Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing NHS provision of scleral contact lenses for patients with complex corneal conditions.

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

Scleral contact lenses can be funded by the National Health Service for hospital eye service patients if there is a clinical need.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the processing time for claims made under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

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

Our deepest sympathies are with those who have experienced harm following vaccination and with their families. Ministers recognise that concerns have been raised with the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) and continue to consider potential reforms to the scheme.

In parallel, the Department has been working with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA), the administrators of the VDPS, to process claims at a faster rate. The time it takes to process a claim depends on the complexity of the case and the length of time healthcare providers take to supply the requested medical records. The NHS BSA is engaging with healthcare providers to improve the return rate of these records, which is essential to assessing claims, including though submitting subject access requests.

Information on COVID-19 claims to the VDPS is published on a quarterly basis by the NHS BSA. Further information is available at the following link:

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/vdps-covid-19

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will undertake a review of the effectiveness of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

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

Our deepest sympathies are with those who have experienced harm following vaccination and with their families. Ministers recognise that concerns have been raised with the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) and continue to consider potential reforms to the scheme.

In parallel, the Department has been working with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA), the administrators of the VDPS, to process claims at a faster rate. The time it takes to process a claim depends on the complexity of the case and the length of time healthcare providers take to supply the requested medical records. The NHS BSA is engaging with healthcare providers to improve the return rate of these records, which is essential to assessing claims, including though submitting subject access requests.

Information on COVID-19 claims to the VDPS is published on a quarterly basis by the NHS BSA. Further information is available at the following link:

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/vdps-covid-19

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with (a) Ofcom, (b) network operators and (c) energy suppliers on improving signal coverage in areas where smart meters are unable to maintain a reliable connection.

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

The Data Communications Company (DCC) - the licensed body that is responsible for the provision of communication and data services for smart metering in GB - is obligated under the conditions of its licence to provide smart meter network coverage to at least 99.25% of premises across Great Britain, and to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of coverage.

The Government is working closely with the DCC and energy suppliers to ensure smart meter connectivity can be extended to currently unserved properties as soon as reasonably possible. One such solution, due to be trialled shortly, would involve with their consent, using customers’ broadband connections, to carry smart metering communications.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in relation to the statutory guidance on fiduciary duties announced during Report stage of the Pension Schemes Bill on 3 December 2025, when he will consult on the guidance; and when the guidance will take effect.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government intends to consult formally on draft guidance later this year.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on employment levels in (a) the voluntary sector, (b) charities and (c) heritage organisations.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the important role charities play in our society and has made it a priority to reset the relationship with civil society by developing the Civil Society Covenant.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions. The TIIN set out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

The Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which set out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the cumulative burden of A-level examination timetable compression on students with exam access arrangements.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The exam timetable is set nationally by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which takes into account a range of complex factors, including the potential needs of different students, to ensure the timetable is fair and manageable for all students. JCQ consults on the provisional timetable a year in advance, giving schools and colleges the opportunity to share any concerns before the timetable is finalised.

Although the national timetable applies uniformly to every student, access arrangements such as extra time or supervised rest breaks, can help ensure that students with disabilities, temporary illness or injuries are not unfairly disadvantaged when taking their exams and assessments. These arrangements are determined on a case-by-case basis according to individual needs.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what consideration he has given to protections for existing Feed-in Tariffs scheme participants in any change to indexation.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises the importance of regulatory stability for maintaining an attractive investment environment. The Government also considers that it is appropriate to periodically review schemes to ensure they continue to represent value for money for the households and businesses that bear the costs of this support. As the scheme is now closed, these changes will apply to existing Feed-in Tariffs generators. However, generators will continue to receive inflation-indexed payments for the full lifetime of their support.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of changing Feed-in Tariffs scheme indexation from RPI to CPI on (a) domestic, (b) community energy and (c) commercial installations.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon Friend the Member for Truro and Falmouth (Jayne Kirkham) on 18 December 2025 to Question 100172.

Updated analysis has since been published alongside the Government Response.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to deliver well designed, well lit and safe cycling infrastructure in Stratford-on-Avon.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Active Travel England (ATE) recognises that high‑quality active travel routes must be well-designed, well-lit and safe to support walking, wheeling and cycling.

On 10 December, the Department announced £626 million of multi-year capability funding to support active travel across England. As part of this allocation, Warwickshire County Council, of which Stratford‑on‑Avon is a part, will receive £9,840,039 for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30. Local authorities may use this funding to plan and deliver well‑designed route layouts, appropriate and inclusive lighting, and safety improvements such as segregated cycle lanes and safer junction treatments.

