Written questions by Braverman.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of deploying mobile, low-cost anti-drone units.

The Ministry of Defence continually monitors the threat posed to the UK. Integrated Air and Missile Defence, including the countering of the threat posed by Uncrewed Air Systems, will be prioritised appropriately as part of the future Integrated Force. Delivery of the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including investment in homeland Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be laid out in the Defence Investment Plan due to be published later this year. The Department is reviewing all options for the manufacture and deployment of anti-drone systems.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of low-cost drone swarms on (a) military and (b) civilian infrastructure.

The Department is aware of the threat posed by low-cost drones to military and civilian infrastructure. the Ministry of Defence supports the Home Office in its national response to this. The Strategic Defence Review announced an investment of £1 billion to enhance our homeland air and missile defence. This investment will be prioritised appropriately as part of the future Integrated Force. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including on all aspects of the Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be set out in the Defence Investment Plan to be published this year.

Whether the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers have been consulted on the potential to manufacture mobile anti-drone platforms for domestic defence.

The Ministry of Defence continually monitors the threat posed to the UK. Integrated Air and Missile Defence, including the countering of the threat posed by Uncrewed Air Systems, will be prioritised appropriately as part of the future Integrated Force. Delivery of the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including investment in homeland Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be laid out in the Defence Investment Plan due to be published later this year. The Department is reviewing all options for the manufacture and deployment of anti-drone systems.

What discussions the UK has had with NATO allies on the sustainability of air defence ammunition stocks in the event of prolonged drone-based conflict.

The UK has regular and ongoing discussions with NATO allies on the sustainability of air defence ammunition stocks. This includes through the NATO Conference National Armament Directors (CNAD), which held an extraordinary meeting on air and missile defence on 23 January 2025, and the NATO Defence Industrial Production Board, which is currently addressing how we increase industrial capacity in Surface-Based Air and Missile Defence. The UK is also encouraging allies to consolidate future buys of air defence ammunition and support increased production capacity through our NATO Multinational Procurement Initiatives and NATO’s Reoccurring Process for Aggregating Demand Signal (REPEAD). The UK remains committed to working closely with NATO allies to ensure the sustainability of air defence ammunition stocks and to address the challenges posed by evolving threats, including drone-based warfare. The Government will continue to prioritise this issue and work with Allies to ensure that NATO remains prepared to respond to current and future security challenges.

What assessment he has made of the feasibility of equipping UK forces with improvised anti-drone vehicles using mounted machine guns and spotlights.

The Ministry of Defence continually monitors the threat posed to the UK. Integrated Air and Missile Defence, including the countering of the threat posed by Uncrewed Air Systems, will be prioritised appropriately as part of the future Integrated Force. Delivery of the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including investment in homeland Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be laid out in the Defence Investment Plan due to be published later this year. The Department is reviewing all options for the manufacture and deployment of anti-drone systems.

Whether his Department has considered extending the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator to cover (a) farmers and (b) other indirect suppliers.

The government is currently undertaking the fourth statutory review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). The review considers the GCA’s effectiveness in enforcing the Groceries Code between 31 March 2022 and 1 April 2025.The public consultation to the review additionally asked if there are unfair contractual practices in parts of the supply chain not covered by either the GCA or the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA). The ASCA enforces the Fair Dealing Regulations under the Agriculture Act 2020 which the government introduced to deal with the production end of the supply chain in specific sectors.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that air defence systems are equipped to respond to (a) cost-asymmetric threats and (b) drone swarms.

The Ministry of Defence continually monitors the threat posed to the UK. Integrated Air and Missile Defence, including the countering of the threat posed by Uncrewed Air Systems, will be prioritised appropriately as part of the future Integrated Force. Delivery of the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including investment in homeland Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be laid out in the Defence Investment Plan due to be published later this year. The Department is reviewing all options for the manufacture and deployment of anti-drone systems.

