Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the department’s previous response to Question 113361 tabled on 12 February 2026, what progress has been made on assessing the risks posed by headlight glare, and what timeline her Department has established for further action on this matter.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has completed a programme of engagement with relevant stakeholders to help inform the second phase of the vehicle lighting glare research. This phase will build on the findings of the initial research by examining vehicle design factors and potential countermeasures, with the aim of developing specific recommendations for amendments to international vehicle construction regulations to reduce glare. A contract for this phase of research is expected to be awarded shortly.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many waivers for Carer's Allowance overpayments were applied for and accepted in 2025/26.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
In very exceptional circumstances, there is discretion for DWP to waive recovery of an overpayment, as a derogation granted by the Treasury from the absolute requirement to recover all overpayments of public money. This is considered only where there is reasonable evidence available that the recovery of the overpayment is detrimental to the health and/or welfare of the debtor or their family; there needs to be very specific and compelling grounds for a waiver to be agreed.
Carer's Allowance overpayment waivers 25/26:
Received waiver requests:18
Refused waivers: 15
Approved waivers: 3
Further information on Waivers can be found in chapter 8 of the Benefit Overpayment Recovery Guide.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Carer's Allowance cases have (a) been reviewed and (b) had debts reduced, cancelled and refunded since the launch of the reassessment exercise.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Department will publish detailed statistics on the Carer's Allowance earnings-related overpayment reassessment exercise in the autumn, including how many cases have been reviewed and had overpayments reduced, cancelled and refunded. It will also provide a progress update to the Work and Pensions Committee and the Public Accounts Committee.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress she has made on revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
In August 2024, the then Minister of State for Data Protection and Telecoms asked industry to consider revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice to better reflect community concerns and convened a roundtable discussion with network operators.
In response, industry established the Telecommunications Poles Working Group, which published best practice recommendations in March 2025. These set out expectations for operators on siting infrastructure and engaging with local authorities and communities.
The Government will continue to assess how the industry’s response to this issue affects the deployment of new networks, but has no plans to revise the Code of Practice further at this stage.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 78821, whether additional resources have been allocated to research on (a) Giloma, (b) Glioblastoma, (c) Astrocytoma, (d) DIPG and (e) DMG brain tumour types in the last year.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner on 10 November 2025 to Question 78821. As investment for cancer research is calculated retrospectively, with a time lag due to annual reporting cycles, 2024/25 is the most recent year that we have detailed data for by cancer type.
The Department invests almost £1.8 billion each year on research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is a major area of NIHR spending at £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.
As announced in the National Cancer Plan, investment in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, co-funding of the Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Centres of Excellence, and other direct programmatic spend through NIHR funding streams totals a combined investment of £32.3 million since July 2024, and a total of £45.2 million since 2018, all of which is designed to accelerate brain cancer research. In addition, the NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, including research centres, which run studies, facilities and services, and the research workforce, leverages research funding from other donors and organisations. These NIHR investments in infrastructure are estimated to be £44.5 million over the period 2018/19 to 2024/25, enabling 298 brain tumour research studies to take place.
As part of this funding, the NIHR announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children, and their families, who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer. Progress will be monitored through approved NIHR contract management processes over the period of the award contracts, which range from five to 10 years.
We continue to support researchers to develop and submit applications to the most appropriate programmes. The NIHR Research Support Service provides free, expert advice and support to applied health, public health, and social care researchers on the design and delivery of research and the development of research funding applications.
The NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas in advance. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including all cancer types.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to consult on the regulation of fireworks.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government recognises that people hold a range of views on fireworks, including their impact on people, animals and local communities, as well as their importance to businesses and public events. The regulatory framework is kept under review, and I will continue to engage with business, consumer groups and charities to inform future policy decisions.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve working conditions for parents working in primary and secondary education settings.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is taking a range of steps to improve working conditions for parents working in schools.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 provides for the establishment of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB). This will be a new statutory body with a remit to negotiate pay, terms and conditions, and advise on training and career progression for school support staff.
We have committed to fund improvements to maternity pay for school and college teachers, leaders and support staff. From the academic year 2027/28, schoolteachers and leaders will see their period of full maternity pay doubled from four weeks to eight weeks. We will also enable the SSSNB to prioritise maternity pay in its first year of operation to negotiate an equivalent improvement for support staff.
Wider government reforms which will also apply to schools over time, include the introduction of new requirements on pay gap reporting and workforce action plans, alongside changes to flexible working. We are also developing a new workforce retention programme to launch this autumn to reduce workload, improve wellbeing and diversity and increase availability of flexible working.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the parity of GCSE English Language and IGCSE English Language on the coursework route qualifications.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
GCSE English Language and IGCSE English Language are distinct qualifications, which are assessed and regulated in different ways.
GCSE English Language qualifications in England are regulated by Ofqual, with subject content set by the Department. These GCSEs are assessed through examinations only, with no coursework contributing to the final grade.
IGCSE English Language is a different qualification that is not regulated by Ofqual and includes a coursework component as part of its assessment.
The UK National Information Centre assesses the comparability of overseas qualifications with UK qualifications, including those in English.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of whether X continues to qualify for protection as a platform rather than a publisher under UK law.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The Online Safety Act imposes a range of duties on user-to-user service providers, including X, requiring them to proactively identify, mitigate and manage risks to users, and to be accountable for the safety of their platforms.
Service providers must proactively mitigate risk of use for illegal activity and must address illegal content when it appears. They must also prevent children from encountering the most harmful content and must implement age-appropriate measures to protect children from other kinds of harmful content.
Ofcom, the independent regulator, has powers to take robust enforcement action where service providers do not comply with Act duties.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration his Department has given to reviewing NHS optical voucher values for children with complex visual needs, particularly those with conditions such as Albanism.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that children, including those with complex visual needs such as albinism, can access appropriate optical care and appliances.
National Health Service optical vouchers are designed to support eligible groups, including children, with the cost of clinically necessary glasses or contact lenses. Voucher values range from £42.40 to £233.56, with individuals with more complex prescriptions receiving the high voucher values. There are no plans for a review of NHS optical vouchers.
Children and young people with significant or complex vision impairment may also be supported through NHS low vision services. These services provide specialist assessment and, where appropriate, low vision aids to help maximise functional vision and independence.