Written questions by Cadbury.

With reference to Q59 of the oral evidence given by the Strategy, Policy and Communications Director of the DVLA to the Transport Select Committee on 5 July 2023, HC 816, whether the research commissioned by her Department on number plate cloning has been completed; and if she will publish that research.

The results of this research are held by NPCC not the Home Office, and the Home Office understands it is not intended that this will be published.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether people can import polystyrene cups into the UK.

The supply of expanded and foamed extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers, including cups, that are used to contain food or drink that is ready-to-consume has been banned since 1 October 2023. However, you may still import polystyrene cups. This facilitates their movement through the supply chain to allow for other uses.

What assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of reviewing the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 in relation to the provisions around the appointment of bishops within the Church of England.

The Government introduced legislation on 13 February to remove the legal barrier to Roman Catholics holding the office of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This short and narrowly-focused Bill facilitates the upcoming appointment of the first Roman Catholic Lord High Commissioner for the next General Assembly in May.

What assessment her Department has made of the impact of the proposed West London orbital rail link on connectivity between West London Boroughs.

Any assessment of the impact on West London boroughs would be carried out by Transport for London as part of its development of the West London Orbital scheme.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of improving cross-borough public transport links in London on (a) the economy, (b) air quality and (c) social mobility in London.

Transport in London is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and Transport for London, including assessment of the economic, air quality and social mobility impacts of changes to London’s transport network. However, the Government recognises importance of London’s transport network for the capital’s and UK’s economy and for London’s air quality and social mobility, and at Autumn budget confirmed £485m of capital funding for investment in London’s transport infrastructure.

What discussions (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have had with the Mayor of London on proposals for the West London Orbital railway.

Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL). The Department for Transport works closely with TfL to understand the long-term needs of London’s transport infrastructure and opportunities to enhance its network, including potential major projects such as the West London Orbital.

Innovation and Technology, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to assess the potential implications for the Government's policies of the unlawful use of copyrighted (a) images, (b) books, (c) films and (d) music by AI firms.

In the UK, licences are required from copyright owners when protected works (such as images, books, films, music) are used in AI training, unless an exception to copyright applies.The law in this area is complex and disputed.The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport jointly published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024, seeking views which will help the Government develop an approach which can provide greater legal certainty in this space.The consultation closes on 25 February.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of introducing an opt-out for AI firms using copyright works on (a) visual artists and (b) other creators.

The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.This consultation seeks views on a number of issues relating to copyright and AI, including on how to give rights holders of creative works greater control over use of their material.The Government has published an assessment of options alongside the consultation. Further information and evidence on the impact of a rights-reservation (or “opt-out”), including the impact on visual artists and other creators is welcomed as part of the consultation, to help shape Government’s thinking.The consultation closes on 25 February.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of copyright law for ensuring visual artists are remunerated for the use of their work in training AI models.

At present, copyright law regarding AI training is disputed. This makes it difficult for creators, such as visual artists, to control whether their works can be used to train AI models, and to seek payment for this.The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.This consultation seeks views on how to create clarity in this area. This includes seeking views on proposals which would enable right holders to reserve their rights, so they can prevent, or license, the use of their content to train AI models in the UK.The consultation closes on 25 February.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help protect (a) visual artists and (b) other creators from copyright infringement by AI developers.

Copying protected material in the UK will infringe copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception to copyright applies.The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.This consultation seeks views on a package of measures, which include a requirement for AI model developers to be more transparent about how they obtain their training material, to enable copyright to be more easily enforced.The proposals would also enable right holders to reserve their rights, so they can prevent the use of their content to train AI models in the UK.The consultation closes on 25 February.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the potential impact of the use of AI models on (a) visual artists and (b) the wider creative sector.

The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.It sets out potential legislative changes to copyright law to support the development and use of AI technology, while continuing to reward human creators. It also seeks views on digital replicas and other related emerging issues.The Government has published an assessment of options alongside the consultation. Further information and evidence on the economic impact of the use of AI models on visual artists and the wider creative sector is welcomed as part of the consultation, to help shape Government’s thinking.The consultation closes on 25 February.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposals within the consultation entitled Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, published on 17 December 2024, on visual artists.

The government’s consultation on Copyright and AI, launched 17 December and closing 25 February, was published alongside an accompanying options assessment. The consultation seeks to gather further evidence on the potential impact on the creative industries of any change to the copyright regime in the context of AI training.Following the consultation, if legislative changes are needed, a full economic impact assessment will be undertaken.

What discussions her Department has had with the National Police Chief Councils on the effectiveness of powers to arrest people suspected of driving under the influence of drugs.

