Written Statements

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

Monday 12 October 2026

Artificial Intelligence Policy

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Artificial Intelligence (Kanishka Narayan)]

I am today updating the House on the action the Government are taking to strengthen the UK’s resilience against the risks posed by increasingly powerful artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly capable and autonomous, creating new risks for individuals, businesses and national security. Deepfakes are being used to defraud people out of their money; modification tools are being used to humiliate and blackmail them; and AI-enabled cyber-attacks threaten our businesses and public institutions.

As I set out to the House on 7 September, frontier AI agents are increasingly able to act on their own. As these systems become more powerful, we must also prepare for the possibility of serious incidents in which they behave unexpectedly or act beyond their instructions.

The Government’s first responsibility is to protect the British public. That requires the independent expertise to understand the risks posed by advanced AI, the capabilities to strengthen our defences and the ability to respond effectively when things go wrong. We cannot rely solely on the companies developing these technologies to assess and manage the risks they may pose.

I am therefore setting out further action to strengthen Government cyber-defences using frontier AI, establish a specialist capability to respond to major incidents involving agentic AI, and consider how the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill can better protect essential services against emerging threats.

As artificial intelligence becomes more capable, Britain must become more capable of protecting its people.

Independent testing of advanced AI

Britain is home to the world’s leading AI Security Institute, bringing together more than 100 technical specialists to independently test the capabilities and risks of the most advanced AI systems.

Its work has established the UK as a world leader in AI security and demonstrated why independent scrutiny matters. As these systems become more powerful, it is essential that Government retain the expertise to understand their risks for itself, rather than relying solely on the companies developing them.

So, over the last few weeks, we have been working closely with the labs and the US Government—from His Majesty’s gathering of leading AI developers at Dumfries House in Scotland to discussions at the United Nations General Assembly in New York—to retain access for Britain’s AI Security Institute to the most powerful AI models before they are released. I can confirm that AISI scientists are now conducting rigorous evaluations of the latest generation of models, including Gemini 4 Argon, to identify risks early, test safeguards and help keep people safe.

Frontier AI hardening across Government

Over the past months, experts in the Government Cyber Unit have been working across the public sector to test the use of frontier AI on real-world Government cyber-security problems. Two pilot programmes have used AI to find and address 1,352 vulnerabilities across 548 code repositories in 18 participating departments, alongside helping organisations detect advanced cyber-threats. I can today announce an urgent extension of our frontier AI hardening programme, putting the most advanced AI technology to work strengthening defences across Government and making our vital public services harder to attack. We will continue to work with Government Departments to address weaknesses in the highest risk systems. This marks an important step towards a broader UK Government capability for use of AI to support cyber-defence and resilience.

Agentic AI incident response

As AI agents are used more widely and with less human oversight, the risk of serious incidents in which they act beyond their instructions is growing. When such incidents occur, Government must be able to establish quickly what has gone wrong, contain the risks and support those affected. I can confirm today that the Government are taking the first steps to meet this challenge. Working with the National Cyber Security Centre, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the AI Security Institute, we are developing our plans for how Government should respond when AI agents cause serious harm, and we will build on this work in the weeks and months ahead.

Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill

The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill currently making its way through the House of Lords will do a great deal to protect our essential services, such as in health, energy and drinking water. Given how fast AI capabilities are advancing, we are considering how the regime can be strengthened so that AI cyber and loss of control risks are better understood and protected against—for instance, how near misses can be identified and reported, how AI-driven risk across organisations is reduced, and how AI incidents can be properly understood, so lessons are shared and future harm prevented. We will consider proposals with parliamentarians, as well as technical experts and the operators who would need to deliver them, and continue to update Parliament during the passage of the Bill.

Verification

As AI systems become more capable, effective risk mitigation may increasingly depend on whether important claims about their development and operation can be independently verified. The UK has a rich history of hardware innovation, and I can confirm today that we will explore how that British expertise can help strengthen this central challenge in AI security.

The Prime Minister’s AI Taskforce

These are just the first steps on a longer journey Britain needs to take to seize AI’s potential as a driver for good growth and better public services, while at the same time being resilient to its potential risks. That wider scheme of work is being spearheaded by the AI taskforce, reporting directly to the Prime Minister and chaired by Lord Vallance.

A shared responsibility

Government cannot do this alone. AI is increasing the speed, scale and efficiency of attacks, and every business has a responsibility to stay secure against them. The damage to brands, reputations and revenues means cyber-security must be a matter for every boardroom in Britain.

The Security Minister will be outlining this Government’s approach to cyber-security for the age of AI in the upcoming national cyber action plan, with a national call to action for all organisations and businesses on this shared responsibility.

AI will be as consequential as the steam engine or internet. It could be more consequential than those technologies. It can help those who seek to do us harm, but it can also help keep us safe. This Government are determined that the UK stays at the forefront of AI innovation, so that we can seize the opportunities it brings and protect the public from its risks. I will keep the House updated.

