Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support male victims of rape and sexual assault.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring all victims, including male victims, have access to the information and support they need.

The Ministry of Justice is supporting victims with the largest ever investment of over £550 million in victim support services over the next three years. This includes funding for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to commission local victim support services for all victims of crime, based on their assessment of local need, including those affected by rape and sexual assault, and includes the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) which funds over 60 specialist sexual violence support organisations across England and Wales to provide holistic, trauma-informed support to victims, including male victims. The 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line is available to all victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse, regardless of gender. Recent service enhancements mean that callers and webchat users can now request to speak with either a female or male Support Line specialist operator between the peak hours of 8pm and midnight, enabling the service to be responsive to individual needs and preferences.

The Government is also delivering on its commitment to introduce rape and serious sexual offence courts. Victims of rape and sexual offences will experience better, more tailored support and fewer delays. Backed by a £23 million investment, this package of measures will ensure every single Crown Court building in England and Wales has at least one specialist rape and serious sexual offence courtroom by 2028. The package will also deliver new victim-centred court upgrades in the Crown Court such as separate entrances and private waiting rooms and will trial a single point of contact to ensure victims’ needs are met by the courts.

Later this year, we will also deliver on our manifesto commitment to provide free, independent legal advice to adult victims of rape, including male victims, across England and Wales. The service will help victims to understand their rights, including where they are asked to provide personal information or information held on their mobile phone. It will also assist with complaint applications against the police and CPS, compensation claims and the Victim’s Right to Review scheme.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the concentrations of children's homes in certain parts of the country.

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

Ofsted annually publishes information on the location of children's homes as part of its role in the registration and inspection of children's homes. The latest information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childrens-social-care-in-england-2026/main-findings-childrens-social-care-in-england-2026.

The department takes an active role as steward of the children's social care placements system to ensure children can access the right homes, in the right places, to meet their needs.

Regional Care Cooperatives (RCCs) are being established to shape the market by pooling demand and acting to bring together local authorities, health partners and youth justice services to plan future need, commission placements and create new care provision where needed.

This shifts the system away from reactive purchasing and towards long-term planning, larger scale commercial agreements and increasing RCC led provision, achieving better value for money and outcomes for children in care.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the creation and growth of agricultural co-operatives under existing farm support schemes.

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

In the Farming Roadmap we committed to partner with the Mutuals and Co-operatives Sector Business Council to identify and address barriers to the development and growth of farmer cooperatives, including barriers to accessing finance.

Defra is also supporting farmer co-operation through the £30 million Farmer Collaboration Fund, which may lead farmers to entering more formal business relations with one another.

In addition, Landscape Recovery is supporting landowners and managers who want to take a large-scale, collaborative, long-term approach to producing environmental and climate goods on their land.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the consistency in usage of fostering for adoption placements by local authorities.

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

The national foster carer recruitment campaign focuses on encouraging people to consider fostering who may not otherwise have thought about it. The campaign does not include specific steps aimed at promoting fostering for adoption, but it has engaged people with lived experience, including those who have fostered and gone on to adopt, to help inform its messaging.

Local authorities and fostering hubs have been at the heart of developing the national campaign. We have worked closely with them to strike the right balance between consistent national messaging and the flexibility to tailor local activity to their communities, including in relation to fostering for adoption. The national campaign page is available at: https://fostering.campaign.gov.uk/.

The department continues to work with the sector to ensure prospective foster carers understand the full range of fostering options available, including fostering for adoption, as part of its wider support for the fostering system.

Through Adoption England, we are delivering targeted activity to promote and improve Early Permanence practice. This includes the You Can Adopt campaign, which features stories of families who have adopted through early permanence.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with local authorities to promote fostering for adoption as part of the national foster carer recruitment campaign.

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

The national foster carer recruitment campaign focuses on encouraging people to consider fostering who may not otherwise have thought about it. The campaign does not include specific steps aimed at promoting fostering for adoption, but it has engaged people with lived experience, including those who have fostered and gone on to adopt, to help inform its messaging.

