Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the reforms announced in her Department's press release entitled Schools to cut bills with Great British Energy solar panels, published on 17 November 2025, how much of the £100 million funding has been spent, and how much remains unallocated to date.

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

The department has used a delivery model which sees schools supported throughout the scheme, so whilst schools will be required to bear any maintenance costs for solar photovoltaics installed on their roofs, this is expected to be affordable from savings generated.

Solar installs are already producing significant savings for schools with estimates suggesting that on average, a typical school could save up to £25,000 per year if they have solar panels with complementary technologies installed.

The programme is on track with new installations at additional schools and colleges each month. Some contracts are still in procurement and, owing to the commercial sensitivity of this, it would not be appropriate to disclose evolving spend to date at this stage.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the reforms announced in her Department's press release entitled Schools to cut bills with Great British Energy solar panels, published on 17 November 2025, will schools be required to bear any maintenance costs for the solar panels.

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

The department has used a delivery model which sees schools supported throughout the scheme, so whilst schools will be required to bear any maintenance costs for solar photovoltaics installed on their roofs, this is expected to be affordable from savings generated.

Solar installs are already producing significant savings for schools with estimates suggesting that on average, a typical school could save up to £25,000 per year if they have solar panels with complementary technologies installed.

The programme is on track with new installations at additional schools and colleges each month. Some contracts are still in procurement and, owing to the commercial sensitivity of this, it would not be appropriate to disclose evolving spend to date at this stage.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to reform water sector regulation to help tackle (a) water pollution, (b) water scarcity and (c) long-term infrastructure resilience.

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

The Government will respond to the recommendations in full via a White Paper, published later this year. The White Paper will outline the Government’s vision for the future of the water sector, marking the most fundamental reset to our water system in a generation.

Following this there will be a new water reform bill, which we will introduce during this Parliament, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, and the environment.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations of the Cunliffe Review of the water regulatory system.

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

The Government will respond to the recommendations in full via a White Paper, published later this year. The White Paper will outline the Government’s vision for the future of the water sector, marking the most fundamental reset to our water system in a generation.

Following this there will be a new water reform bill, which we will introduce during this Parliament, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, and the environment.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 89705 on Child Benefit, whether HMRC plans to publish a report on a) the circumstances of the error and b) lessons learned from the review into suspended Child Benefit claims, including methodology, criteria for suspension, and the results of PAYE checks.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC’s Chief Executive wrote to the Treasury Select Committee on 14 November 2025 about this matter including the corrective action that HMRC is taking. This letter was subsequently published by the Committee on 18 November 2025. There are no plans to publish a report.

In the response to the Treasury Select Committee, HMRC provided figures for those customers subsequently confirmed as eligible through a PAYE check or customer contact up to and including 31 October 2025. This time period reflects that figures are only validated after the month end.

Where there was evidence that customers had continued UK employment, HMRC reinstated payments automatically without any need for customer contact and those payments have been backdated. By the end of November 2025, HMRC will have written to all customers who have not yet contacted them to provide a further 4 weeks in which to make contact.

HMRC holds information by postal address although HMRC would be unable to release to such a granular level due to the risk of breaching taxpayer confidentiality.

HMRC’s pilot last year using international travel data prevented around £17m in incorrect payments. This led to a wider rollout and investment in an additional 180 counter-fraud staff, announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, which is expected to save around £350 million over the next five years.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 89705 on Child Benefit, what steps HMRC will take to ensure that customers affected by the suspension of Child Benefit payments are formally notified of the apology issued and compensated for any financial hardship caused.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC’s Chief Executive wrote to the Treasury Select Committee on 14 November 2025 about this matter including the corrective action that HMRC is taking. This letter was subsequently published by the Committee on 18 November 2025. There are no plans to publish a report.

In the response to the Treasury Select Committee, HMRC provided figures for those customers subsequently confirmed as eligible through a PAYE check or customer contact up to and including 31 October 2025. This time period reflects that figures are only validated after the month end.

Where there was evidence that customers had continued UK employment, HMRC reinstated payments automatically without any need for customer contact and those payments have been backdated. By the end of November 2025, HMRC will have written to all customers who have not yet contacted them to provide a further 4 weeks in which to make contact.

