Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Henley and Thame dated 10 October 2025 on the handling of the transitional protection remedy by teachers’ pensions.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I can confirm that a response to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Henley and Thame dated 10 October 2025 was sent on 8 December 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the sufficiency of current driving instruction in equipping new drivers with the knowledge and practical skills required for safe motorway driving, including appropriate lane usage; and whether consideration has been given to requiring supervised motorway driving as part of initial learner training and assessment.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to promote voluntary motorway lessons with approved instructors after theory test success, ensuring that all drivers can gain appropriate experience in a structured, supportive environment. However, DVSA has no current plans to mandate that all learner drivers must undertake motorway driving prior to their driving test, for several key reasons.

Not all learners have convenient access to motorways, with many candidates living in rural or remote areas where the nearest motorway may be some distance away. Requiring all candidates to drive on a motorway would risk creating an unfair barrier to test readiness and accessibility.

While motorway driving is valuable, the practical driving test already includes a strong focus on high-speed driving environments. Dual carriageways, which can present even greater risk due to variable traffic flows, mixed vehicle types, and more frequent junctions, are included in test routes, wherever possible. They provide critical opportunities to assess a candidate’s ability to manage higher speeds and complex traffic situations.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of leaving the EU single market on graduate employment opportunities.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is committed to ensuring graduates have the skills and support needed to succeed in the modern economy, which is why the Industrial Strategy will provide an additional £1.2bn of investment in the skills system by 2028-29.

The Department for Work and Pensions has an established network of partnerships to enhance graduate employment opportunities. DWP are reforming Jobcentre Plus to create a new, more personalised employment support service across Great Britain to recognise that individuals - including graduates - have different needs.

However, the Department for Business and Trade has made no specific assessment of the impact of leaving the EU single market on graduate employment opportunities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is she taking to ensure there is adequate funding and checks at border security for veterinary and meat imports to protect the farming industry against importing issues like foot and mouth disease or African Swine Fever.

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

Border checks undertaken by competent authorities are an important element of the system designed to manage biosecurity risks.

The SPS controls at the border on EU goods implemented under the Border Target Operating Model provide assurance that the underlying systems of controls are working as intended. This includes import conditions, certification signed by veterinarian authorities in exporting countries, risk assessments, border checks, and other intelligence led controls.

Defra is working with the Home Office and Border Force and has provided significant funding for Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) to ensure operations around detecting illegal meat imports are as effective as possible.

Defra has committed £3.1m for DPHA to work in partnership with Border Force in seizing meat smuggled via the Port of Dover in 2025/26, additional to over £9m of funding provided to date. Defra is considering the recommendations in the EFRA Committee’s report on meat smuggling.

For Defra’s full response to the EFRA committee report, please see here.

Defra publishes assessments of the risk of animal diseases entering Great Britain through trade in animal products here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 90952 on Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025, if she can outline the (a) local and (b) national stakeholders who she will engage with during the initial scoping work and set out a timeline for the initial scoping work .

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

Defra recognise that there have been changes in how and where people use bathing waters since the Bathing Water Regulations were introduced in 2013. That is why we are taking forward a programme of reforms to introduce the first overhaul of the rules governing the designation and monitoring of Bathing Waters since they were introduced. Reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 are part of a wider government effort to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment, and restore trust and accountability through root and branch reform. Further detail on the Government’s plans for water reform will be set out through a White Paper and a new water reform bill, marking the most fundamental reset to our water system in a generation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) what assessment has the Department made of the impact that delays in UK Visas and Immigration processing times are having on the ability of hospitality businesses to recruit seasonal and skilled workers, and (b) what steps she is taking to help reduce these delays to support employers during peak trading periods.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

UKVI are not currently experiencing any delays against our published service standards for either Seasonal or Skilled Workers.

These can be found at:

Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK

Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK

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 she made of the potential impact of Farming in Protected Landscapes funded projects on children; and whether she will bring forward policy proposals to fund these projects beyond 2026.

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

Since its launch in 2021, the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme has provided funding for nearly 11,000 farmers and land managers to work in partnership with National Parks and National Landscape bodies to deliver projects that benefit the countryside for climate, nature, people and place. The FiPL programme has engaged over 2,000 schools and delivered more than 8,000 school educational visits helping children to get involved and learn about nature.

The FiPL programme is due to end March 2026, and decisions on the future of the programme will be made as part of departmental business planning.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme will be reintroduced in Henley and Thame constituency.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Our priority currently is to provide gigabit-capable coverage to as many premises as possible in Henley and Thame constituency through our Project Gigabit contracts, rather than through other schemes.

