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 regional variation in primary care estate in relation to their (a) condition and (b) capacity; and what steps is he taking to help improve this.

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

The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.

In May 2025, the Government announced the schemes which integrated care boards (ICBs) nominated as eligible to benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.

Building on this, the Government has committed £426 million of Utilisation and Modernisation funding over the next four years to continue upgrading the GP estate. This funding will also support refurbishing the existing estate to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres over this Parliament as part of the 10-Year Health Plan commitment.

Operational capital funding allocations have been confirmed for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, enabling multi-year planning for ICBs and in turn supporting the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for care.

The Government has also allocated £750 million per year for estates safety from 2026/27 to 2029/30, with planning certainty for a further five years, totalling £6.75 billion.

ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including GPs, in each local area.

As part of inspection activity at GP surgeries, the Care Quality Commission will look at the quality of premises under Regulation 15, covering premises and equipment, although there is no overall rating for this aspect. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that the premises where care and treatment are delivered are clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained and, where required, appropriately located, and that the equipment that is used to deliver care and treatment is clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained, stored securely, and used properly.

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 trends in the level of regional variations in the quality of GP specialty training.

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

Post-graduate medicine general practice specialty trainees consistently report high levels of satisfaction with their overall educational experience, according to the results of the National Education and Training Survey (NETS), 2022 to 2024.

Alongside NETS reporting broadly consistent overall educational experience satisfaction rates across regions, this speciality programme has a low attrition rate nationally.

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 potential impact of capacity of NHS primary care premises in Thurrock on the recruitment of GPs.

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

No assessment has been made by the Department of the potential impact of National Health Service primary care premises in Thurrock on the recruitment of general practice (GP) doctors. It is the responsibility of the NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) to ensure that the NHS estate in Thurrock is fit for purpose, in order to meet the needs of the local population. GP contractors are responsible for securing, managing, and maintaining suitable premises. The ICB has set up a new joint estates group with Thurrock Council to identify where void space can be used to enhance access to primary, community, and social care facilities.

The ICB has a range of schemes to improve recruitment and retention of GPs, including GP partnership courses, portfolio development scheme, and fellowships for newly qualified GPs. Thurrock has seen an increase in the number of GPs with at least 82 full time equivalent GPs now working in Thurrock, the highest number recorded since March 2016.

At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. This will deliver NHCs through a mixture of refurbishments to expand and improve sites over the next three years and new-build sites opening in the medium term. The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030 and will be delivered through public private partnerships and public capital. We are also providing £426 million over four years through the Utilisation and Modernisation Fund, upgrading GP estates, and supporting delivery of 40 to 50 NHCs this Parliament through refurbishment of existing buildings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide funding for the primary care network estate in areas with low GP-to-patient ratios.

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

The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.

In May 2025, the Government announced the schemes which integrated care boards (ICBs) nominated as eligible to benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.

Building on this, the Government has committed £426 million of Utilisation and Modernisation funding over the next four years to continue upgrading the GP estate. This funding will also support refurbishing the existing estate to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres over this Parliament as part of the 10-Year Health Plan commitment.

Operational capital funding allocations have been confirmed for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, enabling multi-year planning for ICBs and in turn supporting the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for care.

The Government has also allocated £750 million per year for estates safety from 2026/27 to 2029/30, with planning certainty for a further five years, totalling £6.75 billion.

ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including GPs, in each local area.

As part of inspection activity at GP surgeries, the Care Quality Commission will look at the quality of premises under Regulation 15, covering premises and equipment, although there is no overall rating for this aspect. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that the premises where care and treatment are delivered are clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained and, where required, appropriately located, and that the equipment that is used to deliver care and treatment is clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained, stored securely, and used properly.

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 address the maintenance backlog in primary care estates.

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

The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.

In May 2025, the Government announced the schemes which integrated care boards (ICBs) nominated as eligible to benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.

Building on this, the Government has committed £426 million of Utilisation and Modernisation funding over the next four years to continue upgrading the GP estate. This funding will also support refurbishing the existing estate to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres over this Parliament as part of the 10-Year Health Plan commitment.

Operational capital funding allocations have been confirmed for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, enabling multi-year planning for ICBs and in turn supporting the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for care.

The Government has also allocated £750 million per year for estates safety from 2026/27 to 2029/30, with planning certainty for a further five years, totalling £6.75 billion.

ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including GPs, in each local area.

As part of inspection activity at GP surgeries, the Care Quality Commission will look at the quality of premises under Regulation 15, covering premises and equipment, although there is no overall rating for this aspect. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that the premises where care and treatment are delivered are clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained and, where required, appropriately located, and that the equipment that is used to deliver care and treatment is clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained, stored securely, and used properly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of GP premises are rated as not fit for purpose or requiring significant investment.

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

The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.

In May 2025, the Government announced the schemes which integrated care boards (ICBs) nominated as eligible to benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.

Building on this, the Government has committed £426 million of Utilisation and Modernisation funding over the next four years to continue upgrading the GP estate. This funding will also support refurbishing the existing estate to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres over this Parliament as part of the 10-Year Health Plan commitment.

Operational capital funding allocations have been confirmed for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, enabling multi-year planning for ICBs and in turn supporting the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for care.

The Government has also allocated £750 million per year for estates safety from 2026/27 to 2029/30, with planning certainty for a further five years, totalling £6.75 billion.

ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including GPs, in each local area.

As part of inspection activity at GP surgeries, the Care Quality Commission will look at the quality of premises under Regulation 15, covering premises and equipment, although there is no overall rating for this aspect. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that the premises where care and treatment are delivered are clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained and, where required, appropriately located, and that the equipment that is used to deliver care and treatment is clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained, stored securely, and used properly.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department provides guidance to parents on the use of smartphones and internet-enabled devices by children of pre-school age.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care are jointly working to produce and publish new practical, evidence informed guidance for parents on screentime for early years (0-5) by April 2026.

An expert group of child health and development specialists has been convened to shape the guidance, which will also be informed by the perspectives of parents and carers. Details on the work of the group, including its membership can be found here.

The group recently launched a call for evidence asking for evidence that will inform the development of new parental guidance on screen time and usage for early years (0 to 5-year-old) children. More information on the call for evidence can be found here.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of 3-5 year old children owning personal mobile devices and the implications for online safety.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ofcom reported in 2025 that 17% of 3-5-year-olds have a smartphone. The Online Safety Act protects all children in UK Under the Act, services must protect children from illegal and age-inappropriate online content and conduct children’s risk assessments that consider age-specific risks

We recognise parents’ concerns about young children using devices. The Department for Education is developing screen time guidance for children under 5 which will be available in April. This will help parents understand how long their children should look at screens and alternative activities that are available.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office offers only office‑based and home‑working contracts.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on the UK labour market of levels of net emigration among UK nationals aged between 16 and 34.

