Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the number of (a) severe trauma and (b) other injuries cause by e-bikes on the NHS; and what steps his Department is taking to help support the NHS to treat those injuries.

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

The information requested is not held centrally and no assessment has been made by the Department.

More broadly, the Government is supporting National Health Service urgent and emergency care services through our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, which is backed by nearly £450 million.

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 ensure that e-bikes on the UK market meet product (a) safety and (b) compliance standards.

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

Businesses have legal responsibilities to ensure e-bikes are safe and comply with product safety laws before they place them on the market. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and Local Authority Trading Standards (LATS) have enforcement powers. OPSS uses data and intelligence, working alongside LATS, to identify and target unsafe e-bikes entering the UK. OPSS has assessed the compliance of more than 80 UK-based businesses involved in the supply chain for e-bikes, e-scooters or conversion kits, and has published 23 product recalls and 43 other product safety alerts for e-bikes and associated products since 2022.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any dedicated funding has been provided to the Metropolitan Police to support the Ninja Sword Surrender Scheme.

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

The Ninja Sword Surrender Scheme ran for four weeks between 1 to 31 July 2025. The scheme allowed owners of ninja swords to surrender them at designated police stations in England and Wales and, if they wished, submit a claim for compensation, which was forwarded to the Home Office for consideration.

The scheme was directly funded by the Home Office, and no specific funding was given to police forces including the Metropolitan Police.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has issued guidance to (a) hospitals and (b) local health authorities on collecting consistent data on injuries linked to (i) hire and (ii) electric bikes.

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

The Department collects data from police forces on road casualties, including in relation to cyclists, and publishes statistics twice a year. There are no plans to extend this to include hospitals or local health authorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking to steps with (a) transport and (b) safety regulators to ensure (i) public awareness campaigns, (ii) regulation and (iii) other preventative measures are in place to help reduce the incidence of injuries associated with (A) hire and (B) e-bikes.

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

The Government fully supports the safe and legal use of Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (“E-bikes”), whether privately owned or rented. E-bikes must comply with the UK's product safety framework and be safe before they are placed on the market.

In October 2024 the Department for Business and Trade launched the “Buy Safe, Be Safe” campaign which informs the public about e-bike safety.

In July this year the Product Regulation and Metrology Act received Royal Assent. It contains new powers to address product safety challenges including e-bikes.

In addition, the English Devolution and Community Powers Bill includes provisions to regulate on-street micromobility services such as shared e-bike schemes. This measure will empower local leaders to have greater influence over the management of these services.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to schools on promoting road safety awareness among pupils who use (a) hire and (b) electric bikes.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Primary and secondary schools are free to teach about road safety awareness as part of their duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, and many do so through their personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) provision alongside the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) content. This can also include teaching about general road safety when using bikes in different situations. The statutory RSHE guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary

The updated RSHE guidance, published in July 2025, has a new section on personal safety which includes how to recognise risk and keep safe around roads.

Schools can draw on resources available from many providers including, the THINK! campaign, developed by the Department for Transport. The campaign can be accessed here: https://www.think.gov.uk/.

Schools also use Bikeability, the Department for Transport’s flagship national cycle training programme for pupils in England, which teaches core skills that enable pupils to cycle confidently and safely on roads.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) hire and (b) e-bike operators comply with safety standards.

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

All e-cycles used on the road, including those in shared schemes, must comply with regulatory requirements. However, while they can bring real benefits, we know that shared schemes can present safety challenges in terms of poor parking and antisocial behaviour. That’s why we are empowering our local leaders to tackle these issues through licensing.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, what metrics her Department will use to assess the effectiveness of the funding allocated to accelerate the roll-out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

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

The Government continually reviews its approach to EV charging interventions, working to address barriers that need to be resolved to meet consumer needs. Our approach is underpinned by evidence, including environmental and value for money assessments of interventions, evidence from a range of sources on the market failures that require government intervention, and evidence from the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of programmes to date.

More widely, we monitor the roll out of EV charging infrastructure through official chargepoint statistics, including chargepoint installations, types of chargepoint, and regional distribution.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, what the planned timetable is for payments to support electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

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

We are investing the £320 million announced at Autumn Budget 2024 to support electric vehicle uptake in the 2025/26 financial year.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of court backlogs on levels of access to justice for (a) victims and (b) defendants.

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

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. As of June 2025, the open caseload reached 78,329. It is unacceptable that some victims, witnesses and defendants are waiting years for justice. This has left tens of thousands of victims facing devastating delays for justice, disrupting their ability to function, work, or maintain relationships, with many now pulling out of the process altogether.

Upon taking office, the Deputy Prime Minister took immediate action to allocate additional Crown Court sitting days this financial year, taking the total to a record 111,250 sitting days. The Government has allocated resources so that the Crown Court is sitting over 5000 extra days more than under the previous Conservative Government. We have also made significant increases in criminal legal aid with up to an additional £92 million investment.

However, demand is currently so high, it is indisputable that fundamental reform is needed. That is why this Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose once-in-a-generation reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims.

Part one of his report has now been published. We are carefully considering Sir Brian’s proposals and will respond in due course.