Project Gigabit contracts give better certainty of delivery than voucher projects, and also involve lower administrative overhead for suppliers and communities as well as the government. Future delivery is therefore much more likely to be through contracts rather than voucher delivery in most areas.

We will continue to monitor progress and review the need for further support as delivery continues. If gaps in coverage are identified, further interventions, including reopening the voucher scheme, may be considered.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of SEND tribunal waiting times on the ability of families to hold local authorities to account for non-provision of SEND support.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The volume of appeals to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Tribunal means that some families face a year-long wait for a hearing, lengthening the time it takes for children and young people to get the support they need. We are working with the Ministry of Justice and His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service to ensure appeals are heard faster, including through the recruitment of 70 new judges, more cases being resolved ‘on paper’, hearings being held in school holidays, and the prioritisation of appeals for those who are moving between education phases.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to improve decision making times at the Valuation Office Agency.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The VOA is meeting the majority of its performance targets. In the areas where it isn’t, it has robust service recovery plans in place. These include moving staff to where there is the greatest customer demand and upskilling its workforce in a wider range of casework, to ensure greater flexibility. It continues to prioritise any cases where a customer is facing financial hardship.

The VOA reports monthly on performance to the HMRC Executive Committee and Board. The decision to move the VOA’s functions into HMRC next year will strengthen direct accountability to ministers.

Integration is being carefully managed by a joint HMRC and VOA team, with detailed transition plans in place and appropriate oversight from my department.

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 impact of deforestation regulations under the Environment Act 2021 on smallholder farmers; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that those farmers are not disproportionately excluded from UK supply chains, including through the (a) provision of support, (b) training and (c) more equitable terms by UK companies and the Government.

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

The Government recognises the need to prevent UK consumption of forest-risk commodities from driving deforestation while minimising impacts on low-income smallholder farmers in the Global South.

We acknowledge their vital role in producing essential commodities and safeguarding forests. Through programmes such as the Official Development Assistance-funded Investment in Forests and Sustainable Land Use and the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade Dialogue, we support sustainable practices, new business models, and international collaboration to reduce exclusion risks.

We remain committed to working with partners globally to build climate-resilient, nature-positive communities and will set out our approach to addressing forest-risk commodities in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 91728 on Broadband: Henley and Thame, what steps her Department is taking to secure additional funding to complete that project.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Commercial delivery in a competitive market has and will remain essential to the delivery of the overall gigabit broadband ambition, as most gigabit-capable connections will be delivered commercially.

At the most recent Spending Review we announced £1.8 billion in funding for Project Gigabit to cover the period 2026/27 to 2029/30.This investment will support the delivery of all existing Project Gigabit contracts, voucher projects and areas currently in procurement. This includes the South Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and East Berkshire contracts referenced in the response to Question 91728.

We are refreshing our delivery plans ahead of the 2027 Spending Review and will continue to apply Project Gigabit subsidy in areas that are not expected to be reached commercially.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 91728 on Broadband: Henley and Thame, how much funding is required to meet the 99% goal.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Commercial delivery in a competitive market has and will remain essential to the delivery of the overall gigabit broadband ambition, as most gigabit-capable connections will be delivered commercially.

At the most recent Spending Review we announced £1.8 billion in funding for Project Gigabit to cover the period 2026/27 to 2029/30.This investment will support the delivery of all existing Project Gigabit contracts, voucher projects and areas currently in procurement. This includes the South Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and East Berkshire contracts referenced in the response to Question 91728.

We are refreshing our delivery plans ahead of the 2027 Spending Review and will continue to apply Project Gigabit subsidy in areas that are not expected to be reached commercially.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that climate adaptation is considered alongside decarbonisation in policy planning; and whether his Department plans to develop and publish a National Climate Resilience Plan that incorporates nature-based solutions, updates infrastructure standards, provides support for local authorities and promotes public awareness through a coordinated strategy to manage climate-related risks.

Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Defra is the lead department for domestic adaptation to climate change, responsible for coordinating requirements set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008. This includes preparing a UK Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme (NAP), setting out actions by relevant government departments to address the risks identified in the latest risk assessment. The next NAP will include local climate adaptation and support public awareness of climate risks.

While Defra coordinates this work, this is a whole of government effort. In DESNZ, we are working to ensure that homes are fit for the future and the Department has been carrying out research to respond to the relevant climate change adaptation risks identified by the third Climate Change Risk Assessment. This research is closing evidence gaps identifying the buildings most vulnerable to extreme heat and where these are located, as well as appropriate adaptation solutions. This is informing the development of the Warm Homes Plan which will be published soon.