[HCWS357]

Procurement Reform: UK Jobs and Opportunities

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The First Secretary of State (Louise Haigh)]

I wish to inform the House of a number of public procurement measures announced over the conference recess. These build directly upon our commitments to use public procurement as a strategic lever to back British industry, reindustrialise Britain, and ensure communities across the country benefit from growth and good jobs.

Central insourcing unit

To support our manifesto commitment to deliver the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation, the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet is establishing a dedicated central insourcing unit. This unit will serve as a centre of excellence co-ordinating departmental insourcing activity, unblocking practical delivery barriers, and identifying cross-Government opportunities to improve public services, restore direct operational accountability and deliver value for money. The unit will consider insourcing critical service contracts, complementing the recently announced public interest test which applies to most central Government service contracts valued above £1 million. It will work with Departments to halve consultancy spending and save over £700 million annually by 2028-29.

To support this whole-of-Government approach, Departments will also publish insourcing strategies, exploring how to deliver in-house capability and rebuild state capacity.

Cross-Government ship procurement and the National Shipbuilding Office

To streamline vessel procurement and support sovereign UK shipbuilding capabilities, responsibility for cross-Government ship procurement and maintenance will be centralised under the National Shipbuilding Office based in the Ministry of Defence.

The NSO will exercise oversight across civil vessel acquisitions, providing a strategic centre to support the UK shipbuilding industry through a clearer and more predictable pipeline of demand, and enabling a simpler route for ship procurement, including working with our European allies to do so. Full details and timelines will be formally published in the upcoming shipbuilding and marine technology action plan later this autumn.

In addition, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, an executive agency of DEFRA, intends to procure a “future delivery at sea” marine research vessel to replace the RV Cefas Endeavour. DEFRA is applying the national security exemption in the Procurement Act 2023 to restrict the contract exclusively to UK shipyards to help sustain sovereign UK shipbuilding capability, which the Government have identified as critical to national security.

Backing British jobs and skills through procurement by private utilities

Private utility companies operating with special or exclusive rights—such as electricity, gas, water, and transport networks—benefit from essential monopolies and operate in sectors critical to daily lives. The Government are clear that these organisations, which together procure billions of pounds-worth of goods and services, must use their substantial purchasing power to support good British jobs and skills opportunities in manufacturing. We expect these private utilities to follow the Government’s lead and apply social value criteria in their procurements, and the Government are engaging with them over the coming period on how they will achieve this.

Together, these reforms will ensure public spending actively backs British industry, strengthens supply chains, creates good jobs and opportunities and supports growth in every postcode.

[HCWS356]

Telecommunications Services: Continuity of Supply

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)]

On Monday 5 October 2026, BT Group PLC announced it had acquired TalkTalk Telecom Group out of administration in a rescue deal. As has been widely reported, TalkTalk had been seeking a buyer for its consumer and wholesale businesses following a period of financial difficulty. After an extensive open commercial bidding process there was no agreement on the sale of both these businesses.

My officials closely monitored this process, given that disconnections of TalkTalk’s customers would create risks to life and the continuity of the supply of telecommunications. The network supports critical infrastructure and services that people and public bodies rely on every day—including calls to emergency services, ambulance and hospital communications and medical alarms. A sudden disruption would also impact businesses across the country that depend on reliable telecoms networks.

Following BT’s announcement and in light of the unprecedented circumstances, I intervened using my powers under the Enterprise Act 2002 and have issued a public interest intervention notice as I have reasonable grounds to suspect that there is a relevant merger situation and that there are public interest considerations under the Act, or that ought to be specified in the Act, which are or may be relevant.

The PIIN specifies:

An existing public interest consideration specified under section 58(2E) of the Act, namely the need to maintain in the United Kingdom the capability to combat, and to mitigate the effects of, public health emergencies; and

A new public interest consideration, which I will specify under section 58 of the Act, namely the need to maintain in the United Kingdom the continuity of the supply of telecommunications services for the purposes of preventing disruption to the economy and society of the United Kingdom, including disruption to:

public services

critical national infrastructure

supply to customers who are or may be vulnerable.

At the earliest possible opportunity, I will lay an order which specifies this new public interest consideration. The order will need to be approved by both Houses of Parliament.

My Department has written to the Competition and Markets Authority and to the relevant parties to set this out. The PIIN and the letters are available on gov.uk.

The PIIN requires the CMA to deliver its report by 5 pm on 19 October 2026. I will then decide whether or not to refer the merger back to the CMA for detailed investigation of the competition and/or public interest issues.

I will update Parliament on any further developments.

[HCWS358]

National Museums: Free Entry

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)]

I am repeating the following written ministerial statement made today in the other place by my noble Friend, the Minister for Arts and Museums, Baroness Mackenzie of Sherwood CBE:

Museums and galleries tell the story of who we are as a country and foster pride in the places we come from. They educate, inspire and entertain people and drive growth in our towns and cities. This Government are committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background or geographic location, can enjoy our national and regional museums.

DCMS has worked with the museums sector to explore options for charging overseas visitors admission to the national museums, to support financial resilience and underpin our commitment to ensuring art and culture is accessible to all. A full list of national museum sites with free admission can be seen in annex A.

