Any decision to determine whether any proposed activity falls within the Government's stated defensive purpose or to support allies is considered on a case-by-case basis. The decision to grant permission is dependent on the nature and purpose of their activity. This includes consideration of the applicable legal and policy frameworks.

As part of a transition to a circular economy, Defra wants to help businesses reduce food waste and improve efficiency. Through the No10-led Food Waste Endeavour, we are working with food businesses and technology providers to understand how UK companies are using AI technologies to drive reductions in food waste and deliver savings for businesses and how government can best support these data driven solutions. No recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of mandatory food waste reporting on the cost of living.

The CPS holds information on the sentences imposed following convictions in cases included in the Joint Enterprise National Monitoring Scheme 2024–25. As the CPS is not the official record of sentencing the information requested could only be obtained through the manual inspection of individual case files and could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The CPS holds information on the sentences imposed following convictions in cases included in the Joint Enterprise National Monitoring Scheme 2024–25. However, the information requested could only be obtained through the manual inspection of individual case files and could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The British Museum is curatorially independent of the Government. Decisions on signage and object labelling are made by curatorial experts at the Museum.

DCMS officials have discussed these matters with British Museum officials to understand the Museum’s decision. We note the Museum’s public statements made in February 2026, which explain the curatorial justifications for two recent changes.

The Government is committed to upholding media freedom and ensuring that journalists and other media workers are able to operate without fear, harassment or violence, wherever they are in the world. We are currently pursuing those goals through our role as co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition, as set out in my written ministerial statement on 23 February (HCWS1342), but we will continue to keep other options for international coordination of these efforts under review.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), continues to participate in International Maritime Organization (IMO) discussions on seafarer training and maritime fire safety.

The UK is also actively engaged in IMO work on the fire safety implications of transporting battery-electric vehicles by ship. Through the IMO Ship Systems and Equipment Sub-Committee, work is underway to develop fire safety measures for vehicle carriers and related detection and monitoring arrangements.

In relation to lithium-ion batteries and equipment containing such batteries carried as cargo, the UK participates in ongoing IMO discussions on amendments to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, which sets the international requirements for the safe carriage of dangerous goods by sea.

The following tables show the (1) mean and (2) median tariff lengths for people receiving a life sentence aged 16 to 25 at the time of sentencing, by ethnicity, in each year since 2015.

Table 1: Mean tariff at sentence for life sentences by ethnicity and year of sentence

Table 2: Median tariff at sentence for life sentences by ethnicity and year of sentence

1. Tariff length is the time between date of sentencing and tariff expiry date and does not take into account any time served on remand.

2. ‘N/A’ entries include cases where a confirmed tariff expiry date has yet to be received, and any unmatched records.

3. Where necessary, [c] has been used to suppress values of one or two to prevent the disclosure of individual information. Further disclosure control may be completed where this alone is not sufficient. This could include the secondary suppression of zero values.

Data quality

The figures in these tables have been derived from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on average sentence length for a variety of offences including murder and attempted murder in England and Wales. These data are available by ethnicity and sex in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

However, information on whether cases were included in the CPS Joint Enterprise National Monitoring Scheme is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings Database.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to becoming a more strategic, high performing and technology-enabled organisation, better equipped to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. The FCDO2030 reform programme is driving forward this transformation, ensuring the Department can deliver its purpose effectively in a rapidly changing world.

The programme is being implemented in a phased way to support continuity of delivery, minimise disruption and retain critical skills and expertise. Changes to workforce size and structure are being made strategically to ensure the right number of staff, with the right capabilities, are focused on the FCDO's highest priorities. Any redundancies will be made in line with Civil Service Compensation Scheme rules and the 2016 protocols.

The Department recognises the importance of staff morale, workforce pressures, and continuity of delivery throughout this process. Senior leaders continue to engage regularly with staff to provide clarity and support, and recognised Trade Unions have been consulted throughout the restructuring process. All decisions are made in line with the FCDO's legal and Public Sector Equality Duty obligations.

