Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of job evaluation scores for pharmacy assistants.

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

This specific assessment has not been made.

Agenda for Change pay is underpinned by the Job Evaluation Scheme (JES). This scheme was developed through collaboration between National Health Service leaders, NHS trade unions, and independent job evaluation experts. The JES is a structured method of comparing job demands and seeks to ensure that staff receive equal pay for work of equal value.

The JES focuses on the demands of the role as set out in the job documentation, for example the job description and person specification, and not the skills and knowledge an individual has. The requirements, as set out in the job documentation, are then analysed using the JES to determine the relative job demand, or weight, of the role which in turn determines which pay band the role sits in. This model of weighting has been legally tested and proven to be robust.

All local employing organisations are responsible for correctly and consistently implementing the JES to ensure staff are paid correctly for the work they are asked to deliver.

The NHS Staff Council’s Job Evaluation Group is responsible for maintaining the national role profiles that are used to support job evaluation practice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to introduce pay progression for Change Band 2 roles.

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

As part of the 2023 Agenda for Change (AfC) pay deal between the Government, employers, and trade unions in England, it was agreed to uplift the value of the bottom pay point of Band 2 to the same value as the top pay point of that band. This position was ratified by the NHS Staff Council, a partnership body made up of trade unions and employers that has overall responsibility for the AfC pay system and terms and conditions of service.

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. Any changes to the AfC pay structure, including for Band 2 staff, will be for the NHS Staff Council to agree.

The Department will work closely with the NHS Staff Council to agree changes to the pay structure which will be backdated to 1 April 2026.

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 levels of provision of hoists and other accessibility equipment in GP surgeries to enable disabled and wheelchair‑using patients to undergo routine screening, including cervical smear tests; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that such equipment is available locally so that patients are not required to travel long distances to access routine NHS services.

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

We want disabled people’s access to, and experience of, healthcare services to be equitable, effective, and responsive to their needs.

Under the Equality Act (2010), health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.

Commissioners are responsible for ensuring any necessary equipment or environmental adaptations are delivered within general practices.

NHS England is rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient or client and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably.

Guidance and free training on the Flag is available for health and social care staff.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including clear information on the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes in the Personal Child Health Record.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

While the Personal Child Health Record (PCHR) does not currently contain a dedicated section on diabetes, it includes signposting to National Health Service online information on serious childhood illness, including symptoms of diabetes.

NHS England is working with clinical experts, royal colleges, and wider stakeholders to review whether further opportunities exist to improve awareness of the key signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes among both healthcare professionals and the public. This includes, as I set out in the Westminster Hall debate on this issue last week, looking carefully to see what further improvements might be made to the red book.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing MPs with formal opportunity to scrutinise the annual changes to pension thresholds for eligible pensions that live overseas.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Social Security Benefits up-rating Regulations 2026 are consequential on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026.

The regulations are subject to the negative procedure. They were laid on 6 March 2026 and will come into force on the same date as the Up-rating Order on 6 April 2026. This is a convention that has been in place for a number of years including under the Lib Dem coalition.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has been made of the impact of proposed changes to the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain on international nursing staff; and what steps the Department is taking to ensure the UK can retain the nursing workforce.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.

As part of this consultation, we sought views on the potential impact of the proposed changes, including the impact on international nursing staff.

We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received.  This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.

Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.  As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic and equality impact assessments.

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 sustainability of fire and rescue services in England over the next three years; and what steps he plans to take to address budget deficits facing fire and rescue authorities.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The 2026/27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available almost £1.95 billion in core spending power (CSP) for standalone fire and rescue authorities (excluding York & North Yorkshire and Greater Manchester). This was the first multi-year funding Settlement in 10 years, giving services the certainty to plan and invest for the long term.

In 2026/27, all standalone services will see an above inflation increase in CSP, with services seeing CSP increases between 3.8% and 7.7% compared to 2025/26. By the end of the multi-year period, we will have provided a 12.75% increase in CSP compared to 2025/26.

Decisions on how resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority.