I wish to update the House on this work.

First, I would like to thank everyone involved in this work for giving their expertise and time.

To introduce charging for overseas visitors would be a complex decision with far-reaching implications. The national museums are among our most treasured national assets, and visitors from all over the world cite our museums and galleries as a reason for their visit. National museums also add more than £1 billion a year to the economy. Seven of the UK’s 10 most visited museums are national museums. In 2025, 7.1 million people visited the Natural History Museum and 6.4 million visited the British Museum.

There is a long-standing principle of universal free admission to our world-class museums, which sets us apart from other countries around the world. No matter who you are, or where you are from, you can come to learn and be entertained and inspired.

We will not be pursuing a change in policy to universal free entry, but our findings more broadly will help inform the upcoming museums plan. As the Government confirmed earlier this year, a 10-year plan for museums in England will support a thriving and sustainable sector that supports growth in every postcode and opportunity for all. This work will be led by the museums sector and will cover museums across the country, including the DCMS sponsored museums. Further details will be announced later this autumn.

Annex A: National Museum Sites with Free Admission

British Museum—London

Horniman Museum—London

Imperial War Museum

Imperial War Museum (London)

Imperial War Museum North (Manchester)

Museum of the Home—London

National Gallery—London

National Museums Liverpool

World Museum

Museum of Liverpool

Walker Art Gallery

International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum

Lady Lever Art Gallery

Sudley House

National Portrait Gallery—London

Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum (London)

Natural History Museum at Tring

Royal Armouries

Royal Armouries Leeds

Fort Nelson (Portsmouth)

Royal Museums Greenwich

National Maritime Museum (London)

Queen’s House (London)

Sir John Soane’s Museum—London

Science Museum Group

Science Museum (London)

Science and Industry Museum (Manchester)

National Science and Media Museum (Bradford)

National Railway Museum (York)

Locomotion (Shildon)

Tate

Tate Britain (London)

Tate Modern (London)

Tate Liverpool

Victoria and Albert Museum

Victoria and Albert Museum (London)

Young V&A (London)

V&A East (London)

V&A Wedgwood Collection (Stoke-on-Trent)

Wallace Collection—London

[HCWS359]

DEFRA Update

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Dame Angela Eagle)]

I wish to update the House on the key announcements and activity undertaken by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs during the conference recess.

Fisheries and Seafood Scheme

On 15 September, support under the fisheries and seafood scheme was expanded to include grants towards new engines and gearboxes for fishing vessels, including electric and hybrid technologies. The scheme forms part of the £132 million allocated to England through the fishing and coastal growth fund over the next five years.

Marine Research Vessel

On 28 September, the Government announced funding for a new research vessel for the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. This 85-metre-long vessel is expected to enter service in the early 2030s and to be built in a United Kingdom shipyard. The vessel will support fish stock assessment, seabed mapping, pollution monitoring and response to marine incidents. It is a vital investment in long-term at-sea science capability to protect our ocean and support the fisheries sector, helping position the UK as a global leader in marine science while reducing environmental impact.

Sustainable farming incentive 2026

The second application window for the sustainable farming incentive 2026 opened on 22 September to farmers and land managers with at least three hectares of agricultural land. Demand was high and the window closed later that day when its budget had been allocated. I recognise that farmers who wanted to apply but could not do so will be disappointed.

In anticipation of demand, we allocated a further £20 million to this window, in addition to the £50 million announced by the Prime Minister in August. Across both application windows, £310 million has been allocated to new agreements, including £253 million through the second window. These agreements will provide £930 million over three years for environmentally sustainable farming.

The Rural Payments Agency is processing applications. It will also continue to deal with eligible farmers who made contact before the second window closed because they needed assisted digital support or were prevented from applying by a technical issue.

We plan to offer the scheme again in 2027 and will look to open it as early as possible. We will work with farmers and stakeholders to learn from this year’s application windows, including exploring alternatives to a first-come, first-served process.

SFI is one part of the Government’s £11.8 billion of farming funding across this Parliament. Farmers can also seek support through the countryside stewardship higher tier, including the “expression of interest” route for woodland improvement, agroforestry, species-rich grassland and scheduled monument management. This year’s capital grants offer has a budget of £225 million. The Government have also extended farming in protected landscapes to March 2029, committed at least £200 million to the Farming Innovation Programme up to 2030, and launched the £30 million Farmer Collaboration Fund.

Water reform

The Prime Minister announced on 29 September that the strengthened Water Bill will remove the current limits on Government ownership of shares in the major water and sewerage companies in England.

This change will remove an historical restriction on Government share ownership, which does not exist in other sectors, so the Government can act where water companies let down customers and the environment.

The Government recognise that securing the long-term future of England’s water sector relies on continued private sector investment. Removing the investment limits does not change that. We will continue to work with investors, regulators and companies to secure the best outcomes for consumers and the environment.

Later this year, our 10-year plan for Britain will set out plans for stronger public control in the water sector, making the sector work for people and places again.

