Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to ensure the Highway Code is taught in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The revised relationships, sex and health education guidance was published on 15 July and includes a new personal safety section. Curriculum content includes how to identify risk and manage personal safety in increasingly independent situations, including around roads, railways, including level crossings, and water.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Becky Francis CBE.

The Review aims to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review Group published its Interim Report in March 2025 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821d69eced319d02c9060e3/Curriculum_and_Assessment_Review_interim_report.pdf.

The group will publish its final report with recommendations this autumn.​

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a property tax on landlords on the availability of rental properties in the private sector.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government does not comment on speculation about tax changes. All tax policy is kept under review and tax decisions will be made at the Budget, in the usual way.

The Government recognises that the private rented sector plays an important role in the UK housing market. Boosting the supply of housing is essential in making rent more affordable, which is why we have committed to building 1.5 million homes over the course of this Parliament.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what her policy is on the administration of asylum accommodation contracts relating to people who both oversee contracts and are licence holders for houses in multiple occupation used for asylum accommodation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what mechanisms exist for members of the public to report perceived conflicts of interest in the allocation of contracts to provide asylum accommodation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what steps her Department is taking to ensure there is no conflict of interest when allocating contracts for asylum accommodation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on the balance of academic and practical training in nurse education programmes.

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

No recent discussions have taken place. Higher education institutions and practice placement providers develop the content of programmes and determine the balance of academic and practical learning in line with the outcome standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Nursing students are required to complete 2,300 hours of practice learning as part of their pre-registration programme, 600 of which can be completed through simulated training. The NMC is currently conducting a review of nursing and midwifery practice learning requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Government procurement rules are adhered to in the issuing of contracts to provide asylum accommodation; and what steps he is taking to ensure that perceived breaches can be reported.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available for NHS mental health staff who are injured at work or absent due to work-related stress.

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

The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is a top priority, including those who work in mental health settings. It is important that employers across the NHS take a preventative and proactive approach to supporting their staff and keeping them healthy. At a national level, NHS staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including for trauma and addiction.

The 10-Year Health Plan aims to significantly reduce sickness absence rates. We will introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment which will ensure employers support staff to work healthily and flexibly. We will also roll out Staff Treatment hubs, starting in 2027, to ensure staff have access to high quality support for mental health and back conditions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing local authority discretion to waive the Council Tax premium on second homes in cases where the second property is used for essential non-luxury purposes on homeowners.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Decisions on whether to apply council tax premiums are a matter for individual councils. Where a council chooses to implement a premium, they have the discretionary power to set their own local exceptions to premiums, or provide discounts where they consider this appropriate. The government has no plans to restrict or remove these powers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure childcare policy supports the recruitment and retention of student nurses as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, updated on 22 April 2024.

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

The Department for Education provides the primary funding support package for English domiciled students in higher education through the student loans system. Eligible students can also apply for the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance.

The Department of Health and Social Care provides eligible healthcare students, including student nurses, with supplementary, non-repayable support via the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF). This includes a £5,000 training grant for all students eligible for the LSF and a further £2,000 per academic year for those students with childcare responsibility. These funding arrangements are reviewed annually ahead of the start of each academic year.

We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan (10YWP) to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. This 10YWP will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how long pastoral support is available to young people after leaving state schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is co-producing a National Youth Strategy in partnership with young people and cross-sector experts to set out a new long term vision for young people, which will cover young people aged 10 to 21 (up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities). This will include plans for the introduction of Young Futures Hubs. These will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive.

High quality careers advice is an essential part of our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and drive economic growth. The National Careers Service offers advice to support young people (and their parents/carers) to understand their career options. Youth Hubs provide vital links in the community, bringing together employment support from a Jobcentre Plus work coach and place-based support from local partnerships to help young people into work when they leave school.

We recognise that care leavers have poorer outcomes than their peers across all aspects of their lives and are taking action to address this. All care leavers up to the age of 25 are entitled to support from a Personal Adviser to help them prepare for and cope with the challenges of living independently.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the consumption of high caffeine energy drinks on (a) schools and (b) educational outcomes.

