Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential for QR code payment systems to reduce administrative costs associated with parking enforcement.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is encouraging local authorities to consider the National Parking Platform, which enables motorists to use their preferred parking app across participating areas. This supports greater choice and competition, makes parking simpler for motorists and can help reduce administrative burdens for local authorities and enforcement authorities.

The Secretary of State has not made other assessments and there are no plans to introduce QR codes as a means of digital payment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing QR codes on parking penalty charge notices.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is encouraging local authorities to consider the National Parking Platform, which enables motorists to use their preferred parking app across participating areas. This supports greater choice and competition, makes parking simpler for motorists and can help reduce administrative burdens for local authorities and enforcement authorities.

The Secretary of State has not made other assessments and there are no plans to introduce QR codes as a means of digital payment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with local authorities on increasing the use of QR codes for the payment of parking fines.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is encouraging local authorities to consider the National Parking Platform, which enables motorists to use their preferred parking app across participating areas. This supports greater choice and competition, makes parking simpler for motorists and can help reduce administrative burdens for local authorities and enforcement authorities.

The Secretary of State has not made other assessments and there are no plans to introduce QR codes as a means of digital payment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to encourage local authorities to adopt digital payment technologies that reduce administrative burdens for motorists and enforcement authorities.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is encouraging local authorities to consider the National Parking Platform, which enables motorists to use their preferred parking app across participating areas. This supports greater choice and competition, makes parking simpler for motorists and can help reduce administrative burdens for local authorities and enforcement authorities.

The Secretary of State has not made other assessments and there are no plans to introduce QR codes as a means of digital payment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has issued guidance on the use of digital payment methods, including QR codes, for parking penalty charge notices.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is encouraging local authorities to consider the National Parking Platform, which enables motorists to use their preferred parking app across participating areas. This supports greater choice and competition, makes parking simpler for motorists and can help reduce administrative burdens for local authorities and enforcement authorities.

The Secretary of State has not made other assessments and there are no plans to introduce QR codes as a means of digital payment.

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 changes to Police Pension Scheme commutation factors introduced in 2026 on officers with confirmed retirement dates.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the response given to UIN 5163 on the 3rd June 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of GP referrals to secondary care that were subject to clinical triage before an outpatient appointment was booked in the periods 1 January to 31 March 2026 and 1 April to 30 June 2026.

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

Pre-referral services such as Advice and Guidance (A&G) are used by general practitioners (GPs) and other clinicians to request quick specialist advice to help decide on the right next steps for patient care, including whether a referral is needed. A&G requests are distinct from a GP referral for clinical treatment, whereby a GP has determined a patient requires secondary care. A&G does not change the clinical threshold for which a GP can refer a patient, which remains a matter of their clinical judgement.

A&G supports timely specialist input, helping to ensure patients receive appropriate and timely assessment, clear next steps, and care in the right setting, such as ongoing management in the community, without the need for unnecessary secondary care.

Data on the number of A&G requests processed is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/outpatient-transformation/specialist-advice/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of GP referrals to secondary care that, following clinical triage, did not proceed to a booked outpatient appointment and were instead returned or redirected to the referring GP in the periods 1 January to 31 March 2026 and 1 April to 30 June 2026.

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

Pre-referral services such as Advice and Guidance (A&G) are used by general practitioners (GPs) and other clinicians to request quick specialist advice to help decide on the right next steps for patient care, including whether a referral is needed. A&G requests are distinct from a GP referral for clinical treatment, whereby a GP has determined a patient requires secondary care. A&G does not change the clinical threshold for which a GP can refer a patient, which remains a matter of their clinical judgement.

A&G supports timely specialist input, helping to ensure patients receive appropriate and timely assessment, clear next steps, and care in the right setting, such as ongoing management in the community, without the need for unnecessary secondary care.

Data on the number of A&G requests processed is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/outpatient-transformation/specialist-advice/

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 abattoirs and livestock producers in the South West on the use of non-stun slaughter and its implications for animal welfare.

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

I have various meetings with representatives of the livestock sector to discuss a range of issues.

All animals must be stunned before slaughter to make them unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception to this is when animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites, for the food of Muslims and Jews. The government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter but respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.

