Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the criteria used by LINK when determining whether a community should receive a banking hub; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that communities which have lost access to high street banking services are able to access face-to-face banking.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Under the statutory access to cash regime, LINK is the coordination body for cash access arrangements and undertakes cash access assessments. Where an assessment identifies a gap, LINK determines the additional cash access service required, which may include a banking hub.

When asked to carry out a cash access assessment, LINK takes into consideration a wide range of criteria, including those unique to each location, such as the size and vulnerability of the population, existing and remaining cash access facilities and the number of shops. Specifically, LINK takes into consideration population demographics, public transport links and whether it is reasonable for people to travel to nearby facilities, including the actual travel distance. LINK uses a catchment area of 3 miles in rural locations and 1 mile in urban areas and considers if there is a significant impact on nearby towns

Where a resident, community organisation or other interested party feels access to cash in their community is insufficient, they can submit a request for a cash access assessment. LINK’s access to cash assessment process can be found on its website. If LINK determines that no further cash solutions are required, any member of the public can ask LINK to review their decision within 28 days of the original assessment, stressing their concerns. If the member of the public remains dissatisfied after this step, the matter may be referred to the Independent Assessor.

There are currently no existing legislative or regulatory protections for the provision of access to in-person banking services. That is why on 14 May, the Government commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services to assess the impact of changes in the provision of in-person banking services. The Review will examine whether changes to access to in person banking services are causing consumer detriment and the scale of any detriment. Alongside the Review, the Financial Services and Markets Bill includes a power to allow the Government to take action in future to protect access to banking services, should this be necessary. This power ensures the Government can act swiftly and proportionately, including through future regulation, if the evidence from the Review supports intervention.

The Government understands the importance of banking services to communities, including those in rural and coastal areas and market towns, and continues to work closely with industry to support the roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 280 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 240 are already open across the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what alternative routes are available to communities following a decision by LINK not to recommend a banking hub for their area.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Under the statutory access to cash regime, LINK is the coordination body for cash access arrangements and undertakes cash access assessments. Where an assessment identifies a gap, LINK determines the additional cash access service required, which may include a banking hub.

When asked to carry out a cash access assessment, LINK takes into consideration a wide range of criteria, including those unique to each location, such as the size and vulnerability of the population, existing and remaining cash access facilities and the number of shops. Specifically, LINK takes into consideration population demographics, public transport links and whether it is reasonable for people to travel to nearby facilities, including the actual travel distance. LINK uses a catchment area of 3 miles in rural locations and 1 mile in urban areas and considers if there is a significant impact on nearby towns

Where a resident, community organisation or other interested party feels access to cash in their community is insufficient, they can submit a request for a cash access assessment. LINK’s access to cash assessment process can be found on its website. If LINK determines that no further cash solutions are required, any member of the public can ask LINK to review their decision within 28 days of the original assessment, stressing their concerns. If the member of the public remains dissatisfied after this step, the matter may be referred to the Independent Assessor.

There are currently no existing legislative or regulatory protections for the provision of access to in-person banking services. That is why on 14 May, the Government commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services to assess the impact of changes in the provision of in-person banking services. The Review will examine whether changes to access to in person banking services are causing consumer detriment and the scale of any detriment. Alongside the Review, the Financial Services and Markets Bill includes a power to allow the Government to take action in future to protect access to banking services, should this be necessary. This power ensures the Government can act swiftly and proportionately, including through future regulation, if the evidence from the Review supports intervention.

The Government understands the importance of banking services to communities, including those in rural and coastal areas and market towns, and continues to work closely with industry to support the roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 280 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 240 are already open across the UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of post-16 education and training provision for young people with SEND; and and what steps her Department is taking to increase access to specialist pathways including supported apprenticeships.

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

The government recognises that outcomes for too many young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) remain below those of their peers, including in progressing into sustained education, employment and training after age 16.

The SEND reform consultation, ‘Putting Children and Young People First’, noted that the likelihood of young people with SEND sustaining participation in education, employment or training has not meaningfully improved, despite significant increases in SEND funding, and identified variation in the quality and consistency of support available across the system.

