Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support international non-governmental organisations that have been deregistered in Gaza and the West Bank by the Israeli government.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made on 5 January.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to build more social and affordable homes in Stroud.

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

Since coming into office the government has listened carefully to social and affordable housing providers, and we have responded positively to their calls for increased grant funding, for measures to improve their financial capacity, and for regulatory certainty and stability.

We now expect the sector to step up and prove they can deliver at scale and at pace so that we can put social and affordable housing delivery in Stroud and beyond back on track after years of neglect.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how extra training places as set out in the 10 year plan will be divided between specialities.

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

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan published in July this year, over the three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

On 8 December, the Government put an offer in writing to the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee which was rejected. The offer included the creation of 4,000 more specialty training places, with 1,000 of these brought forward to this year and emergency legislation which would prioritise United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland medical graduates for foundation training, and prioritise UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period of time for specialty training. This would have applied for current applicants for training posts starting in 2026, and every year after that.

We have also made changes for the 2025 specialty training application round to help tackle bottlenecks. Full registration with the General Medical Council is now required at the point of application to specialty training rather than when a successful applicant would take up post, and the number of applications that an applicant can make is restricted to five, whereas previously it has been unlimited.

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 reduce the backlog for core anaesthetic training.

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

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan published in July this year, over the three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

On 8 December, the Government put an offer in writing to the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee which was rejected. The offer included the creation of 4,000 more specialty training places, with 1,000 of these brought forward to this year and emergency legislation which would prioritise United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland medical graduates for foundation training, and prioritise UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period of time for specialty training. This would have applied for current applicants for training posts starting in 2026, and every year after that.

We have also made changes for the 2025 specialty training application round to help tackle bottlenecks. Full registration with the General Medical Council is now required at the point of application to specialty training rather than when a successful applicant would take up post, and the number of applications that an applicant can make is restricted to five, whereas previously it has been unlimited.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the modelled projections in the 10 Year Workforce Plan will include projections for medical specialties.

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

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. It will include modelling of the potential size and shape of the future workforce and implications for major professions. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.

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 support (a) small and (b) start-up businesses.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to supporting small and start-up businesses through the Small Business Plan - the most comprehensive package of support for small and medium size businesses in a generation.

Start-ups play a crucial role in fostering competition and innovation, and we are improving access to finance for start-ups through Start Up Loans provided by the British Business Bank.

Last year, we launched a new Business Growth Service to make it easier for small businesses to access the right advice and support and we are boosting SME growth through new digital and AI Adoption initiatives.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to UIN 94508, how many of these unique applications were made by people currently outside the UK, compared to those already based in the UK.

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

The Department has not undertaken an analysis of the information collected as part of the 2025 medical specialty training programme to assess the location of applicants at the point of application.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department will resume approvals for applications made by schools to attain purchasing power agreements for the installation of solar panels.

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

A temporary pause in Summer 2025 was quickly lifted and the programme is continuing as normal. Schools wishing to take forward solar projects via a Power Purchase Agreement should apply in the usual way following available guidance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Association of Colleges' report entitled From treatment to prevention: how colleges can build a healthier society, published in December 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of access to further education colleges' adult community learning programmes on supporting public health outcomes for local people, including on the level of demand for primary care services.

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

The primary purpose of Tailored Learning, which includes what used to be called Community Learning, is to support learners into employment and to progress to further learning, in line with the overall purpose of the Adult Skills Fund.

It plays a vital role within adult learning provision of supporting those furthest from the workplace and in improving wider outcomes, such as the health and well-being of learners and equipping parents/carers to support their child’s learning.

It is an important stepping stone for learners, including disadvantaged learners, who are not ready for formal accredited learning or who would benefit from learning in a more informal way.

In the 2024/25 academic year, 62,390 learners participated in learning to improve their health and well-being.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Association of Colleges' report entitled From treatment to prevention: how colleges can build a healthier society, published in December 2025, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on supporting further education colleges to deliver programmes for young people not in education, employment or training due to health reasons.

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

The department consults with Cabinet colleagues on a range of policies, and we are determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all young people, including those with specific needs.

We have introduced the Youth Guarantee to tackle the number of those who are not in education, employment or training and improve access to opportunities.

Colleges are responsible for ensuring that their provision is designed, delivered, and continuously improved to meet the needs of all students and are subject to statutory duties and responsibilities in the area of special educational needs and disabilities. This underpins our commitment to providing all young people with learning difficulties and disabilities with the opportunities they need.

The department also continues to work closely with the further education (FE) sector to promote and support providers to develop mental health and wellbeing approaches. This is supported by the FE student support champion, Polly Harrow, who is improving colleges' ability to give learners the full opportunity to succeed and progress.

British forces on the front line in Afghanistan

Residence-based voting rights

Parliamentary screening of The Removed and historic forced adoptions

Bank holiday for celebrations if England win the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Hunger strike by pro-Palestinian activists