HMRC holds information by postal address although HMRC would be unable to release to such a granular level due to the risk of breaching taxpayer confidentiality.

HMRC’s pilot last year using international travel data prevented around £17m in incorrect payments. This led to a wider rollout and investment in an additional 180 counter-fraud staff, announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, which is expected to save around £350 million over the next five years.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 89703 on Child Benefit, if she can advise what is the most localised level for which data is available.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC’s Chief Executive wrote to the Treasury Select Committee on 14 November 2025 about this matter including the corrective action that HMRC is taking. This letter was subsequently published by the Committee on 18 November 2025. There are no plans to publish a report.

In the response to the Treasury Select Committee, HMRC provided figures for those customers subsequently confirmed as eligible through a PAYE check or customer contact up to and including 31 October 2025. This time period reflects that figures are only validated after the month end.

Where there was evidence that customers had continued UK employment, HMRC reinstated payments automatically without any need for customer contact and those payments have been backdated. By the end of November 2025, HMRC will have written to all customers who have not yet contacted them to provide a further 4 weeks in which to make contact.

HMRC holds information by postal address although HMRC would be unable to release to such a granular level due to the risk of breaching taxpayer confidentiality.

HMRC’s pilot last year using international travel data prevented around £17m in incorrect payments. This led to a wider rollout and investment in an additional 180 counter-fraud staff, announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, which is expected to save around £350 million over the next five years.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of her budget on the pubs and brewing sector.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Chancellor will make decisions on Budget in the round and these will be announced in the usual way. The government does not comment on speculation outside of fiscal events.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 89705 on Child Benefit, how many of the 23,500 enquiries excluded from the PAYE check were found to be eligible for reinstatement after the checks were completed on 14 November 2025.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC’s Chief Executive wrote to the Treasury Select Committee on 14 November 2025 about this matter including the corrective action that HMRC is taking. This letter was subsequently published by the Committee on 18 November 2025. There are no plans to publish a report.

In the response to the Treasury Select Committee, HMRC provided figures for those customers subsequently confirmed as eligible through a PAYE check or customer contact up to and including 31 October 2025. This time period reflects that figures are only validated after the month end.

Where there was evidence that customers had continued UK employment, HMRC reinstated payments automatically without any need for customer contact and those payments have been backdated. By the end of November 2025, HMRC will have written to all customers who have not yet contacted them to provide a further 4 weeks in which to make contact.

HMRC holds information by postal address although HMRC would be unable to release to such a granular level due to the risk of breaching taxpayer confidentiality.

HMRC’s pilot last year using international travel data prevented around £17m in incorrect payments. This led to a wider rollout and investment in an additional 180 counter-fraud staff, announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, which is expected to save around £350 million over the next five years.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the value for money of expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries compared to other low-carbon heating options.

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

The Government recognise that hydronic heat pumps may not be the most appropriate solution for all properties, especially those that currently have ‘dry’ (non-hydronic) space heating. Therefore, we are supporting air-to-air heat pumps under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) to increase consumer choice and flexibility.

The value for money, costs and benefits of expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include air-to-air heat pumps will be included in a published Impact Assessment covering the period 2025/6 to 2029/30. This analysis will be updated to incorporate heat batteries closer to the point when they become eligible under the scheme.

An Impact Assessment for period 2022/23 to 2024/25 is already published.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on support for schools in cases of (a) snow and (b) other extreme weather.

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

It is for individual settings and responsible bodies to decide on closures based on their own risk assessment. Closures should be a last resort, and the priority is to keep settings open where it is safe to do so.

The department’s emergency planning guidance outlines how schools should provide remote education when schools are closed due to snow and other forms of extreme weather, such as extreme heat, flooding and storms. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings#exam-and-assessment-disruption.

We have also issued non-statutory guidance on providing remote education guidance for schools, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/providing-remote-education-guidance-for-schools/providing-remote-education-guidance-for-schools. Both sets of guidance are available online for local authorities to use.

All schools and colleges must also have contingency plans to ensure exams and assessments proceed during disruption. Detailed guidance on managing exam or assessment disruption can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exam-system-contingency-plan-england-wales-and-northern-ireland/what-schools-and-colleges-should-do-if-exams-or-other-assessments-are-seriously-disrupted.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of regulations governing the use of Microgeneration Certification Scheme certification branding in subcontracted solar PV installations.

