Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the £2.61 meal rate paid to Oxfordshire schools for providing universal infant free school meals, taking into account rising (a) food, (b) energy and (c) staff costs.

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

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We spend around £600 million per year ensuring close to 1.3 million additional infants enjoy a free, healthy and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of the universal infant free school meal (UIFSM) policy in 2014.

The department has not made a formal assessment of UIFSM funding for Oxfordshire schools, but we meet regularly with the sector, including school food caterers, and draw on these insights to inform our policy thinking.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives fellows to improving equality, diversity and social mobility in the legal profession; and what steps he taking to further these aims.

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

The Ministry of Justice recognises the contribution of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) and its Fellows in improving equality, diversity and social mobility in the legal profession. I reflected this when I delivered a welcome address at the CILEX annual conference this month in Birmingham, noting that CILEX is a valuable engine of social mobility in the profession. Data showing the diversity of CILEX members is published by CILEX Regulation (CRL) in its biennial Diversity Data Survey. The most recent published survey is available here: https://cilexregulation.org.uk/diversity-data/.

The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. Under the Legal Services Act (LSA) 2007, the responsibility for regulating the sector sits with approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board (LSB). CRL is the independent regulatory body of CILEX. Encouraging an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession is one of nine regulatory objectives under the LSA 2007, which the LSB, approved regulators, and the Office for Legal Complaints, have a duty to promote.

Recent action by CRL includes publishing its first Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy, issuing its next biennial Diversity Data Survey, expanding diversity reporting in enforcement, and revising qualifying employment and experience requirements to remove barriers. CRL is refreshing its EDI Strategy this year. Steps taken by CILEX include establishing the CILEX Foundation in 2021 to remove financial and social mobility barriers and launching the CILEX Judicial Academy in 2024 to help increase diversity within the judiciary by supporting lawyers – including CILEX professionals – aspiring to judicial careers.

While respecting independence, the Ministry of Justice maintains regular dialogue with the legal services representative bodies and regulators on a range of issues including improving equality, diversity, and social mobility in the profession.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of student maintenance grants in meeting students' living costs.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The previous government removed maintenance grants, and the real-terms value of loan support for students has reduced by more than 20% over the last five years. It is essential that our government improves this.

That is why we will reintroduce targeted means-tested maintenance grants before the end of this Parliament, funded by a levy on international student fees. The grants will support students from low-income households studying courses aligned with our missions and the Industrial Strategy, and we will set out further detail at the Autumn Budget.

Additionally, the government will increase maintenance loans in line with forecast inflation every academic year. This will provide students with long-term financial certainty on the financial support they will receive while studying and ensure that students from the lowest income families receive the largest year-on-year cash increases in support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025 provided to question 86540, how many new radiotherapy treatment machines will be provided to a) Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (b) Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of the Government’s £70 million investment in new radiotherapy treatment machines, the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will receive one LINAC radiotherapy machine to replace an existing machine. The Oxford University Hospitals Trust will not receive any new radiotherapy machines from this investment. Responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines remains with local systems.

NHS Trusts which have radiotherapy treatment machines were invited to apply last year to replace a machine, with funding coming from the £70m investment. Machine allocation was based on various criteria such as the age of the machine being replaced, the proportion of older machines in use within the trust, and the trust’s performance on radiotherapy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the department has plans to implement in-ovo sexing technology.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 October 2025 to the hon. Member for Warrington South, PQ UIN 80064.

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 levels of inequality of access to hormone replacement therapy and menopause care by (a) deprivation, (b) ethnicity and (c) geography.

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

We know that more needs to be done to address the barriers to accessing menopause care experienced by women, and that some groups of women experience these even more acutely. The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions, our 10-Year Health Plan, and the renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy.

In October 2024, the NHS published a healthcare inequalities report into NHS primary care hormone replacement therapy prescribing to treat menopause symptoms. This report provides insights by age, deprivation, region, integrated care system (ICS), primary care network, local authority, electoral ward, and Core20, as well as specific medication level analysts. ICS’s and local authorities should use this information to inform policies, planning, commissioning, and promotion of services.

From 2026 onwards, local authorities will be asked to include menopause in the NHS Health Check which will support up to five million eligible women across England to access high quality information on the menopause, including advice on managing symptoms and where to seek support when they need it the most. To improve access and engagement with the NHS Health Check, a new NHS Health Check Online service is in development, which people can use at home, at a time convenient to them. The new online service is now being piloted in multiple local authorities.

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 potential merits of using closed mineral extraction sites to aid flood alleviation, rather than infilling with waste.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires that planning authorities should provide for restoration and aftercare of mineral sites at the earliest opportunity to be carried out to high environmental standards. This should include, through provision of a landscape strategy, restoration conditions and aftercare schemes as appropriate.