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 number of livestock slaughtered without prior stunning in abattoirs in the South West.

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

The Food Standards Agency carries out a periodic Slaughter Sector Survey, which includes information on different stunning methods and the number of animals each method was used for, plus the number of animals slaughtered without prior stunning. The Survey covers slaughterhouses operating in England and Wales, but doesn’t present regional data separately.

During the week for the 2024 Survey, 97% of poultry and 85% of red meat animals were stunned before slaughter. The 2024 Survey Report can be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farm-animals-slaughter-sector-survey-2024. The 2026 Survey will be published later this year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent support her Department has provided to farmers affected by Bluetongue virus in West Dorset constituency.

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

Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for livestock keepers who are dealing with the impacts of this disease.

Defra, working closely with APHA, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), The Pirbright Institute and industry partners, has taken a range of actions to support the sector.

This includes, ensuring farmers receive timely information and practical guidance, implementing and maintaining control measures based on the latest scientific and veterinary advice, and increasing testing capacity. Information has been shared through regular disease alerts, social media updates, weekly communications to livestock keepers and a programme of industry webinars. The Battle Bluetongue campaign, running with industry partners since early 2025, continues to urge farmers to work with their private vet to vaccinate their animals.

With vaccination, the only viable long-term control measure, Defra is also working closely with the VMD and other partners to monitor vaccine availability and support continuity of supply. Including by working with vaccine companies to make available additional stocks to farmers over the autumn.

England and Wales have both been BTV restricted zones since November 2025. This supports farmers by allowing free movement of animals within the zones, including to market where they are not showing clinical signs of disease.

This Government also works closely with industry, veterinary professionals and farming welfare organisations to ensure that affected farmers have access to the latest welfare support. Details can be found on Wellbeing support for farmers and through the Rural Payments Agency helpline on (03000 200 301).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent support her Department has provided to farmers affected by Bluetongue virus.

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

Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for livestock keepers who are dealing with the impacts of this disease.

Defra, working closely with APHA, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), The Pirbright Institute and industry partners, has taken a range of actions to support the sector.

This includes, ensuring farmers receive timely information and practical guidance, implementing and maintaining control measures based on the latest scientific and veterinary advice, and increasing testing capacity. Information has been shared through regular disease alerts, social media updates, weekly communications to livestock keepers and a programme of industry webinars. The Battle Bluetongue campaign, running with industry partners since early 2025, continues to urge farmers to work with their private vet to vaccinate their animals.

With vaccination, the only viable long-term control measure, Defra is also working closely with the VMD and other partners to monitor vaccine availability and support continuity of supply. Including by working with vaccine companies to make available additional stocks to farmers over the autumn.

England and Wales have both been BTV restricted zones since November 2025. This supports farmers by allowing free movement of animals within the zones, including to market where they are not showing clinical signs of disease.

This Government also works closely with industry, veterinary professionals and farming welfare organisations to ensure that affected farmers have access to the latest welfare support. Details can be found on Wellbeing support for farmers and through the Rural Payments Agency helpline on (03000 200 301).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of out of hours environment agency staff to respond to blue tongue virus reports.

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

Responsibility for responding to reports of bluetongue virus rests with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Where required, the Environment Agency (EA) supports APHA on regulatory, waste management and pollution prevention issues, including ensuring that any waste arising from disease control activities is managed in accordance with the law. The EA maintains a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week incident response capability across England, enabling timely response to incidents that present serious or significant risks to 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 recent steps her Department has taken to prevent symptoms of the Bluetongue virus, alongside vaccinations.

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

Defra and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) are working closely with manufacturers and other partners to monitor availability and support continuity of supply across Great Britain, including Oxfordshire. Defra and VMS have taken proactive regulatory action to expedite the import of authorised Northern Ireland and European Union-authorised BTV-3 vaccines, helping to increase vaccine availability in Great Britain. As a result, several million additional vaccines have been made available through August and into autumn.

The industry-led Battle Bluetongue campaign, supported by the UK Government, has also been encouraging vaccine uptake and raising awareness of the benefits of vaccination since its launch in 2025.

Vaccination remains the most effective and viable long-term control measure against bluetongue. Defra continues to urge keepers of susceptible animals to speak to their private veterinarian about vaccination and to place orders as early as possible.

