Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the department plans to review its commitment to statutory guidance on allergy safety in schools; and whether it will consider the potential benefits of legislative measures, in the context of the passing of amendment 209 to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill in the House of Lords.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The government is committed to improving allergy safety in schools.

On 25 March, the House of Lords agreed a government amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, requiring all schools in England to put allergy safety measures into place. Schools will be required to have allergy safety policies, review them at least annually and publish them on their website. A Regulation-making power will permit the Secretary of State to place specific allergy safety duties, including requiring schools to stock adrenaline devices, to secure allergy awareness training, the recording and reporting of incidents and the content of allergy safety policies.

Schools will be required to have regard to statutory guidance. Draft statutory guidance was published for consultation on 6 March. The consultation closes on 1 May, so the new guidance can be published in the summer and come into effect from September 2026.

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 mandate endometriosis and menstrual health training across GP and medical education in England.

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

The Government acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.

The standard of undergraduate medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), the independent regulator of the medical profession, which set the outcomes and standards expected at undergraduate level. Medical schools are responsible for their curricula. The delivery of these undergraduate curricula must meet the standards set by the GMC, who then monitor and check to make sure that these standards are maintained.

The curriculum for specialty training is set by individual royal colleges and faculties. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme. Curricula emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is responsible for publishing the postgraduate curriculum for general practitioners (GPs) and ensuring it remains up to date. The RCGP curriculum covers endometriosis as part of its gynaecology and breast health module.

GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. The RCGP has worked with partners, including Endometriosis UK, to develop educational resources relating to endometriosis to support GPs and other healthcare professionals to deliver the best possible care for women, based on the latest evidence.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on developing an improved plant health alert system; and whether the new system will include real time updates on border holds.

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

For goods that are detained at the border, there are already measures in place to inform the persons responsible for the loads that corrective action may be required or that in the event of a pest finding, certain processes need to be followed. Any non-compliance that results in statutory action is also formally notified to the exporting country, with publication of the non-compliances also published on the Plant Health Portal. Following recent feedback from individual cases, the Animal and Plant Health Agency has reviewed and updated its processes to ensure individuals are aware of any action being taken.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many currently serving Ambassadors have been appointed despite failing their security vetting.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Subject to the normal vetting process, all Heads of Mission are required to have Developed Vetting security clearance.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information she held on the role of her Department in the vetting process for Lord Mandelson when she sent her letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee of 16 September 2025.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 20 April and his answers to the questions raised in response, and to the Foreign Secretary's letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 18 April, which is available on the Committee's website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency plans are in place if the supply of blood pressure medication is disrupted due to the war in Iran.

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

The Department is closely monitoring the Middle East conflict to assess any potential impact on United Kingdom medical supply chains through disruptions to manufacturing and logistics.

We have limited direct exposure to the Middle East for medical products, and we maintain well‑established contingency arrangements to manage medicine and medical device supply disruptions where these occur. These can include coordination of mutual aid, work to identify alternative products, alternative clinical practices, regulatory easements, and/or use of the Express Freight Service which can provide bespoke global logistics services in the event of critical supply disruption.

The Department is not aware of supply issues impacting codeine and co-codamol as a result of the conflict. The Department is aware of supply constraints affecting co-codamol 30 milligram/500 milligram tablets, which pre-date the conflict and which are due to manufacturing issues. These are in limited supply until early July 2026. We have engaged with National Health Service specialist clinicians and issued comprehensive guidance on how to manage patients during this time and advise on available alternative preparations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency plans are in place if the supply of hormone replacement therapy medication is disrupted due to the war in Iran.

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

The Department is closely monitoring the Middle East conflict to assess any potential impact on United Kingdom medical supply chains through disruptions to manufacturing and logistics.

We have limited direct exposure to the Middle East for medical products, and we maintain well‑established contingency arrangements to manage medicine and medical device supply disruptions where these occur. These can include coordination of mutual aid, work to identify alternative products, alternative clinical practices, regulatory easements, and/or use of the Express Freight Service which can provide bespoke global logistics services in the event of critical supply disruption.

The Department is not aware of supply issues impacting codeine and co-codamol as a result of the conflict. The Department is aware of supply constraints affecting co-codamol 30 milligram/500 milligram tablets, which pre-date the conflict and which are due to manufacturing issues. These are in limited supply until early July 2026. We have engaged with National Health Service specialist clinicians and issued comprehensive guidance on how to manage patients during this time and advise on available alternative preparations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency plans are in place if the supply of intravenous bags, syringes and gloves are disrupted due to the war in Iran.