Maintaining a secure and resilient energy supply is also a top priority. We work continually with industry to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure, considering a range of evolving risks and hazards as well as future system changes – including changing climate. This includes publishing an Energy Resilience Strategy in 2026, setting out Government’s long-term priorities to maintain energy resilience now and in the future.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made in appointing a chair to the National Inquiry into group based child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

On 9 December 2025 the Home Secretary announced to Parliament the appointment of Baroness Anne Longfield CBE as Chair of the new Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, and Zoë Billingham CBE and Eleanor Kelly CBE as Panel.

The Chair will consult on the draft Terms of Reference published alongside this announcement with a view to making recommendations to the Home Secretary who will agree the final Terms of Reference in March 2026.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of the uptake and (b) effectiveness of the Victim Right to Review pilot.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

In June 2025 the CPS began a pilot in the West Midlands which offers victims of rape and serious sexual assault the opportunity to have a separate prosecutor review the case before any final decision is taken to stop the case in court. If that prosecutor concludes that the Full Code Test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors is met, the case will continue.

The number of decisions eligible for review under the pilot have so far been low. These volumes have meant an evaluation of the pilot has not been possible to date. Evaluation is essential, and the pilot will continue to allow enough evidence to be gathered to assess its effectiveness.

Consideration is also being given to expanding the pilot to support a thorough evaluation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the time taken by NICE to assess Givinostat.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) aims wherever possible to publish recommendations on new medicines close to the point of licensing. NICE’s appraisal of givinostat has been more complex and has required additional work to ensure that it is able to make a recommendation on its use for the NHS. The timeline was extended following discussions with the company in order to facilitate a suitably comprehensive and robust submission and to incorporate a four-week targeted call for evidence from stakeholders. This call was to address specific areas where additional evidence was required to support the NICE appraisal committee to make a fully informed decision. NICE’s Appraisal Committee met to consider its recommendations on 23 October 2025. Stakeholders in the appraisal will be kept informed of the outcome and the next steps for the appraisal of givinostat as it progresses.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve access to legal aid in short notice cases.

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

We recognise that in certain circumstances individuals may need to access legal aid services urgently and the Government provides specific support to facilitate this.

In criminal legal aid, those who are to be interviewed under caution by the police are entitled to advice and assistance from a solicitor, which is arranged through the Defence Solicitor Call Centre on a 24/7 basis. Court duty solicitors are available to provide immediate advice to individuals on a first appearance in the magistrates’ court, except for certain minor offences such as summary motoring offences.

We have committed up to £92 million per year additional investment for criminal legal aid solicitors. As part of that, we are harmonising the fixed fee for all police station schemes at £320 excluding VAT. This is above the current highest fee paid, meaning all police station attendance fee schemes will see an uplift. In addition, we are uplifting magistrates’ court fees by 10%. This significant investment will support duty solicitors who work on short notice cases, and the sustainability of the profession.

In civil legal aid, providers can apply to the Legal Aid Agency for Emergency Legal Representation to cover emergency legal advice if individuals need urgent representation in court.

In public family proceedings, legal aid is available means-free for parents and those with parental responsibility in most public family law special Children Act 1989 cases, including for interim care orders and emergency protection orders. A light-touch merits test is applied, so that only the need for representation is considered.

An eligibility waiver is available for victims of domestic abuse applying for urgent protection. This means they can receive legal aid even if they would not otherwise pass the means test, though they may then have to pay a financial contribution towards their legal costs.

For people facing the loss of their home, in-court advice and representation is available on the day of the possession hearing via the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service.

Individuals held in Immigration Removal Centres and immigration detainees held in prisons are provided with a 30-minute triage appointment through the Detained Duy Advice Scheme. This initial appointment supports detained individuals to make contact with a legal provider that may provide further advice (subject to merits and eligibility).

We are uplifting legal aid fees for immigration and housing work, injecting an additional £20 million per year, which will support swift access to legal aid in these areas, including for short notice cases.

Mouth Cancer Action Month

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

Volumetric Concrete Mobile Plants and Vehicle Weight Restrictions

UK access to the EU SAFE defence fund

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

Found: Q35 Freddie van Mierlo: Those plans will not meet the target.

Found: Members present: Dame Chi Onwurah (Chair); Emily Darlington; Samantha Niblett; Adam Thompson; Freddie van Mierlo

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.