Written questions by Murray.

Whether her Department has made an estimate of the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in fossil fuel-related holdings; and what plans she has to (a) encourage phased divestment from fossil fuels and (b) promote greater investment in climate solutions through the Pension Schemes Bill.

While the Department does not hold data on the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in fossil fuels, our largest pension schemes are mandated to conduct climate scenario analysis and report on their climate-related financial risks, including those related to fossil fuels. This is done under the framework of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published guidance on climate-related reporting, reviewed how schemes are addressing climate risks, and provided feedback to the industry on areas for improvement. TPR reports that the UK pension sector is increasingly playing a role in tackling climate change, with many schemes setting net-zero targets and actively engaging with companies to reduce emissions. This government is however not complacent and is determined to make the UK a clean energy superpower and meet our net zero goals. The government is currently consulting on the development of UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and our Transition Plans manifesto commitment. These measures aim to improve transparency and accountability across the economy, helping investors—including pension schemes—understand how climate and nature-related issues affect their portfolios. To support this, the Department for Work and Pensions is to undertake a review of the effectiveness of the climate reporting requirements this year considering feedback from stakeholders. The reforms outlined in the Pensions Scheme Bill do not include a general requirement for pension schemes to divest from certain assets or industries. The larger, more consolidated system, for which we will legislate, will however be better equipped to manage systemic risks, as well as invest more in projects and businesses that support the shift towards a more sustainable and lower-carbon future.

Innovation and Technology, if he will establish mandatory pre-deployment testing requirements for AI companies.

The most advanced AI systems bring huge opportunities but also new and amplified risks. This is why the Government will bring forward AI legislation to safely realise AI’s massive potential and deliver on our manifesto commitment.This is also why the work of the AI Security Institute (AISI) is so important. AISI is committed to rigorous, scientific research into the most advanced AI models – testing the most advanced AI models from leading AI labs, and equipping government with an empirical understanding of the most serious AI risks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to (a) his Israeli counterpart and (b) international humanitarian agencies on the entry of medical infant formula into Gaza.

We remain gravely concerned by the lack of adequate medical care in Gaza; nearly all Gaza's hospitals are damaged or partly destroyed according to the World Health Organization. Humanitarian workers must be protected and medical and aid workers must be able to do their jobs safely. On 19 May, the UK released a joint donors statement with 26 other signatories on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling for a full resumption of aid into Gaza and for Israel to allow the UN and other aid organisations to operate independently. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 22 June to press Israel to restore humanitarian access. UK support has enabled the delivery of 1.3 million items of life-saving medicines, over 70,000 wound care packs and more than 500,000 patient consultations delivered through UK-Med. We have and will continue to press Israel to allow the entry of all necessary medical and nutritional supplies.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of levels of trifluoroacetic acid in (a) rivers and (b) drinking water supplies on (i) public and (ii) environmental health.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate is undertaking a research programme to better understand the prevalence of TFA in drinking water sources across England and to assess treatment efficacy.This work is being coordinated with colleagues in the Environment Agency (EA), DEFRA, and the Health and Safety Executive. The EA continues to review the best available scientific evidence and has developed a methodology for analysis of TFA in environmental water to inform future priorities. Future recommendations may include the need for further monitoring data and a revised regulatory approach.

What criteria and evidential thresholds her Department applied in reaching the decision to proscribe Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000; and whether a formal assessment was undertaken to evaluate whether the group meets the legal definition of being concerned in terrorism.

I refer the Hon Member to my statement in the House on 2 July when moving the relevant proscription order.

What discussions her Department has had with (a) the Scottish Government (b) Police Scotland on the findings of the Casey Review.

Whilst child protection is fully devolved in the UK and policing devolved except for Wales, all parts of the UK must work together to protect children and bring perpetrators to justice. We regularly engage with devolved administrations on a full range of issues, including on the matters covered in Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation in England and Wales and the recommendations it made.We expect any relevant activity and findings from the National Inquiry and Police Investigation to be shared with devolved administrations and agencies, including the Scottish Government and Police Scotland, to support a comprehensive approach across the UK.

What estimate his Department has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions produced by the ceremonial activities associated with Trooping the Colour; and what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the environmental impact of state ceremonial events.

