Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support veterans into suitable employment.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

This Government is committed to ensuring that veterans and their families are fully supported in transitioning to sustainable careers post military service.

A range of support is available, including the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), which is the initial point of provision for those transitioning into civilian life. The CTP offers assistance to individuals seeking employment for up to two years pre leaving service and for two years post service.

For veterans who are more than two years post-service, as well as their families, additional support is provided through Op ASCEND. This initiative has already successfully supported 5,000 veterans and family members and engaged with over 420 employers to create employment opportunities.

These core programmes form part of a suite of wider initiatives, which include pathways for veterans gaining employment in the Civil Service, and 12 months National Insurance relief for employers who hire veterans in their first role post-service.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the hospitality sector in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government recognises the significant pressures facing hospitality businesses, including those in North East Somerset and Hanham, and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures.

We’ve introduced permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million annually, benefitting over 750,000 properties. The new relief rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap so all qualifying properties will benefit.

The Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.

We’re also investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency last reviewed the driving test questions relating to (a) horse riders (b) cyclists and (c) motorcyclists.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) regularly reviews the driving theory test questions to ensure they remain clear, relevant and effective in assessing candidates’ road safety knowledge and understanding. This includes the questions about how to drive safely to protect vulnerable road users such as horse riders, cyclists and motorcyclists.

In addition, the CGI video hazard perception part of the driving theory test includes hazards involving horse riders, cyclists and motorcyclists. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to identify developing hazards in good time.

Every theory test candidate is exposed to both questions and hazard clips on these topics.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support the life sciences sector.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This summer the Government published the Life Sciences Sector Plan, setting out how we will strengthen one of the UK’s most important sectors. The Plan focuses on enabling world-class R&D, making the UK an outstanding place to start, scale and invest in life sciences, and driving healthcare innovation and reform. Backed by up to £2 billion of public investment alongside funding from UKRI and NIHR, the UK is already securing multibillion-pound private investment, expanding manufacturing, streamlining regulation and clinical trials, and building new research infrastructure. The recent UK-US trade deal on pharmaceuticals will also ensure that British-based pharmaceutical and medical technology firms have the lowest-tariff access to the US market in the world, a major competitive advantage. The deal will also allow more NHS patients to access cutting edge new innovations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures she is taking to improve access in schools to music, sport, art and drama for all children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to ensuring that high quality arts, music and physical education is not for the privileged few but an entitlement for all. We will ensure that the reformed national curriculum will support access to art and design, music and physical education, as well as access to drama within English. We will also ensure GCSEs in arts subjects and physical education are inclusive and fit for purpose.

Next year, we will launch the procurement of a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education and a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network to support excellent teaching, strengthen partnerships between schools and national and local organisations, and promote arts and sporting opportunities for children and young people. In addition, the government has already committed £76 million for the Music Hubs grant this academic year, with future funding to be announced in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures she is taking to ensure the national curriculum equips children with the skills they will need with the increasing influence of AI.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report on 5 November, we have accepted the recommendations for computing and will go further by including artificial intelligence (AI) within the curriculum. We are also exploring a potential level 3 qualification in data science and AI. This will empower students to harness the opportunities of AI, whilst navigating its risks responsibly.

We will work with subject experts to embed AI and issues like bias in technology within the refreshed computing curriculum in an age-appropriate way. Content will be shaped through expert engagement, with a public consultation on draft proposals next year.

To support the teaching of AI now, the department-funded National Centre for Computing Education offers free online courses for teachers on machine learning, ethics and generative AI. In July, the government also published updated relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance introducing new content on AI which will be mandatory from 1 September 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of how many farms in Somerset and Gloucestershire use farrowing crates in pig production.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

No such estimate has been made for Somerset and Gloucestershire, but 50% of the national sow breeding herd give birth freely on outdoor units, with no option for confinement. Of the 50% of breeding sows kept indoors, approximately 42% are confined in farrowing crates from around five days before they are due to give birth, until the piglets are weaned at approximately 28 days of age.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on increasing skills via apprenticeships, technical colleges and regional training programmes.

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

The government is transforming apprenticeships into a new growth and skills offer, providing greater flexibility for employers and learners while supporting the industrial strategy. In August, new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors and shorter-duration options were introduced to help more people gain high-quality skills and drive business innovation.

The government has also launched 10 construction technical excellence colleges (TECs) and will expand the programme to clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and defence. Selection for these TECs begins by the end of 2025, with delivery from April 2026.

Providers nationwide are funded to develop training aligned with local needs. In 2025/26, 67% of the £1.44 billion adult skills fund was devolved to 13 strategic authorities for locally tailored provision.

Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) unite employers, educators, and leaders to match local skills provision to demand. The Business West Chamber of Commerce leads the West of England and North Somerset LSIP.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made on phasing out the use of farrowing crates in pig production.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield, PQ UIN 41698.

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 early diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in primary care in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Action includes the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board providing £1.8 million to support hypertension services. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Implementation is continuing this year, in 2025/26, and includes partnership working with community pharmacy to case find undiagnosed hypertension. £30,000 of the funding has also been invested to increase the uptake and quality of the national Blood Pressure Community Pharmacy service.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on reducing waiting times for children requiring speech and language therapy.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Community health services, including children’s speech and language therapy, are locally commissioned to enable systems to best meet the needs of their communities.