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

The government has committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever to provide them with a better and more prosperous future. That is why the government’s manifesto committed to a ban on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 in England, and we are consulting on bringing this into effect. We know they can have a detrimental impact on educational outcomes by lowering educational wellbeing and negatively impacting school attendance and academic achievement.

Energy drinks are not permitted within the school food standards. School governing boards are responsible for setting their school food policies, including on food and drinks brought in from home. We encourage schools to have a whole-school approach to healthy eating, and some schools already ban energy drinks brought in from home.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many visits by Ministers in his Department took place in constituencies represented by (a) Labour, (b) Conservative and (c) other hon. Members in the period between 4 July 2024 and 2 July 2025.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

This information isn’t centrally held.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of police workforce shortages on response times to emergency calls.

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

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. We are committed to giving forces the resources they need to keep the public safe.

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.6 billion, an increase of up to £1.2 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement – a significant increase, and more than the increase last year. This equates to a 7.1% cash increase, and 4.6% real terms increase in funding.

This includes fully covering the costs for the 2024/25 pay award, the increase in the employer national insurance contributions, £376.8 million for officer maintenance and an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles.

It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how best to allocate all the resources at their disposal to provide responses to emergency calls alongside all the other services and support they provide to communities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 66726 on Childcare: Eligibility, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the eligibility criteria to take account of the unpaid nature of student nursing.

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

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.

Students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage (this is equivalent to £195 per week/£10,158 per year in 2025/2026), and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, may be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances.

The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income. Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will set out the level of childcare support his Department provides for (a) student nurses and (b) other essential vocational trainees; and what plans she has to increase that level of support.

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

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.

Students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage (this is equivalent to £195 per week/£10,158 per year in 2025/2026), and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, may be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances.

The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income. Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.

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 making student nurses eligible for the 30 hours of free childcare.

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

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.

Students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage (this is equivalent to £195 per week/£10,158 per year in 2025/2026), and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, may be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances.

The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income. Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2025 to Question on Table Office: Financing, if the Commission will make an assessment of the potential merits of temporarily increasing staffing levels in the Table Office during peak periods.

Answered by Nick Smith

The tabling of questions is driven by demand from Members and it is therefore difficult to predict peak periods of activity. The Chamber and Participation Team keeps under review appropriate staffing levels for the procedural offices, taking account of Member demand and the fact that the House Administration is undertaking a Savings and Improvement Programme.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2025 to Question 30400 on Table Office: Finance, if the Commission will review the staffing levels for the Table Office, in the context of the number of written questions published in this Session to date.

Answered by Nick Smith

There are currently no plans to review staffing levels for the Table Office. The Chamber and Participation Team keeps under review appropriate staffing levels for the procedural offices, taking account of Member demand but mindful of the fact that the House Administration is undertaking a Savings and Improvement Programme.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to review the future funding model of the BBC.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

To ensure the BBC is on a stable financial footing, the Government has committed to the current licence fee model for the remainder of the current Charter period.

The licence fee will increase annually in line with CPI inflation until the end of this Charter period, as required by the Licence Fee Settlement agreed by the last Government in 2022.

Looking ahead, the Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that it must be funded by a model that is sustainable. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has conducted any assessments on the implications of replacing council tax with a property-based tax payable by property owners rather than occupiers.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government remains committed to keeping all taxes and elements of the local government finance system under review. The government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the system and consider options for reform where there is clear evidence that change would deliver better outcomes for residents and councils alike. The Chancellor makes tax policy decisions at fiscal events.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 75718 on Mobile Scooters, what steps she is taking to ensure public awareness of that consultation.

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

Ensuring everyone has the opportunity to shape the powered mobility device review is a priority for us, to make sure regulations are designed with and for disabled people.

The consultation will be published on gov.uk in the usual way and it will comply with our accessibility standards to ensure everyone can access it. We will work with a wide range of stakeholders, including those representing disabled people, once that consultation is published to ensure it reaches everyone who would like to contribute.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of staffing shortages on patient and staff safety in psychiatric wards in Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.

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

As of July 2025, the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s in-patient settings achieved a fill rate of above 90% for planned rostered hours, as clinically required. Fill rates are a key metric for monitoring whether enough staff are available to meet patient needs.

