Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what were the species of the 28 hunting trophies for which import permits were granted by her Department between 1 July 2024 and 25 March 2026.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The species of the 28 import permits issued under purpose H (- Hunting Trophies) between 1 July 2024 and 25 March 2026 were as follows:

• Crocodylus niloticus
• Giraffa camelopardalis
• Hippopotamus amphibius (x 4)
• Loxodonta Africana (x 16)
• Panthera leo
• Ursus americanus (x 3)
• Ursus arctos (x 2)

It is important to note that a single permit does not necessarily correspond to a single animal; in some cases, multiple CITES permits may be required for an individual animal.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help support off-grid rural communities dependent on heating oil as part of a transition to a renewable energy system.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The £15 billion Warm Homes Plan includes an offer for everyone, including those living in rural areas and off the gas grid. The Warm Homes: Local Grant and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund support eligible households to upgrade their homes, with measures including insulation, solar, batteries, and heat pumps.

All eligible households in England and Wales can also benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. This will provide more options for homes where a hydronic heat pump may not be the most appropriate solution, including air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries.

Additionally, the Government has published a consultation on alternative heating solutions which explores the role these technologies could play in ensuring that every household has a suitable low-carbon option. The consultation closed on 10 February, and a government response will follow in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of renewable energy deployment on long-term energy prices for domestic consumers.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Prime Minister and the Government is committed to delivering clean power because it gives us energy security, protects households and businesses from global price shocks, helps tackle the climate crisis and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs across Britain.

The independent NESO set out pathways to a clean power system in 2030, and confirmed it was deliverable and more secure, and could see a lower electricity cost and bills.

We are delivering on our ambitious plan to move our electricity system to clean power that we control – reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels and protecting everyone from future price spikes.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of renewable energy deployment on energy price stability for domestic consumers.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Prime Minister and the Government is committed to delivering clean power because it gives us energy security, protects households and businesses from global price shocks, helps tackle the climate crisis and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs across Britain.

The independent NESO set out pathways to a clean power system in 2030, and confirmed it was deliverable and more secure, and could see a lower electricity cost and bills.

We are delivering on our ambitious plan to move our electricity system to clean power that we control – reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels and protecting everyone from future price spikes.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to move off-grid rural communities dependent on heating oil to a renewable-based energy system.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The £15 billion Warm Homes Plan includes an offer for everyone, including those living in rural areas and off the gas grid. The Warm Homes: Local Grant and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund support eligible households to upgrade their homes, with measures including insulation, solar, batteries, and heat pumps.

All eligible households in England and Wales can also benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. This will provide more options for homes where a hydronic heat pump may not be the most appropriate solution, including air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries.

Additionally, the Government has published a consultation on alternative heating solutions which explores the role these technologies could play in ensuring that every household has a suitable low-carbon option. The consultation closed on 10 February, and a Government response will follow in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to take further steps to support rural households in the context of volatility in global fossil fuel markets.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy costs. We are determined to fight the corner of all those affected by the rise in heating oil prices, and the Government recognises the significant pressures these increases place on households in rural communities.

The Prime Minister has been clear his number one domestic priority is helping families with the cost-of-living. To that end, the Government has announced £53 million for low-income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices.

The Government continues to monitor the situation closely, and we are looking at what further support may be needed.

The measures taken in the Autumn Budget reduce the cost of electricity and therefore benefit all households with a domestic electricity meter, including those not on the gas grid. In addition, on 30 January, we announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme until 2030/31, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills each winter.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will consider the potential merits of introducing additional measures to help protect rural households from volatility in international fossil fuel markets.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy costs. We are determined to fight the corner of all those affected by the rise in heating oil prices, and the Government recognises the significant pressures these increases place on households in rural communities.

The Prime Minister has been clear his number one domestic priority is helping families with the cost-of-living. To that end, the Government has announced £53 million for low-income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices.

The Government continues to monitor the situation closely, and we are looking at what further support may be needed.

The measures taken in the Autumn Budget reduce the cost of electricity and therefore benefit all households with a domestic electricity meter, including those not on the gas grid. In addition, on 30 January, we announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme until 2030/31, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills each winter.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has (a) set and (b) considered setting a national standard for the maximum timeframe within which brain tumour tissue should be placed into a fresh-frozen state following surgical excision.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has neither set nor considered setting a national standard for the maximum timeframe within which brain tumour tissue should be placed into a fresh-frozen state following surgical excision.

Fresh-freezing, also referred to as snap-freezing, is a standard technique used by pathology networks to preserve tissue architecture without chemical fixatives, allowing for subsequent molecular or histological analysis, typically supporting research or advanced diagnostic applications.

Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues. Individual pathology services in England maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh, or the snap-freezing, of tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices. While NHS England does not routinely set detailed technical standards for specific laboratory processes, relevant professional bodies, such as Royal College of Pathologists, may develop guidance to support consistent practice across services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department is taking to ensure the VCSE sector is able to play a role in the Neighbourhood Health Service.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Neighbourhood Health Service will ensure that people can better access care that is joined up, personalised, and designed to proactively meet their needs. This will involve building a National Health Service that works in partnership with local government, the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector (VCSE) sector, employment services, and beyond.

At the Autumn Budget the Government announced its commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres. Neighbourhood Health Centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a wide range of health and care services on people’s doorsteps, including VCSE services. 27 centres will be open by 2027 and are the first of 50 Neighbourhood Health Centres backed by a total of £200 million in Government investment.

