Written questions by Farron.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she is providing support to improve security in Burkina Faso in the context of recent attacks conducted by Islamist armed groups.

The UK is deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso, including regular attacks by terrorist groups. This year, the UK provided £173 million to support programmes across the Sahel, including to alleviate the root causes of conflict, help those displaced by it and promote conflict prevention and stability. We have also been working with regional partners to encourage a joined-up response to what is a trans-national problem.

How many NHS mental health Trusts currently provide a TMS service to people experiencing depression and how many people have received a full course of TMS treatment.

There are no plans at present to increase the provision of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for depression based on current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. Integrated care boards are responsible for providing health and care services to meet the needs of their local populations.

Whether he plans to increase the provision of TMS for depression.

There are no plans at present to increase the provision of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for depression based on current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. Integrated care boards are responsible for providing health and care services to meet the needs of their local populations.

What steps her Department is taking to protect Iranian dissidents, journalists and human‑rights defenders resident in the UK from surveillance, harassment and threats linked to the Iranian state.

The Home Office works closely with other Government departments as well as relevant agencies and law enforcement to protect those identified as being at risk.  We will continue to use all appropriate tools at our disposal to protect the UK and its people against any threats from the Iranian state. Any attempt by a foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK, including Iranian dissidents, journalists and human-rights defenders, will be thoroughly investigated.The National Security Act 2023 strengthens our powers to counter transnational repression and provides the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to deter, detect, and disrupt modern-day state threats.  Last year, I announced a robust package of measures to tackle state threats from Iran. This included placing Iran on the Enhanced Tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS). I also announced new training for all frontline police officers on state threats; further sanctions against Iranian-linked criminal groups; an independent review of the parts of our counter-terrorism framework which could be applied to state threats; continued support to the Jewish community; and strengthened enforcement of our immigration measures to protect the UK from Iranian interference.Finally, the National Protective Security Authority and Counter Terrorism Policing will continue to provide protective security advice and support to individuals and organisations threatened by the Iranian regime and its criminal proxies, including Persian language media organisations.Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

Whether she plans to introduce an expedited visa and scholarship scheme for at‑risk Iranian activists, journalists and human‑rights defenders seeking sanctuary and study in the UK.

The Home Office is monitoring the situation in Iran and the impacts it will have.The UK has not introduced a bespoke visa route in response to the conflict. Existing visa routes remain available and Iranian nationals who wish to come to the UK can apply to do so via these routes.Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules.  We advise people to consider the most appropriate visa route for their own circumstances.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the humanitarian impact of UK sanctions on Iran; and what steps she is taking to ensure that sanctions are focused on human‑rights violators and security organs and do not unduly harm the general population.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 26 February in response to Question 114342. Further to this, I add that the UK seeks to mitigate any unintended negative impacts of sanctions, including on humanitarian delivery. The UK does not sanction food or medicines, and UN and UK sanctions provide for a range of humanitarian exceptions and licensing grounds.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the situation of women, girls and ethnic and religious minorities in Iran following the protests that began in December 2025; and what steps her Department is taking to prioritise women’s and minority rights in its policy and engagement on Iran.

The human rights situation in Iran, including for women, girls and minorities, has long been unacceptable. As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 13 January: it takes huge bravery to protest and to speak out in the face of this oppression - especially for women who continue to endure severe repression in their daily lives. We led the call for a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council during the protests, and supported the continuation of the mandate of the Independent Fact-Finding Mission - to investigate human rights violations on grounds of gender, ethnicity, religion, or belief - and for the Mission to conduct an urgent investigation into human rights violations perpetrated during the protests. We will continue to work with international partners to hold Iran accountable for its repression of women and girls, and minorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding her Department provides to support secure internet access, circumvention technologies and independent Persian‑language media for people in Iran; and whether she plans to increase that funding in the context of recent internet shutdowns and disinformation campaigns.