The trust is also required to report care hours per patient day monthly. The most recent figures for the trust and Harbour hospital were 12.9, and 16 respectively. This is above the national average of 9, and the highest out of all mental health trusts in the North West region.

Nationally, the Government has also committed to recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of this Parliament, to ease pressure on busy mental health services. We are more than halfway towards our target.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure safe staffing levels at The Harbour mental health facility in Blackpool.

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

As of July 2025, the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s in-patient settings achieved a fill rate of above 90% for planned rostered hours, as clinically required. Fill rates are a key metric for monitoring whether enough staff are available to meet patient needs.

The trust is also required to report care hours per patient day monthly. The most recent figures for the trust and Harbour hospital were 12.9, and 16 respectively. This is above the national average of 9, and the highest out of all mental health trusts in the North West region.

Nationally, the Government has also committed to recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of this Parliament, to ease pressure on busy mental health services. We are more than halfway towards our target.

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 establishing a cross-departmental taskforce to review the adequacy of childcare provision for (a) student nurses and (b) other parents in full-time healthcare education.

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

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.

Where student parents are not eligible for 30 hours funded childcare, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances.

The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of options for students in higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income.

Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund. Information on eligibility and how to apply is available here: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund-lsf.

Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be accessed here: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 66726, what recent estimate she has made of the number of student nurses in England who are ineligible for the 30 hours of funded childcare due to their status as students rather than workers.

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

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. We are delivering more support to working families than ever before, with the rollout of 30 hours government-funded childcare.

The department does not hold data on the number of student nurses in England who are ineligible for the 30 hours funded childcare.

Further information on the childcare offers available to parents is available here: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if his Department will take steps to require online platforms to verify contact details for companies on their platforms.

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

The Online Safety Act ensures online services remove illegal content, including fraudulent content. Ofcom, as the independent regulator, is responsible for setting out in codes of practice the steps services can take to comply with their safety duties.

The DMCC Act 2024 also clarifies that online marketplaces must exercise professional diligence in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms. This provision applies from 6 April 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Ethics and Integrity Commission will be established.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Ethics and Integrity commission was established on 13 October 2025. Further information is in my Written Ministerial Statement, 'Government of Service', published the same day.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to (a) codify and (b) simplify the law of contempt of court in England and Wales in light of the Law Commission’s recommendations.

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

The Law Commission review into the law of contempt of court in England and Wales is ongoing. The Commission will report with proposals for reform to clarify the law in this area and improve its consistency, coherence, and effectiveness. The first report is expected to be published in November 2025 and the second in 2026.

The Government will carefully consider any recommendations proposed by the Law Commission following the publication of these reports.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the number of animals killed or injured on UK roads in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This data is not held by the Department.

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 increase the availability of virtual GP appointments.

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

We are expanding capacity in general practice (GP) which will help deliver more virtual and face-to-face appointments to patients.

In October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of an additional 2,000 GPs into primary care networks across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients. We have invested an additional £1.1 billion in GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes. Additionally, the new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will create additional clinical space within over 1,000 practices across England in order to deliver 8.3 million more appointments each year.

As a result of these efforts, eight million more appointments have been delivered this year compared to last.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 in tackling harmful content on social media platforms.

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

Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope services must protect all users from illegal content, and children from age-inappropriate content. The Act’s illegal content duties have been in force since March 2025, and the child safety duties since July 2025.

Ofcom, the independent regulator, conducts regular surveys to track the experiences of users on regulated services. The next outputs of this work are due to be published in Autumn 2025. DSIT is also working with Ofcom to develop a longer-term monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the Act’s impact.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the £448 million public investment announced under the UK SHORE programme will be allocated to (a) Fylde and (b) other coastal constituencies in Lancashire.

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

The UK SHORE programme in the Department for Transport will primarily allocate funding through open competitions, delivered by Innovate UK. Competition scopes and assessment criteria will be published alongside competition announcements between 2026 and 2030.

We are committed to supporting projects across the UK. UK SHORE has previously allocated £240m for clean maritime. This has supported organisations in all UK nations and regions, including around £30m allocated to projects in the North West.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria her Department is using to decide which coastal ports or dry docks will receive UK SHORE funding.

