Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the ongoing issues with Kennington Bridge on local, regional and national (a) connectivity and (b) economic development, and on the delivery of other major infrastructure including the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I am aware of the continuing funding issues with Kennington Bridge and the importance of this key structure both to local, regional and national connectivity. The bridge is a local scheme and therefore any assessment to connectivity, economic development or for the delivery of other major infrastructure is for Oxfordshire County Council to undertake.

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 a) fatality and b) injury rate of fires attended by fire services during the night hours compared with fires during daytimes.

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

MHCLG collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England through the Incident Recording System (IRS). This includes information on fires and fire-related fatalities and casualties by hour of the day from 2010 to 2025. Data covering the year ending March 2025 is published on gov.uk here, see FIRE 0801 ‘Percentage of fires and fire-related fatalities by hour of the day’. These tables present the percentage of fatalities from all incidents occurring at the different hours of the day, along with breakdowns by financial year.

Data is available on the total number of fatalities and non-fatal casualties in the FIRE 0501 data table. Incident level data is also available on both casualties and fatalities in fires by individual person recorded, which provides further details on injury type and severity for everyone involved in the incident by hour of the day, however this data is not aggregated. The datasets covering fatalities and casualties are published on gov.uk here.

Additionally, an in-depth review was conducted of fire-related fatalities and severe casualties in England from 2010/11 to 2018/19, which is available on gov.uk here. Section 4.3.3 of this paper specifically discusses the time of day fatal and severe casualty fires occur.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether fire services are classified as safety-critical work for the purposes of the HSE's classification of 12-hour shifts as undesirable for such work.

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

The Government recognises the risks that firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery.

The maximum working hours for Fire and Rescue Service personnel are prescribed by the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), which implement the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive, and include specific exemptions applicable to civil protection roles. These statutory requirements apply to fire and rescue personnel, subject to limited derogations during declared emergencies.

Each Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for establishing work patterns that reflect its assessment of operational risk and local circumstances balanced against their responsibility for the health and wellbeing of firefighters. The government-issued National Framework directs that all Fire and Rescue Authorities should have a people strategy which sets out the mental and physical health and wellbeing support available to firefighters.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made any assessment of the impact on family life of twelve hour shifts within the fire service.

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

The Government recognises the risks that firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery.

The maximum working hours for Fire and Rescue Service personnel are prescribed by the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), which implement the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive, and include specific exemptions applicable to civil protection roles. These statutory requirements apply to fire and rescue personnel, subject to limited derogations during declared emergencies.

Each Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for establishing work patterns that reflect its assessment of operational risk and local circumstances balanced against their responsibility for the health and wellbeing of firefighters. The government-issued National Framework directs that all Fire and Rescue Authorities should have a people strategy which sets out the mental and physical health and wellbeing support available to firefighters.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what comparative assessment his Department has made of fires attended by fire services affecting i) heritage sites ii) tower blocks and iii) HMOs during a) the night hours and b) daytimes.

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

MHCLG collects data on incidents attended by the Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England through the Incident Recording System (IRS), which includes data on different dwelling and building types, as well as on fires by hour of the day. These statistics are published on gov.uk here.

Data is available on fires attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) by dwelling type, which includes Purpose Built High Rise (10+ stories), Flats/Maisonettes, and Multiple Occupancy Dwellings (see FIRE0205). However, the department does not presently collect data on heritage site status. Data is also available on all fires by hour of the day, from 2017 onwards, which is published here.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to regulate the sale and purchase of private escooters.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Under existing legislation, businesses are responsible for ensuring the products they place on the UK market, including e-scooters, are safe. When selling e-scooters, retailers must be clear that they can only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Market Surveillance Unit carries out surveillance of e-scooter retailers to ensure they are being sold lawfully and that retailers are making legal restrictions on e-scooter use sufficiently clear.

