Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) inheritance tax and (b) business property relief on family-owned manufacturing businesses.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to UIN 56360.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when Horizon redress claimants where no evidence of shortfalls can be established will have their claims assessed.

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

We are aware that some postmasters are waiting for their Horizon Shortfall Scheme Fixed Sum Offer due to a lack of available data to verify that shortfalls occurred. To help address this, the Post Office is conducting further investigations using branch files to identify potential Horizon-related shortfalls. Where evidence is found, fixed sum payments are being issued as quickly as possible.

In cases where additional information is needed, the Post Office will reach out to these individuals for further information about the shortfalls that they experienced.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the human rights situation in Eswatini.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since reopening our High Commission in Eswatini in 2019, the UK has been active in promoting good governance and the rule of law, through engagement with trade unions, political groups and civil society organisations as well as with the three branches of government. The UK supports the Swazi people indirectly through programmes delivered by UN agencies (including the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)), their implementing partners and the Global Fund, as well as through advocacy and engagement with local Human Rights Defenders and state authorities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling access to BBC iPlayer for license fee payers while abroad.

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

Under the Charter the BBC is required to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain. With regard to the provision of services internationally, as the BBC is operationally independent, decisions on whether and how the BBC makes its content available to licence fee payers abroad are therefore for the BBC to make independent of government.

DCMS has not made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling access to BBC iPlayer for license fee payers while abroad. However, it is worth noting that the ability of the BBC to make content available is limited in large part due to rights agreements. The BBC does not hold the international rights to many of the programmes it carries on iPlayer, and therefore cannot provide audiences outside the UK with access to the iPlayer service.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the BBC on digitising the BBC archives.

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

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport meets regularly with representatives of the BBC on a range of matters.

With regard to the digitisation of the BBC archives, the BBC has an obligation under their Framework Agreement to both maintain an archive, and give the public reasonable opportunities to visit the archive and view material kept there. As the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the Government, decisions on how it discharges its obligations in relation to its Archive Services are a matter for the BBC.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Child Maintenance Service cases lapse each year due to failure to trace the paying parent.

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

The statistical information specific to the scenario you have given is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost to the Department.

The Government is committed to ensuring parents meet their financial obligations to their children.

Where a paying parent fails to take responsibility for paying their child maintenance and cannot be traced, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will take immediate action and do everything within its powers to trace the paying parent.

The CMS have a range of enforcement powers that can be used against those parents who consistently refuse to meet or evade their obligations to provide financial support to their children. We are committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families to ensure compliance.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a national fire and rescue service statutory advisory body to oversee national standards on (a) fire cover, (b) training, (c) equalities and (d) health and safety.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has accepted, in principle, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendation to establish a national college of fire and rescue. The Inquiry report suggested a range of potential functions for a college to fulfil, including the development of policies and procedures to ensure both the effectiveness of fire and rescue services and the safety of firefighters and the public.

The government response to the Inquiry’s report notes that a necessary first step in the process will be to consult on the functions a college should have, what these functions should look like and how the college could best be structured and delivered. We expect to launch this consultation in the coming months.

Any future college function relating to national standards would build on the work already undertaken by the Fire Standards Board (FSB), which currently develops and maintains a suite of professional standards for fire and rescue services in England. The 19 standards currently published by the FSB cover a range of topics relating to operational management, leadership and ethics.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support the growth of apprenticeships in Eastleigh constituency.

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

This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will offer greater flexibility to employers and learners across the country, including in Eastleigh, and support the Industrial Strategy.

In August, the department introduced new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships. These flexibilities will help more people learn new high quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across the country.

To support the growth of apprenticeships, the government provides £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19 to 24-year-old apprentices who have an education, health and care plan or have been, or are, in care. We will also pay employers up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. Employers also benefit from not being 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.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Environment Agency on the enforcement of water quality standards in national parks.

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

The Environment Agency (EA) regulates to protect water quality standards across England, including within national parks. National parks often contain sensitive area designations such as bathing waters, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) or protected habitats, which afford higher levels of protection and regulation. Any environmental offences in national parks, such as pollution incidents and breaches of permits or regulations, are investigated and enforcement taken in line with the EA’s Enforcement and Sanctions Policy.

Protecting the natural environment remains a priority, and we continue to work closely with the Environment Agency to ensure high standards are upheld.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to review the regulatory requirements of sewage treatment works that serve fewer than 2,000 people.