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

The UK SHORE programme in the Department for Transport will primarily allocate funding through open competitions, delivered by Innovate UK. Competition scopes and assessment criteria will be published alongside competition announcements between 2026 and 2030.

We are committed to supporting projects across the UK. UK SHORE has previously allocated £240m for clean maritime. This has supported organisations in all UK nations and regions, including around £30m allocated to projects in the North West.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were unable to benefit from the Residence Nil Rate Band due to not having direct descendants in the most recent year for which data is available.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The residence nil-rate band was introduced under the previous Government in April 2017. The then Government set out in a tax information and impact note at the time of its introduction that there was no evidence to suggest that this policy would have significant adverse impacts on those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. The tax information and impact note is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/inheritance-tax-main-residence-nil-rate-band-and-the-existing-nil-rate-band/inheritance-tax-main-residence-nil-rate-band-and-the-existing-nil-rate-band.

HMRC publishes annual statistics about the use of nil-rate bands, reliefs and exemptions. 30,600 estates used the residence nil-rate band in 2022-23, and £7.72 billion of chargeable estate value was removed from an inheritance tax charge as a result. HMRC does not collect comprehensive data about the reasons for an estate not using the residence nil-rate band.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the press release entitled Record-breaking £150bn investment unveiled during US State Visit, published on 17 September 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of that business investment on economic growth.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

No such formal separate assessment will be made, but we expect these investments to have significant economic benefits across the whole of the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will conduct an equality impact assessment of the Residence Nil Rate Band in relation to inheritance tax.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The residence nil-rate band was introduced under the previous Government in April 2017. The then Government set out in a tax information and impact note at the time of its introduction that there was no evidence to suggest that this policy would have significant adverse impacts on those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. The tax information and impact note is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/inheritance-tax-main-residence-nil-rate-band-and-the-existing-nil-rate-band/inheritance-tax-main-residence-nil-rate-band-and-the-existing-nil-rate-band.

HMRC publishes annual statistics about the use of nil-rate bands, reliefs and exemptions. 30,600 estates used the residence nil-rate band in 2022-23, and £7.72 billion of chargeable estate value was removed from an inheritance tax charge as a result. HMRC does not collect comprehensive data about the reasons for an estate not using the residence nil-rate band.

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 increase the availability of histotripsy treatment on the NHS.

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

Histotripsy is a non-invasive ultrasound treatment that destroys tumours without the need for surgery or radiation. It was one of eight transformative technologies supported through the Government’s Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) pilot. This programme aimed to streamline patient access to medical devices that address an unmet clinical need in the National Health Service.

Through the IDAP, an Unmet Clinical Need Authorisation was granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, exempting the manufacturer from certain regulatory requirements under specific conditions given the critical unmet need of liver cancer, allowing early market access. Histotripsy is now available for conditional use in the NHS for patients with liver tumours. NHS treatments will begin in October 2025 as a first in Europe, strengthening the United Kingdom’s position as a global leader in medical innovation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure consistency in enforcement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 across different Fire and Rescue Authorities.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department works with the National Fire Chiefs Council to update national guidance and support fire and rescue services’ protection departments to enforce our fire safety laws effectively.

The department recently issued a guidance supplement updating guidance to enforcing authorities at Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: enforcement - GOV.UK.

Fire and rescue authorities are required to have regard to this guidance in their enforcement approach, however specific enforcement decisions are based on the circumstances of each case.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider the potential merits of requiring Disclosure and Barring Service checks to include civil offences where a safeguarding issue was involved.

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

The purpose of a criminal record check issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is to provide information to employers and others to help them judge the suitability of an individual for a particular role.

On the highest level enhanced DBS checks, which are used for the most sensitive roles working with children or vulnerable adults, chief officers of police have the discretion to include non-criminal information held on their systems, if they consider it relevant and proportionate to disclose, to support safeguarding.

DBS checks are only one part of a broader safeguarding framework. Employers and organisations are expected to consider a range of factors when assessing suitability for roles, including references, employment history, and other relevant information.

