Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with her French counterpart on steps to ensure adequate passport control staff at the Eurotunnel and Calais Port.

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

There has been extensive ministerial and official level engagement between the UK government and France on ensuring border fluidity at the short straits over the summer period, including securing assurances on Police aux Frontières staffing at the juxtaposed controls.

This was raised by the Home Secretary most recently in a letter to French Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez on 16 July.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is the Department taking to learn about the impacts of the 2026 heatwaves to inform the future needs of schools during extreme temperatures.

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

The department takes periods of hot weather and heatwaves seriously and has published a climate risk assessment, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-uk-climate-change-risk-on-the-delivery-of-education/summary-of-findings-in-relation-to-3-climate-risks-overheating-flooding-and-water-scarcity.

The department has also published guidance to support education settings during hot weather, available at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/hot-weather-and-heatwaves-guidance-for-schools-and-other-education-settings/.

This advice draws on guidance from the UK Health Security Agency. In most cases, schools are the safest place for children during hot weather, as staff can actively monitor pupils, ensure regular hydration, and make adjustments to keep them cool. Children may also not be any cooler at home than in school, recent analysis by the National Housing Federation and the Chartered Institute of Housing shows that 1.6 million children currently living in overheated homes.

We are improving infrastructure and strengthening resilience across the education estate through our Education Estates Strategy which can be read at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-estates-strategy. This includes a new £710 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme to improve condition and climate resilience, investment of almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance to improve the condition of the school and college estate and investment of almost £20 billion through to 2034/35 in the School Rebuilding Programme, delivering climate‑resilient buildings at over 750 schools.

The department is also developing its objectives as part of the fourth National Adaptation Programme due in 2028 and engaging the sector to inform its approach to future heatwaves.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, following the redistribution of the responsibilities of the Department for Science and Technology, what steps he is taking to support UK science interests and investment abroad.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

This Government remains committed to driving UK science interests and investment through our international engagement. My department will continue to support research and innovation partnerships with priority countries, maintain the UK’s participation in major international collaborations, and promote opportunities through the Science and Technology Network. International engagement will help deliver the Industrial Strategy, attract global talent and inward investment, and ensure that UK science and technology contribute to long-term economic growth, prosperity and national security.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will conduct a comparative assessment of the level of grants provided to horticultural growers and the costs of modern horticultural water infrastructure.

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

The Government recognises the importance of resilient water infrastructure for horticultural growers and continues to support investment through available grant schemes. We keep all our schemes under review and engage regularly across different sectors to ensure support remains effective.

Defra also engages closely with horticultural stakeholders, including through the development of the sector-led Horticulture Growth Plan, to understand the challenges growers face and ensure our support meets the sector’s needs.

While we have no current plans to undertake a separate comparative assessment, we will continue to consider evidence from growers on investment needs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate has she made of the number of dog owners who may seek withdrawal of their certificate of exemption because they do not believe that their dog is an XL Bully type.

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

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal process so that owners who no longer believe that their dog meets the legal definition of an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Further details will be shared once the process has been finalised.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the Economic Impact Assessment for Leicestershire as a result of the Government's reorganisation of Local Government in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland.

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

In deciding which proposal, if any, to implement in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the previous Secretary of State considered the expected costs and benefits of each proposal, the ability of each new council to be financially resilient, statutory consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information against the published criteria for local government reorganisation. The two-unitary proposal was judged as the best outcome for the area overall and to be deliverable on a sustainable financial basis.

Reorganisation will provide clearer accountability by making one council responsible for local services in each area. New unitary councils will also be required to establish effective neighbourhood governance arrangements, so that communities continue to have a meaningful voice in local decision-making.

The Government has published the decision letter and summary of the consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of setting up a process allowing the revocation of exemption certificates on owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully type.

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

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal process so that owners who no longer believe that their dog meets the legal definition of an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Further details will be shared once the process has been finalised.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate has she made of the cost of the process to allow the revocation of exemption certificates for owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully type.

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

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal process so that owners who no longer believe that their dog meets the legal definition of an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Further details will be shared once the process has been finalised.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to determine necessary criteria to assess whether strategic authorities are suitably established by the end of 2027 and able to be operational by 2028.

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

The Cabinet Statement, “Rewiring the State”, set out the Government’s ambition is to ensure every area in England has, or is in the process of establishing, a strategic authority by the end of 2027, with strategic authorities in place everywhere by the end of 2028. The criteria for knowing whether this has been achieved are simple.

An area will ‘have’ a strategic authority if an authority has been legally established through the necessary statutory instrument. And an area ‘in the process of establishing’ a strategic authority will have started on the pathway to establishment, for example they may be in advanced discussions with government about plans for a strategic authority, launched a local consultation, or given local consent for government to proceed with the legislation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the long-term adequacy of the preferred local government economic models for [a] Leicester and [b] Leicestershire and Rutland.

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

In deciding which proposal, if any, to implement in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the previous Secretary of State considered the expected costs and benefits of each proposal, the ability of each new council to be financially resilient, statutory consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information against the published criteria for local government reorganisation. The two-unitary proposal was judged as the best outcome for the area overall and to be deliverable on a sustainable financial basis.

