Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to create an attractive business environment for inwards investment in the electronics industry.

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

The Government is ensuring the UK remains a top destination for foreign investment through policy stability, improving planning and championing competitive sectors. We are creating investable opportunities that drive productivity, highquality jobs and sustainable growth. The 2025 Trade Strategy builds on improvements to the Office for Investment to ensure our trade and international agreements strengthen FDI.

The Industrial Strategy supports electronic firms through commitments to supply chains for advanced manufacturing including power electronics, clean energy technologies and digital. Priorities include automotive, batteries, aerospace, space and advanced materials, while semiconductors are identified as a key technology with its own semiconductor programme.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the UK's military capabilities.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This Government inherited a set of Armed Forces that were described by a previous defence secretary as having been “hollowed out and underfunded”. He made these comments from his time on the Government benches in the last Parliament.

The Department routinely conducts both Planned Force Testing and Capability Auditing to maintain an accurate picture of the actual and projected state of the force. The details of those audits are not made public as their disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

The Strategic Defence Review considered all aspects of Defence, including the capabilities required by UK Defence to meet the challenges, threats, and opportunities of the twenty-first century. The plan for implementing the Review’s recommendations for the Integrated Force will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to increase the number of science parks in the UK.

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

The government is ensuring that everyone benefits from innovation-led economic growth by supporting clusters of R&D excellence across the UK. As these clusters grow our ambition is that investment into science parks increases in all regions of the UK.

We are investing up to £500 million in the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, for local leaders to grow their high-potential innovation clusters and create jobs. The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund empowers local leaders to target R&D investment to the needs of their areas, including investing in R&D facilities to build regional innovation capability.

A new Mayoral Revolving Growth Fund will give six Mayoral Strategic Authorities in the North and Midlands a devolved pot of funding to address access‑to‑finance barriers, including for the development of commercial scientific infrastructure. Decisions on projects, including support for laboratory space, will rest with the respective authorities. Developers are also able to engage with the National Wealth Fund on potential financing for life science laboratory space.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made on the adequacy of the UK's air defence.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This Government inherited a set of Armed Forces that were described by a previous defence secretary as having been “hollowed out and underfunded”. He made these comments from his time on the Government benches in the last Parliament.

The Department routinely conducts both Planned Force Testing and Capability Auditing to maintain an accurate picture of the actual and projected state of the force. The details of those audits are not made public as their disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

The Strategic Defence Review considered all aspects of Defence, including the capabilities required by UK Defence to meet the challenges, threats, and opportunities of the twenty-first century. The plan for implementing the Review’s recommendations for the Integrated Force will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK’s defence industrial base.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This Defence Industrial Strategy (published on 8 September 2025) emphasises the importance of supporting UK-based businesses, to build and maintain a thriving, resilient and competitive UK industrial base.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) regularly assesses the UK’s defence industrial base to ensure it meets national security needs. Recent efforts focus on strengthening supply chain resilience, addressing workforce skills gaps, fostering innovation, enhancing collaboration with allies, and supporting sustainable, modern defence solutions.

This Government is directing more of a growing defence budget at British based firms and we have committed to increasing direct spend with SMES by 50% by 2027. We continue to support the development of our defence industrial base, by implementing the Defence Industrial Strategy. The hon. Member will also have seen announcements from the MOD on creating new Defence Technical Excellence Colleges to increase skills for our defence industrial base and the announcements of five defence growth deals.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the conflict in the Middle East on energy prices for British consumers.

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

The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy bills. We continue to monitor the situation closely and we are looking at what further support may be needed.

At the Autumn Budget we committed to taking money off energy bills and we have. The energy price cap will provide protection for households until the start of July, regardless of developments in the Middle East. Ofgem has confirmed that the price cap will fall by 7% or £117 annually for the period covering April to June. The price cap for that period is fixed and will not change.