Ministers and officials meet with representatives of the NPCC on a regular basis and discuss a wide range of topics.The police have the power under section 10 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to arrest and detain an individual if they have provided a specimen of breath, blood or urine that exceeds the prescribed drink or drug driving limit or the individual’s ability to drive properly is impaired. How the police decide to use these powers is an operational matter for their discretion.The Government will continue to support the police to ensure that they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.The information requested on how many arrests there were for driving under the influence of drugs in each year since 2018 is not held centrally by the Home Office. Drug driving offences are not among the list of offences for which police forces are currently required to notify the Home Office of data on arrests, charges and outcomes.

How many arrests there were for driving under the influence of drugs in each year since 2018.

Ministers and officials meet with representatives of the NPCC on a regular basis and discuss a wide range of topics.The police have the power under section 10 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to arrest and detain an individual if they have provided a specimen of breath, blood or urine that exceeds the prescribed drink or drug driving limit or the individual’s ability to drive properly is impaired. How the police decide to use these powers is an operational matter for their discretion.The Government will continue to support the police to ensure that they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.The information requested on how many arrests there were for driving under the influence of drugs in each year since 2018 is not held centrally by the Home Office. Drug driving offences are not among the list of offences for which police forces are currently required to notify the Home Office of data on arrests, charges and outcomes.

When HMRC plans to respond to the email of 9 December 2024 from the office of the hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth.

A response to the member for Brentford and Isleworth regarding their correspondence of 9 December 2024 is being prepared and will be provided by 24 January 2025. I apologise for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member.

Whether she plans to remove the 50% faith cap on newly opened schools.

The previous government launched a consultation proposing to lift the 50% faith admissions cap that applies to free schools designated with a religious character, where they are oversubscribed. The consultation closed last year and the department will respond in due course.

Whether he is taking steps to introduce early diagnosis services for osteoporosis.

Funding was recently announced to boost bone density scanning capacity, to support improvements in bone health and early diagnostics for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, such as osteoporosis. This will provide an estimated 29,000 extra scans per year.As announced in the Get Britain Working white paper, we are delivering the joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England’s Getting It Right First-Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. With a £3.5 million funding boost, GIRFT teams will deploy their proven Further Faster model to work with integrated care board leaders to further reduce MSK community waiting times, including for those with osteoporosis, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of HRT products in London.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within London is not held centrally. There are over 70 hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products, and the vast majority are in good supply. Previously there has been issues with the supply of a limited number of these products, primarily driven by very sharp increases in demand. Following the Department’s intensive engagement with industry, the supply position has improved considerably. As part of this we have met with suppliers on a very regular basis and have held seven HRT supply roundtables since April 2022, with the most recent in September 2024, with suppliers, wholesalers, and community pharmacists, to provide updates on the supply position and actions being taken to address them, to share data, and to discuss relevant policy developments and potential impacts. We are aware of the supply issues affecting Estradot (estradiol) 50 microgram/24 hour, 75 microgram/24 hour, and 100 microgram/24 hour patches, for which we have issued comprehensive management guidance to the National Health Service, including Serious Shortage Protocols allowing community pharmacists to supply the equivalent strength patch of an alternative brand without the need for a new prescription. Alternative brands of estradiol patches remain available.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of credit unions operating in England.

The Government has made clear its strong support for the credit union sector, recognising the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities across the country in providing savings products and affordable credit. The Chancellor announced new measures to support the growth of the credit union and mutuals sector in her Mansion House speech on 14 November. This included publishing a call for evidence on the potential to reform common bonds for credit unions in Great Britain, asking the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to produce a report on the mutuals landscape by the end of 2025, and welcoming the establishment of an industry-led Mutual and Co-operative Business Council. Together, these actions reinforce the Government’s commitment to support the credit union and mutuals sector, and help it grow to drive innovation and economic growth across the country. The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) publishes quarterly statistics relating to credit unions in the United Kingdom. According to this latest data, there are currently 140 credit unions operating in England. Whilst HM Treasury does not hold data on the number of credit unions operating in London, all registered mutuals are listed publicly on the Mutuals Public Register, which is managed by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Whether she has plans to consult with (a) community and (b) environmental groups on her Department's plans to modernise airspace.

Anyone sponsoring a proposal to change airspace must follow the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Airspace Change Process (CAP1616). This process sets out the requirements for airspace change sponsors to engage with and consult those potentially affected by airspace change, including local communities and environmental groups. This includes a requirement to engage with relevant stakeholders at different stages of the process, from the initial design principles to detailed options appraisal, before any final plans are submitted to the CAA.