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

I refer Hon Member to answer provided to PQ 95781 on 1 December 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people were employed in manufacturing roles in each of the last five years.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 23rd February is attached.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate her Department has made of the level of private sector investment in telecoms networks in each year since 2020.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department has noted Ofcom’s analysis of telecoms investment in its Connected Nations UK Report 2025. Ofcom estimated that telecoms operators collectively invested £7.8 billion in 2020, £8.6 billion in 2021, £8.7 billion in 2022, £10.2 billion in 2023 and £9.2 billion in 2024. Ofcom has adjusted all figures for inflation and presented them in 2024 prices.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, when she expects the Mobile Market Review to report its findings.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

On 10 February, the Government launched the Mobile Market Review (MMR) call for evidence. This is a key milestone in our joint mission with industry to deliver high-quality mobile connectivity for the benefit of people, business and the public sector across the UK. The call for evidence will remain open for 10 weeks and close on 21 April. We will provide an update on next steps later in 2026

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness on 23 February 2026, whether the removal of the pay-day loan premium will apply to the reorganised councils who will inherit the debt of areas such as Thurrock.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The previous government made a sustained recovery for councils even harder by charging a premium on borrowing for councils needing Exceptional Financial Support. In December 2024, the government confirmed that the additional 1% premium on Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) borrowing would not apply to any council borrowing or refinancing going forward.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness on 23 February 2026, how much less Thurrock council will need to repay each year following the removal of the pay-day loan premium.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The previous government made a sustained recovery for councils even harder by charging a premium on borrowing for councils needing Exceptional Financial Support. In December 2024, the government confirmed that the additional 1% premium on Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) borrowing would not apply to any council borrowing or refinancing going forward.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness on 23 February 2026, whether the removal of the pay-day loan premium will apply to councils not currently in receipt of Exceptional Financial Support.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The previous government made a sustained recovery for councils even harder by charging a premium on borrowing for councils needing Exceptional Financial Support. In December 2024, the government confirmed that the additional 1% premium on Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) borrowing would not apply to any council borrowing or refinancing going forward.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment she has made of the level of competition in the mobile telecoms market.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is committed to a competitive mobile market where consumers and businesses have access to high-quality, secure and affordable connectivity. Strong competition in the sector has helped deliver wide consumer choice and some of the lowest mobile prices internationally, even as data use has grown year on year.

The Government launched a Mobile Market Review call for evidence on 10 February which will remain open for 10 weeks. This call for evidence assesses how the market is changing and seeks to understand what more can be done to support investment, innovation, and competition across the mobile sector.

More broadly, it is the responsibility of Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority to promote competition and protect consumers in telecoms markets. Where they identify anti‑competitive behaviour, they have powers to investigate and implement measures to promote competition.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what discussions she has had with telecoms industry stakeholders on the rollout.of gigabit broadband up to 2032.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The government is committed to delivering gigabit broadband to 99% of UK premises by 2032.

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology held jointly with the Chancellor a roundtable with telecoms industry stakeholders on 11 February where investment in the sector was discussed.

DSIT also regularly engages with a wide range of telecoms stakeholders to support investment in the sector and the delivery of gigabit‑capable broadband.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of staff in the Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As of 31 January 2026,

A) Office-based working contracts - 5,646 employees, representing 96.9% of the overall domestic civil servants in payroll.

B) Hybrid working contracts – none

C) Remoting working contracts – 179 employees representing 3.1% of the overall domestic civil servants in payroll.

DBT remains committed to flexible working and the business benefits that it offers, including supporting the Civil Service priority of ensuring continued, effective and productive delivery of the work carried out by civil servants across the full range of services.

DBT operates a ‘hybrid’ approach, led by business needs, and as a result many employees will work both from home and in the workplace on an informal basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support NHS trusts to help tackle the root causes of recurring complaints.

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

The National Health Service should listen to, learn from, and act on issues that are raised in complaints to ensure services continually improve and that when things go wrong, problems are addressed and not repeated.

To support good complaint handling, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s NHS Complaint Standards and accompanying guidance set out how organisations providing services in the NHS should approach complaint handling, including the promotion of a learning culture that identifies and addresses recurring themes and issues.

We recognise that more needs to be done and through implementation of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will reform the NHS complaints process and strengthen the patient voice by setting clear standards for the quality of responses to complaints and to ensure the NHS listens carefully and compassionately, taking forward learnings to ensure high quality care. We will also increase the use of artificial intelligence tools to ensure complaints data is collected, and responded to, far more quickly.

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 potential impact of delayed discharges on emergency department congestion at Basildon Hospital.

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

The Government has not made a specific central assessment of the impact of delayed discharges on emergency department congestion at Basildon Hospital.

Local analysis by the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust suggests substantial progress in reducing delayed discharges. This improvement follows the introduction of the integrated care transfer hub and wider system measures to strengthen patient flow, helping to ease pressure on emergency departments.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 sets out actions to improve performance and strengthen services by reducing avoidable attendances and admissions, and through improving patient flow through hospitals. The plan commits to reducing the number of patients waiting over 12 hours for admission or discharge to less than 10% of the time, supported by almost £450 million of capital investment to avoid unnecessary admissions and support faster treatment and discharge for patients. It also includes commitments to tackle long delayed patients and reduce internal hospital delays over 48 hours.

The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s One Team Improvement Plan also includes actions to improve urgent and emergency care outcomes, including increased weekend consultant cover to support more weekend discharges and maintain patient flow.

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 NHS trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service enquiries within required timeframes.

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

We have not made an assessment of the adequacy of National Health Service trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) enquiries. Generally, there are no required national timeframes for responding to enquiries made to PALS. However, if they are responding to complaints raised under the formal NHS complaints process, they must follow the requirements in The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009. The regulations require NHS organisations to notify complainants about the timeframe in which the investigation of their complaint is likely to be completed and investigate and resolve formal NHS complaints speedily and efficiently.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s press release entitled MHRA seizes illegal medicines worth almost £45m in 2025 – disrupting major criminal networks, published on 26 January 2026, what guidance his Department issues to GPs and other healthcare professionals when patients indicate they have obtained illegally traded medicines.

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

The General Medical Council (GMC) is independent of the Government, is directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of their statutory duties. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.

The GMC’s Good medical practice states that doctors must follow “Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices” which notes that when prescribing, doctors must consider whether the information they have is reliable enough to enable them to provide safe care, including a consideration of whether the patient is obtaining medication from other sources.

In addition, the GMC’s Confidentiality: good practice in handling patient information content sets out doctors’ responsibilities regarding disclosure of patient information in the public interest. This guidance sets out the circumstances in which a medical professional may disclose a patient’s personal information without breaching duties of confidentiality, including when disclosure is required by law.

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 that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's medicine safety communications reach vulnerable groups during the winter period.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicines for human use, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.

In 2024, the MHRA issued a new Strategy for Improving Safety Communications which set out its aim to reach more patients directly with accessible and helpful safety communications, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mhra-strategy-for-improving-safety-communications

The MHRA is committed to ensuring that all safety messages reach everyone who needs to receive them, especially those who are most vulnerable, including during the winter months.

Where patients, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders need to be made aware of a safety issue, the MHRA will consider publishing and cascading a safety communication through multiple channels. These can include a National Patient Safety Alert, Recall, Drug Safety Update, or a Device Safety Information, as well as utilising the media and sustained and targeted campaigns on social media platforms aimed at reaching those at risk. These communications are issued to relevant target audiences including vulnerable patients and patient group representatives and are published on the MHRA’s website and delivered to healthcare professionals through various routes such as direct email or subscription communications.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s press release entitled MHRA seizes illegal medicines worth almost £45m in 2025 – disrupting major criminal networks, published on 26 January 2026, what recent steps his Department have taken to raise public awareness of the health risks associated with consuming illegally traded medicines.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of medicines for human use, medical devices, and blood products for transfusion in the United Kingdom. This includes applying the legal controls on the retail sale, supply, and advertising of medicines which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.

Sourcing medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not authorised for use. Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict quality and safety standards and could expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients.

The MHRA is continually developing new and innovative ways to combat the illegal trade in medicines and to raise public awareness. These measures include:

- publication of a #Fakemeds campaign which explains how to access medicines through safe and legitimate online sources, with further information available at the following link:
https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/;

- public guidance on how to safely access and use GLP-1 medications, available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know.