ATE also provides technical support and guidance to ensure local authorities deliver high‑quality schemes. National guidance, including Local Transport Note 1/20: Cycle Infrastructure Design, Manual for Streets, and Inclusive Mobility, sets clear expectations for the design of safe and accessible cycling infrastructure.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on how to balance (a) disability determinations made by (i) the Department for Work and Pensions and (ii) the NHS, and (b) the expressed needs and preferences of applicants when assessing Disabled Facilities Grant applications.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Government guidance for local authorities in England Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) delivery: Guidance for Local Authorities in England sets out best practice local delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). It covers the eligibility criteria, the application process, and the statutory timeframes for both approvals and delivery. It also covers the grant means test, including that an applicant can be passported through the means test if they are already in receipt of means tested welfare benefits.

The guidance explains the local flexibilities available to authorities in delivering the grant, such as waiving the means test or fast-tracking the delivery of the grant in certain cases, with publication of a local housing assistance policy, and outlines best practice partnership working between housing, health, and other relevant local services.

MHCLG funds a national body—currently Foundations—to support local authorities in the with their delivery of DFGs. Foundations provides practical support, advice, and training, and helps authorities develop or update their local housing assistance policies. Further information is available on their website: https://www.foundations.uk.com

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the potential implications for his policies of regional variation in access to cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) across England.

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

No such assessment has been made. It is for local integrated care boards to decide whether treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia should be offered to their local populations as a treatment for insomnia.

NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression offer low-intensity therapy which may include interventions around sleep hygiene. Individuals who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression can be referred by their general practitioner, or can self-refer, to NHS Talking Therapies. People can also access helpful resources on sleep problems on the Every Mind Matters website at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/sleep/

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps schools are expected to take to help ensure that pupils and families experiencing (a) furniture or (b) appliance poverty are directed to sources of support.

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

The government’s Child Poverty Strategy, ‘Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty’, was published on 5 December 2025. It sets out the steps this government will take to reduce child poverty in the short term, as well as putting in place the building blocks we need to create long-term change. The measures set out in the strategy will lift 550,000 children out of poverty, the largest expected reduction in child poverty over any parliamentary session since comparable records began.

The government is investing in the future of our children and putting money into families' pockets, enabling them to afford the essentials that are necessary to give children what they need to learn and grow by introducing key measures such as removing the two-child limit in Universal Credit.

Furthermore, government is helping families who need support to access essential household items through the Crisis and Resilience Fund, a £1 billion fund to ensure families have a safety net when they need it, and Pride in Place Programme, which will deliver up to £5 billion in funding to 244 in-need neighbourhoods across the country. This will give communities the option to invest in measures that support families with the cost of living, which could include establishing new community shops with access to discounted food and school uniforms or directly supporting families with essential household items, such as beds and white goods.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce child bed poverty and it's potential impact on education.

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

The government’s Child Poverty Strategy, ‘Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty’, was published on 5 December 2025. It sets out the steps this government will take to reduce child poverty in the short term, as well as putting in place the building blocks we need to create long-term change. The measures set out in the strategy will lift 550,000 children out of poverty, the largest expected reduction in child poverty over any parliamentary session since comparable records began.

The government is investing in the future of our children and putting money into families' pockets, enabling them to afford the essentials that are necessary to give children what they need to learn and grow by introducing key measures such as removing the two-child limit in Universal Credit.

Furthermore, government is helping families who need support to access essential household items through the Crisis and Resilience Fund, a £1 billion fund to ensure families have a safety net when they need it, and Pride in Place Programme, which will deliver up to £5 billion in funding to 244 in-need neighbourhoods across the country. This will give communities the option to invest in measures that support families with the cost of living, which could include establishing new community shops with access to discounted food and school uniforms or directly supporting families with essential household items, such as beds and white goods.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle organised crime networks involved in fly-tipping in rural areas.

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

This Government is making the necessary policy and regulatory reforms to close the loopholes being exploited by waste criminals. Key reforms include carrier, broker, dealer reform, waste permit exemption reform and the introduction of digital waste tracking. Defra believes these reforms are the best way to drive criminality out of the waste sector whether in urban or rural communities.

The Government has increased the Environment Agency’s (EA) budget for waste crime enforcement by over 50% this year to £15.6 million. The EA-hosted Joint Unit for Waste Crime has nearly doubled in size thanks to our extra funding and its UK-wide partnership work with the EA, HM Revenue & Customs, National Crime Agency, the police and others continues to share intelligence, powers and resources to disrupt waste criminals.

However, the Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime. That is why the Government collaborated with the National Police Chiefs’ Councils to deliver their renewal of the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy, which was published in November.  The strategy, lasting until 2028, will ensure efforts to reduce crime benefit every community no matter where they live, including rural communities.

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 formally re-establish the Advisory Committee on Packaging as a forum for (a) industry, (b) government and (c) regulators to oversee the operation of the Packaging Recovery Note system.

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

Defra has no plans to re-establish the Advisory Committee on Packaging in its previous form.

However, as part of the forthcoming consultation on Packaging Waste Recycling Note (PRN) reforms, the department will be seeking views on how best to bring together stakeholders including industry, Government, and regulators to advise on the functioning of the PRN system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle the harm caused by sodium valproate to people in (a) England, (b) Warwickshire, and (c) Stratford-on-Avon.