On 23 January, the UK supported UN Human Rights Council resolution SS39/1 calling on Iran to immediately restore full internet access and telecommunications services, and in February, we spoke out as part of the Freedom Online Coalition for the Iranian people's rights to access the Internet.The BBC is operationally and editorially independent, but BBC Persian continues to play a crucial role in ensuring impartial, accurate news is reaching the Iranian people. Despite a tough fiscal situation, we have continued to back the World Service, providing an uplift of £32.6 million this year alone, taking our total funding to £137 million.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will commit to expanding targeted sanctions against Iranian officials and security force commanders responsible for killings, torture and internet shutdowns during the recent protests; and if she will publish the human‑rights criteria used for future designations.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 26 February in response to Question 114342. Further to this, I add that the UK seeks to mitigate any unintended negative impacts of sanctions, including on humanitarian delivery. The UK does not sanction food or medicines, and UN and UK sanctions provide for a range of humanitarian exceptions and licensing grounds.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the recent recall of Aptamil and SMA on NHS infant‑formula supply; and what discussions his Department has had with UK manufacturers on that recall.

Following the recent recalls of specific batches of infant formula due to the possible presence of the cereulide toxin, the Food Standards Agency has led the incident response, engaging directly with the manufacturers concerned and coordinating public notifications and recall activity across the United Kingdom. The Department and the UK Health Security Agency have participated in these crisis management arrangements to ensure all relevant health partners are engaged.In respect of National Health Service supply, the Department’s National Supply Disruption Response team has been actively engaged throughout in assessing and mitigating any potential impacts on infant formula availability in healthcare settings. The Department has not experienced any supply shortages and there remain alternative suitable products available.For the specialist amino acid formula SMA Alfamino, Nestlé prioritised supply for the most clinically vulnerable babies, while alternative suppliers, including Danone and Reckitt, had adequate stock to support any temporary shortfall. As of 16 February, Nestle’s supply of Alfamino recovered and they are now able to meet prescription demand at normal demand levels.The Department remains in ongoing contact with both Nestlé and Danone, as well as other formula manufacturers who supply the UK. This engagement includes monitoring supply positions, ensuring continuity of provision in hospitals and community settings, and supporting industry efforts to stabilise stock levels as recall actions progress.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to assess the safety of dams and reservoirs given potential climate impacts, including monitoring and standards; and whether her Department has emergency preparedness for dams and reservoirs.

Reservoir safety in England is regulated under the Reservoirs Act 1975 for which the Environment Agency (EA) is the Enforcement Authority. Reservoir owners and operators are required to employ specialist civil engineers to build, supervise, inspect, and maintain their reservoirs to strict standards Defra and the EA are leading a Reservoir Safety Reform Programme, which proposes updates to the safety regulation of reservoirs. This programme is based on recommendations from the Independent Reservoir Safety Review Report. Further work with reservoir owners since the review includes developing on-site emergency flood plans for raised reservoirs, new guidance issued based on the available evidence of the impact of climate change on dams and reservoirs, and producing an updated research strategy for dam safety, with climate change a core theme. Further work on safety management practices is in development, ensuring our reservoirs are safe and resilient in a changing climate.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether local authorities in England have the resources and powers to enforce existing legislation and regulation to improve local air quality.

Local authorities are centrally funded to fulfil statutory duties under the Local Air Quality Management Framework, which requires action where pollution is highest. The Government supports them through the Air Quality Hub, providing guidance and tools to help achieve compliance with air quality objectives. We continue to engage with and respond to local authorities’ needs, offering practical support and detailed assistance around enforcing legislation and delivering local air quality improvements.

If he will set out the types of health impacts of poor (a) ambient and (b) indoor air quality by (i) geography and (ii) socioeconomic groups.

