Written questions by Eastwood.

What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on supporting smokers in Northern Ireland to quit.

The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill was introduced into Parliament on 5 November 2024 and will be the single biggest public health intervention since the Government banned smoking in indoor public spaces.This bill goes further than ever before. It will create the first smoke-free generation, gradually phasing out the sale of tobacco products across the country, enable the Government to strengthen the existing ban on smoking in public places, to reduce the harms of passive smoking in certain outdoor settings, ban vapes and nicotine products from being promoted and advertised to children, and introduce tougher enforcement measures, including through providing powers to introduce a retail licensing scheme for tobacco and vapes.The bill has been developed in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government, and the Welsh Government. The Department has engaged extensively with all the devolved administrations throughout the process of drafting the bill. I also have liaised directly with Minister Nesbitt and his department's officials on the bill’s contents and progress, and will continue to do so..Stop smoking services and support for smokers to quit are devolved matters, and support for smokers to quit in Northern Ireland is for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine.

Whether he plans to introduce votes at 16 before (a) elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and (b) local elections take place.

This Government will legislate to lower the voting age to 16 during this Parliament. This change will strengthen our democracy and empower young people to participate in it.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the introduction of votes at 16 in Northern Ireland.

The introduction of votes at 16 will be a major change to the franchise. I will of course work closely with my Ministerial counterparts across Government and other stakeholders on the development and implementation of this change.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing residence-based voting rights in Northern Ireland.

The Government has no plans to revise the franchise for any elections based on residency. The right to vote at Parliamentary elections is consistent across the UK and it is important that all MPs are elected on a consistent franchise.In order to register to vote at Assembly and local elections in Northern Ireland those who are eligible must be resident in the constituency in which they wish to vote.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of suspending all arms sales to Israel.

On day one in office, the Foreign Secretary commissioned a thorough review into Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL), given the grave concerns about the conduct and consequences of the war in Gaza for civilians. The Strategic Export Licensing Criteria state that the Government will not issue or maintain export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law. Given the conclusions of the review, on 2 September the Government suspended export licences to Israel, effectively covering all arms exports for use in the current conflict in Gaza, exempting components for F-35 aircraft which, for reasons outlined in the Foreign Secretary's Statement and the Business and Trade Secretary's Written Ministerial Statement, have been excluded from the suspension.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken recent steps to meet the duties set out in the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion entitled Legal Consequences Arising From The Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem, published on 19 July 2024.

The UK does not disagree with the central findings of the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion on the 'Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem'. We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as rapidly as possible - but we are also clear that every effort must be made to create the conditions for negotiations towards a two-state solution. Our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of AirPods Pro 2's Hearing Aid feature.

We are aware of the new features on the AirPods Pro 2. As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will consider the potential of technologies, including wearable technologies, to support the shift in healthcare from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make changes to funding levels of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland.

The Autumn Budget announced that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, for which the previous government made no plans beyond March 2025, will be extended for 2025-26 at a reduced level of £900 million.With this transitional arrangement, Northern Ireland will continue to benefit from investment next year in local growth, providing certainty of funding in advance of wider local growth funding reforms.My department will update the fund prospectus and confirm the Northern Ireland funding allocation for 2025-26 as soon as possible.

What steps he is taking with his Northern Irish counterpart to ensure that radioisotopes are distributed to areas most in need.

The Department has been working hard with industry to help resolve the shortages of radioisotopes, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. The affected radioisotopes are mainly used for diagnosing cancers, including prostate and breast cancer, and are also used for the imaging of organ function in scans, including for the heart. Despite efforts to limit the impact, there will be delays for some patients accessing services which rely on this affected radioisotope, with potential cancellations. In the most urgent cases patients will be prioritised for care while supplies are limited. Patients may also be offered the necessary treatment at another hospital.The Department is working in close partnership with National Health Service specialists from across the UK, suppliers, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, UK Radiopharmacy Group, and the devolved administrations, including Northern Ireland, to ensure that critical patients are prioritised and the limited supply is shared equitably between hospitals and trusts across the UK.The Department has worked with specialist clinicians to develop comprehensive management advice for NHS clinicians across the UK on how to manage and prioritise patients affected by these shortages. The guidance covers actions for health boards in the devolved nations, including on the coordination of mutual aid arrangements and escalation routes where issues are identified.

What role he plans his Department will have in supporting the work of the Northern Ireland Transformation Board.

The establishment of a Public Service Transformation Board was a condition of the Government’s £3.3bn restoration package for the Northern Ireland Executive, which included £235m of funding specifically for the transformation of public services. The Board will include a wide range of independent experts, and be supported by officials from NICS and UKG, to provide strategic advice to the Executive on how to transform public services. The Executive will need to make difficult choices in order to live within their budget to support the cost of public service delivery and improve outcomes for citizens. The Government wants to work collaboratively to support the Executive to achieve this while respecting the devolved settlement.