- implementation of a web-based reporting scheme allowing users to report suspicious online sellers to the MHRA;

- rollout of an online service which will allow users to check if a website has been deemed ‘Not Recommended’ by the MHRA; and

- extensive work with media outlets to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal medicines.

The MHRA, and its Criminal Enforcement Unit, works hard to prevent, detect, and investigate illegal activity involving medicines and medical devices and takes enforcement action where necessary. It works closely with other health regulators, customs authorities, law enforcement agencies, and private sector partners, including e-commerce and the internet industry to identify, remove and block online content promoting the illegal sale of medicines and medical devices.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the prevalence of accidental paracetamol overdose arising from the use of multiple doses of different cold and flu products.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy, and safety. The MHRA recently reviewed the safety of paracetamol and sought advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) on 27 September 2024 on the potential risk mitigation measures to address the risk of self-harm. CHM recommended that actions need to be educational and legislative to address excessive sales and reduce potential for harm, although supportive of genuine patients.

The MHRA has recently updated voluntary Best Practice Guidance on the general sale of medicines for pain, to further highlight the risks of overdose. The update was undertaken in collaboration with retailers, stakeholders and healthcare professionals, and the updated guidance is avaiable at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e69e9e085277e9961b201b/Best_practice_guidance_on_the_sale_of_medicines_2025.pdf

Most retailers adhere to the guidelines on not promoting multiple purchases and have introduced in store measures such as till bars that restrict sales to a maximum of two packs across a range of products containing aspirin, paracetamol, or ibuprofen.

The use of paracetamol and accidental overdose is a safety concern, especially in relation to the many trade names of non-prescription and prescription medicines containing paracetamol. Therefore, the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 contain a number of conditions for the presentation of these medicines to highlight the presence of paracetamol.

Schedule 25, Part 4 of the Human Medicines Regulations sets out statutory labelling requirements for paracetamol medicines to highlight the presence of paracetamol in that product. Paragraph 14 states that, except where the name of the product includes the word “paracetamol” and appears on the outer and immediate packaging, the words “contains paracetamol” should be displayed. Paragraph 15 states that the labelling must highlight paracetamol on the front face of the carton or label and should also contain the warning: “Do not take more medicine than the label tells you to. If you do not get better, talk to your doctor”.

Statutory warnings are also in place to warn of liver damage with overdose including the words “Do not take anything else containing paracetamol while taking this medicine” and “Talk to a doctor at once if you take too much of this medicine, even if you feel well” in the patient information leaflet. If the product does not contain a leaflet, then the words “Talk to a doctor at once if you take too much of this medicine, even if you feel well. This is because too much paracetamol can cause delayed, serious liver damage” should be displayed on the label.

For those medicines containing paracetamol which are prescribed to a patient, the statutory warnings should be added to the prescribing label which is applied to the box by the pharmacist. These are highlighted in the British National Formulary, with further information available at the following link:

https://bnf.nice.org.uk/about/labels/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to pharmacies on safe dosing of over‑the‑counter cold and flu remedies.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy and safety. The MHRA has recently updated voluntary Best Practice Guidance on the general sale of medicines for pain, to further highlight the risks of overdose, to address public concerns and recognise current sales techniques. Links are also provided to patient support groups, including Papyrus for young people. The update was undertaken in collaboration with retailers, stakeholders and healthcare professionals including pharmacists and the updated guidance is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e69e9e085277e9961b201b/Best_practice_guidance_on_the_sale_of_medicines_2025.pdf

Most retailers adhere to the guidelines on not promoting multiple purchases and have introduced in store measures such as till bars that restrict sales to a maximum of two packs across a range of products containing aspirin, paracetamol, or ibuprofen. The aim of these voluntary measures is to balance the need of people for access to pain relief medicines against the dangers for vulnerable individuals and to reduce the opportunity for customers to purchase on impulse excessive quantities of any single analgesic, like paracetamol, aspirin, or ibuprofen.

The use of paracetamol and accidental overdose is a safety concern, especially in relation to the many trade names of non-prescription and prescription medicines containing paracetamol. Therefore, the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 contain a number of conditions for the presentation of these medicines to highlight the presence of paracetamol in a medicine, including the requirement for “paracetamol” or “contains paracetamol” to be on the outer packaging. In addition, the patient information leaflet should include the warning “Do not take anything else containing paracetamol while taking this medicine”.

For those medicines containing paracetamol which are prescribed to a patient, the statutory warnings should be added to the prescribing label which is applied to the box by the pharmacist. These are highlighted in the British National Formulary, with further information available at the following link:

https://bnf.nice.org.uk/about/labels/

The Summary of Product Characteristics for healthcare professionals including pharmacist, provides a summary of the clinical particulars in the use of a medicine, including the recommended maximum daily dose. In addition, particulars in reference to overdose are provided. This includes the potential dose over which liver damage may occur and potential risk factors which may elevate the risk of overdose, including medical history, concomitant medicines, or alcohol intake. A summary of the symptoms of overdose and management are also provided.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer given to Question UIN 106227 on 9 February 2026, what assessment he has made of whether the cost of restructuring councils is an indicator of the cost effectiveness of providing public services in (a) unitary and (b) two-tier councils.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises that restructuring will involve some upfront costs, but experience from previous reorganisations shows that creating strong, sustainable unitary councils delivers long‑term savings and efficiencies.

By reducing duplication, cutting waste and saving back‑office money, unitarisation enables councils to reinvest resources into frontline public services, meaning better outcomes for local residents and better value for money for taxpayers. Exact costs and savings will vary depending on the area and the final decisions on which proposals, if any, are implemented.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer given to question 109756 on 4 February 2026, for what reason he will not publish the representations received.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 23 February, the Secretary of State has now provided an update to the House on local elections: WMS HCWS1349.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his letter to council leaders on 16 February 2026, whether he plans to publish the legal advice cited in that letter.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer hon. Members to the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement made on 23 February (HCWS1349).

It is a longstanding principle that government does not comment on or publish legal advice.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his letter to council leaders on 16 February 2026, whether he has also received legal advice on proceeding with the local elections in Basildon in 2027.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer hon. Members to the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement made on 23 February (HCWS1349).

It is a longstanding principle that government does not comment on or publish legal advice.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his letter to council leaders on 16 February 2026, whether legal advice was considered when the 2025 local elections were postponed.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer hon. Members to the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement made on 23 February (HCWS1349).

It is a longstanding principle that government does not comment on or publish legal advice.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has met with Surfers Against Sewage to discuss the impact of pollution in waterways and the sea.

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

The Department values the important contribution made by environmental campaigners and non-governmental organisations such as Surfers Against Sewage. Ministers and officials remain in regular contact with stakeholders, including Surfers Against Sewage, as we take forward measures to improve the water environment.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 109496 on Iron and Steel: Imports, what recent steps he has taken to help increase the availability of UK-produced (a) crude, (b) semi-finished and (c) finished steel.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

This government has committed up to £2.5 billion to the sector, in addition to the £500m for Port Talbot and a £400 million increase to the investment at Sheffield Forgemasters, as well as cutting electricity costs, changing procurement rules and working to protect our industry from unfair competition.

The steel strategy, to be published in early 2026, will set out a vision for a competitive sector with increased UK based production.

These measures benefit producers across the steel supply chain, although in many cases production of crude, semi-finished and finished steel will exist within the same company and site.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that HGV drivers can take rest breaks with appropriate facilities.

