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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allocating a separate ballot box for each polling district in Local and General Elections in England.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

The allocation of ballot boxes is an operational matter for Returning Officers, who are independent statutory officers responsible for the conduct of elections. They make decisions on the number, location and use of ballot boxes based on local circumstances,

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterpart regarding the unrest and internet shutdown in Azad Kashmir.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is concerned by developments in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, including reports of loss of life of both security personnel and civilians. We recognise that restricted internet and mobile data services in the region will be causing concern for diaspora communities in the UK, particularly those with family members in the area. The safety of British nationals is our top priority. On 6 June 2026, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office updated its travel advice to advise against all but essential travel to the region. Our consular staff stand ready to provide assistance to any British nationals who require it. We continue to monitor the situation closely and remain in touch with local authorities. I discussed the situation with Pakistani counterparts during my visit to Islamabad in June 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the road safety risk posed by drivers who continue to hold a valid driving entitlement while having accumulated 12 or more penalty points for speeding offences.

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

Where a driving licence holder has accumulated 12 or more penalty points, a court can exercise its discretion and decide not to disqualify them.

Courts may allow drivers to retain their entitlement to drive where it is considered that disqualification would cause exceptional hardship. These decisions are for the courts, not the Department for Transport.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the penalty points system in deterring repeat speeding offenders.

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

The Department for Transport does not hold an estimate of the number of speeding offenders who go on to commit additional motoring offences. The Home Office, which publishes statistics on roads policing, has confirmed that this information is not held.

The penalty points system is designed to act as a deterrent. Penalty points are applied for a range of motoring offences, including speeding, and accumulate on a driver’s record. Drivers who reach 12 or more points within a three-year period are liable for disqualification.

Department for Transport research published in 2008 examined whether the threat of disqualification deterred drivers from speeding and found that it did. The research indicated that the threat of disqualification was effective, with relatively low reconviction rates, and suggested it may be a stronger deterrent than disqualification alone.

This cumulative approach over a three year period is intended to provide a longer lasting deterrent to repeat offending, across a variety of motoring offences, including speeding.

The Department keeps the motoring offences framework under review to ensure it remains effective in promoting road safety.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of speeding offenders who commit additional motoring offences.

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

The Department for Transport does not hold an estimate of the number of speeding offenders who go on to commit additional motoring offences. The Home Office, which publishes statistics on roads policing, has confirmed that this information is not held.

The penalty points system is designed to act as a deterrent. Penalty points are applied for a range of motoring offences, including speeding, and accumulate on a driver’s record. Drivers who reach 12 or more points within a three-year period are liable for disqualification.

Department for Transport research published in 2008 examined whether the threat of disqualification deterred drivers from speeding and found that it did. The research indicated that the threat of disqualification was effective, with relatively low reconviction rates, and suggested it may be a stronger deterrent than disqualification alone.

This cumulative approach over a three year period is intended to provide a longer lasting deterrent to repeat offending, across a variety of motoring offences, including speeding.

The Department keeps the motoring offences framework under review to ensure it remains effective in promoting road safety.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed reforms to Stocks and Shares ISAs, including the proposed taxation of interest earned on cash held within such accounts, on (a) retail investors, (b) long-term savings behaviour and (c) confidence in the ISA system; and what steps she is taking to ensure that investors who temporarily hold cash as part of an investment strategy are not disadvantaged.

Answered by Rachel Blake

At Autumn Budget 2025, the Chancellor announced a reduction in the Cash Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) limit for those under 65, to encourage retail investment and drive better returns for savers.

Rules are needed to protect the integrity of the new Cash ISA limit. We have designed the rules to be as simple as possible for providers and consumers, and to retain maximum flexibility for consumers to build an investment portfolio that works for them.

Returns from investing remain tax free. Investors will still be able to hold cash in a non Cash ISA, but a flat rate charge will apply on any interest on cash held within a non Cash ISA to discourage long-term cash holdings.

A flat rate charge on interest on cash holdings in S&S ISAs was previously in operation prior to 1 July 2014.