Food—good food neighbourhoods

On 30 September, I announced the good food neighbourhoods programme. This will provide almost £10 million to 45 local authorities identified as having the greatest levels of deprivation and childhood obesity, to improve access to healthy and affordable food. Each authority will receive £222,000 to develop solutions that meet local needs, putting decision making and resources directly in the hands of local leaders who know their communities best.

The good food neighbourhoods funding could support initiatives such as community food shops, mobile greengrocers, lunch clubs, community kitchens, and cooking and nutrition programmes, as well as helping local authorities to strengthen local food system resilience.

Nature

On 30 September I announced a £53 million community trees fund to fund urban and rural tree planting and establishment in streets, parks and places close to where people live and work, cooling towns and cities and boosting biodiversity. Through this fund, up to 500,000 new trees outside woodlands will be planted between April 2027 and March 2030.

The community trees fund will run over three years and will be available to strategic authorities and local authorities, as well as other organisations, including environmental organisations, farm clusters and national park authorities.

A further £26 million will support the delivery of local nature recovery strategies over the next three years across the 48 responsible authorities in England. These are locally led plans that identify priorities for environmental improvement, putting decisions in the hands of the people who know their landscapes best.

The strategies have been developed working closely with communities, farmers, businesses, planners, land managers and environmental groups to target action spatially for nature recovery and environmental improvement.

Through this funding, we are empowering local leaders to improve access to green spaces and shield their communities from the impacts of climate change, from restoring wetlands to reduce flood risk for homes and businesses, to tree planting to cool city streets during heatwaves, to increasing vegetation along rivers to improve water quality in local rivers.

Forty-five of the 48 local nature recovery strategies have now been published, with the remaining three expected later this year.

Delivery updates and departmental publications

On 17 September, Natural England launched a consultation on the first environmental delivery plan, addressing nutrient pollution from new houses in Norfolk as part of this Government’s win-win approach to housebuilding and nature restoration.

Under the proposed plan, rather than site-specific mitigation measures, levy payments from housing developers will be pooled by Natural England to fund large-scale conservation measures. These include habitat creation, land use change and river restoration that will improve water quality, strengthen ecosystem resilience and support species recovery.

In total, up to 15,780 homes could be unlocked while delivering an overall improvement for nature. The consultation closes on 27 October.

Further to the Government’s commitment to reduce and replace the use of animals in science wherever possible, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate published a report on animal use in quality control testing for the batch release of immunological veterinary medicinal products between 2013 and 2024. The report shows that the average number of animals used per vaccine batch released fell by 41% over the period, while overall animal use fell by 29%. The findings reflect advances in science and changes to testing requirements that have reduced the need for animal testing while maintaining the safety, quality and effectiveness of veterinary vaccines.

On 1 October 2026, the Report Receipt of Waste service became mandatory in England and Wales—it will become mandatory in Scotland and Northern Ireland on 1 January 2027. This is the first phase of the Government’s move from paper-based waste record keeping to a modern digital system. The service is mandatory for permitted waste-receiving sites, which must submit waste receipt information digitally within two working days. This will provide more timely data, helping regulators to identify suspicious patterns earlier and take prompt, targeted enforcement action where criminal activity is suspected. Approximately 12,000 sites are expected to be within the scope of this first phase. The service will be expanded over time to cover more of the waste movement chain, including waste carriers, brokers, dealers and other operators.

Other ministerial and departmental activity

On 23 September, during the UN General Assembly, I announced that the United Kingdom would join the OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System. I also confirmed the United Kingdom’s intention to maintain its established ocean observing systems and strengthen international co-operation on marine monitoring.

This major new ocean science initiative, co-led by the European Union and Canada, will boost ocean observation and share data to enhance our ability to better forecast extreme weather and climate events, helping us to protect communities here at home.

On 6 October I announced the reappointment of Iain Coucher as chair of Ofwat. His second term commenced on 1 October 2026 and will run until the new integrated water regulator is established, and no later than 30 June 2029.

Drought

During the conference recess, 10 areas of England remained in drought, with the remainder in prolonged dry weather. Recent rainfall has slowed declines in some systems but has not delivered recovery. Drought is only over when rivers, groundwaters and reservoirs are back to normal levels—and most continue to recede. Recent assessments suggests that 120% of typical rainfall is required over the next seven months for all areas to be considered out of drought.

The national drought group continues to meet weekly to co-ordinate action across Government, regulators, water companies and key sectors such as farming, navigation and angling. We will ensure that water companies review and implement their drought plans and account from lessons learned in 2025 and 2026.

To address the projected water shortage in the next decade, there will be £8 billion of private investment for long-term water resource management, including the delivery of nine new reservoirs. Additional drought resilience measures include introducing mandatory water efficiency labelling, investing in nature-based solutions such as restoring peatlands, creating more wetlands and planting more trees.

A £65 million Government support package will help farmers impacted by drought, including funding of up to £15 million to build on-farm reservoirs, helping farmers to better store more water when it rains.

A joined-up, cross-Government approach is being taken to improve resilience to extreme weather, such as droughts, flooding and wildfires, £100 million has been allocated to strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to such events.