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

Everyone who has been harmed from sodium valproate has our deepest sympathies.

The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, First Do No Harm, identified significant shortcomings in National Health Service care pathways for people harmed by sodium valproate, including fragmented services, limited diagnostic expertise, delays in diagnosis, and inequitable access to multidisciplinary care.

In response, NHS England has commissioned a Fetal Exposure to Medicines Services Pilot, being delivered by the NHS in Newcastle and Manchester. The pilot provides multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment and is informing the development of improved care pathways, better coordination of care, and reduced reliance on emergency care. Findings from the pilot will inform future decisions on the commissioning of services, subject to funding.

The Government is also carefully considering the Patient Safety Commissioner’s recommendations made in the Hughes Report, which includes proposed approaches to redress for those harmed by sodium valproate. I recently met the Patient Safety Commissioner to provide an update on the ongoing health initiatives led by the Department regarding sodium valproate and pelvic mesh, and agreed to providing an update on her report recommendations 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, whether his Department has considered treating static populations of wild birds, including swans and wildfowl that remain in defined local areas, as eligible for vaccination against avian influenza.

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

The use of avian influenza vaccination in kept and wild birds is controlled by legislation. Defra’s and Welsh Government’s policy on vaccination is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain and Defra’s Avian influenza (bird flu) vaccination guidance. The cross Government and industry avian influenza vaccination task force develops recommendations for the use of vaccination to prevent the spread of avian influenza in the UK. Defra and Welsh Government have no plans to vaccinate the wild bird population against avian influenza.

In England, the vaccination of birds against avian influenza, except those kept in licensed zoos in England subject to authorisation by the Animal and Plant Health Agency, is not currently permitted. High standards of biosecurity, separation of poultry and other captive birds from wild birds, and careful surveillance for signs of disease remain the most effective means of controlling avian influenza.

In practice, existing vaccines can only be administered via injection. This precludes widespread use in wild birds. While vaccination can reduce mortality, it is likely that some vaccinated birds would still be capable of transmitting avian influenza if they became infected.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the policy reason is for limiting avian influenza vaccination to birds kept in zoological settings.

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

Given the role of zoos in global conservation, vaccination of zoo birds is permitted in England subject to eligibility criteria. Existing vaccines can only be administered via injection, which rules out widespread use in wild birds. While vaccination can reduce mortality, vaccinated birds may still transmit avian influenza, increasing the time needed to detect and eradicate the virus.

The cross-Government and industry Avian Influenza Vaccination Taskforce develops recommendations for the use of vaccination to prevent the spread of avian influenza. In their initial report the Taskforce considered that sector specific vaccination in poultry is likely to be the most effective approach and set out a series of next steps to gather more information. A follow-up report will be published in summer 2026.

Defra’s policy on the use of avian influenza vaccines, together with sector-specific guidance for zoos and other collections with a zoo licence on how to apply for authorisation to vaccinate against avian influenza, is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu-vaccination.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has assessed a risk of localised extinction of swan populations as a result of outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza in (a) England, (b) Warwickshire, and (c) Stratford-on-Avon.

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

Defra recognises the significant threat avian influenza poses to wild birds and the impact this is having on these important species.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency undertake year-round surveillance of avian influenza in wild birds across Great Britain, reporting findings on GOV.UK and on their interactive map and dashboard.

Alongside surveillance, long-term population monitoring and targeted research is crucial to understanding the impacts of avian influenza on England and Wales’s wild bird populations. While Defra has not carried out an assessment of risk of local extinction in the named areas, information on wild bird population monitoring schemes run by Government agencies and partner organisations, as well as the Defra and Welsh Government approach to avian influenza in wild birds, can be found in the Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales.

Community spaces

British couple detained in Iran

Review of the student loan system

New US sanctions on Cuba

Securing the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme

NHS access to medical cannabis for children with drug-resistant epilepsy

Grey belt policy and the impact on villages and rural communities

Dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands

Sinking of SS Tilawa

Role of the House of Lords in scrutinising legislation

Graduate driving licences

Harm caused by exposure to sodium valproate

Found: North Hykeham) Darren Paffey (Labour; Southampton Itchen) Rebecca Paul (Conservative; Reigate) Manuela Perteghella

Found: Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Carla Denyer; Barry Gardiner; Chris Hinchliff; Sojan Joseph; Manuela Perteghella

Found: Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Carla Denyer; Barry Gardiner; Chris Hinchliff; Sojan Joseph; Manuela Perteghella

Found: meeting Members present: Helen Hayes (Chair); Jess Asato; Dr Caroline Johnson; Darren Paffey; Manuela Perteghella

Submit Evidence (by 27 Mar 2026)

The Education Select Committee and the Health and Social Care Select Committee have jointly launched an inquiry into the mental health of children and young people. This inquiry will examine mental health support and services provided in education and community settings, available to children and young people up to the age of 25. The Committees wish to understand how this provision is integrated with specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), acute and other statutory NHS services.