Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the geographical locations where living recipients of Companions of Honour reside, where known.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of all 1157 recipients for the King’s New Year Honours List 2026 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 14 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the King’s New Year Honours List 2026 List, 2 of which were above OBE level. There were 0 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 3 individuals received an award above MBE level.
42 recipients of honours in the King’s New Year Honours List 2026 have received honours in previous lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
There are currently 62 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the King’s New Year Honours List 2026 round is not held. There were no recipients of the Companion of Honour on the King’s New Year Honours List 2026.
Region | BEM | BEM% | MBE | MBE% | OBE | OBE% | CBE & Higher | CBE & higher% | Total | % of the total NY26 list living in each region | % of UK population |
East | 28 | 8.8% | 36 | 7.4% | 21 | 9.4% | 11 | 8.7% | 96 | 8.3% | 9.5% |
East Midlands | 12 | 3.8% | 22 | 4.5% | 9 | 4.0% | 7 | 5.5% | 50 | 4.3% | 7.3% |
London | 28 | 8.8% | 89 | 18.2% | 58 | 25.9% | 42 | 33.1% | 217 | 18.8% | 13.0% |
North East | 9 | 2.8% | 14 | 2.9% | 6 | 2.7% | 1 | 0.8% | 30 | 2.6% | 4.0% |
North West | 31 | 9.8% | 44 | 9.0% | 17 | 7.6% | 5 | 3.9% | 97 | 8.4% | 11.0% |
Northern Ireland | 20 | 6.3% | 25 | 5.1% | 6 | 2.7% | 4 | 3.1% | 55 | 4.8% | 2.8% |
Scotland | 25 | 7.9% | 56 | 11.5% | 22 | 9.8% | 11 | 8.7% | 114 | 9.9% | 8.0% |
South East | 47 | 14.8% | 54 | 11.0% | 41 | 18.3% | 22 | 17.3% | 164 | 14.2% | 14.0% |
South West | 34 | 10.7% | 37 | 7.6% | 15 | 6.7% | 11 | 8.7% | 97 | 8.4% | 8.5% |
Wales | 18 | 5.7% | 38 | 7.8% | 8 | 3.6% | 3 | 2.4% | 67 | 5.8% | 4.6% |
West Midlands | 38 | 12.0% | 33 | 6.7% | 9 | 4.0% | 1 | 0.8% | 81 | 7.0% | 8.9% |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 27 | 8.5% | 39 | 8.0% | 10 | 4.5% | 8 | 6.3% | 84 | 7.3% | 8.2% |
Living abroad | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.9% | 1 | 0.8% | 5 | 0.4% | - |
Total | 317 | 100% | 489 | 100% | 224 | 100% | 127 | 100% | 1157 | 100% | - |
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Healthwatch England about making public comments regarding the Government's decision to transfer its current role to the proposed new patient experience directorate in the Department of Health and Social Care.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has accepted the recommendations of Dr Penny Dash’s Review of patient safety across the health and care landscape and confirmed in its 10-Year Health Plan for England that the strategic functions of Healthwatch England will transfer to a new patient experience directorate within the Department. This change is intended to strengthen the role of patient voice by embedding it at the centre of a reformed Department.
The Department continues to engage with Healthwatch England as this work progresses. Discussions with Healthwatch England have not included the making of public comments about the transfer of Healthwatch England functions to the proposed patient experience directorate.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what correspondence he has received from the WASPI Campaign since 1 September 2025.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department for Work and Pensions receive a very large volume of correspondence on a range of issues including the PHSO’s investigation into the communication of State Pension age rises. We attach great importance to providing prompt and accurate replies.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 peer reviewed medical journals publishing articles that propose alternative terminology for practices that are criminal offences in the United Kingdom on patient safeguarding and public confidence.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the United Kingdom, regulated healthcare professionals are required by law to maintain standards in competence, ethics, patient safety, and accountability. Independent professional regulators, such as the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, safeguard public health by establishing and enforcing standards. They maintain registers and ensure accountability. Although they operate independently from the Government, they function within statutory frameworks and are accountable to Parliament.
Funders of research, including UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), builds assessment of skills into the research funding process. During the grant application process, proposals undergo expert peer review where all relevant skills, including statistical skills are assessed. In addition, UKRI and NIHR are signatories to the Concordat to Support Research Integrity.
The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of peer reviewed medical journals publishing articles that propose alternative terminology for practices that are criminal offences in the United Kingdom on patient safeguarding and public confidence.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support advanced AI roles and specialist technology skills in the UK financial services labour market.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Setting the UK’s financial services sector up with the skills and talent it needs is an important pillar of the Government’s Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy.