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act, which secured Royal Assent this July, has created powers that will allow government to set specific product regulations and labelling requirements, and hold online marketplaces to account to prevent the illegal sale of e-scooters.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 84311 on Sudan: Armed Conflict, how the UK is leveraging its membership of the UN working group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), alongside its position at the United Nations Security Council and Human Rights Council, to help ensure perpetrators of grave violations against children are being held to account in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is an active and committed member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which leads the international response to grave violations against children in conflict. The UK is providing further funding of £450,000 to United Nations International Child's Fund's (UNICEF) Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism this year, ensuring grave violations against children are recorded and perpetrators are held to account. Since April 2024, the UK has supported the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) with £1.4 million in funding to provide Emergency Ordnance Risk Education Services (EORE) in Sudan, including to Sudanese children. Wherever possible, the UK provides Victim Assistance referrals for medical care and rehabilitation as part of its demining support.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK is taking to help ensure the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces urgently engage with the United Nations to (a) sign and (b) implement action plans to prevent further violations under the UN’s Children and Armed Conflict framework.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is an active and committed member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which leads the international response to grave violations against children in conflict. The UK is providing further funding of £450,000 to United Nations International Child's Fund's (UNICEF) Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism this year, ensuring grave violations against children are recorded and perpetrators are held to account. Since April 2024, the UK has supported the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) with £1.4 million in funding to provide Emergency Ordnance Risk Education Services (EORE) in Sudan, including to Sudanese children. Wherever possible, the UK provides Victim Assistance referrals for medical care and rehabilitation as part of its demining support.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a child-focused victim-assistance component of any demining funding for Sudan to support (a) prosthetics, (b) rehabilitation and (c) education for blast-injured survivors.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is an active and committed member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which leads the international response to grave violations against children in conflict. The UK is providing further funding of £450,000 to United Nations International Child's Fund's (UNICEF) Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism this year, ensuring grave violations against children are recorded and perpetrators are held to account. Since April 2024, the UK has supported the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) with £1.4 million in funding to provide Emergency Ordnance Risk Education Services (EORE) in Sudan, including to Sudanese children. Wherever possible, the UK provides Victim Assistance referrals for medical care and rehabilitation as part of its demining support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answered of 22 October 2025 to question 81944 on Perinatal Mortality, which four trusts have not fully implemented version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care bundle.

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

The four trusts that are not fully compliant with version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle are the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, and the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Implementation is overseen through NHS Resolution’s Maternity Incentive Scheme, a financial incentive to encourage trusts to implement safety actions to improve maternity safety. Trusts are required to demonstrate that they are on track to comply with all elements of the care bundle.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to assess and prevent the transnational repression of Sudanese nationals and their families.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrating country.

The Government has conducted a comprehensive review of the UK’s response to transnational repression (TNR) and found that the UK has tools and system-wide safeguards in place to robustly counter this threat. In particular, the National Security Act 2023 has provided a comprehensive suite of powers to counter activity amounting to TNR.

The police and intelligence services have mature mechanisms to continually assess potential threats in the UK. They use a wide range of tactics to counter the most acute forms of state-directed threats and protect those individuals identified as at risk. On 4 March, I announced a new package of training for frontline police officers and staff to improve law enforcement’s ability to detect and investigate incidents which may be state-directed.

Guidance is available on GOV.UK to provide those who believe themselves to be at-risk of TNR with practical advice for their safety both physically and online. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department collects on incidents of transnational repression.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

We continually assess potential threats in the UK using a multi-source model, drawing on intelligence assessments, engagement with international partners, and insights from civil society and affected individuals. In 2024, policing introduced a new recording system to capture reports that may include foreign interference, including TNR.

The Home Office is also developing official statistics for the National Security Act, which will include relevant offences that could amount to TNR.

The Government takes the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously, and will continue to strengthen its understanding of TNR and ensure that systems to detect, deter, and counter this activity remain effective and proportionate.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure access of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to conduct an investigation in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We have expressed our concern over reports of the use of Chemical Weapons in Sudan, most recently at the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention held in The Hague from 24-28 November.  We note that the Sudanese authorities in Port Sudan have established a national investigative committee to investigate reported use of chemical weapons. We have urged them to investigate fully and promptly.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to incorporate transnational repression into the UK’s human rights reporting frameworks.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to promoting and protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and we monitor the infringement of human rights across the world, including instances of transnational repression (TNR). Working in coordination with partners, we employ a range of measures to counter the threats presented by TNR, including operational, policy, and legal tools, and we take very seriously the need to protect the rights, freedoms, and safety of individuals in the UK from TNR.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support the police in taking enforcement action against the illegal use of (a) ebikes and (b) escooters.

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

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

The police have a suite of powers available to them to tackle the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters and we expect police to deploy them appropriately.

The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles including e-bikes and e-scooters, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizure. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.

The Government also recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles quicker, including e-bikes and privately owned e-scooters, which have been used anti-socially or illegally.

These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of e-bikes and e-scooters ridden anti-socially or illegally and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Enforcement of road traffic law, including in relation to the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters, are operational matter for Chief Constables in partnership with Police and Crime Commissioners who decide how to deploy available resources, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she intends to publish the Government's formal response to the consultation on pavement parking published on 31 August 2020.

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

The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve levels of media literacy among vulnerable children who are more at risk online.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

​On 5 November, the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review published its final report which includes recommendations for a refreshed curriculum and assessment system in England. The government responded to this report and the response includes a commitment to ensure children are more digitally literate. This will be achieved by including media literacy in the new primary citizenship curriculum, and strengthening it in both the English curriculum, English language GCSE and in history. Furthermore, a refreshed computing curriculum will build digital confidence from an early age, including essential content on artificial intelligence.

​Work is now underway to deliver a new curriculum and assessment system that is ambitious for every child, rich in knowledge and strong on skills.