Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle anti-social behaviour in large housing developments.

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

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

We understand that ASB causes great harm and misery to our communities, and, if left unchecked, can lead to more serious offending.

When tenants commit anti-social behaviour (ASB) it can cause misery for housemates, neighbours, and the wider community. While we are clear that it’s better to resolve issues without eviction, regaining possession is sometimes necessary, and landlords should have the tools they need to keep people safe.

That is why the Renters’ Rights Bill will shorten the notice period for the existing mandatory eviction ground, with landlords being able to make a claim to the court immediately in all cases of anti-social behaviour.

The Bill also amends the matters that judges must consider when deciding whether to award possession under the discretionary ground. This will ensure judges give particular regard to whether tenants have engaged with efforts to resolve their behaviour and the impact on other tenants within HMOs.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 gives social landlords, the police and local authorities have a range of powers and tools to tackle housing related ASB, including a Civil Injunction under Section 1 of that Act, and local agencies are expected to use those powers promptly and proportionately, putting the needs of victims at the heart of their response.

We will crack down on those making neighbourhoods feel unsafe and unwelcoming by introducing the new Respect Order, which local authorities will be able to apply for and which will carry tough sanctions and penalties for persistent adult offenders.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to introduce a standardised national framework for supporting children with SEND.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

We are aware of the challenges in the SEND system and understand how urgently they need to be addressed.

We will build a better system which is grounded in evidence, identifies and supports need at the earliest opportunity, and ensures families can secure support swiftly without a fight.

We are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to put the SEN support arrangements on a statutory footing.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

We are aware of the challenges in the SEND system and understand how urgently they need to be addressed.

We will build a better system which is grounded in evidence, identifies and supports need at the earliest opportunity, and ensures families can secure support swiftly without a fight.

We are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the recently announced £15,000 bursary for SEND-specialist teacher trainees will include those training to become multi-sensory impairment teachers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department recently announced that the further education (FE) initial teacher education bursaries programme will continue to be available for the 2026/27 academic year. Eligible subjects include special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with bursaries worth £15,000 each, tax free.

The SEND bursary is intended to support new teachers training to work with learners with a wide range of SEND in FE settings. This could include learners with multi-sensory impairments.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the progress of children with SEND is accurately measured.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Through the school census, the department collects data on the performance of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across the country. We use this to routinely publish data on the outcomes of pupils with special educational needs throughout their education, including attainment, absence, exclusions and progression to further and higher education.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review is reviewing how performance measures incentivise behaviour and outcomes for every child. Once the final report is published, the government will respond, including consideration of its recommendations on performance measures.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure provision is available for all disabled children to receive an education in schools rather than at home.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special and alternative provision schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

We expect schools to welcome all pupils, including those with disabilities. The Equality Act 2010 outlines the duties of schools to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children and young people. Settings will be held to account for their support for pupils with disabilities through Ofsted, who are focusing on inclusion in their new approach to inspection.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of multi-sensory impairment teachers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It is the responsibility of local authorities, schools, and further education (FE) settings to commission appropriately qualified staff to support the education of children and young people in their area.

To teach a class of pupils with sensory impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI). This is in addition to qualified teacher status (QTS) and must be achieved within three years. Teachers working in an advisory role to support these pupils should also hold the appropriate qualification. To offer MQSIs, providers must be approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. There are currently seven providers of the MQSI.

An apprenticeship in sensory impairment has been available since September 2025 and will open up a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments. This will improve the supply of those qualified to teach this important cohort and further help to improve their outcomes.

Trainee teachers intending to work as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) specialists in the FE sector are eligible for a training bursary worth £15,000, tax free. The bursary will again be offered in the 2026/27 academic year. SEND specialist teachers working with learners with sensory impairments are eligible to apply for the bursary.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of taking steps to help ensure that all local authorities employ multi-sensory impairment teachers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It is the responsibility of local authorities, schools, and further education (FE) settings to commission appropriately qualified staff to support the education of children and young people in their area.

To teach a class of pupils with sensory impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI). This is in addition to qualified teacher status (QTS) and must be achieved within three years. Teachers working in an advisory role to support these pupils should also hold the appropriate qualification. To offer MQSIs, providers must be approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. There are currently seven providers of the MQSI.