This is why the Economic Secretary commissioned the Financial Services Skills Commission (FSSC) to produce a report on how the skills system can drive growth and productivity by supporting more effective adoption and innovation of AI and other disruptive technologies. The FSSC have committed to reporting back by the end of the year.
The Government also committed to support the development of a sector Skills Compact for financial services and aim to launch it in summer 2026. This will accelerate progress and ensure the sector have the skills to thrive in the future. It will set out targeted, meaningful and ambitious actions for signatories to address skills gaps.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 potential merits of requiring car hire companies to capture and store digitally timestamped (a) photographic and (b) video evidence of a vehicle’s condition both at check-out and check-in for people hiring cars.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Competition and Markets Authority published guidance in 2018 to support car rental companies to comply with consumer law. The department does not intend to impose specific obligations on car rental companies regarding how they monitor the vehicle's condition. Consumers are advised to keep their own records regarding the state of the vehicle before and after the hire, so that they can dispute any damage claims if required.
Asked by: Baroness Freeman of Steventon (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with the single-use nappy industry about helping parents to know when toilet training should be done.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not hold any information relating to this matter.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that children awaiting (a) ADHD or (b) Autism assessment receive interim support during extended waiting periods in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays in accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and recognises the need for early intervention and support.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including provision of autism and ADHD services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
The NICE guidance for the assessment of autism recommends the length between referral and first appointment should be no more than 13 weeks. We know that this is not happening routinely across the country. In respect of ADHD, the NICE guideline on ADHD does not recommend a maximum waiting time for people to receive an assessment for ADHD or a diagnosis, however it sets out best practice on providing a diagnosis.
The Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has identified that children and young people who are on their waiting lists for ADHD or autism, or a dual diagnosis, and their families have access to a wide range of support and resources. These are provided by the foundation trust’s neurodevelopmental experts and partners, including the National Autistic Society and Barnardo’s.
The foundation trust’s neurodevelopmental needs page on the Mindworks website has helpful strategies and interventions to support neurodevelopmental needs, and the out-of-hours advice line provides advice to parents and carers who are struggling with behaviours or difficulties in young people, which could be related to neurodevelopmental need. It is open from 5:00pm to 11:00pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Further information on the trust’s neurodevelopmental needs page and the out-of-hours advice line is avaiable, respectively, at the following two links:
https://www.mindworks-surrey.org/advice-information-and-resources/neurodevelopmental-needs
https://www.mindworks-surrey.org/our-services/neurodevelopmental-services/out-hours-advice-line
In 2026, the Government will bring forward a schools white paper, which will detail the Government’s approach to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform, ensuring joined-up support, including education and healthcare providers working together.
Through local commissioning, the Government will ensure that Neighbourhood Health Services work in partnership with family hubs, schools, nurseries, and colleges to offer timely and joined-up support to children, young people, and their families, including those with SEND.
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the UK AI sector following the acquisition of the British AI start-up Faculty by Accenture, including plans to retain and grow high-skill AI jobs domestically.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK has a great history of successful UK AI startups. Faculty is an excellent example of a UK startup running with its vision and succeeding on a global scale.
We want to ensure that this ecosystem continues to thrive and recently announced a comprehensive package of support. This includes the Advance Market Commitments in which Government will act as a first customer for promising UK start-ups who are building high-quality AI hardware products. The commitment is backed by up to £100 million of government support to give British startups the opportunity for a competitive edge and to win customers in a multibillion-dollar global market. Alongside this, we are investing in workforce readiness through initiatives such as the AI Skills Hub, partnerships to train 7.5 million workers, and expanded university programmes like Pioneer Fellowships and Sparck AI Scholarships to equip people with the skills needed to retain and grow high-value AI jobs in the UK.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure protections for British Iranians who are affected by the violence against protesters taking place in Iran.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK condemns in the strongest of terms the horrendous and brutal killing of Iranian protestors we have seen over recent weeks.
The Iranian authorities must be held accountable for the violence that claimed the lives of thousands of Iranians who were exercising their right to peaceful protest. Last week, in a statement to the House, the Foreign Secretary set out the action that the Government is taking in coordination with allies in response to the consistent threat that the Iranian regime poses to stability, security, freedom and the UK national interest.
The Home Office works closely with other government departments as well as relevant agencies and law enforcement to protect the UK and its people against any threats from the Iranian state.