[HCWS354]

Digital Waste Tracking: Mandatory Report Receipt of Waste Service

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Hardy)]

Today I am pleased to update the House of continued progress with the implementation of digital waste tracking. On 1 October 2026 the report receipt of waste service, which represents the first phase of the Government’s move from paper-based waste record keeping to a modern digital system, became mandatory in England and Wales —it will become mandatory in Scotland and Northern Ireland on 1 January 2027. Approximately 12,000 sites are expected to be within the scope of this first phase.

The Prime Minister has been clear that this Government will not stand by and allow our communities to be blighted by waste crime. But the waste systems we have inherited have been exploited by criminals and are not fit for purpose. The current paper-based approach to tracking waste creates significant information gaps, making it more difficult for regulators to identify poor practice and tackle waste crime effectively. Waste crime is estimated to cost the UK economy around £1 billion each year, while also damaging the environment, undermining legitimate businesses and creating risks to public health. Digital waste tracking has been developed to address these challenges by improving the quality, timeliness and accessibility of waste data across the United Kingdom.

Digital waste tracking is a UK-wide service being developed jointly by the UK Government and the Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The service will replace paper-based recording of waste movements with digital records, providing a more transparent and efficient system for businesses, regulators and Government. The first phase focuses on waste received at permitted and licensed waste receiving sites, including facilities such as transfer stations, paper mills, incinerators and composting facilities.

The report receipt of waste service is now live and mandatory for permitted waste receiving sites to use. It enables operators of in-scope waste receiving sites to submit information digitally. Records must be submitted within two working days, beginning the day after waste is received. This will provide more timely data, helping regulators identify suspicious patterns earlier and take prompt, targeted enforcement action where criminal activity is suspected.

The service delivers significant benefits for Government, regulators, businesses and the public. By providing better-quality and more timely waste data, it will support regulators in identifying and responding to suspected waste crime and illegal waste activity. It will improve transparency throughout the waste management system and help create a more comprehensive picture of waste movements. In doing so, it will support environmental protection, public health and the transition towards a more circular economy.

For legitimate businesses, digital waste tracking will reduce reliance on paper records and support more efficient reporting processes as it directly integrates with commercially available software that businesses can use. Over time, it will provide greater consistency in the way waste information is captured and shared, helping businesses meet their regulatory obligations through modern digital systems and deliver a safe, effective service for the British people.

To support successful implementation, the report receipt of waste service has been available to test voluntarily since April this year. Affected organisations have been encouraged to register for the service, confirm their reporting route, test their systems and complete operational readiness activities ahead of the relevant mandatory date. Software providers, trade associations and regulators have also been working closely with Government to support awareness and preparedness across the sector.

This is the first stage of a wider transformation programme, and we will build on it. Digital waste tracking will be expanded in future phases to cover more of the waste movement chain, including waste carriers, brokers, dealers and other operators. We will continue working with regulators, businesses, software providers and the devolved Governments to prepare the sector for those changes, support compliance and make sure the service is introduced in a stable, practical and user-focused way.

This Government are committed to cracking down on waste crime, supporting compliant waste businesses and protecting our environment. Digital waste tracking is a major step towards a modern, transparent and more effective waste regulation system but this is just the start of the action this Government will take to stamp the scourge of waste crime out of our communities.

[HCWS361]

Health and Care Reviews, Improvement and Regulation

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)]

I would like to inform the House of several updates from the Department of Health and Social Care, following developments and announcements over the conference recess.

Adult Social Care

The Government are delivering a package of reforms to fulfil the Prime Minister’s commitment to improve the strength and capability of those providing care. This includes plans to appoint the first unpaid carers champion to drive support for the millions of people who provide unpaid care for older or disabled people, and a new social care workforce action plan, to be published later this year, bringing together the steps the Government will take to support that workforce.

As part of the action plan, the Government will work with the care sector to expand sector-based work academy programmes, in order to help more young people and jobseekers access training, work experience and routes into care jobs; and to develop a national collective pension scheme, in order to improve care workers’ retirement outcomes. Alongside the first fair pay agreement, these measures will support recruitment, retention and career development, while laying the foundations for a national care service.

Healthy Babies Programme Expansion

The Healthy Babies programme will be rolled out nationally to every Best Start family hub, extending support based on Sure Start principles during pregnancy and the first two years of life to families in every part of England. Building on delivery in 75 local authorities, Healthy Babies will help parents and carers access joined-up support with infant feeding, parental mental health and forming strong attachments with their baby. The expansion will help all families give their baby the best start in life and lay the foundations for the healthiest generation of children ever.

Violence against Women and Girls

As part of the Government’s overall strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, the Department of Health and Social Care will adopt a public health approach to tackling VAWG, addressing the root causes, emphasising early intervention, and making sure no woman is turned away from the support she needs. A targeted consultation with stakeholders on the development of a national framework to support this approach will be launched. This will start with an investment of up to £34.4 million over three years to support 12 integrated care boards across England in delivering the first phase of a primary care referral pathway called Steps to Safety, which will make sure that women and girls experiencing violence and abuse can access specialist support through their GP. A further £15 million over three years will be invested in local victim support services through all integrated care boards in England.

