Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Type 31 Frigates will have Mk.41 VLS incorporated during construction and prior to launch.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We intend to fit the Type 31 frigate with the Mark 41 vertical launch system. Working closely with the US Navy, we are progressing the next steps of the Mk41 procurement, including assessment of all installation and integration options. At this stage, as I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand, it would be inappropriate to provide any further information whilst this commercially sensitive work is ongoing.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Type 31 Frigates will have Mk.41 VLS added during the Capability Insertion Period.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We intend to fit the Type 31 frigate with the Mark 41 vertical launch system. Working closely with the US Navy, we are progressing the next steps of the Mk41 procurement, including assessment of all installation and integration options. At this stage, as I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand, it would be inappropriate to provide any further information whilst this commercially sensitive work is ongoing.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her department is taking to ensure the online DVLA application process is accessible to all.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services currently adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and work is underway to bring all services to WCAG 2.2 level AA status to attain full compliance with the most recent accessibility requirements.

Customers can contact the DVLA digitally, by telephone or in writing. The DVLA offers a variety of reasonable adjustments to customers which can range from simple adjustments like providing correspondence on coloured paper or in large print, to providing a video relay service for British Sign Language users who want to contact the DVLA via telephone.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of UK Visa and Immigration holding applicants' passports for multiple months on those applicants.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Visa processing times are published on the UKVI website at Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). UKVI are currently processing applications on the overwhelming majority of its visa routes within their published customer service standards.

With the introduction of the eVisa digital permission, eligible customers can complete their biometric appointment at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) and retain their passport. Where customers applied before eVisa rollout, passports are retained whilst a decision is being made on their visa application by the Home Office and when a decision is made, this is communicated to the Visa Application Centre who in turn contact the customer to arrange collection of their passport. Some customers can purchase an optional service to retain their passport whilst a decision is being taken.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps is her department taking to ensure all UK Visa and Immigration applications are processed in a timely manner.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Visa processing times are published on the UKVI website at Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). UKVI are currently processing applications on the overwhelming majority of its visa routes within their published customer service standards.

With the introduction of the eVisa digital permission, eligible customers can complete their biometric appointment at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) and retain their passport. Where customers applied before eVisa rollout, passports are retained whilst a decision is being made on their visa application by the Home Office and when a decision is made, this is communicated to the Visa Application Centre who in turn contact the customer to arrange collection of their passport. Some customers can purchase an optional service to retain their passport whilst a decision is being taken.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that passports sent to UK Visas and Immigration are returned in a timely manner.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Visa processing times are published on the UKVI website at Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). UKVI are currently processing applications on the overwhelming majority of its visa routes within their published customer service standards.

With the introduction of the eVisa digital permission, eligible customers can complete their biometric appointment at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) and retain their passport. Where customers applied before eVisa rollout, passports are retained whilst a decision is being made on their visa application by the Home Office and when a decision is made, this is communicated to the Visa Application Centre who in turn contact the customer to arrange collection of their passport. Some customers can purchase an optional service to retain their passport whilst a decision is being taken.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK Visa and Immigration applications are currently waiting for a decision.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Statistics on UK Visas and Immigration applications is published in table VSI_01a on GOV.UK in the ‘Summary of latest statistics - GOV.UK’, as part of the 'Migration Transparency data'. The information displayed goes back to 2021. For migration transparency data before 2021 please see the ‘Migration transparency data - GOV.UK – March 2014 to December 2024’ on National Archives website.

The VSI_01a data table provides data on the volume of overseas and in-country applications received and input for each route, performance against service standard for each route and the number of applications that remain outstanding (work in progress – WIP).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time was for applications for indefinite leave to remain in (a) each year since 2016 and (b) 2026.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Statistics on UK Visas and Immigration applications is published in table VSI_01a on GOV.UK in the ‘Summary of latest statistics - GOV.UK’, as part of the 'Migration Transparency data'. The information displayed goes back to 2021. For migration transparency data before 2021 please see the ‘Migration transparency data - GOV.UK – March 2014 to December 2024’ on National Archives website.

The VSI_01a data table provides data on the volume of overseas and in-country applications received and input for each route, performance against service standard for each route and the number of applications that remain outstanding (work in progress – WIP).

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to help ensure that low-dose dispersible aspirin is (a) readily available and (b) affordable for those with heart conditions.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Low-dose dispersible aspirin is normally widely available at a relatively low price, without a prescription, from pharmacies. For example, a packet of 100 75milligram tablets can be purchased for approximately £2.10. Where aspirin is prescribed, there are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure prescriptions are affordable for everyone, including for those with heart conditions. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with chronic illnesses may be eligible.

The Department is aware that a recent disruption in the supply of aspirin tablets occurred due to manufacturing problems and knock-on increased demand. These issues have now been addressed, and we are collaborating with suppliers to restore normal supply as soon as possible. Pharmacies are regularly able to order new stock as it becomes available.

We continue to work with manufacturers and United Kingdom distributors to maximise supply to pharmacies and hospitals across the country. The Department is closely monitoring the situation and expects supplies to return to normal in the coming weeks.

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 support hospices in Lewes constituency.

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

While the majority of palliative care and end-of-life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play a vital part in providing support to people at the end of their life, as well as their loved ones.

The Government is providing £125 million in capital funding for eligible adult, and children and young people’s, hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. Of this, St Peter and St James Hospice is receiving £392,580, St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne is receiving £793,464, and the Southern Hospice Group, which includes Chestnut Tree House Hospice and Martlets, is receiving £2,985,422, and together, these services support people in the Lewes constituency.

Children and young people’s hospices in England are receiving an additional £26 million in revenue funding for 2025/26, of which Chestnut Tree House will receive £713,000.

We have also recently announced the continuation of this funding, with approximately £80 million in revenue funding, to be provided over the next three years. I can confirm that Chestnut Tree House will receive £728,000 in 2026/27.

Additionally, the Government is developing a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. It will drive improvements in access, quality, and sustainability, and support integrated care boards to commission high-quality, personalised care. Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services, and we will also consider contracting and commissioning arrangements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his department updated the Leonardo contract for new medium helicopters (NMH) in line with inflation.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Tenderers were required to hold their price for the duration of the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) procurement process, and there has been no change to the contract price from the received tender.

As I noted in my Written Statement to the House of 3 March 2026, this contract will supply our military with 23 modern helicopters, built in the UK, directly sustaining 3,300 British jobs at Leonardo Yeovil, and enables the potential for over £15 billion of export opportunities over the next decade.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is his Department taking to help ensure hospices receive sufficient funding to carry out at home visits.

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

We have provided a £125 million capital funding boost for eligible adult, and children and young people’s, hospices in England.  This can be used by hospices to improve IT systems, making it easier for general practices and hospitals to share vital data on patients. It can also help hospices to develop and better their outreach services to support people in their own homes when needed.

We are also providing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices in England over the next three financial years, giving them the stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients, whether that is on a hospice inpatient ward or in patients’ own homes.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. We will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements as part of our MSF. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting integrated care boards to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead. Officials are working closely with a number of stakeholders from the hospice sector in the development of the MSF.

The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services, including hospices, will have a big role to play in that shift. The MSF will address the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community.

State visits to the US

Local government and social care

Heating oil prices

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month