In addition to this, around 6 million families are benefitting from the expansion of the £150 Warm Home Discount, and through the Warm Homes Plan the Government is delivering the biggest investment in home upgrades in British history.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve treatment pathways for patients with secondary breast cancer.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan, published 4 February 2026, has set out actions aimed at supporting people with secondary breast cancer.

NHS England is piloting the use of self-referral breast cancer pathways to streamline diagnostic pathways and free up primary care capacity using the NHS App and NHS 111 online service. This is in addition to the Government’s commitment for NHS England to deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029 through a £2.3 billion investment in diagnostics, and to ensure that as many community diagnostic centres as possible are fully operational and open 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

To improve the diagnosis of breast cancer, the National Health Service will harness 'circulating tumour DNA' tests for breast cancer which can pick up relapse months earlier, accelerating clinical decisions and allowing patients to start the most effective treatment faster. The National Cancer Plan has identified four priority areas to accelerate access to new technologies, which include artificial intelligence-assisted interpretation of pathology images for suspected prostate and breast cancer diagnosis.

To improve outcomes for breast cancer patients, NHS England funds the National Audit of Breast Cancer Treatment, covering both primary and metastatic disease. By analysing routine clinical data from NHS settings, these audits identify regional variations in care quality and establish best practices. This will benefit all breast cancer patients, including secondary breast cancer patients.

At the same time, the NHS is focusing on improving the experience of those with a cancer diagnosis. Every patient diagnosed with cancer will be supported through a full neighbourhood-level personalised care package, covering mental and physical health as well as any practical or financial concerns. For people with secondary breast cancer, this will be a step forward in building care around them, their needs, their lives, and their families.

The plan highlights the Government’s ambition to ensure that every person with secondary breast cancer has faster diagnosis and treatment, access to the latest treatments and technology, and high-quality support throughout their journey, while driving up cancer survival rates.

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 to strengthen penalties for repeat breaches of tobacco and vape licensing conditions once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is enacted.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently being considered in the House of Lords, provides powers to enable the Government to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products. As set out in the bill, if a retailer is found to be in breach of a condition of their licence, they could receive a civil financial penalty of up to £2,500. Enforcement officers take a proportionate approach to enforcement and will be able to issue a financial penalty at a value that reflects the severity of the breach. Serious cases could face revocation of their licence which would prohibit them from selling relevant products. Selling without a licence will be a serious offence and could result in an unlimited fine on conviction, or a £2,500 on-the-spot fine. We will provide guidance on the licensing scheme to support enforcement officers when issuing civil penalties for licence breaches.

Details of the licensing scheme, including licence conditions and consequences for anyone found to have breached those conditions, will be set out in regulations. We will consult on the specifics of the scheme before bringing forward secondary legislation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the relationship between (a) puff-count capacity, (b) nicotine delivery, and (c) dependence risk in multi-pod or “carousel” style vaping devices.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately branded, promoted, and advertised to children and will provide the Government with new powers to restrict the packaging, device appearance, and display of vapes and other nicotine products to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

On 8 October 2025, we launched a Call for Evidence which sought evidence on the size and shape of vapes, vape tanks, and the components of vaping products, including pods, puff-count capacity, and nicotine delivery.

We are now reviewing the responses, and these will help inform decisions around our future regulatory approach once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been enacted.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as part of their upcoming Circular Economy Growth Plan, will consider evidence across a range of interventions, including but not limited to the regulation of product features to support increased recyclability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of prohibiting the sale of vaping devices that can hold or connect to more than one e-liquid container at a time.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately branded, promoted, and advertised to children and will provide the Government with new powers to restrict the packaging, device appearance, and display of vapes and other nicotine products to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

On 8 October 2025, we launched a Call for Evidence which sought evidence on the size and shape of vapes, vape tanks, and the components of vaping products, including pods, puff-count capacity, and nicotine delivery.

