Claire Hazelgrove

In the Plan to Make Work Pay the government committed to a Review of the parental leave system. The Review will provide us with an opportunity to consider the current framework of parental leave entitlements and how they should operate as a holistic system to improve the support available for working families. Planning work is already underway and I can confirm the review will look at Adoption Leave and Pay and Paternity Leave and Pay.

Employed adoptive parents have broadly the same rights and protections as birth parents. Paternity Leave and Pay already enables employed fathers and partners (including same sex partners) to take up to two weeks leave during the first year following their child's placement for adoption.

Depending on the nature of the individual’s employment, victims of sexual assault may be able to access a range of leave entitlements allowing them to take time off from work when they need it. There is also practical support employers can offer which can make a real difference, such as signposting, financial assistance and supporting safety in and around the workplace.

The Government is clear that fans should be kept at the heart of live events, and we are concerned to see vastly inflated prices excluding many fans from having the opportunity to enjoy their favourite musicians.

We have committed to introducing new protections for consumers on ticket resales, and we will launch a consultation in the autumn to seek views on potential options. Alongside the consultation we will publish a call for evidence on price transparency for live events tickets which will include dynamic pricing.

We recognise that this is a complex area, and will work with artists, industry and fans to create a fairer system that ends the scourge of touts, rip-off resales and ensures tickets are available at fair prices.

Swimming is a vital life skill. Every child should have the opportunity to learn to swim before leaving primary school. Schools must provide core swimming lessons within the PE national curriculum in key stage 1 or key stage 2, teaching pupils to swim competently, confidently and proficiently over at least 25 metres.

Schools receive core funding for curriculum activities, including PE, which can be used for swimming lessons and transport.

The department has also confirmed £1 billion funding for PE and school sport over three years, building on £67 billion of core funding this year, ensuring schools have the resources they need to deliver for pupils.

Increasing access and improving attainment in swimming and water safety will be key priorities for the new PE and School Sport Partnerships network. The network will support access to swimming by bringing together schools, local clubs, and national governing bodies of sport, helping to identify and address barriers to participation so that funding and support are targeted where they are needed most. Furthermore, the network will support attainment by developing high quality support more consistently to schools, including swimming and water safety training, access to specialist coaching, links to local swimming clubs and greater access to competitions and national programmes.

We support the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university, regardless of their background or where they live.

All English higher education (HE) providers that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an access and participation plan approved by the Office for Students which articulates how it will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups, supporting them to both access and succeed in HE.

We are introducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants of up to £1,000 per year from the 2028/29 academic year, providing vital extra support for students from low-income households without increasing their debt, and are future-proofing maintenance loans by committing to increase them in line with forecast inflation every year.

As a further measure, we have convened an access and participation task and finish group to consider how to tackle regional disparities and the systemic barriers across the journey into HE for disadvantaged students. A final report will be published in January 2027.

Swimming is a vital life skill. Every child should have the opportunity to learn to swim before leaving primary school. Schools must provide core swimming lessons within the PE national curriculum in key stage 1 or key stage 2, teaching pupils to swim competently, confidently and proficiently over at least 25 metres.

Schools receive core funding for curriculum activities, including PE, which can be used for swimming lessons and transport.

The department has also confirmed £1 billion funding for PE and school sport over three years, building on £67 billion of core funding this year, ensuring schools have the resources they need to deliver for pupils.

Increasing access and improving attainment in swimming and water safety will be key priorities for the new PE and School Sport Partnerships network. The network will support access to swimming by bringing together schools, local clubs, and national governing bodies of sport, helping to identify and address barriers to participation so that funding and support are targeted where they are needed most. Furthermore, the network will support attainment by developing high quality support more consistently to schools, including swimming and water safety training, access to specialist coaching, links to local swimming clubs and greater access to competitions and national programmes.

To help students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds progress and excel in higher education, we will future proof our loan offer for undergraduate students by increasing loans for living costs in line with forecast inflation every academic year.

This will ensure that students from the lowest income families receive the largest year-on-year increases in support and provide students with long-term financial certainty on the support they will receive while studying.

Maximum loans for living costs for undergraduate students will increase by forecast inflation, 2.71%, for the 2026/27 academic year.

In addition, all eligible care leavers, regardless of age or personal circumstances, who are attending undergraduate courses in 2026/27, will be eligible for the maximum loan for living costs, removing key barriers to accessing education.

