Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce NHS waiting lists for transgender healthcare.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

We recognise that waiting lists for specialist gender services are too long. This has been caused by multiple factors, including unprecedented demand for gender services and a shortage of specialist clinical staff to meet the rapidly rising demand.

This is why NHS England is working to open new services for both children and young people and adults.

In line with the findings and recommendations of the Cass Review, NHS England has opened three new services in the North West, London, and the South West that offer a fundamentally different clinical model, embedding multi-disciplinary teams in specialist children’s hospitals. A fourth service is anticipated to open in the East of England shortly and NHS England is aiming to deliver service provision in each region of England by the end of 2026/27.

For adults, NHS England has also increased the number of gender dysphoria clinics in England from seven to 12, with the rollout of five new adult gender clinics since July 2020.

We are also working closely with NHS England to implement the findings from the Review of adult gender dysphoria clinics, chaired by Dr David Levy. This includes creating a single, national waiting list that will help effectively manage the wider waiting lists and end the disparity in wait times between the adult gender dysphoria clinics.

We recognise the negative impact long waiting times can have on mental health. This is why the Department has commissioned a pilot to support patients on the waiting list for the Adult Gender Service in the South West of England. This pilot launched on 7 April. We will evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot in due course.

Separate to this, through implementation of the NHS Adult Gender Services Review that was chaired by Dr David Levy, NHS England is working to develop further waiting-well pilots to provide support to patients, including mental health access and self-management resources.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration she has given to the wider rollout of air conditioning on buses in response to recent extreme temperatures.

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

The Government recognises the vital role that bus drivers play in supporting local communities and understands the importance of driver welfare, not only for the health and wellbeing of drivers themselves, but also for the safety of passengers and other road users.

The majority of bus services in England outside London are operated on a commercial basis by private companies, and operators are expected to ensure their employees have access to healthy and safe working conditions.

In addition, the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment, Use and Certification) Regulations 1981 sets out the requirements for public service vehicles, including buses, in relation to the equipment on board and vehicle specification. These regulations make clear that ‘adequate ventilation shall be provided for passengers and the driver without the necessity for opening any main window or windscreen’. Bus operators are required to ensure their fleet complies with these regulations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to (a) ear wax removal services and (b) hearing test appointments on the NHS.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning ear wax removal and audiology services that meet the needs of their local populations, taking account of relevant national guidance and local service arrangements.

NHS England is supporting ICBs and provider organisations to improve performance and reduce waiting lists for appointments and assessments for hearing services. This includes capital investment to upgrade audiology facilities in National Health Service trusts, expanding audiology testing capacity via community diagnostic centres, and direct support through a national audiology improvement collaborative.

Further, through the Medium Term Planning Framework, we have set a clear target for systems to reduce long waits for community health services. By 2028/29 at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks, including community audiology activity.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the equitability of the shared ownership rent formulae.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Shared ownership rents are set through lease agreements between shared owners and their landlords and are typically subsidised. Providers are generally encouraged to set initial rents at no more than 2.75% of the value of the unacquired share.

For new shared ownership leases issued from October 2023, annual rent increases are capped at a maximum of Consumer Prices Index plus 1%, bringing shared ownership rent increases into line with the limit that normally applies to annual rent increases in other forms of social housing.

Older leases generally permit increases of up to Retail Prices Index plus 0.5%, reflecting the terms agreed when those leases were entered into.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is he taking to help expand and maximise blue and green spaces in urban areas to improve climate resilience.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that the planning system should support the transition to net zero by 2050 and shape places in ways that minimise vulnerability and improve resilience.

The Framework also sets out that planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space and opportunities for new provision.

The designation of land as Local Green Space through local and neighbourhood plans allows communities to identify and protect green areas of particular importance to them. Designating land as Local Green Space should be consistent with the local planning of sustainable development and complement investment in sufficient homes, jobs and other essential services.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policy CC1 which makes clear that local plans should identify opportunities for green infrastructure provision and nature-based solutions which can safeguard and improve carbon storage, support nature recovery and resilience, and which take account of Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what further steps she is considering to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela following the recent earthquake.

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

There are no additional updates at this stage beyond the commitments set out in my Statement to the House on 6 July (HCWS185), but I will keep my Hon Friend informed of any further developments in due course.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of the equality impact of the exemption for those providing healthcare services under section 1.3 of the Draft Conversion Practices Bill.

Answered by Olivia Bailey

The Government published its draft Conversion Practices Bill on 25 June for pre-legislative scrutiny. We welcome cross-party engagement and scrutiny on all aspects of this draft legislation, including the healthcare provisions.

Our proposed Bill will criminalise abusive, harmful acts which are intended to change a person's identity. To be clear, a conversion practice would never be legitimate healthcare and healthcare providers will be within the scope of the offence if they fall below the standards reasonably expected of a person in their position.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the EHRC’s draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations (2026) on the hospitality sector.