Ministers are kept informed of progress on the wider FCDO2030 programme, while implementation of organisational change is led by the Department. The FCDO will continue to update Parliament on significant developments relating to the programme, and information on workforce size and composition will continue to be published through the Department's official reporting mechanisms.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to becoming a more strategic, high performing and technology-enabled organisation, better equipped to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. The FCDO2030 reform programme is driving forward this transformation, ensuring the Department can deliver its purpose effectively in a rapidly changing world.

The programme is being implemented in a phased way to support continuity of delivery, minimise disruption and retain critical skills and expertise. Changes to workforce size and structure are being made strategically to ensure the right number of staff, with the right capabilities, are focused on the FCDO's highest priorities. Any redundancies will be made in line with Civil Service Compensation Scheme rules and the 2016 protocols.

The Department recognises the importance of staff morale, workforce pressures, and continuity of delivery throughout this process. Senior leaders continue to engage regularly with staff to provide clarity and support, and recognised Trade Unions have been consulted throughout the restructuring process. All decisions are made in line with the FCDO's legal and Public Sector Equality Duty obligations.

Ministers are kept informed of progress on the wider FCDO2030 programme, while implementation of organisational change is led by the Department. The FCDO will continue to update Parliament on significant developments relating to the programme, and information on workforce size and composition will continue to be published through the Department's official reporting mechanisms.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to becoming a more strategic, high performing and technology-enabled organisation, better equipped to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. The FCDO2030 reform programme is driving forward this transformation, ensuring the Department can deliver its purpose effectively in a rapidly changing world.

The programme is being implemented in a phased way to support continuity of delivery, minimise disruption and retain critical skills and expertise. Changes to workforce size and structure are being made strategically to ensure the right number of staff, with the right capabilities, are focused on the FCDO's highest priorities. Any redundancies will be made in line with Civil Service Compensation Scheme rules and the 2016 protocols.

The Department recognises the importance of staff morale, workforce pressures, and continuity of delivery throughout this process. Senior leaders continue to engage regularly with staff to provide clarity and support, and recognised Trade Unions have been consulted throughout the restructuring process. All decisions are made in line with the FCDO's legal and Public Sector Equality Duty obligations.

Ministers are kept informed of progress on the wider FCDO2030 programme, while implementation of organisational change is led by the Department. The FCDO will continue to update Parliament on significant developments relating to the programme, and information on workforce size and composition will continue to be published through the Department's official reporting mechanisms.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to becoming a more strategic, high performing and technology-enabled organisation, better equipped to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. The FCDO2030 reform programme is driving forward this transformation, ensuring the Department can deliver its purpose effectively in a rapidly changing world.

The programme is being implemented in a phased way to support continuity of delivery, minimise disruption and retain critical skills and expertise. Changes to workforce size and structure are being made strategically to ensure the right number of staff, with the right capabilities, are focused on the FCDO's highest priorities. Any redundancies will be made in line with Civil Service Compensation Scheme rules and the 2016 protocols.

The Department recognises the importance of staff morale, workforce pressures, and continuity of delivery throughout this process. Senior leaders continue to engage regularly with staff to provide clarity and support, and recognised Trade Unions have been consulted throughout the restructuring process. All decisions are made in line with the FCDO's legal and Public Sector Equality Duty obligations.

Ministers are kept informed of progress on the wider FCDO2030 programme, while implementation of organisational change is led by the Department. The FCDO will continue to update Parliament on significant developments relating to the programme, and information on workforce size and composition will continue to be published through the Department's official reporting mechanisms.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to becoming a more strategic, high performing and technology-enabled organisation, better equipped to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. The FCDO2030 reform programme is driving forward this transformation, ensuring the Department can deliver its purpose effectively in a rapidly changing world.

The programme is being implemented in a phased way to support continuity of delivery, minimise disruption and retain critical skills and expertise. Changes to workforce size and structure are being made strategically to ensure the right number of staff, with the right capabilities, are focused on the FCDO's highest priorities. Any redundancies will be made in line with Civil Service Compensation Scheme rules and the 2016 protocols.

The Department recognises the importance of staff morale, workforce pressures, and continuity of delivery throughout this process. Senior leaders continue to engage regularly with staff to provide clarity and support, and recognised Trade Unions have been consulted throughout the restructuring process. All decisions are made in line with the FCDO's legal and Public Sector Equality Duty obligations.