The government has therefore committed to strengthening support across the 0 to 25 system, including a stronger emphasis on employment outcomes, better use of vocational pathways, supported internships and apprenticeships, and improved identification of SEND at any age. The consultation proposes a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, giving mainstream early years, school and further education settings access to specialist support without requiring an education, health and care plan.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that regulations for e-scooters include effective measures to limit their speed and enable offending vehicles and riders to be identified.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has made a firm commitment to pursue legislative reform for micromobility vehicles such as e-scooters when parliamentary time allows.

The Government will consult on detailed proposals for e-scooters in the next year and will be using the findings of the e-scooter trials to ensure that we understand how best to regulate e-scooters when the time comes, including on permitted speed and identification of riders and vehicles.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase levels of early identification of mental health needs in schools, colleges, universities and workplaces.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is taking steps to support earlier identification of mental health needs across education and workplaces. In schools and colleges, mental health support teams work with education staff to identify emerging needs and help children and young people access support sooner. In universities and workplaces, we continue to promote approaches that equip staff to recognise signs of poor mental health and signpost people to appropriate support. Our forthcoming Mental Health Strategy will set out how we will transform mental health care into a system that responds and intervenes earlier, looking beyond the National Health Service to the role of schools, workplaces, local government, and the voluntary sector.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of bus service reliability on access to employment and education opportunities; and what steps is her Department is taking to strengthen public transport connectivity for communities including the Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency.

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

We know that convenient, reliable and affordable transport is essential for giving people the access to education, training and employment that they need to succeed. We are providing significant investment to improve local transport across England and are reforming public transport through the Railways Bill and the Bus Services Act 2025. This includes protections from bus routes being scrapped at short notice.

Gloucestershire County Council has been allocated £25.2 million from 2026/27 to 2028/29 in Local Authority Bus Grant funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, including expanding services and improving reliability.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of regional trends in the levels of access to apprenticeships for people aged 16 to 24.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is investing £2.5 billion by 2029 through the Youth Guarantee and the additional funding for the Growth and Skills Levy, creating opportunities for young people to access work, training and apprenticeships.

We are now fully funding apprenticeships for all eligible young people aged under 25. and introducing a £2,000 hiring payment for non-levy paying employers (typically SMEs) that recruit apprentices under 25 from October, as we support up to 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships.

Apprenticeship starts by region and age group, including 16-24 year olds, are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication on a quarterly basis, which can be accessed at: Release home - Apprenticeships - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure NHS staff are supported through bank and agency arrangements that may offer different lower pay and different conditions.

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

No such assessment has been made. The 2025/26 planning guidance requires National Health Service providers to reduce bank expenditure by a further 10%. Bank expenditure limits have also been set for the next three years, requiring reductions of between 7.5% and 15% a year.

NHS England is developing further guidance to support NHS organisations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their staff banks. This includes consideration of bank pay alignment, local policies, and arrangements to support a consistent and sustainable approach to bank working.

These national requirements do not prescribe the contractual arrangements individual NHS organisations should use to achieve these reductions. Bank and agency arrangements, including rates of pay and terms and conditions, remain subject to local decision making.

Bank contracts are locally agreed and subject to individual NHS organisation decision making. NHS England does not determine individual trusts’ contractual arrangements with bank providers.

In addition, framework operators provide a further level of scrutiny through their established provider risk and assurance arrangements, including ongoing financial monitoring and contingency arrangements for framework suppliers.

The points raised regarding pensions and the impact on staff relate to local contractual and employment arrangements and would be for the relevant NHS organisation to address.

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 impact of outsourcing staff banks on NHS staff pay, employment terms and access to NHS pension arrangements in the South West.

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

No such assessment has been made. The 2025/26 planning guidance requires National Health Service providers to reduce bank expenditure by a further 10%. Bank expenditure limits have also been set for the next three years, requiring reductions of between 7.5% and 15% a year.

NHS England is developing further guidance to support NHS organisations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their staff banks. This includes consideration of bank pay alignment, local policies, and arrangements to support a consistent and sustainable approach to bank working.