Whether his Department has contingency plans in place to respond to mass drone incursions, in the context of drone incursions in Ukraine and Poland.

The UK is committed to defending every inch of NATO territory, including our contribution of Typhoon jets to defend Polish airspace as part of NATO’s Eastern Sentry. NATO is more united than ever as we continue to work closely to support Ukraine and defend the alliance’s territory. The Defence Secretary recently confirmed that we will be extending our contribution to Eastern Sentry until the end of 2025. Over the past 18 months, the RAF has also conducted routine deployments of Typhoons to both Poland and Romania to protect NATO airspace. In the UK, RAF fighter jets at RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth are held at continuous high readiness 24/7, 365 days a year, to protect UK sovereign airspace. They routinely launch to intercept unidentified aircraft flying in the UK’s area of interest as part of NATO’s air policing mission.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Groceries Code Adjudicator and (b) the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator on improving protections for indirect suppliers.

The Government is clear that fair, equitable and transparent supply chain practices are essential to the long-term resilience and security of the UK food system. We remain committed to tackling any contractual unfairness that exists in the agri-food supply chain, including any practices related to cancellations and late payments. Both the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) and the sector-specific ‘Fair Dealing’ regulations made under the Agriculture Act 2020 are subject to statutory reviews, which will assess their effectiveness and inform any future developments. We maintain a regular dialogue on the relationship between the GCA and ASCA, to ensure that the system remains proportionate and fit for purpose.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to support the creation of a unified regulator for the agricultural supply chain with statutory enforcement powers.

The Government is clear that fair, equitable and transparent supply chain practices are essential to the long-term resilience and security of the UK food system. We remain committed to tackling any contractual unfairness that exists in the agri-food supply chain, including any practices related to cancellations and late payments. Both the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) and the sector-specific ‘Fair Dealing’ regulations made under the Agriculture Act 2020 are subject to statutory reviews, which will assess their effectiveness and inform any future developments. We maintain a regular dialogue on the relationship between the GCA and ASCA, to ensure that the system remains proportionate and fit for purpose.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on the (a) statutory review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator and (b) Farming Profitability Review.

The Government is currently undertaking the fourth statutory review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). The review considers the GCA’s effectiveness in enforcing the Groceries Code between 31 March 2022 and 1 April 2025. The review commenced on 1 April and a consultation to gather stakeholder views and evidence was published on 13 May with a closing date of 5 August. The Government is currently analysing responses to the consultation and will publish a report as soon as practicable. On the Farming Profitability Review, Baroness Minette Batters (BMB) was appointed in April as the lead reviewer. Baroness Batters will submit her report to the Secretary of State for consideration shortly.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of equitable supply chain practices on long-term food security.

The Government is clear that fair, equitable and transparent supply chain practices are essential to the long-term resilience and security of the UK food system. We remain committed to tackling any contractual unfairness that exists in the agri-food supply chain, including any practices related to cancellations and late payments. Both the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) and the sector-specific ‘Fair Dealing’ regulations made under the Agriculture Act 2020 are subject to statutory reviews, which will assess their effectiveness and inform any future developments. We maintain a regular dialogue on the relationship between the GCA and ASCA, to ensure that the system remains proportionate and fit for purpose.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle (a) late cancellations and (b) unfair payment practices impacting farmers and growers in the UK.

The Government is clear that fair, equitable and transparent supply chain practices are essential to the long-term resilience and security of the UK food system. We remain committed to tackling any contractual unfairness that exists in the agri-food supply chain, including any practices related to cancellations and late payments. Both the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) and the sector-specific ‘Fair Dealing’ regulations made under the Agriculture Act 2020 are subject to statutory reviews, which will assess their effectiveness and inform any future developments. We maintain a regular dialogue on the relationship between the GCA and ASCA, to ensure that the system remains proportionate and fit for purpose.

Whether NHS England collects data on outcomes for children with congenital heart conditions who are treated in non-specialist settings.