We are now reviewing the responses, and these will help inform decisions around our future regulatory approach once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been enacted.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as part of their upcoming Circular Economy Growth Plan, will consider evidence across a range of interventions, including but not limited to the regulation of product features to support increased recyclability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the diagnosis rate for secondary breast cancer.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan, published 4 February 2026, has set out actions aimed at supporting people with secondary breast cancer.

NHS England is piloting the use of self-referral breast cancer pathways to streamline diagnostic pathways and free up primary care capacity using the NHS App and NHS 111 online service. This is in addition to the Government’s commitment for NHS England to deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029 through a £2.3 billion investment in diagnostics, and to ensure that as many community diagnostic centres as possible are fully operational and open 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

To improve the diagnosis of breast cancer, the National Health Service will harness 'circulating tumour DNA' tests for breast cancer which can pick up relapse months earlier, accelerating clinical decisions and allowing patients to start the most effective treatment faster. The National Cancer Plan has identified four priority areas to accelerate access to new technologies, which include artificial intelligence-assisted interpretation of pathology images for suspected prostate and breast cancer diagnosis.

To improve outcomes for breast cancer patients, NHS England funds the National Audit of Breast Cancer Treatment, covering both primary and metastatic disease. By analysing routine clinical data from NHS settings, these audits identify regional variations in care quality and establish best practices. This will benefit all breast cancer patients, including secondary breast cancer patients.

At the same time, the NHS is focusing on improving the experience of those with a cancer diagnosis. Every patient diagnosed with cancer will be supported through a full neighbourhood-level personalised care package, covering mental and physical health as well as any practical or financial concerns. For people with secondary breast cancer, this will be a step forward in building care around them, their needs, their lives, and their families.

The plan highlights the Government’s ambition to ensure that every person with secondary breast cancer has faster diagnosis and treatment, access to the latest treatments and technology, and high-quality support throughout their journey, while driving up cancer survival rates.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the commitment to explore novel procurement routes for diagnostics or treatments for rarer cancers contained in the 2026 National Cancer Plan includes assessing the suitability of the current approach to marketing authorisation in respect of treatments for rare and less common cancer.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Improving survival for rare cancer patients is a priority for the National Cancer Plan. The plan aims for England to climb into the top quartile in Europe for survival of multiple less common cancers by 2035.

We will explore which innovative procurement mechanisms, including advanced market commitments or advanced purchase agreements, could stimulate innovation for rarer cancers.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has completed a public consultation on its draft guideline on individualised mRNA cancer immunotherapies, a new type of personalised cancer treatment. These technologies use cutting-edge science such as artificial intelligence to design a medicine tailored to each patient’s unique tumour profile. The MHRA’s public consultation on its draft guideline on individualised mRNA cancer immunotherapies is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/draft-guidance-on-individualised-mrna-cancer-immunotherapies

The MHRA will refine the guideline to ensure regulatory expectations are clearly articulated, without hampering innovation. This will facilitate faster access to these promising new therapies, while upholding our standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. The final version of the guideline will be published in the coming months, with future updates anticipated as regulatory experience evolves in this rapidly developing field.

To support measures that improve outcomes for rare cancer patients, the Government will implement the Rare Cancers Bill in full. The bill modernises how rare cancer drugs are approved, making sure our laws keep pace with other leading countries. It guarantees a new national specialty lead for rare cancers within the National Institute for Health and Care Research to drive research and leadership outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for cancer treatment in the East Midlands.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department remains committed to ensuring that all cancer patients, including those in the East Midlands, have timely access to high-quality treatment services.

The Department has invested £70 million into new state of the art radiotherapy treatment machines to replace older, less efficient machines. These new machines are currently being rolled out to trusts and have started treating patients throughout the country. These newer, more powerful machines will reduce treatment times, boost productivity, and allow more patients to be seen.

