Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests were made for offences related to covert filming in each of the last five years broken down by police force area.

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

Information on the number of arrests for offences related to covert filming is not held centrally.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests for notifiable offences in England and Wales, by offence group and Police Force Area, as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK

However, it is unknown how many of these arrests involved offences related to covert filming.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests were made for offences related to covert filming by smart glasses over the last 12 months.

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

Information on the number of arrests for offences related to covert filming is not held centrally.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests for notifiable offences in England and Wales, by offence group and Police Force Area, as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK

However, it is unknown how many of these arrests involved offences related to covert filming.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Brexit on touring by UK musicians and artists in Europe.

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

On 26 August the Government published new independent research, delivered by Ipsos and Nordicity, examining the impact of changes to UK-EU touring on the UK's creative industries. The findings show that UK artists and their support staff touring across Europe significantly contribute to the UK and European Union’s economies and the interconnectedness of the two ecosystems.

The research provides the strongest evidence base to date on the experiences of artists, musicians and the wider creative sector touring in Europe. It will help to inform the Government's ongoing work to deliver the manifesto commitment to support touring artists, as well as support the industry’s engagement with EU partners, led by the Cultural Exchange Coalition.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance her Department issues to GPs and health visitors on recognising the symptoms of lead exposure in children and when to refer for testing.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on screening matters, made a recommendation not to screen children for lead poisoning in 2018. This is because the number of children affected in the United Kingdom is currently not known, the test was not reliable enough, and treatments in children with mild symptoms have not been proven and may also be harmful.

The UK NSC plans to look at the evidence again, however a timetable for review has not yet been confirmed. The UK Health Security Agency guidance on lead poisoning for healthcare professionals can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lead-poisoning-advice-for-the-public-and-healthcare-professionals

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of targeted blood lead screening for children in high-risk housing.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on screening matters, made a recommendation not to screen children for lead poisoning in 2018. This is because the number of children affected in the United Kingdom is currently not known, the test was not reliable enough, and treatments in children with mild symptoms have not been proven and may also be harmful.

The UK NSC plans to look at the evidence again, however a timetable for review has not yet been confirmed. The UK Health Security Agency guidance on lead poisoning for healthcare professionals can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lead-poisoning-advice-for-the-public-and-healthcare-professionals

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the National Screening Committee's evidence review on lead screening.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on screening matters, made a recommendation not to screen children for lead poisoning in 2018. This is because the number of children affected in the United Kingdom is currently not known, the test was not reliable enough, and treatments in children with mild symptoms have not been proven and may also be harmful.

The UK NSC plans to look at the evidence again, however a timetable for review has not yet been confirmed. The UK Health Security Agency guidance on lead poisoning for healthcare professionals can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lead-poisoning-advice-for-the-public-and-healthcare-professionals

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what engagement was carried out with schools before the changes to school’s sport premium were made.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

In June 2025 the government announced the introduction of a partnerships network to support schools to consistently deliver high-quality experiences in PE, sport, and physical activity for all children with a particular focus on those that are less active. To inform policy development and fully understand schools' support needs, the department has worked with sector organisations and representative bodies before launching the procurement to identify a delivery partner.

The department recognises the importance of supporting schools through the transition from Sports Premium Funding to the Partnership Network and has engaged with sector representatives to identify additional support that may be required. In response to concerns raised by schools, we increased the transitional PE premium payment to £150 million. We will publish guidance and conditions of grant this autumn to help schools prepare for the changes and are continuing to work with stakeholders on this.

Once the new National Delivery Partner is in place, engagement across the school-age childcare sector will continue to monitor and mitigate any impacts on providers; which will include regular assessments and input from the sector to inform delivery and provide the support which schools need.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department made of the potential impact of changes to sports premium funding on a) wraparound childcare, b) enrichment provision, and c) the external workforce that supports school’s provision of physical education.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

In June 2025 the government announced the introduction of a partnerships network to support schools to consistently deliver high-quality experiences in PE, sport, and physical activity for all children with a particular focus on those that are less active. To inform policy development and fully understand schools' support needs, the department has worked with sector organisations and representative bodies before launching the procurement to identify a delivery partner.

The department recognises the importance of supporting schools through the transition from Sports Premium Funding to the Partnership Network and has engaged with sector representatives to identify additional support that may be required. In response to concerns raised by schools, we increased the transitional PE premium payment to £150 million. We will publish guidance and conditions of grant this autumn to help schools prepare for the changes and are continuing to work with stakeholders on this.

Once the new National Delivery Partner is in place, engagement across the school-age childcare sector will continue to monitor and mitigate any impacts on providers; which will include regular assessments and input from the sector to inform delivery and provide the support which schools need.

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 changing the Primary Physical Education and Sport Premium arrangements partway at the beginning September 2026 on schools' ability to plan ahead.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

In June 2025 the government announced the introduction of a partnerships network to support schools to consistently deliver high-quality experiences in PE, sport, and physical activity for all children with a particular focus on those that are less active. To inform policy development and fully understand schools' support needs, the department has worked with sector organisations and representative bodies before launching the procurement to identify a delivery partner.

The department recognises the importance of supporting schools through the transition from Sports Premium Funding to the Partnership Network and has engaged with sector representatives to identify additional support that may be required. In response to concerns raised by schools, we increased the transitional PE premium payment to £150 million. We will publish guidance and conditions of grant this autumn to help schools prepare for the changes and are continuing to work with stakeholders on this.