Local authorities and fostering hubs have been at the heart of developing the national campaign. We have worked closely with them to strike the right balance between consistent national messaging and the flexibility to tailor local activity to their communities, including in relation to fostering for adoption. The national campaign page is available at: https://fostering.campaign.gov.uk/.

The department continues to work with the sector to ensure prospective foster carers understand the full range of fostering options available, including fostering for adoption, as part of its wider support for the fostering system.

Through Adoption England, we are delivering targeted activity to promote and improve Early Permanence practice. This includes the You Can Adopt campaign, which features stories of families who have adopted through early permanence.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of regulations on new children's homes as enforced by Ofsted and local authorities.

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

Every child deserves a safe, stable and high-quality home that meets their needs.

New children’s homes are subject to the same regulatory requirements as existing homes, meaning they must register with Ofsted and meet the relevant standards. Ofsted inspect all children’s homes at least once annually against the Social Care Common Inspection Framework. Local authorities and providers are responsible for ensuring placements are suitable and Ofsted can take action where requirements are not met.

The department keeps the adequacy of the regulatory framework under regular review and we are delivering significant reforms to children’s social care, including strengthening Ofsted’s enforcement powers. We have also commissioned an expert-led review of professional development for the children’s homes workforce, which will inform the practice of new department-funded children’s homes and any future changes to standards.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with the Department of Health and Social Care to raise awareness of diabetes distress amongst pastoral staff in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. In doing so, schools must have regard to the 'supporting pupils with medical conditions at school' statutory guidance, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

The governing body should ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they take on responsibility to support children with medical conditions. They should also ensure that any members of school staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions are able to access information and other teaching support materials as needed. This includes non-teaching staff such as pastoral staff.

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 improve the availability of training for GPs on recognising and managing menopause.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 11 June in response to Question 6460, a new updated Medical Licensing Assessment came into force in September, which all students graduating from United Kingdom medical schools are required to pass before they can join the medical register, and which will encourage a better understanding among all new doctors of common women’s health problems, including the menopause.

In addition, NHS England is working on menopause workforce support packages for National Health Service employees and developing a range of tools and interventions that will help to upskill more general practitioners in menopause care, including awareness of mental health symptoms during menopause, and improve access to treatments.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the temporary ban on disposable barbecues on eliminating sales by retailers.

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

The Government has engaged extensively with businesses, representative trade bodies and local authorities following the introduction of the statutory guidelines on the sale of disposable barbecues on 14 August. Feedback from local authorities, retailers and representative organisations, indicates that disposable barbecues have generally been removed from sale. Local authorities are responsible for enforcement at a local level and can take appropriate action where non-compliance is identified. The guidelines have been welcomed by Fire and Rescue Services as a proportionate measure supporting wider efforts to reduce the risk of wildfires and fire-related incidents.

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 improve the availability of training for GPs on recognising and managing type 1 diabetes in infants.

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

The Getting It Right First Time National Report for Diabetes: Children and Young Adults, published in July 2026, sets out the training requirements for delivering high-quality diabetes care and the processes that should be put in place to deliver that training. Further information is available at the following link:

Children-and-Young-Adults-Diabetes-report-July-2026-UPDATED-04.08.26.pdf

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 raise awareness of diabetes distress amongst mental health professionals working in NHS Talking Therapies.

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

The Government recognises the need to do more to support people experiencing diabetes distress. That is why the National Institute for Health and Care Research is investing £2.9 million in partnership with Diabetes UK to support the development and evaluation of the ‘D-stress’ programme, in order to identify the most effective way to prevent and treat diabetes distress, helping to improve the management of the condition, and the quality of life for those living with it. We will take into account the results of this programme in considering what more can be done in this area.

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 ensure psychologists are embedded in NHS diabetes multidisciplinary teams in England.