Loans to help with course fees and living costs for students starting postgraduate master’s degree and doctoral degree courses in 2026/27 will also increase by 2.71%.

The department understands the anxiety caused by students affected by the misclassification of weekend-only courses by providers, which has resulted in students receiving maintenance support they are not entitled to. We have been clear that providers should put in place appropriate hardship support so that students receive the help they need during this period. To provide clarity for students, we have instructed the Student Loans Company to recover loan payments through the student loan system in line with existing loan terms, and to pause any action on recovery of targeted grant funding until at least September while we review the position.

The Environment Agency regularly inspects combined sewer overflows in the Filton and Bradley Stoke area, and is carrying out enforcement work following a serious pollution incident of the Hortham and Patchway Brook. It is also investigating silt pollution in the Hazel Brook, where various potential source sites have been inspected including close examination of site drainage, discharge points and pollution prevention methods.

The Department is not aware that there is a widespread problem with the welfare of greyhounds being exported to a) China, b) Pakistan or c) elsewhere.

From 10 June 2024, all owned cats in England over 20 weeks of age must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database. The legislation is intended to improve pet welfare by increasing the likelihood of reuniting lost or stray pets with their keepers.

Defra has commissioned a research project to understand the operational challenges that currently prevent some cats from being reunited with their keepers after a road traffic accident. The project will provide an evidence base to inform best practice for local authorities and is due to report later this year.

Defra monitors animal welfare offences on a national basis based on data provided by the Ministry of Justice. Defra regularly meets the RSPCA and other stakeholders to discuss animal welfare issues affecting the sector including any trends in animal welfare offences.

Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is an offence under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. In 2021, the maximum sentence for this offence was increased to five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

In addition, the Online Safety Act 2023 requires social media firms to remove online content that could facilitate animal cruelty. Ofcom is currently consulting on how these new requirements should be implemented.

The UK already has laws in place to protect air passengers during disruption, including refunds or re-routing for cancellations due to geopolitical instability. Air passenger rights is a priority for the Department for Transport, and we continue to look for opportunities to ensure air passengers have the best possible protections.

Consumers who have purchased a package holiday have additional protections, including assistance and refunds in specified circumstances.

Passengers should have insurance that is suitable for their plans and needs. Travel insurance coverage will vary between polices and the level of cover taken out by the individual. Passengers should contact their policy provider for confirmation of what is and is not covered.

The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles, including e-scooters, by creating the Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicles category when parliamentary time allows.

This will create safe, legal routes for people to use new transport technology, and help the police to crack down on those who use them in an irresponsible or anti-social way.

E-bikes are already regulated, and when an e-bike does not fully comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle requirements, it is treated as a motor vehicle in law under the Road Traffic Act 1988, making most of them effectively illegal to use on the road. There are no plans to change this, though we will continue to ensure the police have the powers they need to enforce the law.

There is existing legislation in place to ensure consumers are protected when air travel is disrupted

Where UK law applies, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (“Regulation 261”) sets out the rights of air passengers in the event of flight disruptions, such as cancellations, long delays and denied boarding, including circumstances where travel is disrupted by wider events beyond the airline’s control.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK’s independent aviation regulator, is responsible for monitoring industry compliance with this legislation.

It is important that passengers are aware of their rights during any disruption and that is why the Government provides guidance through its Air Passenger Travel Guide. In addition to this general guidance, the Government and the Civil Aviation Authority have published targeted information, including the “Jet fuel and travel plans: what you need to know” page and the CAA’s summer travel advice.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually, and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as expanding eligibility, would need careful consideration for the scheme’s financial sustainability

Local authorities in England have the power to use local resources to fund further concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, offering companion passes or lowering the age of eligibility.

The government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Gloucestershire County Council has been allocated £8 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish, including enhancing the concessionary travel offering in the local area.

There are no plans to amend section 170 of the Road Traffic Act to make it mandatory for drivers to report road collisions involving cats.

Although there is no obligation to report all animal deaths on roads, drivers should, if possible, make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation.

Since June 2024, all cats in England over 20 weeks of age must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database, unless exempt or free-living. This will make it easier for National Highways and local authorities to reunite cats and dogs with their keeper.

Legislation was amended in 2022 to widen the list of professionals eligible to issue a fit note to include pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and registered nurses, alongside doctors.

The changes were made following extensive consultation with a wide range of healthcare professionals and their professional bodies. The aim of the changes was to ease the burden on GPs, streamline the interface between primary and secondary care, and enable fit notes to be issued by the clinician closest to the patient at the time they needed a fit note.