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

Through the HGV parking and driver welfare match funding grant scheme the Department for Transport and industry partners are projected to deliver up to £35.7m of joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. This significant investment is in addition to joint investment by National Highways and industry of up to a further £30 million, aimed at improving lorry parking facilities along the strategic road network.

The scheme is supporting operators across 30 counties in England to improve driver facilities such as security measures, toilets, showers, refreshment facilities and increasing lorry parking spaces.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to support the wellbeing of seafarers.

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

My Department works domestically and internationally to improve seafarer welfare. The UK takes a leading role at the IMO to secure greater protections for seafarers, including at recent meetings on seafarer fatigue and working hours.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency enforces seafarer welfare, including the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023 which requires seafarers working on international services calling frequently at UK ports to be paid at least the equivalent to UK National Minimum Wage.

The Government has also legislated through the Employment Rights Act 2025 to provide for a mandatory seafarers’ charter to protect those working aboard international services frequently calling at UK ports.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to Answer of 12th January 2026 to Question 102595 on Logistics: Young People, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Freight Workforce Group for increasing employment in the logistics industry.

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

The Freight Workforce Group brings together government and industry representatives to monitor workforce trends across the freight and logistics sector and provides a structured forum for employers of all sizes, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to share evidence on skills gaps, barriers to employment and emerging labour market pressures. The Group has been effective in establishing a shared understanding of current employment levels and where action is required across government and industry to support the sector.

The Group has identified the need to support more young people into the sector and to build resilience in its workforce and improve employment levels generally by recruiting from under-represented groups. As a result, industry members of the Group have taken the lead in developing guidance aimed at providing the necessary tools and advice to employers to take steps to make this happen. This will be published by the Department in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of secure parking spaces for HGV drivers.

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

The Department for Transport published the National Survey of Lorry Parking on 29th September 2022 which highlighted what improvements to lorry parking facilities were most needed. The survey showed an average shortage of around 4,500 HGV parking spaces for the month of March 2022 and identified driver concerns with the quality of welfare facilities and security of lorry parks.

In response to these findings, the Department launched the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme (MFGS) in 2022 to improve driver welfare facilities, increase secure lorry parking provision, and enhance site security. Through this scheme, up to £35.7 million of joint investment is being delivered to upgrade truck stops across England. This is in addition to up to £30 million of joint investment by National Highways and industry partners to improve lorry parking facilities along the strategic road network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the proportion of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline funding that will be provided to (a) Essex and (b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

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

Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline funding is not allocated based on local authorities or constituencies. Rather, investments are made on schemes which deliver the greatest value for money for the national network and are most aligned to the Government’s priorities.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Trade Remedies Authority's press release entitled Anti-dumping measure on ironing boards from China maintained, published on 12 February 2026, whether other Chinese goods have been recommended for anti-dumping measures.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK currently applies 45 trade remedy measures, 28 of which are on goods from China. All live trade remedy cases can be viewed on their public file, online, including those investigations on goods of Chinese-origin. I am not aware of any plans from the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), or representations from the ironing board sector, to recommend changes to the current duties in place on imports of ironing boards.

Unfair international trading practices can have a deleterious effect on domestic producers, which is why the TRA was established as the UK’s independent body responsible for conducting trade remedies investigations, to tackle injury caused by practices such as dumping or subsidisation. The remit of the TRA also includes assessing applications from industry for new investigations, doing so in line with domestic legislation and WTO rules. I would consider any recommendation to impose further trade remedy measures if the TRA were to make one, in accordance with the legislation.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Trade Remedies Authority's press release entitled Anti-dumping measure on ironing boards from China maintained, published on 12 February 2026, whether the dumping of Chinese goods was raised during the Prime Minister's recent visit to Beijing.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

No, my decision to extend the existing anti-dumping measure on ironing boards from China was not raised during the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Beijing.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Trade Remedies Authority's press release entitled Anti-dumping measure on ironing boards from China maintained, published on 12 February 2026, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of Chinese dumping on UK industries.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK currently applies 45 trade remedy measures, 28 of which are on goods from China. All live trade remedy cases can be viewed on their public file, online, including those investigations on goods of Chinese-origin. I am not aware of any plans from the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), or representations from the ironing board sector, to recommend changes to the current duties in place on imports of ironing boards.

Unfair international trading practices can have a deleterious effect on domestic producers, which is why the TRA was established as the UK’s independent body responsible for conducting trade remedies investigations, to tackle injury caused by practices such as dumping or subsidisation. The remit of the TRA also includes assessing applications from industry for new investigations, doing so in line with domestic legislation and WTO rules. I would consider any recommendation to impose further trade remedy measures if the TRA were to make one, in accordance with the legislation.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Trade Remedies Authority's press release entitled Anti-dumping measure on ironing boards from China maintained, published on 12 February 2026, whether he plans to add further anti-dumping measures to the duties approved.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK currently applies 45 trade remedy measures, 28 of which are on goods from China. All live trade remedy cases can be viewed on their public file, online, including those investigations on goods of Chinese-origin. I am not aware of any plans from the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), or representations from the ironing board sector, to recommend changes to the current duties in place on imports of ironing boards.

Unfair international trading practices can have a deleterious effect on domestic producers, which is why the TRA was established as the UK’s independent body responsible for conducting trade remedies investigations, to tackle injury caused by practices such as dumping or subsidisation. The remit of the TRA also includes assessing applications from industry for new investigations, doing so in line with domestic legislation and WTO rules. I would consider any recommendation to impose further trade remedy measures if the TRA were to make one, in accordance with the legislation.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Trade Remedies Authority's press release entitled Anti-dumping measure on ironing boards from China maintained, published on 12 February 2026, what discussions he has had with UK manufacturers on the potential impact of Chinese dumping on their businesses.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Where businesses believe that they are being injured by dumped imports, they should engage with the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA). The TRA was established as the UK’s independent body responsible for conducting trade remedies investigations to tackle injury caused by practices such as dumping, and make appropriate recommendations to the Secretary of State on whether a duty should be applied to level the playing field. My department and I regularly engage with a wide range of sectors on the challenges posed by unfair trading practices.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled ‘UK steps up defence of Arctic and High North from rising Russian threats,’ published on 11 February 2026, what discussions he has had with NATO allies on Arctic and High North defence at recent meetings of Defence Ministers, including on what commitments those allies are making in this theatre.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence continuously monitors Russia’s military posture in the Arctic and High North as part of routine defence intelligence and strategic assessments. While the UK and NATO recognise Russia’s status as an Arctic state with a legitimate presence in the region, its increased militarisation of Arctic territory in recent years, including investments in bases, air and coastal defence capabilities, and Arctic-capable equipment, is a cause for concern.

Russia is steadily increasing its military presence and activity in the region, with notable increases in submarine activity in the North Atlantic. Although this activity does not breach international law, it poses challenges to the interests of the UK, NATO Allies, and partners, necessitating vigilance and preparedness.

The UK remains committed to working closely with NATO Allies and partners to uphold shared security in the Arctic and High North. Efforts focus on strengthening deterrence through enhanced situational awareness, air and maritime activity, and collective defence planning. This commitment was underscored at the recent NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting, where Arctic security was a key theme.

During the meeting, NATO’s Secretary General announced the launch of Arctic Sentry, a new enhanced vigilance activity aimed at synchronising national, bilateral, and multilateral efforts in the region under a unified approach. The UK is playing a leading role in these efforts, including the planned deployment of the Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK steps up defence of Arctic and High North from rising Russian threats, published on 11 February 2026, what changes there have been in Russian military deployments in the Arctic region since the most recent invasion of Ukraine.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence continuously monitors Russia’s military posture in the Arctic and High North as part of routine defence intelligence and strategic assessments. While the UK and NATO recognise Russia’s status as an Arctic state with a legitimate presence in the region, its increased militarisation of Arctic territory in recent years, including investments in bases, air and coastal defence capabilities, and Arctic-capable equipment, is a cause for concern.