We continually keep the disclosure and barring regime under review to ensure it remains effective and proportionate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of unadopted roads on new housing developments due to developers.

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

Following the publication of the Competition and Markets Authority’s Housebuilding Market Study in February 2024, the Department has noted a downward trend in road adoption rates across England, particularly in areas with new housing developments. In response, the Department is undertaking research into the road adoption process under the Highways Act 1980 to assess the scale of the issue nationally and identify opportunities to improve the system to reverse the downward trend. Additionally, the Department is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to explore reforms to the planning process that support more effective road adoption outcomes.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate her Department has made of the total projected cost of implementing a national digital identity system.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year. The eventual total cost will depend on the design, build and delivery of the system, matters which will be included in the consultation.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to engage with (a) stakeholders and (b) members of the public on inheritance tax policy.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government published tax policy making principles on 12 June 2025. These principles underpin the Government’s approach to delivering tax policy changes, including setting out how it will engage with stakeholders during tax policy development. This is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-policy-making-principles.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the resilience of Lancashire-based defence supply chains supporting military aerospace.

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

The Department recognises supply chains as a foundational priority for Defence and is actively working to de-risk critical vulnerabilities in collaboration with industry. We maintain close working relationships with our suppliers across the United Kingdom, including those based in Lancashire, to ensure resilient, adaptive and collaborative defence supply chains to support our Armed Forces.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to expand the Further Faster 20 programme.

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

The Further Faster 20 (FF20) initiative was announced in September 2024, run by the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) team in NHS England to deploy expert advice to National Health Service trusts in areas with the highest levels of economic inactivity to get patients treated faster.

Data from October 2024 to August 2025 shows waiting lists across these areas have been reduced by over 66,000.

Whilst there are currently no formal plans to expand the FF20 programme, key learnings have been taken from the FF20 work to date which are available to all trusts. This includes vital work on clinic template standardisation. An operational guide developed by GIRFT from FF20 trust engagement demonstrates to trusts across the country how they can unlock additional outpatient capacity and activity across relevant specialities. Work is ongoing to support trusts to adopt approaches outlined in this guidance.

GIRFT is a national programme designed to improve the treatment and care of patients across more than 40 surgical and medical specialties, including diagnostics, day case surgery, outpatient services and clinical coding. GIRFT has already expanded its on-the-ground support to NHS trusts through the GIRFT Further Faster Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) programme to support 20 acute providers in England strengthen UEC pathways ahead of the winter period.

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 availability of continuous positive airway pressure machines for NHS patients diagnosed with sleep apnoea.

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

No specific assessment has been made by the Department.

The provision of treatments for sleep apnoea is a commissioning matter and these decisions are the responsibility of integrated care boards, taking into account the needs of their local populations and national guidance such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome.

NICE has recommended continuous positive airway pressure machines (TA139) as a treatment option for adults with moderate or severe symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea or hypopnoea syndrome, where certain clinical criteria are met.

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 help ensure that NHS trusts move into financial surplus by 2030.

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

The National Health Service priorities and operational planning guidance 2025/26 made it clear that living within budget, reducing waste and increasing productivity is a priority. This year’s financial framework changes include making deficit support funding conditional on performance, implementing a financial override in the Oversight Framework, and introducing additional support for efficiency and productivity through the new Financial Performance and Improvement Programme. The 10-Year Health Plan also made several longer-term commitments to strengthen the NHS financial foundation, which are now being taken forward, including:

(a) A commitment to deliver 2% annual productivity growth, which will unlock £17 billion in savings over 3 years.

(b) A new approach to NHS financial management including multi-year settlements, and phasing out deficit support funding;

(c) Sharper financial incentives including the use of best practice tariffs, and changing the funding model to encourage urgent and emergency care to shift to the community;

(d) A fairer geographical distribution of funding, to target areas with disproportionate economic and health challenges; and

(e) Reform of the capital regime, giving more power to the frontline and speeding up the capital approvals process.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled 14 NHS trusts the focus of national maternity investigation, published on 15 September, what his planned timeline is for completion of each local trust investigation; what the interim milestones will be; and if he will provide regular updates to Parliament on progress.

