Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure that cardiovascular disease is included in the upcoming Life Sciences Plan.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Life Sciences Sector Plan will focus on enabling world-class R&D, making the UK an outstanding place to start, scale, and invest in life sciences, and driving healthcare innovation and reform. This approach will cement the UK’s global leadership in life sciences and support high-growth businesses, deliver better health outcomes across various diseases – including cardiovascular disease.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that employers support women managing menopause in the workplace.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

On 18th October 2024 the Secretary of State for DWP appointed Mariella Frostrup as the new Menopause Employment Ambassador. The Menopause Employment Ambassador will work closely with employers across the country to improve workplace support for women experiencing menopause and wider women’s health issues. The Menopause Employment Ambassador launched her Menopause Advisory Group on 24^th April who will provide her with expert knowledge from a wide range of sectors on how businesses can better support women experiencing menopause in the workplace by creating a more supportive environment that helps women to stay in work and progress.

The government has also proposed a wide-ranging set of generational reforms to boost protections for workers, including women experiencing menopause symptoms at work. The policy proposals in the Employment Rights Bill would require large employers with more than 250 employees to produce Menopause Action Plans on how they will support employees through the menopause. Alongside this the government has also committed to publishing guidance, including for small employers, on measures to consider relating to uniform and temperature, flexible working and recording menopause-related leave and absence.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to include provisions for prevention programmes for young people at risk of homelessness in her planned homelessness strategy.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people. To reduce the numbers of people experiencing homelessness, we must stop people reaching crisis point by preventing homelessness before it happens.

Youth homelessness will be considered as part of our long-term, cross-government strategy to get us back on track to ending homelessness for good.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to reduce waiting times for ADHD diagnoses.

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

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the report expected in the summer.

For the first time, NHS England will publish management information on ADHD prevalence and waits at a national level on 29 May 2025, as part of its ADHD data improvement plan, and will soon release technical guidance to ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services, and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and to provide support to address people’s needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding for ADHD services.

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

The ongoing Spending Review, which will be announced at my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Budget on 11 June, will set budgets for all areas of health.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a national framework mandating GP acceptance of ADHD diagnoses from Right to Choose providers.

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

There are no current plans to introduce a national framework mandating general practice (GP) acceptance of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses from Right to Choose providers.

Shared care within the National Health Service refers to an arrangement whereby a specialist doctor formally transfers responsibility for all or some aspects of their patient’s care, such as the prescription of medication, over to the patient’s GP.

The General Medical Council (GMC) has issued guidance on prescribing and managing medicines, which helps GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities. The GMC has made it clear that GPs cannot be compelled to enter into a shared care agreement. GPs may decline such requests on clinical or capacity grounds.

If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician. This applies to both NHS and private medical care.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has held recent discussions with (a) financial institutions, (b) remittance service providers and (c) other relevant stakeholders on taking steps to reform remittances.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government recognises that improved cross-border payment services, including remittances, would have widespread benefits for citizens and economies worldwide. The government works with UK and international partners, including under the G20 Roadmap for Enhancing Cross-Border Payments, to seek to deliver faster, cheaper, more transparent and more inclusive cross-border payments and remittances.

Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-giftsand-overseas-travel

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will review emission standards for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in line with EU ratings.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The current emission standard for cars and vans in Great Britain is known as Euro 6d. Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland applies the EU standard, known as Euro 6e.

The Department for Transport plans to consult soon on a proposal to update the required emission standard for new cars and vans, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, in line with Euro 6e.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support the decarbonisation of heavy duty vehicles.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to decarbonising heavy-duty vehicles, and is supporting this through programmes such as the Plug-in Truck Grant, the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, further funding for the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas programme, and a bus decarbonisation measure in the Bus Services Bill, which is currently going through Parliament.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a zero emission vehicle mandate for heavy duty vehicles.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government believes that more needs to be done to decarbonise the road freight sector. We are currently considering our regulatory approach for decarbonising new non-zero emission heavy goods vehicles and look forward to engaging the sector on this in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the rapid charging fund is used effectively.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

A reliable, accessible and visible public charging network to support EV drivers on long journeys is essential.

The market has changed significantly since the previous government announced the Rapid Charging Fund in 2020, including increased private sector investment in infrastructure, a changed regulatory environment, and improvements in battery technology. There are now over 5,250 open-access, rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoints within 1 mile of the Strategic Road Network (England’s motorways and major A roads).

We will ensure taxpayers' money is used as efficiently as possible to make the transition to electric vehicles a success. The Rapid Charging Fund pilot was launched in 2023 to better understand where to target government support. We will apply learning from the pilot and continue working with industry to inform future policy to boost charging infrastructure on the Strategic Road Network.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that public contracts are not awarded to companies which blacklist workers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government is committed to tackling misconduct in public procurement. All contracting authorities and suppliers are expected to act, and be seen to act, with integrity.