In September 2025, we launched the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) in 43 Places across England. The NNHIP is a large-scale change programme for all partners involved in delivering neighbourhood health, including the VCSE sector.

In March 2026, we published the Neighbourhood Health Framework. The framework is designed to support joined-up partnership between ICBs, local authorities, and their partners, to develop locally led Neighbourhood Health Plans. Local neighbourhood health teams will have the flexibility to work with people in ways that suit their area, whether through co-design, community outreach, or collaboration with VCSE partners.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has made its proposed ban on the commercial import of foie gras produced by force-feeding conditional on the outcome of negotiations on a UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Foie gras production using force feeding has been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years as it is not compatible with our animal welfare legislation.

As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards an SPS Agreement. Negotiations with the EU on the SPS Agreement are underway and Defra cannot comment on these discussions while they are ongoing. However, this Government is clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to ADE Heat Networks' report "Clean Heat 2040", what plans he has to mandate that industrial plants and data centres make their surplus heat available for district heating networks.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Heat Network zoning equips communities and local government with the tools to accelerate the development of low carbon heat networks and ensure that more homes and businesses can have access to greener, cheaper heat.

Through heat network zoning, certain types of buildings and heat sources can be required to connect to a network within a prescribed timeframe. This will allow for large-scale strategic heat networks to be built in towns and cities across the country.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to ADE: Heat Networks report entitled Clean Heat 2040 report, whether he plans to rebalance energy policy costs for heat networks away from electricity bills.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government recognises that high electricity prices are a significant pressure on industry and a barrier to investment and growth. We are continuing to develop further policies to bring down electricity costs relative to gas, and intend to consult on options to reduce costs and make electrification an economically rational choice for a wider range of businesses and organisations.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to ADE Heat Networks' report "Clean Heat 2040" what assessment his Department has made of the case for extending to heat networks the same long-term revenue support mechanisms that are already provided to nuclear power and carbon capture projects.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government recognises the conclusion of the report that electricity prices are a significant pressure on the heat network industry and a barrier to investment and growth. We intend to consult on options to reduce costs, provide longer-term certainty and make electrification an economically rational choice for a wider range of businesses including heat networks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of savings to NHS services in Norfolk from VCSE sector programmes.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made a central estimate of the level of savings to National Health Services in Norfolk specifically arising from programmes delivered by the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.

VCSE organisations play an important role in supporting prevention, early intervention, and community-based care, which can help improve outcomes for patients and reduce pressure on statutory services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the newborn screening programme screens for all life-threatening conditions with approved treatments.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the devastating impact of life-threatening rare diseases on children, families, and communities. The NHS Newborn Blood Spot (NBS) screening programme screens newborn babies for 10 rare but serious conditions and consistently achieves very high coverage, with the most recent figure at 98% in Quarter two of 2025/26.

We know how frightening it is for families to face the possibility of a serious condition in their newborn. Screening is an important tool, but it is only one of the ways we can reduce illness in babies. Some conditions can be prevented by supporting healthier pregnancies, for example by helping mothers to stop smoking, optimising management of diabetes and other long-term conditions, and ensuring timely antenatal care. For other conditions, there are not yet screening tests that are accurate enough, meaning some babies could undergo further tests and worry when the condition is unlikely to be present.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises the Government on all screening matters, carefully weighs the likely benefits and possible harms of screening, and works with stakeholders through consultation, to ensure screening programmes are introduced only when they are the best way to support babies and their families.

The National Health Service is planning a large-scale in-service evaluation (ISE) of screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in newborn screening services. The ISE, which was due to start in January 2027, will now start three months earlier, in October 2026. The evidence from this ISE will inform a decision on whether to extend the NHS NBS screening programme and include screening for SMA.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Sutton Trust’s Selective Inclusion report, what assessment she has made of the extent to which low-income pupils with SEND are currently underrepresented in the top-performing comprehensive schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The School Admissions Code requires admission arrangements to be fair, clear and objective. A school must admit a child where it is named in the child’s education health and care plan.

The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper sets out the government’s commitment to developing new resources to support and encourage schools to use existing provisions within the Code, such as a pupil premium priority, to adopt more inclusive admission arrangements. We have also committed to strengthen scrutiny of all pupil movement including unacceptable off-rolling practice by developing a new, internal dashboard that identifies school level trends in how children move through the education system, paying particular attention to schools where special educational needs and disabilities, free school meals or demographic trends appear significantly out of sync with their local context.

100th birthday of Sir David Attenborough

Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners

Impact of war in the Middle East on the cost of living

Use of restraint of children in the asylum system removal process

MS Awareness Week 2026

MS Awareness Week 2026 (No. 2)

Valentina Gomez and the protection of public order and community cohesion

Planned reductions to BBC staff

Seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz

13th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh

Protection and restoration of ancient woodland

World Curlew Day

Animal protection disclosure scheme

Health and Social Care

Bermuda and oil industry tax

Changes to State Pension age affecting 1950s-born women

Diagnosis of neurodevelopmental conditions in women and girls

Israeli death penalty law and military courts

US sanctions against judges of the International Criminal Court

Universal Credit health for under-22s

Palestinian Nakba commemoration march

Mehran Raoof

Second annual SEND Youth Parliament

World Parkinson’s Day 2026