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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many companies based in the United Kingdom are licensed to sell trophy hunting packages targeting species listed under CITES Appendices I and II.

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

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, which is the most effective approach the Government can take on this matter. The Department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.

There is no specific regulation or licensing regime for UK companies selling trophy hunting packages, and Defra does not maintain records of the number of companies offering such services. Where the import of any Appendix I or II species is involved, such activities are governed by existing rules under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what powers exist to regulate the promotion and sale of trophy hunting packages at commercial exhibitions in the United Kingdom.

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

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, which is the most effective approach the Government can take on this matter. The Department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.

There is no specific regulation or licensing regime for UK companies selling trophy hunting packages, and Defra does not maintain records of the number of companies offering such services. Where the import of any Appendix I or II species is involved, such activities are governed by existing rules under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of limiting the number of branded school uniform items on the overall cost of school uniforms for families.

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

I refer the hon. Member for Maidenhead to the answer of 09 March 2025 to Question 114997.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to improve transparency and public accountability of the trade envoy programme, including the publication of outcomes achieved and costs incurred.

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

The Trade Envoy Programme is a network of Parliamentarians appointed to specific markets by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. Membership of the programme is cross party and includes representation from both the House of Commons and House of Lords. The programme abides by all transparency and public accountability rules.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of (a) the prevalence of unfair trading practices in the UK clothing supply chain and (b) the potential merits of establishing a Garment Trading Adjudicator to provide redress for affected suppliers.

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

The government expects all UK businesses to respect human rights and the environment throughout their supply chains in line with the OECD Guidelines and UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Section 54 of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses with a turnover of £36m or more to publish modern slavery statements.

The Office for Responsible Business Conduct promotes the OECD Guidelines and provides a non-judicial grievance mechanism for complaints of non-observance by UK businesses. The government also launched a review, through the Trade Strategy, into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct (RBC), focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains. While concerns have been raised about unfair practices, there are currently no plans to introduce a Garment Trading Adjudicator, however other measures are under consideration as part of the RBC review. We shall update the House when the review is complete.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will take steps to ensure that independent gyms and leisure businesses are provided with comparable business rates relief to pubs and other hospitality sectors.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has defined in guidance which properties will be eligible for the relief announced on 27^th January 2026 based on definitions used previously in the business rates system. Individual Local Authorities will need to determine which properties meet these definitions. Some comedy clubs may be eligible for the relief, depending on their specific circumstances.

Properties that are not eligible for this support will still benefit from the wider business rate support package announced at the Budget, worth £4.3 billion over the next three years. The Government is also introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, which includes comedy venues, gyms and leisure businesses open to the public and with rateable values below £500,000. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down next year. This also means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many directors with responsibility for human resources are employed across his Department and its executive agencies; and how many of those directors hold professional HR qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development or equivalent professional bodies.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

There are a total of 4 Directors at SCS Pay band 2 with responsibility for human resources in DSIT and the department’s Executive Agencies.

The majority hold CIPD accreditation or equivalent HR qualifications.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the data structure of HM Land Registry's leasehold dataset for enabling leaseholders to access meaningful information about their properties.

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

HM Land Registry (HMLR) manages a Registered Leases dataset which can be found on gov.uk here. This brings together legal, geographic and transactional information for leases that are registered at HMLR.

The dataset includes structured address data, along with information on lease details including dates, terms, registration order and property descriptions, and links to unique land identifiers, Unique Property Reference Numbers, and historic information on price paid data.

By combining register data with address and location references, HMLR’s dataset supports analysis of leasehold structures, land tenure patterns and property relationships. The dataset was designed and developed for professionals to use for large scale analysis.

Leaseholders can access meaningful information about their properties through HMLR Land and Property Information service, which can be found on gov.uk here, where they can also order official copies of the Title Register and Lease document.

HM Land Registry’s ambitions to improve the structure and accessibility of its data are set out in its ‘Strategy 2025+’, which can be found on gov.uk here, which commits to aligning data to the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles.

The forthcoming HM Land Registry Business Plan 2026+ will set out how this ambition will be taken forward during the current Spending Review period.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether HM Land Registry's leasehold dataset contains structured data fields for service charge blocks.

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

HM Land Registry (HMLR) manages a Registered Leases dataset which can be found on gov.uk here. This brings together legal, geographic and transactional information for leases that are registered at HMLR.

The dataset includes structured address data, along with information on lease details including dates, terms, registration order and property descriptions, and links to unique land identifiers, Unique Property Reference Numbers, and historic information on price paid data.

By combining register data with address and location references, HMLR’s dataset supports analysis of leasehold structures, land tenure patterns and property relationships. The dataset was designed and developed for professionals to use for large scale analysis.