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

Through the recommendations made by the Independent Water Commission, Defra is embarking on a review of regulations as part of the Government’s wider commitment to regulatory reform.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Youth Endowment Fund in reducing (a) youth violence and (b) knife crime.

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

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) plays a central role in evaluating and supporting interventions aimed at reducing youth violence and knife crime. This is critical to us properly understanding the challenges of youth violence and knife crime and how to most effectively address them.

The Home Office periodically reviews the YEF’s activities and assesses the impact of projects funded by the YEF and the reach of resources developed by the fund such as the YEF Toolkit.

The YEF has generally made good progress in these key areas over the period of the Grant. More widely, the YEF provides essential support across seven sectors including education, children’s services, and youth justice to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence.

The Home Office will continue to work with the YEF on reducing the impact of youth violence and knife crime, including through our commitment to halve knife crime in a decade.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Tactile Installation Programme on rail accessibility for people with sight loss.

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

The development of the business and safety cases for the installation of platform edge tactiles showed there should be a significant reduction in the risk of accidents and injuries to visually impaired passengers, particularly at low footfall and unstaffed stations. The programme completed earlier this year and the rail industry will continue to monitor its impact.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Creative Industries Sector Plan, published on 23 June 2025, when she plans to publish the video games skills strategy.

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

The Video Games Skills Strategy is being developed by an industry-led UK Games Skills Network and is due to be published later in 2025. This will build on findings from the Creative Industries Council Skills Audit, giving video games skills organisations and delivery partners a clear remit for tackling persistent skills gaps.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support UK-based broadcasters in adapting to changes in consumer behaviour associated with moving away from satellite television and towards streaming services.

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

We recognise the shift in audience habits to watching more television over internet-based platforms and the pressure this places on broadcasters. Through the Government’s Future of TV Distribution project, we’re exploring how people access television now and over the next decade, including assessing the future role of satellite in our distribution ecosystem. Ensuring that distribution costs are reasonable for broadcasters and that television continues to be universally available for audiences is key. As discussed in greater detail by Minister Peacock in the recent Future of Terrestrial Television debate, we are engaging a wide range of industry and audience voices through a ministerially chaired stakeholder forum to help understand these pressures.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the financial performance of the Royal Mint in the last financial year.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Royal Mint faced a challenging year in 2024-25, but took necessary steps to place the business on a sustainable footing. Over 60% of The Royal Mint’s reported losses were due to exceptional costs, including ending overseas coin production and a right-sizing initiative.

Despite these challenges, the organisation continued to advance its transformation plan, adopting new technologies and refining its cost base. Notably, it launched the Precious Metals Recovery (PMR) plant, which uses pioneering technology to extract gold from electronic waste.

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 update the NHS Car Parking Guidance 2022 for NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts.

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

The Department currently has no plans to review National Health Service car parking guidance. Free hospital car parking is available to the groups that are most in-need, including disabled people, frequent outpatient attenders, the parents of sick children staying overnight, and staff working night shifts.

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 ambulance response times in Eastleigh constituency.

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

The Government recognises that in recent years ambulance response times have not met the high standards that patients should expect.

We are determined to turn things around. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, backed by almost £450 million of capital investment, commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year. We are also tackling unacceptable ambulance handover delays by introducing a maximum 45-minute standard, supporting ambulances to be released more quickly and get back on the road to treat patients.

We have already seen improvements in ambulance response times for the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS), which serves Eastleigh. The latest NHS performance figures for SCAS show that Category 2 incidents were responded to in 30 minutes 44 seconds on average, over eight minutes faster than the same period last year.

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 effectiveness of NHS England’s processes for (a) identifying and (b) responding to concerns about the (i) quality and (ii) accuracy of children’s hearing test services; and what steps his Department is taking to improve the (A) consistency and (B) reliability of children’s hearing tests.

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

In December 2021, a report was published into service issues in children’s hearing services in NHS Lothian. The report focused on whether children’s hearing tests were being conducted properly and were effectively followed up. Further problems with the diagnosis of hearing issues in newborns and children were identified in other Scottish NHS trusts in 2023.

Subsequent assessment of NHS hearing services in children’s departments across England in 2023 and 2024 identified similar problems. In 2023, NHS England established the Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme to address the issues and oversee remedial action.

In April 2025, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, appointed Dr Camilla Kingdon to chair an independent review into children’s hearing services. The review has considered:

• NHS England’s response to the service failures in children’s hearing services;
• how the relevant governance arrangements between the Department and NHS England could be improved, and identify lessons learned; and
• how NHS England’s handling of any future service failures in similar services could be improved, and identify lessons learned.

