Written questions by Dhesi.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the consistent implementation of (a) Non-Specific Symptom pathways, (b) GP direct access and (c) NHS England Best Practice Timed Pathways to ensure (i) faster and (ii) earlier diagnosis of people with pancreatic cancer.

NHS England has completed the national roll-out of non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways to support faster diagnosis of cancer in patients who present with symptoms that do not align with a single cancer site.We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practices (GPs), bringing total GP Contract spend to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, the biggest increase in over a decade. NHS England has also expanded GP direct access to diagnostic tests, enabling faster investigation of concerning symptoms.The National Health Service has also launched a new £2 million programme which is funding 300 GPs to identify pancreatic cancer early by screening high-risk patients over 60 years old with new diabetes diagnoses and unexplained weight loss for urgent testing.NHS England continues to implement Best Practice Timed Pathways to ensure consistent and faster diagnosis in line with the Faster Diagnosis Standard. Alongside this, it is working with Pancreatic Cancer UK on a Family History Checker to help individuals assess inherited risk, and has launched the National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Register, which supports earlier identification and screening of high-risk individuals.

What steps his Department is taking to support the (a) development and (b) rollout of biomarker tests to support early detection of (i) pancreatic cancer and (ii) other less survivable cancers in primary care services.

million NHS programme. This is funding more than 300 general practices (GPs) to identify pancreatic cancer early by screening high-risk patients over 60 years old with new diabetes diagnoses and unexplained weight loss. More than 80 GPs across England have begun using the initiative. It will be extended to the other general practices participating in the trial by the end of the year.The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) is developing a National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Register (NICPR), which launched on 30 June. The NICPR looks at a wide range of cancers for which there is an increased inherited risk, including for less survivable cancers. It aims to identify high-risk individuals who are eligible for targeted screening and surveillance, and will act as an electronic referral route into national screening programmes where these exist.

What recent steps the Government has taken to help tackle period poverty in (a) Slough and (b) the South East.

This Government is committed to addressing the underlying causes that lead women and girls into period poverty. Across the UK, many individuals and families are experiencing financial pressures as a result of the cost of living. Through our efforts to make work pay and our continued investment in public services, we are determined to ensure that everyone has access to essential items, including period products.The Government supports several schemes to ensure that those in greatest need can access period products. All women and girls being cared for by the NHS are entitled to them, on request, free of charge. Similarly, the Department for Education runs a scheme to provide free period products to girls and women in their place of study. ​Since its launch in January 2020, 99% of secondary schools and 87% of post-16 organisations in England have used the scheme to order period products.These national schemes benefit areas across the country, including the South East. Local authorities and NHS bodies deliver the policies in their areas, working with schools, healthcare providers and community organisations to reach those in need.

What steps she is taking to help ensure consistent (a) standards and (b) decision making in the licensing of (i) shotguns and (ii) firearms.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns, to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety.We intend to publish this consultation later this year. This is in addition to the publication of revised Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police in August, intended to strengthen the assessment of those who hold, or who apply for, both shotgun and firearms licences. The Statutory Guidance is helping to ensure consistency in decision making across all police forces.The assessment of suitability to hold a shotgun or firearm, including in relation to the safety of the applicant and the wider community, is a matter for the relevant Chief Officer of Police. We do not have any plans to introduce additional safety lessons for licence holders.The Government keeps all controls on firearms under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms.The terrible murders in Luton on 13 September 2024, when Juliana Prosper and two of her children, Giselle and Kyle, were fatally shot by Juliana's son using an illegally purchased shotgun, exposed weaknesses in the controls on the private sale and purchase of firearms. In the light of this incident, the Government is considering options for tightening the law in this area, and we will bring forward our proposals shortly.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits requiring applicants for a shotgun or firearms licence to undergo a basic safety lesson on firearms.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns, to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety.We intend to publish this consultation later this year. This is in addition to the publication of revised Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police in August, intended to strengthen the assessment of those who hold, or who apply for, both shotgun and firearms licences. The Statutory Guidance is helping to ensure consistency in decision making across all police forces.The assessment of suitability to hold a shotgun or firearm, including in relation to the safety of the applicant and the wider community, is a matter for the relevant Chief Officer of Police. We do not have any plans to introduce additional safety lessons for licence holders.The Government keeps all controls on firearms under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms.The terrible murders in Luton on 13 September 2024, when Juliana Prosper and two of her children, Giselle and Kyle, were fatally shot by Juliana's son using an illegally purchased shotgun, exposed weaknesses in the controls on the private sale and purchase of firearms. In the light of this incident, the Government is considering options for tightening the law in this area, and we will bring forward our proposals shortly.