These national requirements do not prescribe the contractual arrangements individual NHS organisations should use to achieve these reductions. Bank and agency arrangements, including rates of pay and terms and conditions, remain subject to local decision making.

Bank contracts are locally agreed and subject to individual NHS organisation decision making. NHS England does not determine individual trusts’ contractual arrangements with bank providers.

In addition, framework operators provide a further level of scrutiny through their established provider risk and assurance arrangements, including ongoing financial monitoring and contingency arrangements for framework suppliers.

The points raised regarding pensions and the impact on staff relate to local contractual and employment arrangements and would be for the relevant NHS organisation to address.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of regional differences in broadband reliability and average download speeds; what steps she is taking to improve digital connectivity for people in the Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency.

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

The Government recognises the important impact of broadband speeds and reliability on economic and social participation. This is why the Government is committed to delivering gigabit coverage to at least 99% of UK premises by 2032.

Compared to broadband delivered through legacy copper networks, gigabit broadband offers faster speeds and improved reliability to future-proof connectivity, ensuring that homes and businesses throughout the UK continue to benefit for decades to come.

We monitor regional differences in broadband coverage through Ofcom’s reporting and as of January 2026, 88% of premises in Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency have access to a gigabit-capable connection, in line with the UK-wide average.

Digital connectivity in the area will continue to improve. Through Project Gigabit, the Government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans, approximately 570 premises in Filton and Bradley Stoke are included within scope of a cross-regional Project Gigabit contract, being delivered by Openreach.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with other Departments on the UK’s response to the disaster in Nepal; and whether additional consular, search-and-rescue or humanitarian assistance is being deployed to support those affected.

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

The UK is engaging closely with the Government of Nepal and a range of international partners, humanitarian organisations and diplomatic missions there, and is working across Government departments in the UK. This included a visit to the country by the Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Baroness Winterton, last week - who met with Nepal's Disaster Management Authority and the UN Resident Coordinator. Effective coordination is essential to ensuring that assistance reaches those affected as quickly as possible. The UK has already announced a £5 million package of lifesaving humanitarian assistance and the deployment of specialist staff to support the response.

The UK deployed a Rapid Deployment Team (RDT) to Nepal to support British nationals and their families affected by the devastating flooding, as well as bringing in additional consular support from the region.

The Government of Nepal is leading the response, and we will be guided by them in determining the most effective support we can provide to the response on the ground.

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 impact of nurse vacancies on the provision of learning disability and mental health services in Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency.

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

Decisions on recruitment and employment are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

Although the funding resource and targets do come from the Department into NHS England, it is the responsibility of NHS England and each integrated care board (ICB) to plan and determine how funding is allocated and spent locally to deliver services within an ICB area, including how this is distributed by ICBs to local ambulance trusts.

This Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department plans to review the current framework governing Sunday working arrangements, including the potential merits of a universal choice-based approach to worker agreement.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Employment Rights Act 1996 currently provides shop and betting employees in Great Britain with a right to opt out of working on Sundays (unless they are employed to work only on Sundays), subject to certain conditions around providing notice. The government has no current plans to make changes to these provisions.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on biodiversity and habitat restoration in the last 12 months.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The 2026 Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) annual progress report, published in July, sets out the progress made on biodiversity and habitat restoration in the previous 12 months. The report shows that over 85% of 308 actions in the EIP were underway as of March 2026. Recently completed EIP actions supporting biodiversity and habitat restoration include extending Countryside Stewardship to support farming and nature recovery (October 2025), designating the new Seven Sisters National Nature Reserve (March 2026) and announcing £47m of new funding to support peatland restoration (June 2026)

An Environment Act Habitat Target evidence report produced by Natural England shows that as of by March 2026, action has been taken to create or restore a cumulative total of 77,638 hectares likely to qualify for meeting habitat targets, an increase from 38,877 hectares as of May 2025.

