Written questions by Jones.

What the average waiting time was for a Section 20 hearing under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in each of the last five years.

The Ministry of Justice and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs work closely at official level, alongside other Departments and operational partners, on matters relating to animal welfare and the functioning of the justice system.The average waiting time for section 20 hearings in the last five years is set out in the table below. Listing is a judicial function administered by HMCTS on judicial direction. The Ministry of Justice recognises that delays in court proceedings can have wider operational and financial impacts on partner organisations, including local authorities and animal welfare providers, and continues to focus on reducing court backlogs through its court reform programme, which is why on 25 February 2026, the Deputy Prime Minister announced the Courts and Tribunals Bill, aiming to deliver faster, fairer justice for all. These reforms are designed to progress cases more quickly through the criminal courts.Magistrates Court: Average wait time for Section 20 hearing under the Animal Welfare Act 2006202183 Days202253 Days202389 Days202474 Days202582 Days

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February to Question 109206 on breast cancer drugs, if he will make it his policy to reform the risk-reducing drug pathway for patients at increased risk of breast cancer .

The Department is taking steps to ensure that women at increased risk of breast cancer are provided with the best information, support, preventative care, and testing.Through our National Cancer Plan, we will develop and deliver more proactive approaches to identifying people at risk of cancer, through symptomatic case finding, additional support for general practitioners (GPs) and genomic testing. The new and world-leading NHS National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Registry, part of the National Disease Registration Service, will help the National Health Service to deliver proactive, targeted prevention, surveillance, and earlier diagnosis for people and their families. Self-testing swabs will accelerate access to genomic tests, and those who need it will get genetic counselling, regular surveillance checks, and prophylactic treatment options. For women at increased risk of breast cancer, this means a more proactive approach and personalised support.Through our National Cancer Plan, and our wider work on improving GP services, we will offer improved support to women at increased risk of breast cancer.

Whether physiotherapists will remain eligible for indefinite leave to remain after five years under her Department's proposed changes to migration rules.

Proposals for introducing an earned settlement model, as set out in the Command Paper “A Fairer Pathway to Settlement” (CP1448), were subject to a public consultation, which opened on 20 November 2025 and closed on 12 February 2026.We are now reviewing and analysing the results of this to inform the development of the final model. The consultation sought views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups and the case for exemptions for vulnerable groupings. Implementation of the earned settlement arrangements will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

Whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that emergency (a) preparedness and (b) response planning includes consideration of rehabilitation needs in line with World Health Organization Resolution 76.6 on Strengthening Rehabilitation in Health Systems, adopted in May 2023.

Rehabilitation is an important consideration within the recovery phase of our emergency response plans and wider preparedness, in line with World Health Organization Resolution 76.6 on Strengthening Rehabilitation in Health Systems. The United Kingdom participated in the negotiation of the resolution which was adopted by the UK and Member States at the World Health Assembly in May 2023.We regularly review our plans and procedures to ensure they continue to reflect best practice and lessons from real events, exercises and international bodies and comparators. The Department plans for a range of risks and scenarios from the onset of an incident through to the recovery phase. Specifically, recovery is a core element of NHS England’s emergency preparedness, resilience and response framework. It includes restoring services and addressing the longer-term health and care needs of people and communities who have been affected.

Whether the Office for Product Safety and Standards will oversee the vaping product registration scheme.

Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Office for Product Safety and Standards are considering whether the Office for Product Safety and Standards would be best placed to oversee the future register.Officials in Department of Health and Social Care and the Office for Product Safety and Standards have agreed, at a working level, an interim Memorandum of Understanding to review whether the Office for Product Safety and Standards is a suitable home for the future scheme. We expect to consult on proposals for the product registration scheme later this year.

What specific mechanisms will enable HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force to verify compliance with the vaping product registration scheme at the point of import; and whether registration numbers will be required on customs documentation.

Officials in the Department of Health and Social Care regularly meet with officials from other departments, including HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force, to share intelligence and ensure a coordinated approach to the enforcement of our rules on vaping products. This coordinated approach to enforcement will continue once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill becomes law and in the development of subsequent regulations.We launched a call for evidence in October 2025 which sought further detail on the existing product notification schemes and where registration could go further than current requirements. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses. Policy proposals will be subject to further consultation before regulations are made with sufficient lead time for businesses to adjust to the new requirements.The Government intends to implement vaping duty stamps alongside the Vaping Products Duty commencing in October 2026, in line with HM Revenue and Customs’ strategic objective of making it easy to get tax right and hard to bend or break the rules. Vaping duty stamps will support both enforcement bodies and industry in identifying products that are non-duty paid, therefore illicit. We will work with HM Revenue and Customs to ensure a joined-up approach, where appropriate.