Whether she plans to require people wishing to sell a firearm to (a) notify the police of their intention and (b) be required to first receive verification from the police of the proposed vendor's firearms licence.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns, to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety.We intend to publish this consultation later this year. This is in addition to the publication of revised Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police in August, intended to strengthen the assessment of those who hold, or who apply for, both shotgun and firearms licences. The Statutory Guidance is helping to ensure consistency in decision making across all police forces.The assessment of suitability to hold a shotgun or firearm, including in relation to the safety of the applicant and the wider community, is a matter for the relevant Chief Officer of Police. We do not have any plans to introduce additional safety lessons for licence holders.The Government keeps all controls on firearms under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms.The terrible murders in Luton on 13 September 2024, when Juliana Prosper and two of her children, Giselle and Kyle, were fatally shot by Juliana's son using an illegally purchased shotgun, exposed weaknesses in the controls on the private sale and purchase of firearms. In the light of this incident, the Government is considering options for tightening the law in this area, and we will bring forward our proposals shortly.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement of legislation on the use of e-scooters in public places.

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving e-scooters, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizure. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending. The Government also recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles, including privately owned e-scooters, which have been used anti-socially or illegally more quickly. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course. These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of e-scooters ridden anti-socially or illegally and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated. Enforcement of road traffic legislation is an operational matter for Chief Officers of local forces to decide how best to use their powers depending on the specific circumstances.

Whether she plans to (a) increase restrictions on (i) buying and (ii) importing antique firearms and (b) improve the monitoring of the ownership of those firearms.

The Government keeps the law and controls on antique firearms under review. The Antique Firearms Regulations 2021 provides a statutory definition of antique firearm in order to clarify which firearms can safely be exempt from firearms controls and which should be subject to licensing requirements. We undertake a review of the firearms that are exempt from control annually, to assess whether any antique firearms feature in crime, with a full review of the Regulations every three years. The most recent review identified no need for further changes to the controls on buying, possession or importing of antique firearms at this time. The Government will not hesitate to take action in relation to any antique firearms if the evidence shows that this is necessary. Since antique firearms are exempt from most firearms controls, including the need for licensing, we do not routinely monitor their ownership.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to restrict the sale of computer games that (a) allow players to pretend to be the perpetrator in real-life school shootings and (b) create scenarios where players can commit mass school shootings; and whether she plans to restrict the promotion of such games to (i) children and (ii) all people.

Decisions regarding the classification of video games are made by the Games Rating Authority (GRA). The GRA’s decisions are made independently of the government, which is important to ensure impartiality. The GRA’s age ratings serve to protect the public and empower people to make informed gaming choices, whilst also recognising and respecting adult freedom of choice within the law. The GRA is able to address issues of potential harm by awarding an appropriate age rating or suggesting changes to a developer’s content to make the game acceptable. Where this is not possible, a classification may be refused.Even if material does not breach a specific UK law, the GRA may refuse to classify content on harm grounds when a game contains material that poses a significant risk of harm; either to viewers or, through their subsequent behaviour, to society. This may include content that contains:Material that promotes criminal activity, including drugs;Material that is illegal or has been created by the commission of a criminal offence;Portrayals of children in a sexualised or abusive context;Material which makes rape, or other non-consensual sexually violent behaviour, or sadistic violence look appealing.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on employment law of the adequacy of working rights of app-based (a) private hire drivers and (b) couriers.

On Monday 21 October 2024, the Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill.This is available at: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.

Whether police officers are given (a) official targets, (b) unofficial targets and (c) recommendations for the number of fixed penalty notices they should issue.

