Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to expand eligibility of the England National Concessionary Travel Scheme to (a) carers and (b) companions of (i) older and (ii) disabled people.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually, and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as expanding eligibility, would need careful consideration for the scheme’s financial sustainability
Local authorities in England have the power to use local resources to fund further concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, offering companion passes or lowering the age of eligibility.
The government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Gloucestershire County Council has been allocated £8 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish, including enhancing the concessionary travel offering in the local area.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 84695 on Bus Services: Fares, when her Department expects to complete its evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap scheme; and whether she plans to publish that evaluation in full once it is finalised.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport is currently undertaking an evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts, with the full report expected to be published next year.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference his Department's documents entitled Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System: 2024, updated on 3 October 2025, and Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System: 2023, published on 28 March 2024, how many victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 were based at the Army Foundation College.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
All those who choose to serve our country must be able to do so free from abuse, and with the dignity and respect they deserve. Sexual offending has no place in the Armed Forces, and anyone who commits a sexual offence can expect to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
The number of cases involving victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 from 2021 to 2024 and in the published Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences in the Service Justice System official statistics were as follows, noting these are based on investigations opened (including referral and non-referral to the Service Prosecuting Authority) and not based on conviction.
a) Rape: 4
b) Sexual assault: 80
c) Sexual activity with a child committed by a person in a position of trust: not recorded as a separate offence in the published official statistics.
The total number of male and female victims of sexual offences under the age of 18 from 2021 to 2024 was 122. The number of female victims under the age of 18 is not published in the official statistics. Figures of fewer than three in each year have been suppressed to prevent inadvertent disclosure and are not included in these totals.
Please note that I am unable to release any details concerning alleged victims of sexual offences which could lead to their identification. This is because of statutory restrictions and to ensure that victims of sexual offences are not deterred from coming forward. Therefore, in the interests of protecting the anonymity of the victims I will not be releasing information confirming whether any of the victims of sexual offences referred to in your question were based at the Army Foundation College at the time of the offence.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken with local authorities to help improve food hygiene ratings of catering businesses.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is a consumer information scheme operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of businesses to comply with food hygiene law at all times. However, the FSA provides Safer Food Better Business guidance to help small businesses manage food hygiene, and there is an information pack specifically for caterers at the following link:
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/safer-food-better-business-for-caterers
The FSA also publishes guidance on inspections, the FHRS, and how to achieve the top rating. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/preparing-for-your-first-food-hygiene-inspection
Businesses with low ratings will continue to receive follow up action or visits by local authorities to ensure that non-compliances are addressed. If the local authority officer finds that a business’s hygiene standards are very poor and food may be unsafe to eat, they must act to protect consumers. This could result in stopping part of the business or closing it down completely until it is safe to reopen it.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking in cooperation with Ukraine to develop or invest in low-cost missile interceptor technology.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Under project OCTOPUS, part of a new UK and Ukraine technology sharing agreement, we have agreed arrangements for the development of an advanced air defence interceptor drone.
This system, designed by Ukraine with support from UK scientists and technicians, has demonstrated effectiveness on the battlefield. Plans are in place for initial mass production in the UK, with a target to produce thousands a month.
In addition, the UK has purchased and provided other (non-OCTOPUS) air defence interceptor drones to Ukraine, including from Ukrainian industry.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many fully qualified RAF pilots are available for front-line deployment; and how many pilots would be required for full operational capability.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of seasonality patterns in the numbers of people leaving hospital on (a) discharge pathway 0 (b) discharge pathway 1 (c) discharge pathway 2 and (d) discharge pathway 3 in each of the last three years.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Hospital discharge and the numbers of people discharged on pathways 0-3 are monitored on a regular basis and figures are published monthly by NHS England via the Acute Discharge Situation Report. The reports are available at the following link:
Data from 2022/23 and 2023/24 shows a general increase in discharges over the two years, but the proportion of people being discharged to each pathway remain relatively stable between the summer period, from April to September, and winter periods, from October to March. Definitions for data collected on discharge pathways changed from 27 May 2024 onwards, and figures from before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.
To support areas to achieve timely hospital discharge, this Government published a new policy framework in January 2025 for the £9 billion Better Care Fund, which provides the National Health Service and local authorities accountability for setting and achieving joint goals for reducing discharge delays, preventing avoidable emergency admissions and care home admission. Some challenged systems in need of additional support are also receiving a programme of improvement support.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
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 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence not having updated its methods on evaluating the wider societal costs of rare diseases since 2017.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to introduce a separate evaluation process for orphan medicines. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether all new licensed medicines, including medicines for rare diseases, should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. NICE operates a separate highly specialised technologies programme for the evaluation of a small number of treatments for very rare, very severe diseases which uses a much higher cost-effectiveness threshold that recognises the challenges of bringing treatments for very rare diseases to market.
NICE’s methods have been proven to be suitable for the evaluation of rare disease medicines, where companies are willing to price their medicines fairly. NICE’s approval rate for medicines for rare diseases is in line with its overall approval rate for new medicines, and from April 2024 to April 2025, NICE recommended all 15 of the rare disease drugs that it evaluated through its standard technology appraisal programme.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to examine options for a separate evaluation process for orphan medicines claiming significant benefit over existing treatments.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to introduce a separate evaluation process for orphan medicines. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether all new licensed medicines, including medicines for rare diseases, should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. NICE operates a separate highly specialised technologies programme for the evaluation of a small number of treatments for very rare, very severe diseases which uses a much higher cost-effectiveness threshold that recognises the challenges of bringing treatments for very rare diseases to market.
NICE’s methods have been proven to be suitable for the evaluation of rare disease medicines, where companies are willing to price their medicines fairly. NICE’s approval rate for medicines for rare diseases is in line with its overall approval rate for new medicines, and from April 2024 to April 2025, NICE recommended all 15 of the rare disease drugs that it evaluated through its standard technology appraisal programme.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in her Department (a) did not retain employment following the completion of their probationary period and (b) had their probationary period extended in each of the last five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.
Defra’s probation policy and guidance advises managers on the steps to take to assess a new employee’s suitability for the post and to provide support to enable them to succeed. It also advises on the steps to take where performance, attendance or conduct are not satisfactory. This can include exiting the employee or extending their probation to provide further evidence for a final decision on their suitability.