The Ministry of Defence does not record the volume of carbon dioxide emissions for individual events. However, the Department is committed to reducing carbon emissions and operate sustainably where practical with no compromise to national security. The troops involved in Trooping the Colour marched from barracks in the immediate vicinity of the parade. For the aircraft participating in the King's Birthday Flypast the RAF continues to lead the way in operating more sustainably as part of Defence's commitment to reduce carbon emissions. For this flypast, jets from the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team were powered with a high-ratio blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This is thought to be the first time anywhere in the world that a national aerobatic squadron has switched to both a SAF blend for propulsion and a renewable biofuel, known as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil to produce its trademark vapour trails.

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the article by the University of Manchester entitled Tackling unmet needs for social care among older people, published on 21 May 2025.

The Government recognises the long-term trend of a reduction in the number of local authority funded long-term packages of adult social care, despite an ageing population. This can result in people’s care needs going unmet, placing pressure on unpaid carers, including spouses and family members, who provide essential care and support.The article by the University of Manchester raises important implications for how adult social care is delivered by local authorities. We remain committed to ensuring that local authorities meet their duties under the Care Act 2014, including the duty to provide provision of a wide range of high-quality support services for carers, and the requirement to undertake Carer’s Assessments for those who appear to have needs and who may be eligible for support.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to unpaid carers. Formal assessments commenced in December 2023 and as of June 2025, the CQC has published over 40 local authority assessments. So far, the CQC has identified several emerging themes in local authorities’ delivery of adult social care, including a lack of support for unpaid carers. The CQC’s assessments of individual local authorities are available via published reports on the CQC website, at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing care support packages for households, rather than people requiring care.

We have not made a direct assessment of the potential merits of implementing care support packages for households rather than for individuals requiring care. However, we recognise the importance of people’s wider support networks for those drawing on care and support.Section 2 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance requires local authorities in England to take a holistic view of a person’s needs and circumstances when undertaking a needs assessment. This includes considering how family or friends may support the individual to meet their goals and live as independently as possible for as long as possible, without placing or creating additional caring responsibilities.Local authorities in England further have specific duties to support people who care for family members and friends. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities in England must provide a broad range of high-quality, sustainable care and support services for carers, and are required to carry out Carer’s Assessments where a carer appears to have need for support and may be eligible for help.We also welcome the use of models such as Family Group Conferencing in places like Camden, which puts both individuals and their families and friends at the heart of decision making.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the resilience of international supply chains for pharmaceuticals procured by the NHS; and what steps he is taking to reduce reliance on imports for essential medicines.

Medical supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, making them vulnerable to a variety of shocks. The Government actively monitors emerging global and domestic threats to supply resilience and has established processes in place to manage disruption across the health and social care sector. The Government is enhancing domestic manufacturing capability alongside strengthening international partnerships and collaboration on medical supply chains, such as through membership of the European Union’s Critical Medicines Alliance. This aims to identify vulnerabilities in critical medicine supply chains and leverage members’ expertise and resources to identify solutions to build long-term resilience and to help ensure that patients have access to the medical goods they need. The United Kingdom’s life sciences sector is key to driving long-term, sustainable, and resilient growth nationwide and will be a priority of the upcoming Industrial Strategy, alongside an up to £520 million commitment to the Life Sciences Innovation Manufacturing Fund to support UK-wide investment in human medicines, medical diagnostics, and medical technology products. This includes the National Supply Disruption Response that acts as a single point of contact when the health and care system, including the medical supply industry, requires support to maintain the supply of medical products, including for products imported to the UK.

What steps his Department is taking to help (a) increase the supply and (b) ensure (i) consistent and (ii) equitable supply of hormone replacement therapy products in each region.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand.There are over 70 hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products, and the vast majority are in good supply. Previously there have 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 previously met with suppliers on a very regular basis and have held nine 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 work closely with suppliers and other stakeholders such as the National Health Service and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, to maintain overall HRT supply to patients across the United Kingdom during the shortages, including working to expedite resupply dates of the disrupted HRT products, to resolve issues as soon as possible and to help fill supply gaps and prevent future shortages.We also added some HRT medicines to the list of products that cannot be exported from, or hoarded in, the UK, to protect supply for UK patients. We share regular communications about shortages and discontinuations with the NHS and have issued a number of communications about HRT supply issues to date.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the recent reduction in foreign aid to 0.3% of GDP on the future of Voluntary Service Overseas.

Following the Spending Review, detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of ongoing resource allocation processes, based on various factors including impact assessments. We are working out how our partnership with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) should evolve in line with our new approach to civil society funding which will support the sustainability of international organisations and their partners in developing countries, enabling them to become more self-sustaining and resilient in the future. We will be taking a rigorous approach to ensure all ODA delivers value for money. We will publish 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the Annual Report & Accounts this summer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Israeli counterpart on the (a) timing and (b) other aspects of the (i) release and (ii) return of the vessel Madleen.

