The Gambling Commission, as the independent regulator for gambling, has responsibility for making decisions around licensing.

As part of its regulatory approach, the Gambling Commission assesses applicants against the statutory licensing objectives and may take compliance and enforcement action where it identifies evidence of breaches of licence conditions or other regulatory requirements. This includes where operators or gambling software licensees are found to be supplying the illegal gambling market.

I regularly meet representatives of the logistics sector and businesses trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland—for instance, through the Northern Ireland business stakeholders group—to discuss how we can make the Windsor framework operate as smoothly as possible.

The Department is committed to working collaboratively with the Northern Ireland Executive on the delivery of the Warm Homes Plan (WHP), recognising the distinct housing stock and energy needs across the UK. The WHP supports a range of low‑carbon heating solutions beyond hydronic heat pumps including heat networks, biomass boilers, air-to-air heat pumps, and heat batteries to ensure the upgrades are right for the context of the household. We will continue to keep under review the range of technologies that are supported by the WHP schemes.

Decisions about exemptions and other issues relating to military service in Armenia are the responsibility of the government of Armenia.

We are working closely with a range of stakeholders, including Dementia UK, on the development of the Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care. We recently published an interim update on the MSF, which is available at the following link:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-06-04/hcws88

The MSF will provide a clinically led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including for those with dementia, by reducing both inequality and unwarranted variation.

We recognise that high-quality palliative care and end-of-life care should include the opportunity for individuals to discuss their wishes and preferences so that these can be taken fully into account in the provision of their future care, also known as advance care planning (ACP).

In order to facilitate a consistent national approach to ACP, NHS England has published Universal Principles for ACP, which are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/universal-principles-for-advance-care-planning/

Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on dementia includes recommendations on ACP and involving people living with dementia in decisions about their care. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97

Timely and equitable identification of palliative care and end-of-life care needs will be a key element of the MSF. NHS England and the Department are working closely with other teams who developing MSFs, including on Frailty and Dementia, alongside a wide range of stakeholders on the development of the MSF, looking at how we can enable more proactive assessment of palliative care need and subsequent access to services and personalised care and support, including ACP.

We are working closely with a range of stakeholders, including Dementia UK, on the development of the Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care. We recently published an interim update on the MSF, which is available at the following link:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-06-04/hcws88

The MSF will provide a clinically led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including for those with dementia, by reducing both inequality and unwarranted variation.

We recognise that high-quality palliative care and end-of-life care should include the opportunity for individuals to discuss their wishes and preferences so that these can be taken fully into account in the provision of their future care, also known as advance care planning (ACP).

In order to facilitate a consistent national approach to ACP, NHS England has published Universal Principles for ACP, which are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/universal-principles-for-advance-care-planning/

Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on dementia includes recommendations on ACP and involving people living with dementia in decisions about their care. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97

Timely and equitable identification of palliative care and end-of-life care needs will be a key element of the MSF. NHS England and the Department are working closely with other teams who developing MSFs, including on Frailty and Dementia, alongside a wide range of stakeholders on the development of the MSF, looking at how we can enable more proactive assessment of palliative care need and subsequent access to services and personalised care and support, including ACP.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) continuously seeks to improve and add detail as it learns from real claims. On clinical matters, IBCA seeks regular advice from clinical advisers to ensure that their approach adequately reflects clinical understanding in line with the regulations.

Within the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2025, there is a provision that permits IBCA to reclaim amounts of money that are, following a review process, found to have been overpayments. This is an important protection, both against error and against fraudulent claims.

The Regulations give IBCA the discretion not to recover payments in certain circumstances, such as where the overpayment was IBCA’s fault, enabling decisions that are humane, fair and proportionate. When making a decision on whether to exercise this discretion, IBCA must have regard to wider public law principles and the requirements of managing public money. IBCA is not able to publish information on compensation claims that provides detail on applicants’ infections. This is to ensure the privacy of applicants is adequately protected.

