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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the need for greater standardisation of Council's in England approach to approving health and safety training providers for their services.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Councils are independent bodies, and decisions about training provision are a matter for individual authorities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of regulating property investment training course providers.

Answered by Rachel Blake

The financial promotions regime applies to the promotion of financial services products. The promotion of investment in physical property, including through a training course, is not generally in scope of financial services regulation, as the marketing and provision of physical property is not a financial service.

The Government and Parliament are responsible for establishing the regulatory framework for financial services, and the Government engages regularly with the FCA on issues relating to its regulatory perimeter and remit.

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 address mis-selling by traders by prohibiting misleading actions and misleading omissions that might lead the average consumer to make a different decision.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how her Department will measure whether proposed new restrictions on (a) social media and (b) additional online functionalities for under-16s are improving children's safety and wellbeing in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Government is committed to ensuring that children have the best start in life. Preventing social media companies from offering their services to under-16s will help children have a healthier relationship with technology.

We will monitor closely how these new measures work in practice and change children’s online experiences. We will use surveys, media monitoring data, justice and health statistics to understand effects on children’s attitudes, time online, and potential harms they face. Insights from parents, young people, platforms and experts will also be critical to evaluate these policies.

We will also work with Wellcome Trust, who will be funding independent nationwide studies of the impact of the social media ban on youth mental health, with research teams working with tens of thousands of teenagers across the UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support health services providers in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset with extreme heat.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

National Health Service organisations across Somerset, including the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board, have implemented a range of measures to help services manage periods of extreme heat and to protect patients, staff, and the public.

The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has enhanced its heatwave preparedness arrangements, drawing on learning from previous periods of hot weather. Actions include supporting staff welfare through flexible working arrangements where appropriate, additional uniforms, increased access to cooling equipment, clear staff communications on staying safe in hot weather, and support for community teams carrying out home visits.

To protect patients during extreme heat, the trust has provided cooler areas for patients waiting for treatment or discharge, prioritised ambulance offloads to minimise delays, issued regular advice to patients and the public on staying safe and accessing services appropriately, and undertaken proactive medication reviews for vulnerable patients where required.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase supply of gastro-resistant prednisolone medication for people with Polymalgia Rheumatica.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The Department is aware of a recent disruption to the supply of Prednisolone 1 milligram gastro-resistant tablets, which is expected to resolve over the coming weeks. We are continuing to work closely with the sole supplier of this product to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

The Department has issued comprehensive management guidance to the National Health Service, including all general practices and community pharmacists, and this included advice on alternatives and how to manage affected patients during this time.

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 the potential merits of appointing a Maternity Commissioner.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

On Tuesday 30 June, the final report and recommendations of the independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation were published. Baroness Amos’s national independent investigation was commissioned to help us understand the issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care.

The Government is taking immediate measures in response to Baroness Amos's investigation and will appoint the first statutory Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner.

The Commissioner will co-chair the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to drive the necessary change and to champion the voices of women, babies and families. The full scope and nature of the role will be developed by the taskforce.

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 adequacy of the construction workforce in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

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

We are developing a Construction Jobs Plan as part of the Industrial Strategy, which will set out the activities to address current skills shortages construction faces in delivering construction and government commitments, including the National Infrastructure Pipeline, which projects an investment of £725 billion over the next decade, alongside the delivery of 1.5 million new homes.

Government is investing £625 million in construction skills over this Parliament to support delivery of 60,000 additional skilled workers and encourage employers to invest in training.

This includes Foundation Apprenticeships, expanded Skills Bootcamps, and the launch of Construction Technical Excellence Colleges.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of abolishing Stamp Duty for downsizers in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset and (c) England.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) continues to be an important source of Government revenue, raising around £14 billion each year to help pay for the essential services the Government provides. Abolishing SDLT in any region of the country would be likely to have a significant cost to the Exchequer.

Most owners looking to downsize are likely to have equity in their current property and are already exempt from Capital Gains Tax on any gain made on their main residence through Private Residence Relief. For most of those looking to downsize, the SDLT due on the property they are moving into will be small, and, in many cases, lower than estate agent’s fees.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce (a) stronger incentives or (b) planning reforms to increase the use of previously developed land before greenfield sites are approved for housing developments in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will review national planning policy to strengthen protections for rural communities in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset where proposed housing developments would alter the character and identity of villages.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that planning decisions affecting villages in Yeovil constituency adequately protect their (a) local character, (b) historic setting and (c) surrounding landscapes.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage housing developers to prioritise the development of brownfield land over greenfield land for new housing in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.

Generation Z and the State Pension

Russian sanctions

Military housing

Defence Investment Plan

International Court of Justice's July 2024 Advisory Opinion on the Occupied Palestinian Territories

30 years of the Spice Girls

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Hockey pitch provision

Support for post offices

100th anniversary of the Campaign to Protect Rural England

Childhood dementia awareness and support

Royal Town Planning Institute South West Awards for Planning Excellence 2026

Palantir and the NHS (No. 2)

Potential merits of a knighthood for Harry Kane

Duty to assess mental capacity