Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether it is the regulator for the activities of The Hurlingham Polo Association, which describes itself as the governing body for polo in the UK, Ireland and many other countries throughout the world.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Neither the Department for Culture, Media and Sport nor its arm’s length body Sport England are regulators of sport in England. National Governing Bodies of sport are independent of Government and are responsible for the rules and regulation of their sports. Sport England recognises the Hurlingham Polo Association as the National Governing Body for Polo in England.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what scrutiny her department undertakes of the funding of sports associations, franchises and teams to assure itself that they are not associated with money laundering.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

UK Sport and Sport England as arm's-length bodies of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport provide funding to a range of sporting organisations including National Governing Bodies, and have strict eligibility criteria for funding along with financial assurance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of evidence from the US Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network published on 2 March 2026 that UK resident individuals may have laundered the proceeds of corrupt oil sales in Venezuela through MBaer Merchant Bank.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to protecting the UK’s financial system and maintaining a robust anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing system. This involves identifying risks to the system, monitoring global developments, and working with international partners.

The Government does not comment on assessments relating to specific firms. Where appropriate, the Government will act in response to individual cases and risks identified.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of the notice issued on 2 March 2026 by the US Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network proposing that MBaer Merchant Bank be designated as an institution of primary money laundering concern.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to protecting the UK’s financial system and maintaining a robust anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing system. This involves identifying risks to the system, monitoring global developments, and working with international partners.

The Government does not comment on assessments relating to specific firms. Where appropriate, the Government will act in response to individual cases and risks identified.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact to the public pursue of (a) cancelling all outstanding student loan balances on existing borrowers; (b) cancelling all outstanding student loan balances for particular occupations for existing borrowers; and (c) cancelling all outstanding student loan balances for particular subjects studied, for existing borrowers.

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

Cancelling all outstanding student loan balances for existing student loan borrowers would lead to reduction of the fair value of the entire loan book to zero. The fair value of the student loan book, published in the most recent annual accounts, as at 31 March 2025 was £157.9 billion.

The department has not estimated the impact to the public purse of cancelling all outstanding student loan balances for subsets of graduates who studied particular subjects or work in specific professions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact to the public purse of (a) changing the student loan repayment rates for existing borrowers and (b) changing the income threshold at which student loans are repaid for existing borrowers.

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

Reducing the repayment rate for existing student loan borrowers would reduce expected future repayments and therefore be a cost to the public purse. Increasing the income threshold at which student loans are repaid for existing borrowers would also reduce expected future repayments.

To support the long-term sustainability of the student loan system, we announced at the Autumn Budget 2025 that the Plan 2 repayment threshold will be increased to £29,385 in April 2026 and then frozen at that level for three years beginning April 2027.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question (a) 115147, (b) 115148 and (c) 115149 tabled by the hon. Member for Bicester and Woodstock on 23 February 2026.

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

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 115148 was published on 2 March 2026. The responses to Written Parliamentary Questions 115147 and 115149 were published on 31 March 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of current arrangements for cancer patients to receive a Covid-19 vaccination prior to the start of chemotherapy, in cases where the Green Book advises that vaccination should ideally be planned around upcoming immunosuppressive treatment and administered during periods of minimal immunosuppression to maximise immune response.

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

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Green Book on vaccination and immunisation sets out details of who may be vaccinated, including cases where a patient has upcoming immunosuppressive treatment, including chemotherapy. In these instances, it will be for their treating clinician to recommend whether a COVID-19 vaccine will be appropriate and when it should be given on a case-by-case basis. They will have the best knowledge of the patient and will need to be content that any prescriptions or treatments, including vaccinations, are clinically appropriate for the individual. Year-round pathways are in place locally to enable these vaccinations to be given when clinically indicated, including during or ahead of a course of chemotherapy.

The JCVI continues to keep the COVID-19 vaccination programme under review, and the Government will respond to any additional JCVI advice in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review Covid-19 vaccination eligibility and delivery arrangements for patients with confirmed upcoming immunosuppressive treatment, including chemotherapy.

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

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Green Book on vaccination and immunisation sets out details of who may be vaccinated, including cases where a patient has upcoming immunosuppressive treatment, including chemotherapy. In these instances, it will be for their treating clinician to recommend whether a COVID-19 vaccine will be appropriate and when it should be given on a case-by-case basis. They will have the best knowledge of the patient and will need to be content that any prescriptions or treatments, including vaccinations, are clinically appropriate for the individual. Year-round pathways are in place locally to enable these vaccinations to be given when clinically indicated, including during or ahead of a course of chemotherapy.

The JCVI continues to keep the COVID-19 vaccination programme under review, and the Government will respond to any additional JCVI advice in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which body is responsible for ensuring that community pharmacy delivery rules for Covid-19 vaccination are aligned with the clinical guidance set out in the Green Book.

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

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an independent expert committee which reviews the latest data on COVID-19 risks, vaccine safety, and effectiveness and advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes.

Vaccination eligibility criteria are agreed by the Government in line with advice from the JCVI. Which groups are eligible for vaccination is communicated to commissioners and providers, including community pharmacies, by NHS England through operational guidance. The guidance issued for the recent autumn 2025 campaign is available at the following link:

www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/flu-and-covid-19-seasonal-vaccination-programme-autumn-winter-2025-26/

This guidance reflects the eligibility and clinical guidance set out in the COVID-19 Chapter of the UK Health Security Green Book on vaccination and immunisation, which is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-the-green-book-chapter-14a

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will ensure that the requirements of rural households are addressed in policies aimed at tackling potential increases in energy prices.

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

The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy bills. We continue to monitor the situation closely and we are looking at what further support may be needed.

The measures taken in the Autumn Budget reduce the cost of electricity and therefore benefit all households with a domestic electricity meter, including those not on the gas grid. In addition, on 30 January, we announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme until 2030/31, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills each winter.

The Government understands that many households, particularly in rural and off gas grid areas, rely on heating oil as their primary source of heat. DESNZ is working closely with other Government Departments on the National Data Library (NDL) energy bill support ‘Kickstarter’ project to test how public sector data can be better joined up to improve access to Government programmes.

The Kickstarter project will pave the way for better targeted help, ensuring those who are struggling to pay their bills get the support they need.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment the Government has made of the differential impact of increases in energy prices on households in (a) rural and (b) urban areas.

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

The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy bills. We continue to monitor the situation closely and we are looking at what further support may be needed.

The measures taken in the Autumn Budget reduce the cost of electricity and therefore benefit all households with a domestic electricity meter, including those not on the gas grid. In addition, on 30 January, we announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme until 2030/31, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills each winter.

The Government understands that many households, particularly in rural and off gas grid areas, rely on heating oil as their primary source of heat. DESNZ is working closely with other Government Departments on the National Data Library (NDL) energy bill support ‘Kickstarter’ project to test how public sector data can be better joined up to improve access to Government programmes.

The Kickstarter project will pave the way for better targeted help, ensuring those who are struggling to pay their bills get the support they need.

100th anniversary of the birth of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

UK defence bonds

Heating oil financial support

Heating oil prices

Conduct of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Palantir and the NHS

Refugee homelessness and the asylum move-on period