Once the new National Delivery Partner is in place, engagement across the school-age childcare sector will continue to monitor and mitigate any impacts on providers; which will include regular assessments and input from the sector to inform delivery and provide the support which schools need.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has given schools on how a) physical education, b) school sport, and c) physical activity will be supported during the 2026/2027 academic year.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

In June 2025 the government announced the introduction of a partnerships network to support schools to consistently deliver high-quality experiences in PE, sport, and physical activity for all children with a particular focus on those that are less active. To inform policy development and fully understand schools' support needs, the department has worked with sector organisations and representative bodies before launching the procurement to identify a delivery partner.

The department recognises the importance of supporting schools through the transition from Sports Premium Funding to the Partnership Network and has engaged with sector representatives to identify additional support that may be required. In response to concerns raised by schools, we increased the transitional PE premium payment to £150 million. We will publish guidance and conditions of grant this autumn to help schools prepare for the changes and are continuing to work with stakeholders on this.

Once the new National Delivery Partner is in place, engagement across the school-age childcare sector will continue to monitor and mitigate any impacts on providers; which will include regular assessments and input from the sector to inform delivery and provide the support which schools need.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the gap in attainment between disadvantaged students and their peers across schools in Frome and East Somerset.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ white paper establishes our plan to improve outcomes for all children across all constituencies. We recognise that poverty can have a significant impact on children's attainment and life chances, and tackling child poverty is central to the government's work to break down barriers to opportunity. When children born under this government finish secondary school, it is our ambition that the key stage 4 disadvantage gap will be halved.

The department’s approach is comprehensive and includes rebuilding early family support and improving teacher recruitment and retention, so that every child benefits from high-quality teaching. Further measures include broadening the curriculum and enabling access to high-quality enrichment, as well as launching two place-based missions to drive improvement in areas where outcomes remain stubbornly low.

We will introduce government funded pupil premium strategy reviews for schools that need additional support. These targeted reviews will equip school leaders to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women's health hubs have been established in NHS Somerset ICB.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 July to Question 13401.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of solar panels installed on (a) supermarket car parks and (b) supermarket roofs to renewable energy generation targets.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government has not made an assessment of the potential impact of solar panels installed on supermarket car parks or supermarket roofs to renewable energy generation targets.

We do, however, recognise that deployment of solar capacity on car parks has several potential key benefits to help meet our targets by:

• Enabling deployment in urban and commercial areas closer to demand sites, reducing electricity network constraints.
• Resulting in multi-functional land use, generating clean, renewable electricity and providing shelter to vehicles while maintaining the primary purpose of parking.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what data her Department holds on the proportion of large retail premises, including supermarkets, that have installed solar panels on (a) roofs and (b) car parks.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD) tracks the progress of UK renewable electricity projects over 150kW through the planning system. It is possible to filter the database for rooftop solar PV installations, but we cannot identify which are for large retail premises, including supermarkets, and will not likely capture installations which fall below the 150kW threshold. It is therefore also not possible to identify which installations are on car parks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the availability and accessibility of Healthy Start vouchers for people within the immigration and asylum systems.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provides support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to asylum seekers and their dependants who would otherwise be destitute in order to comply with its legal obligations. The support package provided usually consists of accommodation and a weekly cash allowance to meet other essential living needs.

Additional financial support is also available to pregnant women and children under the age of 4 for the purposes of buying healthy food. Pregnant women and young children aged between 1 and 4 each receive an additional £5.25 per week. Babies under 1 each receive an additional £9.50 per week.

These payments were amended in 2023 to align with the Department of Health and Social Care’s ‘Healthy Start’ payments, with an additional allowance added onto this to allow for the purchase of vitamins, which are provided separately as part of the Healthy Start scheme.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what data her Department collects on the number of live music concerts, gigs, or events held each year; and what data her Department uses to monitor trends in the live music sector in the UK.

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

DCMS monitors the music sector’s contribution to the UK economy over time through our Economic Estimates, which provide regular official estimates including Gross Value Added (GVA), employment, and trade. To capture live music sector trends, the Department monitors data, evidence and reports produced by key sector bodies - including UK Music, LIVE, and the Music Venue Trust - including on event activity, ticket sales, music tourism, and venue health. This joint approach ensures the Department maintains robust intelligence on the live music ecosystem across the UK.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the interaction between heritage protections and planning policy in delivering solar energy.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

DESNZ and MHCLG work regularly together on planning policy. For Nationally Significant (NSIP) solar projects, the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure, updated in January 2026, sets out the importance of solar and how heritage considerations should be accounted for. For solar projects under 100MW, the updated National Planning Policy Framework published in August 2026 gives greater prominence to, and strengthens the framework for, renewable generation infrastructure such as solar. The Government will continue to work together to update the Planning Practice Guidance including how specific considerations for solar farms such as heritage impacts, should be applied in practice.

Wyke Farms at the 2026 Global Cheese Awards

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) rescue operations

Support for hospices

Publication of Legal Advice on Local Government Reorganisation

Contribution of women to the Bayeux Tapestry

Local Housing Allowance rates

Celebration of English traditions

A new growth and defence partnership with Europe

Enhertu for metastatic breast cancer patients