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

The Government recognises the need to do more to support people experiencing diabetes distress. That is why the National Institute for Health and Care Research is investing £2.9 million in partnership with Diabetes UK to support the development and evaluation of the ‘D-stress’ programme, in order to identify the most effective way to prevent and treat diabetes distress, helping to improve the management of the condition, and the quality of life for those living with it. We will take into account the results of this programme in considering what more can be done in this area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of NHS mental health support for diabetes distress in England.

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

The Government recognises the need to do more to support people experiencing diabetes distress. That is why the National Institute for Health and Care Research is investing £2.9 million in partnership with Diabetes UK to support the development and evaluation of the ‘D-stress’ programme, in order to identify the most effective way to prevent and treat diabetes distress, helping to improve the management of the condition, and the quality of life for those living with it. We will take into account the results of this programme in considering what more can be done in this area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department will take steps to develop a dedicated treatment pathway for patients who have Ehlers-Danlos syndromes with craniocervical instability.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 6 July to Question 10869 and to the answer given on 8 July to Question 10871.

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 improve awareness amongst GPs of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 6 July to Question 10869 and to the answer given on 8 July to Question 10871.

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 raise awareness of diabetes distress amongst professionals working in NHS Mental Health Support Teams in schools.

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

The Government recognises the need to do more to support people experiencing diabetes distress. That is why the National Institute for Health and Care Research is investing £2.9 million in partnership with Diabetes UK to support the development and evaluation of the ‘D-stress’ programme, in order to identify the most effective way to prevent and treat diabetes distress, helping to improve the management of the condition, and the quality of life for those living with it. We will take into account the results of this programme in considering what more can be done in this area.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the progress the Forestry Commission has made towards achieving its target of improving the semi-natural score of plantation in ancient woodland sites by at least one class by 2044.

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

Progress towards the target is assessed annually through Forestry England's semi-natural scoring of plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS), which is reported in Forestry England's Natural Capital Accounts. Between April 2024 and April 2026, 337 hectares moved out of semi-natural score 4 and 303 hectares moved into semi-natural score 1, demonstrating progress towards the 2044 target of improving the semi-natural score of PAWS by at least one class.

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 with the Department of Education to ensure mental health support is available for parents of children with profound special educational needs and disabilities.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 17 July in response to Question 11834.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress her Department has made on decarbonising heating in off-grid homes.

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

The Government is making strong progress in supporting off-gas-grid homes to switch to cleaner heating.

In response to the Middle East situation, the Government increased grants available for heat pump installations to up to £9,000 for homes currently heated by oil or LPG.

In total the Boiler Upgrade Scheme has supported over 90,000 installations across England and Wales, with 49% of funding delivered to rural areas and 38% to off-grid areas. The average cost of a heat pump installation has fallen by 11% in real terms since the Scheme launched in 2022.

The Warm Homes: Local Grant is also supporting low-income households living in EPC D-G homes, both on and off the gas grid, with energy performance improvements and low-carbon heating.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to tackle regulatory barriers to the creation of new co-operatives.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to reducing regulatory barriers to establishing and growing co-operatives. We will shortly publish our response to the call for evidence on business support for co-operatives and non-financial mutuals, which will set out our approach to easing regulatory barriers more generally.

In September, the Department published a consultation on modernising corporate reporting, including considering how reporting requirements can be made more proportionate and better suited to member-owned businesses.

Separately, the Law Commission is reviewing co-operative and community benefit society law, including provisions on share capital and external investment, and is expected to report in early 2027.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the Forestry Commission to achieve its target of improving the semi-natural score of plantation in ancient woodland sites by at least one class by 2044.

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

Defra is providing support to expand training, monitoring, and on-the-ground restoration work. Targeted Defra funding of £5.9m for 2026–2029 is accelerating PAWS restoration on the Public Forest Estate, with progress closely monitored and a target to work towards doubling the recent restoration rate.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of off-grid homes which are suitable for a hydronic heat pump.

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

A home’s suitability for a heat pump depends on several factors such as sufficient internal and external space, peak current draw of the grid connection, and the home’s peak heat loss.

