Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to WPQ109604 answered on 24 February 2026 about Private Education: VAT, whether she has received representations from the independent school sector on introducing a targeted subsidy for small charitable independent schools with fewer than 500 pupils.

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

HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on applying VAT to private school fees. This is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees.

The department continues to engage with private school providers, including smaller schools, and representative organisations to ensure they are aware of the requirements outlined in the TIIN.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to WPQ109601 answered on 23 February 2026, when she last met with the independent school sector to discuss the financial sustainability of small independent schools.

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

HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on applying VAT to private school fees. This is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees.

The department continues to engage with private school providers, including smaller schools, and representative organisations to ensure they are aware of the requirements outlined in the TIIN.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 5p cut to fuel duty on levels of social mobility in rural areas.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Chancellor considers a wide range of impacts when taking decisions on tax policy. At Budget 2025, the Government announced that the 5p cut in fuel duty would be extended until the end of August 2026, with rates then gradually returning to March 2022 levels by March 2027. The planned increase in line with inflation for 2026/27 will also not take place, with RPI uprating resuming from 2027/28 onwards.

The Government’s decision on fuel duty will save the average car driver £49 in 2026/27. Those driving more than average, which includes drivers in rural communities, will generally experience larger savings.

The Rural Fuel Duty Relief Scheme provides a 5p per litre reduction to motorists buying fuel in certain areas. The areas included in the scheme demonstrate certain characteristics such as: pump prices much higher than the UK average; remoteness leading to high fuel transport costs from refinery to filling station; and relatively low sales meaning that retailers cannot benefit from bulk discounts.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions the Flood Resilience Taskforce has had with local fire and rescue services on responding to major flooding incidents.

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

The Floods Resilience Taskforce brings together representatives from national, regional and local government, devolved Governments and the emergency services including the National Fire Chiefs Council and the Fire Brigades Union who are standing members. Local Resilience Forums are also represented, with membership rotating between different areas and they provide a perspective from local areas, including from Fire and Rescue Services.

In February 2025, the Floods Resilience Taskforce considered the response to autumn and winter flooding including the work of the Fire and Rescue Services. The Taskforce plans to meet in March 2026 to discuss the most recent autumn and winter flooding.

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 ensure those who self-fund their social care have access to appropriate complaints procedures available to them.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

By law, all health and social care services must have a procedure for dealing efficiently with complaints, and anyone who has seen or experienced poor-quality care has the right to complain to the organisation that provided or paid for the care.

If an individual has raised a complaint and is not satisfied with the way a provider has dealt with their complaint, they may escalate it to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) who can investigate individual concerns. The LGSCO is the independent complaints lead for adult social care and investigates complaints from those receiving social care.

The Government has continued discussions with the LGSCO and the Care Quality Commission about how the regulator can most effectively support the signposting of self-funders to the LGSCO by private providers.

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 the complaints signposting available to those who self-fund their social care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

By law, all health and social care services must have a procedure for dealing efficiently with complaints, and anyone who has seen or experienced poor-quality care has the right to complain to the organisation that provided or paid for the care.

If an individual has raised a complaint and is not satisfied with the way a provider has dealt with their complaint, they may escalate it to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) who can investigate individual concerns. The LGSCO is the independent complaints lead for adult social care and investigates complaints from those receiving social care.

The Government has continued discussions with the LGSCO and the Care Quality Commission about how the regulator can most effectively support the signposting of self-funders to the LGSCO by private providers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that national investment strategies in [i] skills [ii] transport and [iii] infrastructure are at comparable levels between mayoral combined authorities and non mayoral combined authorities.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The government recognises the importance of ensuring that all areas have strategies in place, and can drive forward improvements in transport, skills and infrastructure. Areas not part of a combined authority still receive investment in skills, transport and infrastructure, and are required to produce the relevant strategies.

In addition, for those areas which want greater devolution without being part of a Combined Authority, the government has invited them to bring forward with their neighbours an expression of interest for a Foundation Strategic Authority.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will conduct an assessment of national investment strategies in [i] skills [ii] transport and [iii] infrastructure for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland to ensure comparability with mayoral combined authorities.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The government recognises the importance of ensuring that all areas have strategies in place, and can drive forward improvements in transport, skills and infrastructure. Areas not part of a combined authority still receive investment in skills, transport and infrastructure, and are required to produce the relevant strategies.

In addition, for those areas which want greater devolution without being part of a Combined Authority, the government has invited them to bring forward with their neighbours an expression of interest for a Foundation Strategic Authority.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress his Department has made with General Dynamics to identify issues and solutions to ensure the effective operation of the Ajax Vehicle Fleet.

