Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many foundation apprenticeships have expanded into the hospitality sector in the first three months since it's introduction in April 2026.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The catering and hospitality foundation apprenticeship was introduced in April 2026.
The latest published apprenticeships data for the 2025/26 academic year, which includes foundation apprenticeship starts and covers August 2025 to April 2026, and can be found here: Release home - Apprenticeships - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK.
Starts covering May to July 2026 will be first published in the Apprenticeships: November 2026 statistics publication.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will hold discussions with his counterpart in the Netherlands regarding the experience there in dealing with the number of younger people who are not in education, employment of training and any relevance it may have in the UK.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
With over around one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years by 2029 into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.
This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, including through expanded network of Youth Hubs, earlier intensive support in Jobs Centres through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, additional work experience and training opportunities, a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant and £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for employers, and a fully funded six month job for long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds.
We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We are using its findings to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.
The Department regularly engages with international partners to share best practice. In June, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visited the Netherlands to learn more about how it has maintained a low youth NEET rate through discussions with employers, stakeholders and Dutch government counterparts.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to announce the outcome of the review of employment rights for unpaid carers before Christmas recess 2026.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
We intend to publish the review’s final report in early 2027.
Officials are working at pace to review the significant number of consultation responses whilst finalising the evidence that the review has gathered overall. Following the review’s conclusion, we will publish a government response to the consultation, findings from the review and the next steps needed to ensure that unpaid carers can balance work and care.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 24 April 2026 to Question 128045, when does she expect to receive the final outcome report from the Multi Speciality Recruitment Assessment process.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The project to establish a future delivery approach for the selection assessments across United Kingdom postgraduate medical, dental, foundation pharmacy, and healthcare science recruitment processes, including the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment, is continuing. NHS England expects to receive the final report in Autumn 2026. The findings will be considered by the four-nation Postgraduate National Recruitment Programme Board, which will take a decision on the future delivery approach in Spring 2027.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been paid to the French government for help in dealing with small boat crossings in each of the last five years.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK and France maintain a longstanding relationship on tackling illegal migration at our shared border. Joint work with France has prevented more than 48,000 crossing attempts since the last general election. The UK and France have reached agreement on a deal covering the financial years 2026/27 to 2028/29 (New UK-France agreement to reduce illegal crossings - GOV.UK) which aims to increase the number of personnel deployed by 53% and provide a significant increase in technological and intelligence resources to strengthen operations.
Over the past five years, the UK has provided the following funding to France to support our joint work to tackle small boat crossings:
Financial Year | Funding |
2021/22 | €62.7m |
2022/23 | €72.2m |
2023/24 | €141m |
2024/25 | €174m |
2025/26* | €206m |
*Includes accrued funding not yet transferred to France.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage applicants from Northern Ireland to apply for assistance from the Music Export Growth Scheme in this financial year.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
My department publishes details of the Music Export Grant Scheme (MEGS) on the government’s ‘Find a Grant’ site, Home - Find a grant and we work with UK music partners to promote the scheme to music businesses across the UK, including Northern Ireland.
In MEGS funding round 25, which ran from May to August 2026 and the current funding round 26, for which applications closed on 7 September 2026, we received just one application from a Northern Ireland-based applicant out of 143 applications from both funding rounds. The next MEGS funding round 27 is scheduled to open in February 2027.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 7 September 2026 to WPQ 26501, when legislative provision will be enacted making it an offence to arrive in the UK without Electronic Travel Authorisation.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We have now begun enforcement of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirement. Since 25 February 2026 eligible visitors without an ETA will not be able to board their transport and cannot legally travel to the UK. Further enforcement measures, including commencement of the offence of arriving in the UK without an ETA remain under review.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people used the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme in the twelve months between June 2025 and 2026.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Users of the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme made 15,141 journeys from Great Britain to Northern Ireland using a Pet Travel Document, covering 11,690 individual pets, from 4 June 2025 (the date the Scheme launched) to 3 June 2026.
The Scheme removes the need for health treatments or animal health certificates for those travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with their pet or assistance dog.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, which programme partners are involved in the National Quantum Strategy over the next five years.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In March 2026, the Government launched the next phase of the national quantum programme, announcing up to £2bn to accelerate quantum technology development and adoption.
Programme delivery depends on partners including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Innovate UK, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) and National Physical Laboratory (NPL), and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). They provide the expertise, infrastructure and capability needed to realise the UK’s quantum ambitions and deliver economic and societal benefits.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of parents entitled to an enhanced State Pension as a result of Home Responsibilities Protection but yet to apply.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Statistics on HMRC and DWP's Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice exercise to correct historical errors involving Home Responsibilities Protection can be found here: Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) State Pension underpayments: LEAP exercise to 31 March 2025.