The Department is currently considering next steps and how to ensure lessons learned can be acted upon promptly, including whether steps need to be taken to improve both the consistency and reliability of children’s hearing tests.

NHS England is supporting provider organisations and integrated care boards who are the commissioners of audiology services to improve performance and reduce waiting lists for appointments and assessments for hearing services. This includes capital investment to upgrade audiology facilities in NHS trusts, expanding audiology testing capacity via community diagnostic centres, and directing support through a national audiology improvement collaborative.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people with a Parkinson’s diagnosis were diagnosed by a specialist; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that proportion.

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

Guidance on Parkinson’s disease in adults published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that people with suspected Parkinson's disease are referred for an expert clinical diagnosis by a specialist without delay, and that the diagnosis should be reviewed regularly by a specialist.

While a formal diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease should always be undertaken by a specialist, NHS England does not hold information centrally to audit this.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with international sporting bodies on the use of dynamic pricing for major sporting events.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

As a Government we are aware that the UK has a global reputation for excellence in staging major sporting events. These major cultural and sporting events are an important part of our national life.

This Government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of live events, which is why we launched a call for evidence on pricing practices in the live events sector, alongside a consultation on ticket resales. The call for evidence looked at how practices like dynamic pricing are impacting consumers and businesses. We are reviewing responses and will publish the government's response shortly.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to (a) expand the role of post offices as one-stop-shops for a range of needs and (b) enhance their role in government service delivery.

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

Government published a Green Paper on 14 July, seeking views on the future of the Post Office, from the services it provides, how we modernise and strengthen the network, through to changing the culture and the way in which the Post Office is managed.

The consultation closed on 6 October and we thank all individuals and organisations for their detailed responses to our Green Paper which included proposals on expanding the role of post offices and on the provision of Government services. Government is carefully considering all responses to the Green Paper and aims to respond in early 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making all asthma-related medication free on prescription for adults.

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

No specific assessment has been made of the potential merits of making all asthma-related medication free on prescription for adults.

While there are no plans to amend the criteria for eligibility for free prescriptions, approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with asthma may be eligible.

Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have another qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the National Health Service Low Income Scheme, which provides help based on a comparison between a person’s income and requirements. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with 3-month and 12-month certificates available. 12-month PPCs can be paid for in ten monthly instalments, allowing the holder to get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the number of high-skilled jobs that will be created through the Life Sciences Sector Plan; and what steps he is taking to ensure that these will be distributed across regions.

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

The Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out a long-term vision to grow the UK's life sciences sector and create high-skilled jobs nationwide. In 2023/24, the sector employed almost 360,000 people across the UK. Around 60% of employment in the sector is based at companies registered outside of the London and South East regions. Many actions in the Plan - including a £520m innovative manufacturing fund - are designed to create and safeguard high-skilled, high-wage jobs. Our funds have already delivered over 1,900 jobs, with significantly more expected as the £520m scheme progresses. We will keep working with industry to address priority skills gaps.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of housing costs on the ability of people over 65 to retire.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department has made no such assessment.

The Pensions Commission will consider the outcomes and risks for future cohorts of pensioners, taking into consideration the role housing plays amongst other factors.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to review the exemption of small care companies from submitting audited accounts under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.

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

The Government has delivered legislation which has increased the monetary size thresholds for micro-entities, small, medium-sized and large companies. This has extended access to the small companies audit exemption to 14,000 companies reclassified from being medium-sized to small. Together, the measures in this legislation are already saving UK businesses £240 million per year.

The Government is continuing to work to identify reforms to company reporting and audit requirements to reduce the administrative burden of regulation. We will consult further in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish statistics for the time for blood cancer to be diagnosed.

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

NHS England has recently started publishing information on Faster Diagnosis Standard Activity and Performance by End Reason and Suspected Tumour. This data includes suspected haematological malignancies excluding acute leukaemia. A table showing the percentage of suspected haematological malignancies excluding acute leukaemia that are either diagnosed or that have cancer ruled out within the standard diagnosis time is attached.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new driving examiners have (a) been recruited and (b) completed training since the reforms to driving test availability announced in April 2025.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On 23 April 2025, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. As part of this DVSA reintroduced the additional testing allowance (ATA) incentive scheme for driving examiners (DEs).

Since DVSA introduced the ATA initiative on 1 June 2025, it has conducted over 10,000 additional overtime tests each month in comparison with the number conducted in the equivalent overtime scheme in 2024.