A national clinical lead for violence against women and girls will also be appointed, combining clinical and public health expertise. They will cover prevention, early identification, partnership working and the health system’s response to victims, survivors and people at risk of harm, including NHS staff.

Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, Autism and ADHD

The independent review into mental health conditions, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder published its final report on 9 October. It can be viewed online at the link below, and copies will be placed in both Libraries: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-into-mental-health-conditions-adhd-and-autism-final-report

Chaired by Professors Peter Fonagy, Sir Simon Wessely and Gillian Baird, the review found that there has been a substantial rise in mental distress, particularly among children and young people, driven by a range of factors, such as financial pressures, social media and poorer sleep. For ADHD and autism, the review found diagnoses, referrals and waiting lists have risen dramatically. The report concludes that the balance of evidence suggests that underlying population prevalence has remained broadly stable, but it points to the need for more up-to-date population prevalence surveys. The review finds that the current system is overly focused on diagnosis as the gateway to support. The review recommends strengthening prevention, early help, wellbeing support and practical interventions for individuals facing mental distress, without waiting for a diagnosis, as well as improving access to high-quality specialist treatment and care for people with the most severe, complex and enduring needs.

The upcoming cross-Government mental health strategy will respond to the review’s longer-term recommendations, including increasing early intervention and shifting from a diagnosis-led system towards a needs-led system. We will require stronger partnerships with the voluntary and community sector, redesign commissioning arrangements, improve integrated mental health and neurodevelopmental support, and work across Government to address areas where diagnosis is currently the only gateway to support.

In the immediate term, the Government have also announced a comprehensive package of reforms to improve ADHD and autism assessments. We will work to bring all diagnostic assessments under Care Quality Commission regulation, helping to ensure that people receive high-quality, clinically robust assessments regardless of how they access care, and we are also acting on concerns about the advertising of ADHD and autism assessment services. In future, we will ensure that NHS funding is only used for assessments delivered by CQC-registered providers, and will require integrated care boards to improve oversight of commissioned services.

Independent Review into Maternity and Neonatal Services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Terms of reference for the independent review into maternity and neonatal services at the Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust were published on 29 September. The Government worked closely with the review’s Chair, Donna Ockenden, and affected families to finalise the terms of reference, ensuring that families’ experiences and priorities shaped the scope of the review.

The review is due to be published in 2029, and will therefore consider maternity and neonatal care from 1 January 2011 up to and including 31 March 2028, where mothers and babies have suffered severe harm or death while under the care of the trust. Affected families will receive further information about the commencement of case reviews in due course.

Public Inquiry into Mental Health Care at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

His Honour Judge John Potter was appointed chair of the statutory public inquiry into Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS foundation trust on 17 September. The inquiry formally commenced on 21 September 2026. This inquiry has been established to investigate the circumstances and issues surrounding patient deaths associated with Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS foundation trust, and to ensure that lessons are learned to help protect patient safety.

The inquiry’s work will now be a matter for the judge. It is important that the voices of bereaved families, patients and carers are heard throughout the inquiry process, and that they are treated with compassion, dignity and respect.

Over the coming months, the chair will begin establishing the inquiry’s operating arrangements and consulting on its terms of reference. The terms of reference will be announced in due course.

National Cancer Board

Anita Charlesworth has been appointed the National Cancer Board’s independent co-chair, and Dr Robert Metcalf has been appointed national clinical lead for rare cancers. Ashley Ball-Gamble has also been announced as the representative for children and young people’s cancers on the board and Dr Dianne Addei as the representative for inequalities.

The National Cancer Board held its first meeting on 21 September. This meeting brought together senior leaders from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, as well as external stakeholders and patient representatives, to discuss the progress that had been made on the commitments set out in the national cancer plan.

Government Response to the National Commission into the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Finally, the Government have issued their formal response to the recommendations made by the national commission into the regulation of AI in healthcare. Through its response, the Government welcome the national commission’s 44 recommendations, accept them in full, and will work with partners to implement them. This reflects the Government’s commitment to ensuring that the UK plays a leading role in using AI effectively and safely to improve health care systems and health research, ensuring that innovation also maintains public confidence.

The response has been prepared as an initial action plan setting out how the Government will take forward the national commission’s recommendations, and will provide stakeholders with certainty regarding direction of travel.

This publication is not the end of the process. It marks the next stage in an ongoing conversation that will support the work of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the wider Government, who will publish a more detailed implementation plan next spring.

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Housing Availability and Affordability

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)]

Everyone deserves to live in a safe, secure, decent and affordable home. Our vision is for a housing market which allows families at all income levels to access good housing at rents they can afford and that expands opportunity to a new generation of homeowners. We will achieve it by expanding housing choice and availability and improving security and affordability across tenures. The Government are also determined to strengthen public control over the housing system so that it better serves the public interest and gives people and communities a greater say over local homes and neighbourhoods.