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

Under any DESNZ schemes, microgeneration technologies including rooftop solar must be installed by an MCS-certified installer or equivalent. The installer must use an MCS-approved product and carry out the installation to the relevant MCS installation standard.

However, the Government inherited a fragmented consumer protection framework for installation of energy efficiency measures. We are currently reviewing the broader consumer protection landscape and will bring forward wider system reforms to ensure consumers can have confidence in the quality of installations and protections when upgrading their homes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of covering the cost of (a) insurance and (b) DBS checks for employers taking on volunteer workers.

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

Keeping children safe could not be more important to this government, and schools and colleges as employers, play a critical role in this.

We support them to do this through our robust safeguarding framework, ‘Keeping children safe in education’, which is the statutory guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

This includes robust safer recruitment procedures which are vital to deterring and preventing individuals who are unsuitable to work with children from securing employment or volunteering opportunities in schools and colleges.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of exam support for students with dyslexia.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Fylde to the answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90919.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Trading Standards on the enforcement of rules pertaining to misleading use of certification logos, accreditations and compliance labels.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

All products placed on the UK market must be safe and comply with relevant rules regarding certification, accreditation, or compliance. For example, for products that require UKCA marking, it is an offence to apply a mark that misleads or wrongly claims to show legal compliance.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards, in my Department, and Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to enforce the rules and work together to protect consumers from unsafe or non-compliant products.

In addition, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 also prohibits unfair commercial practices, including misleading consumers by falsely describing products or omitting material information.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of organised begging networks operating in England.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has introduced targeted measures in the Crime and Policing Bill to replace the powers in the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824 to ensure police have the powers they need to keep communities safe, including a new criminal offence of facilitating begging for gain.

This is intended to address organised begging, which is often facilitated by criminal gangs, and exploits vulnerable individuals.

This offence makes it unlawful for anyone to organise others to beg, for example, by driving people to places for them to beg. It will allow the police to tackle the organised crime gangs that use this exploitative technique to obtain cash for illicit activity. Recording these crimes will also allow us to develop an improved picture of prevalence of this activity across the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vehicles were (a) seized and (b) crushed for fly-tipping offences in (i) Fylde, (ii) Lancashire, and (iii) England in the last 12 months.

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

Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping enforcement actions, including vehicles seized, to Defra, which are published annually here. This data is not available at a constituency level and does not include information on what happened to the vehicle after it was seized. Data for the 2024/25 reporting year is still being collected.

In the last 12 months no vehicles have been seized in relation to waste crime offences by the Environment Agency within Fylde or Lancashire. The last vehicle seizure in Lancashire was October 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that patients are not adversely affected by strike action.

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

Our priority is to keep patients as safe as possible during any industrial action. The National Health Service makes every effort through rigorous contingency planning to minimise the disruption of industrial action and its impact on patients and the public. Assessments are made by local trusts on the levels of resourcing available, and they can escalate concerns via regions and nationally, where appropriate.

The NHS works hard to prioritise resources to protect all patients using its services during the period of strike action, in particular emergency treatment, critical care, neonatal care, maternity, and trauma, and to ensure we prioritise patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery.

Due to the dedication of NHS staff and a different operational approach from previous strikes, the NHS in England significantly reduced disruption to patients during resident doctor strikes in July, with data showing that 11,000 extra patients received care compared to the previous period of strike action.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of no-fault evictions on school stability, attendance and attainment for affected children.

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

The department understands that insecure housing can affect a pupil’s engagement with education. Our statutory attendance guidance sets out how partners should work together to understand barriers to attendance, which includes housing support where relevant. Where a pupil is temporarily accommodated in a different local authority, the guidance is also clear that both local authorities should work together to ensure continuity of education. The statutory attendance guidance is available in full at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance.

The Renters’ Rights Act delivers our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including by ending Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions from 1 May 2026. It will give renters much greater security and stability so that they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities and avoid the risk of homelessness.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure the safety of electric vehicles.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Road vehicles must meet a broad range of rigorous safety regulations and obtain approval before they can be registered for use on UK roads. Recognising the global nature of the automotive industry, these regulations are generally developed within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in which the UK is an active member.