Evidence suggests the vast majority of GB homes have sufficient insulation and electricity connections to install a heat pump, considering developments like heat pumps operating with higher flow temperatures enabling installation in less well insulated homes.

We have commissioned research on understanding different approaches to decarbonising complex housing archetypes, including alternative low carbon heating solutions, and expect it to be published in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote farming practices which create and preserve habitats for farmland birds.

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

Through Environmental Land Management schemes, Defra supports farming practices that provide food and habitats for farmland birds. Sustainable Farming Incentive actions include winter bird food on arable and horticultural land, while Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier supports targeted habitat and species management.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department will make an assessment of the merits of introducing heritage tree preservation orders.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 68105 on 21 July 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to introduce a minimum period of aftercare for trees planted on new housing developments.

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

My Department does not plan to introduce a minimum aftercare period for newly-planted trees.

Policy N3 of the National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August makes clear that development proposals should make provision for the long-term maintenance of both existing and newly-planted trees.

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 trends in the levels of household participation in weekly food waste collections under Simpler Recycling.

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

The WRAP UK Recycling Tracker indicates increasing participation in food waste recycling. In 2025-26, around two in five respondents reported receiving a food waste collection service for the first time, while 39% reported disposing of uneaten food in a food waste recycling bin, up from 35% in 2025 and 33% in 2023.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the merits of introducing regulations on the use of greywater in agriculture.

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

In our Water White Paper, we committed to enabling water reuse in homes and businesses. As part of this work, we will consider the opportunities across different business sectors including agriculture.

Household wastewater (greywater) reuse for agricultural benefit may require Environmental Permitting Regulation controls. The Environment Agency offers pre-application advice before environmental permit applications.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of using Community Needs Index data in selecting the areas that receive funding under the Pride in Place programme on rural areas.

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

Through the Government's Pride in Place Programme, up to £5.8 billion is being invested over ten years in 284 neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of need.

Neighbourhoods across England, Scotland and Wales were selected using methodologies which combine measures of deprivation and community need. In England, this includes the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and the Community Needs Index (CNI), which together provide a broader picture of local need. Our allocation methodology targets need everywhere, regardless of type of community, and includes a number of rural communities. By targeting census geographies (MSOAs) and capping the number of areas targeted per parliamentary constituency, this methodology has also ensured that funding is geographically spread to a variety of different communities.

The IMD is the Government's established measure of relative deprivation and captures a range of factors including income, employment, education, health, crime, housing and the living environment. The methodology underpinning the IMD has been developed to identify concentrations of deprivation wherever they occur, including in rural, urban and mixed communities.

The CNI provides a complementary measure of community need by assessing factors such as civic and community assets, connectivity and levels of community engagement. It therefore captures aspects of need which are not reflected in deprivation measures alone. These factors can affect communities in rural, urban and mixed areas, and therefore provide a complementary perspective to deprivation measures such as the Index of Multiple Deprivation. The Government's methodology combines multiple measures of need rather than relying on a single indicator.

The full list of areas and place selection methodology is set out here.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of adding the role of sheep shearer to the Temporary Shortage List.

Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government’s approach is to link migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies, so that immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems in the UK.  This approach is important to enabling delivery of the Government’s broader agenda.

The Temporary Shortage List (TSL) does not include agricultural contractors or sheep shearers. It is only made up of occupations which are key to the Industrial Strategy or delivering critical infrastructure, and where ambitious jobs plans are in place to maximise the use of the UK workforce.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of restoring the role of agricultural contractor to the Temporary Shortage List.

Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government’s approach is to link migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies, so that immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems in the UK.  This approach is important to enabling delivery of the Government’s broader agenda.

The Temporary Shortage List (TSL) does not include agricultural contractors or sheep shearers. It is only made up of occupations which are key to the Industrial Strategy or delivering critical infrastructure, and where ambitious jobs plans are in place to maximise the use of the UK workforce.