The recently published National Cancer Plan sets a clear ambition to meet all cancer waiting time standards by the end of this Parliament, ensuring that patients have access to faster diagnosis and treatment. This will be achieved through a modernised, more productive cancer pathway, expansion of diagnostic capacity, harnessing innovative technology, and giving the most challenged trusts intensive support to deliver the improvements patients rightly expect.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce increases in the number of kidney disease cases.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS England Renal Service Transformation Programme has been established to support the transformation of renal services across England to deliver better services and outcomes in relation to kidney disease. The programme recognises the importance of prevention and optimising screening, detection, and treatment. Regional renal clinical networks, with eight commissioned networks across England, have established workstreams, working with providers to develop transformation programmes to reduce the number of patients progressing through the stages of chronic kidney disease, supporting improved patient outcomes.

NHS England has also established a renal Clinical Reference Group to help drive improvements in diagnosis and treatment for people living with kidney disease.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent kidney disease.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS England Renal Service Transformation Programme has been established to support the transformation of renal services across England to deliver better services and outcomes in relation to kidney disease. The programme recognises the importance of prevention and optimising screening, detection, and treatment. Regional renal clinical networks, with eight commissioned networks across England, have established workstreams, working with providers to develop transformation programmes to reduce the number of patients progressing through the stages of chronic kidney disease, supporting improved patient outcomes.

NHS England has also established a renal Clinical Reference Group to help drive improvements in diagnosis and treatment for people living with kidney disease.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle kidney disease.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS England Renal Service Transformation Programme has been established to support the transformation of renal services across England to deliver better services and outcomes in relation to kidney disease. The programme recognises the importance of prevention and optimising screening, detection, and treatment. Regional renal clinical networks, with eight commissioned networks across England, have established workstreams, working with providers to develop transformation programmes to reduce the number of patients progressing through the stages of chronic kidney disease, supporting improved patient outcomes.

NHS England has also established a renal Clinical Reference Group to help drive improvements in diagnosis and treatment for people living with kidney disease.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support electronic device repair businesses.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department offers a range of support offers for SMEs across the UK, including those in the electronic device repair sector as featured in the new Business Growth Service website.

These measures are set out in the Small Business Plan released in July 2025; this includes the most significant legislative reforms in 25 years to tackle late payments; unlocking billions of pounds in financial support; removing unnecessary red tape; revitalising High Streets and boosting Digital and AI Adoption among small businesses.

In Ashfield, and across Nottinghamshire, businesses can access free, impartial business advice through the government-backed Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Growth Hub.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of staffing levels in cancer care on waiting times for patients to receive treatment.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The development of the National Cancer Plan highlighted areas where there are higher vacancy rates in some areas of the country. The Department and NHS England will work with the royal colleges to encourage resident doctors and internal medicine trainees to specialise in clinical and medical oncology to address these pressures. NHS England will also use training more directly as a lever to support improvements in operational performance, prioritising training places in trusts, often those in rural or coastal areas, where vacancy rates are higher and performance is lower.

Through these interventions, patients will see improvements now, and these training places will secure the workforce for the future. The Department has committed to the National Health Service meeting all cancer waiting time standards by the end of this Parliament, ending a decade of missed targets.

The NHS is determined to cut cancer waiting lists and treatment times. That is why the Department is investing £70 million in new radiotherapy machines in the NHS and opening 170 community diagnostic centres to speed up diagnosis. Furthermore, the NHS will continue to look at opportunities to use artificial intelligence, for example by helping oncologists plan radiotherapy more quickly and accurately. Improved contouring in radiotherapy practice will mean better outcomes and reduced risk of healthy tissue damage, meaning fewer complications for patients and less need for follow up treatment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve accessibility to Mobility Assessment Centres in (a) Nottinghamshire and (b) the East Midlands.

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

The Department for Transport is working closely with the Mobility Centres network (England) and DVLA to provide accessible and timely access to driving and mobility assessments. The Department recently provided additional funding to Mobility Centres, including to Centres across the Midlands, to facilitate the provision of assessments. It also provides targeted funding to support the upgrading of vehicle fleets, and to enhance the range of vehicle adaptations available. Better equipped and funded Centres will continue to improve accessibility for disabled and older people who live in the Midlands.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support people with potential surges in energy costs.