The UNECE regulations include specific and robust requirements to safeguard against the novel risks and potential concerns associated with electric vehicles.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many applications for air-to-air heat pump grants have been received since the expansion of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

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

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme currently offers grants of £7,500 for hydronic heat pumps only – air and ground source.

On 18 November, the Government published the response to the consultation, which closed on 11 June, on proposed amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

The Government will begin to provide grants with a value of £2,500, to support the installation of air-to-air heat pumps in domestic properties from next year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to provide an answer to Question 87476 on Pets: Shops.

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

A response was published to Question 87476 on Tuesday 18 November here: PQ 87476.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Armed Forces Commissioner is expected to be appointed; and when the Commissioner's office is expected to be fully operational.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

We are in the process of recruiting an Armed Forces Commissioner . It is expected that a Commissioner will be appointed in early 2026, with plans for their office to be fully operational in April 2026. The role is subject to scrutiny in accordance with the principles of the Governance Code on Public Appointments and overseen by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. We remain committed to appointing the right person for this critical role, which is central to delivering a trusted and effective service for our people.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many Section 21 eviction notices were issued in each of the last five financial years, broken down by local authority.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department does not hold data on Section 21 evictions issued by landlords.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with representatives of the build-to-rent sector on the effect of regulatory delays on property transactions and investment inflows.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department engages regularly with the sector on a range of issues.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with landlord and tenant organisations on abolishing Section 21 no-fault evictions.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department engaged with a range of landlord and tenant organisations during development of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and looks forward to ongoing engagement with all stakeholders to ensure a smooth implementation of this transformative Act.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential risks cryptocurrency market volatility poses to financial stability.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) is responsible for identifying and monitoring risks to UK financial stability. The FPC’s latest Record (October 2025) sets out its views on the financial stability outlook, including its assessment of market related risks.

The government intends to bring forward legislation this year to create a comprehensive financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK.

The UK also continues to play an active role internationally on work to respond to the global challenges and opportunities posed by digital asset innovation, including potential risks to financial stability, through fora such as the Financial Stability Board.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what evidence the DVSA based its decision to withdraw Approved Driving Instructors’ ability to book driving tests on behalf of their pupils; and whether the DVSA has assessed the likely impact of this change on (a) test readiness, (b) road safety and (c) test centre administration.

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

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.

The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what modelling her Department undertook to inform its decision to remove instructor-booked driving tests to reduce waiting times.

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

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.

The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will set out which driving test centres will benefit from the help of military driving examiners under the partnership with the Ministry of Defence.

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

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.

The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that victims of coerced internal concealment receive appropriate support and safeguarding.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government is introducing a new criminal offence of coerced internal concealment in the Crime and Policing Bill, recognising the serious physical and psychological harm that this form of criminal exploitation can cause.

The new offence will be accompanied by statutory guidance for law enforcement and non-statutory guidance aimed at frontline practitioners to aid their understanding and improve the identification and safeguarding of victims of coerced internal concealment.

In addition, through the County Lines Programme, we are targeting exploitative drug dealing gangs behind the trade. Between July 2024 and June 2025, law enforcement activity through the County Lines Programme taskforces has resulted in more than 2,300 deal lines closed, 6,200 arrests (including the arrest and subsequent charge of over 1,100 deal line holders), and 600 knives seized.

County Lines Programme partners have also referred over 3,200 children and vulnerable people to safeguarding services and provided specialist one-to-one support through Catch22’s county lines service to more than 500 children and young people.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the her Department will review the tax treatment of capital gains on cryptocurrency transactions to ensure clarity and compliance.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government recognises the significant potential for cryptoassets and blockchain technologies to drive economic growth in the UK and increase efficiencies across financial markets. We are committed to making the UK a world leading destination for cryptoassets.

Noting the novel and evolving nature of cryptoassets, it is right that the government keeps their tax treatment under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the DVSA has made of the effect of the current 10-day cancellation period for driving tests on no-show rates.

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

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.

The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the DVSA has made of the regional impact of its proposed booking system changes.

