Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness (b) adequacy and (c) efficiency of the performance of the Motor Ombudsman in carrying out its functions.

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

The Motor Ombudsman is a non-statutory ombudsman, set up as a voluntary scheme by the industry and independent of government.

The Motor Ombudsman's activities are documented in their annual reports, complying with the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015. These reports are accessible on its website.

DBT funds the Chartered Trading Standards Institute who accredit and regularly audit The Motor Ombudsman against key principles including neutrality and effective complaints handling under a voluntary framework in the 2015 ADR Regulations.

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 made an assessment of the value for money of funding the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs.

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

Encouraging more young people into farming and land-based careers is vital to ensure a skilled workforce is in place and the longer-term viability of the sector.

Defra works closely with the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC). Defra provides funding of up to £30,000 per year for specific project-based activity which supports skills development and training.

My officials continue to work very closely with the NFYFC to deliver the 2025-26 grant to ensure value for money.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to help prevent slugs entering traffic light controller boxes.

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

Responsibility for the design, installation and maintenance of traffic signal equipment, including controller cabinets, lies with the relevant local traffic authority. It is for them to ensure they procure equipment suitable for the conditions in which it is likely to be used.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will include motorcycling in all its forms as a specific element within the forthcoming integrated national transport strategy; and what her timetable is for publishing the strategy.

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

Later this year, the department will publish the Integrated National Transport Strategy (INTS) and set the long-term vision for transport across England, placing people at the heart of how we plan, build, and operate transport. The Strategy will aim to address fragmentation and inefficiency across the transport system to ensure that people can easily, reliably, and safely carry out the journeys they want to make, however they choose to travel.

We have conducted extensive engagement with stakeholders and members of the public, including motorcyclists and motorcycle user representative groups, through a Call for Ideas, Regional Roadshows, and targeted sessions with seldom heard groups. As the Strategy is still in development, I am unable to comment on specific policy questions, but all the insights gathered through our engagement activities have been analysed and are being considered as the Strategy continues to evolve.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding his Department has provided to the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs in each of the last five years.

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

In each of the last five financial years, Defra has provided the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) with the following amounts of funding:

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, he will list the programmes his Department (a) provides and (b) supports to tackle (i) isolation, (ii) social exclusion and (iii) mental health well-being for rural young people.

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

In 2025-26, Defra is providing £1.712 million to support local actions that address the needs of rural communities, some of which is used to support actions to tackle rural isolation, social exclusion and the mental health and well-being needs of young people in rural areas.

Since May 2024, Defra has funded the Farmer Welfare Grant, providing £500k to support projects that improve the mental health and wellbeing of farmers in England. One recipient of the grant, the Lincolnshire Rural Support Network (LRSN), is using its funds to deliver support to young farmers. Their support includes Installing an LRSN volunteer link worker into every Young Farmers Club in Lincolnshire; Formal Mental health and wellbeing awareness raising sessions delivered to 16 Young Farmers Clubs, Impact Group, and Riseholme College; and Recruitment and integration of two Emotional Wellbeing Workers into the Young Farmers Clubs and Riseholme Agricultural college.

The Government is committed to increasing access to nature for all, especially young people, and recognises the importance for young people’s health and wellbeing. In 2024, Defra invested £4.45 million in a second phase of the Generation Green programme, enabling over 25,000 disadvantaged children and young people to experience the natural environment.

Defra also leads a cross-Government Children and Nature Working Group to share best practices on improving outcomes for young people through nature. The £16 million Access for All programme has funded inclusive facilities like pedal and play areas for young people.

Green Social Prescribing and wider nature-based activities have been shown to improve mental health in both adults and young people. Natural England works at a national and local level to embed Green Social Prescribing into NHS health services.

Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework is a strategic tool which provides local authorities with principles, standards, guidance, and data to improve the lives of people and communities through nature, including access to nature, improving health and wellbeing, and building climate resilience. This includes providing comprehensive geospatial data on the quality of green and blue space, index of multiple deprivation and health, enabling local authorities to target action where its most needed.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue the Exchequer has collected from the Apprenticeship Levy (a) in total and (b) from companies registered in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Receipts data for the Apprenticeship Levy is published by HM Revenue and Customs in their Tax and NIC Receipts publication which can be found online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk

Receipts data based on company registered addresses do not reflect where liabilities are accrued or where employees are based. For example, the data on receipts from companies with registered addresses in Northern Ireland will not include businesses registered in Wales, Scotland, or England, who have a presence and pay employees in Northern Ireland.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the his Department's press release entitled UK and Irish Governments announce legacy framework to enable truth for families of the Troubles, published on 19 September 2025, whether the proposed (a) right to stay at home, (b) protection from repeated investigations and (c) protection in old age will apply to people who are not veterans that served in the HM Armed Forces.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

On 14 October, the Government introduced the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill as part of our commitment to repeal and replace the previous government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023.

The legislation includes strong safeguards for veterans that were not included in the 2023 Act, and that respond directly to the concerns expressed during engagements that the Government has undertaken. The Government is also taking forward some measures on a non-legislative basis. All of the measures that the Government has announced are being introduced in order to protect and ensure fair treatment of any veteran who is asked to engage with legacy mechanisms.

Some measures will apply only to veterans, including the protection from cold calling and the new safeguard that ensures veterans from giving unnecessary evidence on historical context and general operational details.

Other measures, including the right to give evidence remotely and having regard to the welfare of witnesses, will necessarily apply to others. This will ensure, for example, that former police officers are able to avail of these measures.

The Commission’s duty to avoid duplication unless it is considered essential will apply to all of its investigations. This will ensure that the Commission’s investigations are effective, efficient, and focused on getting answers for families, whilst also protecting veterans from having to unnecessarily provide information previously covered.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons use companion dogs.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We understand this question to refer to “pets as therapy” (PAT) dogs. This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Application for the use of PAT dogs is open to all prisons, with admittance requiring the authority of the Governor.

Young farmers' organisations across the United Kingdom

Impact of extreme weather on farming

Verdict in the Soldier F trial

Non-indexed pre-1997 pensions

World Sight Day 2025

Digital ID

Extinction of the slender-billed curlew

Chinook helicopter crash at Mull of Kintyre

Found: Claire Hanna, Robin Swann, and Dr Ellie Chowns Oral Evidence