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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reconsidering special circumstances permitting green belt development at times when battery energy storage site targets have been exceeded.

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

Where the type of development in question is proposed in the Green Belt it is for decision makers, based on the circumstances of the individual case, to determine whether development inappropriate in Green Belt would be justified by very special circumstances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what additional monitoring of HM Land Registry her Department has undertaken since July 2024.

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

As its sponsor department, MHCLG undertakes a range of activities to hold HM Land Registry (HMLR) to account for its organisational, corporate and governance performance.

A departmental representative sits on the Land Registry Board (LRB) and its subcommittees to review and scrutinise HMLR’s performance against its annual business plans and key performance indicators.

The Minister or Senior Sponsor issues an annual letter to the chair of the board, setting out the department’s priorities for HMLR over the coming year. The latest letter was issued in February 2025 and can be found on gov.uk here. The department holds regular meetings with HMLR executives and the LRB chair, including a quarterly sponsorship governance and performance meeting.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and his Brazilian counterpart on the Brazilian government's proposal to reclassify the Pernambuco tree from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I.

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

The Secretary of State has not had discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs or their Brazilian counterpart. Preparations for the CITES Conference of Parties are led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to strengthen protections for mental health nurses in the workplace.

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

Everyone working in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe at work, including those in mental health settings. Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff, and they put in place measures, including, security, training and emotional support for staff affected by violence.

In April 2025, the Government announced that the Social Partnership Forum’s recommendations on tackling and reducing violence, part of the 2023 Agenda for Change pay deal, have been accepted. These include significant commitments to tackle violence and aggression against NHS staff including improving data and reporting of incidences and ensuring strengthened risk assessment, training and support for victims. This will be strengthened by the introduction of a new set of staff standards, as detailed in the 10-Year Health Plan, which will cover issues including tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of police decision-making in cases involving individuals with serious mental health conditions on the number of prosecutions for assaults against mental health nurses.

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

The Home Office has not made such an assessment. The police have a duty to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry, as set out in The Code of Practice to The Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996.

However, the police are operationally independent from Government and would be best placed to make decisions on the most appropriate course of action according to the specific circumstances of a case they are investigating.

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 adequacy of the funding for health bodies involved in the Right Care, Right Person framework; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on securing more funding for all bodies involved.

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

The Government has not made such an assessment and has instead asked all integrated care boards to estimate the resourcing requirements it would take for them to deliver the Right Care, Right Person framework. In November 2024, NHS England published the document, Guidance on implementing the National Partnership Agreement: Right Care, Right Person, which includes guidance on undertaking an impact assessment to identify how different agencies and services will be impacted and how any negative impacts will be mitigated. The Department and the Home Office continue to work together to monitor the framework and its impacts, and discussions have been had between departments at junior ministerial level.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidelines his Department provides to HM Courts & Tribunals staff on promoting awareness of the principles of the (a) Equality Act 2010 and (b) Children Act 1989; and what steps he takes to evaluate whether HM Courts & Tribunals apply these principles.

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

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) provides staff with mandatory training and comprehensive guidance to support awareness and application of the principles of both the Equality Act 2010 and the Children Act 1989.

This includes digital learning on reasonable adjustments, safeguarding policy and private and public law proceedings, supported by standard operating procedures, job cards, and Equality Impact Assessments.

HMCTS also promotes inclusive practice with internal working groups and by evaluating how the principles of both Acts are followed. This includes regular reporting on activity and pilot programmes such as the Family Court Pathfinder which aims to improve outcomes for children and families.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that termly cut-off dates do not disadvantage families whose children are born mid-term resulting in the parent’s statutory maternity concluding after the 30 September leaving them ineligible for free care in the autumn term; and whether her Department plans to provide additional transitional support or flexibility to parents whose return to work is after the deadline.

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

The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.

Children become eligible for an early education and childcare place from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April, the term after they reach the relevant age and meet relevant eligibility criteria.

Depending on when a child is born and when the eligibility criteria are met, there will be differing periods to wait until the relevant termly date.

Termly deadlines enable local authorities and childcare providers to better plan and ensure sufficient early years places are available for parents each term, as there are clear periods for when children are likely to enter into a place.

Conduct of the Hon. Mr Justice Jay

Found: in 2025: • Westminster Hall - Future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme 22 January- Bradley Thomas

Submit Evidence (by 7 Jan 2026)

Following an initial evidence session in Parliament on the role of the UK’s refinery industry in the energy transition, the Committee is launching a new inquiry and call for evidence on the future of UK oil and gas.