Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that SMEs not party to (a) NFU Mutual and (b) Bath Racecourse litigation are not permanently deprived of the right to an indemnity due to the expiration of limitation periods.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the independent regulator for financial services, sets the conduct standards required of insurance firms. This includes rules requiring insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly.

The Supreme Court published its final judgment in the FCA’s Business Interruption Insurance test case in 2021. At the time of the judgment, the FCA set out its expectation that insurers should communicate to all impacted policyholders what the judgment meant for their claim and should move quickly to resolve claims as determined by the judgment.

The FCA court case did not cover all potential issues with business interruption policies. The FCA has been clear that, in the event of further court rulings, insurers will need to consider carefully how the rulings impact claims they have already decided.

The FCA considered the issue of new ‘stop the clock’ guidance as part of its response to Stewarts LLP on 23 January. The FCA was clear that insurers must look at claims that have already been made in light of any new legal rulings to see if any action must be taken. Where no claim has been submitted, it is not clear why an insurer would not be able to rely on relevant time limits set out in the insurance policy, subject to the particular circumstances of each claim and compliance with the FCA’s broader rules.

The FCA is continuing to supervise firms to ensure they are meeting their expectations and has robust powers to take action where necessary.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of valid Covid-19 business interruption claims becoming time-barred in March 2026 on the insurance sector.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the independent regulator for financial services, sets the conduct standards required of insurance firms. This includes rules requiring insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly.

The Supreme Court published its final judgment in the FCA’s Business Interruption Insurance test case in 2021. At the time of the judgment, the FCA set out its expectation that insurers should communicate to all impacted policyholders what the judgment meant for their claim and should move quickly to resolve claims as determined by the judgment.

The FCA court case did not cover all potential issues with business interruption policies. The FCA has been clear that, in the event of further court rulings, insurers will need to consider carefully how the rulings impact claims they have already decided.

The FCA considered the issue of new ‘stop the clock’ guidance as part of its response to Stewarts LLP on 23 January. The FCA was clear that insurers must look at claims that have already been made in light of any new legal rulings to see if any action must be taken. Where no claim has been submitted, it is not clear why an insurer would not be able to rely on relevant time limits set out in the insurance policy, subject to the particular circumstances of each claim and compliance with the FCA’s broader rules.

The FCA is continuing to supervise firms to ensure they are meeting their expectations and has robust powers to take action where necessary.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the FCA on stop the clock guidance and related litigation.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the independent regulator for financial services, sets the conduct standards required of insurance firms. This includes rules requiring insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly.

The Supreme Court published its final judgment in the FCA’s Business Interruption Insurance test case in 2021. At the time of the judgment, the FCA set out its expectation that insurers should communicate to all impacted policyholders what the judgment meant for their claim and should move quickly to resolve claims as determined by the judgment.

The FCA court case did not cover all potential issues with business interruption policies. The FCA has been clear that, in the event of further court rulings, insurers will need to consider carefully how the rulings impact claims they have already decided.

The FCA considered the issue of new ‘stop the clock’ guidance as part of its response to Stewarts LLP on 23 January. The FCA was clear that insurers must look at claims that have already been made in light of any new legal rulings to see if any action must be taken. Where no claim has been submitted, it is not clear why an insurer would not be able to rely on relevant time limits set out in the insurance policy, subject to the particular circumstances of each claim and compliance with the FCA’s broader rules.

The FCA is continuing to supervise firms to ensure they are meeting their expectations and has robust powers to take action where necessary.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that policyholders with protected characteristics are not discriminated against by insurance companies.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Insurers make commercial decisions about pricing and the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks.

However, the government is determined that insurers treat customers fairly and insurers must comply with relevant legislation, including the Equality Act 2010. The Act generally prohibits discrimination based on certain personal characteristics, though the law accepts that some exceptions apply for insurance.

The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules also require insurers to treat customers fairly. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA has robust powers to monitor firms and, where necessary, to take action against firms that do not comply with its rules.