Whether he expects the vaping product registration scheme to be fully operational before the commencement of the Vaping Products Duty in October 2026; and what contingency arrangements will apply if implementation timetables differ.

Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to develop a new registration and testing scheme for all vape, nicotine, and tobacco products. This will replace the current notification system and competent authority function which will remain in place until the new regulations. Our current intention is for the new scheme to be operational by the end of this Parliament.While they are linked, there are differences between the future registration scheme and the Vaping Products Duty, commencing in October 2026, which will provide civil and criminal powers for HM Revenue and Customs to assess for duty and seize products and equipment used to produce or transport illicit products.

What formal intergovernmental mechanisms are in place to coordinate enforcement of the vaping product registration and testing regime across the four nations of the United Kingdom.

Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to develop a new registration and testing scheme for all vape, nicotine, and tobacco products. These powers will apply across the United Kingdom, and it is therefore vital that the future registration scheme works for all nations.We are in the process of developing the new registration scheme and we launched a call for evidence in October 2025 which sought further detail on the existing product notification schemes and where registration could go further than current requirements. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses.We are working closely with the devolved administrations on all future regulations and officials meet with them regularly to discuss a range of issues. This includes on the registration scheme and the coordination across the United Kingdom that will be a crucial part of any considerations. Policy proposals will be subject to further consultation before regulations are made with sufficient lead time for businesses to adjust to the new requirements.

Whether the forthcoming review of pornography regulation will consider any inconsistencies between online and offline regulation in restricting children’s access to sexually explicit material.

On 9 December 2025, during the House of Lords Committee Stage debate on the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government announced that it would accept, in part, one of the recommendations from Baroness Bertin’s Independent Review on Pornography, namely recommendation 24 which says:‘The current criminal justice response is ineffective in tackling illegal pornography online. Government should conduct its own legislative review of this regime to ensure that legislation and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance is fit-for-purpose in tackling illegal pornography in the online world.’ The Government will be reviewing the criminal law relating to pornography, which will give an opportunity to look at the criminal law in this area holistically and consider whether it is fit for purpose in an ever-developing online world. We have accepted in part because the Government cannot accept the recommendation to review CPS guidance. As the CPS is independent, whether to conduct a review of guidance would be a matter for them to decide. The review will be conducted by the Ministry of Justice. As the review is focused on the criminal law on pornography, it will not appraise the effectiveness of age-verification, age-assurance methods or regulation, which are outside of the scope of the criminal legislation the Ministry of Justice will be reviewing. A Joint Team has been set up, across the Home Office, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to rigorously examine the evidence to address the issues from the Pornography Review. It will examine the evidence to inform the Government’s approach to pornography policy.

When his Department expects to publish the review of pornography regulation announced in the House of Lords on 10 December 2025.

On 9 December 2025, during the House of Lords Committee Stage debate on the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government announced that it would accept, in part, one of the recommendations from Baroness Bertin’s Independent Review on Pornography, namely recommendation 24 which says:‘The current criminal justice response is ineffective in tackling illegal pornography online. Government should conduct its own legislative review of this regime to ensure that legislation and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance is fit-for-purpose in tackling illegal pornography in the online world.’ The Government will be reviewing the criminal law relating to pornography, which will give an opportunity to look at the criminal law in this area holistically and consider whether it is fit for purpose in an ever-developing online world. We have accepted in part because the Government cannot accept the recommendation to review CPS guidance. As the CPS is independent, whether to conduct a review of guidance would be a matter for them to decide. The review will be conducted by the Ministry of Justice. As the review is focused on the criminal law on pornography, it will not appraise the effectiveness of age-verification, age-assurance methods or regulation, which are outside of the scope of the criminal legislation the Ministry of Justice will be reviewing. A Joint Team has been set up, across the Home Office, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to rigorously examine the evidence to address the issues from the Pornography Review. It will examine the evidence to inform the Government’s approach to pornography policy.

Whether the forthcoming review of the criminal law relating to pornography will assess the effectiveness of current a) age-verification and b) age-assurance measures in preventing children from accessing online pornography.