Responsibility for the restoration and aftercare of mineral sites, including financial responsibility, lies with the mineral site operator and, in the case of default, with the landowner.

A revised NPPF was published in December 2024. The government will consider whether further changes are necessary to manage flood risk when we consult on planning reform, including national policy related to decision making.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the statutory training (a) SENCOs and (b) teachers receive on dyscalculia.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including pupils with dyscalculia.

National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are available to education professionals at all levels. From 2024, the NPQ for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators became the mandatory qualification for SENCOs. This will play a key role in ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high quality, evidence-based training, allowing them to fulfil their central role in supporting pupils with SEND.

We know some children face real challenges in maths, particularly those with dyscalculia and other special educational needs. We are supporting schools through our national RISE Maths Hubs, helping teachers deliver effective, inclusive lessons.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to support young people living in supported housing to move on.

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

We have invested over £1 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year, which can be used flexibly to address a range of local needs, including support for young people. The Spending Review protects this record level of investment to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping for the next three years.

For young people ready to live independently, we are delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, backed by the £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme. We are also reforming the private rented sector to give more security to tenants, bringing an end to rental bidding, outlawing discrimination against prospective tenants with children or those who receive social security benefits; and preventing landlords from demanding large amounts of rent in advance.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to involve Oxfordshire residents in the decision-making process on local government reorganisation, including how communities will be consulted before final decisions are made.

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

On 5 February, the government issued invitations to councils in two-tier areas in England and neighbouring unitary councils to prepare proposals for local government reorganisation. In that invitation, we set out that any proposals involving boundary change or affecting wider public services would need a strong justification on public services and financial sustainability grounds, recognising the additional costs and complexities of implementation. We also asked that areas demonstrate how the local community has been engaged in developing proposals.

Proposals for unitary local government in Oxfordshire are due by 28 November. The government will decide which, if any, of those proposals to implement after a statutory consultation, to which the constituents of Oxfordshire will be able to respond. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications of any local government reorganisation model in Oxfordshire that would involve changes to existing district boundaries.

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

On 5 February, the government issued invitations to councils in two-tier areas in England and neighbouring unitary councils to prepare proposals for local government reorganisation. In that invitation, we set out that any proposals involving boundary change or affecting wider public services would need a strong justification on public services and financial sustainability grounds, recognising the additional costs and complexities of implementation. We also asked that areas demonstrate how the local community has been engaged in developing proposals.

Proposals for unitary local government in Oxfordshire are due by 28 November. The government will decide which, if any, of those proposals to implement after a statutory consultation, to which the constituents of Oxfordshire will be able to respond. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) provide an official NHS definition of dyscalculia and (b) whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including dyscalculia in NHS A-Z conditions.

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

The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is used to classify diseases and other health conditions and is set by the World Health Organisation. ICD-11 classifies dyscalculia as a developmental learning disorder with impairment in mathematics. We want all children who struggle with maths or any other subject to be able to receive the appropriate support so they can succeed in their education. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice is clear that meeting the needs of a child or young person with Special Educational Needs and Disability does not require a diagnostic label or test.

NHS England advises that the NHS.UK website is not intended to cover every condition, treatment, or service the National Health Service provides. If something is not currently covered, it does not mean the NHS does not recognise it. The key factors considered include:

• public demand, for insurance search engine activity;
• suitability for a national audience;
• prevalence of the condition or symptom;
• whether other trusted organisations, for instance charities, are better placed to provide this information; and
• NHS England’s ability to clinically assure and maintain the content over time.

NHS England appreciates the importance of providing information for conditions like dyscalculia and will continue to review and assess requests to ensure the NHS.UK website best serves the needs of the public.

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 potential impact of the recent FDA advisory committee discussion on the risks and benefits of HRT, on (a) product labelling and (b) patient information; and whether the MHRA plans to conduct a similar review in the UK.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department which regulates medicine, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring that medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.

Patient safety is our top priority. The MHRA keeps the safety and effectiveness of all medicines under continuous review, drawing on the latest scientific and clinical evidence.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an important treatment that helps many women manage menopause symptoms. We continually review emerging data on HRT to ensure that information and guidance in the UK reflects the latest evidence. The MHRA is currently reviewing the available evidence on HRT risks and considering whether updates to the product information are warranted for certain HRT products. This review remains ongoing, and we are currently determining the appropriate next steps based on the evidence.

Women should not make any changes to their treatment plan without first speaking to their general practitioner or healthcare professional, who can provide advice tailored to their individual circumstances.

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 role of importers and processors of grain and animal feeds in strengthening food chain security and resilience.

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

Food security is national security and is of the utmost importance. UK Food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. Imports supplement domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.

The Department continues to assess the resilience of the agri-food supply chain through regular engagement with industry and cross-government coordination.