The Government also seeks to ensure that people are able to access the financial products they need. That is why I published a Financial Inclusion Strategy in November which includes interventions to increase household financial resilience through insurance and help people find the right insurance product for their needs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to provide guidance to bus manufacturers on the legislative requirements on size and location of wheelchair space, in the context of the consultation on the Public Service Vehicles Access Regulations.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to announce new legislative standards for vehicle accessibility requirements, in the context of the review of the Public Service Vehicles Access Regulations .

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase wheelchair accessibility on buses.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish a response to her Department's consultation on Public Service Vehicles Access Regulations, which closed on 4 September 2023.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reconnecting London to the Marches by rail on the economy.

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

The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the economic impact of reconnecting London to the Marches by rail. Any future proposals would be considered in accordance with established Department appraisal guidance, including analysis of effects on connectivity, regional development and the wider economy. The Department has also responded to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on current applications submitted by open access operators.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve rail connectivity in North Shropshire.

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

Services in North Shropshire are provided by Transport for Wales (TfW) in accordance with its Train Service Requirement which is agreed with the Department with respect to services at stations in England. The Department keeps the performance and connectivity of the rail network under continual review including through regular engagement with TfW. There are no active proposals to increase services on this route.

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 impact of mandatory pre-referral Advice and Guidance requirements from 1 April 2026 on workload transferred to GP practices, including the workload arising from acting on specialist advice responses, requesting and reviewing diagnostic investigations recommended by specialists, and managing patients while awaiting responses; and whether additional funding has been allocated to reflect that workload transfer.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Advice and Guidance (A&G) is designed to support quicker, clearer clinical decision making, by enabling general practitioners (GPs) and specialists to discuss and agree on the most appropriate next steps for a patient. The 2026/27 GP Contract does not mandate the use of A&G in all circumstances. Instead, practices are expected to use A&G prior to or in place of a planned care referral, where clinically appropriate, and to follow locally agreed referral pathways.

In 2025/26 we introduced a £20 payment for GPs for each A&G request, allocating up to a total of £80 million of new funding, which has supported significant increases in A&G. For 2026/27, this funding is being incorporated into the GP Contract to provide a consistent, streamlined approach that recognises the vital role of GPs in delivering A&G. Embedding A&G in the GP Contract recognises it as routine clinical practice, removes annual signups, and provides more predictable funding while supporting consistent patient pathways.

We are investing £485 million in GPs in 2026/27, bringing the total spend on the GP Contract to over £13.8 billion. This builds on last year’s £1.1 billion of investment. This uplift represents a 3.6% cash increase, or 1.4% real terms increase, and includes an assumed pay increase of 2.5%. As with previous years, we have asked the independent pay review body for Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration, for a pay recommendation for 2026/27 for the Government to consider.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the consistency of the mandatory Single Point of Access triage process with NHS England's Jess's Rule guidance; and what safeguards are in place to ensure that a mandatory Single Point of Access triage process does not return to primary care a patient whom a GP has referred in accordance with that guidance.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Single Point of Access (SPoA) triage process is consistent with Jess’s Rule.

Jess’s Rule is an NHS England patient safety initiative for primary care. It is designed for general practitioners (GPs) and supports them to reconsider a patient’s presentation and/or diagnosis where the patient has attended a GP three or more times and symptoms have escalated, or the diagnosis is uncertain.

Jess’s Rule can be used to support a GP’s decision on an appropriate referral within the SPoA model. SPoA will provide a more efficient approach to triaging patients, with all appropriate requests and referrals, excluding urgent suspect cancer, flowing through a single ‘front door’. SPoA supports clinical triage to the most appropriate service or outcome, meaning timelier, more joined-up care for patients. Patients will still have a choice about where they receive care.