Russia is steadily increasing its military presence and activity in the region, with notable increases in submarine activity in the North Atlantic. Although this activity does not breach international law, it poses challenges to the interests of the UK, NATO Allies, and partners, necessitating vigilance and preparedness.

The UK remains committed to working closely with NATO Allies and partners to uphold shared security in the Arctic and High North. Efforts focus on strengthening deterrence through enhanced situational awareness, air and maritime activity, and collective defence planning. This commitment was underscored at the recent NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting, where Arctic security was a key theme.

During the meeting, NATO’s Secretary General announced the launch of Arctic Sentry, a new enhanced vigilance activity aimed at synchronising national, bilateral, and multilateral efforts in the region under a unified approach. The UK is playing a leading role in these efforts, including the planned deployment of the Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled ‘UK steps up defence of Arctic and High North from rising Russian threats,’ published on 11 February 2026, what assessment he has made of the severity of the security threat posed by Russian military activity in the Arctic and High North.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence continuously monitors Russia’s military posture in the Arctic and High North as part of routine defence intelligence and strategic assessments. While the UK and NATO recognise Russia’s status as an Arctic state with a legitimate presence in the region, its increased militarisation of Arctic territory in recent years, including investments in bases, air and coastal defence capabilities, and Arctic-capable equipment, is a cause for concern.

Russia is steadily increasing its military presence and activity in the region, with notable increases in submarine activity in the North Atlantic. Although this activity does not breach international law, it poses challenges to the interests of the UK, NATO Allies, and partners, necessitating vigilance and preparedness.

The UK remains committed to working closely with NATO Allies and partners to uphold shared security in the Arctic and High North. Efforts focus on strengthening deterrence through enhanced situational awareness, air and maritime activity, and collective defence planning. This commitment was underscored at the recent NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting, where Arctic security was a key theme.

During the meeting, NATO’s Secretary General announced the launch of Arctic Sentry, a new enhanced vigilance activity aimed at synchronising national, bilateral, and multilateral efforts in the region under a unified approach. The UK is playing a leading role in these efforts, including the planned deployment of the Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2026 to Question 110704, whether the answer provided also applies to (a) Thurrock council and (b) other unitary authority councils.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 110704 on 9 February 2026, which applies to all councils. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 specifies the type of councils which may resolve to move from holding whole council elections to electing by thirds, namely non-metropolitan district that have previously held elections by thirds.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps to help reduce levels of imports of Chinese-produced steel.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We seek to protect our steel industry from the impacts of unfair trading practices and global overcapacity, using trade remedies such as anti‑dumping and anti‑subsidy measures alongside the steel safeguard.

We are prioritising the development of a robust, evidence-based and effective measure to ensure our domestic sector remains protected following the expiry of the safeguard at the end of June 2026.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of staff in his Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

(a) There are 4926 employees who have an office-based contract. This is 100% of the Department.

(b) and c) There are no recorded hybrid or remote-working contracts. Hybrid working is a non-contractual arrangement under which employees are expected to spend 40-60% of their working hours in the office as the norm (with a minimum of 40%) with Senior Civil Servants and Fast Stream employees aiming towards 60% office attendance during a 4-week accounting period.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury is an office‑based organisation. Staff are employed on office‑based contracts and may work remotely under the Department’s hybrid working policy, which expects at least 60% office attendance. Hybrid working is an informal arrangement and not contractual.

The Department does not generally offer home‑based contracts; full‑time homeworking is only agreed on a temporary basis, for example as a workplace adjustment.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Trade Remedies Authority's press release entitled Anti-dumping measure on ironing boards from China maintained, published on 12 February 2026, what the anti-dumping duties on Chinese ironing boards will be spent on.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Revenue collected from this and other trade remedies measures is not ringfenced and is therefore part of how public services, including schools, police, and the NHS, are funded.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the water quality of the River Thames along the South Essex shoreline.

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

The Environment Agency is working with Water Companies on WINEP schemes in your constituency, including three investigations due for completion in 2027 and six projects to install monitors at sewage treatment works.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of staff in his Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD), along with other Government Departments, is committed to Smarter Working and much of our workforce has embraced the benefits of hybrid working, both for the business and themselves. We have implemented Government direction on increased office attendance and, as a broad average, at least 60% of time is spent working in office for office-based workers. For some this will be more, for others less, and is dependent upon the activity, business outcomes to be delivered and sometimes site capacity constraints.

All employees agree their working location with their local line management and a central record of working locations is not held. The MOD does not issue specific remote working contracts and does not record centrally remote working activity; remote working falls under hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual arrangement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

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

In the Department for Transport the majority of employees are assigned to an office or a specific workplace location within their contract. Hybrid working is not a contractual form of working and as it is agreed within individual teams based on business needs, is not centrally recorded.

The only employees who could be classed as having ‘remote-working contracts’ would be those who are contractual homeworkers. Only 0.67% of employees within the core department have a recorded homeworking contract as of January 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Record year of drug seizures made by Border Force, published on 12 February 2026, what proportion of Border Force drug seizures in the year to March 2025 were made at sea compared with airports and other ports; and what recent investments have been made to enhance maritime detection capabilities.

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

Home Office officials continue to explore all the new and emerging technologies that are available to help identify and intercept the vessels and individuals involved in smuggling drugs in the maritime environment, and our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities remain amongst the best in the world. For reasons of national security it would not be appropriate to go into greater detail.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of mobile and broadband customers who will benefit from the end of unexpected mid-contract price rises.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department’s assessment is that the Telecoms Consumer Charter will strengthen protections for consumer by securing the clear and public commitment from major providers that the price customers sign up to is the price they will pay, except for genuinely unforeseeable circumstances.

While it is not possible to provide a precise estimate of the number of consumers who will benefit, the Charter covers the vast majority of the market, with major fixed and mobile providers having signed up. This mean millions of mobile and broadband customers will now have greater certainty over their monthly bills. These commitments will help to ensure households can better manage costs and avoid mid-contract bill shocks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Record year of drug seizures made by Border Force, published on 12 February 2026, what measures are taken as part of the 'seize and return' policy to help ensure that smugglers do not attempt to return to the UK.

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

Home Office officials continue to explore all the new and emerging technologies that are available to help identify and intercept the vessels and individuals involved in smuggling drugs in the maritime environment, and our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities remain amongst the best in the world. For reasons of national security it would not be appropriate to go into greater detail.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Record year of drug seizures made by Border Force, published on 12 February 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of cannabis and ketamine smuggling imports which are not intercepted.

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

Home Office officials continue to explore all the new and emerging technologies that are available to help identify and intercept the vessels and individuals involved in smuggling drugs in the maritime environment, and our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities remain amongst the best in the world. For reasons of national security it would not be appropriate to go into greater detail.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Record year of drug seizures made by Border Force, published on 12 February 2026, how many foreign criminals have been deported under the seize and return policy to date.

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

Home Office officials continue to explore all the new and emerging technologies that are available to help identify and intercept the vessels and individuals involved in smuggling drugs in the maritime environment, and our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities remain amongst the best in the world. For reasons of national security it would not be appropriate to go into greater detail.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Telecoms Consumer Charter on the proportion of consumers experiencing mid-contract price rises.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department’s assessment is that the Telecoms Consumer Charter will strengthen protections for consumer by securing the clear and public commitment from major providers that the price customers sign up to is the price they will pay, except for genuinely unforeseeable circumstances.