For 2026/27 we have asked systems to actively manage long waits for community health services, including reducing the proportion of waits over 18 weeks, developing a plan to eliminate all 52-week waits, and increasing community health services capacity to meet growth in demand, expected to be approximately 3% nationally per year.

NHS England is working with the Department for Education to identify and support children with speech, language, and communication needs by co-funding pathfinder sites to deliver the Early Language Support for Every Child programme.

The programme aims to identify and support children and young people in early years and primary school settings with mild to moderate speech, language, and communication needs, reducing the rate of specialist referrals, and increasing workforce capacity through innovative workforce models.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the resilience of rail networks during periods of extreme winter weather.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Department officials hold regular discussions with Network Rail and the industry to ensure severe weather preparedness plans are in place with clear mitigations to reduce the impacts of weather on the rail network. The industry’s winter preparedness regime begins in September each year.

Special trains and equipment are fully checked and any repairs carried out, while contingency plans are reviewed and agreed with train operators to keep passengers moving during adverse weather. Network Rail uses detailed forecasts from weather experts, MetDesk, to formulate local action plans during adverse weather to minimise disruption to journeys. These forecasts cover not just the weather but how the conditions will impact on specific railway infrastructure such as the tracks, conductor rails, and overhead power lines.

A network of hundreds of monitoring stations also provides real-time weather data, enabling Network Rail to respond to conditions as they develop in real time. In extreme weather conditions, Network Rail and train operators prioritise getting passengers home safely over running the normal timetable. They also prioritise vital rail freight to ensure the supply of essential goods across the country.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it is his policy to reduce average household energy bills by £150 from April 2026 for people who use domestic heating oil.

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

The majority of the savings on the costs of domestic energy bills announced at the budget, including the removal of 75% of the domestic Renewable Obligation, will come off the costs of electricity so will benefit all households.

For the savings announced which will be coming off the gas bill, such as part of the ECO scheme cost, government intends to explore how we can further target these savings at electricity bills, meaning more households benefit. These policy costs do not apply currently to those on domestic heating oil.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the causes of homelessness in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Through our National Plan to End Homelessness the Government is putting prevention at the heart of public services, alongside with actions to address the root causes of homelessness through building more homes, reforming renters’ rights, and tackling poverty.

Local councils are at the front line of the response to homelessness and must lead the way in putting prevention at the core of their services. The Government has increased funding for homelessness services this year to over £1 billion, including a £50 million top-up to the Homelessness Prevention Grant announced on 11 December 2025. You can find allocations here.

We are also investing £3.5 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next three years, through more flexible multi-year funding arrangements that enable councils to invest more in prevention.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support tech start-up companies to scale up in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This Government is committed to removing barriers to growth for scaleups across the UK – ensuring the UK is one of the best places for tech to start, scale and stay.

We are strengthening regional tech ecosystems through the Regional Tech Booster, a programme supporting startups and accelerating tech clusters beyond London. Furthermore, regions across the UK, including the West of England, can bid for up to £20 million via our Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) - a new £500 million UKRI-led programme to grow regional strengths.

More broadly, we are supporting the sector through venture capital schemes, R&D tax reliefs, targeted visa routes, the AI Opportunities Action Plan and streamlining regulation to support innovation. Through the Budget, we are investing in skills, compute, and designated AI Growth Zones; on R&D, we are committing £38.6bn to UKRI over five years; and powering entrepreneurship with the Entrepreneurship Prospectus, Enterprise Fellowships, and Innovate UK’s £130m Growth Catalyst. We are unlocking finance via pension and capital‑markets reforms, while the British Business Bank increases annual investment to £2.5bn and commits £5bn to growth‑stage funds.

Together, these measures set out a comprehensive, long‑term plan backed by record funding, to support growth across the whole UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s report Scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain: 2024, published on 23 October 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the increase in procedures involving sheep each year since 2021.

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

The Home Office regulates under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) to assure compliance with the robust protections afforded to animals used in science and to administrate the licensing framework. Licences to test on animals are only granted where applicants comply with the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement. Animals can only be used where there is no non-animal alternative, numbers are minimised, and where the most refined methods of testing are used to minimise harms.

The majority of procedures involving sheep each year are conducted for basic research purposes. The trends in the number of animals and types of procedures carried out each year are influenced by a range of extraneous factors, for example requirements for research and testing which include products being brought to market.

The Government has published the strategy, "Replacing animals in science, a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods". The strategy seeks to accelerate the development and validation of alternatives to animals in science in all but exceptional circumstances The strategy is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deleted-replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methods

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many (a) ex-miner workers and (b) their families will receive an uplift in their pensions due to changes in the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

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

As of 30 October 2024, there were 4 BCSSS members in North East Somerset and Hanham. We do not have the breakdown between former miners and dependants.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to prevent British-owned companies from selling holidays that promote trophy hunting.

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

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, which is the most effective approach the Government can take on this matter. The department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.