Ambient and indoor air pollution are harmful to health in the United Kingdom. Long-term exposure to air pollution, over years or lifetimes, reduces life expectancy, mainly due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, dementia and lung cancer. Short-term exposure, over hours or days, to elevated levels of air pollution can also cause a range of health impacts, including effects on lung function, exacerbation of asthma, increases in respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions, and mortality. Some groups may be more affected by air pollution exposure due to their location or socioeconomic background, but the types of health impacts from exposure to poor air quality in indoor and ambient settings remains similar. A combination of high ambient air pollution levels and substandard housing in income-deprived areas, pre-existing health issues, and lifestyle factors contribute to a disproportionate burden of air-pollution-related ill health among more deprived groups.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential (a) direct and (b) indirect impact of current levels of (i) ambient and (ii) indoor air pollution on the (A) current and (B) future health of children and young people.

Ambient and indoor air pollution have long- and short-term health impacts on children and young people, for example respiratory effects including reduced lung function and exacerbation of asthma. The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants has published advice on the susceptibility to air pollution, including for children.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found that one third of schools in England in 2017 were in areas with fine particulate matter levels exceeding previous World Health Organization guidelines, particularly in income-deprived areas, exacerbating health inequalities.A recent UKHSA review also found that 315,000 days of school absences in 2019 were attributed to illnesses related to fine particulate matter exposure.The UKHSA is a key partner in a newly funded project focused on improving indoor air quality and its health implications, including among children in educational settings.

What information his Department holds on air pollution impacting people's health in relation to (a) ambient air and (b) indoor air in England.

The Department and the UK Health Security Agency have published a range of information and evidence on health impacts of air pollution, to support action to reduce exposure to harmful emissions.The Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2022: Air Pollution sets out a detailed overview of this evidence of the impact on health of both indoor and ambient air quality. The report can be accessed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chief-medical-officers-annual-report-2022-air-pollution

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on delivering national targets for ambient air including by sharing data.

Department of Health and Social Care ministers engage regularly with ministerial colleagues on air quality. The 10-Year Health Plan for England details action the Government will take to reduce the health harms of air pollution. This includes the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ refreshed Environmental Improvement Plan which sets out action to further improve air quality in England including through revised interim targets.

What steps he is taking to (a) bring awareness to and (b) help address the potential adverse impact of poor ambient air quality.

The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan sets out actions to reduce people’s exposure to harmful emissions, improve public understanding of air pollution, and strengthen how air quality information is communicated. The Department continues to work with partners across the Government and the health system to ensure the public receives clear, evidence-based advice and that air quality becomes part of everyday conversations.In line with commitments in both the 10-Year Health Plan and the Environmental Improvement Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and across Government to reduce the health harms associated with poor ambient air quality.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues to determine the extent that her Department's policies on ambient air quality are interacting with policies on climate change mitigation, nature recovery and land use planning.

Defra’s ambient air quality policy is delivered within the wider framework of the Environmental Improvement Plan, which sets out commitments to improve air quality, restore nature and support climate objectives. The plan highlights that actions to tackle air pollution such as reducing emissions, support nature recovery and contribute to resilience against climate change. Air quality is also a material consideration in planning decisions and Government policy is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. I will continue to work collaboratively with colleagues across government to ensure we take a joined-up, holistic approach.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to strengthen communities' powers to improve accountability and local action on air pollution.

The Government supports communities and local authorities to take effective action on air pollution through the Local Air Quality Management framework, which requires local authorities to assess air quality and implement measures to address local issues. Defra provides technical guidance, modelling tools, and monitoring support to help authorities identify pollution sources and develop targeted action. Since taking ownership of the Air Quality Hub in 2024, Defra has enhanced the platform to improve access to guidance, training, and examples of best practice, strengthening local capability and enabling communities to benefit from successful approaches used elsewhere.

Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment she has made of his Department's (a) targets, (b) requirements and (c) performance standards for ambient air pollution and the World Health Organisation's Air Quality Guidelines.

The World Health Organisation’s Air Quality Guidelines inform our approach to improving public health. We remain committed to continuous improvement and the WHO guidelines will continue to inform our evidence when considering next steps.