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

The Department is closely monitoring the Middle East conflict to assess any potential impact on United Kingdom medical supply chains through disruptions to manufacturing and logistics.

We have limited direct exposure to the Middle East for medical products, and we maintain well‑established contingency arrangements to manage medicine and medical device supply disruptions where these occur. These can include coordination of mutual aid, work to identify alternative products, alternative clinical practices, regulatory easements, and/or use of the Express Freight Service which can provide bespoke global logistics services in the event of critical supply disruption.

The Department is not aware of supply issues impacting codeine and co-codamol as a result of the conflict. The Department is aware of supply constraints affecting co-codamol 30 milligram/500 milligram tablets, which pre-date the conflict and which are due to manufacturing issues. These are in limited supply until early July 2026. We have engaged with National Health Service specialist clinicians and issued comprehensive guidance on how to manage patients during this time and advise on available alternative preparations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the war in Iran on the current level of codeine and co-codamol.

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

The Department is closely monitoring the Middle East conflict to assess any potential impact on United Kingdom medical supply chains through disruptions to manufacturing and logistics.

We have limited direct exposure to the Middle East for medical products, and we maintain well‑established contingency arrangements to manage medicine and medical device supply disruptions where these occur. These can include coordination of mutual aid, work to identify alternative products, alternative clinical practices, regulatory easements, and/or use of the Express Freight Service which can provide bespoke global logistics services in the event of critical supply disruption.

The Department is not aware of supply issues impacting codeine and co-codamol as a result of the conflict. The Department is aware of supply constraints affecting co-codamol 30 milligram/500 milligram tablets, which pre-date the conflict and which are due to manufacturing issues. These are in limited supply until early July 2026. We have engaged with National Health Service specialist clinicians and issued comprehensive guidance on how to manage patients during this time and advise on available alternative preparations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the war in Iran on medicine supply chains.

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

The Department is closely monitoring the Middle East conflict to assess any potential impact on United Kingdom medical supply chains through disruptions to manufacturing and logistics.

We have limited direct exposure to the Middle East for medical products, and we maintain well‑established contingency arrangements to manage medicine and medical device supply disruptions where these occur. These can include coordination of mutual aid, work to identify alternative products, alternative clinical practices, regulatory easements, and/or use of the Express Freight Service which can provide bespoke global logistics services in the event of critical supply disruption.

The Department is not aware of supply issues impacting codeine and co-codamol as a result of the conflict. The Department is aware of supply constraints affecting co-codamol 30 milligram/500 milligram tablets, which pre-date the conflict and which are due to manufacturing issues. These are in limited supply until early July 2026. We have engaged with National Health Service specialist clinicians and issued comprehensive guidance on how to manage patients during this time and advise on available alternative preparations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what minimum qualifications or SEND-specific training local authority assessors will be required to hold before conducting home education suitability assessments under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Local authorities have existing duties to assess whether children not in school are receiving a suitable education. The department expects authorities to recruit candidates that can fulfil these statutory duties.

The department will provide statutory guidance (which will be publicly consulted on), a training package, and additional funding to local authorities to support them to carry out the new duties created by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. We will engage with relevant stakeholders on the guidance and materials to be included in the training package, such as in relation to home visits and children with special educational needs.

The school attendance order (SAO) process is an existing process. SAOs must only be issued when a child is not receiving a suitable education, and it would be expedient for them to attend school. The Bill introduces a new power for local authorities to issue a SAO if it would be in the child’s best interests to attend school where the child is home educated and is on a child protection plan or has been in the previous five years or is subject to a Section 47 child protection enquiry. As part of the SAO process, the local authority should consider all relevant information it is aware of, which could include information about the child’s mental health, wellbeing or special educational needs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what safeguards will be in place to prevent School Attendance Orders being issued to children who were removed from school due to documented harm to their mental health or wellbeing, including those with SEND needs.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Local authorities have existing duties to assess whether children not in school are receiving a suitable education. The department expects authorities to recruit candidates that can fulfil these statutory duties.

The department will provide statutory guidance (which will be publicly consulted on), a training package, and additional funding to local authorities to support them to carry out the new duties created by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. We will engage with relevant stakeholders on the guidance and materials to be included in the training package, such as in relation to home visits and children with special educational needs.