Ministers are kept informed of progress on the wider FCDO2030 programme, while implementation of organisational change is led by the Department. The FCDO will continue to update Parliament on significant developments relating to the programme, and information on workforce size and composition will continue to be published through the Department's official reporting mechanisms.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to becoming a more strategic, high performing and technology-enabled organisation, better equipped to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. The FCDO2030 reform programme is driving forward this transformation, ensuring the Department can deliver its purpose effectively in a rapidly changing world.

The programme is being implemented in a phased way to support continuity of delivery, minimise disruption and retain critical skills and expertise. Changes to workforce size and structure are being made strategically to ensure the right number of staff, with the right capabilities, are focused on the FCDO's highest priorities. Any redundancies will be made in line with Civil Service Compensation Scheme rules and the 2016 protocols.

The Department recognises the importance of staff morale, workforce pressures, and continuity of delivery throughout this process. Senior leaders continue to engage regularly with staff to provide clarity and support, and recognised Trade Unions have been consulted throughout the restructuring process. All decisions are made in line with the FCDO's legal and Public Sector Equality Duty obligations.

Ministers are kept informed of progress on the wider FCDO2030 programme, while implementation of organisational change is led by the Department. The FCDO will continue to update Parliament on significant developments relating to the programme, and information on workforce size and composition will continue to be published through the Department's official reporting mechanisms.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to becoming a more strategic, high performing and technology-enabled organisation, better equipped to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. The FCDO2030 reform programme is driving forward this transformation, ensuring the Department can deliver its purpose effectively in a rapidly changing world.

The programme is being implemented in a phased way to support continuity of delivery, minimise disruption and retain critical skills and expertise. Changes to workforce size and structure are being made strategically to ensure the right number of staff, with the right capabilities, are focused on the FCDO's highest priorities. Any redundancies will be made in line with Civil Service Compensation Scheme rules and the 2016 protocols.

The Department recognises the importance of staff morale, workforce pressures, and continuity of delivery throughout this process. Senior leaders continue to engage regularly with staff to provide clarity and support, and recognised Trade Unions have been consulted throughout the restructuring process. All decisions are made in line with the FCDO's legal and Public Sector Equality Duty obligations.

Ministers are kept informed of progress on the wider FCDO2030 programme, while implementation of organisational change is led by the Department. The FCDO will continue to update Parliament on significant developments relating to the programme, and information on workforce size and composition will continue to be published through the Department's official reporting mechanisms.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of compensation orders and average amount of compensation at criminal courts in England and Wales for a wide range of offences including assault on an emergency worker in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics

However, the type of emergency worker assaulted under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings database. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of compensation orders and average amount of compensation at criminal courts in England and Wales for a wide range of offences including assault on an emergency worker in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics

However, the type of emergency worker assaulted under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings database. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

The UK continues to be committed to upholding International Law and will always operate in accordance with its key principals.

The use of UK military bases by foreign governments is governed by a range of longstanding agreements. For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ routine movements.

For export licensing matters, I will defer to my right honourable colleagues in the Department for Business and Trade.

The Ministry of Defence keeps the recruitment and retention of Royal Fleet Auxiliary civilian seafarers under close review, including through ongoing workforce analysis and engagement with Maritime Trade Unions.

The RFA has faced sustained recruitment and retention challenges in recent years, driven in part by competition with the commercial maritime sector and differences in terms and conditions of service. In response, the Department has implemented a workforce recovery programme, supported by engagement with trade unions and wider work to improve the employee offer, including pay, conditions and flexibility.

Recent performance indicates improving trends, with recruitment increasing over the past five years and application levels reaching their highest in that period. Delivery against training pipelines has also strengthened, with Officer Cadet and Apprenticeship intake filled to high proportions of target in 2025–26.

Workforce stability has improved, with overall strength stabilising and voluntary outflow reducing between January 2025 and January 2026. While challenges remain, these improvements suggest that measures taken since 2024 are beginning to have a positive effect on recruitment and retention outcomes within the RFA. We continue to work with MTUs and RFA members to address their concerns over pay and term and conditions of service