Written questions by Jones.

What assessment his Department has made of whether Trading Standards services currently have sufficient a) staffing, b) technical capability, and c) funding to enforce the new i) registration and ii) testing regime for vaping products proposed in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill from the point of commencement.

In 2025/26, we are investing £30 million of new funding for enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards, Border Force, and HM Revenue and Customs, to tackle the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes and help enforce the law. As part of this, the Government is investing £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 in Trading Standards. This funding is being used to boost the Trading Standards workforce by hiring 94 new apprentices across England. This will build a workforce tailored to our requirements and increase Trading Standards’ capacity to enforce the new measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Once established, the new product registration system will support enforcement agencies, giving Trading Standards better information to help them remove non-compliant products from the shelves quickly and efficiently. This will also give retailers greater confidence that the products they stock and sell are lawful.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, including testing requirements and fees. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses. We will consult on policy proposals based on the evidence provided in due course.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the a) registration scheme and b) testing regime enabled by the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will be applied effectively to i) online and ii) distance sales of vaping products, including those supplied by overseas sellers.

The future registration scheme will apply to all products sold in the United Kingdom, including distance sales and those sold online, regardless of their origin. The scheme will be designed to ensure the highest level of consumer safety and to reassure retailers that they are selling legitimate products. This will support enforcement and build an evidence base on the types of products entering the UK market.The details of the registration scheme and testing requirements will be subject to consultation. 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, including testing requirements. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses. We will consult on policy proposals based on the evidence provided in due course.

What conversations he has had with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that enforcement against non-compliant vaping products will be effectively coordinated once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is enacted.

Officials in the Department of Health and Social Care regularly meet with officials from other departments, including HM Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, the Office for Product Safety and Standards, Border Force, and the Home Office, as well as National Trading Standards, 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.Furthermore, in 2025/26, we are investing £30 million of new funding in total for enforcement agencies including Trading Standards, Border Force, and HM Revenue and Customs, to tackle the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes, and to help enforce the law. As part of this, the Government is investing £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 in Trading Standards. This funding is being used to boost the Trading Standards workforce by hiring 94 apprentices across England.

What recent discussions she had with the Welsh Rail Board on the electrification of the Cardiff - Swansea section of the South Wales Mainline.

The Rail Minister has regular discussions with the Wales Rail Board regarding their priorities for investment, including future electrification between Swansea and Cardiff. Our initial joint priorities involve improvements on the South Wales Mainline which will deliver more immediate passenger benefits, including increasing the frequency of services to the west of Cardiff. Following the Spending Review, we are funding these improvement works as part of the wider £445 million investment to enhance rail infrastructure across Wales — unlocking economic potential, improving connectivity, and supporting communities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking in collaboration with her counterpart in Myanmar to support the ability of Christian communities to (a) observe religious holidays and (b) practice their faith in Myanmar.

The UK continues to support Freedom of Religion and Belief in Myanmar, and we support the right of Christian communities and other faith groups in Myanmar to practice their religion without fear of violence or persecution.In 2025, we co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council resolution calling for the Myanmar military to fully respect and protect the human rights of all persons, including those belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, and we strongly condemn the Myanmar military's use of airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, including places of worship.

When she plans to publish the results of the consultation on potential reforms to Section 24 of Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which closed on 13 June 2014.

In 2014, the then Government commenced a public consultation seeking views on section 24, with the aim of increasing openness and transparency. This work was paused due to changes in administration in 2015.Under this Government, the Home Office has been reviewing the matter internally, and the intention to clarify the position on Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 remains, taking account of the previous consultation.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on the ability of the public to protest the use of beagles in scientific research.

On Thursday 27 November 2025, the Home Office laid an affirmative Statutory Instrument in Parliament to amend Section 7 and Section 8 of the Public Order Act 2023. This will amend the list of key national infrastructure within Section 7 of the Act, to add the Life Sciences sector and define the Life Sciences sector in Section 8 of the Act.Under Section 7 of the Act, a person commits an offence if:They do an act which interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure in England and Wales, andThey intend that act to interfere with the use or operation of such infrastructure or are reckless as to whether it will do so.The amendment is designed to address only certain behaviours impacting the Life Sciences sector. It does not ban protests. It specifically targets deliberate or reckless interference with infrastructure within the Life Sciences sector, that could undermine our sovereign capability to prepare for and respond to a pandemic.Whether an activity, online or otherwise, meets the criminal threshold within Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023 will be fact specific and is an operational matter for the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts, who are all operationally independent from the government.

Whether she intends to publish guidance for (a) the Police and (b) the public on protests outside life science facilities using animals in research.

The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of our democratic society. It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to gather and to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law.There is no statutory requirement for the Home Office to produce guidance for this instrument. However, the Home Office will work with the National Police Chiefs Council and the College of Policing as the regulations are implemented to ensure forces understand their operational responsibilities.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on the ability of (a) students and (b) academics to protest the use of animals in scientific research by universities.