We are aware of the interception of the Madleen and the arrest of its passengers by Israeli Naval Forces. We pressed the Israeli authorities in advance of the ship's arrival to ensure that any action they took would resolve the situation safely, with restraint, and in line with International Law. We continue to be in touch with Israeli counterparts regarding the vessel. We continue to be clear that the Israeli government must immediately lift all restrictions on the flow of aid into Gaza to address the dire humanitarian situation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza following the partial resumption of border crossings on 19 May 2025; and what steps the Government is taking to increase (a) access and (b) scale of aid.

We are appalled by the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where famine is now unfolding, as confirmed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on 29 July. This is unacceptable. We urge Israel to lift restrictions on aid access, as we stated to the UN Security Council on 16 July. While the Israeli Defence Force's "tactical pauses" are a necessary step, they are long overdue. Alongside 30 partners, we reiterated this call in a UK-led joint statement on 21 July. The Foreign Secretary emphasized to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 22 July the urgent need for safe, large-scale aid delivery and condemned civilian deaths at aid sites.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed closure of Smithfield Market on (a) Scottish farmers and (b) UK meat producers.

Defra is aware of the proposed changes to Smithfield Market and is engaging with the City of London Corporation. The City of London Corporation’s Court of Common Council on 26 November 2024 ratified a decision to end its interest in co-locating the wholesale food markets of Smithfield and Billingsgate to a new site at Dagenham Dock. A private bill was deposited in Parliament on 27 November 2024, which would end the City of London Corporation’s responsibilities to operate a market at these sites. While the Market will cease to trade at the Smithfield site, it is not closing. The City of London Corporation is working with tenants to help them re-locate, together, to purpose-built facilities within the M25 and ensure continuity of trade. Defra has not undertaken an assessment of the impact of the closure on Scottish farmers and UK meat producers but notes the valuable research on this matter undertaken by the City of London Corporation. This independent food security study found that the relocation is unlikely to pose significant risks to food supply. The Department recognises the importance of Smithfield as a distribution hub for meat products across the UK and will continue to monitor the transition closely.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on the case of Iranian singer Amir Tataloo.

We continue to engage in dialogue with international partners regarding the human rights situation in Iran. We have repeatedly called on Iran to establish a moratorium on the death penalty in multilateral fora, including at the UN Third Committee and Human Rights Council. The UK is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We were integral to the delivery of a new Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the Human Rights Council on 3 April, which renewed the mandates of the Special Rapporteur and Fact-Finding Mission. These mandates are essential for shedding light on Iran's abhorrent use of the death penalty and wider human rights violations.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the individual opt-out agreement under the Working Time Regulations 1998 on levels of exploitation in low-paid employment.

A review of the impact of the Working Time Regulations on the UK labour market was undertaken by the Coalition Government in 2014. It found a decline since 1998 in the incidence of long-hours working despite the existence of the opt-out, and a general trend towards shorter working hours. It also found that the vast majority of long-hours workers would not have wanted to work fewer than 48 hours per week if it meant less pay, and that long-hours working was generally more prevalent in high income and highly skilled occupations compared to lower income and medium and low-skilled occupations.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the use of opt-out agreements in the care sector on workplace standards.

The Department has not made, and has no current plans to make, an assessment of the potential impact of the use of opt-out agreements in the care sector on workplace standards. Most care workers are employed by private sector providers who set their terms and conditions, including opt-out agreements, independent of central Government. The Government is introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector. Fair Pay Agreements will empower worker representatives, employers, and others to negotiate pay and terms and conditions in a responsible manner.

What fiscal steps he is taking to incentivise the uptake of heat pumps.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) provides grants to property owners to enable them to transition away from fossil fuel to low carbon heating. The grant available under the scheme for air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps is £7,500, and £5,000 is available for biomass boilers. Funding for the BUS has increased to £295 million for this financial year. The Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) provides funding to support low carbon heating, including heat pumps, and the installation of energy efficiency measures. The grants are in addition to the 0% rate of VAT on the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers, which will last until March 2027.

If he will take steps through the spending review to reduce electricity costs.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past. We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation has now closed, and the Department is evaluating the responses. The Government is continuing to work with Ofgem and energy suppliers to ensure energy bills remain fair and affordable while we transition to clean power by 2030.