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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of area-based agricultural support payments on poultry farmers and other farmers whose businesses require relatively small areas of land; and whether she has considered alternative payment models for such businesses.

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

The Government is moving away from untargeted area-based direct payments like the EU Common Agricultural Policy’s Basic Payment Scheme and now provides support through a range of schemes and grants, including environmental, productivity, innovation and animal health and welfare programmes. These programmes are designed to support different types of farming businesses and are not solely linked to the amount of land farmed.

The Poultry Sector Growth Plan is being developed by industry, supported by Government and the Farming and Food Partnership Board, to identify opportunities for the sector to improve its productivity and profitability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of employment prospects of newly qualified Physician Associates; and what steps she is taking to ensure that graduates are able to secure appropriate employment following completion of their training.

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

Further to the answer of 8 June in response to Question 6637, we stress again that physician associates have important roles to play in our health service, and Professor Leng's review represented a welcome opportunity, in her own words, to reset the debate around those roles and enable all staff groups to work collaboratively in future. However, individual decisions on employment remain a matter for local National Health Service employers, based on their assessment of needs in their area.

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 benefits of increasing the use of rechargeable batteries in automated external defibrillators; and what consideration he has given to the cost to individuals and organisations of replacing non-rechargeable defibrillator batteries.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government’s position is that local communities are best placed to make decisions about procuring, locating, and maintaining their automated external defibrillators.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what redress is available to victims where repeated administrative errors by the Crown Prosecution Service result in a criminal trial being postponed on multiple occasions; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of such delays on access to justice for elderly and seriously ill victims.

Answered by Andy Slaughter - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

Where victims feel dissatisfied with the service provided by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), they can submit a complaint through the CPS complaints procedure. The CPS operates a three stage complaints procedure where complaints relate to the standard of service provided by the CPS. In these cases, the final stage of the complaints process is referral to the Independent Assessor of Complaints (IAC). If the complaint is upheld, the CPS will apologise, and attempt to put the matter right wherever possible, as well as take steps to ensure that it does not happen again. In exceptional cases, where there has been an error on their part and there is clear evidence of uninsured material loss or severe distress caused by maladministration or poor service, a modest consolatory payment may be offered. Following an IAC review, victims who believe the CPS has failed to meet its obligations under the Victims’ Code may ask their MP to refer their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which can consider whether any further investigation or redress is required.

Tackling delays in the criminal justice system is an important part of delivering the swift justice that victims and witnesses deserve and improving confidence in the criminal justice system. The CPS is working with criminal justice system partners to reduce inefficiency and avoidable delay in case preparation. On 1 October 2026, a new Practice Direction on Listing in the Criminal Courts came into effect. This requires courts to convene a Case Progression meeting in the third week before a trial is listed, of which the CPS will attend. This aims to ensure issues requiring operational and judicial resolution are addressed early. The CPS is also taking action to improve its service to victims through its Victims Programme.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the lack of published service level standards for the processing of visa and indefinite leave to remain applications on applicants.

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

Visa processing times are published on the UKVI website at Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK can be found: Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK and Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK can be found: Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK Indefinite Leave to Remain processing times can be found: Indefinite leave to remain if you’ve been in the UK for 10 years (long residence): Overview - GOV.UK

UKVI are currently processing applications on the overwhelming majority of its visa routes within their published customer service standards.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of inheritance tax and Stamp Duty Land Tax rules on families seeking to establish long-term multigenerational households; and whether he has considered introducing targeted tax reliefs to support families who choose to share a main residence across generations.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of current waiting times in processing Student visa applications on students who have already incurred tuition and accommodation costs and whose courses have begun; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that applicants, including those who have paid for the priority service, receive decisions within published processing times.

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

UKVI continued to meet published service standards for straightforward Student visa applications during the 2026 summer peak, despite sustained high demand.

Some applications require additional checks and may take longer where this is necessary to verify the information provided, assess individual circumstances or protect the integrity of the UK immigration system. Applicants will be notified if their application cannot be concluded within the published service standard.

Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Sponsors can use established escalation routes where applications have exceeded published service standards and enrolment deadlines are at risk. Information on visa processing times and service standards is available at Visa processing times - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of Student visa applications were decided within the published processing time in each of the last six months; and what proportion of applications made using the priority service received a decision within five working days.

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

UKVI continued to meet published service standards for straightforward Student visa applications during the 2026 summer peak, despite sustained high demand.

Some applications require additional checks and may take longer where this is necessary to verify the information provided, assess individual circumstances or protect the integrity of the UK immigration system. Applicants will be notified if their application cannot be concluded within the published service standard.

Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Sponsors can use established escalation routes where applications have exceeded published service standards and enrolment deadlines are at risk. Information on visa processing times and service standards is available at Visa processing times - GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department intends to specify in legislation a maximum percentage rate for the proposed overnight visitor levy; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of an uncapped levy on the tourism and hospitality sectors.

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

It will be for Mayors and local leaders to decide whether to introduce a visitor levy, as they best understand which investments can support local economic development, including the visitor economy. This may include passing on receipts to local authorities.

Our approach balances local flexibility with simplicity and consistency for business.

Local decisions on the levy rate, any local exemptions and spending priorities will be informed by consultations, and will need to balance local priorities, affordability, and certainty for businesses. The precise impacts will depend on these local decisions.

These decisions will be made within a national framework which includes that levies must be set as a percentage rate, meaning low-cost stays stay low cost. Government will also work with Strategic Authorities as they develop their plans to drive further consistency and simplicity for business.