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

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.

The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what basis her Department re-personalised passenger name record data to share it with HMRC under the Data Usage Agreement: customer left UK data share pilot, published on 5 September 2024.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The passenger entry and exit data referred to in the Data Usage Agreement (DUA) between the Home Office and HMRC is Advance Passenger Information. This is essentially the passenger manifest for each flight or voyage, setting out the names and travel document details of individuals onboard aircraft or ships which depart from or to the UK. The Data Usage Agreement is covered by the Digital Economy Act 2017 to prevent fraud in the Child Benefit system.

No Passenger Name Record (PNR) data has been re-personalised or shared with HMRC under the DUA. The Home Office Initial Status Analysis is not used to monitor departures of British Citizens from the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the passenger entry and exit data referred to in the Data Usage Agreement the Home Office made with HMRC for the customer left UK data share pilot.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The passenger entry and exit data referred to in the Data Usage Agreement (DUA) between the Home Office and HMRC is Advance Passenger Information. This is essentially the passenger manifest for each flight or voyage, setting out the names and travel document details of individuals onboard aircraft or ships which depart from or to the UK. The Data Usage Agreement is covered by the Digital Economy Act 2017 to prevent fraud in the Child Benefit system.

No Passenger Name Record (PNR) data has been re-personalised or shared with HMRC under the DUA. The Home Office Initial Status Analysis is not used to monitor departures of British Citizens from the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with (a) HMRC and (b) the Department for Work and Pension on the use of passenger name records.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The passenger entry and exit data referred to in the Data Usage Agreement (DUA) between the Home Office and HMRC is Advance Passenger Information. This is essentially the passenger manifest for each flight or voyage, setting out the names and travel document details of individuals onboard aircraft or ships which depart from or to the UK. The Data Usage Agreement is covered by the Digital Economy Act 2017 to prevent fraud in the Child Benefit system.

No Passenger Name Record (PNR) data has been re-personalised or shared with HMRC under the DUA. The Home Office Initial Status Analysis is not used to monitor departures of British Citizens from the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the government uses its Initial Status Analysis system to monitor the departure of British citizens from the UK, as well as non-citizens.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The passenger entry and exit data referred to in the Data Usage Agreement (DUA) between the Home Office and HMRC is Advance Passenger Information. This is essentially the passenger manifest for each flight or voyage, setting out the names and travel document details of individuals onboard aircraft or ships which depart from or to the UK. The Data Usage Agreement is covered by the Digital Economy Act 2017 to prevent fraud in the Child Benefit system.

No Passenger Name Record (PNR) data has been re-personalised or shared with HMRC under the DUA. The Home Office Initial Status Analysis is not used to monitor departures of British Citizens from the UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many possession claims relating to Section 21 notices are currently awaiting court hearing; and what the average waiting time is for those hearings.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

A Section 21 notice provides for an accelerated court process, usually without a hearing. However, if the application is not in order or the tenant challenges the claim a hearing may be scheduled.

The Civil Procedure Rules stipulate that possession claims should be listed within 4 to 8 weeks of a claim being issued.  The most recent published statistics, covering the period July to September 2025 show that the median time from claim to order is 7.6 weeks.

The Government has set out its roadmap for implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Private landlords will not be able to serve new Section 21 notices on their tenants on or after 1 May 2026.

