Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rebecca Paul this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 241–260 of 300 · this parliament
What recent progress his Department has made on designating a successor to the standard issue L85A3 service rifle.
The L85 rifle (‘SA80’) will be replaced over the coming decade through Project GRAYBURN. The project has entered the concept phase, where the capability requirements are being identified and understood in depth.
Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the role of online pornographic content in perpetuating violence against women and girls.
An independent review into online pornography regulation was tasked with understanding the impact of pornography on viewers’ attitudes towards violence against women and girls. The review has just concluded and the government is assessing its findings. The final report will be published in due course.The Online Safety Act introduces safeguards against harmful content and targets illegal content which includes violence against women and girls. The Act also prevents children from accessing pornography and requiring in-scope services to protect users from illegal pornographic content.
Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to monitor the impact of online and offline pornography on violence against women and girls.
An independent review into online pornography regulation was tasked with understanding the impact of pornography on viewers’ attitudes towards violence against women and girls. The review has just concluded and the government is assessing its findings. The final report will be published in due course.The Online Safety Act introduces safeguards against harmful content and targets illegal content which includes violence against women and girls. The Act also prevents children from accessing pornography and requiring in-scope services to protect users from illegal pornographic content.
Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to regulate (a) online and (b) offline pornography to help meet the Government's target of halving violence against women and girls within a decade.
An independent review into online pornography regulation was tasked with understanding the impact of pornography on viewers’ attitudes towards violence against women and girls. The review has just concluded and the government is assessing its findings. The final report will be published in due course.The Online Safety Act introduces safeguards against harmful content and targets illegal content which includes violence against women and girls. The Act also prevents children from accessing pornography and requiring in-scope services to protect users from illegal pornographic content.
Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help ensure that pornographic sites remove content that promote a sexual interest in children.
The Online Safety Act will place strict safety duties on user-to-user online platforms, including pornography-sharing sites, to proactively tackle any child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) content on their services. These sites need to start assessing for CSEA and other illegal content risks now. Their duties to tackle this content are scheduled to fully take effect this spring.
Whether she has made a comparative assessment of the relationship between switching off lighting on stretches of (a) motorways and (b) major trunk roads and trends in the level of accidents on these roads.
National Highways assesses the benefits and costs of any potential changes in lighting provision. This is in line with the design and appraisal standards set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, which ensures that road lighting is provided at a sufficient level to support road safety, whilst also being cost effective, energy efficient and not causing unnecessary light pollution. Where National Highways determines lighting should be removed, the implementation plan includes a full switch-off for an initial period of one year. This enables the collision and casualty rates to be monitored to determine if there is an impact on safety and if mitigating action is required.
How many miles worth of road lighting on (a) motorways and (b) all-purpose trunk roads have been permanently switched off following completion of the TA 501 appraisal process each of the last five years.
The answer could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
How many road lighting schemes on (a) motorways and (b) all-purpose trunk roads that were switched off following completion of the TA 501 appraisal process were in the final 18 months of their design life in each of the last five years.
The answer could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of losses in (a) personnel and (b) ships on the capability of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Recruitment and retention of Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) personnel remains a priority. We welcome the recent agreement between the Government and the Maritime Trade Unions of a pay award for the RFA, which is a significant step forward in the plan for RFA reforms. These reforms will improve the wider employee offer for those serving in the RFA and ensure that it can continue to perform its vital role supporting the Royal Navy and our allies.The retirement of RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler will have no impact on the RFA. Neither tanker was due to go to sea again and nor had they been to sea in years. The RFA continues to operate the newer Tide class tankers and is preparing for the introduction of all three Fleet Solid Support ships by 2032.
What steps he is taking to (a) retain and (b) recruit personnel into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) are highly valued, specialist personnel. We welcome the recent agreement of a pay award for the RFA and thank the Maritime Trade Unions for their support in reaching this resolution. This agreement is a significant step in a plan to reform the RFA. These reforms will improve the wider employee offer for those serving and ensure the RFA can continue to perform its vital role supporting the Royal Navy and our allies.
Whether any funding previously allocated to the Dental Recovery Plan has been withdrawn.
We are currently reviewing the Dental Recovery Plan that was published on 7 February 2024 and the policies that can be taken forward effectively and within National Health Service budgets. It is clear the plan did not go far enough and so we are also working on further measures, prioritising initiatives that will see the biggest impact on access to NHS dental care.Dental budgets remain ringfenced as per the 2024/25 revenue and contracting guidance, and integrated care boards should continue to seek to invest the full amount in dental activity.
What recent progress has been made on the Future Combat Air System.
Progress continues to be made on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The core platform, that will sit at its heart, is being delivered through the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). The Prime Minister and his Italian and Japanese counterparts have reite...
What recent steps his Department has taken to enhance interoperability between the Armed Forces and allied nations' forces on joint operations.
Enhancing interoperability continues to be at the core of our work, both between the branches of our Armed Forces and with our Allies. UK Strategic Command is defence's Integrated Design Authority ensuring integration across capabilities. Internationally,...
What proportion of his Department's procurement contracts have been awarded to UK-based manufacturers in the last 12 months; and what steps he is taking to promote the growth of domestic defence manufacturing.
The Department does not record within our systems directly where a contract is manufactured or the location of the supplier manufacturing. The Department do however collect the prime location of the contract as marked by the contact owner on Contract Purc...
What steps his Department is taking to replenish stockpiles of precision-guided munitions; and what steps he plans to take to help increase domestic production capacity.
The Ministry of Defence is carefully investing to improve the health of our munitions stockpiles, including precision-guided munitions, within the available financial envelope. Through investing in munitions we seek to grow domestic production, strengthen...
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18824 on UK Border Force: Seasonal Workers, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the decision to stand down the Bor
Border Force’s seasonal workforce staff were recruited on fixed-term contracts to assist at the UK Border, covering shifts when operationally required, such as during peak periods of travel, and subject to their availability. These contracts utilised an a...
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18824 on UK Border Force: Seasonal Workers, what steps her Department has taken to mitigate the potential loss of capacity provided by the Border
Border Force’s seasonal workforce staff were recruited on fixed-term contracts to assist at the UK Border, covering shifts when operationally required, such as during peak periods of travel, and subject to their availability. These contracts utilised an a...
Whether his Department plans to take steps to encourage further negotiation between (a) NICE, (b) Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited and (c) AstraZeneca on the supply of Enhertu.
Decisions on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England are made on the basis of recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), following an evaluation of a treatment’s co...
With reference to the HMPPS Offender Equalities Annual Report 2023-2024, published on 28 November 2024, how many of the 50 transgender prisoners who reported their legal gender as female were convicted of a sexua
Of the 245 transgender prisoners who reported their legal gender as male (i.e. those who now identify as women, non-binary or gender-fluid) on 31 March 2024, 151 were convicted of a sexual offence. This includes both contact and non-contact sexual offence...
With reference to the HMPPS Offender Equalities Annual Report 2023-2024, published on 28 November 2024, how many of the 245 transgender prisoners who reported their legal gender as male were convicted of a sexual
Of the 245 transgender prisoners who reported their legal gender as male (i.e. those who now identify as women, non-binary or gender-fluid) on 31 March 2024, 151 were convicted of a sexual offence. This includes both contact and non-contact sexual offence...