Leaseholders can access meaningful information about their properties through HMLR Land and Property Information service, which can be found on gov.uk here, where they can also order official copies of the Title Register and Lease document.

HM Land Registry’s ambitions to improve the structure and accessibility of its data are set out in its ‘Strategy 2025+’, which can be found on gov.uk here, which commits to aligning data to the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles.

The forthcoming HM Land Registry Business Plan 2026+ will set out how this ambition will be taken forward during the current Spending Review period.

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 make the Land Registry Leaseholds Dataset machine-readable, including by structuring data fields such as address, lease start date and lease duration.

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

HM Land Registry (HMLR) manages a Registered Leases dataset which can be found on gov.uk here. This brings together legal, geographic and transactional information for leases that are registered at HMLR.

The dataset includes structured address data, along with information on lease details including dates, terms, registration order and property descriptions, and links to unique land identifiers, Unique Property Reference Numbers, and historic information on price paid data.

By combining register data with address and location references, HMLR’s dataset supports analysis of leasehold structures, land tenure patterns and property relationships. The dataset was designed and developed for professionals to use for large scale analysis.

Leaseholders can access meaningful information about their properties through HMLR Land and Property Information service, which can be found on gov.uk here, where they can also order official copies of the Title Register and Lease document.

HM Land Registry’s ambitions to improve the structure and accessibility of its data are set out in its ‘Strategy 2025+’, which can be found on gov.uk here, which commits to aligning data to the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles.

The forthcoming HM Land Registry Business Plan 2026+ will set out how this ambition will be taken forward during the current Spending Review period.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of staff required to make HM Land Registry's leasehold dataset (a) accessible and (b) usable for individual leaseholders.

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

HM Land Registry (HMLR) manages a Registered Leases dataset which can be found on gov.uk here. This brings together legal, geographic and transactional information for leases that are registered at HMLR.

The dataset includes structured address data, along with information on lease details including dates, terms, registration order and property descriptions, and links to unique land identifiers, Unique Property Reference Numbers, and historic information on price paid data.

By combining register data with address and location references, HMLR’s dataset supports analysis of leasehold structures, land tenure patterns and property relationships. The dataset was designed and developed for professionals to use for large scale analysis.

Leaseholders can access meaningful information about their properties through HMLR Land and Property Information service, which can be found on gov.uk here, where they can also order official copies of the Title Register and Lease document.

HM Land Registry’s ambitions to improve the structure and accessibility of its data are set out in its ‘Strategy 2025+’, which can be found on gov.uk here, which commits to aligning data to the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles.

The forthcoming HM Land Registry Business Plan 2026+ will set out how this ambition will be taken forward during the current Spending Review period.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to add fields for property type, freehold title number, service charge and ground rent to the Land Registry Leaseholds Dataset.

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

HM Land Registry (HMLR) manages a Registered Leases dataset which can be found on gov.uk here. This brings together legal, geographic and transactional information for leases that are registered at HMLR.

The dataset includes structured address data, along with information on lease details including dates, terms, registration order and property descriptions, and links to unique land identifiers, Unique Property Reference Numbers, and historic information on price paid data.

By combining register data with address and location references, HMLR’s dataset supports analysis of leasehold structures, land tenure patterns and property relationships. The dataset was designed and developed for professionals to use for large scale analysis.

Leaseholders can access meaningful information about their properties through HMLR Land and Property Information service, which can be found on gov.uk here, where they can also order official copies of the Title Register and Lease document.

HM Land Registry’s ambitions to improve the structure and accessibility of its data are set out in its ‘Strategy 2025+’, which can be found on gov.uk here, which commits to aligning data to the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles.

The forthcoming HM Land Registry Business Plan 2026+ will set out how this ambition will be taken forward during the current Spending Review period.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of full-time equivalent staff are assigned to leasehold reform implementation in HM Land Registry.

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

HM Land Registry (HMLR) does not assign a specific number or proportion of full-time equivalent staff assigned to leasehold reform implementation.

HMLR flexibly resources all elements of leasehold reform, appropriate to the stage of each part of the reform, to meet changing demand over time.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the limits on enquiries for free legal advice provided by the Leasehold Advisory Service.

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

The government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) provides free initial legal advice and information in respect of leasehold, building safety, commonhold and park home issues for consumers.

In 2024, LEASE limited the number of enquiries per user to 10 over a 12-month period. This has enabled LEASE advisers to deal with more complex cases.

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 leaseholders have access to the full terms of their lease before completing a property transaction.

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

On 6 October, my Department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here.

The consultations included proposals to require sellers and estate agents to provide upfront property information. This might include information relating to leasehold terms, property condition, and purchasing chains.

In the consultations in question we also made clear our intention to switch on measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 to speed up the provision of information for leaseholders and homeowners on private or mixed tenure estates who wish to sell their property.