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

The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy bills. We continue to monitor the situation closely and we are looking at what further support may be needed.

At the Autumn Budget we committed to taking money off energy bills and we have. The energy price cap will provide protection for households until the start of July, regardless of developments in the Middle East. Ofgem has confirmed that the price cap will fall by 7% or £117 annually for the period covering April to June. The price cap for that period is fixed and will not change.

In addition to this, around 6 million families are benefitting from the expansion of the £150 Warm Home Discount, and through the Warm Homes Plan the Government is delivering the biggest investment in home upgrades in British history.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to ensure people with hearing loss do not face discrimination in society.

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

The Equality Act 2010 makes it clear that businesses and public bodies that provide goods and services to the public must not unlawfully discriminate against disabled people, including those who are deaf or have hearing impairments. The Act places an anticipatory duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services. The Act is clear that the failure by a service provider to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled person could amount to disability discrimination.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a lack of naval assets in the Mediterranean on the attack on RAF Akrotiri.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) keeps its defensive posture in the region under constant review and decisions are made based on operational factors. The deployment of HMS Dragon is in addition to the considerable amount of capability positioned into RAF Akrotiri since January, including hundreds of armed forces personnel, radar, anti-air defence missiles and F35s to defend our bases, people and interests.

The MOD remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of security to safeguard our national defence capabilities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with cancer charities on supporting people with hair loss accessing hair systems.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department and the National Health Service in England acknowledge that some cancer patients may face difficulties with hair loss during treatment.

Decisions about the funding and provision of health services are the responsibility of local integrated care boards. NHS Supply Chain has engaged extensively on a national level to thoroughly assess the provision and supply of wigs and related accessories. Collaboration between NHS Supply Chain with industry groups is ongoing to facilitate access to the wigs framework, thereby offering NHS providers a broader selection of products. A key priority throughout this process has been ensuring suitability for individual wearers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will outline a timeline he expects there to be standard treatment for recurrent glioblastoma available in the UK.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with cancerous brain tumours, such as glioblastoma, and recognises the significant impact that this rare cancer can have on patients, carers, and their families.

In October 2025, a new nationwide trial was launched exploring whether surgery can improve the quality of life for patients when glioblastoma comes back after treatment commenced, backed by £1.98 million of National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funding.

The Government published the National Cancer Plan for England on 4 February 2026, and it was the first ever cancer plan to include a chapter on rare and less common cancers. The plan sets out that we will aim to reduce the number of cancers diagnosed in emergency settings.

To accelerate breakthroughs, the Government will explore innovative procurement methods, such as advance market commitments, to stimulate the development of new diagnostic tests, targeted therapies and more effective treatments for rare cancers, such as brain cancers.

As a result of the significant new commitments to brain tumour research being announced, committed spend on brain tumour research from NIHR programmes alone is now in excess of £40 million since 2018. This is in addition to NIHR investments in infrastructure, which are estimated to be £44.5 million over the period 2018/19 to 2024/25, and UK Research and Innovation commitments of £46.8 million to brain tumour research over the six years from 2018/19 to 2023/24.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure PIP claims are assessed within the Department's target wait times.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have interpreted the questions as relating specifically to the assessment stage of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims.

The department does not set or publish target wait times for the completion of PIP assessments. We therefore do not hold figures on how many, or what proportion, of assessments were completed outside such target times.

However, the department does publish information on average assessment clearance times as part of its official PIP statistical releases, which can be found here.

The department continues to take steps to improve the timeliness of PIP assessments, including increasing operational capacity and recruiting additional health professionals to help manage current demand levels.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of waiting time for PIP claim decisions.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service.

We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of PIP claims were not assessed within the Department's target wait times in the last 12 months.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have interpreted the questions as relating specifically to the assessment stage of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims.

