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 empower communities in local decision-making processes.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government’s Pride in Place Programme empowers local people to shape the future of their neighbourhoods, providing up to £5.8 billion funding and support over 10 years for 284 neighbourhoods.

Additionally, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will require all local authorities in England to establish neighbourhood governance, to move decision-making closer to residents.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of regional differences in the (a) availability, (b) accessibility and (c) resourcing of NHS Long COVID assessment and treatment services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are independently responsible for the commissioning of long COVID services which meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding. While this may result in regional and local variation of long COVID services, NHS England has published updated commissioning guidance for post-COVID services which sets out a blueprint for best practice in supporting people with long COVID and is designed to be adapted to local needs. The updated commissioning guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-commissioning-guidance-for-post-covid-services/

As of 1 April 2024, there were over 90 adult post-COVID services across England along with an additional ten children and young people’s hubs. Further information about these services is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/

In addition to the support provided in primary care, published data from April 2024 shows over 100,000 people have been seen by a specialist post-COVID service, with a further 350,000 follow up appointments taking place. The data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-post-covid-assessment-service/

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on considering method of production labelling reform as a part of the Government’s wider welfare strategy; and when she expects to publish further details.

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 Putney, Fleur Anderson, on 29 January 2026, PQ UIN 106592.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a decision has been made on the proposal to raise the threshold for consulting Active Travel England on residential developments from 150 to 250 units; and if she will publish the outcome of the consultation.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The proposal to amend Active Travel England's consultation criteria for new planning applications forms part of a wider consultation undertaken by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

As the department responsible for the planning system, MHCLG is leading on the formal response to the consultation. Any decision on whether to raise the threshold for consulting Active Travel England on residential developments from 150 to 250 units, and the publication of the consultation outcome, will be announced by MHCLG in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what metrics her Department is using to assess whether the 2022 Highway Code Changes are understood and followed by the public; and what recent assessment she has made of compliance levels.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.

Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes.

Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding.

The Department has assessed public understanding of the 2022 Highway Code changes through survey research which tracks levels of awareness and self‑reported understanding and compliance over time.

• The percentage of road users reporting to know either a little or a lot about the changes increased from 36% in January 2022 to over 50% in August 2022 and up to 70% in September 2023, with 86% of road users having heard of the changes by that time.

• Understanding of pedestrian priority at junctions increased from 52% to 72%, and cyclists riding 2 abreast rising from 30% to 46%.

• Following the second phase of the campaign in summer 2023, 81% of drivers claimed to leave a gap of 1.5M when passing a cyclist all or most of the time. 79% of drivers claimed to pass horse riders and horse drawn vehicles with at least 2M distance and at under 10mph all or most of the time.

• Of the respondents that recognised the campaign advert, nine in ten said they had taken action as a result.

• More recent figures show a sustained increase in those saying it is unacceptable to not leave enough space for cyclists and horse riders, from 60% in March 2024 to 68% in April 2025.

However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.

As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety.

Although failure to comply with the advisory rules of the Highway Code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, contraventions of these rules may be used as evidence in court to establish liability for a road traffic offence. Advisory rules include those which begin ‘should/should not’ and ‘do/do not’.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the revised Programme Business Case for the Emergency Services Network has received Departmental and HM Treasury approval.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme’s revised Business Case (PBC 2025) was approved by the Home Office Investment Committee on 18 December 2025.

The PBC has subsequently been submitted to HM Treasury and is currently undergoing the Treasury Approval Point process, including consideration by HM Treasury and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Final government approval is expected following completion of this process in April 2026.

The Programme continues to operate within agreed funding and remains subject to the Government’s established assurance and approvals framework.

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 ensure (a) pay progression and (b) career development opportunities for the lowest-paid NHS staff.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Section 1 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service, also referred to as Agenda for Change (AfC), sets out the principles for pay progression in the National Health Service in England. It states that pay progression for all AfC pay points, within each pay band, is conditional upon employees demonstrating that they have the requisite knowledge and skills and competencies for their role and that they have demonstrated the required level of performance and delivery during the review period.

The Government accepted the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations for 2024/25 and 2025/26 in full, which included a recommendation to provide the NHS Staff Council with a funded mandate to make improvements to the AfC pay structure.

Improvements to the AfC pay structure, including any band progression for the lowest paid NHS staff, will be for the NHS Staff Council to agree. The NHS Staff Council is a partnership body made up of trade unions and employers and has overall responsibility for maintaining the AfC pay system and associated terms and conditions of service.

The Department intends to issue this mandate as soon as possible. Once the mandate is confirmed, the Department will work closely with the NHS Staff Council to agree reforms to the pay structure which will be backdated to 1 April 2026.

It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure career development opportunities for their lowest paid staff through investing in the future of their workforce and ensuring appropriate ongoing training and continuing professional development.

Heating oil prices

International Women's Day 2026 and women’s inclusion in placemaking

Local authority funding

Potential closure of post offices

Review of the student loan system

Dual nationals without British passports

Recognition of Ukrainian driving licences

Palantir and the NHS

River Meon

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026

Artificial Intelligence chatbots

Found: Current membership Sarah Owen (Labour; Luton North) (Chair) Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat; North East

Found: Current membership Sarah Owen (Labour; Luton North) (Chair) Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat; North East

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Owen (Chair); Alex Brewer; Rosie Duffield; Christine Jardine

Found: Current membership Sarah Owen (Labour; Luton North) (Chair) Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat; North East

Found: Current membership Sarah Owen (Labour; Luton North) (Chair) Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat; North East

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Owen (Chair); Alex Brewer; David Burton-Sampson; Rosie Duffield