Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has taken steps to address the delays to licenses being reinstated after a medical revocation by the DVLA, and the impact the current delays are having on individuals waiting for their licenses to be reinstated.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has seen sustained growth in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued. The length of time taken to deal with an application often depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a licence can be issued.

To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its Drivers Medical function and has launched a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements for drivers with medical conditions.

The DVLA also launched a new digital medical services portal for customers in March, which covers around 1600 medical conditions. This service has recently been enhanced allowing more drivers to apply online, including those renewing their licence at the age of 70, those applying for a provisional licence and those whose licences were previously surrendered a revoked.

These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with these applications, will deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers.

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 help increase the use of clinical trials for research into pancreatic cancer.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question 16704.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of (a) the adequacy of the statutory framework governing surplus extraction under the Pension Schemes Act 2026 for providing sufficient protection for scheme members, and (b) the potential impact of the fact that there is no requirement for members to receive a share of released surplus before payments are made to sponsoring employers on protections for scheme members.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government published an Impact Assessment alongside the Pension Schemes Act 2026, which included an assessment of member security impacts from surplus extraction is considered low.

Decisions to release surplus will be subject to trustee discretion and underpinned by strict safeguards. Trustees, who are required to act in the interests of scheme beneficiaries, will determine how members may benefit from any release of surplus.

We have recently consulted on draft regulations setting out the requirements for surplus release and protections for scheme members. They require actuarial certification that scheme funds remain sufficient to pay members’ promised pensions, both at the point of release and under a forward-looking test. The scheme actuary must be satisfied that the sufficiency test will continue to be met for a three year period after surplus funds have been released to employers and any additional member benefits which may have been included, ensuring that member protections are not eroded. Schemes will remain subject to the statutory funding framework.

When the surplus regulations come into force, the Pensions Regulator will issue guidance outlining matters for trustees to consider when releasing surplus, including whether members may also benefit. This guidance will be subject to consultation before it is published.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the sufficiency of the incentives under the surplus extraction provisions in the Pension Schemes Act 2026 for sponsoring employers to share surplus funds with (a) scheme members and (b) members whose pre-1997 pension benefits do not receive annual increases.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Pension Schemes Act 2026 provides greater flexibility for more trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to share surplus, while maintaining strong protections for members. Scheme trustees, working with sponsoring employers, will be responsible for decisions on surplus release and must act in the interests of scheme beneficiaries. They will determine how members may benefit from any release of surplus, which could include discretionary benefit increases. As part of any agreement to release surplus funds to the employer, trustees may negotiate additional benefits for members.

The Government recognises that some members have pre-1997 accrued pension rights that are not subject to statutory annual increases. The Pensions Regulator already expects trustees to consider members who would benefit from discretionary increases and to take account of any history of making such awards.

When the surplus regulations come into force, the Regulator will issue guidance outlining matters for trustees to consider when releasing surplus, including whether members may also benefit. This guidance will be consulted on before it is published.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of (a) the costs and benefits for local authorities of installing underground refuse collection systems and (b) the potential impact on (i) collection efficiency, (ii) streetscape quality, and (iii) fly-tipping costs.

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

Collection methodology is a local decision. Government guidance states that local authorities should decide collection methodology in a way that meets local needs, provides value for money for the taxpayer, and does not lead to build-up of odorous waste at the kerbside or an increase in fly-tipping of residual waste.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans her Department maintains to ensure the continued availability of essential food supplies in the event of significant domestic or international crop failures caused by extreme weather.

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

The UK has a resilient food supply chain underpinned by diverse sources, and this diversity remains a core strength, supporting response to disruptions without significant impact on national food security.

We are investing in resilience; spending £200 million up to 2030 through the Farming Innovation Programme, including an extra £50 million for Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements for short- and long-term resilience to our changing climate.

The Government has committed to develop adaptation objectives to improve preparedness for the impacts of climate change. This will support an ambitious and impactful fourth National Adaptation Programme due in 2028.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) water recycling, (b) new reservoirs, (c) leakage reduction and (d) desalination as measures to increase water supply resilience.