Safeguards within the SPoA model include senior clinical oversight of triage decisions and the ability for primary care clinicians to re‑escalate concerns where symptoms persist, worsen, or remain unexplained. These arrangements aim to ensure patients who require specialist assessment are not inappropriately managed in the community, and that shared clinical judgement remains central to decision‑making.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the referral to treatment clock start date is where a GP resubmits a referral following a Single Point of Access triage outcome with which they disagree; and what guidance NHS England has issued to Integrated Care Boards on the referral to treatment clock start date in these circumstances ahead of mandatory Single Point of Access triage processes taking effect from 1 April 2026.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We're setting the Advice and Guidance (A&G) clock start so it's the same as outpatient referrals, ensuring no patient will have to wait longer for an appointment as a result of A&G

As set out in the Medium Term Planning Framework, the National Health Service will move toward delivering care through a ‘Single Point of Access’ (SPoA) for all appropriate requests and referrals, excluding for urgent suspected cancer. Under the new SPoA model, if a patient needs treatment, their Referral to Treatment (RTT) clock start date will be calculated from the date the Advice and Guidance (A&G) request or referral was received by the SPoA. This is instead of the current process for A&G, where the clock start date is the date that the request or referral is converted to a treatment pathway. This will ensure that patients' waiting times are accurately reflected.

In February 2026, NHS England issued The Elective Single Point of Access: Technical Guidance for 2026/27 to integrated care boards. This provides guidance on RTT rules and quality assurance arrangements, and advice on establishing leadership and governance structures that ensure SPoA outcomes are assessed regularly. The SPoA will be supported by improvements to the NHS e-Referral Service, which will enable NHS England to collect data on triage outcomes.

SPoA is designed to promote clinical collaboration between primary care referrers and secondary care clinicians, including by facilitating two-way communication and shared decision making. General practitioners (GPs) can re-submit a referral following a SPoA triage outcome if they have concerns about the clinical decision. Escalation routes for concerns about triage decisions will continue to operate through locally agreed referral pathways and communication processes for GPs and patients, supported by improvements to the NHS e-Referral Service. Where patients have concerns regarding outcomes, local Patient Advice and Liaison Service teams can provide advice and support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what quality assurance arrangements NHS England has put in place for mandatory Single Point of Access triage decisions from 1 April 2026; what monitoring will be conducted of triage outcomes by specialty and provider; and how GPs and patients will be able to escalate concerns about triage decisions that they consider clinically inappropriate.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We're setting the Advice and Guidance (A&G) clock start so it's the same as outpatient referrals, ensuring no patient will have to wait longer for an appointment as a result of A&G

As set out in the Medium Term Planning Framework, the National Health Service will move toward delivering care through a ‘Single Point of Access’ (SPoA) for all appropriate requests and referrals, excluding for urgent suspected cancer. Under the new SPoA model, if a patient needs treatment, their Referral to Treatment (RTT) clock start date will be calculated from the date the Advice and Guidance (A&G) request or referral was received by the SPoA. This is instead of the current process for A&G, where the clock start date is the date that the request or referral is converted to a treatment pathway. This will ensure that patients' waiting times are accurately reflected.

In February 2026, NHS England issued The Elective Single Point of Access: Technical Guidance for 2026/27 to integrated care boards. This provides guidance on RTT rules and quality assurance arrangements, and advice on establishing leadership and governance structures that ensure SPoA outcomes are assessed regularly. The SPoA will be supported by improvements to the NHS e-Referral Service, which will enable NHS England to collect data on triage outcomes.

SPoA is designed to promote clinical collaboration between primary care referrers and secondary care clinicians, including by facilitating two-way communication and shared decision making. General practitioners (GPs) can re-submit a referral following a SPoA triage outcome if they have concerns about the clinical decision. Escalation routes for concerns about triage decisions will continue to operate through locally agreed referral pathways and communication processes for GPs and patients, supported by improvements to the NHS e-Referral Service. Where patients have concerns regarding outcomes, local Patient Advice and Liaison Service teams can provide advice and support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many days were taken by NHS England staff as sick leave in total in each of the last ten years; and what the average number was.

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

NHS England publishes monthly information on the sickness absence of staff employed by NHS bodies, including NHS England. This is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-sickness-absence-rates

Annual (financial year) summaries are included within the publication up to 2021/22. Subsequent years’ sickness absence days taken and the associated sickness absence rates can be constructed by aggregating the monthly published data.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many days were taken by NHS England staff as sick leave in total in each month since January 2024; and what the average number was.

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

NHS England publishes monthly information on the sickness absence of staff employed by NHS bodies, including NHS England. This is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-sickness-absence-rates

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