Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of issuing national guidance to smaller burial authorities on recovering costs associated with the (a) removal and (b) regularisation of unauthorised gravestones and memorials.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson

Whilst the Ministry of Justice is responsible for burial law and policy, the day-to-day operational oversight of burial provision is managed locally. Accordingly, decisions on management and administration in individual cases are matters for the relevant burial authority in accordance with the appropriate legal framework and any local regulations or terms and conditions of service.

The Government’s Guide for burial ground managers (8430_Burial Ground Managers) is intended to support the provision of best practice in all burial grounds. Paragraph 3.23 provides guidance on mitigating issues arising from informal memorialisation; and paragraph 2.26 outlines the statutory powers available to local authority burial providers to recover the costs of removing unauthorised memorials.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department plans to respond to the consultation on the UK’s new product safety framework.

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

The formal consultation on the UK’s new product safety framework closed on 23 June. It received considerable interest from businesses, consumer groups and other stakeholders, including members of the public and we are now analysing the responses received. Delivering the new product safety framework is a priority for the Department. Given the breadth and complexity of the issues raised, it is important that we analyse and carefully consider the feedback from stakeholders before finalising the Government's position. Following this consideration, we will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of heatwaves on economic growth and business productivity.

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 Climate Change Committee estimates climate change damages in the UK could grow to 1–5% of GDP by 2050 under a 2 degree global warming level. Climate adaptation can protect businesses and productivity, and support economic growth in new markets.

The ONS Business Insights and Conditions Survey monitors the impacts of severe weather events on business, including increased temperatures or heat. The Department for Business and Trade is considering the impacts of extreme heat on economic growth and business productivity to support government to develop an ambitious fourth National Adaptation Programme in 2028.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to provide regular public reporting on progress made against the recommendations of Replacing Animals in Science, published in November 2025.

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

The Government published the Replacing Animals in Science strategy in November 2025, setting out a cross-government programme to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods. To support transparency and accountability, the Government will publish a delivery update later in 2026, alongside a publicly available dashboard and key performance indicators to track progress against the strategy’s commitments.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of heatwaves on workers in outdoor and high-temperature workplaces.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Great Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. There is a legal duty for employers to fully assess the risks to workers from extreme heat.

HSE provides guidance for employers to manage the risk to workers, including from extreme heat. HSE issued a press release on Friday 19 June to raise awareness of the risks to workers, to help workplaces in the current hot weather. This year, HSE will also be launching a public consultation on proposed changes to the Approved Code of Practice for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, including those relating to workplace temperature.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a risk-based framework for Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone operations.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations are not yet integrated with other airspace users, segregated airspace structures have been imposed to manage the safety risks of such operations. These operations adhere to key provisions of the Air Navigation Order 2016 to maintain aviation safety for other airspace users as well as the public.

My Department has worked closely with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to develop the ‘UK Specific Operational Risk Assessment’ (UK SORA), a BVLOS risk-based framework, which has been in place since April 2025.

This procedure is core to ensuring that the policies and approach are proportionate to the type of operation that a drone operator requires, thereby, protecting the public and enabling innovation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of heatwaves on schools and pupils’ learning.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department recognises that heatwaves can disrupt pupils’ learning, attendance and wellbeing, and we are committed to supporting schools and responsible bodies to maintain a safe learning environment during periods of extreme heat. While high temperatures can cause discomfort, reduced concentration and, in some cases, lower attendance, these impacts can usually be managed through practical and proportionate steps.

Schools are encouraged to adapt their arrangements in hot weather, for example by adjusting timetables, limiting strenuous activities, and ensuring classrooms are well ventilated and kept as cool as possible. Where attendance in person is not safe or reasonable, schools can provide high-quality remote education to maintain continuity of learning.

The department has published guidance for schools and other educational settings on hot weather and heatwaves, which is available at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/hot-weather-and-heatwaves-guidance-for-schools-and-other-education-settings/.

In most cases, schools remain the safest place for children during hot weather, as staff can monitor pupils, encourage hydration and take steps to keep them comfortable. Evidence also shows many homes are prone to overheating, affecting around 1.6 million children.

Maintaining attendance where possible therefore supports both educational outcomes and pupil wellbeing during heatwaves.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to answer 10459, whether she has had discussions with technology companies on bereaved adult partners accessing data on the deceased's devices.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

This is a complex issue that engages a range of policy areas across Government, including intestacy and probate, intellectual property rights and privacy. The Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025 clarifies that certain digital assets can attract personal property rights under English and Welsh, and Northern Irish law.

My officials have met technology companies in the past to discuss the issue. Some digital services have added functionality that allow users to nominate legacy contacts, enabling them to make certain account changes and, where selected by the user, access data that has been designated for sharing following the user's death.

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 ensure biophilic design is embedded into neighbourhood health centres.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales

The neighbourhood health centres guidance and specification, published on 15 April 2026, sets out both the strategic framework and the planning requirements for how providers, integrated care boards, and NHS England regions should organise their estates to support neighbourhood health.

As set out in the Neighbourhood Health design specifications, it is expected that new build neighbourhood health centres will meet the Net Zero Building Standard and provide exemplars for low carbon construction and operation. Centres are also required to be healthy buildings, providing well-tempered and well-designed environments.

Beyond this, we expect neighbourhood health teams and services will be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While there will be a consistent focus on personalised coordinated care, the centres will look different in different places, and this could include biophilic design.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of heatwaves on farming, food production and animal welfare.

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

Dry weather in 2025 placed increasing demand on irrigation reservoirs and impacted crop and grass growth. More severe droughts linked to climate change are set to leave parts of our country facing significant water shortages by 2050. Defra actively monitors farm impacts through AHDB surveys such as the Crop Development Survey, published in June 2026 and official statistics from farm-based surveys which tracks yields, and other indicators impacted by weather conditions.

Found: Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Mrs Elsie Blundell; Jacob Collier; Daniel Francis; Olly Glover; Alex Mayer

Submit Evidence (by 16 Oct 2026)

The Transport Committee is examining how transport issues can act as a barrier to young people finding, taking up and remaining in employment or training.

Submit Evidence (by 25 Mar 2033)

The Transport Committee is looking at how effectively the Government is keeping women and girls safe as they travel, and what more could be done to ensure that they can make their journeys without fear of violence, intimidation or harassment.