The school attendance order (SAO) process is an existing process. SAOs must only be issued when a child is not receiving a suitable education, and it would be expedient for them to attend school. The Bill introduces a new power for local authorities to issue a SAO if it would be in the child’s best interests to attend school where the child is home educated and is on a child protection plan or has been in the previous five years or is subject to a Section 47 child protection enquiry. As part of the SAO process, the local authority should consider all relevant information it is aware of, which could include information about the child’s mental health, wellbeing or special educational needs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department will issue to local authorities on the level of weight to be given to a family's refusal of a home visit when assessing the suitability of home education under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Local authorities have existing duties to assess whether children not in school are receiving a suitable education. The department expects authorities to recruit candidates that can fulfil these statutory duties.

The department will provide statutory guidance (which will be publicly consulted on), a training package, and additional funding to local authorities to support them to carry out the new duties created by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. We will engage with relevant stakeholders on the guidance and materials to be included in the training package, such as in relation to home visits and children with special educational needs.

The school attendance order (SAO) process is an existing process. SAOs must only be issued when a child is not receiving a suitable education, and it would be expedient for them to attend school. The Bill introduces a new power for local authorities to issue a SAO if it would be in the child’s best interests to attend school where the child is home educated and is on a child protection plan or has been in the previous five years or is subject to a Section 47 child protection enquiry. As part of the SAO process, the local authority should consider all relevant information it is aware of, which could include information about the child’s mental health, wellbeing or special educational needs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time is for DVLA medical licence renewals where the applicant's condition has been clinically stable for two or more consecutive years.

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

In 2025/26, the DVLA received 1,003,453 driving licence applications, renewals and notifications where a medical condition needed to be investigated before a licence could be issued. Of these, 15 per cent were made via the DVLA’s online service.

Until the end of March 2026, only a limited number of single medical conditions could be notified via the online DVLA’s Fitness to Drive Service. These included diabetes, Parkinsons, epilepsy, stroke, visual impairments or heart conditions. Notifications or renewals of all other medical conditions required applications to be submitted by post.

However, the DVLA’s new online medical services portal was launched on 31 March 2026 and most customers can now notify or renew online through the DVLA’s driver and vehicles account.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer as the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The information requested about the average processing time for licence renewals where the applicant’s condition has been clinically stable for two or more consecutive years is not available as the DVLA is not required to hold information about periods of clinical stability. In 2025/26, the average processing time for all driving licence applications where a medical condition needed to be investigated was 56.66 working days.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of DVLA medical licence applications are processed digitally rather than by post.

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

In 2025/26, the DVLA received 1,003,453 driving licence applications, renewals and notifications where a medical condition needed to be investigated before a licence could be issued. Of these, 15 per cent were made via the DVLA’s online service.

Until the end of March 2026, only a limited number of single medical conditions could be notified via the online DVLA’s Fitness to Drive Service. These included diabetes, Parkinsons, epilepsy, stroke, visual impairments or heart conditions. Notifications or renewals of all other medical conditions required applications to be submitted by post.

However, the DVLA’s new online medical services portal was launched on 31 March 2026 and most customers can now notify or renew online through the DVLA’s driver and vehicles account.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer as the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The information requested about the average processing time for licence renewals where the applicant’s condition has been clinically stable for two or more consecutive years is not available as the DVLA is not required to hold information about periods of clinical stability. In 2025/26, the average processing time for all driving licence applications where a medical condition needed to be investigated was 56.66 working days.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Peter Mandelson's business and personal relationships with (a) individuals, (b) organisations and (c) government of the People's Republic of China were cited as reasons for his failed vetting.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 20 April and his answers to the questions raised in response.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment was made of the potential impact on UK atmospheric science capability before the decision to cease funding for the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) Airborne Laboratory.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 26 March 2026 to Question UIN 122902, on 14 April 2026 to Question UIN 124177, and on 16 April 2026 to Question UIN 123983.

Submit Evidence (by 1 Jun 2026)

Reconciliation remains central to the vision of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, whose multi‑party negotiators affirmed that lasting peace in Northern Ireland depended not only on strong political structures but on honouring those who suffered “the tragedies of the past” by “dedicating ourselves to the achievement of reconciliation, tolerance, and mutual trust, and to the protection and vindication of the human rights of all. (The Belfast Agreement - GOV.UK, p.1)