While paramedics are not able to issue fit notes, they and other Allied Health Professionals can contribute to decisions on sickness certification through completion of an AHP Work and Health Report. This may be considered by eligible professionals when issuing a fit note.

In May, the government launched pilot programmes across 4 Integrated Care Board areas in England to reform the fit note process. The pilots will test a fundamentally different approach, exploring replacing the traditional GP-led fit note process with newly designed plans that provide better support to people who fall ill at work. The long-term aim is for fundamental reform of the fit note process, and the pilots are not intended to revisit or reopen questions around paramedics issuing fit notes.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to making Child Maintenance Service (CMS) decisions clear, accessible and transparent.

Whenever a decision is made that affects a child maintenance calculation or payment arrangements, DWP issues notifications to customers explaining the outcome. Where the maintenance calculation changes, customers are provided with information setting out how the new calculation has been reached.

DWP is taking steps to improve communications with parents by simplifying content and retiring outdated letters. In addition, the online My Child Maintenance Case service enables parents to view their case details, track changes, check their current position and view digital copies of notifications at any time. DWP continues to develop this service to provide even more information to customers.

The department regularly reviews the apprenticeship funding rules, often in consultation with others, including the Home Office and the Department for Education.

This includes the requirements for ordinary residency. This three-year residency requirement is longstanding within the apprenticeship programme. It applies to both UK and non-UK nationals. It is applied consistently to ensure that the individuals have a connection to the UK and are committed to living in the country before they are eligible for training funded by the taxpayer.

Where a paying parent is the Director of their limited liability company, they are legally an employee of that company for child maintenance purposes. They are also legally required to provide details of unearned income such as dividends in their Self-Assessment Tax Return.

Real time income information direct from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is key to the child maintenance calculation which also includes a wide range of income types, including income from property, savings and investments (including dividends) and other miscellaneous income. This makes it difficult for most parents to misstate their income.

People working in certain positions can influence how they are paid and the amount of pay they get. These people are known as ‘complex earners’ and include company directors who can affect their level of pay or dividends they receive.

Where it is reported there is additional unearned income that has not been captured in the maintenance calculation either parent can apply to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) for an ‘additional income variation.’

The CMS has robust processes in place to investigate any misrepresentation of income and where there is credible information that fraud has been committed, or incorrect income declared the case is referred to the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU). This specialist team request and validate information from financial institutions (such as banks, investment and mortgage companies) to check the accuracy of the information used in the maintenance calculation to ensure financial correctness and can make assessment changes if they discover undeclared income that is effectively being used as income.

Access to Work applications are reviewed by Case Managers who work with customers to understand what barriers they may be experiencing within the workplace in relation to their health condition or disability. Staff take part in training events that provide them with information on a range of disabilities and health conditions so that they can better understand the challenges experienced by applicants.

When required, staff will work with specialist teams that help to identify customers who are vulnerable or have complex needs who require more advanced support.

The Government will respond to the Law Commission’s legislative proposals on surrogacy as time allows.

The commission’s report and recommendations cover issues around legal parenthood and parental responsibility in surrogacy. These will be considered carefully as part of the Government response.

We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029, including for gynaecology which covers endometriosis treatment. As of April 2026, 60.2% of patient pathways were waiting within 18 weeks for gynaecology, an improvement of 5.1 percentage points over the past year. The gynaecology waiting list stands at 571,944, down by 24,021 since the government came to office.

Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out reforms we are making to improve gynaecology waiting times across England. This includes utilising dedicated and protected surgical hubs which transform the way the NHS provides elective care by focusing on providing high volume low complexity surgery, as recommended by the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Surgical hubs are helping endometriosis patients get quicker access to surgical treatment. There are currently 125 operational elective surgical hubs in England, around half of which provide gynaecology services, with laparoscopies, which are used to diagnose and treat endometriosis, a key part of this offering. The Department is committed to ramping up the number of hubs over the next 2 years, so more operations can be carried out.

Whilst progress has been made, we know there is more to do in improving access to treatment for endometriosis. That is why the renewed Women’s Health Strategy, published in April this year, identifies endometriosis as a priority condition and commits to ensuring that women get the care they need sooner.

We are introducing an “online hospital”, NHS Online. From 2027, people on certain pathways, including menstrual problems that may be a sign of endometriosis, will have the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. NHS Online will help to reduce patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years across all specialities, supporting patients to get access to the care they need quickly, including access to surgical treatment.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Wokingham on 22 May 2026 to Question 2576.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole on 1 June 2026 to Question 2931.