While it is not possible to provide a precise estimate of the number of consumers who will benefit, the Charter covers the vast majority of the market, with major fixed and mobile providers having signed up. This mean millions of mobile and broadband customers will now have greater certainty over their monthly bills. These commitments will help to ensure households can better manage costs and avoid mid-contract bill shocks.

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 potential impact of staffing levels on the volume of complaints received by NHS trusts.

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

No assessment has been made. The responsibility for staffing levels is with clinical and other leaders at a local level, responding to local needs, supported by guidelines by national and professional bodies and overseen and regulated in England by the Care Quality Commission.

Providers of National Health Services should have a systematic approach to determine and review the number of staff and range of skills needed to meet the needs of people using their services and keep them safe at all times. This includes taking into account feedback and complaints data to inform staffing decisions and improve services.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DCMS operates a ‘hybrid’ approach led by business needs, and as a result many employees will work both from home and in the workplace on an informal basis. DCMS staff agree to a contracted office location at the time of their appointment, with hybrid working as the default working pattern. Therefore staff are categorised as either office-based or remote-working (homeworking).

Fewer than five employees (less than 1% of the workforce) are designated as contractual homeworkers.

DCMS remains committed to flexible working and the business benefits that it offers, including supporting the Civil Service priority of ensuring continued, effective and productive delivery of the work carried out by civil servants across the full range of services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost per responder of training and deploying motorcycle paramedics compared with standard ambulance crews.

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

The combination of response vehicles and staff that make up an ambulance service’s emergency response, including double-crewed ambulances, rapid response vehicles, community first responders, and motorcycle and bicycle paramedic responders, is an operational matter determined by individual ambulance trusts according to their local population needs and geographic considerations.

NHS England has not made an assessment of the impact of motorcycle paramedic responders on response times, patient clinical outcomes, or training and deployment costs, although this information may be held locally by individual ambulance services.

It is noted that whilst motorcycle paramedics and other rapid responders may be able to reach patients quickly in congested and high traffic areas and provide assessment and treatment, in many cases patients will require subsequent on-scene assessment, treatment, and/or conveyance by an ambulance crew.

NHS England routinely publishes data on ambulance performance, including ambulance response times, alongside ambulance clinical outcome metrics at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on response times for motorcycle paramedic responders versus standard ambulance crews in high-traffic areas.

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

The combination of response vehicles and staff that make up an ambulance service’s emergency response, including double-crewed ambulances, rapid response vehicles, community first responders, and motorcycle and bicycle paramedic responders, is an operational matter determined by individual ambulance trusts according to their local population needs and geographic considerations.

NHS England has not made an assessment of the impact of motorcycle paramedic responders on response times, patient clinical outcomes, or training and deployment costs, although this information may be held locally by individual ambulance services.

It is noted that whilst motorcycle paramedics and other rapid responders may be able to reach patients quickly in congested and high traffic areas and provide assessment and treatment, in many cases patients will require subsequent on-scene assessment, treatment, and/or conveyance by an ambulance crew.

NHS England routinely publishes data on ambulance performance, including ambulance response times, alongside ambulance clinical outcome metrics at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

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 impact of motorcycle paramedic responders on patient survival rates.

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

The combination of response vehicles and staff that make up an ambulance service’s emergency response, including double-crewed ambulances, rapid response vehicles, community first responders, and motorcycle and bicycle paramedic responders, is an operational matter determined by individual ambulance trusts according to their local population needs and geographic considerations.

NHS England has not made an assessment of the impact of motorcycle paramedic responders on response times, patient clinical outcomes, or training and deployment costs, although this information may be held locally by individual ambulance services.

It is noted that whilst motorcycle paramedics and other rapid responders may be able to reach patients quickly in congested and high traffic areas and provide assessment and treatment, in many cases patients will require subsequent on-scene assessment, treatment, and/or conveyance by an ambulance crew.

NHS England routinely publishes data on ambulance performance, including ambulance response times, alongside ambulance clinical outcome metrics at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

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 effectiveness of motorcycle paramedic responders in reducing ambulance response times in congested urban areas.

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

The combination of response vehicles and staff that make up an ambulance service’s emergency response, including double-crewed ambulances, rapid response vehicles, community first responders, and motorcycle and bicycle paramedic responders, is an operational matter determined by individual ambulance trusts according to their local population needs and geographic considerations.

NHS England has not made an assessment of the impact of motorcycle paramedic responders on response times, patient clinical outcomes, or training and deployment costs, although this information may be held locally by individual ambulance services.

It is noted that whilst motorcycle paramedics and other rapid responders may be able to reach patients quickly in congested and high traffic areas and provide assessment and treatment, in many cases patients will require subsequent on-scene assessment, treatment, and/or conveyance by an ambulance crew.

NHS England routinely publishes data on ambulance performance, including ambulance response times, alongside ambulance clinical outcome metrics at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of households eligible for social tariffs who are not currently accessing them.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ofcom’s most recent Pricing Trends Report showed that in June 2024 9.6% of eligible households were using social tariffs. This included an estimated 506,000 households out of around 5.3 million in receipt of Universal Credit.

Through the Telecoms Consumer Charter, providers have also committed to strengthening the visibility and accessibility of social tariffs by ensuring they are clearly signposted in eligible customer communications. This commitment is designed to make it simpler for eligible households to locate the support available and to understand the options open to them.

We will continue to track progress of this through Ofcom’s regular reporting.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, whether the Government plans to place the commitments in the Telecoms Consumer Charter on a statutory footing.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ofcom’s January 2025 transparency rules prohibit the use of inflation‑linked in‑contract price rises. Providers must set out any increases clearly in pounds and pence before customers sign up, and specify when those rises will occur. These rules apply to all new contracts which include a price increase, including those offered by providers that have signed the Telecoms Consumer Charter. Ofcom will be conducting an interim review of the 2025 reforms by Spring 2026 and a full review in 2027.

The Telecoms Consumer Charter strengthens these measures by ensuring that the price customers sign up to is the price they will pay, and that this must be the case in all but genuinely exceptional and unforeseeable circumstances.

The Government has no plans to place the commitments in the Charter on a statutory footing. The Charter is a voluntary set of commitments made by providers, building on Ofcom’s requirements to ensure consumers receive clear and easily understandable information. By securing these agreements voluntarily and without regulation, the Government has been able to act quickly to ensure consumers will not face unexpected price rises like those seen in October 2025.

While it is not our current intention to regulate, we do expect this voluntary approach to deliver for consumers. If it does not, government will reflect on what further action may be appropriate.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, whether providers that have signed the Telecoms Consumer Charter will be prohibited from including inflation-linked price rise clauses in new contracts.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ofcom’s January 2025 transparency rules prohibit the use of inflation‑linked in‑contract price rises. Providers must set out any increases clearly in pounds and pence before customers sign up, and specify when those rises will occur. These rules apply to all new contracts which include a price increase, including those offered by providers that have signed the Telecoms Consumer Charter. Ofcom will be conducting an interim review of the 2025 reforms by Spring 2026 and a full review in 2027.

The Telecoms Consumer Charter strengthens these measures by ensuring that the price customers sign up to is the price they will pay, and that this must be the case in all but genuinely exceptional and unforeseeable circumstances.

