Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support the financial sustainability of childminders in the context of the removal of the wear and tear allowance.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This department is taking a range of measures to support the financial sustainability of childminding businesses and other early years providers. From April 2026, local authorities will be required to pass at least 97% of their funding directly to providers, an increase from 96%.
We are also working with local authorities and others to ensure that childminders and other early years providers can be paid monthly for the funded hours they provide, making their income more stable. From 1 November 2024, the government introduced new flexibilities to help childminders join and stay in the profession, supporting the government’s commitment to roll out expanded childcare entitlements and give children the best start in life.
In addition, the expansion of the early years entitlements will benefit childminders in different ways. The national average three and four-year-old hourly funding rate of local authorities is increasing by 4.1%, the two-year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.3%, and the nine months to two-year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.4%.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what the exact route of the Northern Powerhouse Rail project is; and which cities it will run between.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Northern Powerhouse Rail will deliver turn-up-and-go railway services between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York, with regular services to Newcastle, Hull and Chester for North Wales. The first phase of work East of the Pennines will largely be upgrades to existing lines, including electrification. The government is taking forward work on the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill to seek powers for the section of route into Manchester via Manchester Airport. Options for further sections of new route, including connections to Liverpool, will be assessed with local leaders in the coming months, in advance of any public consultation.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, where responsibility for national leadership and accountability for obesity and weight management services will sit following the abolition of NHS England; and what steps he is taking to prevent regional variation in access to those services.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure continuity of specialist weight management services, including workforce capacity and multidisciplinary provision, during the transition following the abolition of NHS England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what the expected date is for the start of the development of the first phase of the Northern Powerhouse Rail project; and when they expect the necessary planning and permissions to allow construction to begin will be completed.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Government has allocated £1.1bn funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail in this Parliament to undertake development and consenting work. The first phase, focusing on electrification and upgrades East of the Pennines, is expected to be delivered during the 2030s.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister for the Armed Forces answer to an Urgent Question on 5 January 2026 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, whether any current members of the armed forces senior command have raised the potential impact of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill on recruitment and retention.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
My Ministerial colleagues and I routinely meet with the Single Service Chiefs, where we discuss a range of priority Defence matters.
The hon. Member will understand that it would be inappropriate to comment further on these discussions.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has discussed the potential impact of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill on recruitment and retention with the (a) Chief of the Defence Staff, (b) Chief of the General Staff, (c) First Sea Lord, (d) Chief of the Air Staff, and (e) Commander Cyber and Specialist Operations Command.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
My Ministerial colleagues and I routinely meet with the Single Service Chiefs, where we discuss a range of priority Defence matters.
The hon. Member will understand that it would be inappropriate to comment further on these discussions.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January to Question 103813 on Veterans: Northern Ireland, whether any of the universal protections will apply to alleged paramilitaries.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill introduces five protections that have been specifically designed for veterans. They will apply to all those required to give evidence to the Legacy Commission.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January to Question 103813 on Veterans: Northern Ireland, how many of the five protections will apply universally.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill introduces five protections that have been specifically designed for veterans. They will apply to all those required to give evidence to the Legacy Commission.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Cutting-edge drone degree to train military forces of the future unveiled, published on 21 January, whether elements of the undergraduate drone degree will involve studying the use of drones in a combat scenario.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The undergraduate drone degree is designed to equip students with the technical skills required to build, upgrade and sustain drone systems, rather than to train them in their operational use. Some elements of the programme will involve students working with industry and defence partners on practical problem solving projects, which may include challenges linked to the operational employment of drones in combat settings.
Students on the programme will not participate in military exercises. However, having Army personnel learning alongside civilian students, supported by academic staff and defence contractors, will provide valuable insight into the realities of operating drones in contested environments and supports a collaborative approach to innovation.
The course does not provide training in how to operate drones; this is delivered separately through the Army’s existing small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems training pathways. Instead, the degree focuses on ensuring personnel have the technical knowledge and engineering expertise to sustain and adapt drone systems at the pace required by rapidly evolving operational demands, as seen in Ukraine