An apprenticeship in sensory impairment has been available since September 2025 and will open up a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments. This will improve the supply of those qualified to teach this important cohort and further help to improve their outcomes.

Trainee teachers intending to work as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) specialists in the FE sector are eligible for a training bursary worth £15,000, tax free. The bursary will again be offered in the 2026/27 academic year. SEND specialist teachers working with learners with sensory impairments are eligible to apply for the bursary.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve recruitment and retention of multi-sensory impairment teachers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It is the responsibility of local authorities, schools, and further education (FE) settings to commission appropriately qualified staff to support the education of children and young people in their area.

To teach a class of pupils with sensory impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI). This is in addition to qualified teacher status (QTS) and must be achieved within three years. Teachers working in an advisory role to support these pupils should also hold the appropriate qualification. To offer MQSIs, providers must be approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. There are currently seven providers of the MQSI.

An apprenticeship in sensory impairment has been available since September 2025 and will open up a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments. This will improve the supply of those qualified to teach this important cohort and further help to improve their outcomes.

Trainee teachers intending to work as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) specialists in the FE sector are eligible for a training bursary worth £15,000, tax free. The bursary will again be offered in the 2026/27 academic year. SEND specialist teachers working with learners with sensory impairments are eligible to apply for the bursary.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with (a) her Nigerian counterpart and (b) governors of Nigerian states on malnutrition in that country.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 2 October to Question 73649.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of its policies in tackling malnutrition in Nigeria.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 2 October to Question 73649.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with NGOs on tackling malnutrition in Nigeria.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 2 October to Question 73649.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reductions in the international aid budget on malnutrition in Nigeria.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 2 October to Question 73649.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help protect parliamentarians from espionage carried out by foreign intelligence services.

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

The Defending Democracy Taskforce works closely with Parliament and the Parliamentary Security Department (PSD), to raise awareness and strengthen the protection of our Parliamentarians and their teams against a range of threats including foreign interference and espionage.

As Chair of the DDTF, I wrote to all Members of Parliament in July to highlight the security offers available to them. On 13 October 2025, MI5’s National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) published guidance for Parliamentarians, other elected officials and their staff to ensure awareness of the steps they can take to better protect themselves and the institutions they work in from state threats.

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 ensure equality of access to tofersen by people diagnosed with SOD1 motor neurone disease across England.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.

NICE has selected tofersen for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by the superoxide dismutase – 1 (SOD1) gene mutations as a topic for guidance development through its Highly Specialised Technology (HST) programme. The HST programme appraises medicines for the treatment of very rare, and often very severe diseases, and evaluates whether they can be considered a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources. NICE has not yet been able to start the evaluation of tofersen as it is unable to issue guidance on the use of the technology without receiving an evidence submission about the technology’s clinical and cost-effectiveness from the marketing authorisation holder. Therefore, NICE is ready to review tofersen via its HST programme, as soon as Biogen indicates that it is ready to start the NICE evaluation.

I am aware that the marketing authorisation holder has established early access programmes (EAPs) through which some patients are currently accessing tofersen. Participation in company-led schemes is decided at an individual NHS trust level and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both patients taking part in it, and to the NHS, but NHS trusts must still cover the administration costs and must provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP. No assessment has been made of regional variation in access to tofersen through the programme.

NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks. ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any of these schemes, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

Community Connexions Gloucestershire

Conduct of Sir Robbie Gibb and the independence of the BBC Board

Release of Alaa Abd El-Fattah and the plight of British nationals arbitrarily detained abroad

Jordan Codices

RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Units

Conduct of Samir Zitouni and Stephen Crean on the 18.25 Doncaster to Kings Cross train on 1 November 2025

Protections for animals and people

Taxi accessibility for disabled people

Scientific hearing on animal experiments

Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief

Implications for rural communities of the Autumn Budget 2024

Farmers, growers and the supermarket supply chain

Impact of extreme weather on farming

Fossil fuel company profits

Government proposals for mandatory digital ID

Medical Defence Union 140th anniversary

Great Western Railway train cancellations

Warm Homes Plan

Eligibility variations in access to IVF

National Cancer Plan

Water bills

Conduct of the hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby

80 years of the Moomins

Found: Stephenson (Conservative; Mid Bedfordshire) Alison Taylor (Labour; Paisley and Renfrewshire North) Cameron Thomas