Alongside vaccination, Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency support disease surveillance, testing, prompt reporting of suspected cases, control measures designed to limit the spread of infection and clear guidance for livestock keepers to help reduce the spread and impact of the disease.

Farmers do not need to wait for test results to confirm BTV before accessing veterinary support for animals with disease symptoms.

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 response time of authorities to reports of blue tongue virus.

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

Defra and the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) keep veterinary and operational arrangements under continual review as part of its response to the current bluetongue outbreak. Suspected cases of bluetongue are investigated as part of established disease control procedures, and resources are deployed in line with operational priorities and disease risk. This Government continues to monitor the effectiveness of its response to the current outbreak and to work closely with industry and veterinary stakeholders to support disease surveillance and control activities.

The department recognises the pressures that the increased number of reports has placed on veterinary services and continue to monitor the situation closely. Farmers should also be reassured that expanded testing capacity is in place, with APHA operationally supporting The Pirbright Institute to deliver bluetongue testing.

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 veterinary capacity to respond to blue tongue virus reports.

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

Defra and the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) keep veterinary and operational arrangements under continual review as part of its response to the current bluetongue outbreak. Suspected cases of bluetongue are investigated as part of established disease control procedures, and resources are deployed in line with operational priorities and disease risk. This Government continues to monitor the effectiveness of its response to the current outbreak and to work closely with industry and veterinary stakeholders to support disease surveillance and control activities.

The department recognises the pressures that the increased number of reports has placed on veterinary services and continue to monitor the situation closely. Farmers should also be reassured that expanded testing capacity is in place, with APHA operationally supporting The Pirbright Institute to deliver bluetongue testing.

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 had discussions with representatives of the farming sector on the level of funding available under replacement farm support schemes.

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

Defra regularly and actively engages with representatives from the farming industry through regular meetings and discussions, ensuring their views are heard, their concerns are understood, and their feedback considered.

In particular, Defra engaged over 30 stakeholder organisations on the policy design of the SFI26 offer.

This engagement included farmer representatives such as the National Farmers Union and the Tenant Farmers Association, ensuring the views of smaller farm businesses were fully considered.

Defra utilised the insight gathered from this engagement in developing the SFI26 offer, Window 1 of which was open 30 June – 28 August 2026 and Window 2 of which opens later this month.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of council tax premium rules on owners of fire-damaged properties in West Dorset.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

There is no specific council tax exemption for properties damaged by fire. However, where a property needs a significant amount of work in order to be inhabited again, it may be removed from the council tax valuation list by the Valuation Office (VO). It is for the VO to determine whether a property should remain on the valuation list in individual cases. No council tax is payable while a property is removed from the list.

Councils have discretionary powers to apply a council tax premium on dwellings which are no one’s sole or main residence and substantially furnished (second homes) and dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for 1 or more years (long-term empty homes). The premiums are not mandatory, and it is for councils to decide whether to implement the premiums. Where a dwelling requires or is undergoing major repairs it may be excepted from the long-term empty homes premium for up to 12 months.

Councils have the power to provide their own local exceptions or provide discretionary discounts where they consider this appropriate. The government encourages councils to make use of their local expertise to consider where a premium should not be charged. Households may wish to contact their council directly about this.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities in England are able to charge a second homes council tax premium on fire-damaged properties where furniture remains solely because access is restricted for safety reasons.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

There is no specific council tax exemption for properties damaged by fire. However, where a property needs a significant amount of work in order to be inhabited again, it may be removed from the council tax valuation list by the Valuation Office (VO). It is for the VO to determine whether a property should remain on the valuation list in individual cases. No council tax is payable while a property is removed from the list.

Councils have discretionary powers to apply a council tax premium on dwellings which are no one’s sole or main residence and substantially furnished (second homes) and dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for 1 or more years (long-term empty homes). The premiums are not mandatory, and it is for councils to decide whether to implement the premiums. Where a dwelling requires or is undergoing major repairs it may be excepted from the long-term empty homes premium for up to 12 months.