The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, including in Kyrgyzstan. On 8 July, the UK's Special Envoy for Religious Freedom, David Smith MP, set out the Government's new strategy on FoRB, providing a framework for engagement with other countries, and describing the links between the protection of FoRB and other goals including the prevention of conflict. As part of this strategy, the UK continues to support FoRB on the international stage, through our position in the United Nations, G7 and Article 18 Alliance.

The UK raised concerns regarding several human rights issues, including freedom of expression in the 2025 UN universal periodic review into Kyrgyzstan, the most recent iteration.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) advertising codes require all gambling operators to take all reasonable steps to ensure that children are not targeted by gambling advertisements. This includes a requirement for all operators to ensure that targeting is used responsibly, through utilising tools available on platforms to exclude under-18s from exposure wherever possible.

In 2025 the ASA strengthened its guidance to ensure that personalities or influencers with social media followings totalling at least 100,000 under-18s, across all platforms, are unable to advertise gambling.

The Government continues to work with a wide range of stakeholders to increase protections online. This includes ongoing work to tackle the illegal market.

AI chatbots covered by the Online Safety Act must protect all users from illegal content. We work with a wide range of stakeholders including technology companies to ensure these rules keep pace with technology and will not hesitate to go further if there is evidence to do so.

More broadly, the Government is committed to tackling illegal gambling through the Illegal Gambling Taskforce. We will therefore consider examples of chatbots promoting illegal sites to children, in conjunction with other issues, when deciding on the best next steps to increase protections against illegal gambling.

AI chatbots covered by the Online Safety Act must protect all users from illegal content. We work with a wide range of stakeholders including technology companies to ensure these rules keep pace with technology and will not hesitate to go further if there is evidence to do so.

More broadly, the Government is committed to tackling illegal gambling through the Illegal Gambling Taskforce. We will therefore consider examples of chatbots promoting illegal sites to children, in conjunction with other issues, when deciding on the best next steps to increase protections against illegal gambling.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 June in response to Question 5332.

The UK ETS already allows aircraft operators to recognise emissions reductions from eligible SAF when meeting their allowance surrender obligations, in line with existing legislative requirements, including the annual reporting deadline of 31 March.

The UK ETS Authority is consulting on the future treatment of SAF in the UK ETS. Any changes would be informed by consultation responses and set out in a consultation response. With the UK and EU in negotiations in pursuit of linking the UK ETS and EU ETS, the Authority will also need to consider any implications of ETS linking once negotiations have concluded.

The UK ETS Authority is consulting on the future treatment of SAF in the UK ETS, with this work progressing as planned. The Government recognises the importance of a cohesive SAF policy landscape across both demand and supply sides of the UK SAF market, including for SAF producers.

Any changes to the UK ETS treatment of SAF will take this, and consultation responses, into account. With the UK and EU in negotiations in pursuit of linking the UK ETS and EU ETS, the Authority will also need to consider any implications of ETS linking once negotiations have concluded.

The Joint Statement between the Prime Minister and Taoiseach Micheál Martin following the UK-Ireland summit in Cork this March includes a range of cultural and educational initiatives that will enhance the already rich cooperation between our countries in both these fields. In particular, the first Ireland-UK Youth Forum, the next meeting of which will be hosted by the UK in 2027.

The British Council plays a crucial role supporting the UK's interests around the world, including in Northern Ireland, supported by its work in education, arts and culture, and promoting the English language. The British Council is operationally independent from the UK Government.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all in Pakistan, and we regularly raise the rights and safety of religious minorities with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels. UK assistance to Pakistan is delivered through trusted partners, subject to due diligence and regularly reviewed; it supports work that promotes interfaith dialogue and tackles online hate speech, helping protect vulnerable minority communities. We will continue to urge Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Barnett formula was applied in the normal way to changes in the English apprenticeships budget at Main Estimates 2025/26 and at Budget 2025, and the resulting consequentials were added to the Northern Ireland Executive’s existing block grant.