Reorganisation will provide clearer accountability by making one council responsible for local services in each area. New unitary councils will also be required to establish effective neighbourhood governance arrangements, so that communities continue to have a meaningful voice in local decision-making.

The Government has published the decision letter and summary of the consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of opportunities for communities to hold accountable the new local government frameworks for Leicester and Leicestershire.

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

In deciding which proposal, if any, to implement in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the previous Secretary of State considered the expected costs and benefits of each proposal, the ability of each new council to be financially resilient, statutory consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information against the published criteria for local government reorganisation. The two-unitary proposal was judged as the best outcome for the area overall and to be deliverable on a sustainable financial basis.

Reorganisation will provide clearer accountability by making one council responsible for local services in each area. New unitary councils will also be required to establish effective neighbourhood governance arrangements, so that communities continue to have a meaningful voice in local decision-making.

The Government has published the decision letter and summary of the consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish a summary report of the consultation responses about the Government's plans for local government reorganisation in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland.

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

In deciding which proposal, if any, to implement in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the previous Secretary of State considered the expected costs and benefits of each proposal, the ability of each new council to be financially resilient, statutory consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information against the published criteria for local government reorganisation. The two-unitary proposal was judged as the best outcome for the area overall and to be deliverable on a sustainable financial basis.

Reorganisation will provide clearer accountability by making one council responsible for local services in each area. New unitary councils will also be required to establish effective neighbourhood governance arrangements, so that communities continue to have a meaningful voice in local decision-making.

The Government has published the decision letter and summary of the consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the business case supporting the Government's plans for Local Government reorganisation in Leicestershire.

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

In deciding which proposal, if any, to implement in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the previous Secretary of State considered the expected costs and benefits of each proposal, the ability of each new council to be financially resilient, statutory consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information against the published criteria for local government reorganisation. The two-unitary proposal was judged as the best outcome for the area overall and to be deliverable on a sustainable financial basis.

Reorganisation will provide clearer accountability by making one council responsible for local services in each area. New unitary councils will also be required to establish effective neighbourhood governance arrangements, so that communities continue to have a meaningful voice in local decision-making.

The Government has published the decision letter and summary of the consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with animal welfare charities about the revocation of exemption certificates for owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully type.

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

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal process so that owners who no longer believe that their dog meets the legal definition of an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Further details will be shared once the process has been finalised.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, What is her Department's policy on allowing residents of a newly formed strategic authority to vote on governance changes.

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

There is no statutory provision for a local referendum on the governance arrangements of a combined authority or combined county authority. A strategic authority's members are councillors appointed by its constituent councils and accountable to their local electorates, and where an authority is mayoral its mayor is directly elected by residents across the whole area. Residents therefore have a route to influence how governance changes are considered through their elected representatives.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made in finalising the Government's response to the consultation The Adoption Support that works for all: Reimagining adoption and kinship support, making it fit for the future.

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

Through our ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’ consultation, the department is considering evidence from adoptive and kinship families, and other stakeholders, about the support they would like to see made available.

The consultation included proposals to promote standardised needs assessments from multi-disciplinary teams. We are already funding Regional Adoption Agencies to develop multi-disciplinary teams, bringing together social care, health, and educational partners to deliver assessment and support to adopted and kinship children and families.

We currently plan to publish the government's response to the consultation later this year.

We are also assessing kinship families’ support requirements through the Kinship Zones pilot on the impact of financial allowances, assessed through independent evaluation. The National Kinship Care Ambassador has published learning in her report ‘Improving the Kinship Local Offer and Approach to Kinship Care’ and school census data collected from autumn 2026 will help improve the evidence base.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of Regional Adoption Agency Multi-Disciplinary Teams in providing differing levels of support for families who have adopted children and families who are kinship carers.

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

Through our ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’ consultation, the department is considering evidence from adoptive and kinship families, and other stakeholders, about the support they would like to see made available.

The consultation included proposals to promote standardised needs assessments from multi-disciplinary teams. We are already funding Regional Adoption Agencies to develop multi-disciplinary teams, bringing together social care, health, and educational partners to deliver assessment and support to adopted and kinship children and families.

We currently plan to publish the government's response to the consultation later this year.

We are also assessing kinship families’ support requirements through the Kinship Zones pilot on the impact of financial allowances, assessed through independent evaluation. The National Kinship Care Ambassador has published learning in her report ‘Improving the Kinship Local Offer and Approach to Kinship Care’ and school census data collected from autumn 2026 will help improve the evidence base.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the levels of support requirements for families who have adopted children and families who are kinship carers.

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

Through our ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’ consultation, the department is considering evidence from adoptive and kinship families, and other stakeholders, about the support they would like to see made available.

The consultation included proposals to promote standardised needs assessments from multi-disciplinary teams. We are already funding Regional Adoption Agencies to develop multi-disciplinary teams, bringing together social care, health, and educational partners to deliver assessment and support to adopted and kinship children and families.

We currently plan to publish the government's response to the consultation later this year.

We are also assessing kinship families’ support requirements through the Kinship Zones pilot on the impact of financial allowances, assessed through independent evaluation. The National Kinship Care Ambassador has published learning in her report ‘Improving the Kinship Local Offer and Approach to Kinship Care’ and school census data collected from autumn 2026 will help improve the evidence base.