The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 prohibit the compilation, usage, sale or supply of blacklists. Contracting authorities may exclude suppliers for blacklisting offences under the exclusion regime in the Procurement Act, which came into force in February 2025, for example, on the grounds of professional misconduct. Those suppliers may also be added to a central debarment list by the Cabinet Office. We will not hesitate to make use of those powers where there is evidence of wrongdoing.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support women in the workplace with flexible working.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government knows how important flexible working can be to help women with caring responsibilities manage their work and personal commitments. It can also be equally important for carers of vulnerable adults as well as employees with long-term physical or mental health conditions.

That is why the Government, through the Employment Rights Bill, is increasing access to flexible working by making it the default except where not reasonably feasible. These measures will support all employees, including women, to access flexible working. The changes in the Bill will require employers to accept flexible working requests where it is reasonably feasible to do so.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of classifying thermal storage heaters as energy saving materials.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to improving the quality and sustainability of our housing stock. Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent.

The Government assesses whether to add ESMs to this relief by evaluating them against the following principles: the primary purpose of the technology must be to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, and relieving the technology of VAT must be cost effective and align with broader VAT principles.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to ensure employers proactively protect employees from workplace sexual harassment.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

Equality is at the heart of this Government’s missions, which is why our Employment Rights Bill is introducing robust measures to safeguard working people, including protections from sexual harassment.

We are supporting the effective implementation of the new duty on employers to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment of their employees, which came into force on 26 October 2024. We are also working to strengthen this duty through the Employment Rights Bill to require employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. The Bill additionally introduces an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties, including third-party sexual harassment.

We will also introduce a power to enable regulations to specify steps that are to be regarded as “reasonable”, to determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. The Government will only set out steps in regulations where these are proportionate and there is a clear evidence base supporting their efficacy in preventing workplace sexual harassment. We have recently launched a call for evidence on equality law, which will help build on our existing research into the most effective steps to combat sexual harassment in the workplace.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report entitled The ADHD crisis in the UK – A Call to Action by ADHD360, published in January 2025.

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

The Department is aware of the report, and officials will consider its findings, alongside wider evidence, in future policy development.

NHS England has established an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the report expected in the summer.

For the first time, NHS England will publish management information on ADHD prevalence and waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan; it will soon release technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of funding for the British Transport Police.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%. BTP work closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget.

The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the (a) transition to and (b) commencement of Great British Railways on the level of funding for British Transport Police.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set currently set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry.

We anticipate that the level of funding for the BTP during the transition to and commencement of Great British Railways will similarly balance the needs of the industry and the force against public sector affordability.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the final report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review will be published; how she plans to implement recommendations from that review; and how she plans to protect the mental health of children and young people in future reforms.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The interim report sets out the Review’s interim findings and confirms the key areas for future work, but there is more to do before publication of the final report. The Review is now carrying out a further investigation into specific policy and subject issues, working closely with the sector and building on the body of evidence gathered so far.

The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn, at which point the government will respond.

The Review takes place in the context of an education system facing considerable challenges and staff shortages. The Review recognises the inevitable trade-offs that will be faced in delivering high standards and a broad and balanced curriculum within this context.

The department will give schools, colleges and teachers sufficient time to plan and prepare for changes, particularly where they are significant.

We will also consider how to best support schools to access the resources, training and networking they need. For example, we will consider the role of Oak National Academy, subject associations or the new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish a new Carbon Budget Delivery Plan.

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

We will deliver an updated plan by 29 October 2025.

UK Government recognition of the state of Palestine

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Alton of Liverpool (The Chair); Lord Dholakia; Tom Gordon; Afzal Khan

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Alton of Liverpool (The Chair); Lord Dholakia; Tom Gordon; Afzal Khan

Found: Commons Juliet Campbell (Labour; Broxtowe) Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat; Harrogate and Knaresborough) Afzal Khan

Found: meeting Members present: Lord Alton of Liverpool (The Chair); Juliet Campbell; Lord Dholakia; Afzal Khan

Found: Duncan Smith Mr Mark Francois Wendy Morton Greg Smith Carolyn Harris Dame Harriett Baldwin Afzal Khan

Found: Duncan Smith Mr Mark Francois Wendy Morton Greg Smith Carolyn Harris Dame Harriett Baldwin Afzal Khan

Found: Duncan Smith Mr Mark Francois Wendy Morton Greg Smith Carolyn Harris Dame Harriett Baldwin Afzal Khan

Found: Duncan Smith Mr Mark Francois Wendy Morton Greg Smith Carolyn Harris Dame Harriett Baldwin Afzal Khan

Found: Duncan Smith Mr Mark Francois Wendy Morton Greg Smith Carolyn Harris Dame Harriett Baldwin Afzal Khan

Found: Duncan Smith Mr Mark Francois Wendy Morton Greg Smith Carolyn Harris Dame Harriett Baldwin Afzal Khan

Found: Duncan Smith Mr Mark Francois Wendy Morton Greg Smith Carolyn Harris Dame Harriett Baldwin Afzal Khan

Found: Duncan Smith Mr Mark Francois Wendy Morton Greg Smith Carolyn Harris Dame Harriett Baldwin Afzal Khan

Found: Duncan Smith Mr Mark Francois Wendy Morton Greg Smith Carolyn Harris Dame Harriett Baldwin Afzal Khan