The Government has no plans to place the commitments in the Charter on a statutory footing. The Charter is a voluntary set of commitments made by providers, building on Ofcom’s requirements to ensure consumers receive clear and easily understandable information. By securing these agreements voluntarily and without regulation, the Government has been able to act quickly to ensure consumers will not face unexpected price rises like those seen in October 2025.

While it is not our current intention to regulate, we do expect this voluntary approach to deliver for consumers. If it does not, government will reflect on what further action may be appropriate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of ambulance call-outs were assessed as avoidable or suitable for alternative pathways in the East of England during the last 12 months.

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

Between January and December 2025, a total of 121,305 emergency 999 calls were successfully redirected away from a traditional ambulance dispatch in the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (EEAST) and into alternative care pathways.

These diversions were achieved either through clinical triage and decision‑making provided by EEAST clinicians working within its emergency control rooms, or through further assessment carried out by clinicians based in the Unscheduled Care Hub. EEAST is in discussion with community partners to identify patients that have the potential to be managed in the community without the requirement for an ambulance response.

Overall, this means that 19.1% of all 999 calls received during 2025 were managed through these alternative clinical pathways rather than requiring a frontline ambulance response. Integrated care boards continue to monitor the effectiveness of these measures and are working on further opportunities to expand capacity in community urgent care, ensuring patients receive the right care in the right setting and offsetting ambulance demand.

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 whether current levels of community-based urgent care services have capacity to offset ambulance demand in the East of England.

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

Between January and December 2025, a total of 121,305 emergency 999 calls were successfully redirected away from a traditional ambulance dispatch in the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (EEAST) and into alternative care pathways.

These diversions were achieved either through clinical triage and decision‑making provided by EEAST clinicians working within its emergency control rooms, or through further assessment carried out by clinicians based in the Unscheduled Care Hub. EEAST is in discussion with community partners to identify patients that have the potential to be managed in the community without the requirement for an ambulance response.

Overall, this means that 19.1% of all 999 calls received during 2025 were managed through these alternative clinical pathways rather than requiring a frontline ambulance response. Integrated care boards continue to monitor the effectiveness of these measures and are working on further opportunities to expand capacity in community urgent care, ensuring patients receive the right care in the right setting and offsetting ambulance demand.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what proportion of staff in the Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid, and (c) remote-working contracts.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

Contracts issued to staff do not record the information requested. Hybrid working is an informal, non-contractual agreement.

The AGO is committed to flexible working and the business benefits that it offers, including supporting the Civil Service priority of ensuring continued, effective and productive delivery of the work carried out by civil servants across the full range of services.

The AGO operates a ‘hybrid’ approach, led by business needs, and as a result many employees work both from home and in the workplace on an informal basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on ensuring escalation protocols for deteriorating patients are consistently applied across trusts.

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

Patients are triaged upon their initial entry to accident and emergency departments, after which their condition and any deterioration is monitored through observation at clinically appropriate intervals. How this happens and how often it happens is down to local clinical decision making and governance.

There is a national target that patients receive an initial assessment within 15 minutes of arrival in accident and emergency. This assessment considers patient acuity, ensuring that those most unwell and at greatest risk are identified and prioritised, so that clinical oversight can be adjusted accordingly, and to ensure the sickest patients are seen first.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the guidance on the frequency of re-triage for patients whose condition may deteriorate while waiting for treatment.

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

Patients are triaged upon their initial entry to accident and emergency departments, after which their condition and any deterioration is monitored through observation at clinically appropriate intervals. How this happens and how often it happens is down to local clinical decision making and governance.

There is a national target that patients receive an initial assessment within 15 minutes of arrival in accident and emergency. This assessment considers patient acuity, ensuring that those most unwell and at greatest risk are identified and prioritised, so that clinical oversight can be adjusted accordingly, and to ensure the sickest patients are seen first.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of outpatient activity was delivered outside hospital settings in Essex in the most recent period for which data is available.

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

The Department does not centrally hold data on outpatient activity delivered outside hospital settings in Essex.

Approximately 80% of the waiting list is made up of people waiting for outpatient appointments. Modernisation of this important stage of planned care is a top priority for the Government. We have committed, in our Elective Reform Plan and 10-Year Health Plan, to modernise elective pathways to ensure that they are better for patients and more productive. This radical plan will end outpatient care as we know it by 2035.

Face-to-face hospital appointments will become the exception, as two thirds of outpatient appointments will be replaced by digital advice, direct input from specialists, and patient-initiated follow ups as we introduce a new digital front door to the National Health Service via the NHS App by 2035, which is more responsive to patients’ needs. Patients will still have a choice in where they get their care.

We will deliver this vision with a new model for planned care that is digital by default and local where possible, providing rapid access to patient-centred services.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Peter Mandelson played a role in discussions with the United States on the sovereignty and future governance of the Chagos Islands.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12 February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and Oral Statement on the 23 February which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on potential enforcement action where providers fail to meet the commitments set out in the Telecoms Consumer Charter.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Telecoms Consumer Charter is public a commitment made by providers, building on Ofcom’s existing rules on pricing transparency, switching and end‑of‑contract notifications, and goes further in areas where Government has identified improvements are needed.

While it is not our intention to regulate, we are monitoring implementation of the commitments within the Charter through regular engagement with the sector. Ofcom continues to monitor compliance with its own regulatory measures, including transparency reforms and One Touch Switching.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what steps her Department is taking to monitor compliance with the Telecoms Consumer Charter.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Telecoms Consumer Charter is public a commitment made by providers, building on Ofcom’s existing rules on pricing transparency, switching and end‑of‑contract notifications, and goes further in areas where Government has identified improvements are needed.

While it is not our intention to regulate, we are monitoring implementation of the commitments within the Charter through regular engagement with the sector. Ofcom continues to monitor compliance with its own regulatory measures, including transparency reforms and One Touch Switching.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, whether telecoms providers will be required to proactively contact customers who may be eligible for social tariffs under the terms of the Telecoms Consumer Charter.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Telecoms Consumer Charter strengthens protections for customers who may be eligible for social tariffs by securing commitments from major providers to ensure these tariffs are clearly signposted and easy to find in customer communications. This ensures that those who may benefit from a social tariff can more easily identify and access one. This includes, for example, signposting offers in End-of-Contract notifications, provider websites, app menus, and customer service scripts.

Eligibility for social tariffs is assessed on an individual basis and requires customers to provide information, such as confirmation that they receive a means-tested benefit, before providers can determine whether they qualify. For this reason, providers cannot proactively identify eligible households, as they do not have access to the necessary personal data unless and until a customer applies. The Charter focuses on making clear, visible information available at the points where customers are most likely to look for support.

The Charter also includes a specific commitment to support customers who are facing financial difficulty by offering practical support such as allowing them to move to cheaper packages without charge or penalty, or manageable payment plans. This ensures people under financial pressure can switch to more affordable options without incurring additional costs.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what steps her Department is taking to increase awareness of social tariffs among eligible households.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Telecoms Consumer Charter strengthens protections for customers who may be eligible for social tariffs by securing commitments from major providers to ensure these tariffs are clearly signposted and easy to find in customer communications. This ensures that those who may benefit from a social tariff can more easily identify and access one. This includes, for example, signposting offers in End-of-Contract notifications, provider websites, app menus, and customer service scripts.

Eligibility for social tariffs is assessed on an individual basis and requires customers to provide information, such as confirmation that they receive a means-tested benefit, before providers can determine whether they qualify. For this reason, providers cannot proactively identify eligible households, as they do not have access to the necessary personal data unless and until a customer applies. The Charter focuses on making clear, visible information available at the points where customers are most likely to look for support.