Over recent weeks, we have announced a series of measures to improve housing availability and affordability and bring housing back under stronger public control. These include new support for first-time buyers; enhanced powers to help councils bring long-term empty homes back into use; new legislative provisions to strengthen homelessness prevention and better protect social housing stock; and new rights and protections for leaseholders, homeowners and tenants. I am today updating the House on those measures.

Supporting first-time buyers

On 26 September, the Government announced that a new equity loan scheme, Your First Home, will be confirmed at this month’s Budget, to support more people into home ownership. The scheme will enable prospective first-time buyers who cannot rely on help from the bank of mum and dad to purchase a new build home from a participating house builder with a 2.5% deposit, supported by a 20% Government-backed equity loan.

People will be able to access equity loans with an initial interest free period, meaning that those who use the scheme could save hundreds of pounds per month compared to a 95% mortgage. Household income and local house price caps will ensure support is targeted at those who most need it, and participating house builders will be expected to contribute towards the costs of the scheme. Further details, including costs and implementation timelines, will be announced by the Chancellor at the Budget later this month.

Empty dwelling management orders

On 27 September, the Government announced reforms to the empty dwelling management order regime to help councils bring more long-term empty homes back into use. EDMOs allow councils to take over the management of qualifying homes and return them to occupation for up to seven years, while ownership remains with the property owner. We will reduce the qualifying period from two years to six months and remove evidential requirements relating to matters such as antisocial behaviour or community support.

Together, these changes will simplify the EDMO process, empower local authority empty homes officers to act more decisively and with greater speed, and accelerate the return of empty homes to use. We are also exploring further changes to strengthen the regime and support councils to use these powers more effectively.

Homelessness prevention and social housing disposals

On 28 September, the Government confirmed that they would bring forward amendments to the Social Housing Bill to strengthen homelessness prevention and better protect much-needed social housing stock. A new duty to collaborate will be incorporated into the Bill that will require public services to work together to identify people at risk of homelessness and jointly consider what action they could take, within their existing responsibilities, to help to prevent it. Councils will also be given a new power to refer homeless households to private registered providers of social housing.

The Government also announced that they would amend the disposals notification requirement in the Bill to extend the period that must elapse between the notification being made and any sale being completed from four to eight weeks. This will maximise opportunities for councils and other social housing providers to buy and retain social homes to ensure that they stay within the social housing sector.

Strengthening leaseholder protections and the regulation of property agents

On 29 September, the Government announced further measures to provide leaseholders and homeowners on privately managed estates with greater rights and protections. We will legislate to give the Secretary of State powers to cap exorbitant permission fees and administration charges, with a public consultation to follow to help determine the scope and level of those caps.

We also announced our intention to legislate for the independent regulation of property agents. A regulator can set codes of practice, such as standards of conduct and proper complaint handling for those they regulate. Property agents will be required to obtain a licence to do the job, as well as appropriate qualifications to operate. If they fall foul of the required standards, a regulator would have the power to take their licences away. Further information will be set out in due course.

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Independent Review of the Criminal Courts: Government Response

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Alex Norris)]

This Government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis—not just woefully underfunded, but unfit to deliver for our citizens in the 21st century.

The record and rising backlog we inherited now stands at almost 81,000 cases. Almost 24,000 of those cases have been open for more than a year, and the waits are getting longer. Behind each of those cases are people awaiting justice—victims and witnesses putting their lives on hold and defendants seeking to clear their name. This cannot be allowed to continue: justice delayed is justice denied and this Government will not stand by.

That is why the Government commissioned the right hon. the Lord Leveson of Liverpool to undertake an independent review and make recommendations for how to reform our criminal courts.

Today, we are laying before Parliament the full Government response to this review, and it will be made available on www.gov.uk.

We are grateful to Lord Leveson and his team of expert advisers—Shaun McNally, David Ormerod, Chris Mayer, Jay Bangle and Katie Atkinson—for their comprehensive reports. Supported by an expert panel, Lord Leveson gathered evidence over many months to make recommendations for the modernisation of the system and ways to tackle the Crown court backlog.

We are already acting on many of those recommendations. We accept the review’s central conclusion—that fixing this crisis necessitates our pulling all levers—investment, modernisation, and structural court reform.

We are investing at record levels in maximising court capacity: removing the financial limit on the number of days the Crown court can sit, increasing the number of qualified magistrates by 50%, increasing the numbers of district judges and investing up to £34 million more a year for criminal legal aid advocates, alongside £116 million invested in criminal legal aid solicitors. Across all jurisdictions, £287 million is being invested in the court estate to make vital repairs and upgrade digital systems.

We are committed to improving efficiency in the courts and have already announced measures such as the expansion of the safe use of AI, including exploring how AI can support with listing decisions and case readiness issues, recruiting specialist case progression staff across all Crown court centres, and making greater use of efficient remote video hearings where appropriate.

The Courts and Tribunals Bill, currently before Parliament, introduces pragmatic structural reforms based on Lord Leveson’s recommendations. Measures in the Bill are designed to reduce pressure on the Crown court, ensure proportionate use of limited court resources and redress the balance between victims and defendants.