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

The independent investigation is chaired by Baroness Valerie Amos and supported by a small team of expert advisors.

Local investigations will be carried out by trained investigators who will spend several days on site at each trust, supported by a small team. Our current expectation is that visits will take place between October and December 2025, though these timings are indicative only, and are subject to final confirmation, particularly in light of the pressures faced by trusts during the winter months.

The investigation will produce an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025, with a final report and recommendations to be published in spring 2026. This is due to the ambition, size, and scope of the investigation.

The 14 National Health Service trusts were selected by the independent investigation based on a variety of factors, including results from the Care Quality Commission’s Maternity Patient Survey and Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK’s Perinatal Mortality Rates, in addition to variation in case mix, trust type, geographic coverage, provision of care to individuals from diverse backgrounds, and family feedback.

Three of the trusts have been included due to their inclusion in previous investigations or reviews, with these three trusts being the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, and the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

By taking this approach, the investigation can capture learning from a wide range of provision and experiences, ensuring the findings are relevant across the system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled 14 NHS trusts the focus of national maternity investigation, published on 15 September 2025, if he publish the full data and methodology used to select the 14 NHS trusts under investigation.

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

The independent investigation is chaired by Baroness Valerie Amos and supported by a small team of expert advisors.

Local investigations will be carried out by trained investigators who will spend several days on site at each trust, supported by a small team. Our current expectation is that visits will take place between October and December 2025, though these timings are indicative only, and are subject to final confirmation, particularly in light of the pressures faced by trusts during the winter months.

The investigation will produce an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025, with a final report and recommendations to be published in spring 2026. This is due to the ambition, size, and scope of the investigation.

The 14 National Health Service trusts were selected by the independent investigation based on a variety of factors, including results from the Care Quality Commission’s Maternity Patient Survey and Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK’s Perinatal Mortality Rates, in addition to variation in case mix, trust type, geographic coverage, provision of care to individuals from diverse backgrounds, and family feedback.

Three of the trusts have been included due to their inclusion in previous investigations or reviews, with these three trusts being the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, and the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

By taking this approach, the investigation can capture learning from a wide range of provision and experiences, ensuring the findings are relevant across the system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take with local authorities to encourage social cohesion at a neighbourhood level in Lancashire.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has recently announced the Pride in Place programme, which will support up to 244 of Great Britain’s most in-need neighbourhoods with up to £20 million each over the next decade. Our long-term investment is designed not only to address deprivation, but also to rebuild social capital and strengthen community ties in these areas, with a portion of funding expected to support cohesion-related projects. In Lancashire, funding is being provided to Accrington, Burnley, Darwen, Rawtenstall, Nelson, Shadsworth & Intack in Blackburn, Fleetwood, Little Layton & Little Carleton in Blackpool, Ribbleton in Preston, Morecambe West End, and Skelmersdale South East.

The Pride in Place programme will target long-term investment to the communities that need it most, but some areas also need more immediate support to tackle local priorities. The Pride in Place Impact Fund will provide £150 million to up to 100 places, with each place receiving £1.5 million over two years to improve the places and spaces valued by local people. In Lancashire, the following local authorities have each been allocated £1.5 million from the Price in Place Impact Fund: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Preston.

Furthermore, MHCLG is co-ordinating cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with local government, communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the list of designated days for the flying of the Union Flag is kept under regular review; and when the last review took place.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The list of designated days for the flying of the Union Flag is reviewed annually in consultation with No 10 and the Royal Household. The most recent review was completed on 14th March 2025 when the 2025 Designated Days list was published on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to work with the Secretary of State for Transport to reduce the number of wildlife-related road accidents.

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

There is currently no joint programme of work between Department of Transport and Defra to reduce the number of wildlife-related road accidents.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department provides guidance or best practice to local authorities on integrating animal protection measures into local transport and infrastructure planning.

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

When determining any planning application, it is the responsibility of the local planning authority to ensure that protected species are fully considered and that ecological surveys have been carried out where appropriate. Natural England has issued Standing Advice to assist both local planning authorities and developers in deciding whether there is a reasonable likelihood of protected species being present on a proposed development site. It provides detailed advice on those protected species most often affected by development to enable an assessment to be made of the suitability of a protected species survey and, where appropriate, a mitigation strategy to protect the species affected by the development.

