Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the West of England Mayoral Strategic Authority since May 2025 on the reopening of Saltford station.

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

The Department has not held any specific discussions with the West of England Combined Authority on the reopening of Saltford station.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what opportunities are provided by his Department in North East Somerset and Hanham to help attract investment in artificial intelligence industries.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Government is working closely with WECA to support the delivery of the West of England Growth Strategy, which sets out both key locations and target sectors, one of which is identified as digital and technology including AI, to attract investment and deliver economic growth. Measures to deliver on the strategy and increase attractiveness to investors of the West of England’s already vibrant economy include the recently announced Future Places Fund, to which Government has contributed £65m.

The Government's support for AI businesses is UK wide, and we are determined that the benefits of AI are felt in every part of the country. The Office for Investment’s Venture Capital Unit connects UK AI companies with international investors to help them scale. Through our Sovereign AI Fund, backed by £500 million, we invest directly in and support strategically important British AI companies, and Innovate UK's £130 million Growth Catalyst provides grants.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions were held with President Trump at the G7 Summit on support for Ukraine.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

Leaders discussed support for Ukraine during the G7 Summit in June. The US, alongside the UK and G7 partners, published a statement in support for Ukraine, where leaders agreed to increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities. The full statement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g7-leaders-statement-on-geopolitical-issues-17-june-2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to extend the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 to cover pet sitters who care for animals in the owner's home and commercial dog walkers.

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

Anyone responsible for an animal, including pet sitters and dog walkers, is required to comply with the Animal Welfare Act. The Act places a duty of care on those responsible for animals and provides authorities with powers to investigate and take action where welfare standards have not been met.

The Canine and Feline Sector Group (CFSG) has published guidance to assist commercial dog walkers in ensuring the welfare of animals in their care.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria the Animals in Science Regulation Unit uses to determine that a non-animal method is not scientifically satisfactory before granting an animal project licence under ASPA 1986, particularly for acute toxicity endpoints where validated NAMs already exist; and whether those individual assessments can be made available to independent scientific scrutiny without violating Section 24.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government’s first responsibility is to protect public health. Animals continue to play an important role in research and safety testing where no scientifically satisfactory alternative exists, helping to ensure medicines and other products are safe. At the same time, the Government is determined to phase out the use of animals wherever scientifically possible.

Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, a project licence cannot be granted where the scientific objective can be achieved using a scientifically satisfactory method or testing strategy that does not involve protected animals. This requirement supports both robust protection of human and animal health and the Government’s commitment to replace the use of animals wherever scientifically possible.

Applicants must demonstrate how they have considered replacement, reduction and refinement, including the non-animal methods and testing strategies available. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) assesses each application on its merits, considering whether an alternative is relevant to the substance, endpoint and route of exposure; falls within its validated applicability domain; is sufficiently reliable and reproducible; is accepted for the relevant scientific or regulatory purpose; and, alone or as part of an integrated testing strategy, can provide the evidence needed to achieve the project’s objective. The existence of a validated new approach methodology does not necessarily mean that it is suitable for every acute toxicity question. However, where a scientifically satisfactory non-animal method or testing strategy can achieve the proposed purpose, animal use cannot be authorised.

The Home Office is committed to transparency and publishes information about licensed activity, including non-technical summaries of project licences. Information in individual licence applications and regulatory assessments may include material protected by section 24 of ASPA, including confidential commercial, safety or security information, and cannot be disclosed unless there is a lawful basis to do so. This does not prevent ASRU from drawing on appropriate independent scientific expertise in carrying out its statutory functions. Any wider external disclosure of an individual assessment would need to be considered case by case within the statutory framework, including whether information could lawfully be provided in an anonymised, aggregated or redacted form.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for elective treatment in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

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

I have nothing to add at this time to the answer provided to the Hon. Member on 6 July to Question 13446.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that regulatory and inspection frameworks for early years settings do not disincentivise childminders from offering care to children of mixed ages within the setting.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Childminders are an essential part of the early education and childcare system, providing flexible, high-quality and affordable provision. The department is working with the sector to expand the number of childminders and make it easier to operate, including through increased funding rates and flexibilities to work, with more time working from non-domestic premises.

The department recognises concerns raised by the sector regarding wellbeing and we know there is still more to be done. We know that children thrive when they are cared for by confident, well-trained educators. This means attracting, training and keeping great staff, as well as making sure they are valued and supported throughout their careers, with more support from day one. The department has also introduced measures intended to support the childminding sector and increase childcare availability, including regulatory flexibilities and other reforms aimed at making childminding more attractive and sustainable.

Childminders can provide care for children over five years old, requiring registration on the General Childcare Register (GCR). For providers who are solely registered on the GCR, Ofsted inspections are a compliance check to make sure providers are meeting the ongoing requirements for registration. These inspections are unlike other Ofsted inspections, which focus on quality and standards of provision. Inspectors check at inspection that a provider complies with the requirements of registration.

