Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help protect supermarket delivery drivers from (a) threats, (b) abuse and (c) violence.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government recognises the dedicated work delivery drivers do, especially when their efforts support the most vulnerable in our society. We are determined to protect them from any form of assault, whether verbal or physical, as part of our wider work to combat retail crime.

We are strengthening neighbourhood policing to better protect our communities and target offenders. As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, the Government has allocated £200 million to forces for 2025-26 to deliver additional personnel into neighbourhood policing. The Home Office is also providing £66.3millon funding in 2025-26 to forces in England and Wales to deliver high visibility patrols in the areas worst affected by knife crime, serious violence and anti-social behaviour.

Where assaults against delivery drivers do occur, they can be prosecuted as an offence (Common Assault) under the Criminal Justice Act 1988. The Offences against the Person Act 1861, also covers assaults, alongside more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 created a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public, including delivering goods to customers. This aggravating factor ensures the courts treat the public-facing nature of a victim’s role as an aggravating factor when considering the sentence for an offence and sends a clear message that violence and abuse towards any worker, including supermarket delivery drivers, will not be tolerated.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with the Indian Government on reducing tariffs on English wine.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The UK Government seeks the best possible outcome for UK businesses in all aspects of negotiations and ongoing market access engagement with other governments, based on industry engagement and economic analysis.

Under the UK-India FTA we agreed a review mechanism, allowing us to revisit areas of interest in future, which could include liberalisation on English Wine.

The Department for Business and Trade also offers extensive export support for English wine producers through business.gov.uk. At the start of July there was a Meet-The-Market roadshow hosted across England with direct access to department trade officers from key growth markets.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she mas made of the number of women born in the 1950s who have died since the publication entitled Government response to PHSO’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension age, published on 17 December 2024.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department has made no assessment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to remove the two-child benefit cap as part of the Tackling Child Poverty strategy.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy.

In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action.

As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to enter into alternative dispute resolution following confirmation of the Judicial Review into the reasons the Government decided not to pay compensation to women born in the 1950s impacted by her Department's maladministration of State Pension age changes.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government has apologised for the maladministration and committed to learning the lessons from the investigation. The decision not to set up a compensation scheme is now subject to live litigation and the High Court has granted permission for a full hearing.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether English and Welsh wine was discussed during trade deal discussions with (a) India and (b) the US.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The UK Government seeks the best possible outcome for UK businesses in all aspects of negotiations and ongoing market access engagement with other governments, based on industry engagement and economic analysis.

Under the UK-India FTA, we agreed a review mechanism, allowing us to revisit areas of interest in future, which could include liberalisation on English Wine.

Negotiations with the US on the Economic Prosperity Deal are ongoing.

The Department for Business and Trade also offers extensive export support for English wine producers through business.gov.uk. At the start of July there was a Meet-The-Market roadshow hosted across England with direct access to department trade officers from key growth markets.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support the long-term financial security of farmers, in the context of changes made to the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. We are investing more than £2.7 billion a year in farming and nature recovery, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history to put healthy, nutritious food on our tables. We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further details about the reformed SFI offer will be announced in summer 2025.

That is only part of our commitment to farmers.

We have also protected farmers in trade deals and provided a five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker route, giving farms certainty to grow their businesses.

We have appointed former NFU president Minette Batters to recommend new reforms to boost farmers’ profits.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage farmers to ensure that (a) rivers, (b) streams and (c) lakes are protected from pollution.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are taking action to address agricultural pollution and support farm businesses. We are, as a priority, working with farmers and environmental groups to improve farm pollution regulations to ensure they are simple and effective. We are also doubling funding for Environment Agency farm inspections to work with farmers to raise standards and have issued amended Statutory Guidance on the Farming Rules for Water to set clearer expectations on enforcing the rules. We continue to invest in our farmers through Environmental Land Management schemes.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage farmers to farm sustainably.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is backing British farming. We are prioritising investment that supports the Government’s Plan for Change and building on the Secretary of State’s work to reform Defra to drive growth while maintaining a steadfast commitment to farming, food security, and nature’s recovery.

We are providing farmers and land managers with the support needed to help restore nature, which is vital to safeguard our long-term food security and build resilience to climate change. There are currently record numbers of farmers taking part in farming schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive. As of April 2025, these schemes supported 885,000 hectares of arable land being farmed without insecticides; 330,000 hectares of low input grassland being managed sustainably; and 85,000 kilometres of hedgerows being protected and restored.

In the recent spending review, we committed to carrying on the transition towards paying to deliver public goods for the environment, with over £7 billion directed into nature’s recovery between 2026 and 2029. This includes environmental farming schemes (£5.9 billion), tree planting (£816 million) and peatland restoration (£85 million).

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the Sustainable Farming Incentive on (a) (i) hedgerow and (ii) soil restoration, (b) pollinating wildflowers and (c) tree planting.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further details about the reformed SFI offer will be announced in summer 2025.

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 the availability of (a) child psychologists and (b) other qualified specialists to assess severely disabled children for (i) ADHD and (ii) other neurodevelopmental conditions where (A) a lack of assessment prevents access to appropriate medication and support and (B) in other circumstances.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

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 potential merits of issuing national prescribing guidance to Integrated Care Boards to ensure the availability of Xonvea.

