Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of mandating pre-deployment testing of advanced (a) AI and (b) superintelligence models on levels of risk to the public.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The AI Security Institute (AISI) evaluates models both pre and post deployment in voluntary collaboration with leading AI developers.

Since being established in November 2023, AISI has tested over 30 models from leading AI companies. AISI’s findings show that over the past 18 months there has been a clear upward trend in AI system capabilities, which we expect to continue. We are committed to ensuring the UK is prepared for the changes AI will bring.

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 improve (a) levels of access to and (b) the quality of palliative and end of life care across England.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations

NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.

The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Additionally, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is investing £3 million in a Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit, launched in January 2024, is building the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part charitable hospices play as well. This is why we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.

We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I am pleased to confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on improving (a) access to, (b) the quality of and (c) the sustainability of palliative care and end of life care for people of all ages through the 10 Year Health Plan, published on 3 July 2025.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations.

NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.

The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Additionally, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is investing £3 million in a Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit, launched in January 2024, is building the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part charitable hospices play as well. This is why we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.

We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I am pleased to confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help promote (a) private and (b) communal garden space in new housing developments; and whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing minimum garden density of 29.5% in all new developments.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework emphasises the importance of a network of high quality, open spaces for the health and wellbeing of communities and the environment. This is supported by national design guidance, which explains that well designed places provide both usable private and public open green spaces, which can include private and communal gardens.

We currently have no plans to assess the merits of introducing minimum garden density in new developments.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of providing free bus travel to all under-22s in England; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on (a) the economy and (b) society.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in enabling people to get to education, work and access vital services. On 1 January, we introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London to help passengers continue to access cheaper bus services and better opportunities. At the Spending Review we announced the cap would be extended until March 2027.

At present, the majority of bus services operate on a commercial basis by private operators, and any decisions regarding the level at which fares are set outside the scope of the £3 bus fare cap are commercial decisions for operators. Bus operators can choose to offer discounted fares for young people, and in the year ending March 2025, youth discounts were offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, which can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Greater Manchester Mayoral Combined Authority has been allocated £66.4 million of this funding.

Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for young people. The Bee Network in Greater Manchester offers discounted bus period tickets for young people aged 18–21 who live in Greater Manchester.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing free bus travel for under-22s on access to (a) education, (b) training and (c) employment.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in enabling people to get to education, work and access vital services. On 1 January, we introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London to help passengers continue to access cheaper bus services and better opportunities. At the Spending Review we announced the cap would be extended until March 2027.

At present, the majority of bus services operate on a commercial basis by private operators, and any decisions regarding the level at which fares are set outside the scope of the £3 bus fare cap are commercial decisions for operators. Bus operators can choose to offer discounted fares for young people, and in the year ending March 2025, youth discounts were offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, which can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Greater Manchester Mayoral Combined Authority has been allocated £66.4 million of this funding.

Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for young people. The Bee Network in Greater Manchester offers discounted bus period tickets for young people aged 18–21 who live in Greater Manchester.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with local transport authorities in Greater Manchester on the potential merits of introducing free bus travel for under-22s.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in enabling people to get to education, work and access vital services. On 1 January, we introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London to help passengers continue to access cheaper bus services and better opportunities. At the Spending Review we announced the cap would be extended until March 2027.

At present, the majority of bus services operate on a commercial basis by private operators, and any decisions regarding the level at which fares are set outside the scope of the £3 bus fare cap are commercial decisions for operators. Bus operators can choose to offer discounted fares for young people, and in the year ending March 2025, youth discounts were offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, which can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Greater Manchester Mayoral Combined Authority has been allocated £66.4 million of this funding.

Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for young people. The Bee Network in Greater Manchester offers discounted bus period tickets for young people aged 18–21 who live in Greater Manchester.

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 introducing a national strategy for palliative and end-of-life care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise the challenges the palliative care and end of life care sector faces. The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to prevent the sale of commodities produced by illegal deforestation.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We recognise the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. The Government is actively considering the best regulatory approach to address de-forestation in UK supply chains; we will set out this approach in due course.

Significant progress is already being made in relation to timber through the UK Timber Regulation (UKTR), which prohibits the placing of illegally harvested timber on the UK market. Under UKTR, businesses are required to exercise due diligence to ensure that timber products have been legally harvested in accordance with the laws of the country of origin. The regulation helps ensure that UK timber imports do not contribute to illegal deforestation and supports the broader goal of promoting sustainable forest management.

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 recognise (a) private and (b) communal gardens as a part of green infrastructure in the delivery of (i) net zero and (ii) climate resilience strategies.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework defines green infrastructure as a network of multi-functional green and blue spaces and other natural features – urban and rural – that are capable of delivering a wide range of environmental, economic, health, and wellbeing benefits for nature, climate, local and wider communities and prosperity.

In this context, private and communal gardens can form part of green infrastructure, as they are capable of falling under this broad definition.

The Framework further makes clear that new development should be planned for in ways that avoid increased vulnerability to the range of impacts arising from climate change. When new development is brought forward in areas which are vulnerable, care should be taken to ensure that risks can be managed through suitable adaptation measures, including through incorporating green infrastructure.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is considering proposals to introduce a national social tariff on water bills.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Independent Water Commission made a recommendation to consult on a National Social Tariff which Government is taking into consideration and will provide a response to later this year in a White Paper.

The Government is working with industry to keep current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported and expects water companies to ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills. Companies have therefore more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help with their bills through existing social tariffs – from 4% to 9%.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle deforestation.

Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK strongly supports global efforts to protect forests, including advocating for the international commitment to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, while supporting livelihoods and economic development. Through diplomacy, partnerships and development programming, we are working to improve forest governance, sustainable trade and investment, and to mobilise finance to protect and restore the world's major tropical forest basins.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government intends to support the Tropical Forest Forever Facility at COP30.

Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises the importance of protecting tropical forests and welcomes Brazil’s leadership in developing the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) ahead of COP30. The UK has supported the development of the TFFF through technical assistance. The Government continues to consider its position regarding a financial contribution to the Facility.

Found: Commons Juliet Campbell (Labour; Broxtowe) Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat; Harrogate and Knaresborough) Afzal Khan

Found: Alton of Liverpool, in the Chair Lord Dholakia Tom Gordon Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws Afzal Khan

Found: Commons Juliet Campbell (Labour; Broxtowe) Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat; Harrogate and Knaresborough) Afzal Khan

Found: Lord Alton of Liverpool (The Chair); Lord Dholakia; Tom Gordon; Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws; Afzal Khan

Found: Lord Alton of Liverpool (The Chair); Lord Dholakia; Tom Gordon; Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws; Afzal Khan

Found: Commons Juliet Campbell (Labour; Broxtowe) Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat; Harrogate and Knaresborough) Afzal Khan

Found: 77.8%) Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws (Labour, Life peer) (added 5 Sep 2024) 19 of 27 (70.4%) Afzal Khan

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of method of production labelling on (a) the economy and (b) farm incomes.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Manchester Rusholme, Afzal Khan, on 20 October 2025, PQ UIN 78472.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of mandatory animal welfare method-of-production labelling on animal welfare standards.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Manchester Rusholme, Afzal Khan, on 20 October 2025, PQ UIN 78476.

The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on 14 October 2025 and is intended to repeal and replace various aspects of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, as well as to reform and supplement the wider approach of dealing with the legacy of the Troubles. The Joint Committee on Human Rights is scrutinising the Bill’s compatibility with human rights. The Government also laid its draft remedial order concerning Northern Ireland legacy on 14 October 2025 and the Joint Committee on Human Rights is scrutinising that remedial order separately.