The department does not set or publish target wait times for the completion of PIP assessments. We therefore do not hold figures on how many, or what proportion, of assessments were completed outside such target times.

However, the department does publish information on average assessment clearance times as part of its official PIP statistical releases, which can be found here.

The department continues to take steps to improve the timeliness of PIP assessments, including increasing operational capacity and recruiting additional health professionals to help manage current demand levels.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the UK's level of military readiness for potential large-scale conflict.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Defence continues to focus on ensuring its readiness, including for a high-intensity conflict, in line with the recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The SDR is already being implemented, and the Defence Investment Plan will further shape our priorities to ensure we can continue to meet the threats we face.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to strengthen the Royal Navy.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Royal Navy is strengthening its warfighting effectiveness by modernising its fleet, investing in its people, and accelerating adaptation to emerging threats. The First Sea Lord has set out his vision of a Hybrid Navy that combines new high‑end capabilities – such as the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates – with greater use of autonomous and uncrewed systems. These ambitions remain subject to the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to (a) improve military readiness and (b) address gaps in military capability to build resilience to (i) current and (ii) future threats.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Strategic Defence Review sets out recommendations to enhance the readiness, agility and lethality of our armed forces, which will be implemented through the Defence Investment Plan, ensuring our Armed Forces have the capabilities to tackle current and future threats alongside our allies and partners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the size of the Royal Navy fleet.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The size and composition of the Royal Navy are kept under continuous review to ensure the force can meet Defence tasks and operational commitments.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her department is taking to reduce waiting times for Fitness to Drive assessments.

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

During a medical investigation into a person’s fitness to drive the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) may require a functional on-road driving assessment. These are delivered through specialist driving assessment centres that provide clinical and on-road evaluation of a driver’s functional ability where a medical condition may affect safe driving. These assessments require appropriately trained clinicians and specialist driving assessors, as well as access to adapted vehicles and suitable testing environments.

The DVLA is working closely with the Department for Transport and the Mobility centres network (England) to provide accessible and timely access to driving and mobility assessments.

There is a significant demand on Mobility centre assessment services, and this can result in delays in some areas. There is regular engagement with the centres to understand the challenges and maintain appropriate levels of grant funding. Individual Driving Mobility centres are responsible for managing their own assessments and waiting times. Central information on current waiting times for fitness to drive assessments is not held.

Mobility centres are responsible for providing suitable vehicles for the applicant to use. These cover a range of adaptations to meet the needs of the majority of users. The Department for Transport has also provided targeted funding to the Mobility Centres to support upgrading their vehicle fleets and enhance the range of vehicle adaptations available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her department is taking to ensure that people are provided vehicles similar to their usual vehicle during Fitness to Drive assessments.

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

During a medical investigation into a person’s fitness to drive the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) may require a functional on-road driving assessment. These are delivered through specialist driving assessment centres that provide clinical and on-road evaluation of a driver’s functional ability where a medical condition may affect safe driving. These assessments require appropriately trained clinicians and specialist driving assessors, as well as access to adapted vehicles and suitable testing environments.

The DVLA is working closely with the Department for Transport and the Mobility centres network (England) to provide accessible and timely access to driving and mobility assessments.

There is a significant demand on Mobility centre assessment services, and this can result in delays in some areas. There is regular engagement with the centres to understand the challenges and maintain appropriate levels of grant funding. Individual Driving Mobility centres are responsible for managing their own assessments and waiting times. Central information on current waiting times for fitness to drive assessments is not held.

Mobility centres are responsible for providing suitable vehicles for the applicant to use. These cover a range of adaptations to meet the needs of the majority of users. The Department for Transport has also provided targeted funding to the Mobility Centres to support upgrading their vehicle fleets and enhance the range of vehicle adaptations available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her department holds on current waiting times for Fitness to Drive assessments.