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

The Department continues to work closely with General Dynamics on the Ajax Programme. Investigations into Ajax remain ongoing, and time must be given to ensure that all information and evidence is considered. I will continue to keep the house informed of developments as I have done since the issue arose on Exercise TITAN STORM.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what timelines is his Department following with General Dynamics to ensure the effective operation of the Ajax Vehicle Fleet.

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

The Department continues to work closely with General Dynamics on the Ajax Programme. Investigations into Ajax remain ongoing, and time must be given to ensure that all information and evidence is considered. I will continue to keep the house informed of developments as I have done since the issue arose on Exercise TITAN STORM.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for responding to the Kingdon Review.

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

The timetable for responding to the Kingdon Review has not yet been determined. We are continuing to examine the findings of the review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 5 February 2026 to Questions 108785, 108786 and 108787 on Physiotherapy: Employment, if he will initiate conversations with NHS England about the extent of (a) current job vacancies, (b) job competition and (c) longevity of NHS Employment for physiotherapists in the NHS.

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

The Department and NHS England continue work closely together on National Health Service workforce planning.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. Work is ongoing between the Department and NHS England on the development of the 10 Year Workforce Plan, which will have implications on workforce planning for both physiotherapists, and other allied health professions.

Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual NHS employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 5 February 2026 to Questions 108785, 108786 and 108787 on Physiotherapy: Employment, what steps he is taking to understand workforce planning and service need for physiotherapists in the NHS.

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

NHS England’s regional teams are in constant dialogue with integrated care boards, National Health Service trusts, other bodies providing NHS services, and education and training providers to assess workforce challenges and support appropriate training across a range of services, including those involving physiotherapists.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. We have engaged with partners throughout the development of the 10 Year Workforce Plan, including through the call for evidence, which received over 900 responses, and a national partner event which included representatives from over 90 organisations shaping early thinking across key themes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 5 February 2026 to Questions 108785, 108786 and 108787 on Physiotherapy: Employment, if he will undertake a review of data gathering about (a) job vacancies, (b) job competition and (c) longevity of NHS Employment for physiotherapists in the NHS.

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

The Department has no plans for a review of the data gathered in relation to physiotherapy job vacancies, job competition, and the longevity of National Health Service employment in the NHS.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what is the evidential basis for her view that graduates will pay back £8 more a month on average due to the freezing of the repayment threshold for student loans.

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

Monthly repayments for a borrower earning above the repayment threshold in a scenario with no threshold freeze was calculated as £8 lower in the 2027/28 financial year compared to the repayments of the same borrower in a scenario with a freeze. This is calculated as 9% (the repayment rate) of the difference between the frozen threshold and the non-frozen threshold. This figure was based on Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) inflation forecasts from the 2025 Spring Statement.

Following updated OBR economic forecasts released on 3 March 2026 as part of the Spring Statement, this figure has been recalculated and remains £8.

For borrowers earning less than the threshold calculated without a freeze, the increased repayments compared to the freeze scenario will be less than £8, and borrowers earning below the frozen threshold will continue to repay nothing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer for 15 December 97962 on Park Home Sales, if he will list the representative bodies he has met to discuss the commission on receipt of a park home sale in the last year.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 113661 on 2 March 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2026 to Question 97962 on Park Home Sales, when he last met with representatives of the park home sector to discuss issues surrounding commission on receipt of park home sale.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 113661 on 2 March 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential implications for her policies of the report by the IFS entitled Annual report on education spending in England: 2025–26, published in January 2026.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department and HM Treasury discuss matters relating to school funding on an ongoing basis. These conversations are supported by government analysis relating to school funding, some of which is in the public domain.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with [a] Cabinet colleagues and [b] external bodies on the freezing of the repayment threshold for student loans.

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

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and departmental officials regularly engage with Cabinet colleagues and external bodies on a range of matters, including higher education (HE) finance and funding.

We are determined that the HE funding system should deliver for students, for our economy, and for universities. The government keeps the student finance system under continuous review to ensure that it delivers good value for both students and taxpayers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the difference in approach in Wales towards freezing Part 2 Student Loan repayment thresholds on equalities in England.

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

Education is a devolved matter, and therefore it is a matter for the devolved administrations to decide how they wish to develop their higher education systems. It is for the Welsh government to develop their own equalities impact assessment for borrowers in Wales.

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 the current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guidelines on generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults.

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

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. They represent best practice, and healthcare professionals are expected to take them fully into account in the care and treatment of their patients. NICE keeps its guidance under active surveillance and decisions on whether published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by the NICE Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. There are currently no plans to update the guideline on generalised anxiety and panic disorder.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for informing children’s hospices of their individual allocations from recent funding announcements.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Children and young people’s hospices have been informed of their allocations for 2026/27 by NHS England. Communications regarding future allocations, for 2027/28 and 2028/29, will be sent once the 2026/27 process is complete.