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

The Department recognises that hyperemesis gravidarum is a debilitating condition that can have a devastating impact on women and their families.

Decisions about what medicines to prescribe are made by the doctor or healthcare professional responsible for that part of the patient’s care. Prescribers are accountable for their prescribing decisions.

Prescribers must always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed and that they take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline on antenatal care includes guidance on the advantages and disadvantages of different pharmacological treatments, including Xonvea, for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy to support shared decision making.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to Xonvea for women with hyperemesis gravidarum.

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

The Department recognises that hyperemesis gravidarum is a debilitating condition that can have a devastating impact on women and their families.

Decisions about what medicines to prescribe are made by the doctor or healthcare professional responsible for that part of the patient’s care. Prescribers are accountable for their prescribing decisions.

Prescribers must always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed and that they take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline on antenatal care includes guidance on the advantages and disadvantages of different pharmacological treatments, including Xonvea, for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy to support shared decision making.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department holds data on the number of EU airports which (a) offer and (b) are expected to offer e-gate access for UK passport holders by 23 July 2025.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

At the UK-EU Summit on 19 May, we secured confirmation that there will be no legal barriers for British nationals to use eGates after the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit system (EES). Whether to grant British Citizens eGates access is a matter for Member States.

A number of Member States already offer British Citizens eGates access at certain airports and ports, in a range of circumstances, including Italy, France and Spain. We are working at pace with individual Member States to expand access to eGates for British Citizens where this is currently limited. Recently, Bulgaria has begun offering eGates access in Sofia airport and the UK-Germany Friendship and Bilateral Cooperation Treaty signed on 17 July commits to rolling out eGate access for frequent travellers by the end of August, followed by rollout for all UK nationals as soon as technically possible.

We anticipate more Member States will be able to offer access at further locations over the coming months.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department holds data on the number of EU airports which (a) offer and (b) are expected to offer e-gate access for UK passport holders by 23 July 2025.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

At the UK-EU Summit on 19 May, we secured confirmation that there will be no legal barriers for British nationals to use eGates after the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit system (EES). Whether to grant British Citizens eGates access is a matter for Member States.

A number of Member States already offer British Citizens eGates access at certain airports and ports, in a range of circumstances, including Italy, France and Spain. We are working at pace with individual Member States to expand access to eGates for British Citizens where this is currently limited. Recently, Bulgaria has begun offering eGates access in Sofia airport and the UK-Germany Friendship and Bilateral Cooperation Treaty signed on 17 July commits to rolling out eGate access for frequent travellers by the end of August, followed by rollout for all UK nationals as soon as technically possible.

We anticipate more Member States will be able to offer access at further locations over the coming months.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has assessed the potential merits of a focus on plant-based foods in the forthcoming food strategy.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to ensuring access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food for all, and recognises the role that plant-based options can play in supporting a healthier, more sustainable, and resilient food system. Through the lens of a new food strategy, there is an opportunity to explore where we can go further to create a positive food culture with access to healthier diets for all.

The Eatwell Guide sets out government recommendations for a healthy diet. This guidance recognises the valuable contribution of plant-based foods and drinks, illustrating that both plant-based products and animal-based products can be part of a healthy balanced diet.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 16 May 2022 to Question 245 on Migrant Workers: Football, whether her Department considers football academies to be places of employment for children; and if she will take steps to ensure that children on dependent visas can participate in football academy non-professional developmental programmes.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The restriction on work as a ‘professional sportsperson’ is present in certain routes’ visa conditions, including for dependent children. The condition and associated definition have been established following extensive consultation with over 60 Home Office approved Sports Governing Bodies (SGBs), including the four home nations’ football associations (FAs). The restriction includes those registered at an academy of a professional or semi-professional sports team. The definition, and the visa condition restricting such activities, is currently being reviewed.

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 the availability of (a) child psychologists and (b) other qualified specialists to assess severely disabled children for (i) ADHD and (ii) other neurodevelopmental conditions in (A) cases where a lack of assessment prevents access to appropriate (1) medication and (2) other support and (B) other cases.

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

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism assessments and support, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected to be published later in the year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.

The 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July 2025, sets out the core principle of early intervention and support, without the need for diagnosis, including specifically for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In the autumn, the Government will bring forward a schools white paper, which will detail the Government’s approach to SEND reform, ensuring joined-up support for children and young people, including education and healthcare providers working together with other local services to plan and deliver evidence-based early interventions for children.

The 10-Year Health Plan also sets out plans for new neighbourhood health services to work in partnership with family hubs, schools, nurseries, and colleges to offer timely support to children, young people, and their families, including those with SEND.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing aid to women and girls in Afghanistan who had their special immigration visas for resettlement removed by the US government.

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

The UK is committed to supporting the rights of all women and girls in Afghanistan. Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used from 2026/27 onwards will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments. In 2025/26 we have allocated up to £140 million to support those Afghans most in need, including marginalised and vulnerable groups. We also remain committed to ensuring at least 50 per cent of people reached by UK aid are women and girls.

Fairtrade tea campaign

UK Government recognition of the state of Palestine

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