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data on possession claims at: Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling existing defence-manufacturing clusters in the North West, including aerospace and advanced materials firms, to contribute to the planned ‘always on’ munitions pipeline.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We are committed to ensuring the Defence industry is an engine for growth through strengthened industrial relationships and domestic investment. As published in the UK Defence Footprint the North West region has seen £4.8 billion of Defence spending in 2024-25. We have committed £6 billion this Parliament towards munitions, as outlined in the Strategic Defence Review 2025, which supports defence capacity whilst generating local jobs and economic prosperity. This investment includes £1.5 billion for building six new energetics and munitions factories in the UK to deliver an 'always on' pipeline, locations and arrangements of which are being assessed through ongoing work. Whilst it is currently premature to comment on specific site proposals and their assessment, more detail will be available once the necessary preparatory work has been completed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria he used to determine the potential sites for the new munitions and energetics factories; and if he will publish the assessment methodology.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We are committed to ensuring the Defence industry is an engine for growth through strengthened industrial relationships and domestic investment. As published in the UK Defence Footprint the North West region has seen £4.8 billion of Defence spending in 2024-25. We have committed £6 billion this Parliament towards munitions, as outlined in the Strategic Defence Review 2025, which supports defence capacity whilst generating local jobs and economic prosperity. This investment includes £1.5 billion for building six new energetics and munitions factories in the UK to deliver an 'always on' pipeline, locations and arrangements of which are being assessed through ongoing work. Whilst it is currently premature to comment on specific site proposals and their assessment, more detail will be available once the necessary preparatory work has been completed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of police and enforcement capacity to investigate cryptocurrency-related crimes, including scams, ransomware payments, and illicit trading platforms.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The UK government has strengthened UK policing capabilities to tackle cryptocurrency-related crime effectively.

Through the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (2023), law enforcement agencies (LEAs) gained new powers to seize illicit cryptoassets. As set out in the UK’s National Risk Assessment (NRA) of Money Laundering (ML) and Terrorist Financing (TF) 20251, this is supported by the recruitment of 475 new financial investigators across UK law enforcement, investment in advanced crypto forensic tracing technologies for LEAs, provision of specialist training for officers in crypto investigations and the creation of public-private operational crypto partnerships. Together, these measures enhance the UK’s ability to investigate cryptoasset crimes of all types and confiscate criminal proceeds.

This year LEAs also received £3.2m of additional funding through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) Top Slice grant to tackle crypto crime through innovative projects which further build capability within the LEA system. A further c£3.9m of funding is committed for next year. Monitored by the Home Office, these projects strengthen efforts to investigate and seize crypto attributed to crime.

The Home Office is developing legislative proposals to counter ransomware, which will provide law enforcement and operational partners with a robust evidence base and understanding of the ransomware payment landscape to support investigations and wider activity. The UK has led significant disruptions against ransomware gangs and their criminal ecosystem. In October 2024, we sanctioned 16 members of the prolific cyber-crime gang, Evil Corp, and in February 2025, UK sanctions targeted ZSERVERS, a prolific Russian cybercrime entity responsible for facilitating crippling ransomware attacks globally.

The Government will also soon publish a new fraud strategy designed to tackle all types of scams, including those involving cryptocurrencies.

1National risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing 2025 - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to ensure that contractors have the same right to (a) settlement and (b) negotiated concession of their tax bills that are provided to large companies.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC applies the law fairly and consistently in accordance with its published Litigation and Settlement Strategy (LSS). This ensures every taxpayer, no matter who they are, pays the tax due under the law.

Central to the LSS is that HMRC will not settle a dispute by agreement for an amount which is less than it would reasonably expect to obtain from litigation.

HMRC’s LSS can be found on gov.uk: www.gov.uk/government/publications/litigation-and-settlement-strategy-lss

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to provide an answer to Question 22764 on Government Securities: Public Sector Debt.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

A response was provided for Question 22764 on 13 January 2025. The government does not comment on specific financial market movements.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of local authorities currently use digital waste tracking services.

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

The Digital Waste Tracking Service goes live from April 2026 for waste receivers, with requirements to digitally track waste received becoming mandatory in October 2026.

Waste operators currently use multiple systems – some paper based and others digital - to collect certain elements of waste tracking data. By introducing digital waste tracking, data will be collected centrally in near real time, making it much more difficult for rogue operators to compete in the industry and commit waste crime.

As part of our user research, it has been shown that the large majority of local authority waste disposal and waste collection authorities use third party contractors to manage waste in their areas, even if they are the holder of the environmental permit. As such it is difficult to quantify the number of local authorities that currently run their services in-house.

From April 2027, subject to funding, Digital Waste Tracking will onboard other waste operators including carriers which will provide an end to end view of how waste moves through the system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of prolonged dry weather on wildlife and natural habitats in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

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

Following the prolonged dry weather incident of 2025 the Environment Agency (EA) responded to numerous dry weather-related environmental incidents. These included incidents in:

a) Fylde

The Fisheries Operations Team carried out a fish rescue at a pond near Larkholme in May, following reports of fish mortalities.

b) wider Lancashire

The EA attended multiple reports of fish in distress / mortalities, algal blooms and low water levels in the Leeds Liverpool canal. Fish rescues were carried out (where necessary) along with advice and guidance to fishery owners.

