Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that the needs of patients with severe and very severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis are fully addressed within future NHS service provision.

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

Most of the actions included in the final delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which we published in July, will benefit all patients with ME/CFS, irrespective of condition severity. However, we are taking specific steps to ensure that patients with severe and very severe ME/CFS are not overlooked. For instance, the ME/CFS final delivery plan includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.

To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes. All three sessions of the e-learning programme are now available at the following link:

https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288

The 10-Year Health Plan for the National Health Service also sets out a plan to shift healthcare from hospitals to the community, enabling people to feel supported managing their long-term conditions, including ME/CFS, closer to home. The Neighbourhood Health Service, delivered by new multidisciplinary teams of professionals, will support more services being delivered in the community, helping to create capacity within secondary services for those patients that need it. This will aim to help ensure that those who suffer from ME/CFS are able to live as independently as possible.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that tenure reform supports continued long-term investment in housing-with-care schemes.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 87630 on 11 November 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to provide more flood resilient new homes in Leigh and Atherton constituency.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk (whether existing or in the future). Where development is necessary in such areas, the development should be made safe for its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere.

The government is consulting on changes to the NPPF, including a dedicated chapter on planning for flood risk and coastal change. The consultation is open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

If it is found to be necessary to build homes in areas of flood risk, statutory guidance accompanying the Building Regulations promotes flood resilient building work in flood-prone areas, through Approved Document C which can be found on gov.uk here. This may include adequate sub-soil drainage; use of non-return valves and anti-flooding devices on sewers and drains; water resistant construction; and provision for inspection and clearance of sub-floor voids.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the Answer to Question UIN 79041 on 20 October 2025, if he will provide an update on the Department’s investigation into the decline in road adoption rates across England; and when he expects the findings of that investigation to be published.

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

The Department is currently investigating the decline in road adoption rates through an ongoing research project. This project seeks to develop a clearer understanding of the road adoption landscape in England and identify ways to improve the process to reverse the declining trend. We will aim to publish the findings of the project as soon as possible this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the definition of assault of a retail worker to include workers in other high street outlets serving customers.

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

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, this Government has introduced a new specific standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to help tackle the epidemic of shop theft and violence towards shop workers that we have seen in recent years, and protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

For the purposes of this new offence, our definition of a ‘retail worker’ is intentionally narrow given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker, and the assault took place in the course of their work.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on the treatment of injury related Armed Forces payments, including the AFPS 05 injury enhancement, in divorce and financial remedy proceedings in England and Wales.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Armed Forces do not have separate divorce procedures applying solely to Service personnel. Any injury-related payments are valued and shared between the parties in accordance with the relevant scheme rules and general divorce law.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her policy to prevent (a) AFPS 05 injury enhancements and (b) other injury related Armed Forces payments from being treated as divisible marital assets in (i) divorce and (ii) financial remedy proceedings.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Injury-related payments are not currently excluded from the division of assets by the court. Instead, the court’s approach to whether such payments are treated as ‘matrimonial’ or ‘non-matrimonial’ will depend on the circumstances of the case.

As part of its 2024 scoping report on financial remedies, the Law Commission considered the court’s wide discretion in dividing assets in financial remedy proceedings, including the treatment of matrimonial and non-matrimonial property.

By Spring, the Government will be consulting on the challenges raised by the Law Commission in its report on financial remedies. The Government will carefully consider these issues as it prepares for consultation.

Found: Q121 Jo Platt: You have spoken a little about legacy building for communities.

Found: Q121 Jo Platt: You have spoken a little about legacy building for communities.

Found: Q207 Jo Platt: Good morning.

Found: Q207 Jo Platt: Good morning.

Found: Fenton-Glynn Andrew George Paulette Hamilton Alex McIntyre Joe Robertson Gregory Stafford Jo Platt

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Found: Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Long Covid3 which is chaired by the Right Honourable Member of Parliament, Jo Platt