Councils have the power to provide their own local exceptions or provide discretionary discounts where they consider this appropriate. The government encourages councils to make use of their local expertise to consider where a premium should not be charged. Households may wish to contact their council directly about this.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of applying a second homes council tax premium to owners of fire-damaged properties awaiting repair or remediation.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

There is no specific council tax exemption for properties damaged by fire. However, where a property needs a significant amount of work in order to be inhabited again, it may be removed from the council tax valuation list by the Valuation Office (VO). It is for the VO to determine whether a property should remain on the valuation list in individual cases. No council tax is payable while a property is removed from the list.

Councils have discretionary powers to apply a council tax premium on dwellings which are no one’s sole or main residence and substantially furnished (second homes) and dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for 1 or more years (long-term empty homes). The premiums are not mandatory, and it is for councils to decide whether to implement the premiums. Where a dwelling requires or is undergoing major repairs it may be excepted from the long-term empty homes premium for up to 12 months.

Councils have the power to provide their own local exceptions or provide discretionary discounts where they consider this appropriate. The government encourages councils to make use of their local expertise to consider where a premium should not be charged. Households may wish to contact their council directly about this.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on the application of council tax premiums to uninhabitable residential properties.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

There is no specific council tax exemption for properties damaged by fire. However, where a property needs a significant amount of work in order to be inhabited again, it may be removed from the council tax valuation list by the Valuation Office (VO). It is for the VO to determine whether a property should remain on the valuation list in individual cases. No council tax is payable while a property is removed from the list.

Councils have discretionary powers to apply a council tax premium on dwellings which are no one’s sole or main residence and substantially furnished (second homes) and dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for 1 or more years (long-term empty homes). The premiums are not mandatory, and it is for councils to decide whether to implement the premiums. Where a dwelling requires or is undergoing major repairs it may be excepted from the long-term empty homes premium for up to 12 months.

Councils have the power to provide their own local exceptions or provide discretionary discounts where they consider this appropriate. The government encourages councils to make use of their local expertise to consider where a premium should not be charged. Households may wish to contact their council directly about this.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with Dorset Council on the application of second homes council tax premiums to uninhabitable fire-damaged properties in West Dorset.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

There is no specific council tax exemption for properties damaged by fire. However, where a property needs a significant amount of work in order to be inhabited again, it may be removed from the council tax valuation list by the Valuation Office (VO). It is for the VO to determine whether a property should remain on the valuation list in individual cases. No council tax is payable while a property is removed from the list.

Councils have discretionary powers to apply a council tax premium on dwellings which are no one’s sole or main residence and substantially furnished (second homes) and dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for 1 or more years (long-term empty homes). The premiums are not mandatory, and it is for councils to decide whether to implement the premiums. Where a dwelling requires or is undergoing major repairs it may be excepted from the long-term empty homes premium for up to 12 months.

Councils have the power to provide their own local exceptions or provide discretionary discounts where they consider this appropriate. The government encourages councils to make use of their local expertise to consider where a premium should not be charged. Households may wish to contact their council directly about this.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the application of council tax premiums to fire-damaged residential properties that cannot be occupied on the owners of those properties.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

There is no specific council tax exemption for properties damaged by fire. However, where a property needs a significant amount of work in order to be inhabited again, it may be removed from the council tax valuation list by the Valuation Office (VO). It is for the VO to determine whether a property should remain on the valuation list in individual cases. No council tax is payable while a property is removed from the list.

Councils have discretionary powers to apply a council tax premium on dwellings which are no one’s sole or main residence and substantially furnished (second homes) and dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for 1 or more years (long-term empty homes). The premiums are not mandatory, and it is for councils to decide whether to implement the premiums. Where a dwelling requires or is undergoing major repairs it may be excepted from the long-term empty homes premium for up to 12 months.

Councils have the power to provide their own local exceptions or provide discretionary discounts where they consider this appropriate. The government encourages councils to make use of their local expertise to consider where a premium should not be charged. Households may wish to contact their council directly about this.

Political donations and campaign finance regulation

Second Reading of the Mental Capacity (Duty to Assess) Bill

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (No. 2)

Publication of Legal Advice on Local Government Reorganisation

Devon maternity services

Local Housing Allowance rates

Found: Select Committee Changes or Nominations Resolved, Edward Morello to be discharged and Helen Maguire