The department sets the standards and statutory requirements that all early years providers in England must meet. Ofsted is an independent non-ministerial government department and holds responsibility for inspection and operational impact as the regulator for early years provision.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of current Ofsted inspection requirements and regulation on the retention of childminders offering mixed age care.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Childminders are an essential part of the early education and childcare system, providing flexible, high-quality and affordable provision. The department is working with the sector to expand the number of childminders and make it easier to operate, including through increased funding rates and flexibilities to work, with more time working from non-domestic premises.

The department recognises concerns raised by the sector regarding wellbeing and we know there is still more to be done. We know that children thrive when they are cared for by confident, well-trained educators. This means attracting, training and keeping great staff, as well as making sure they are valued and supported throughout their careers, with more support from day one. The department has also introduced measures intended to support the childminding sector and increase childcare availability, including regulatory flexibilities and other reforms aimed at making childminding more attractive and sustainable.

Childminders can provide care for children over five years old, requiring registration on the General Childcare Register (GCR). For providers who are solely registered on the GCR, Ofsted inspections are a compliance check to make sure providers are meeting the ongoing requirements for registration. These inspections are unlike other Ofsted inspections, which focus on quality and standards of provision. Inspectors check at inspection that a provider complies with the requirements of registration.

The department sets the standards and statutory requirements that all early years providers in England must meet. Ofsted is an independent non-ministerial government department and holds responsibility for inspection and operational impact as the regulator for early years provision.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reduced availability of mixed age childminding provision on parents with more than one child.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Childminders are an essential part of the early education and childcare system, providing flexible, high-quality and affordable provision. The department is working with the sector to expand the number of childminders and make it easier to operate, including through increased funding rates and flexibilities to work, with more time working from non-domestic premises.

The department recognises concerns raised by the sector regarding wellbeing and we know there is still more to be done. We know that children thrive when they are cared for by confident, well-trained educators. This means attracting, training and keeping great staff, as well as making sure they are valued and supported throughout their careers, with more support from day one. The department has also introduced measures intended to support the childminding sector and increase childcare availability, including regulatory flexibilities and other reforms aimed at making childminding more attractive and sustainable.

Childminders can provide care for children over five years old, requiring registration on the General Childcare Register (GCR). For providers who are solely registered on the GCR, Ofsted inspections are a compliance check to make sure providers are meeting the ongoing requirements for registration. These inspections are unlike other Ofsted inspections, which focus on quality and standards of provision. Inspectors check at inspection that a provider complies with the requirements of registration.

The department sets the standards and statutory requirements that all early years providers in England must meet. Ofsted is an independent non-ministerial government department and holds responsibility for inspection and operational impact as the regulator for early years provision.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve maternity and neonatal care at the Royal United Hospitals Bath.

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

The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust is working to the requirements of NHS England’s Maternity and Neonatal 10-Point Plan (10PP) and has undertaken a multidisciplinary baseline assessment confirming that core safety and governance arrangements are in place. An improvement plan is being developed to address the outstanding requirements of the 10PP.

The trust is also reviewing its maternity and neonatal services against the Thirlwall Inquiry findings. Seven early actions have been identified, with named leads, clear milestones, and established governance oversight. The trust board will review the local Thirlwall assurance position in December 2026, including any further action required.

In addition, the trust is strengthening the analysis of outcomes and experiences by ethnicity and deprivation, preparing to participate in NHS England’s Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme from January 2027, and working to implement the Maternal Care Bundle by March 2027.

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 adequacy of statutory funding for adult hospices and what steps she is taking to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the hospice sector.

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

The data requested is not centrally held, but on the wider issue raised, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 13 July in response to Question 16185, which sets out the steps that the Government is taking to support hospices throughout England.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what provisions are in place to help ensure children who arrive by bus at school are able to arrive in time to benefit from free breakfast club provision.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

​​This government is committed to delivering a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils, including special schools and alternative provision. Over 2,700 schools are now delivering clubs, reaching around 680,000 children.

​​Schools and local authorities are working together to help pupils using home-to-school transport access free breakfast clubs.

​Where transport timings prevent a pupil from attending, schools are encouraged to work with their local authority to find out if it is possible to adjust timings or find a suitable alternative arrangement.

​​Expert advisers are available to help schools build on existing childcare provision and use programme flexibilities so that pupils and families do not miss out.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of commissioned hospice in-patient beds that are unavailable because of funding pressures and what can be done to get these beds back in use.

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

The data requested is not centrally held, but on the wider issue raised, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 13 July in response to Question 16185, which sets out the steps that the Government is taking to support hospices throughout England.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made on extending gigabit capable broadband coverage in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

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

Around 88% of premises in North East Somerset and Hanham can access a gigabit-capable broadband connection (Ofcom Connected Nations, Spring 2026).