We are committed to creating a more sustainable justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of rehabilitation programmes on reoffending rates by young adults.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We take an evidence-based approach to reducing reoffending, investing in a wide range of programmes that address offenders’ underlying criminogenic needs and support their rehabilitation. The pathway an individual takes - including young adults - is determined by their assessed risk and needs, ensuring interventions are targeted and proportionate.

Our approach is grounded in a robust body of research and evidence on what works and we recently published a synthesis of evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to reduce reoffending (Reducing Reoffending - A Synthesis of Evidence on Effectiveness of Interventions). We continue to strengthen this foundation through ongoing evaluation, data analysis, and insights from delivery partners and international practice. The Justice Data Lab (JDL) supports this by producing tailored reports on the impact of rehabilitation programmes (Justice Data Lab statistics - GOV.UK). While not all evaluations are conducted at a scale that allows for detailed analysis of specific cohorts, we do disaggregate findings where possible to provide more targeted insights. For example, in 2023, the JDL published two large-scale evaluations of the Thinking Skills Programme (TSP), the most widely delivered accredited offending behaviour programme in custody by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) for individuals aged 18 and over. The evaluations found that participants, including those aged 18–25, committed fewer proven reoffences and were less likely to have any prison adjudications recorded than non-TSP participants.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of support provided by his Department to help small and medium-sized enterprises increase their exports to EU markets.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

DBT offers a range of support for SMEs, with our Small Business Plan setting out the most comprehensive package of support for SMEs in a generation. This includes Unlock Europe, a programme from UK Export Academy designed to help businesses build relationships with European customers and increase exporting potential to the EU.

DBT has a robust monitoring and evaluation framework in place for export support. This data can be found in DBT’s Annual Report.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, how the funding allocated for electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be apportioned between (a) local, (b) en-route, (c) home, and (d) workplace charging.

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

In the Autumn Budget 2024, £320 million funding was allocated to support electric vehicle uptake in financial year 2025/26. Support available includes plug-in grants and the new Electric Car Grant, plus continued support for zero emission HGVs and infrastructure, home and workplace charging and resources for local authorities. New schemes to support cross-pavement charging, charging for NHS fleets, and helping businesses install charging points at depots have also been launched.

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 workforce shortages on the delivery of social care services to older people.

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

The Department monitors workforce levels in the adult social care sector in England at a national and local level. As part of this monitoring, the Department considers Skills for Care estimates on the number of filled posts in residential and domiciliary care. The adult social care workforce is growing. Skills for Care data shows in 2024/25 there were 1.60 million filled posts, an increase of 52,000 (3.4%) from 2023/24. This was the second largest increase seen since Skills for Care records began in 2012/13.

Local authorities in England have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care.

We recognise the scale of reform needed to make adult social care attractive as a career and are determined to ensure those who work in care are respected as professionals. We are introducing a new Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care, implementing the first universal career structure for adult social care, and providing £12 million this year for staff to complete training and qualifications. These changes will help attract staff to the sector, providing proper recognition and opportunities for them to build their careers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of lower-cost imports of electric buses from (a) China and (b) other countries on the competitiveness of UK manufacturers; and what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) procurement and (b) subsidy programmes support domestic industry while still delivering value for money.

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

The international market is key to spurring and driving innovation, as well as competitive pricing and enabling UK manufacturers to win orders around the world. Data gathered through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme suggests that UK bus manufacturers are not being undercut by international suppliers, with prices being broadly comparable. UK-based bus manufacturers have also benefitted most from the Department’s funding programmes.

To support the domestic Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) industry, the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel was established in March 2025. The Expert Panel brings together industry experts and local leaders to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing.

The Expert Panel is looking at how social value can be embedded in the heart of the bus procurement process to ensure every pound of public money spent on ZEBs delivers the greatest possible benefit for our communities and the economy.

Section 17 of the Subsidy Control Act prevents state subsidies being given with conditions on using domestic over imported goods or services. This means that when providing subsidies, local transport authorities cannot impose conditions to require that bus operators receiving the subsidies must buy British buses.

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 manufacturing firms on (a) their progress in adopting and (b) the barriers to the implementation of green technologies.

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

The Government is engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including manufacturers, through expert working groups and workshops to inform policy on Net Zero technologies in industry.

In 2023, a call for evidence on industrial electrification was held, with a summary published on 1 September 2024 outlining progress and key issues raised by industry, academia and trade bodies. This has been followed by continued stakeholder engagement.

A renewed Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy will guide efforts to build a competitive, low-carbon UK industrial base. Further details, including the role of fuel switching to electrification, will be set out in the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan in October.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with train operators on the adequacy of criteria used to determine the provision of step-free access upgrades at train stations.

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

The criteria used to select existing projects for delivery under the Access for All were determined by the previous government.

The transition to Great British Railways will remove artificial industry separations and result in the integrated planning and delivery of programmes such as Access for All.

Digital-only immigration status

Treatment of Professor Michael Ben-Gad

Naloxone

Elon Musk at the Unite the Kingdom rally

Wonderland Bookshop and the promotion of reading for pleasure amongst children and young people

Children of Ukraine

Leasehold reform (No. 2)

Pavement parking consultation response

Neurodivergent children at school

Mental health care in Gaza

Final delivery plan on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Karen Bradley (Chair); Mr Paul Kohler; Robbie Moore; Margaret