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

During a medical investigation into a person’s fitness to drive the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) may require a functional on-road driving assessment. These are delivered through specialist driving assessment centres that provide clinical and on-road evaluation of a driver’s functional ability where a medical condition may affect safe driving. These assessments require appropriately trained clinicians and specialist driving assessors, as well as access to adapted vehicles and suitable testing environments.

The DVLA is working closely with the Department for Transport and the Mobility centres network (England) to provide accessible and timely access to driving and mobility assessments.

There is a significant demand on Mobility centre assessment services, and this can result in delays in some areas. There is regular engagement with the centres to understand the challenges and maintain appropriate levels of grant funding. Individual Driving Mobility centres are responsible for managing their own assessments and waiting times. Central information on current waiting times for fitness to drive assessments is not held.

Mobility centres are responsible for providing suitable vehicles for the applicant to use. These cover a range of adaptations to meet the needs of the majority of users. The Department for Transport has also provided targeted funding to the Mobility Centres to support upgrading their vehicle fleets and enhance the range of vehicle adaptations available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures are in place to ensure provisional driving license applications are processed within DVLA target times during periods of high demand for applications.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. There are no delays in applications for a provisional licence where there is no medical condition involved. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within three working days for straightforward online applications and 90 per cent within ten working days for straightforward paper applications. In the current financial year, the DVLA has achieved 100 per cent for online applications and 99.9 per cent for paper applications.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26.

To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her department holds on trends in the level of waiting times for provisional driving license applications.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. There are no delays in applications for a provisional licence where there is no medical condition involved. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within three working days for straightforward online applications and 90 per cent within ten working days for straightforward paper applications. In the current financial year, the DVLA has achieved 100 per cent for online applications and 99.9 per cent for paper applications.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26.

To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her department holds about the proportion of provisional driving license applications involving non-complex medical conditions that were not assessed within DVLA target waiting times.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. There are no delays in applications for a provisional licence where there is no medical condition involved. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within three working days for straightforward online applications and 90 per cent within ten working days for straightforward paper applications. In the current financial year, the DVLA has achieved 100 per cent for online applications and 99.9 per cent for paper applications.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26.

To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her department has held recent conversation with the DVLA regarding the time taken to process provisional driving license applications involving non-complex medical conditions.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. There are no delays in applications for a provisional licence where there is no medical condition involved. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within three working days for straightforward online applications and 90 per cent within ten working days for straightforward paper applications. In the current financial year, the DVLA has achieved 100 per cent for online applications and 99.9 per cent for paper applications.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26.

To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her department is taking to ensure provisional driving license applications involving medical conditions are assessed within DVLA target times.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. There are no delays in applications for a provisional licence where there is no medical condition involved. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within three working days for straightforward online applications and 90 per cent within ten working days for straightforward paper applications. In the current financial year, the DVLA has achieved 100 per cent for online applications and 99.9 per cent for paper applications.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26.

To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her department holds about the proportion of provisional driving license applications that were not assessed within DVLA target waiting times.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. There are no delays in applications for a provisional licence where there is no medical condition involved. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within three working days for straightforward online applications and 90 per cent within ten working days for straightforward paper applications. In the current financial year, the DVLA has achieved 100 per cent for online applications and 99.9 per cent for paper applications.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26.

To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to promote inward investment in electric appliance manufacturing in the UK.

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

The Department promotes inward investment in electric appliance manufacturing through targeted support from the Office for Investment and our global investment network. We work closely with devolved administrations and local partners to showcase the UK’s strengths, including world‑class R&D. Investors can access tailored advice, regulatory support, and incentives such as capital allowances and funding for innovation.

The enhanced Office for Investment is actively pursuing and managing major investment projects that support national growth missions and infrastructure strategies, helping to make the UK the best investment destination in the world.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of prescription charges on people with IBD.

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

The Government currently has no plans to review or amend the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of prescription charges on people with inflammatory bowel disease.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the medical exemption list for prescription charges.