The latest species abundance indicator, updated in April 2026, based on data until 2024, shows a declining trajectory. However, we are taking action targeted at species, including £60m allocated to projects via the species restoration fund for the period 2026 to 2029, and continued work to support species, including this summer the release of six White tailed Eagles to Exmoor.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what information his Department holds on the number of Post Office branches that have (a) closed and (b) been put at risk because their host retailer has ceased trading in each of the last five years.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government sets requirements for the Post Office network, including minimum geographical access criteria and the overall size of the network. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade regularly monitors Post Office's performance against these requirements and Post Office publishes an annual Network Report setting out its performance against them. The department does not routinely receive information on branches that have closed, or been put at risk because a host retailer has ceased trading. However, Post Office keeps the department informed where there may be a larger number of closures or branches at risk of closure.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that women with suspected endometriosis have access to consistent diagnostic and treatment support; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of developing of a national endometriosis care pathway.

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

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.

We are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for endometriosis. It is unacceptable that women can wait so long for an endometriosis diagnosis and we are taking action to address this.

The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, published in April, identifies endometriosis as a priority condition, where women experience unacceptably long delays to diagnosis, pain being dismissed, and fragmented care.

The strategy commits to speeding up diagnosis and access to treatment for conditions including endometriosis by;

• announcing the investment of an additional £1 million for a new programme to improve education for girls about their menstrual health, and helping them to know when to seek treatment;

• redesigning clinical pathways for heavy periods to reduce repeat appointments, unnecessary referrals, and long waits;

• supporting integrated care boards to introduce single points of access for gynaecology referrals; and

• supporting a shift away from hospital-only care towards neighbourhood community settings.

NHS England is developing a national pelvic pain pathway including endometriosis care for local systems to adapt. This is in addition to pathways on the menopause, heavy menstrual, and urogynaecology. These pathways set out how care should be organised and delivered across self-management, primary care, intermediate, and secondary care services. Systems will be encouraged to adopt these standard pathways as part of implementing a Single Point of Access for gynaecology services and the establishment of more specialist services in the community to complement hospital care. This will help women to get care in the right place more quickly, and will ensure that women who need complex care, such as those with endometriosis, can get this in a timelier way.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department maintains records of deferred Armed Forces pensions that have not been claimed on reaching pension age.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

Yes it does. Should a pension remain unclaimed for 60 days attempts are made to trace an address through a financial tracing company; if the trace is successful, a claim form is issued.

The department relies on Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) scheme members to keep their contact details up to date after leaving service, and the onus remains on members to claim deferred benefits when they become due for payment.

The tracing campaign 'Service to Civvy - Are You Pension Ready?' is aimed at Service Personnel, families and veterans to highlight to those audience groups the importance of keeping their records up to date, notifying the AFPS Scheme administrators of a change of circumstances and applying for their pension at the right time. Details are at the following link:

https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/service-to-civvy-are-you-pension-ready/

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of serious dog attacks on victims, including the physical injuries sustained, psychological harm, loss of employment, financial hardship, and wider detriment to their quality of life.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government recognises the significant impact dog attacks can have on victims and their families.

Defra commissioned the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce to review the available data on dog attacks and their consequences. The taskforce has produced a report, which will be published in due course.

Defra continues to work with the police, animal welfare organisations and other experts to review existing measures that promote responsible dog ownership and safety from dangerous dogs The Government has already acted to improve public safety, including by prohibiting XL Bully type dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. From 1 November 2026, a new child safety measure will also apply to exempted banned breed dogs.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of waiting times for Personal Independence Payment review decisions; and what steps he is taking to reduce delays for claimants in the Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The information is in the table.

Table 1: Clearance times (weeks) for PIP award reviews

Notes:

• Clearance times refer to the time between a review is registered to when it’s cleared.
• Includes normal rules claims under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales, and abroad).

All claims remain in payment whilst award reviews are in progress and award increases identified during a planned review will be backdated as appropriate. Should customers report a change of circumstance and trigger an unplanned review, their claim will be prioritised alongside new claims.

We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal BIndependence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service, which is kept under constant review.

We always aim to make an award review decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to assess all available evidence, including that from the claimant. Most award review decisions are now made without the need for an assessment by a Healthcare Professional, where we have sufficient information, which helps to reduce the time taken to process many cases.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to strengthen the role of Special Education Needs Coordinators in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) play a critical role in schools and will continue to do so in the proposed reformed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. As set out in the SEND reform: putting children and young people first consultation, we want to ensure their expertise is used at a setting level to improve outcomes for all pupils with SEND.