We are now reviewing the feedback received and will set out details of next steps later this year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of HM Land Registry staff hold formal qualifications in (a) database architecture and (b) data structure management.

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

HM Land Registry (HMLR) does not hold information on staff qualifications for technical fields such as database architecture or data structure management.

The Data Group at HMLR, which includes all Data Scientists, Data Architects, and Data Engineers, has more than doubled from 30 to 75 members of staff over the last 15 months.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the cost of school transport for students outside London is affordable and does not place a disproportionate financial burden on families; and whether her Department plans to review school transport policy to address disparities in access and cost between London and other areas.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to creating opportunities for all children so that they can achieve and thrive. The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities are responsible for arranging free home-to-school travel for eligible children. A child is eligible if they are of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or the safety of the route. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income families. The department does not currently have any plans to change the existing statutory framework.

Public transport has an important role to play too. The Bus Services Act 2025 puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England. This will enable them to ensure local bus services meet the needs of local communities, including supporting access to education.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the value delivered to small and medium-sized businesses by the trade envoy programme compared with support available through UK Export Finance and his own Department's direct export services.

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

This is an impossible question to answer as the whole point of the UK Trade Envoy Programme is that it complements the work of UKEF and DBT’s direct export services in supporting SMEs. Trade Envoys provide high-level advocacy and market access, UKEF delivers financial backing, and DBT offers practical export guidance. Together, these initiatives form a comprehensive package to help SMEs succeed internationally.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department uses a criteria to assess the reputational implications for the United Kingdom of appointing a trade envoy to a country with a poor human rights record.

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

UK Trade Envoy markets are identified in discussion with HM Trade Commissioners and the trade and investment opportunities available to UK business. Trade Envoys operate within wider trading policies in support of the Government’s objectives, working closely with Ministers and officials, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress trade envoys have made in reducing non-tariff barriers to trade for businesses in their designated markets.

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

UK Trade Envoys primarily support UK exports in their respective market, but they also help identify tariff and non-tariff barriers that impede trade.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment HM Treasury has made of the potential economic impact of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on SMEs and self-employed delivery riders.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles.

Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on consumer uptake of regulated electric mopeds and motorcycles.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles.

Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what policy basis has her Department decided to allow the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant to lapse.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles.

Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has plans to reinstate the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles.

Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to open the consultation on cohabitation rights reform; and whether that consultation will include proposals covering cohabiting couples who separate without having had children together.

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

As set out in our manifesto, the Government is committed to strengthening the rights and protections available to women in cohabiting couples. Cohabitation reform is a matter of utmost importance, and we will be consulting this Spring on how best to deliver this commitment. The consultation will consider how best to strengthen the rights of cohabitating couples and the circumstances in which protections may apply, while firmly upholding marriage as one of our most important institutions.

The Government also recognises the challenge posed by the mistaken belief in the myth of “common law marriage”. To improve public awareness of the legal distinction between marriage and cohabitation, we updated GOV.UK guidance last year to set out the legal position clearly. In addition, from September 2026, the updated Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance will also state that schools should teach that “common-law marriage” is a myth by the end of secondary school, helping to tackle persistent misconceptions and improve public understanding of the law.

Legal aid is currently available to a person in a cohabiting couple for some private family proceedings, such as child arrangement orders and transfers of tenancies, where they are a victim of domestic abuse or are at risk of abuse. Funding is subject to providing evidence of domestic abuse and passing the means and merits tests. Where an issue falls outside the scope of legal aid, for example, cohabiting partners seeking to resolve property disputes upon separation, individuals can apply for Exceptional Case Funding (ECF). ECF will be granted if, without legal aid, there is a risk that the person’s human rights may be breached. ECF applications are determined by the Legal Aid Agency on an individual basis. This Government keeps legal aid policy under review.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to raise public awareness of the legal distinctions between marriage and cohabitation in England and Wales ahead of the consultation on cohabitation rights reform.

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

As set out in our manifesto, the Government is committed to strengthening the rights and protections available to women in cohabiting couples. Cohabitation reform is a matter of utmost importance, and we will be consulting this Spring on how best to deliver this commitment. The consultation will consider how best to strengthen the rights of cohabitating couples and the circumstances in which protections may apply, while firmly upholding marriage as one of our most important institutions.

The Government also recognises the challenge posed by the mistaken belief in the myth of “common law marriage”. To improve public awareness of the legal distinction between marriage and cohabitation, we updated GOV.UK guidance last year to set out the legal position clearly. In addition, from September 2026, the updated Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance will also state that schools should teach that “common-law marriage” is a myth by the end of secondary school, helping to tackle persistent misconceptions and improve public understanding of the law.