On 9 December 2025, during the House of Lords Committee Stage debate on the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government announced that it would accept, in part, one of the recommendations from Baroness Bertin’s Independent Review on Pornography, namely recommendation 24 which says:‘The current criminal justice response is ineffective in tackling illegal pornography online. Government should conduct its own legislative review of this regime to ensure that legislation and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance is fit-for-purpose in tackling illegal pornography in the online world.’ The Government will be reviewing the criminal law relating to pornography, which will give an opportunity to look at the criminal law in this area holistically and consider whether it is fit for purpose in an ever-developing online world. We have accepted in part because the Government cannot accept the recommendation to review CPS guidance. As the CPS is independent, whether to conduct a review of guidance would be a matter for them to decide. The review will be conducted by the Ministry of Justice. As the review is focused on the criminal law on pornography, it will not appraise the effectiveness of age-verification, age-assurance methods or regulation, which are outside of the scope of the criminal legislation the Ministry of Justice will be reviewing. A Joint Team has been set up, across the Home Office, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to rigorously examine the evidence to address the issues from the Pornography Review. It will examine the evidence to inform the Government’s approach to pornography policy.

Whether an equality impact assessment will be conducted prior to any implementation of the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) on prostate cancer.

On 28 November, the UK National Screening Committee opened a 12-week public consultation on a draft recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. We anticipate a final recommendation in early 2026. After which, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will make a decision on whether to accept the recommendation, and what next steps are needed. Any policy developed from the recommendation will be supported by an equality impact assessment to ensure that possible health inequality that could be caused by the policy will be mitigated against.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that all Agenda for Change NHS pay bands are (a) set at and (b) above the real Living Wage as calculated by the Living Wage foundation.

These specific assessments have not been made.Following acceptance of the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations on pay for 2026/27, Agenda for Change (AfC) entry pay will remain above the National Living Wage for 2026/27. In addition, we have committed to providing the NHS Staff Council with a funded mandate to reform the AfC pay structure. We expect these talks will begin shortly.Individual organisations remain free to decide whether they wish to commit to being a Real Living Wage employer at a local level.

What assessment she has made of the numbers of animals being used in tests in order to satisfy international regulators despite a non-animal alternative being accepted in the UK; and what steps is she taking to reduce those numbers.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit has published guidance for applicants intending to conduct research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for regulated bodies outside the UK, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/research-and-testing-using-animals (see section entitled ‘Research for regulatory bodies outside the UK’).In summary, where there is a difference between the requested test and the lowest impact test used elsewhere, there must be associated benefit commensurate with allowing the higher impact test for that jurisdiction. This is aligned with the legally binding principle of the implementation of the 3Rs - Replacement, Reduction and Refinement.This Government has recently launched an Alternatives Strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of non-animal alternatives. The strategy is backed by £75 million in investment for delivery with plans to establish a UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Egyptian counterpart on the potential impact of the use of Egyptian national identity cards to record a person's religion on the level of religious discrimination.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and we continue to regularly raise rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities where appropriate.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports that a Christian researcher in Egypt has been sentenced under blasphemy laws, including the potential impact on religious minorities freedom in that country.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and we continue to regularly raise rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities where appropriate.

Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to launch the consultation on restricting perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in consumer articles.

The Government published a PFAS Plan on 3 February 2026. This sets out the Government’s approach towards PFAS in consumer articles.

Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will consider a universal restriction on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

The Government published a PFAS Plan on 3 February 2026, which sets out our approach towards protecting human health and the environment from risks posed by PFAS. In the recently revised Environmental Improvement Plan, we have committed to reforming UK REACH. This will enable protections to be applied more quickly, more efficiently and more closely aligned with our closest trading partner the EU.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of improving a) research, b) monitoring and c) labelling of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

The Government published a PFAS Plan on 3 February 2026, which sets out its approach towards protecting human health and the environment from risks posed by PFAS. Research is being commissioned and coordinated across the Government, regulators, academia and industry to close key evidence-gaps on PFAS health, environmental impacts and innovation of alternatives. Defra has funded the Environmental Agency to develop one of the most capable PFAS monitoring programmes globally. Using improved analytical methods and data from a range of sources, it covers water, wildlife, soil and industrial emissions. A number of the most harmful PFAS already have a mandatory classification and labelling for carcinogenicity under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging regime.

Media and Sport, when she plans to publish further information on the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund.

Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process on the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund, will be published in due course. The fund will be focused on England, because Heritage is a devolved policy area. We are working closely with other funders in the sector to ensure that opportunities for funding places of worship throughout the UK are maximised.