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

Water companies set out how they will provide a secure water supply through their Water Resources Management Plans. Within their plans, water companies must consider all demand management and water resources infrastructure options, including leakage reduction, water recycling, reservoirs and desalination, to ensure the most effective solutions are selected.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance service's enforcement methods.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has a strong range of enforcement powers to address non-compliance, including deductions from earnings and bank accounts, the use of Enforcement Agents, disqualification from driving, passport disqualification, and committal to prison in the most serious cases. These are very effective; 7% of all maintenance arranged since the launch of the 2012 scheme remain to be collected through the ‘collect and pay’ service.

But the Government is not complacent and has plans for CMS reform. It has confirmed its intention to remove Direct Pay and move to a single, strengthened Collect and Pay service.

There are also plans to introduce Administrative Liability Orders. These will replace the current requirement for the CMS to apply to the court for a liability order. Introducing a simpler administrative process will enable the CMS to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities and will get money to children more quickly.

These changes combined will enable the CMS to monitor all payments, identify missed or partial payments more quickly, and take faster enforcement action.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what consideration he has given to the potential merits of allowing employees an entitlement of leave for attending family court proceedings.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

We recognise that individuals may need to attend court in a personal capacity and believe that employers and employees are often best placed to agree arrangements that reflect individual circumstances. Existing workplace arrangements, including annual leave, unpaid leave, and flexible working, can help employees manage personal commitments alongside their work responsibilities. We are making changes through the Employment Rights Act 2025 to make it more likely that flexible working requests are accepted. However, the Government has no current plans to introduce a statutory entitlement to leave for employees attending family court proceedings.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support from her Department is available to farmers seeking to diversify into more climate-resilient crops.

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

Defra funds crop breeding R&D to improve crop resilience through the Genetic Improvement Networks. This £15 million 5 year investment (2024-29) helps crops to grow stronger, be more resilient to pests, diseases and a changing climate with enhanced input efficiencies.  The Farming Innovation Programme also supports investment in R&D such as projects focused on climate resilient crops, boosting defence to pests and disease as well as drought tolerance.

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 risk that climate change poses to the UK’s food security.

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

The UK Food Security Report 2024 showed that climate change has weakened food supply stability. Despite this, the UK continues to have a high degree of food security due to the continued resilience of our food production and global trading systems. Defra is investing in resilience; spending £200 million up to 2030 through the Farming Innovation Programme for short- and long-term resilience to our changing climate.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Armed Forces are taking to prepare for an increase in requests for military support during (a) floods, (b) wildfires and (c) other extreme weather events.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Wildfire response is the responsibility of local Fire and Rescue Services. In England, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is the lead government department for fire and rescue policy, while responsibility in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits with the devolved governments. Together, these organisations are responsible for assessing wildfire risk, maintaining appropriate levels of capability and readiness at the local level and managing the response to incidents.

Defence continues to assess its own ability to support any wildfire response in line with affordability and overall effectiveness. Defence has a range of capabilities that may be made available through Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA), subject to operational availability and competing Defence commitments. These include personnel, engineering and logistics support, command and control, reconnaissance and specialist capabilities. However, these capabilities are primarily maintained for Defence tasks and not all are held at readiness specifically for domestic wildfire response.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the levels of capability and readiness of the Armed Forces and civil emergency services to respond to wildfires.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Wildfire response is the responsibility of local Fire and Rescue Services. In England, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is the lead government department for fire and rescue policy, while responsibility in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits with the devolved governments. Together, these organisations are responsible for assessing wildfire risk, maintaining appropriate levels of capability and readiness at the local level and managing the response to incidents.

Defence continues to assess its own ability to support any wildfire response in line with affordability and overall effectiveness. Defence has a range of capabilities that may be made available through Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA), subject to operational availability and competing Defence commitments. These include personnel, engineering and logistics support, command and control, reconnaissance and specialist capabilities. However, these capabilities are primarily maintained for Defence tasks and not all are held at readiness specifically for domestic wildfire response.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of commissioning a national Climate Alert App to provide citizens with up-to-date information and advice on climate-related risks, including flooding, drought and wildfire, and guidance on adapting to and mitigating those risks.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The recently launched Common Warnings Framework makes weather and flood warnings more consistent and easier to understand through a common risk matrix and terminology across organisations.