The Government continues to support cash saving with a generous set of reliefs. Individuals under 65 will still be able to save up to £12,000 into a Cash ISA each year, and any savings income received in a Cash ISA will be tax free. Provisional figures for the average Cash ISA subscription in 2023/24 are £6993.

Outside of the ISA regime, there is a Personal Savings Allowance of up to £1,000 for basic rate taxpayers and £500 for higher rate taxpayers, and the Starting Rate for Savings, which allows for tax free savings income of up to £5,000 for those with earned income below £17,570. This means that in 2026-27 around 84 per cent of people with savings income will pay no tax on that income.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools, parents and pupils have clear information on whether schools are meeting the School Food Standards once the updated standards are introduced.

Answered by Olivia Bailey

Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for maintained schools, academies and free schools.

The department is strengthening accountability by making school food more transparent to parents and the community, and by proposing a named lead governor responsible for holding leadership to account where standards are not met.

The department is working with a range of stakeholders on appropriate standards of accountability as we develop the final standards.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the Primary PE and Sport Premium on (a) schools' ability to deliver high-quality physical education, (b) participation in competitive school sport and (c) access to specialist coaching and local school sport partnerships; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that primary schools do not experience a reduction in sporting opportunities during the transition to the new funding arrangements.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Leeds North East to the answer of 26 June 2026 to Question 11062.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support inclusive and representative governance in Syria, and how Freedom of Religion or Belief is being embedded within the UK’s human rights and conflict policy towards Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 22 June in response to Question 10866.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of weekend and out-of-hours provision for death certification by GPs, Medical Examiner services and registrar services; and what steps he is taking to ensure timely and consistent access for bereaved families.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The process of death certification and registration is complex, and no single department has policy and operational responsibility.

Alignment is needed, including the availability of the medical practitioner who attended the deceased, the medical examiner who scrutinises the proposed cause of death, and finally the Registrar who registers the death. The availability of general practitioners is not controlled by the Department, it is determined by local National Health Service arrangements, and the General Register Office is responsible for the availability of registrars.

The National Medical Examiner provides guidance to medical examiner offices for weekend and public holiday cover and urgent release of a body in circumstances where a bereaved families may have particular reasons to request urgent release of the deceased’s body for burial. The National Medical Examiner annual report for 2025 demonstrates the improving resilience in the system, with medical examiner offices in England reporting they were able to facilitate requests for rapid scrutiny in approximately 90% of requests. The medical examiner system has reduced inappropriate referrals to the coroner and the rate of postmortems, both of which can add significant additional time until burial.

Responsibility for ensuring that medical examiner services respond to local needs sits with trusts. Arrangements should reflect local health priorities and the needs of communities, particularly if there is regular demand for the urgent release of bodies at weekends and public holidays.

The Department is monitoring the introduction and implementation of the death certification reforms and continues work to drive improvement.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to update the Equality Act to enshrine the rights of the trans community in law.

Answered by Olivia Bailey

Trans people remain fully protected from unlawful discrimination and harassment by the Equality Act 2010 under the protected characteristic of gender reassignment. We are proud of the Act.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made towards issuing a formal public apology to those affected by historic forced adoption practices in England.

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

On 2 July, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister issued a formal apology on behalf of the state for historical forced adoption practices in England.

The government recognises that these practices caused deep and lasting harm to many mothers, adopted people and families. The apology acknowledged the role of the state and some public institutions in systems that failed to protect and support mothers, children and families, and recognised the many women were denied genuine choice.

On the same day, the government responded to the Education Select Committee’s recommendations, setting out practical action to support those affected. This includes improving access to adoption records, strengthening intermediary and reconnection services, improving recognition and signposting within health services, and ensuring lived experience continues to inform delivery.

The department will take this work forward with the care, respect and seriousness it deserves.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ending entitlement to free school milk on a child’s fifth birthday rather than at the end of the reception year on children, and if she will consider extending eligibility to cover all children in reception.

Answered by Olivia Bailey

I refer the hon. Member for Leeds North East to the answer of 23 June 2026 to Question 9524.

Found: Fabian Hamilton made representations.