The Ministry will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure that fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 104873, what additional steps her Department is taking beyond existing licensing‑authority and police powers to prevent glassware attacks; whether she is considering any new enforceable national measures; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current Home Office‑led actions in reducing such incidents.

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

As set out in my earlier response, the police have a responsibility to protect the public by detecting and preventing crime, including violent crime within the nighttime economy. They already have a wide range of powers to do this effectively, including those provided under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 in relation to the possession and use of offensive weapons.

The Home Office keeps existing powers under review and would consider any new or emerging evidence as appropriate.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to Question UIN 102267, what progress has been made on the development of the withdrawal scheme for owners wishing to de‑register dogs incorrectly classified as XL Bullies; when her Department expects to publish information on the scheme; and what indicative timeframe has been set for making these details publicly available.

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

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal scheme so that owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn.

Defra does not have a definitive timeline for when this process will be available. Officials are working diligently to develop the withdrawal scheme as soon as possible and further details will be shared once finalised.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to assess whether national speed‑limit guidance remains adequate in light of changes to traffic volumes, vehicle technology and road‑safety developments; and when it intends to publish the updated guidance linked to the forthcoming Road Safety Strategy, including what information it will contain.

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

Work to update the Setting Local Speed Limits guidance is expected to commence shortly. No timetable has yet been set for the publication of the revised guidance.

This update will ensure the guidance remains aligned with current policy priorities and emerging evidence. The detailed scope and content of the updated guidance will be developed as that work progresses.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2026 to Question 106379, what measures her Department is using to evaluate public understanding of, and compliance with, the 2022 Highway Code changes.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the Answer given on 5th March to PQ UIN 116052.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has assessed the impact of not having access to statutory paid parental leave on kinship carers; and whether he is taking steps to consider options for improving employment support for kinship carers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government’s Parental Leave and Pay Review will conclude in early 2027 with a set of findings which outline next steps for implementing any reforms.

In addition to considering all current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements, the Review is considering the needs of other working families who do not qualify for existing leave and pay entitlements, such as kinship carers.

The Government is also supporting kinship carers through other mechanisms and has recently launched a kinship pilot to support around 5,000 children by paying eligible carers an allowance equivalent to the Fostering National Minimum Allowance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department will publish the guidance issued to local authorities in the 1990s on the inclusion of part‑time teachers in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme following maternity leave.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for North East Hampshire to the answer of 21 January 2026 to Question 103065.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to consult on the revised citizenship programmes of study.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

We are revising the national curriculum following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review. We will make citizenship compulsory in key stages 1 and 2 so that primary aged children are introduced to key content on media literacy, financial literacy, law and rights, democracy and government, and climate education. We will publicly consult on all national curriculum programmes of study from summer 2026 and fully implement the new full national curriculum for first teaching from September 2028.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what measures are being taken to ensure that the withdrawal of 3G services does not leave gaps in mobile coverage, and how the Government is accelerating the availability of 5G to address these gaps.

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

All 3G networks in the UK have now been switched off. EE and Vodafone switched off 3G in February 2024, Three in November 2025, and VMO2 in February 2026. Ofcom’s expectation of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) was that they would provide broadly equivalent levels of coverage after switching off 3G. As reported in its 2025 Connected Nations report, Ofcom has received very few complaints from customers about the 3G switch-off. The mobile industry has not reported to Ofcom any significant disruption.

The 3G switch-off released spectrum to be reallocated to improve the newer and more efficient 4G and 5G networks.

The MNOs have committed significant investment which aligns with the Government's ambition of all populated areas being able to access higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. We continue to work with network operators to ensure this investment translates into benefits for communities right across the UK. In parallel, we are continuing work to identify and address barriers to deployment where it is practical to do so.

King's Guard's ceremonial bearskin caps

Import and sale of real fur

Heating oil prices

Found: Attendance Sarah Owen (Labour, Luton North) (Chair) (added 11 Sep 2024) 49 of 50 (98.0%) Alex Brewer

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Owen (Chair); Alex Brewer; David Burton-Sampson; Dame Nia Griffith

Submit Evidence (by 8 May 2026)

The Women and Equalities Committee will examine different ways women and girls can be involved in sport beyond participating as athletes, players and competitors.