Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
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 plans to consult horticultural businesses in the design and testing of new digital systems and processes for the movement of plants and plant products before those systems become mandatory.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government remains committed to delivering for traders and removing unnecessary trade barriers. The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement will mean most movements of plants and plant products between Great Britain and the European Union being undertaken without the certificates or SPS border controls that are currently required.
Defra is engaging with key stakeholders to understand business needs ahead of the implementation of the SPS Agreement. This includes plans to work with sector stakeholders on how best to support businesses with preparing for and transitioning to new digital systems and processes under the SPS agreement.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of school attendance policies and attendance reward schemes on pupils with serious or chronic health conditions, including those undergoing treatment for cancer.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Our ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance recognises that pupils with additional needs, including serious or chronic health conditions, may face complex barriers to attendance. Schools should take a sensitive, ‘support first’ approach.
Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 requires maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to support pupils with medical conditions. The ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ statutory guidance makes clear that pupils should be properly supported and not penalised for absences related to their condition, such as hospital appointments. Schools should work with families to understand barriers and provide appropriate support or reasonable adjustments.
The department does not prescribe how attendance rewards or incentives should operate. Where schools link attendance to activities, we expect them to act carefully, proportionately and without discrimination, ensuring schemes are inclusive and appropriate for all pupils, including those with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
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 adequacy of availability of gastric neurostimulators.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 June in response to Question HL316, and to the answer provided on 3 July in response to Question 10258. There is no further update to provide at present.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the timetable for introducing a retail licensing scheme for tobacco, vape and nicotine retailers.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question 18891 regarding the timetable for introducing the retail licensing scheme.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the accountability of mobile network operators where people are victims of fraud.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Tackling fraud is a priority for this Government. My Department works closely with Ofcom, the telecoms industry and law enforcement to strengthen operators’ counter-fraud measures. Ofcom has introduced requirements to disrupt the criminal use of telephone networks, while the Telecommunications Fraud Sector Charter sets commitments for industry action. Victims should report incidents to Report Fraud and their mobile provider
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to review the operation of the steel safeguard measures prior to the next annual review.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK’s steel safeguard expired on 30 June in line with WTO rules. The Government is closely monitoring the implementation of the new steel trade measure and will continue to engage with businesses on the impacts. We will remain responsive to significant changes in circumstances and review the full measure after 12 months. This timeline has been selected to ensure there is adequate time to evaluate the measure’s effectiveness, while providing businesses with a predictable and consistent operating environment.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the revised steel safeguard quota arrangements on stock availability and supply chain resilience for UK manufacturers during the first quarter of 2027.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK’s steel safeguard expired on 30 June in line with WTO rules. The Government is closely monitoring the implementation of the new steel trade measure and will continue to engage with businesses on the impacts, including stock availability and supply chain resilience. We will also review the full measure after 12 months. Since the measure has only been in force for two months and a transitional arrangement has been in place during the first quarter, quota utilisation patterns will take some time to adjust.
The Explanatory Memoranda to the legislation that implemented the measure set out the expected impacts on different sectors and businesses across the supply chain.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the delayed publication of 2025 Key Stage 2 SATs results on pupils, parents and schools; what discussions she has had with Pearson regarding reported issues in the marking process; and if she will undertake an independent review of the administration and marking of the 2025 SATs to ensure that pupils receive accurate results and have an opportunity to request reviews of marking where appropriate.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Schools rightly expect results to be delivered on time, and the department recognises the frustration this delay caused. Pearson Education Limited has fully apologised for failing to return the 2026 SATs results on time and for the impact on schools, pupils and parents. A thorough independent review, led by Dame Christine Gilbert, will be conducted into how such a serious failing could have occurred and is expected to report in the Autumn.
The government is very clear that the delay was due to issues with Pearson’s systems and not concerns about the quality of the tests or the results. Marking was completed and test scripts were marked according to the required quality assurance processes. The standards maintenance process, which underpins our ability to compare the expected standard of the tests from year to year, was completed to schedule on Thursday 2 July 2026.
Results were returned on 16 July. The deadline for schools to apply for reviews of marking or clerical errors has been extended until 7 September.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department plans to publish detailed information on steel safeguard quota allocations and anticipated utilisation in advance of the implementation of those measures on 1 July 2026.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Details of the finalised steel trade measure quotas were published on GOV.UK on 25 June and I gave a statement on the new steel trade measure on the same day.
The steel trade measure quotas reflect the needs of the steel industry, taking account of production capacity and demand. We therefore expect quota utilisation to be significantly higher than under the existing safeguard.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department will publish detailed information on steel safeguard quota allocations and anticipated utilisation in advance of the implementation of those measures on 1 July 2026.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Yes.