The Home Office does not give police officers or police forces official or unofficial targets, or recommendations for the number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) they should issue.FPNs can be an efficient means for the police to deal with low level offences including motoring or anti-social behaviour offences, whilst reducing the burden on the courts and allowing police resources to focus on more serious crimes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to raise awareness of the potential dangers of methanol poisoning among UK nationals travelling overseas.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice remains under regular review to ensure it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British nationals. We include information about the risks from methanol poisoning or counterfeit alcohol in our Travel Advice pages for a range of countries, including Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.Since November 2024 the FCDO has also proactively communicated the risks of methanol poisoning to British travellers through Travel Aware, the FCDO's public-facing campaign that aims to arm travelling British nationals with knowledge to help them avoid incidents overseas. This includes:a dedicated drink spiking and methanol poisoning page on the Travel Aware website: https//travelaware.campaign.gov.uk/spiking-and-methanol-poisoning;regular Travel Aware social media posts, directing audiences to the webpage;work with youth-focussed content creators to raise awareness; andwork with Travel Aware industry partners, including ABTA, who have shared information with relevant audiences.In addition, the FCDO works closely with international partners, such as the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade, to share best practice about how to communicate the risks of methanol poisoning to British nationals.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on raising awareness of the potential dangers of methanol poisoning.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice remains under regular review to ensure it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British nationals. We include information about the risks from methanol poisoning or counterfeit alcohol in our Travel Advice pages for a range of countries, including Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.Since November 2024 the FCDO has also proactively communicated the risks of methanol poisoning to British travellers through Travel Aware, the FCDO's public-facing campaign that aims to arm travelling British nationals with knowledge to help them avoid incidents overseas. This includes:a dedicated drink spiking and methanol poisoning page on the Travel Aware website: https//travelaware.campaign.gov.uk/spiking-and-methanol-poisoning;regular Travel Aware social media posts, directing audiences to the webpage;work with youth-focussed content creators to raise awareness; andwork with Travel Aware industry partners, including ABTA, who have shared information with relevant audiences.In addition, the FCDO works closely with international partners, such as the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade, to share best practice about how to communicate the risks of methanol poisoning to British nationals.

Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of cashless car parks in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.

Central Government does not collect this information.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

The Computer Misuse Act (CMA), which criminalises unauthorised access to computer systems and data, plays a vital role in ensuring that the UK has the right legislative framework to allow us to tackle cyber harms.The Government is committed to ensuring the CMA remains up to date and effective to tackle criminality. That is why we are undertaking a review of the act, which is currently ongoing. As part of the review, we are scoping several proposals to update the act and give law enforcement enhanced tools and powers to effectively investigate and prosecute cyber criminality.We will provide an update in due course once proposals are finalised.

What recent steps she has taken to prevent the illegal use of off-road bikes.

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles, including off-road bikes on common land without lawful authority, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.The Government has recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially more quickly. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course.These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she had with her Algerian counterpart on (a) religious freedoms and (b) the religious freedoms of the Ahmadiyya community in that country.

The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. Our Embassy in Algiers raises FoRB with the Algerian authorities, doing so most recently when our Ambassador met the Minister of Religious Affairs on 10 February. Our Embassy remains in regular contact with minority religious groups on how best to support FoRB. We will continue to raise the issue and advocate for freedom of expression for religious minority communities in Algeria.

What recent steps she has taken to prevent the use of off-road bikes on common land without lawful authority.

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles, including off-road bikes on common land without lawful authority, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.The Government has recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially more quickly. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course.These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to help protect populations of the (a) House Sparrow and (b) Song Thrush in the South East.

This Government is committed to restoring and protecting nature. In England, we have four legally binding targets for biodiversity: to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030; to reverse declines by at least 10% by 2042, when compared with 2030; to reduce the risk of national species extinction by 2042; and to restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat, also by 2042. The actions to reach these targets will support our priority native bird species such as house sparrow and song thrush. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) will work together to drive action including to create or restore habitats that will enable wildlife to recover and thrive. In early 2024 we introduced mandatory biodiversity net gain, to ensure development has a measurably positive impact (a 10% net gain’) on biodiversity, compared to what was there before development. Responsible authorities are also required to consider national environmental objectives when preparing their LNRS, including the target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. LNRS will map specific proposals for habitat creation and improvement that will support many species, including the house sparrow and song thrush.

What recent steps she has taken to help tackle illicit financial activities committed by sanctioned individuals.

The UK’s financial sanctions regime places stringent restrictions on the financial activities of individuals who have been designated under sanctions. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), alongside law enforcement partners, takes a proactive approach to investigating suspected breaches of these sanctions. Where there are indications of other forms of criminality, OFSI shares information with relevant authorities to enable further investigation and enforcement. OFSI regularly publishes details of all its activities in an Annual Review for each financial year, information for 24-25 will be available soon.