On Thursday 27 November 2025, the Home Office laid an affirmative Statutory Instrument in Parliament to amend Section 7 and Section 8 of the Public Order Act 2023. This will amend the list of key national infrastructure within Section 7 of the Act, to add the Life Sciences sector and define the Life Sciences sector in Section 8 of the Act.The definition of ‘Life Sciences sector’ for the purpose of this legislation to be added to Section 8 of the Act is: “infrastructure that primarily facilitates pharmaceutical research, or the development or manufacturing of pharmaceutical products; or which is used in connection to activities authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986”.Under Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023, a person commits an offence if:They do an act which interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure in England and Wales, andThey intend that act to interfere with the use or operation of such infrastructure or are reckless as to whether it will do so.The amendment is designed to address only certain behaviours impacting the Life Sciences sector. It does not ban protests. It specifically targets deliberate or reckless interference with infrastructure within the Life Sciences sector, that could undermine our sovereign capability to prepare for and respond to a pandemic.Whether an activity meets the criminal threshold within Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023 will be fact specific and is an operational matter for the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts, who are all operationally independent from the government.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 99252 on Motability, will he undertake an Equality Impact Assessment of changes to the Motability scheme to incorporate financial analysis of the potential impact of changes on different scheme users.

An Equality Impact Assessment including consideration of the impact on affected individuals was undertaken and published by HMT as part of the Autumn Budget and can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK. The Motability Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and vehicles which require no advance payment, meaning that people will be able to access a suitable vehicle using only their qualifying disability benefit.  Motability Foundation, the independent charity with responsibility for overseeing the Scheme, will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme.

What quantitative analysis has been undertaken to assess the potential financial impacts of changes to the Motability scheme on users of the scheme.

An Equality Impact Assessment including consideration of the impact on affected individuals was undertaken and published by HMT as part of the Autumn Budget and can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK. The Motability Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and vehicles which require no advance payment, meaning that people will be able to access a suitable vehicle using only their qualifying disability benefit.  Motability Foundation, the independent charity with responsibility for overseeing the Scheme, will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) diplomatic steps is her Department taking to assist in (i) locating and (ii) rescuing the remaining girls kidnaped from Chibok on 14 April 2014, and (b) what recent discussions has she had with the Nigerian Government about this.

The UK Government strongly condemns the abduction and continued captivity of children by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) in North East Nigeria, and has repeatedly called for their release. This includes the 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls, around 90 of whom are understood still to be missing. On 11 November the Foreign Secretary held a meeting in London with Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar where the ongoing insecurity in Nigeria was discussed. The UK Government will continue to work closely with the Nigerian Government to prevent the future abduction of children in Nigeria.

When he plans to consult on his Department's proposals to replace the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber.

As a first step in reform of the House of Lords, the Government has introduced legislation to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.The Government is committed to delivering further reform. The House of Lords has now agreed to establish a dedicated select committee to look at how best to implement the manifesto commitments on a retirement age and participation requirement.

What discussions she has had with the Motability Foundation on the the potential impact of her Department's changes to (a) VAT and (b) Insurance Premium Tax for the Motability Foundation on (i) funding for the Mobility Foundation and (ii) the ability of the Foundation to cross-subsidise its work to support the most vulnerable residents.

Prior to announcing tax changes to the Motability Scheme at Budget 2025, the Government engaged with the Motability Foundation to understand how tax changes would impact the Motability Scheme and their customers. For customers who cannot afford essential costs or need more complex adaptations, the Motability Foundation will continue to provide means-tested grants to those most in need of financial help. In 2024/25, these grants totalled £59.3 million, supporting over 10,000 customers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2025 to question 94838, what impact enacting HSE proposals to change GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging will have on divergence between EU and GB mandatory hazard classifications for the same substance.

The Health and Safety Executive’s assessment is that the proposed changes to the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation will not lead to greater divergence of the mandatory classification and labelling of individual substances between GB and the EU.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) training and (b) certification of technicians in the use of alternative products during the planned transition away from fluorinated gases.

F-gas regulatory changes, such as training and certification, are out of the scope of the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown consultation but their importance in delivery of the phasedown is recognised. The UK Government, in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Governments, is committed to further exploring other areas for F-gas reform.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of fluorinated gases during the planned transition to alternative gases.

The UK Government is consulting on proposed reforms to the GB hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown. The consultation closes on 17 December, and the Department will be carefully considering the responses. The consultation and accompanying De Minimis Assessment outline our modelling assumptions on HFC availability. We have asked respondents to provide feedback on those assumptions.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will meet with the heating, refrigeration and air conditioning industries to discuss the F Gas Regulation in Great Britain consultation.

Officials have been in regular contact with sector representatives during the current consultation on reforming the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown and before it. They welcome further discussions as part of ongoing engagement with the sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the hydrofluorocarbons phasedown proposed in the F Gas Regulation in Great Britain consultation allows industry adequate time for safety checks on flammable alternatives to F Gas.

The consultation on reforming the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown seeks views from respondents about potential wider impacts from the proposal. We will take into account responses to those views when making decisions following the consultation.

Media and Sport, whether the £400m announced by her Department for grassroots sports facilities will apply to Wales and whether Barnett Consequentials will be provided.

The Government’s announcement of £400m of investment into grassroots sports over the next four years will ensure that we continue to deliver high-quality multi-sport facilities in communities that need them across the UK, including Wales, in order to increase participation and allow people to be active.We are working on our plans for future grassroots sports funding and we will continue to engage the Welsh Government and our local partners in Wales on this matter. We will provide an update soon.