I am sure my noble friend will understand that I will not comment on individual cases. However, following the recommendations of the Rycroft review, the Government are introducing a complete ban on crypto asset donations of all value until such point that Parliament and the Electoral Commission are satisfied that there is sufficient regulation in place to ensure confidence and transparency in donations being made in this way. The ban has a retrospective effect from the date of its announcement on 25 March this year to prevent malign actors circumventing it. With this policy, we are taking decisive action to defend the legitimacy and integrity of our democratic system from foreign interference. I hope all politicians will take seriously that the rules apply to everybody.

My Lords, the Government do not comment on the submission of suspicious activity reports. The Electoral Commission, the National Crime Agency and the police are operationally independent. Suspicious activity reports are confidential and breaching that confidentiality risks committing a tipping off offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Every year, the Electoral Commission publishes a report on how many investigations take place into potential breaches of political finance rules. I know my noble friend asked a Question similar to this a month ago, so I wanted to give him information on the numbers. In 2023-24, there were 17 investigations; in 2024-25, there were 14; and in 2025-26, there were nine investigations concluded. We cannot release how many of these come from SARs.

I always try to be helpful, but, for the reasons I have mentioned, I cannot give information to the House or to my noble friend on the number of reports that are taken. I can say that it is in the interest of all of us in this House to make sure that our politics is clean and not funded by illegal sources, and that we take action to make sure that all political parties are held to account for the funding they receive to exercise their political activity and to get themselves elected—or not, as it may be. I am very happy to talk through the details of the Rycroft review; the Government have received the review and have accepted all the recommendations made. That includes a range of measures, which I think my noble friend will welcome, that will put great pressure on a number of political outlets, which will find that their involvement in some of the areas that the Rycroft review is trying to tighten will make it much more challenging for them to receive donations from various sources.

The Government do not comment on the submission of suspicious activity reports. The National Crime Agency is operationally independent and has been clear in its statements that it does not confirm or deny the receipt of a suspicious activity report nor comment on how such reports are used. Suspicious activity reports are confidential and breaching that confidentiality risks committing a tipping-off offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) does not have powers to investigate criminal fraud, but it has provided supporting evidence for a number of successful criminal prosecutions by National Trading Standards. This includes 4 ticket touts who were sentenced to a combined total of 6 years and 5 months imprisonment in 2024, and two ticket touts sentenced to a total of six-and-a-half years imprisonment in 2020.

The CMA has also taken action using its consumer protection powers against various secondary ticket websites, including ensuring that viagogo and StubHub, the two major platforms in the market, gather key information about tickets from ticket resellers and display it to consumers.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) does not have powers to investigate criminal fraud, but it has provided supporting evidence for a number of successful criminal prosecutions by National Trading Standards. This includes 4 ticket touts who were sentenced to a combined total of 6 years and 5 months imprisonment in 2024, and two ticket touts sentenced to a total of six-and-a-half years imprisonment in 2020.

The CMA has also taken action using its consumer protection powers against various secondary ticket websites, including ensuring that viagogo and StubHub, the two major platforms in the market, gather key information about tickets from ticket resellers and display it to consumers.

In 2018, the law was changed to allow specialist doctors to prescribe unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use. This allowed lawful access to these drugs, but did not change how medicines are accessed and funded on the National Health Service.

On the 2 June 2025, the Government asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), an independent expert body that advises the Government on drug-related issues, to review the effect of the 2018 law change, to look at whether it has had the desired impact and whether there are any unintended consequences. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

The Government welcomes the input of clinical experts, such as the Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service, in informing policy development.

The Refractory Epilepsy Specialised Clinical Advisory Service (RESCAS) is a United Kingdom-wide panel of specialist clinicians who provide a clinical advisory service hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital. The core membership of the RESCAS service is made up of consultant paediatric neurologists, specialist pharmacists, neuroradiologists, neurophysiologists, and genetics specialists.

The RESCAS service provides advice to other clinicians on complex cases of refractory, or drug-resistant, epilepsy. RESCAS supports decisions about treatment options, especially when cases are difficult or outside standard guidance, and provides advice on optimising epilepsy treatment, including the use of complex therapies including cannabinoids. It also provides advice about access to trials and emerging therapies.

The service supports clinical decision-making in situations where conventional treatment pathways have been exhausted, where evidence is limited or emerging, or where novel and non-standard therapies are under consideration. The RESCAS evidence base draws on multiple, complementary sources. These include national guidance and policy frameworks, such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and technology appraisals, NHS England commissioning policies, and relevant regulatory standards. In addition, the service incorporates professional consensus guidance, including specialist input from bodies such as the British Paediatric Neurology Association. This is further strengthened by scientific and clinical evidence, spanning published trials and research across anti-seizure medications, dietary therapies, surgical interventions, and novel or off-label treatments. Together, these components ensure that RESCAS advice reflects both current best practice and emerging developments in epilepsy care.