Following the driest February to April since 1929, most drought reported incidents were confined to April and May. Intermittent rainfall from May onwards helped reduce environmental impacts, with the EA responding to just one dry weather incident in July in Lancashire.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the £400 million allocated to UK Defence Innovation in 2025-26 will be available to firms outside the designated factory locations, including in the North West.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) will support high-tech businesses across the UK, including the North west. The ringfenced budget of £400 million for 2025-26 will focus on novel technologies, including dual-use systems.

UKDI will invest in structures to support business growth and to increase investment into SMEs, start-ups, and non-traditional defence suppliers to support a diverse and agile supply chain across the UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of delaying publishing provisional funding allocations will have any impact on schools’ and local authorities’ budget planning for 2026-27.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department published the financial year 2026/27 schools and central school services national funding formula (NFF) on 19 November. High needs allocations will follow shortly.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of banning property management companies from charging disproportionate fees for homeowners to obtain documentation relating to the sale of their properties.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 62778 on 4 July 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges on overseas doctors competing for UK training posts.

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

The Department has regular discussions with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges about a range of issues, including recruitment to foundation and specialty training posts.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that UK medical graduates are prioritised for training posts in the National Health Service.

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

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, we will work across the Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out next steps in due course.

NHS England has also taken steps to tackle competition for speciality training places this year by changing General Medical Council registration requirements and limiting the number of applications that can be submitted by individuals.

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 recent trends in the length of NHS waiting lists in (i) Fylde and (ii) Lancashire.

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

We are clear that the extent of waits for treatment is unacceptable, and cutting waiting lists is a key priority for the Government. We have committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment.

We are committed to transforming elective services to ensure patients get timely access to the care they need. This includes investing £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years for diagnostic, elective, and urgent and emergency capacity in the NHS.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, we delivered 5.2 million additional appointments compared to the previous year, more than double our pledge of two million. This marks a vital first step towards delivering the constitutional standard.

We promised change, and we have made good progress. As of the end of September 2025, 61.8% of pathways on the waiting list are within 18 weeks, an improvement of 3.3% since September 2024, and the number of waits over 18 weeks has reduced by almost 320,000 over the same period.

Waiting list data is not available by constituency. The NHS trust that covers the Fylde constituency is the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. As of the end of September 2025, the waiting list at this trust stood at 42,630, and 56.1% of these pathways were within 18 weeks, an improvement of 0.4% since the start of July 2024, when it was 55.7%.

As of the end of September 2025, the waiting list at the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board stood at 248,818, 61.6% of which were within 18 weeks, an improvement of 2.5% since the start of July 2024, when it was 59.1%.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to provide an answer to Question 89730 on Chronic Illnesses: Diagnosis.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 November 2025 to Question 89730.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure school closures due to extreme weather do not affect educational outcomes.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It is for individual settings and responsible bodies to decide on closures based on their own risk assessment. Closures should be a last resort, and the priority is to keep settings open where safe. The department’s guidance for schools includes information on remote education when pupils cannot attend. Remote learning should only be used when attendance is impossible but learning can continue.

The department’s emergency planning guidance outlines how schools should provide remote education, and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings#exam-and-assessment-disruption. The department has also issued non-statutory guidance on providing remote education guidance for schools which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/providing-remote-education-guidance-for-schools/providing-remote-education-guidance-for-schools. Guidance for parents on remote education is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/providing-remote-education-information-to-parents-template.

Schools can make use of free resources provided by Oak National Academy, which includes comprehensive, curriculum-aligned lesson materials across all key stages and subjects. These can be accessed online and adapted by teachers. More information is available at: https://www.thenational.academy.

All schools and colleges must have contingency plans to ensure exams and assessments proceed during disruption. Detailed guidance on managing exam or assessment disruption can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exam-system-contingency-plan-england-wales-and-northern-ireland/what-schools-and-colleges-should-do-if-exams-or-other-assessments-are-seriously-disrupted.