To help integrate nature into new development, the government has also amended the National Planning Policy Framework. This encourages the incorporation of features, such as swift bricks and hedgehog highways, to protect threatened species through local plans and decisions on planning applications.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken to ensure that all government buildings (a) are aware of and (b) comply with the guidance on designated days for flying the Union Flag.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Each year, DCMS publishes an annually-reviewed list of the designated days for flying the Union Flag on gov.uk. Government departments are also regularly reminded of flag-flying requirements on occasions such as this year’s VE and VJ Day anniversaries, alongside the encouragement to fly the Union Flag every other day if possible.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential ecological impact of animal road casualties on native wildlife populations.

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

The Secretary of State for Defra has not assessed the potential ecological impact of animal road casualties on native wildlife populations in general. However, studies have shown that road traffic collisions are one of the factors in the decline in species such as the hedgehog.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce rent controls in Lancashire.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 56269 on 10 June 2025.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Million Hours Fund on organisations in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Million Hours Fund provides youth organisations with funding to deliver over a million additional hours of positive activities for young people in areas where they may be at risk of anti-social behaviour.

DCMS and The National Lottery Community Fund launched Phase 3 of the Million Hours Fund on 30th July 2025. This is a £19 million joint investment (£12 million from DCMS and £7 million from The National Lottery Community Fund). The Fund will run until 31 March 2027 and is now closed to applications. The list of wards eligible for funding in Fylde and Lancashire can be found here: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/funding-programmes/million-hours-fund-2025-to-2027/eligible-ward-areas.

Nine organisations based in the constituencies of Fylde and Lancashire are receiving up to £406,541 worth of funding as part of previous phases of the Million Hours Fund.

An evaluation of the Million Hours Fund is being conducted, which will assess the impact of the Fund on organisations and young people.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the proposed Defence Technical Excellence Colleges will be supported in (a) funding, (b) curriculum and (c) student recruitment; what geographical coverage is planned; and what steps he plans to take to ensure skills shortages in the defence industrial base are reduced.

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

To meet growing demand for a skilled workforce, we have announced a £182 million skills package as part of the Defence Industrial Strategy that will attract, develop and retain a high-skilled, well-paid UK defence workforce both now and into the future. We will work closely with industry on this package including through the newly established Defence Industrial Joint Council.

This funding includes investment in five Defence Technical Excellence Colleges which will be appointed through a fair and transparent application process run by the Department for Education, working with the Ministry of Defence. Defence Technical Excellence Colleges will be recognised for provision of high-quality teaching, curriculum and effective collaboration with local employers. This aims to provide clear pathways into defence sector jobs for learners. All general further education colleges in England will be able to apply, subject to meeting specific eligibility criteria. Further details on the process and criteria will be published in due course.

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 adequacy of the preparedness of local authorities in England to collect food waste separately to household waste from March 2026.

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

Under the Simpler Recycling reforms, all local authorities in England must provide weekly food waste collections from households by 31 March 2026, unless a transitional arrangement applies (a later date set in legislation).

We have invested over £340 million to date to support councils as they get ready for weekly food collections. We have also published guidance to help local authorities and funded sector specialists WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) to provide further resources and support. This includes guidance on good practice when delivering services to householders and communications guidance for household food waste collections.

We have consulted and engaged extensively with local authorities throughout the development of this policy. This has included focused working groups, sector events and holding monthly stakeholder forums. We meet monthly with local authority waste network chairs to partner on delivery of these reforms. We are aware of some specific delivery challenges faced by some local authorities to meet these new obligations and are working with local authority waste networks and the wider industry to provide additional support where we can. We will continue to monitor progress and work with the sector to deliver these reforms.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made a recent estimate of the population of Hen Harriers in Lancashire.

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

The most recent estimate of the population of Hen Harriers in Lancashire is 13 successfully breeding females, which produced 42 young this year.

National inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse

Found: start in life. 9.5 Parliamentary questions • Sports: Children and Young People Asked by: Mr Andrew Snowden