The Department and NHS England do not hold information on how many National Health Service prescriptions have been made available to children and young people with drug resistant epilepsy as a result of RESCAS advice.

The Refractory Epilepsy Specialised Clinical Advisory Service (RESCAS) is a United Kingdom-wide panel of specialist clinicians who provide a clinical advisory service hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital. The core membership of the RESCAS service is made up of consultant paediatric neurologists, specialist pharmacists, neuroradiologists, neurophysiologists, and genetics specialists.

The RESCAS service provides advice to other clinicians on complex cases of refractory, or drug-resistant, epilepsy. RESCAS supports decisions about treatment options, especially when cases are difficult or outside standard guidance, and provides advice on optimising epilepsy treatment, including the use of complex therapies including cannabinoids. It also provides advice about access to trials and emerging therapies.

The service supports clinical decision-making in situations where conventional treatment pathways have been exhausted, where evidence is limited or emerging, or where novel and non-standard therapies are under consideration. The RESCAS evidence base draws on multiple, complementary sources. These include national guidance and policy frameworks, such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and technology appraisals, NHS England commissioning policies, and relevant regulatory standards. In addition, the service incorporates professional consensus guidance, including specialist input from bodies such as the British Paediatric Neurology Association. This is further strengthened by scientific and clinical evidence, spanning published trials and research across anti-seizure medications, dietary therapies, surgical interventions, and novel or off-label treatments. Together, these components ensure that RESCAS advice reflects both current best practice and emerging developments in epilepsy care.

The Department and NHS England do not hold information on how many National Health Service prescriptions have been made available to children and young people with drug resistant epilepsy as a result of RESCAS advice.

The Refractory Epilepsy Specialised Clinical Advisory Service (RESCAS) is a United Kingdom-wide panel of specialist clinicians who provide a clinical advisory service hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital. The core membership of the RESCAS service is made up of consultant paediatric neurologists, specialist pharmacists, neuroradiologists, neurophysiologists, and genetics specialists.

The RESCAS service provides advice to other clinicians on complex cases of refractory, or drug-resistant, epilepsy. RESCAS supports decisions about treatment options, especially when cases are difficult or outside standard guidance, and provides advice on optimising epilepsy treatment, including the use of complex therapies including cannabinoids. It also provides advice about access to trials and emerging therapies.

The service supports clinical decision-making in situations where conventional treatment pathways have been exhausted, where evidence is limited or emerging, or where novel and non-standard therapies are under consideration. The RESCAS evidence base draws on multiple, complementary sources. These include national guidance and policy frameworks, such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and technology appraisals, NHS England commissioning policies, and relevant regulatory standards. In addition, the service incorporates professional consensus guidance, including specialist input from bodies such as the British Paediatric Neurology Association. This is further strengthened by scientific and clinical evidence, spanning published trials and research across anti-seizure medications, dietary therapies, surgical interventions, and novel or off-label treatments. Together, these components ensure that RESCAS advice reflects both current best practice and emerging developments in epilepsy care.

The Department and NHS England do not hold information on how many National Health Service prescriptions have been made available to children and young people with drug resistant epilepsy as a result of RESCAS advice.

My Lords, I would like to take the opportunity of a sporting-related Question to congratulate the Ladies of your Lordships’ House on a very impressive victory in yesterday’s tug-of-war with the other place. I understand that there was another team available, but I am going to move swiftly on.

The Government fully understand fans’ frustrations regarding the cost of tickets for the 2026 World Cup, particularly given current cost of living pressures. However, FIFA and the tournament organisers alone determine ticket pricing and allocation, as these are strictly commercial decisions. While Ministers regularly engage with the domestic football associations on a number of issues, including fan welfare, we expect these national bodies to formally represent the ticketing concerns of British supporters directly to FIFA. We are not party to these discussions, but we were pleased to see a number of lower-price tickets available through national federation fan groups.

The Government do and will always work with event owners to ensure that the UK is an excellent host and partner, and that we can meet our commitments at the same time as protecting the interests of fans. We have worked closely with UEFA on its approach to Euro 2028, which seeks to put fans first with transparent ticketing prices. There

will not be dynamic pricing for the Euro 2028 games. These principles followed a meeting between the Prime Minister, the DCMS Secretary of State and the UEFA president last November, which discussed the vital importance of ensuring that tickets for the tournament are accessible and affordable.