Between June and September 2025, DVSA has conducted 41,931 more car practical driving tests in total, compared to the same period last year. In September 2025 alone, the Agency conducted 20,500 more tests compared to September 2024.

DVSA continues to run recruitment campaigns for new DEs. Since April 2025, DVSA has recruited 225 new entrant DEs (onboarded and started a training course) and, of those, 174 successfully completed training and were placed in a driving test centre.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made in reaching its target to reduce average driving test waiting times to seven weeks by summer 2026.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On 23 April 2025, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. As part of this DVSA reintroduced the additional testing allowance (ATA) incentive scheme for driving examiners (DEs).

Since DVSA introduced the ATA initiative on 1 June 2025, it has conducted over 10,000 additional overtime tests each month in comparison with the number conducted in the equivalent overtime scheme in 2024.

Between June and September 2025, DVSA has conducted 41,931 more car practical driving tests in total, compared to the same period last year. In September 2025 alone, the Agency conducted 20,500 more tests compared to September 2024.

DVSA continues to run recruitment campaigns for new DEs. Since April 2025, DVSA has recruited 225 new entrant DEs (onboarded and started a training course) and, of those, 174 successfully completed training and were placed in a driving test centre.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the use of acting performances to train AI-generated performers without (a) permission and (b) compensation for the original performers.

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

The Government published a consultation on 17 December 2024, seeking views on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI). Given the rise of AI-generated ‘digital replicas’, the consultation sought views on whether the UK’s existing legal framework provides individuals, including performers, with sufficient control over their voice and appearance.

The Government is reviewing all responses to the consultation. The Government will set out its position in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring into force the legislative provisions of the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.

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

We continue to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing routine (a) blood glucose and (b) ketone testing for children presenting with symptoms consistent with Type 1 diabetes; and what steps he is taking to help improve early diagnosis and prevent deaths from diabetic ketoacidosis.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for providing guidance and quality standards on the treatment and care of diabetes in England. NICE NG18 guideline for type 1 and 2 diabetes provides clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and care of children and young people. Children with suspected type 1 diabetes should receive a blood test that checks blood glucose (sugar) levels.

NG18 recommends that children and young people with suspected type 1 diabetes are referred immediately (on the same day) to a multidisciplinary paediatric diabetes team with the competencies needed to confirm diagnosis and provide immediate care. Where diabetic ketoacidosis is suspected, NG18 recommends that children and young people should be immediately transferred to a hospital with acute paediatric facilities.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of households currently in fuel debt.

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

The Government does not have its own estimate of the number of households in fuel debt, but more needs to be done between regulators, suppliers and Government to tackle the problem of energy debt. In December, Ofgem published an updated debt strategy which included the publications of two consultations. The first proposed an energy debt relief scheme for consumers who accrued debt during the energy crisis. The second consulted on ways to improve debt standards. Both of these consultations have now closed and Ofgem will carefully consider the feedback received, and we will stand ready to work closely with them on their findings.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to review the welfare of racehorses sent to slaughter in abattoirs.

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

The Government has no plans to specifically review the welfare of racehorses sent to slaughter in abattoirs. The British Horseracing Authority introduced a requirement in January 2022 that all domestically trained racehorses must be signed out of the food chain, that is they must not go to slaughter in an abattoir, in order to race in GB.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department his made of the potential impact of extending EPC C minimum energy efficiency requirements to self-catering holiday lets on the financial viability of small businesses.

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

Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation sought views on whether short-term lets should be included in the scope of our changes to help ensure a consistent standard across all private rented properties. We have engaged widely with stakeholders during the consultation process, including the self-catering holiday lets sector, and a government response will be published in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that there is an adequate supply of age-appropriate housing for people over 65.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 74681 on 12 September 2025.

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 whether the processes used by Uber to deactivate drivers from its platform complies with UK employment law.

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

The Government does not make individual assessments of companies' compliance with employment law. The Supreme Court's 2021 ruling on Uber drivers established that many drivers should be classified as workers with corresponding rights under UK employment law. Enforcement of employment law is undertaken by appropriate regulatory bodies including HMRC for National Minimum Wage, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and ultimately the employment tribunal system.

Any worker who believes their rights have been breached can seek redress through an employment tribunal, which determines compliance on a case-by-case basis.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support his Department is providing to households to access home insulation schemes in Eastleigh constituency.