Responsibility for agreeing contractual terms and for ensuring payment to self-employed locum pharmacists rests with the retail pharmacy businesses that deliver National Health Service pharmaceutical services.

Where locum pharmacists have trouble recovering unpaid fees, support is available through the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service and Citizens Advice, including guidance on pursuing payment through the courts and on seeking unpaid wages or other sums owed by an insolvent business.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 9 June.

Where employers reimburse allowable travel expenses, tax relief is available provided the expenses are wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred for work purposes.

Ordinarily, employers must hold evidence of the employee’s actual expenditure. However, to reduce administrative burdens on employers, HMRC allows expenses for travel outside the UK to be reimbursed without evidence up to the levels contained within the overseas scale rates.

Where the overseas scale rates do not cover the expense incurred by employees, employers can still reimburse and provide tax relief provided they have appropriate evidence.

The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy‑making process. Any decisions on future changes in this area will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.

The government has not made a specific assessment regarding insurance for individuals with sickle cell disease. However, the government recognises the important role of insurance products in building the financial resilience of consumers and protecting them when things go wrong. The government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy seeks to close gaps in protection and ensure that the insurance sector is well-placed to support the financial wellbeing of households and vulnerable customers.

The Equality Act 2010 generally prohibits discrimination based on certain personal characteristics. However, the law accepts that some exceptions, relating to age and disability, apply for insurance. The Act stipulates an insurance provider cannot refuse to cover potential consumers or charge more for insurance as a result of these characteristics, unless they base their risk assessment on relevant information from a reliable source and (in the case of the disability exception) it is reasonable for the insurer to refuse cover or charge more.

However, the Financial Conduct Authority, as the independent regulator, requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value. The FCA has been clear that it will be monitoring firms, and, where necessary, it will take action.

Since 2021, the FCA has required firms providing travel insurance to signpost consumers with pre-existing medical conditions to a directory of specialist providers if they are declined cover, offered cover with an exclusion, or charged a significantly higher premium based on a pre-existing medical condition.

The government offers support for individuals to help with the cost of glasses through NHS optical vouchers. Those eligible for help include children and those on certain income-related benefits. The value of optical vouchers varies from £42.40 to £233.56, depending on the level of a patient’s glasses prescription.

While spectacles attract the standard rate of VAT, health and welfare services, including opticians and eye tests, are exempt from VAT made by qualifying opticians.

One of the key considerations for any potential new VAT relief is whether the cost saving is likely to be passed on to consumers. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates.

VAT is a broad-based tax that applies to most goods and services. Any new VAT relief must be considered in the context of the current fiscal position. As set out at the end of July, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has pledged to restore economic stability after revealing £22 billion of unfunded pressures in 2024-25 inherited from the previous Government.

Restoring fiscal responsibility and economic stability are critical to getting our economy growing and keeping taxes, inflation, and mortgages as low as possible.

As with all taxes, the Government welcomes representations on how the tax system can be improved.

As tax and pay slip processes cover a significant range of HMRC activity, HMRC have not been able to provide a specific impact assessment for individuals with dyscalculia.

The HMRC Charter and Principles of support set out HMRC’s commitments to identifying and supporting all customers who need extra help. The need for extra help can cover a range of circumstances which could include individuals with dyscalculia.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for regulating the consumer credit market. It is part of a robust regulatory system which is driving the Government’s vision for a well-functioning and sustainable consumer credit market that meets consumers’ needs.

Prior to entering into an agreement, a firm must provide a consumer with a range of information, allowing them to compare the features of different credit products, and to ensure they understand the key terms of the agreement they are entering into. This includes Adequate Explanations required by FCA rules, as well as Pre-Contractual Credit Information set out in the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

Lenders are also required to adhere to rules and guidelines set out in the FCA’s Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC) on responsible lending. These rules are based on the principle that money should only be lent in circumstances where it is affordable and appropriate for the consumers’ needs. Such rules mandate firms to undertake affordability and creditworthiness assessments against consumers to assess their ability to repay the credit without causing financial difficulty.

You may also be interested to know that the Government is committed to reforming the Consumer Credit Act 1974 to make it fit for purpose and bolster consumer protection. As part of this, the Government will consider how to ensure consumers are better informed about the costs and conditions of credit products and can make informed decisions. The government will be publishing proposals in due course.