This week the Environment Agency launches the ‘Flood Action Online' website, serving as a ‘one-stop-shop’, connecting people to existing services and flood information support.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of current measures that familiarise judges with reports prior to hearings in family courts.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The listing and management of cases, including preparation for hearings in the family court and the Family Division of the High Court, are matters for the independent judiciary. It would therefore not be appropriate for the Secretary of State to assess the effectiveness of the measures used.

The court has an overriding duty under the Family Procedure Rules 2010 to deal with cases justly, including by actively managing cases. This will include timetabling the filing of reports. Supplementing those Rules, Practice Direction 27A provides for the court bundle, which contains the evidence the judge needs to consider, to be filed five days before the hearing. This is intended to give time for the judge to familiarise themselves with reports and other documents.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that repeat litigation is not used maliciously in child arrangement cases.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

This Government recognises that repeat applications, or threats of further applications, to the family court can be used maliciously, and as a method of continuing domestic abuse. This is completely unacceptable.

The family court has clear powers under section 91(14) of the Children Act 1989 to prevent an individual from making further applications under the Children Act 1989 without the court’s permission.

Section 91A of the Children Act 1989, that was inserted by section 67(3) of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, clarifies that the court can make these orders, either on an application or of its own motion. The circumstances in which the court can make a section 91(14) order, among others, include where further applications for an order under the Children Act 1989 would risk causing harm to a child or relevant adult, particularly where repeated applications could amount to a form of continuing domestic abuse. Where a section 91(14) order is in place, the court must consider whether circumstances have materially changed before granting permission for a new application.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of appointing a brain cancer lead in her Department.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 25 June in response to Question 9944, I refer the Hon. Members to the press release published on GOV.UK on 14 October concerning new action the Government is taking to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brain-cancer-patients-to-see-faster-development-of-new-treatments

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 support carers who take care of people with rare cancers.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 25 June in response to Question 9944, I refer the Hon. Members to the press release published on GOV.UK on 14 October concerning new action the Government is taking to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brain-cancer-patients-to-see-faster-development-of-new-treatments

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the means to improve diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 25 June in response to Question 9944, I refer the Hon. Members to the press release published on GOV.UK on 14 October concerning new action the Government is taking to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brain-cancer-patients-to-see-faster-development-of-new-treatments

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve innovation and technology for brain cancer treatment.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 25 June in response to Question 9944, I refer the Hon. Members to the press release published on GOV.UK on 14 October concerning new action the Government is taking to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brain-cancer-patients-to-see-faster-development-of-new-treatments

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of legal aid for people who have extended or multiple hearings in family courts.

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

This Government recognises the vital role that legal aid plays in supporting individuals involved in family proceedings, including long and complex cases that involve multiple hearings.

Legal aid remains available throughout eligible family proceedings regardless of length or complexity. This ensures that individuals who qualify for support can continue to receive legal advice and representation where required, as long as they continue to satisfy the relevant statutory requirements. The family legal aid fee schemes make provision for representation at multiple hearings, including fact-finding and final hearings. There is no prescribed upper limit on the number of hearings for which representation may be provided, nor the overall length of proceedings.

The Government keeps family legal aid provision under review and we regularly engage with legal aid providers and representative bodies to understand how legal aid is operating in practice.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the summary of responses to the call for evidence on park home sales commission.

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

The government recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home.

The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here.

On 5 March 2026, my Department published a 12-week call for evidence regarding the rationale for the payment of a commission. It can be found on gov.uk here.

We are currently analysing the feedback received and remain committed to publishing a detailed summary of responses ahead of announcing the government's final position by the end of the year.

Cancer treatment in rural areas

Political donations and campaign finance regulation

Society lottery limits

Cosmetic specifications for fresh produce and national food security

Public disorder in Southampton and Belfast

Warm Homes Plan

Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

Found: Malthouse (Conservative; North West Hampshire) Samantha Niblett (Labour; South Derbyshire) Freddie van Mierlo