Answered by Olivia Bailey

The Government has always been clear that the proper process for the Equality Act 2010 draft Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations needs to be followed, which includes understanding the potential impact on duty bearers.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has undertaken an assessment of the costs on duty bearers. The Secretary of State took this assessment into account when making her decision on the Code. The cost impact assessment and equality impact assessment are available on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made and assessment of the potential impact of changes to the two child benefit cap on levels of food bank use.

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

Although no assessment has been made regarding the impact of these changes on food bank use specifically, the reversal of the two child limit in Universal Credit demonstrates this Government’s relentless commitment to tackling child poverty by investing in the future of our children.

This measure is the most cost effective and quickest way of reducing child poverty over this Parliament and, by itself, will lift 450,000 children out of poverty in the final year of this Parliament. It is not right that children were punished for choices that were not their own and we are determined to lift children out of poverty regardless of the size of their family.

Our commitment to tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s plan for national renewal - delivering more security, more opportunity, and more respect for every family and every community across the UK.

We are committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels. We have already taken many decisive steps to achieve this on top of removing the two child limit. This includes the expansion of free school meals and tripling our investment in breakfast clubs. We have also confirmed over £600 million for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for the next three financial years.

In addition, on 1 April 2026, we introduced a new Crisis and Resilience Fund in England. This fund aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing professional chess players to qualify for leave to remain in the UK under the a) International Sportsperson and b) Global Talent visa route; and if she will take steps to include professional chess within those categories.

Answered by Mike Tapp

There are no current plans to include chess players in either the International Sportsperson (ISP) visa route or the Global Talent visa route, but we keep all routes under review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a maximum temperature threshold above which schools should not open.

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

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Hornsey and Friern Barnet to the answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 13129.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote music education in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

This government believes that music is an essential part of the well-rounded and enriching education every child deserves.

Music is a national curriculum subject from key stages 1 to 3, and all state-funded schools, including academies, will have a duty to teach the revised music programme of study from September 2028.

We continue to invest £76 million annually through the revenue grant funding for the Music Hubs network to improve equity of access to music education in schools, including for the 2026/27 academic year. We also continue to invest £25 million capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology.

We will establish the new National Centre for Music and Arts Education later this year to support teacher development, investing up to £13 million over three years. We will set out future funding for the Music Hub network, including to support delivery of the new national curriculum for music in all state-funded schools from September 2028.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to safeguard the health and wellbeing of children in schools during periods of extreme heat.

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

The government’s position is that schools should remain open wherever it is safe, allowing as many pupils as possible to attend rather than applying a fixed maximum temperature for closure.

Responsible bodies must make decisions based on the suitability of their buildings and mitigations, ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils and staff. Under workplace regulations, temperatures must be reasonable, and leaders should regularly assess risks and take appropriate action during heat.

Hot weather can usually be managed through practical measures such as ventilation, hydration, timetable adjustments and modified activities.

Attendance is vital for learning, wellbeing and safeguarding, and absence can disproportionately affect disadvantaged pupils and families.

Closure decisions should therefore be made locally by school and trust leaders, with closure only in exceptional circumstances where safety cannot be maintained.

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Found: Hillier (Chair); Dame Harriett Baldwin; Chris Coghlan; Bobby Dean; John Grady; Ms Julie Minns; Catherine West

Found: Harriett Baldwin; Bobby Dean; John Glen; John Grady; Dame Siobhain McDonagh; Ms Julie Minns; Catherine West

Found: Coghlan; Bobby Dean; Jim Dickson; John Glen; John Grady; Dame Siobhain McDonagh; Ms Julie Minns; Catherine West

Found: Glasgow East) Dame Siobhain McDonagh (Labour; Mitcham and Morden) Ms Julie Minns (Labour; Carlisle) Catherine West

Found: Chair); Dame Harriett Baldwin; Bobby Dean; Jim Dickson; John Glen; John Grady; Ms Julie Minns; Catherine West

Found: Glasgow East) Dame Siobhain McDonagh (Labour; Mitcham and Morden) Ms Julie Minns (Labour; Carlisle) Catherine West

Found: Declarations of interests Catherine West and Jim Dickson declared their interests, in accordance with

Found: Baldwin; Bobby Dean; Jim Dickson; John Glen; John Grady; Dame Siobhain McDonagh; Ms Julie Minns; Catherine West

Found: ties between China and the UK, for example: • In September 2024, then Indo-Pacific Minister Catherine West

Found: High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS) 14 Commons Library Research Briefing, 21 July 2026 Catherine West

Found: Elmore MP Appointed 7 September 2025 0/1 Rt Hon David Lammy MP Departed 5 September 2025 0/0 Catherine West

Found: Elmore MP Appointed 7 September 2025 0/1 Rt Hon David Lammy MP Departed 5 September 2025 0/0 Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: Huddersfield West Yorkshire BV973186/1 Alfred West 02/08/1996 Margate Kent BV22005970/1 Barbara Catherine West

Found: accordance with the Framework Document and Corporate Plan, which was approved by Minister, Catherine West

Found: accordance with the Framework Document and Corporate Plan, which was approved by Minister, Catherine West