The specific information requested is not held centrally. Information related to the outcomes for children with congenital heart conditions is available through the National Congenital Heart Disease Audit Annual Summary Report. The report does not disaggregate by non-specialist service.

What steps NHS England is taking to ensure continuity of care for children with rare or complex conditions when accessing frontline NHS services.

We are committed to supporting children with long term conditions and ensuring they receive the support they need, including referral to specialist services as appropriate. We want a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition, as well as their families and carers receive high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases. The framework’s priorities include better coordination of care and increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals, including in primary care. We remain committed to delivering under the framework and published the fourth England action plan on 28 February 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to improve training for General Practitioners and junior doctors in recognising and managing cardiac and respiratory vulnerabilities in paediatric patients.

The steps taken include the production of the Paediatric and child health advanced practice area specific capability and curriculum framework, which was co-produced by NHS England and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The framework is available at the following link:https://advanced-practice.hee.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/01/Paediatric-and-child-Health-advanced-practice-area-specific-capability-and-curriculum-framework-NHSE.pdfThe framework outlines area specific capabilities and a curriculum addressing the full spectrum of paediatric health needs, including recognising and managing cardiac and respiratory conditions.

Whether NHS England plans to introduce standardised national protocols for interpreting oxygen saturation thresholds in children with chronic cardiac conditions.

The National Paediatric Early Warning System (NPEWS) was launched in England in November 2023. The use of NPEWS allows for a standard approach to recognition and escalation of concern when a child might be deteriorating. NPEWS works by assigning a score to varying levels of physiological values including oxygen saturations, depending on how far from normal those values are. Recent evaluation by the Liverpool DETECT study group has found that NPEWS predictive performance remained very good within cohorts of children with and without cardiac disease.

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the clarity of escalation pathways for parents of children with complex medical needs.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) in England are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population. ICBs are expected to follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). In 2022, NICE published guidance on Disabled children and young people up to 25 with severe complex needs. This is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng213/chapter/Recommendations-on-service-organisation-integration-and-commissioningNHS England is rolling out Martha’s Rule in acute provider sites, which gives in-patients and their families or carers who are concerned about physiological deterioration the ability to initiate a rapid review of their case from someone outside of their immediate care team. When requested, this rapid review will inform whether any new or additional action needs to be taken to ensure patients receive the most appropriate care and treatment, which may include escalation.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) judicial process and (b) sentencing in the case of Sir David Amess's murder.

Sentencing is a matter for the independent judiciary. In the case of Sir David Amess’s tragic murder, the judge imposed a life sentence with a whole life order. A whole life order is the most severe form of punishment the courts can impose. Such sentences have no minimum term and no possibility of Parole Board release, and as such they are reserved for the most heinous cases of murder. Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Sir David’s family.

Whether checks were undertaken with Ali Harbi Ali’s school in Croydon before he was permitted to exit the Prevent programme.

Prevent has been an integral part of our counter-terrorism machinery for the last twenty years, supporting over 5,000 people away from radicalisation since the introduction of the Prevent duty in 2015.  Of course, we must continue to identify where Prevent has failed. However, significant improvements have been made to Prevent over the years since this Prevent case, and we continue to drive further change.The Prevent Learning Review and Lord Anderson’s review were both published by Government earlier this year, and can be found on GOV.UK (Prevent learning review: Sir David Amess attack - GOV.UK and Lessons for Prevent - GOV.UK). These show clearly where Prevent, policing and law enforcement partners must take action to strengthen their approach. Lord Anderson’s review in particular sets out the position in relation to Prevent and the Security Service and identifies some key areas of focus for further review.Sir David Amess was a valued colleague and a friend to many, and it is right that we seek to ensure such a terrible loss cannot happen again. The Home Secretary and I will work closely with the reviewer conducting the further overarching review to ensure that every avenue has been explored. It is important that the voice of the family is central to this process, and the Home Secretary will ensure they are kept up to date with the progress of the review.