Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with sports authorities on ensuring that (a) football-related Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is recognised as a public health issue and (b) appropriate education and guidance is made available to players.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount. National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm.

Mitigating the causes and effects of head injuries in sport is of huge importance to the Government. The Secretary of State for Culture and I have met with affected family members and ex-footballers, including individuals associated with the Football Families for Justice organisation, to discuss player safety and welfare for those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. We heard first-hand about players’ experiences and the views of the group on how safety and welfare at all levels of the sport could be improved.

The Government remains committed to working with sports stakeholders to build on the positive work that is already taking place, including the UK Concussion Guidelines for Grassroots Sport, to ensure that everyone can take part in sport as safely as possible.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will work with sports charities to create a national education programme and slogan to raise awareness of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in football.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount. National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm.

Mitigating the causes and effects of head injuries in sport is of huge importance to the Government. The Secretary of State for Culture and I have met with affected family members and ex-footballers, including individuals associated with the Football Families for Justice organisation, to discuss player safety and welfare for those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. We heard first-hand about players’ experiences and the views of the group on how safety and welfare at all levels of the sport could be improved.

The Government remains committed to working with sports stakeholders to build on the positive work that is already taking place, including the UK Concussion Guidelines for Grassroots Sport, to ensure that everyone can take part in sport as safely as possible.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of football related Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy caused by repetitive head impacts from heading a football.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount. National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm.

Mitigating the causes and effects of head injuries in sport is of huge importance to the Government. The Secretary of State for Culture and I have met with affected family members and ex-footballers, including individuals associated with the Football Families for Justice organisation, to discuss player safety and welfare for those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. We heard first-hand about players’ experiences and the views of the group on how safety and welfare at all levels of the sport could be improved.

The Government remains committed to working with sports stakeholders to build on the positive work that is already taking place, including the UK Concussion Guidelines for Grassroots Sport, to ensure that everyone can take part in sport as safely as possible.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the value for money of the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The conference which will support the establishment of an International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine is not scheduled to take place until 12 March, but I can assure the Hon Member that we will assess the impact of our support for that fund in the usual way in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Department for International Development commissioned a study on the value for money of people to people programmes in Israel and Palestine in 2021.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Value for money is embedded across all of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's work. We employ robust systems and frameworks, and constantly review our programmes, to ensure we achieve high standards of value for money and use UK taxpayers' money responsibly. We work with partners across the world to maximise impact and improve value for money. This includes leveraging both public and private finance to support our development objectives to deliver economies of scale and world class expertise to make UK taxpayers' money go further.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department applies the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention to the (a) merchant navy seafarers and (b) vessels in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

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

The Ministry of Defence applies the Maritime Labour Convention in accordance with its application in UK Legislation. Where a Disapplication, Exemption or Derogation exists in UK legislation, then Secretary of State for Defence’s Policy on Health and Safety places the obligation on the Department to comply with outcomes at least as good as UK legislation.

This is coupled with the Defence Maritime Regulator as an independent Health, Safety and Environmental protection regulator to implement independent assurance of the implementation of legislation such as the Maritime Labour Convention and Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the number of civilian seafarers in scope of the (a) Defence Maritime Regulator and (b) the Memorandum of Understanding between the MoD and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

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

As of the 6 February 2026, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary had 1,741 employees, who are under the scope of the dual regulatory requirements of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Defence Maritime Regulator.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) inspection dates and (b) deficiencies recorded were by officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency following inspection of Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels in each year since 2014.

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

Routine surveys and inspections of RFA vessels have been completed in accordance with statutory requirements and timeline. All corrective actions or deficiencies have been pursued by both the RFA and the appropriate regulators and certifying bodies.

Deficiencies raised across all surveys are actioned as a matter of priority and evidenced to the appropriate regulatory body for closure within the agreed time frame.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many inspections of Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels have been carried out by officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency since the updated Memorandum of Understanding was published in November 2024.

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

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) as an organisation have been audited, inspected or surveyed approximately 30 times since the Memorandum of Understanding was updated in November 2024.

This is a combination of RFA ship specific surveys and RFA organisational safety systems audits, capturing the holistic safety management of the RFA in accordance with Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Defence Maritime Regulator regulations.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help mitigate potential job losses in the energy efficiency sector and associated supply chains following plans to close the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

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

We recognise that for those within the ECO supply chain, the decision to close the scheme presents immediate challenges. In the Warm Homes Plan, we committed to supporting the workforce to access opportunities through the £15bn funding and through regulations in the rented sector and for future homes which will support millions of households. We will engage the retrofit supply chain, housing associations and local authorities to agree an appropriate regime, in line with procurement law and their existing contractual arrangements, for awarding this new capital funding from April 2026.

We have also established the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce, with the trade unions and the industry, to facilitate the transition to clean energy sectors.

The Taskforce will consider how to build resilience in the workforce to meet evolving demand in the market, which includes assessing the knock-on effects of the ECO4 closure.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what delivery mechanisms will be used to implement the Warm Homes Scheme to ensure effective and timely delivery of funding.

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

The Warm Homes Agency will consolidate the existing delivery landscape and take on delivery of some of the existing schemes. The full scope of the Agency, including delivery mechanisms, is being finalised and will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report by the Institute of Alcohol Studies entitled Now You See It, Now You Don't, published on 29 January 2026.

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

The Government recognises the harms associated with alcohol consumption and has taken crucial steps in the 10-Year Health Plan to support people to make healthier choices. There is a balance to be struck, and the Government continues to consider carefully what other measures might be needed to turn the tide on alcohol harms, while continuing to support economic growth.

Currently, alcohol advertisements follow voluntary codes, regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA’s Advertising Codes contain specific rules about how alcohol can be advertised, as they recognise the social imperative of ensuring that alcohol advertising is responsible.

The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, as the lead Government department responsible for advertising, to consider if additional statutory restrictions on marketing and advertising are needed to reduce alcohol related harms.

Billionaire wealth

Funding for fire and rescue services

Surveillance and political intimidation of journalists

Government response to Israel’s West Bank annexation plan

117th anniversary of the West Stanley Pit Disaster

NEU dispute and strike action at Access Creative College

Billy Bremner Raploch statue

Public inquiry into Epstein links