Together with the devolved administrations, Defra has established the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG) to monitor and assess the impact of market developments across the UK. It monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments, enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reduce the time taken for and costs associated with Court of Protection applications for care decisions and (b) ensure families have access to clear, publicly available guidance on those processes.

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

HMCTS is working to increase overall system capacity to decrease processing times across all types of applications. Measures taken include a targeted action plan to allocate additional administrative resources in response to higher demand, as well as training and upskilling new staff. Additional judicial sitting days have been added to support performance improvement. HMCTS is also working on improvements to the new case management system, to help reduce overall end-to-end processing times.

Guidance on the court process is publicly available on GOV.UK. In addition, online application forms which assist users with ‘in application’ guidance and prompts are also available for some types of applications.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle the theft of (a) farm equipment and (b) livestock.

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

We will be implementing the Equipment Theft Act, making it harder for criminals to sell on stolen vehicles and equipment and assisting the police with identifying the owner.

The Act’s secondary legislation will require forensic marking to be applied to new All-Terrain Vehicles and for the details to be registered on a property database, for forensic marking to be applied to all new GPS units for use in agricultural and commercial settings, and for the details to be registered on a property database. This provides an important additional tool to help police identify if an item is stolen and to return it to its rightful owner.

Additionally, the Crime and Policing Bill introduces a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, which will help the police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.

This financial year we have provided the first Home Office funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit. The NRCU, takes the lead on improving co-ordination and partnership working, which provides police forces with specialist operational support in their responses to rural crime, such as the theft of farming machinery and livestock theft.

We have also worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver the new Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy which has just recently been published (25^th November). The strategy sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities, including theft of farming machinery and livestock theft as priority areas of focus for policing.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the apprentice rate for those over 21 or in their first year of their apprenticeship from £7.55 to the minimum wage for their age of £12.21.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government remains committed to ensuring that apprentice wages support the attraction of talented individuals into apprenticeships and remain fair for employers. The Government considers the expert and independent advice of the Low Pay Commission (LPC) when setting minimum wage rates.

Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they are aged under 19 or aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. In all other cases, they are entitled to the minimum wage for their age, so all apprentices who are aged 19 and over and have completed the first year of their apprenticeship are entitled to the minimum wage for their age. Many employers pay their apprentices more than the minimum and the latest data shows that the median gross hourly pay for apprentices in general in 2023 was £11.63 an hour.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of clause 9 (c)(5) of the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025 on public information on water quality.

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

Regulation 9 of the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025 amends Regulation 15A of the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 and requires the appropriate Minister to prepare and publish a report on the bathing season or seasons for that year.

It broadly makes the same provision for publication of annual reports as under the previous Regulation 15A but with consequential changes to reflect that there will be a discretion to set different bathing seasons under amendments made by Regulation 5 of the 2025 Regulations. There is no change in the frequency of reports (annual) nor in the content of the reports required.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2025 provided to question 76507, (i) how many NICE Technology Appraisal approved therapies are not being provided in contravention of obligations by a) Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust b) Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and c) Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and (ii) what the names of these therapies are.

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

The information requested is not held centrally.

UK access to the EU SAFE defence fund

Penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium

Snares

Heathrow airport third runway expansion

Council elections in areas pursuing devolution reform

Warm Spaces Programme

Buying community energy locally

Protections for animals and people

Support for the UK-Ukraine Trauma and Recovery Collaborative

Cancer waiting times

Tomorrow’s Engineers Week 2025

Local Housing Allowance

Holt Crafters

Mouth Cancer Action Month

50th Anniversary of women’s right to independent mortgages

UK Youth Parliament 2025

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day on 20 November 2025

UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Agreement

Safeguarding pubs, brewers and one million jobs

Tackling van and tool theft

Water scarcity and agricultural reservoirs

25th Anniversary of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000

Tenth anniversary of Storm Desmond

Detention of Hassan Mushaima and Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace

Volumetric Concrete Mobile Plants and Vehicle Weight Restrictions

President Trump’s 20-point peace plan

Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week 2025

Hair and beauty products (chemicals applied to the hair or body for cosmetic purposes) and treatments (cosmetic procedures typically performed by specialists) can cause harm to consumers if they contain unregulated ingredients or if they are improperly administered.  The inquiry will respond to recent research which has led to concerns about the current scientific evidence base and regulation for these products, as well as the required training and qualifications of specialists performing treatments.  The inquiry will also investigate the growing concern that certain products that are commonly used by marginalised groups, such as creams to ‘relax’ afro-type hair and synthetic hair, can contain harmful chemicals.

On 15 July 2025 the Defence Secretary told the House of Commons about a large-scale data breach that had taken place in 2022, when a Ministry of Defence official emailed a spreadsheet to an external contact, unaware that it contained details relating to 18,700 Afghan nationals applying for relocation.