representations he has received from the Scottish Government on the issue of zonal pricing for electricity.

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve (a) response times to (i) queries and (ii) complaints and (b) other communication between the Child Maintenance Service and service users.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme in supporting disabled people to (a) enter and (b) remain in employment.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for Access to Work (a) assessments and (b) decisions.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

If he will make a statement on the availability of covid booster vaccinations to lung cancer patients receiving a targeted therapy.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.The focus of the JCVI advised programme is targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are older adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.Health is largely devolved and decisions about the organisation and delivery of vaccination services, including who to vaccinate, are matters for each nation to decide. For England, the Government has accepted the JCVI advice for spring 2026 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:- adults aged 75 years old and over;- residents in care homes for older adults; and- individuals aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed.The COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book on vaccination and immunisation sets out details of who should be included in these categories. The eligibility criteria for immunosuppression include immunosuppression due to disease or treatment. This includes patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression and patients undergoing radical radiotherapy.As with all vaccination programmes, the JCVI continues to keep the COVID-19 vaccination programme under review.

Whether he has an estimate for the share of electricity in demand in Scotland met by nuclear generation for each of the last five years.

Electricity, including that generated from nuclear, is traded both nationally and internationally and is not constrained to geographical areas. No estimate has been made of the contribution of nuclear generation to Scotland’s demand. Data on Scotland’s annual electricity demand and generation are published in the UK Energy Trends article: Energy Trends: December 2025, special feature article - Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2020 to 2024 - GOV.UK

What steps he is taking to reform the Child Maintenance Service system.

The Government has announced reforms to strengthen the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), including its intention to remove Direct Pay and move to a single, enhanced Collect and Pay system. This will enable the CMS to monitor all payments, identify noncompliance more quickly, and take faster enforcement action. It is estimated that these changes could lift around 20,000 fewer children in poverty (on the relative low income after housing costs measure). These reforms will be implemented when Parliamentary time allows. To improve arrears collection, the Government will also introduce administrative liability orders to replace the current court-based process, streamlining enforcement and reducing delays. Work with HM Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government is underway, with regulations to be brought forward as soon as possible. In addition, the Government is reviewing the child maintenance calculation to ensure it remains fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends. Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to extensive public consultation, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to providing a modern and efficient service for all customers. CMS continues to exceed key performance indicators, including application clearances, change of circumstances clearances, Collect and Pay compliance and assessment accuracy, demonstrating improved outcomes for customers. Through the Service Modernisation Programme, CMS is expanding digital channels and self-service options, including online services like Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance and My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC) which are available 24/7. CMS has improved customer communications via SMS, email and providing improved and clearer letters. Increased use of online services ensures resources are available to support customers with addition and/or complex queries or needs with call routing improvements made to ensure faster access to caseworkers-owning teams. In July 2025, CMS launched Customer Connect, an online service that allows caseworkers and customers to exchange information efficiently through the customer’s online account, reducing the need for phone contact. CMS is now developing plans to roll out Customer Connect across the full service and for all case types.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the use of AI by child sexual abuse offenders on levels of offending.

The Government recognises the serious and evolving threat posed by artificial intelligence being misused by offenders for child sexual abuse.AI-generated child sexual abuse material is not a victimless crime; it often depicts real children, increasing the risk of contact abuse. The volume and realism of this material can make it increasingly challenging for safeguarding partners to identify and protect children. Offenders can also use these images to groom and blackmail children.In September 2025, the Internet Watch Foundation revealed, for the first time, child sexual abuse images linked directly to AI chatbots, including examples designed to simulate sexual scenarios with child avatars.We know offenders will seek every opportunity to exploit emerging and established technologies to facilitate their offending.UK law is explicit. Child sexual abuse is illegal. We must all play our part to prevent the misuse of this technology being used to target our children.This is why the UK Government has taken world-leading action to tackle this threat.Working in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Alan Turing Institute, and the Accelerated Capability Environment, the Home Office has led the Deepfake Detection Challenge. This initiative brought together experts and stakeholders to develop and evaluate detection tools, which are essential in addressing serious harms including online child sexual abuse. As offenders increasingly exploit AI, we must harness its potential for good.A key outcome is the UK Government Benchmarking capability, enabling scientific evaluation of detection technologies. The next phase will continue to identify and benchmark AI-driven solutions.Under the Crime and Policing Bill, creating, possessing, or distributing AI tools for child sexual abuse will carry penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment, with up to three years for “paedophile manuals” on how to use AI to abuse children.We have recently announced a further amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to empower authorised bodies- including AI developers and child protection organisations- to scrutinise AI systems to prevent them generating harmful content. This will help to improve safeguards within AI models to prevent them being misused to create child abuse material.We recognise there are concerns about AI chatbots, or AI companions, and the risks of harm to children these may pose. At the recent Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, we confirmed that we are considering if all AI chatbots are covered by the Online Safety Act and what more may need to be done. If it requires legislation, then this is what we will do.Where AI models fall under the Online Safety Act as a user-to-user service or an online search provider, companies are required to provide highly effective age assurance to protect children from exposure to harmful or inappropriate content.The Online Safety Act lays the foundation for a safer online experience for children, but this is just the start of the conversation.Our approach combines robust legislation, proactive technology safeguards, and international cooperation to keep children safe online and we will not hesitate to go further.

What steps he is taking to support defence sector jobs.

As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, we launched a £182 million skills package that encompasses a range of initiatives which will provide people with the necessary skills to work in the defence sector. Proving that Defence is an engine for growth, this Government recently announced the £10 billion Type 26 frigate deal with Norway. This will be built by Scottish workers with 4,000 jobs created, of which 2,000 will be in Scotland.

When her Department plans to publish its findings on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers; and whether the review considers the need (a) for competition in the market and (b) to reduce emissions across the sector.

The outcome of my Department’s review into volumetric concrete mixers was published on 18 March. This can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review The implications for road safety, infrastructure, the environment, and maintaining fair competition in the market have all been considered as part of the review.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed relocation of his Department's site at East Kilbride on the local community.

The FCDO is awaiting a decision from HM Treasury on the Business Case submitted for the FCDO moving its joint HQ in Scotland from East Kilbride to Glasgow. The FCDO has not made any specific assessment of the impact to the local community of a decision to move out of East Kilbride. We do, of course, recognise that many of our staff live in East Kilbride and surrounding communities. Our focus remains on supporting them as we transition to Glasgow. We have also committed to ensuring the local community have access to information on future FCDO recruitment opportunities and our outreach is focused on helping enhance knowledge and understanding of the Civil Service as a future career option.

What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the future of industry in Scotland.

I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to ensure we work together to safeguard the future for key Scottish industries.We inherited a fiscal crisis, and in Scotland an industrial crisis as well. Our industrial strategy will be for all parts of the UK.Scotland is key to our defence, technology, professional services, higher education, food and drink and energy industries, all cornerstones of Scotland's strong economic and industrial base.