Our approach to caps is set out in the consultation response: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/overnight-visitor-levy-in-england.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department intends to require mayoral strategic authorities to allocate a minimum proportion of overnight visitor levy receipts to the local authority area in which those receipts were generated.

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

It will be for Mayors and local leaders to decide whether to introduce a visitor levy, as they best understand which investments can support local economic development, including the visitor economy. This may include passing on receipts to local authorities.

Our approach balances local flexibility with simplicity and consistency for business.

Local decisions on the levy rate, any local exemptions and spending priorities will be informed by consultations, and will need to balance local priorities, affordability, and certainty for businesses. The precise impacts will depend on these local decisions.

These decisions will be made within a national framework which includes that levies must be set as a percentage rate, meaning low-cost stays stay low cost. Government will also work with Strategic Authorities as they develop their plans to drive further consistency and simplicity for business.

Our approach to caps is set out in the consultation response: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/overnight-visitor-levy-in-england.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether revenue from an overnight visitor levy will be treated as additional funding and will not result in reductions to local government settlements.

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

It will be for Mayors and local leaders to decide whether to introduce a visitor levy, as they best understand which investments can support local economic development, including the visitor economy. This may include passing on receipts to local authorities.

Our approach balances local flexibility with simplicity and consistency for business.

Local decisions on the levy rate, any local exemptions and spending priorities will be informed by consultations, and will need to balance local priorities, affordability, and certainty for businesses. The precise impacts will depend on these local decisions.

These decisions will be made within a national framework which includes that levies must be set as a percentage rate, meaning low-cost stays stay low cost. Government will also work with Strategic Authorities as they develop their plans to drive further consistency and simplicity for business.

Our approach to caps is set out in the consultation response: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/overnight-visitor-levy-in-england.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will assess the merits of including medicine blister packs within the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework; and what discussions she has had with pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and waste management operators on establishing a nationally funded collection and recycling scheme for blister packs in community pharmacies and local recycling hubs.

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

Medicine blister packs are obligated under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging.

The scheme incentivises the establishment of takeback schemes, as producers do not incur EPR disposal fee obligations for packaging that is separately collected and recycled through these schemes.

Defra and PackUK regularly engage with the medical sector on difficult to recycle packaging.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Skilled Worker visa salary thresholds on the retention of staff working in probation Approved Premises; and whether she plans to introduce transitional salary arrangements for those staff equivalent to those available to prison officers.

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

A temporary arrangement is in place for prison officers allowing eligible individuals in the UK to switch into prison officer roles until 31 December 2026. The arrangement also allows people sponsored as prison officers under the concession to extend their visas for up to 3 years until the 31 December 2027.

There are no plans to add further occupations to it, including for those working in probation approved premises.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what consideration has been given to implementing regulations addressing the use of fireworks during heatwaves or periods of drought.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government recognises the increased risk of wildfires during periods of hot, dry weather and continues to keep these risks under review. During periods of elevated risk, those organising firework displays should follow advice from Government and local fire and rescue services, take account of local conditions, and undertake appropriate risk assessments. The Government will continue to monitor wildfire risks and consider whether any further action relating to the supply or use of fireworks is required.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory registration for hairdressers; and whether he plans to review the Hairdressers (Registration) Act 1964.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

We have no current plans for additional regulation for hairdressers and barbers, but we remain open to evidence. The Hairdressers Registration Act 1964 provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers and barbers, although registration remains voluntary. Hairdressing salons and barbers are subject to a range of existing requirements, including health and safety and consumer protection legislation. It is important to take an evidence-based approach when making decisions, and the introduction of additional regulation would need to be carefully considered.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government's statement that it will take an "appropriate and proportionate approach" to Dedicated Schools Grant high needs deficits arising in 2026-27 and 2027-28, (a) what criteria will be used to determine eligibility for support, (b) what estimate she has made of the aggregate national value of those deficits, (c) whether any proportion of those deficits will be written off or otherwise funded by central government, and (d) by what date local authorities will be given certainty on those arrangements ahead of the expiry of the statutory override in March 2028.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department recognises that local authorities are operating in a challenging system that has placed significant and growing pressures on resources. That is why the government committed around £6 billion, the largest ever intervention in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficits, to provide grant funding for 90% of historic dedicated schools grant deficits up to 2025/26.

The government has confirmed that it will take an appropriate and proportionate approach to deficits arising in 2026/27 and 2027/28, although it will not be unlimited. In considering further support, the government will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local SEND reform plans, including the appropriate use of investment funding to establish an ‘experts at hand’ offer. The department will set out the arrangements for this further support before the statutory accounting override ends in March 2028.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of national anti-littering campaigns in reducing littering behaviour; and whether she plans to introduce further public awareness initiatives.

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

National Highways works in partnership with local authorities and anti-littering organisations to raise public awareness of the costs and environmental impact of littering. National Highways will be working in partnership with local councils to drive behaviour change with signage at litter hotspots and through media campaigns.

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 to raise public awareness of the environmental impact of littering, including through campaigns aimed at people outside educational settings.

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

National Highways works in partnership with local authorities and anti-littering organisations to raise public awareness of the costs and environmental impact of littering. National Highways will be working in partnership with local councils to drive behaviour change with signage at litter hotspots and through media campaigns.

Cool Planet Technologies carbon capture plant

Fuse Games and Star Wars: Galactic Racer

20 Years of Guildford Shakespeare Company

Delivery of Budget 2026 through property tax systems

Surrey devolution agreement and the Budget

LGBT+ rights in the Commonwealth

E1 settlements

Touring artists mobility arrangements

Political donations and campaign finance regulation

A new growth and defence partnership with Europe