Lord Leveson makes it clear that every part of the criminal justice system has a role to play. As we respond to each of his 180 recommendations, we reaffirm our commitment to working as one joined-up system to modernise and improve our criminal courts. We will work collectively across Government and with our agencies and criminal justice partners to transform the system.

The criminal justice system can only operate with the confidence and consent of the public it seeks to serve. Our responsibility is not simply to tackle the delays we face today, but to build that justice system ready for the demands of tomorrow: one that is resilient, responsive and capable of delivering justice and accountability when people need it. That is the system our citizens should be able to expect, and that is the system this Government are determined to deliver.

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Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Strategy

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)]

I am pleased to inform the House of the joint publication by my Department and DfT Operator Limited, the Government’s rail owning group, of Great British Railways’ rolling stock and infrastructure strategy on 28 September 2026. Since it was published during conference recess, I am notifying the House at the earliest opportunity today.

The strategy establishes a long-term framework for how Great British Railways will plan and deliver rolling stock and the infrastructure that supports it. Through integrated decision making, clearer priorities and a more co-ordinated pipeline of activity, it will help secure better outcomes for passengers and taxpayers while giving the rail supply chain greater confidence to invest, innovate and create skilled jobs across Great Britain.

The strategy sets out a new, whole-system approach to decisions about passenger trains and their supporting infrastructure, which is made possible by the creation of Great British Railways and the transition to a publicly owned passenger railway.

By bringing decisions about trains, infrastructure, depots and maintenance together under a single directing mind, Great British Railways will be able to plan over the long term and deliver better outcomes for passengers, taxpayers and the rail supply chain.

The strategy puts passengers at the centre of a modern railway. It sets a clear direction for more consistent fleet specifications that support a better passenger experience and improve train reliability. Specifically, future train procurements will be structured around a smaller number of nationally defined “fleet families”, with more consistent levels of compatibility and capability across the network, while retaining flexibility to meet the needs of different markets and communities.

The strategy also accelerates progress towards more accessible trains, with clearer expectations for level boarding and alighting, where possible, as well as accessible toilets, consistent passenger information and reliable wi-fi. Spaces for wheelchairs, prams and buggies, luggage, and family-friendly spaces will be integral to the design of new Great British Railways trains.

Great British Railways will be better placed to make integrated decisions across fleet and infrastructure that support the transition to a lower-carbon railway, advance the Government’s net zero objectives, improve local air quality and reduce noise, while ensuring future decisions are taken on a whole-life and whole-system value basis. The strategy sets out the practical steps needed to support this transition, through electrification, battery-electric trains and other solutions, which will be deployed to reduce emissions while maintaining reliable and affordable services for passengers.

Crucially, the strategy also sets out a new approach to fleet ownership and financing. GBR will assess direct ownership of new fleets, leasing, and other financing arrangements on a case-by-case basis, rather than relying on a single default model for financing rolling stock. This assessment will determine which approach offers the strongest overall outcome for passengers and taxpayers.

For UK-based manufacturers and suppliers, more clarity about future requirements and fewer unnecessary fleet variations will provide a stronger basis on which to invest, retain skills, plan capacity and compete for future work. The strategy will be underpinned by a fleet and infrastructure plan as the principal internal mechanism for co-ordinating rolling stock and related infrastructure activity across the integrated railway. While the FIP itself will remain an internal planning tool, it will support the sharing of appropriate information with the market on forthcoming fleet and infrastructure requirements, helping give suppliers greater confidence to invest and plan.

Implementing the strategy will be central to ensuring Great British Railways delivers for communities across Great Britain. Continued engagement with devolved, regional and local government partners will help ensure that local priorities are appropriately considered in decisions on trains, infrastructure and services. This will help ensure that the national coherence set by the strategy supports regional connectivity and reflects local economic priorities, travel patterns and passenger demand.

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National Taskforce for Tackling Misogyny

Monday 12th October 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Bridget Phillipson)]

Women and girls should not have to shrink their lives or limit their ambitions out of fear of misogyny. That is why today, I am writing to update the House on the launch of a new national taskforce for tackling misogyny to combat the growing challenge of misogyny in our communities, workplaces, services and online spaces.

The taskforce, which I will chair in my capacity as Minister for Women and Equalities, will bring together Government, local and regional leaders and external experts to tackle misogyny, from building the evidence base on what drives misogynistic attitudes and behaviours to developing targeted action to address them.

It will complement existing cross-Government work, for example on tackling violence against women and girls, by focusing on prevention, culture change and harmful gender norms, while also considering the wider impact of misogyny on women’s opportunities and outcomes across society.

Standing members include representatives from the Young Women’s Trust, Equimundo, the End Violence Against Women Coalition and Girlguiding, as well as the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, and the academic, Dr Kaitlyn Regehr.

I have also begun partnering with major employers, including Arriva Bus, Centrica, Lime, Salesforce and Zurich, which will work with Government to tackle misogyny at every level. These businesses have committed to supporting the national taskforce for tackling misogyny and providing specific expertise where relevant—from public transport to workplaces.

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