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

The government is supporting the delivery of installation of fabric insulation across the country, including those households in Eastleigh, through schemes including the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH: LG)

The government also recognises the need to provide trusted and impartial information to consumers when making choices about how to retrofit their homes. The government's home retrofit tool on GOV.UK (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency), provides tailored recommendations for home improvements. A phoneline service is available on 0800 098 7950.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to homeowners of removing spray foam insulation.

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

The Department has not made an estimate however continues to engage with the spray foam industry, lenders and consumer bodies to resolve the issues some homeowners are facing.

It is important homeowners get proper independent advice, such as that available online from RICS, before making any decisions on removal.

Poor-quality installations are the result of years of a failed system, and this government is committed to introducing new reforms to drive up quality and protect consumers through the Warm Homes Plan.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of gambling-related harms linked to slot machines in adult gaming centres.

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

The Gambling Commission, via the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, collects data on PGSI scores for respondents who have taken part in specific gambling activities. A PGSI score of 8 or more usually represents ‘problem’ gambling. These findings do not represent the PGSI 8+ rate for each product alone. Many people participate in multiple activities and their PGSI score is reflected across all activities that they participate in.

According to the latest survey, published on 2 October 2025, 16.9% of respondents who played fruit and slot machines in person had a PGSI score of 8+ in the last 12 months, and 26.5% of respondents who played casino games on a machine or terminal in a venue. A PGSI score of 8 or more was 3.8 times higher amongst people who had played fruit and slots played in person, and 5.9 times higher amongst people who had played casino games on a machine or terminal in a venue, compared to all people who had gambled in the past 12 months. These results are based on machines in all venues and are not specific to adult gaming centres, as this level of detail is not collected via the Gambling Survey for Great Britain.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of (a) recent trends in levels of prevalence of assaults against railway staff and (b) the effectiveness of body-worn video cameras in helping to deter those assaults.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that railway workers feel safe and are safe at work. There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker and so the recent reports of a rise in attacks on rail staff is of concern.

The policing of the railway is the responsibility of the British Transport Police (BTP) who work closely with the rail industry and Department for Transport to monitor trends and intervene to ensure the railway remains a safe environment for rail staff and passengers.

My department and BTP encourage rail operators to consider the personal safety of their rail staff, including encouraging greater use of Body Worn Video (BWV), which was academically proven in a 2019 trial to reduce violence against BWV wearing staff at railway stations by 47%.

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 workplace diversity and inclusion.

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

DBT’s Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Framework - Embracing Fairness for All (2024-28) is aligned to the cross-Civil Service strategy and includes specific actions such as training to build inclusive line management capability. The framework sets out our approach to D&I, aiming to enhance opportunity, fairness and belonging for all our people, in all our locations by using data to ensure it is evidence led. We work with our Diversity and Inclusion Networks to collaborate and engage on D&I activity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to issue updated guidance to schools on the inclusion of (a) authors and (b) perspectives from diverse backgrounds on reading lists.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The national curriculum for English aims to ensure an appreciation of our rich and varied literary heritage. It emphasises the importance of listening to, discussing and reading a wide range of stories, poems, plays and non-fiction. While the curriculum does not prescribe specific reading lists, it outlines broad categories for text selection. Teachers have flexibility in their choice of books to teach within the context of the curriculum.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review wants to ensure an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics, and a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work, and reflects the diversity of our society. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in reported violent crime in Eastleigh constituency in the last 12 months.

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

Hampshire police recorded 3,350 violence against the person offences in Eastleigh in 2024/25, a 3% fall compared with the previous year (3,446 offences). This included one offence of homicide.

We are progressing towards this Government’s mission to make our streets safer. But we are not complacent and recognise there is much more to do, which is why we will continue to work across-government to tackle violent crime including our ambition to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls in a decade.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a GCSE in digital creativity.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

To help break down barriers to opportunity, this government will deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative, and ensures that all young people get the opportunity to learn digital and creative skills as part of their education, with digital skills becoming increasingly important to the economy and our growth mission.

To meet this ambition, the government commissioned the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review to advise on how to refresh the curriculum to ensure that young people leave compulsory education with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to thrive, including digital skills. The Review is also looking at whether the current assessment system for young people aged 5 to 19, including qualification pathways, can be improved, while protecting the important role of examinations.

The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the condition of court buildings.

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

This Government inherited a crumbling court estate – a symbol of a crumbling justice system. Historical underfunding over the last 14 years has resulted in challenges across the court and tribunal estate, with an estimated maintenance backlog of £1.3 billion.

