Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps with the Department for Transport to improve emissions monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to prevent future breaches of vehicle emissions law.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since 2016, the Department has greatly increased oversight of emissions tests and established the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA’s) Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) to test vehicle emissions and investigate suspicious practice in the real world as well as in laboratory situations. MSU conducts an annual emissions-testing programme and, where non-compliance is identified, the DVSA works closely with manufacturers to ensure vehicles meet legal requirements.
Legislation introduced in 2018 made it an offence for manufacturers to place vehicles on the market containing prohibited defeat devices. The Department is currently assessing Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel vehicles to identify any non-compliance and ensure corrective action is taken promptly. Enforcement action will be taken in line with DVSA’s published enforcement policy. The Department is also considering how to strengthen ways in which it can take action in situations where modifications to vehicle emissions systems result in breaches of vehicle emissions law.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that emissions from non-compliant diesel vehicles are fully accounted for in the modelling and monitoring underpinning the UK’s Net Zero Strategy.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Emissions projections for diesel vehicles used in the recently published Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan account for the difference between reported vehicle CO2 emissions, tested using the World Light Duty Test Procedure, and emissions from vehicles operating in ‘real-world’ driving conditions.
The Department for Transport regularly reports its latest modelling and emissions projections to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero as required by Section 13 of the Climate Change Act 2008.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of levels of provision for blind and partially sighted students in further education (a) with and (b) without education, health and care plans (i) during the transition from school to further education and (ii) at other times; and what steps she is taking to improve accountability for ensuring (A) timely and (B) effective reasonable adjustments are (1) identified, (2) funded and (3) implemented.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Support for people with visual impairments in and transitioning into, further education is guided by legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice, with tailored provisions depending on the needs of the individual. This applies to those with or without education, health and care plans (EHCPs).
All education and training providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including those with visual impairments, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. Reasonable adjustments can include adapting teaching methods, using assistive technology, modifying assessments, and offering personalised support services.
Ensuring that support is provided in a timely and effective manner is the responsibility of the local authority.
The new Ofsted handbook requires further education providers to embed inclusion across all aspects of provision. Providers must identify their learners’ needs and demonstrate measurable impact on progress and wellbeing.
The department tracks the progress and attainment of learners with SEND and participation and retention rates for learners with EHCPs or special educational needs support and are determined that our reforms to the system should improve experiences and outcomes for learners and their families.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that blind and partially sighted students in further education (a) with and (b) without education, health and care plans are able to access (i) specialist vision impairment support and (ii) associated (A) trained professionals and (B) appropriate assistive technology; and what guidance her Department has to ensure that students without education, health and care plans are able to access that support.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Support for people with visual impairments in and transitioning into, further education is guided by legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice, with tailored provisions depending on the needs of the individual. This applies to those with or without education, health and care plans (EHCPs).
All education and training providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including those with visual impairments, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. Reasonable adjustments can include adapting teaching methods, using assistive technology, modifying assessments, and offering personalised support services.
Ensuring that support is provided in a timely and effective manner is the responsibility of the local authority.
The new Ofsted handbook requires further education providers to embed inclusion across all aspects of provision. Providers must identify their learners’ needs and demonstrate measurable impact on progress and wellbeing.
The department tracks the progress and attainment of learners with SEND and participation and retention rates for learners with EHCPs or special educational needs support and are determined that our reforms to the system should improve experiences and outcomes for learners and their families.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what cross party work is taking place on the development of Young Futures Hubs.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I regularly engage with Parliamentary colleagues to drive the youth agenda, including Young Futures Hubs.
Young Futures Hubs will leverage local understanding of services in each area to improve support for young people at community level, increasing opportunities, improving mental health and wellbeing, and reducing crime. 50 Young Futures Hub across the country will be supported by the end of this Parliament.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she expects the national rollout of Young Futures Hubs to begin.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The design and implementation of the rollout to a total of 50 Young Futures Hubs will be informed by our work with early adopters this financial year. We will set out more details in due course.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to investigate the use of defeat devices in diesel vehicles.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality.
Where an investigation into the emissions has identified emissions that do not meet the required standard, the MSU will work with the manufacturer to implement improvement plans and, where necessary, recall affected vehicles.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department will confirm the areas who will be an early adopter for Young Futures Hubs.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The eight Young Futures Hubs early adopter Local Authority areas will be announced shortly.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to ensure the recall of diesel vehicles found to use defeat devices.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality.
Where an investigation into the emissions has identified emissions that do not meet the required standard, the MSU will work with the manufacturer to implement improvement plans and, where necessary, recall affected vehicles.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what is the longest waiting time for a Academic Technology Approval Scheme application to be processed was in the last 12 months.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Most Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) applications are straight forward and 98% of applications during the past year were processed within 30 working days. Between 1 January 2025 to 13 November 2025, the Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office received 33,945 ATAS applications. 670 of those applications were delayed beyond 30 working days.