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

The Government currently has no plans to review or amend the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of prescription charges on people with inflammatory bowel disease.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help promote British made buses.

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

The Government is committed to supporting the long-term strength and competitiveness of our bus manufacturing sector. In March 2025, the Minister for Roads and Buses launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, bringing together industry experts and local leaders to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. A key objective of the panel is to develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector and UK-based manufacturers. This pipeline has been published at: 10-year zero emission bus order pipeline - GOV.UK.

Separately, on 12 March 26, my Department announced an additional £73.2 million of funding for 484 zero emission buses through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area Programme (ZEBRA) for which UK manufacturers have already won the majority of orders for the 2,500 buses delivered so far.

We are also providing further opportunities for UK manufacturers with the £15.6 billion of funding available over five years to improve local transport across some of the biggest city regions, giving local leaders the ability to allocate funding to upgrade and decarbonise their fleets.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to promote British made electronic (a) devices and (b) appliances to consumers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is supporting British made electronic devices and appliances by backing domestic manufacturers, promoting innovation, and strengthening product standards. We work closely with industry bodies such as AMDEA (Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances), who lead consumer information campaigns helping shoppers identify high quality UK made products. We also continue to uphold strong safety standards through the Office for Product Safety and Standards. Through this partnership approach, we aim to boost the visibility, competitiveness and consumer confidence in British made electronics and appliances.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made about the potential impact of importing Chinese built electric buses on UK security.

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

The Government takes national security seriously and works closely with the transport sector and others to understand and respond to vulnerabilities for all transport modes.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure electronic waste is safely disposed.

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

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013 are founded on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility, which requires the producers of electrical and electronic equipment to take responsibility for the environmental impact of the products they place on the market when they become waste. Under the WEEE Regulations, the cost of the collection, transport and subsequent environmentally sound treatment and recycling of household waste is financed by producers through membership of a Producer Compliance Scheme.

Electrical and electronic equipment is part of our Circular Economy Growth Plan which considers the evidence for action right across the economy and what interventions may be needed. We intend to publish the Circular Economy Growth Plan soon.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce levels of electronic waste.

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

Defra is actively exploring how we can support circularity in electrical and electronic equipment; a successful transition to a Circular Economy aims to eliminate waste and promote sustainability through reuse and resource efficiency. As part of this, we recognise the importance of continued innovation in methods to reduce levels of waste electricals and electronics.

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 about the potential impact of scale of electronic waste on the environment.

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

Defra has not conducted a formal assessment of the potential impact of scale of electronic waste on the environment.

We recognise that this is an important issue which is why electrical and electronic waste is being considered under the Circular Economy Growth Plan which we intend to publish soon.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help raise public awareness of the dangers of irresponsible electronic waste disposal.

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

The WEEE Compliance Fee, paid under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 by electrical producers is used to provide project funding for consumer awareness campaigns in the UK, which are managed by Material Focus and highlight the importance of proper disposal and recycling of electrical waste.

Defra recognises the importance of continued innovation in public awareness campaigns for the collection and treatment of waste electricals and electronics. The Circular Economy Growth Plan will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed. The Circular Economy Growth Plan is due to be published soon.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the availability of (a) apprenticeships and (b) training courses in the electronic device repair industry.

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

The Level 3 Digital Device Repair Technician apprenticeship standard is available to support the electronic device repair industry, and other occupational standards are available to facilitate engineering and manufacturing skills more widely.

To improve the availability of apprenticeships, from the next academic year, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training costs for eligible people aged under 25 at non-levy paying employers. The department currently pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21 at non-levy paying employers and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care.

From October 2026, non-levy paying employers will also receive a £2,000 incentive payment when they take on, as new employees, apprentices under the aged of 25, to help them meet the additional costs of supporting a young person at the beginning of their career.

This is in addition to the £1,000 that the Government already pays to both employers (of all sizes) and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers will receive additional payments of up to £2,000 for foundation apprenticeships and employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).