To extend this further, more than 1,130 premises in the constituency have been included in Project Gigabit cross-regional contracts being delivered by Openreach. Approximately 270 of these premises can now access a gigabit-capable connection, with further delivery continuing under the contracts up until 2030.

In addition, over 2,620 premises in the constituency have benefited from completed Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme projects, helping to extend gigabit-capable broadband coverage in harder-to-reach areas.

We are also continuously monitoring suppliers’ commercial rollout plans and data to identify areas that may be at risk of missing out on gigabit-capable broadband. Where such areas are identified and meet the relevant criteria, we work with suppliers to consider bringing premises into existing or future Project Gigabit contracts, helping to ensure as many premises as possible can benefit from gigabit-capable connectivity.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Office for Budgetary Responsibility on public borrowing.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Chancellor engages regularly with the OBR’s Budget Responsibility Committee, including in preparation for fiscal events. The OBR publishes a log of substantive contact between the OBR and Ministers and their Special Advisers, alongside its Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of local infrastructure to support new housing developments like those at the former Grange school site in Warmley, and what guidance is given to local councils on assessing infrastructure impact when approving developments of this scale.

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

I refer the hon. Member to policies HC1(2) and PM12 of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support homelessness organisations to develop and deliver affordable housing and cross service support for survivors of domestic abuse.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Government is committed to preventing homelessness due to domestic abuse and supporting victims where possible, as part of its ambitions to end homelessness and rough sleeping, and to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

As set out in our National Plan to End Homelessness, we are developing a toolkit to support councils to prevent homelessness due to domestic abuse, including by helping survivors remain safely in their homes where this is appropriate and the victim’s choice, through sanctuary schemes with trauma-informed support.

Where remaining at home is not a safe and suitable option, Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 requires Tier 1 local authorities in England to assess the need for, and commission, support for victims and their children in safe accommodation. We are providing £499 million from April 2026 to March 2029 to support councils to fulfil these duties.

MHCLG continues to work with local authorities and the domestic abuse sector to consider how the Part 4 duty interacts with wider housing duties.

The Government is also investing £39 billion through the 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme, through which we want to see increased supply of supported housing, including transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic abuse.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve the early diagnosis of prostate cancer amongst men aged under 60.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 July in response to Question 17458.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress she has made in increasing the level of NHS dentistry provision in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency in the past 12 months.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the Hon Member’s constituency, and across the rest of England, we are committed to increasing access to dental treatment for those in greatest need, as set out in the reform programme published last December, and available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-boost-for-millions-of-nhs-dental-patients

The latest NHS Dental Statistics show continued improvement across a range of key measures, with more National Health Service dental care being delivered, more dentists providing NHS services, improved access for patients, increased preventative care for children, and record levels of urgent dental activity. The publication of the annual dental statistics, which include statistics at regional level, can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202526

Funding for preventative dental health programmes, including supervised toothbrushing and wider oral health improvement in the Hon Member’s constituency and elsewhere in England, is available through the Public Health Grant. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2026-to-2027

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help improve flood resilience for agricultural land in Somerset and Gloucestershire.

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

This Government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new and repair existing flood defences, protecting communities across England, including agricultural land. In June the Government announced £50 million to boost flood resilience in Somerset, helping them to manage the unique risks associated with the low-lying landscape.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce a national register of people convicted of animal welfare offences that pet owners and businesses can check before engaging a pet care provider.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the response provided on 23 June 2026 to PQ UIN 10958.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111640 on Western Forest, whether monitoring of tree survival has commenced; what data her Department holds on survival rates for newly planted trees in that forest; and when she plans to publish that data.

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

Following the first year of tree planting the Western Forest has agreed a standardised methodology for tree survival, and will carry out an assessment of tree survival from Spring 2027. Based on preliminary site surveys there is currently an estimated 30% mortality rate of Western Forest from the first year of planting. This estimate is above the 20% mortality rate factored into tree planting and reflects the challenging conditions nationwide in 2026. Trees lost will be restocked.

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 plans to take following the consultation on tail docking and castration in lambs.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 July 2026 to the Hon. Member for North East Somerset and Hanham.

We will continue to work in partnership with farmers, vets and industry to progress and develop the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, focusing public funding where it can have the greatest positive impact.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve rail reliability and capacity on services connecting Bristol, Keynsham and Bath.

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

The Government recognises the importance of the rail corridor connecting Bristol, Keynsham and Bath and is working closely with Great Western Railway and Network Rail to improve reliability and capacity for passengers. This includes measures to improve operational performance, continued investment in infrastructure renewal and maintenance, and the introduction of additional rolling stock across the Great Western network to strengthen resilience and increase capacity. The Government will continue to work with industry partners to deliver a more reliable railway and improve connectivity across the region.