If he will have discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of the proposed Hillsborough Law on public services in Northern Ireland.

As the Prime Minister announced recently, the Hillsborough Law is a priority for this Government. Discussions have already begun between officials in the Cabinet Office and those in the devolved governments. I will continue to ensure that Ministerial colleagues in the devolved governments are engaged on this policy.

When he plans to introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

In the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, we committed to introducing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in this parliamentary session. The bill will create the first smoke-free generation, gradually ending the sale of tobacco products as well as stopping vapes and other nicotine products from being branded and advertised to appeal to children. The bill will be the biggest public health intervention in a generation and pave the way for a smoke-free United Kingdom. It will be introduced to Parliament in due course.

Which organisations she consulted on the proposal of having job coaches visit mental health patients in hospital.

The Secretary of State has made no announcement regarding having job coaches visit mental health patients in hospital and therefore did not consult any organisations. She was referring to her experience visiting a severe mental illness Individual Placement and Support programme. The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment model is internationally recognised as one of the most effective way to support people with mental health problems to gain and keep paid employment. Individual Placement and Support services offer intensive, individually tailored support to help people to choose and find the right job, with ongoing support for the employer and employee to help ensure the person sustain their employment. In August, 38,704 people had accessed Individual Placement and Support services in the previous 12 months, meaning we are above our trajectory to meet the end of year target of 40,500 people accessing these services.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to shut down online scams related to funeral homes.

Fraud offences are designated as priority under the Online Safety Act, which means that user-to-user and search services in scope of the Act must implement measures to prevent users encountering scams and frauds via their services.Additional duties to have systems and process in place to prevent users from encountering paid-for fraudulent advertising will also apply to Category 1 and 2A services (user-to-user and search services over designated thresholds).These measures are designed to prevent a range of online frauds, including social media scams.

With reference to the press release entitled Record-breaking International Investment Summit secures £63 billion and nearly 38,000 jobs for the UK, published on 14 October 2024, whether she has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the proportion of (a) that investment that will be disbursed in and (b) those jobs that will be created in Northern Ireland.

The International Investment Summit on the 14th October sought to drive investment across the entirety of the UK. The announcement on 8th of October by bus operator Go Ahead, saw £500 million investment, supporting up to 500 UK manufacturing jobs, to decarbonise its fleet, including creating a new dedicated manufacturing line and partnership with Northern Ireland based bus manufacturer Wrightbus. Furthermore, this investment will accelerate the transition to greener buses across the country including in Plymouth, Gloucestershire, East Yorkshire, London and the Isle of Wight.

Whether he has had discussions with the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor.

The Government’s priority is to ensure that Northern Ireland remains an attractive destination in which to live, work and invest. I regularly discuss opportunities for economic growth, including mutually beneficial cross-border opportunities, with the Northern Ireland Executive, colleagues across the UK Government, and industry stakeholders.Later this month, I will attend the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce Conference alongside representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive, the Irish Government and business leaders.

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to take forward recommendations from the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration: Final Report, published in March 2023.

We are considering the Commission’s recommendations and have been working with bereaved family groups and other stakeholders, including other government departments and Devolved Governments.We want to do justice to the hard work of the Commission for Covid Commemoration and carefully consider our response to all of the recommendations.While we cannot commit to an exact date for publication of the government response, we are working to publish soon.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press release of 6 October 2024 entitled New government tech deals boost the business of cancer detection, whether (a) that initiative extends to Northern Ireland and (b) people in Northern Ireland will have access to the advancements in cancer detection technology outlined in that initiative.

The cancer detection initiatives announced on 06 October 2024 were part of UK-wide funding calls led by the Office for Life Sciences (OLS), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Northern Ireland companies and universities are engaged in collaborations with the recently announced MANIFEST cancer immunotherapy platform and the National Healthcare Research Hub for Advanced Long-acting Therapeutics. The Government is funding these cancer detection initiatives with a view to these being deployed across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

What steps he is taking to ensure that (a) claims under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme can be inherited by the families of deceased claimants and (b) people who are unable to receive their payments due to health issues do not lose their right to compensation upon passing.

Where a person who would have been eligible to apply to the Scheme as an infected person has tragically died, the personal representatives of the deceased person’s estate can apply for compensation on behalf of the estate of the deceased infected person. Where compensation is payable to someone who lacks capacity, including due to health issues, the award will be paid to the person with power of attorney or other legal authority to act on the person’s behalf. In both cases, the acting representative must make the application to the Scheme. In line with the Inquiry’s recommendation, where an affected person has died it is not possible for the personal representatives of their estate to apply for compensation.

If he will take steps to expedite the payment process for (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable people eligible for compensation under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority is responsible for making payments to those eligible under the scheme, and they are carefully considering all options around payments, including the prioritisation of any payments. For those who are infected, the Government expects the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to begin making payments before the end of 2024. The Authority is working on developing a service that balances speed with ease of use.