Carla Lockhart MP: written questions 2025
236 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51977More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology what safeguards are in place to ensure that his officials do not input (a) sensitive and (b) classified information into artificial intelligence tools.
Answer: All civil servants are trained in appropriate information management practices for handling sensitive or classified information. We draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform our AI usage. For example the AI Playbook for the UK Governmen...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: WomenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51976More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd (Appellant) v The Scottish Ministers (Respondent) [2025] UKSC 16.
Answer: Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by the Government. The recent Supreme Court ruling in the For Women Scotland case has provided much needed confidence and clarity for the National Health Service and adult social care pro...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordFires: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51975More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what resources she could make available to the (a) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (b) Police Service of Northern Ireland and (c) Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service in the event
Answer: I pay tribute to all those who work to tackle and support recovery from major wildfire outbreaks like those seen recently in the Mourne area. This Government has provided the Northern Ireland Executive with a record £18.2 billion settlement for 2025-26. T...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: WomenMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51974More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) harassment, (b) sexual assault and (c) misconduct against women in the armed forces; and if he will introduce an independent body to handle serious complaints of
Answer: There is no place for harassment or any form of abuse within the Armed Forces – or anywhere within Defence.Last month the Minister for Veterans and People announced the formation of a new tri-Service complaints unit for the Armed Forces. The new team will...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDrug Seizures: Seas and OceansHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51973More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) quantity and (b) estimated street value of drugs retrieved from flotation devices at sea have been seized by Border Force in 2025; and what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the u
Answer: Border Force has made one seizure of drugs so far in the calendar year 2025 that was packaged as an At Sea Drop-Off (ASDOs). The total seizure was 1464kg (Net) Cocaine and would have a street value of approximately £58,560,000 (£40,000 per kg). This was n...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Insurance: Fees and ChargesDepartment for TransportTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51972More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recommendations the Motor Insurance Taskforce has made on reducing motor insurance costs.
Answer: This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums. It will look at the impact of increased insurance costs o...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSuicide: Mental Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51971More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the suicide prevention strategy; and what steps he is taking to help reduce suicide rates.
Answer: There has been significant work and progress across the Government, the National Health Service, the police, the voluntary sector, academia, and wider partners to deliver the strategy.As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and t...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMyanmar: Disaster ReliefForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45141More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what types of humanitarian aid his Department is providing to Myanmar; and what assurance his Department has that the aid will reach those in need.
Answer: The UK has announced up to £25 million in life-saving support for people affected by the recent earthquake in Myanmar. This includes up to £5 million to match the British public's generous donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.The UK's ear...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMyanmar: Disaster ReliefForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45140More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of prioritising aid for Christians and ethnic faith groups in Myanmar following the recent earthquake.
Answer: The UK has announced up to £25 million in life-saving support for people affected by the earthquake in Myanmar, including ethnic and religious minorities.The UK's earthquake support is funding local actors on the ground who can directly access affected po...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMicroplastics: Drinking WaterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45139More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of microplastics in UK drinking water sources; and what steps he has taken to regulate and reduce microplastic pollutio
Answer: Drinking water quality is a devolved matter and therefore I can only respond in relation to England. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has published two research projects on microplastics in drinking water – one in January 2019 reviewing the potential...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: PollinatorsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45138More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of declining bee and pollinator populations on UK food production; and what steps he plans to take to promote poll
Answer: This Government is committed to restoring and protecting nature. We are committed to halting the decline in species abundance by 2030 and reversing species decline, reducing the risk of species extinction and restoring and creating more than 500,000 hecta...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39593More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of Government funding for the promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief was allocated to supporting persecuted religious communities globally in
Answer: The UK champions and remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDemocratic Republic of Congo: Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36150More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to hold discussions with his counterpart in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on (a) the recent killing of Christians and (b) other ongoing human rights v
Answer: Recent attacks by IS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are alarming and we are deeply saddened by the loss of life. Protection of civilians, promotion of respect between different religious and non-religio...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPassports: Fees and ChargesHome OfficeTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36149More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how revenue generated from passport fees is allocated.
Answer: Revenue generated from passport fees contribute to the recovery of the costs provided for under section 86 of the Immigration Act 2016: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/19/section/86.
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed ForcesMinistry of DefenceTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36148More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what personnel levels are in the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy, (c) Royal Air Force and (d) reserve forces.
Answer: Statistics on the strength of UK service personnel are published on gov.uk at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2025 As at 1 January 2025, the latest date for when data is available, Table ...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMeat: SmugglingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36147More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with law enforcement agencies on taking steps to help tackle organised criminal networks involved in the illegal meat trade; and what steps he plans
Answer: We are not complacent about illegal meat smuggling, which may pose threats to animal health, food safety and public health. That is why we are working closely with the Home Office and the Food Standards Agency to tackle this issue with the support of Bord...
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMeat: SmugglingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36146More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to review the Border Target Operating Model to introduce mandatory spot checks on all vehicles entering the UK, in the context of illegal meat smuggling.
Answer: The Border Target Operating Model aims to mitigate sanitary and phytosanitary risks, while enabling the flow of legitimate goods through our ports and airports. We will continue to operate a compliance first approach enabling importers and the public to m...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMeat: SmugglingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36145More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to increase (a) funding and (b) other resources for enforcement agencies for the (i) detection and (ii) prevention of illegal meat imports at ports.
Answer: Border Force is responsible for securing our borders and officers have powers to stop and search vehicles and passengers at ports and airports. Border Force may call on Port Health Authorities for assistance in seizing any illegal meat detected. Border Fo...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMeat: SmugglingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36144More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the illegal importation of meat from regions affected by (a) African swine fever and (b) foot and mouth disease on ri
Answer: Whilst we have never had an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the UK, it remains a key priority in terms of exotic notifiable disease preparedness. The overall risk of an incursion is currently assessed to be medium, and we continue to prepare for ...
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMeat: SmugglingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36143More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to strengthen border checks to prevent illegal meat imports from entering the UK through (a) Dover and (b) other ports of entry.
Answer: Defra has made additional funding of £1.9 million available to Dover District Council for the Port Health Authority, for the remainder of this financial year (2024 to 2025), to support Border Force to conduct safeguarding checks on the illegal import of p...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUSA: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28648More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to engage with the President of the United States to promote (a) trade, (b) investment and (c) cultural links with Northern Ireland.
Answer: I hope to visit the US soon to build on the already strong partnership between the US and Northern Ireland - and indeed the whole of the UK - including in the crucial areas of trade and investment. The US has been pivotal in supporting peace, stability an...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28647More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue she expects to raise from changes to Agricultural Property Relief in Northern Ireland; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those changes on farming families in Northern Irela
Answer: The overall changes to both agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 are expected to raise £520 million in 2029-30, based on the latest available data. This is the total UK revenue expected to be raised from estates with...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28646More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people identified as illegal migrants are being housed in Northern Ireland; and what funding they have received in the last five years.
Answer: As at 30 September 2024, there were 2,632 people in receipt of Asylum Support being housed in Northern Ireland. Further data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: Republic of IrelandHome OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28645More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle illegal immigration into the UK via the Republic of Ireland.
Answer: The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative working relationship on a range of issues, including migration and border security. That collaboration includes a joint commitment to protect the Common Travel Area (CTA) from abuse while preserving the ri...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordTerrorism: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28644More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department plans to take steps to commission a public inquiry into the Kingsmill shooting of 5 January 1976.
Answer: The Coroner in the Kingsmill Inquest delivered clear and detailed findings on 12 April 2024, setting out that this was a horrific and sectarian terrorist atrocity carried out by the IRA with absolutely no justification. While these findings will have prov...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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