It is vital that the infrastructure of our courts and tribunals does not prevent hearings from taking place and that court conditions are acceptable for the staff who serve within the system and the public that are served by it. It is a government priority to ensure that cases can be heard, and victims can be given the justice that they deserve. That is why this Government announced a boost in court and tribunal capital maintenance and project funding from £120 million last year, to £148.5 million for 2025/26.

HMCTS keeps the condition of court buildings under review. Maintenance funding is prioritised to meet operational priorities and make sure our courts and tribunal are safe, secure, meet statutory requirements and protect continuity of service We are also investing in the courts of the future - delivering new, modern and sustainable buildings that meet the needs of a changing justice system. This includes the new 18 courtroom City of London Law Courts, a new 30 hearing room London Tribunals building, and a purpose-built Magistrates’ and County Court in Blackpool.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress the Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner has made in recovering public money lost through pandemic-related (a) fraud and (b) non-delivered contracts.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The government is leaving no stone unturned to investigate and recover public funds lost to fraud and error during the pandemic. The Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner will report to Parliament by the end of his term in December 2025.

In his first phase, the Commissioner focused on £1.4 billion of disputed personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts. This revealed that that c.16% of pandemic era PPE contracts failed. Recovery action has resulted in some PPE suppliers being referred to the National Crime Agency for suspected fraud.

The second phase of the Commissioner’s work focused on government-wide recovery activities. In response to his recommendation, Government launched a Voluntary Repayment Scheme and Covid fraud reporting website in September 2025. Claimants who have yet to respond to the voluntary repayment scheme risk court. New powers for the government will make detection easier and allow the government to levy civil penalties, which will ensure that those who have defrauded the taxpayer face the consequences.

The Commissioner is currently preparing his final report, which will include his assessment of further opportunities for action and recommendations to strengthen government procurement, fraud prevention, and recovery in future crises.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the time taken to deploy partial electrification on the rail network.

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

Historically, full overhead electrification has been the main way to electrify the railway and 74 per cent of passenger kilometres travelled are already electric. Although a specific assessment of the deployment of partial electrification has not been made, the Government intends to focus on being more efficient with where we deliver electrification by leveraging the recent progress in battery technology on the railway, including the use of partial electrification. Battery trains are already being deployed by both Transport for Wales and Merseyrail. We are working closely with colleagues in Network Rail to identify lines which could have battery trains on them in the future, developing a clear picture of where infrastructure will be needed to decarbonise the railway.

We are working on a long-term rolling stock and infrastructure strategy, which will be the first for over thirty years, to give certainty to the manufacturing and assembly market, and to pursue modern standards of carbon-friendly traction, passenger comfort and accessibility.

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 improve coordination between children’s and adult mental health services to support young people transitioning between them.

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

A key priority for children and young people’s (CYP) mental health services is ensuring continuity of care and a smooth transition for patients moving to adult services.

NHS England released funding in 2022/23 to improve, transform and focus improvement on the young adult mental health pathway. As of 2024/25, the majority of integrated care boards report that they have improved the way that they manage transitions to adult services, including removing rigid age-based thresholds for transition and ensuring that there are strong working relationships and embedded shared responsibility between CYP and adults’ mental health services.

NHS England is developing a personalised care framework which sets out the core principles of care that people should expect when accessing mental health services. This will be applicable across CYP and adults’ services to ensure that transitions are smooth and care is consistent across settings.

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 ensure the proactive management of Mounjaro shortages for patients with Type 2 diabetes.

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

We are not currently aware of any supply issues with Mounjaro preparations. We have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage supply issues if and when they arise and to mitigate risks to patients.

Air Ambulance employees and the Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

Fossil fuel company profits

Government proposals for mandatory digital ID

Transparency and accountability in social media account closures

Water bills

The Lakes School

Dentists in Hazel Grove constituency

Political donations

Future of BBC Radio 4 Longwave

Council elections in areas pursuing devolution reform

Medical Defence Union 140th anniversary

Warm Spaces Programme

Administration of Sheffield Wednesday

National Cancer Plan

Conduct of the hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby

Warm Homes Plan

Eligibility variations in access to IVF

Elon Musk at the Unite the Kingdom rally

40th anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Menopause Awareness Month

National inquiry into child sexual exploitation

Renewable energy and coal

Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme

Global Lobular Breast Cancer Awareness Day 2025

Digital ID

Pavement parking consultation response

Chinook Justice Campaign