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 potential impact of mandating Advice and Guidance requests on the legal and accountability frameworks for clinicians.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Changes introduced as part of the 2025/26 GP Contract consultation included the introduction of the Enhanced Service for Advice and Guidance (A&G). This built upon existing use of A&G pathways by general practice over previous years, which helped to ensure patients received care at the right place and the right time. The Department and NHS England are embedding A&G into the core GP Contract for 2026/27. This removes the need for annual sign‑up and treats A&G as routine clinical practice with predictable, recurrent funding.

The use of A&G does not alter existing legal or professional accountability frameworks, and supportive guidance is available to help signpost these responsibilities. Clinical decisions remain with appropriately qualified professionals under established regulatory and local governance arrangements, and NHS England continues to ensure these frameworks remain clear and robust as the use of A&G expands, including through job planning guidance that supports clinicians to manage this activity safely and appropriately.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in relation to the GP contract 2026/27, how his Department plans to support hospitals in dealing with the increased caseloads generated by mandating Advice and Guidance.

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

Advice and Guidance (A&G) is a clinical collaboration tool that supports timely specialist input and helps patients receive care in the right setting, enabling best use of clinical time.

The GP Contract 2026/27 sets out that practices will be required to use A&G prior to, or in place of, a planned care referral where clinically appropriate. It also sets out the expectation for practices to follow locally agreed referral pathways, including single point of access (SPoA) models once introduced. Similarly, our Medium-term Planning Framework, published in October 2026, introduced plans to support increased A&G by moving to an elective SPoA model. All appropriate referrals and requests, other than those for urgent suspected cancer, will be directed through a single ‘front door’ to support triage to the most appropriate next step or outcome for the patient. This will help reduce unnecessary appointments, making the best use of clinical time. The Medium-Term Planning Framework set the aim for all referrals to go via a SPoA for at least 10 specialties determined at provider level by October 2026, which provides flexibility for local teams to deliver where there is the most potential for the model to be effective, including ensuring timely responses.

Integrated care boards are expected to support the introduction of expanded A&G and SPoA through their strategic commissioning for 2026/27. National Health Service trusts will continue to be funded to deliver A&G through a fixed payment negotiated locally to ensure predictable and sufficient funding to cover increased A&G use. NHS England will continue to work with systems to monitor performance, share good practice, and support timely responses, including through job planning guidance that supports clinicians to manage A&G safely and appropriately.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in relation to the GP contract 2026/27, what framework he has put in place to help ensure that hospitals respond to Advice and Guidance requests in a timely manner.

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

Advice and Guidance (A&G) is a clinical collaboration tool that supports timely specialist input and helps patients receive care in the right setting, enabling best use of clinical time.

The GP Contract 2026/27 sets out that practices will be required to use A&G prior to, or in place of, a planned care referral where clinically appropriate. It also sets out the expectation for practices to follow locally agreed referral pathways, including single point of access (SPoA) models once introduced. Similarly, our Medium-term Planning Framework, published in October 2026, introduced plans to support increased A&G by moving to an elective SPoA model. All appropriate referrals and requests, other than those for urgent suspected cancer, will be directed through a single ‘front door’ to support triage to the most appropriate next step or outcome for the patient. This will help reduce unnecessary appointments, making the best use of clinical time. The Medium-Term Planning Framework set the aim for all referrals to go via a SPoA for at least 10 specialties determined at provider level by October 2026, which provides flexibility for local teams to deliver where there is the most potential for the model to be effective, including ensuring timely responses.

Integrated care boards are expected to support the introduction of expanded A&G and SPoA through their strategic commissioning for 2026/27. National Health Service trusts will continue to be funded to deliver A&G through a fixed payment negotiated locally to ensure predictable and sufficient funding to cover increased A&G use. NHS England will continue to work with systems to monitor performance, share good practice, and support timely responses, including through job planning guidance that supports clinicians to manage A&G safely and appropriately.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the [i] FA and [ii] other football bodies the use of [a] schools and [b] multi-use sports facilities by local youth football clubs for training and playing matches.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

In 2026/27, we will invest £85m across the UK via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme, building on the £98m being invested through the programme in 2025/26. This supports communities, including children and young people, to get active through funding artificial grass pitches, floodlights, changing pavilions and other facility improvements.

Last year, the Government announced a new PE and School Sport Partnerships model and a new Enrichment Framework for schools to ensure all young people have equal access to high-quality sport and extracurricular activity. A national network will be developed to build strong partnerships between schools, local clubs and National Governing Bodies to identify and break down barriers to sport for children who are less active. I recently met with colleagues in the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss this, as we move towards introducing this new approach.