Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure the Curriculum review includes a focus on practical financial skills.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Curriculum and Assessment Review's final report was published on 5 November. As part of its focus on preparing learners for a changing world, the Review has recommended updating or strengthening five areas of applied knowledge: financial literacy, media literacy, digital literacy, oracy and climate education.

The government’s response to the Review’s report was published on the same day. Through our reforms, children will be better prepared for the modern world.

Improved financial literacy, taught from an early age, will help children and young people master money skills. The department will do this by making citizenship compulsory in key stages 1 and 2. Additionally, references to financial education in the mathematics and citizenship programmes of study will be strengthened, and the relevant content sequenced appropriately, so that content can then be applied to practical situations, contexts, and problems. We will ensure that key concepts relevant to financial education, such as calculating interest, are first introduced in mathematics.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with their Vietnamese counterparts on the use of counter-terrorism laws to target (a) Montagnard Indigenous Peoples and (b) Christian religious minorities in the country.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government continues to raise concerns with the Vietnamese authorities about the use of national security legislation to target Montagnard Indigenous Peoples and Christian religious minorities. These issues were most recently raised by the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West MP, during meetings with Vice Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang in London on 17 March 2025 and in Hanoi on 23-24 October 2024. The UK also raised the case of Y Quynh Bdap, a Montagnard activist facing extradition from Thailand, in our statement at the UN Human Rights Council in September 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish a winter preparedness analysis for 2025-26 defining eligibility for covid boosters.

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

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an independent expert committee which reviews the latest data on COVID-19 risks, vaccine safety, and effectiveness and advises the department on the approach to vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI published advice for future COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in autumn 2025 and spring 2026 in November 2024, and published advice for autumn 2026 and spring 2027 in July 2025. The Government accepted JCVI advice for autumn 2025 in June 2025. The Government is considering the JCVI’s advice for 2026 and spring 2027 carefully and will respond in due course.

The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious disease, involving hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. The JCVI assessment indicates that the oldest age cohorts and individuals who are immunosuppressed are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease.

Therefore, in autumn 2025, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in a care home for older adults;

- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book.

The National Health Service is preparing earlier and more robustly for winter this year, with rigorous stress testing of local plans, closer working with local partners, and a far earlier kick-off of winter preparations. Vaccinations have been ramped up across the board for flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus so families can protect themselves and others. This includes the surge capacity and escalation plans in place across all NHS and urgent care services. As set out in the 2025/26 Urgent Emergency Care Plan, the NHS is focusing on improvements that will see the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care performance this winter. The 2025/26 Urgent Emergency Care Plan is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/

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 impact of levels of Community Infrastructure Levy in the Borough of Waverley on the supply of new (a) residential and (b) commercial premises in that borough.

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

My Department has made no such an assessment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the targeting of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 70115.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to provide (a) additional support (b) exemptions and (c) simplified alternatives for small businesses and landlords to comply with Making Tax Digital requirements without the need for specialist accounting expertise.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax will be introduced from April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000. It will be extended to those with income over £30,000 from April 2027 and for those with income over £20,000 in April 2028. In total around 2.9m businesses and landlords will need to use MTD for Income Tax. Sole Traders and landlords below these thresholds will still be able to file their Self Assessment returns as they do now.

HMRC has undertaken detailed assessments of the potential impact of MTD for Income Tax across different taxpayer groups, including self-employed individuals, small businesses, and landlords.  The latest published assessment is available at:

Extension of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment to sole traders and landlords - GOV.UK

MTD for Income Tax is a new approach that is designed to help customers avoid errors and make their annual tax returns easier. The government has taken steps to minimise costs to businesses resulting from MTD, including working with the software industry to ensure free software is available for landlords and other businesses with simple affairs.

HMRC is providing a range of support to taxpayers transitioning to MTD, including guidance in various formats, accessible video content and webinars. HMRC is testing the MTD service with thousands of users, and using dedicated teams to ensure the right support is available.

Those who genuinely cannot operate MTD because it is not reasonable for them to do so will be able to apply for an exemption from MTD requirements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the (a) costs, (b) administrative burdens, (c) the risk of being forced to close and (d) other impacts as a result of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax on sole traders and landlords with low turnover.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax will be introduced from April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000. It will be extended to those with income over £30,000 from April 2027 and for those with income over £20,000 in April 2028. In total around 2.9m businesses and landlords will need to use MTD for Income Tax. Sole Traders and landlords below these thresholds will still be able to file their Self Assessment returns as they do now.

HMRC has undertaken detailed assessments of the potential impact of MTD for Income Tax across different taxpayer groups, including self-employed individuals, small businesses, and landlords.  The latest published assessment is available at:

Extension of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment to sole traders and landlords - GOV.UK

MTD for Income Tax is a new approach that is designed to help customers avoid errors and make their annual tax returns easier. The government has taken steps to minimise costs to businesses resulting from MTD, including working with the software industry to ensure free software is available for landlords and other businesses with simple affairs.

HMRC is providing a range of support to taxpayers transitioning to MTD, including guidance in various formats, accessible video content and webinars. HMRC is testing the MTD service with thousands of users, and using dedicated teams to ensure the right support is available.

Those who genuinely cannot operate MTD because it is not reasonable for them to do so will be able to apply for an exemption from MTD requirements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of retaining the option for small low-income businesses and landlords to continue submitting an annual Self Assessment Tax Return on paper instead of requiring full Making Tax Digital submissions.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax will be introduced from April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000. It will be extended to those with income over £30,000 from April 2027 and for those with income over £20,000 in April 2028. In total around 2.9m businesses and landlords will need to use MTD for Income Tax. Sole Traders and landlords below these thresholds will still be able to file their Self Assessment returns as they do now.

HMRC has undertaken detailed assessments of the potential impact of MTD for Income Tax across different taxpayer groups, including self-employed individuals, small businesses, and landlords.  The latest published assessment is available at:

Extension of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment to sole traders and landlords - GOV.UK

MTD for Income Tax is a new approach that is designed to help customers avoid errors and make their annual tax returns easier. The government has taken steps to minimise costs to businesses resulting from MTD, including working with the software industry to ensure free software is available for landlords and other businesses with simple affairs.

HMRC is providing a range of support to taxpayers transitioning to MTD, including guidance in various formats, accessible video content and webinars. HMRC is testing the MTD service with thousands of users, and using dedicated teams to ensure the right support is available.

Those who genuinely cannot operate MTD because it is not reasonable for them to do so will be able to apply for an exemption from MTD requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the compatibility of the Socialist Workers Party with the criteria for proscription.

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

To proscribe an organisation the Home Secretary must have a reasonable belief that it is currently concerned in terrorism, and it must be necessary and proportionate to do so. This means the organisation participates or commits; prepares for; promotes, encourages, or unlawfully glorifies; or is in some way otherwise concerned in terrorism. The Home Secretary may then exercise her discretion to proscribe an organisation and will consider all the relevant factors in deciding whether to do so.

It is our long-standing policy not to comment on intelligence and security matters, including whether or not an organisation is under consideration for proscription.

Found: Cooper; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Alex McIntyre; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford

Found: Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Alex McIntyre; Joe Robertson; and Gregory Stafford