Legal aid is currently available to a person in a cohabiting couple for some private family proceedings, such as child arrangement orders and transfers of tenancies, where they are a victim of domestic abuse or are at risk of abuse. Funding is subject to providing evidence of domestic abuse and passing the means and merits tests. Where an issue falls outside the scope of legal aid, for example, cohabiting partners seeking to resolve property disputes upon separation, individuals can apply for Exceptional Case Funding (ECF). ECF will be granted if, without legal aid, there is a risk that the person’s human rights may be breached. ECF applications are determined by the Legal Aid Agency on an individual basis. This Government keeps legal aid policy under review.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of legal aid to cohabiting partners seeking to resolve property disputes upon separation.

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

As set out in our manifesto, the Government is committed to strengthening the rights and protections available to women in cohabiting couples. Cohabitation reform is a matter of utmost importance, and we will be consulting this Spring on how best to deliver this commitment. The consultation will consider how best to strengthen the rights of cohabitating couples and the circumstances in which protections may apply, while firmly upholding marriage as one of our most important institutions.

The Government also recognises the challenge posed by the mistaken belief in the myth of “common law marriage”. To improve public awareness of the legal distinction between marriage and cohabitation, we updated GOV.UK guidance last year to set out the legal position clearly. In addition, from September 2026, the updated Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance will also state that schools should teach that “common-law marriage” is a myth by the end of secondary school, helping to tackle persistent misconceptions and improve public understanding of the law.

Legal aid is currently available to a person in a cohabiting couple for some private family proceedings, such as child arrangement orders and transfers of tenancies, where they are a victim of domestic abuse or are at risk of abuse. Funding is subject to providing evidence of domestic abuse and passing the means and merits tests. Where an issue falls outside the scope of legal aid, for example, cohabiting partners seeking to resolve property disputes upon separation, individuals can apply for Exceptional Case Funding (ECF). ECF will be granted if, without legal aid, there is a risk that the person’s human rights may be breached. ECF applications are determined by the Legal Aid Agency on an individual basis. This Government keeps legal aid policy under review.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many directors with responsibility for human resources are employed across their department and its executive agencies; and how many of those directors hold professional HR qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development or equivalent professional bodies.

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

All directors with responsibility for human resources hold MCIPD and FCIPD qualifications. The number of directors is not releasable due to privacy protections.

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 women's health pathways in providing structured nutritional and metabolic support to women experiencing early endocrine and metabolic symptoms before they meet the thresholds for diabetes prevention programmes and secondary care referral; and what steps he is taking to improve early intervention within those services.

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

The Department has not made a specific assessment. However, the Government is committed to tackling preventable ill health such as type 2 diabetes. Referrals to digital weight management services are offered where appropriate, and lifestyle advice, diet, and weight management are offered to all women with prediabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome.

And, for women who have had diabetes or hypertension in pregnancy, an annual review of blood tests and blood pressure is encouraged to monitor and ensure the earliest interventions, if required.

King's Guard's ceremonial bearskin caps

Cyprus and UK Sovereign Base Areas

Waste crime

Visa concessions for sheep shearers (No. 2)

Newbury Fire Station’s fundraising efforts

Heating oil financial support

Rural postal services

Online abuse and exploitation of Ukrainian refugees

Ané Kritzinger Physics Gold Medal at STEM for BRITAIN Awards

Windermere

Funding for rural Britain

Sign Language Week

25th anniversary of the Voluntary Initiative

NHS funding for mental health services

Conflict in Lebanon

Student finance system reform

State visits to the US

Leasehold reform (No. 3)

Congratulations to Hollie Davidson

Creative industries and the use of AI

Endometriosis Awareness Month 2026

Cheadle Civic Society's celebration of Agatha Christie's connection to Cheadle 2026

Airport drop-off charges

Energy prices for households and businesses

Heating oil prices

UNESCO World Heritage status for chalk streams in England

Delay Repay scheme

Ambulance handover times

Recognition of armed forces personnel wounded in terrorist attacks outside of operational deployment

NHS dentistry

Recognition of Ukrainian driving licences

Temporary accommodation and its impact on neurodivergent children

Eating disorder services

Fundraising for brain tumour research

Found: Madders (Labour; Ellesmere Port and Bromborough) Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat; Witney) Mr Joshua Reynolds

Submit Evidence (by 12 Apr 2026)

Demand for critical minerals has grown rapidly in recent years. New technologies, including turbines and data centres, require more minerals than the older systems they replace. At the same time, global trade in these materials has become more fractured and competitive.

Submit Evidence (by 3 Apr 2026)

The Business and Trade Committee is launching an inquiry into Artificial Intelligence (AI) in order to better understand the opportunities and costs for businesses and the workforce, and to make recommendations on Government priorities.