We are considering how best to support SENCOs to carry out their role effectively and reduce existing burdens. We are exploring opportunities to streamline processes, including through digital improvements, set clearer expectations and share responsibility for SEND across the workforce. We anticipate that SENCOs will play a key role in the strategic leadership of SEND and inclusion, working alongside leaders to drive, deliver and embed inclusive practice.

The final shape of the role will be informed by consultation feedback and further work with the sector, and we will revise the mandatory SENCO national professional qualification to ensure that SENCOs are equipped for their new role.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Defence Diplomacy Network funding will support potential defence deals for components and services, as well as platforms, in the Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency and across the country.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Integrated Global Defence Network is our overseas footprint of military and civil service personnel who represent UK Defence around the globe. The Network will seek to further the UK’s international agenda, including exploring growth opportunities.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the British Museum Act 1963 to enable the permanent transfer of objects from the British Museum's collection in exceptional circumstances, including the Parthenon Sculptures.

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

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has made no assessment of the potential merits of amending the British Museum Act 1963. We have no plans to change the law that would permit a permanent move of the Parthenon Sculptures.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of allowing time already spent lawfully living and working in the UK to count towards eligibility for indefinite leave to remain where settlement requirements are subsequently changed.

Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.

The new model will increase the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years. Although not all visa routes lead directly to settlement, under the proposed model, time already spent lawfully in the UK by people in a qualifying route will count towards their qualifying period once the final model is introduced.

Once the Home Secretary has decided the final model, it will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments. These will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to help residents in Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce energy bills, in addition to government action to lower bills directly, ahead of the winter months.

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

The Government's Warm Homes Plan, published earlier this year, represents the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history and includes an offer of support to every type of household.

Low-income households can access fully-funded grant support through the Warm Homes: Local Grant, delivered through local authorities, and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, delivered through social housing providers.

Universal grant support of up to £9,000 is available for heat pump installations through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and the WHP commits to a brand-new scheme offering low interest, government-backed consumer loans backed with £2 billion of public funding.

In terms of bill support, the Government recently cut VAT on electricity bills, meaning prices are around £45 per year lower than they would otherwise have been. That’s on top of the action at last year's Budget to take an average £150 of policy costs off bills, which be factored in for years to come. Additionally, 5.7 million households in Britain will have benefitted from our expanded £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, which we've confirmed will remain in place for the rest of the decade.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people can access essential postal and banking services through face-to-face provision, including when there are closures such as at Morrisons Daily in Downend.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government has set Post Office Ltd a clear direction to maintain a network of at least 11,500 branches and to continue meeting its access criteria, ensuring that people across the UK can access Post Office services locally. Decisions relating to individual Post Office branches are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. In relation to Downend Post Office, the branch operated by Morrisons closed on 15 August 2026. Post Office Ltd has advertised the opportunity and has received expressions of interest from potential operators.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of potential implications of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's updated Code of Practice guidance for the application of the Equality Act 2010 to same-sex couples where one partner is transgender.

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

An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out to inform the Minister for Women and Equalities’ decision on whether to approve the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s updated Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations which can be seen here [link]. The Code is clear that trans people should not be left without services to use.

Trans people in same-sex relationships continue to be protected from unlawful discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation under the Equality Act 2010. Trans people are also protected where they are unlawfully discriminated against because they are perceived to be same-sex attracted.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's updated Code of Practice guidance on the ability of transgender people to access services, including healthcare, housing, social care, domestic violence refuges, community groups, and leisure facilities.

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

An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out to inform the Minister for Women and Equalities’ decision on whether to approve the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s updated Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations which can be seen here [link]. The Code is clear that trans people should not be left without services to use.

Trans people in same-sex relationships continue to be protected from unlawful discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation under the Equality Act 2010. Trans people are also protected where they are unlawfully discriminated against because they are perceived to be same-sex attracted.