Carla Lockhart MP: written questions 2025
236 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Veterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92108More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure cross-departmental decision-making between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the Departme
Answer: Cross-departmental decision-making arrangements are an internal Government matter.
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92107More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the number of veterinary medicine products expected to be (a) withdrawn and (b) altered in Northern Ireland after 31 December 2025.
Answer: Many businesses have already taken the steps to make the required adjustments so we are confident that the disruption to veterinary medicines supply will be limited. After extensive stakeholder engagement, our current estimate remains that between 10-15% ...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92106More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department will take to ensure veterinary medicine supply via Suitably Qualified Persons will continue in Northern Ireland and not diverge from what happens across the U
Answer: The guidance we published on the two schemes in June was recently updated and reflects industry feedback; the updated guidance includes specific reference to Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs). The two schemes will take effect from 1 January; where there i...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92105More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the proposed changes to veterinary medicines supply routes will impact the ability of pet owners in Northern Ireland to fill veterinary prescriptions from online veterinary pharmac
Answer: We appreciate that accessibility to obtain veterinary medicines for pet owners is of great importance. Through our extensive engagements, we are aware of multiple companies who are either already established in Northern Ireland or are planning to set up a...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92104More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will assess the effect of the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme and the Veterinary Medicines Health Situations Scheme on the agri-food supply chain in
Answer: We are confident in the two schemes being introduced by the Government and will continue to closely monitor the situation over the upcoming year and beyond. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) will be conducting an assessment of the effectiveness/u...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92103More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to ensure that Northern Ireland producers are not placed at a structural disadvantage relative to counterparts in Great Britain as a result of the new veteri
Answer: We appreciate that accessibility to obtain veterinary medicines for pet owners is of great importance. Through our extensive engagements, we are aware of multiple companies who are either already established in Northern Ireland or are planning to set up a...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92102More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential impact on the competitiveness of Northern Ireland farm businesses in the event access to routine veterinary medicines diverges
Answer: In accordance with the Windsor Framework, EU legislation in relation to veterinary medicines applies in Northern Ireland in order to maintain Northern Ireland’s dual market access. After extensive stakeholder engagement, our current estimate is that 10-15...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Service Broadcasting: Northern IrelandDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89661More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure equitable levels of representation of Northern Ireland in UK (a) broadcasting and (b) public service media.
Answer: Public service media plays an important role in terms of providing news and other content which reflects the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the nations and regions, including Northern Ireland. Currently under their Operating ...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration Controls: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89660More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of border security measures at (a) ports and (b) airports in Northern Ireland.
Answer: Border Force performs checks on 100% of passengers arriving at the UK border on scheduled services, enabling interventions against those known or suspected to pose a risk to the national interest.The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative relations...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89659More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers have been relocated to Northern Ireland since January 2024.
Answer: Northern Ireland is not a dispersal area and asylum seekers are therefore not routed between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Only those claiming asylum in Northern Ireland are accommodated there. Northern Ireland’s asylum population is however, propor...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNational SecurityHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89658More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of preparedness for changes in the national terror threat level in (a) general and (b) Northern Ireland.
Answer: The UK National Threat Level remains at SUBSTANTIAL, meaning an attack is likely. The UK National Threat Level is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre who consider all relevant intelligence and information to produce an assessment of the threat from...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Border Force: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89657More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Border Force officers are deployed in Northern Ireland.
Answer: As an intelligence-informed organisation, Border Force do not disclose specific details regarding the deployment of resources to individual border threats. This is to ensure the integrity of our operations, and avoid compromising the effectiveness of our ...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89656More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on ensuring parity of policing resources between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Answer: Policing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and decisions on the allocation of police funding rests with the Northern Ireland Executive.Since 2010, the Home Office has had responsibility for police funding only in England and Wales.
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration Controls: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89655More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of immigration controls to prevent human trafficking over the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Answer: As part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from Ireland to the UK, with no immigration checks being undertaken on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border.The UK carries out intel...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86338More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending statutory guidance to clarify the intent of section 75 of the Crime and Policing Bill on the reporting of abuse of 13-16 year olds th
Answer: When recommending the introduction of a mandatory reporting duty to government, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recognised that in limited circumstances, a different approach may sometimes be necessary when considering sexual activity betw...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: ProtectionHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86337More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Casey review, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that victims aged 13 to 16 are adequately protected under section 75 of the Crime and Policing Bill.
Answer: When recommending the introduction of a mandatory reporting duty to government, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recognised that in limited circumstances, a different approach may sometimes be necessary when considering sexual activity betw...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86336More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will provide guidance to statutory safeguarding partners on (a) recognising and (b) responding to the grooming and exploitation of 13 to 16-year-olds.
Answer: The Government is committed to protecting and safeguarding all children and working to strengthen our response to identify and combat all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse and grooming....
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: ProtectionHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86335More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to publish guidance to clarify the legal position of children aged 13 to 16 under section 75 of the Crime and Policing Bill.
Answer: When recommending the introduction of a mandatory reporting duty to government, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recognised that in limited circumstances, a different approach may sometimes be necessary when considering sexual activity betw...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRelationships and Sex EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86334More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact the omission of a minimum age limit for sex education within the revised Relationship, Sex and Health Education statutory guidance on pupils under
Answer: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Sex education is not compulsory in primary schools, but the statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education (RSHE) recommends that primaries teach sex...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVaccine Damage Payment SchemeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86333More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of a compensation scheme for people adversely affected by Covid-19 vaccinations.
Answer: I would like to reiterate my deepest sympathies to all those individuals who have experienced harm following vaccination, and to their families.The long-standing Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) provides a one-off, tax-free payment of £120,000 to clai...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVaccine Damage Payment SchemeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86332More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce waiting times for decisions on applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.
Answer: The Department is working with NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), the administrators of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), to process claims at a faster rate. We have scaled up and modernised VDPS operations through the digitisation of the c...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAbortion: DecriminalisationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86331More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of decriminalising abortion on (a) levels of public confidence in the protection of unborn children and (b) societal attitudes towards the value
Answer: No assessment has been made. It is for Parliament to decide the circumstances under which abortions should take place. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance and allows hon. Members to vot...
Answered 21 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAbortion: DecriminalisationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86330More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decriminalisation of abortion of women who are (a) vulnerable and (b) subject to (i) coercion and (ii) abuse: and what steps he plans to t
Answer: No assessment has been made. It is for Parliament to decide the circumstances under which abortions should take place. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance and allows hon. Members to vot...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAbortion: DecriminalisationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86329More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of decriminalising abortion on the (a) rights and (b) responsibilities of medical professionals.
Answer: The House of Commons has voted to add a clause to the Crime and Policing Bill which disapplies the criminal offences related to abortion from women in relation to her own pregnancy. These offences would still apply to medical professionals and third parti...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAbortion: TelemedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85936More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the introduction of telemedicine for first-trimester abortions on the number of criminal prosecutions in the last five years.
Answer: The Government has not made an assessment on the connection between the number of prosecutions for unlawful abortions and the availability of telemedicine for early medical abortion. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the G...
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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