The Charter also includes a specific commitment to support customers who are facing financial difficulty by offering practical support such as allowing them to move to cheaper packages without charge or penalty, or manageable payment plans. This ensures people under financial pressure can switch to more affordable options without incurring additional costs.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what steps she is taking to help ensure that customers in financial difficulty can switch to cheaper plans without penalty.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Telecoms Consumer Charter strengthens protections for customers who may be eligible for social tariffs by securing commitments from major providers to ensure these tariffs are clearly signposted and easy to find in customer communications. This ensures that those who may benefit from a social tariff can more easily identify and access one. This includes, for example, signposting offers in End-of-Contract notifications, provider websites, app menus, and customer service scripts.

Eligibility for social tariffs is assessed on an individual basis and requires customers to provide information, such as confirmation that they receive a means-tested benefit, before providers can determine whether they qualify. For this reason, providers cannot proactively identify eligible households, as they do not have access to the necessary personal data unless and until a customer applies. The Charter focuses on making clear, visible information available at the points where customers are most likely to look for support.

The Charter also includes a specific commitment to support customers who are facing financial difficulty by offering practical support such as allowing them to move to cheaper packages without charge or penalty, or manageable payment plans. This ensures people under financial pressure can switch to more affordable options without incurring additional costs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of clinical negligence claims in each of the last three years were attributable to a) staffing levels, b) triage issues and c) delays in treatment.

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

NHS Resolution is the body that manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. They are unable to provide a full response to the questions in the format requested without commissioning work to review files manually, which would incur disproportionate cost. NHS Resolution has published a thematic review titled Learning from Emergency Medicine compensation claims - NHS Resolution, which may be helpful.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many negligence claims arising from accident and emergency care cited delays in a) triage and b) admission as a contributing factor.

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

NHS Resolution is the body that manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. They are unable to provide a full response to the questions in the format requested without commissioning work to review files manually, which would incur disproportionate cost. NHS Resolution has published a thematic review titled Learning from Emergency Medicine compensation claims - NHS Resolution, which may be helpful.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the barriers to long-term investment in mobile network infrastructure.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

On 10^th February, the Government published the Mobile Market Review (MMR) call for evidence. The MMR is a deep dive into the factors shaping industry's ability to invest in networks over the long-term, from investment challenges to the rapid technological developments occurring across the sector.

Delivering the government’s ambition for all populated areas to have standalone 5G by 2030 requires sustained investment from industry. Through this call for evidence, we want to understand what further action more government can take to create the conditions for long-term investment in mobile networks across the UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

As of February 2026, 486 employees of the department (6%) work remotely because their roles require them to be based at a distance from a departmental office.

All other employees, apart from a small number with homeworking as a reasonable adjustment, are office‑based with access to hybrid working arrangements. Hybrid working arrangements are non-contractual and led by business needs.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what proportion of staff in his Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

99.86% of the workforce has an office-based contract.

0% of the workforce has a hybrid working contract. Hybrid working is a non-contractual arrangement under which employees are expected to spend 40-60% of their working hours in the office as the norm (with a minimum of 40%) with Senior Civil Servants and Fast Stream employees aiming towards 60% office attendance during a 4-week accounting period.

0.14% of the workforce has a remote-working contract.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme, what the purpose was of the transaction made to Royal Residence for £7,484 dated 25 September 2024 with the IATI Activity ID of GB-GOV-1-400052-406.

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

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.

The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.

Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s ‘Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey,’ programme, what assessment she has made of the cost-effectiveness of the funding spent on this programme so far.

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

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.

The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.

Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme, what discussions she has had with the Turkish government regarding the effectiveness of this programme.

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

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.

The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.

Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how the Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme encourages refugees to return to Syria and other countries of origin.

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

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.

The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.

Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme does not act as a pull factor encouraging further migration to that country.

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

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.

The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.

Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme in preventing onward migration to (a) Europe and (b) the UK.

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

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.

The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.

Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme at supporting the survival of refugees in that country.

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

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.

The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.

Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how Thurrock and Basildon councils' debts will be distributed once local government reorganisation in Essex has concluded.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The assets, liabilities and ongoing commitments of the councils being replaced would transfer to the new authorities, in line with previous reorganisations.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how Essex County Council's debts will be distributed once local government reorganisation has concluded.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The assets, liabilities and ongoing commitments of the councils being replaced would transfer to the new authorities, in line with previous reorganisations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of AI-driven technology on a) detecting and b) preventing livestreamed child sexual abuse before transmission occurs.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from online sexual abuse. Livestreamed abuse is a particularly abhorrent form of exploitation, and we are determined to ensure that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.

The Online Safety Act introduces world-leading protections for children. It places robust duties on tech companies to prevent and swiftly remove illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, and to take proactive steps to protect children from harm. Ofcom, as the regulator, will have strong enforcement powers to ensure compliance.

We committed in the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy – Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls (accessible) - GOV.UK – ‘to make it impossible for children in the UK to take, share or view a nude image’ and that ‘we are working constructively with companies to make this a reality’. The use of AI-driven technology to detect and disrupt livestreamed child sexual abuse is vital to the delivery of this commitment – including through the deployment of such technology at device operating system level, which can help prevent abuse before it happens. Such tools can detect and disrupt livestreamed abuse and other image-based harms, while respecting users’ privacy and maintaining end-to-end encryption.

The Government continues to work closely with law enforcement, industry, and child protection experts to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of efforts to tackle online child sexual abuse.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his press release entitled Every child caught with a knife to get tailored support, published on 11 February 2026, if he will set out how the £320 million Youth Justice Services funding package will be allocated across England and Wales; and what proportion of that funding is new money.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Over the next three financial years, the Ministry of Justice will allocate £281 million for youth justice grants and a further £46 million of funding for the extension of the Turnaround grant programme.

This is a continuation of funding levels from previous years but the Department has provided multi-year funding to youth justice services. This will give youth justice services the stability to retain staff, plan effectively with partners, and commission services more efficiently - ultimately strengthening their ability to tackle knife possession and other offences committed by children.

Funding will be allocated to Youth Justice Services across England and Wales using same distribution method that has been applied for the past 13 years. We recognise that the current method for allocating youth justice funding needs updating and later this year we will undertake a consultation about long-term funding and oversight arrangements for youth justice services.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of staff in his Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice does not offer remote or hybrid working contracts at the point of recruitment, with all employees having one of the Department’s offices or properties as a contractual base location.

Hybrid working is an informal, non-contractual arrangement that does not involve changes to pay, terms and conditions, or one’s contractual workplace.

Remote working may be agreed through a flexible working request, or as a reasonable adjustment. In some exceptional circumstances, employees have transferred into the Ministry of Justice on protected terms that include homeworking. Records of this, as well as flexible working and workplace adjustments records, are held locally and are not centrally accessible. This information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the value for money of the £50 million funding given to the International Labour Organisation since 2020.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) plays an important role in setting international labour standards and holding those that fail to uphold international labour rights accountable. The UK was a founding member of the ILO; the Government is committed to maintaining its membership.

The UK’s assessed annual contribution is based on the standard United Nations system of assessed contributions applied to all 187 ILO member states, broadly linked to relative levels of GDP. In 2025–26 the total UK contribution totalled £14.76 million, the majority of which is classed within the UK’s Official Development Assistance.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ensures that the UK financial contribution to the ILO is used effectively, demonstrates value for money and aligns with the UK’s national objectives. Through our permanent membership of the ILO Governing Body, we undertake robust scrutiny of the ILO’s budgetary proposals and administration to increase the impact, effectiveness and delivery of the Organisation.

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 expected contribution to the International Labour Organisation in 2025-26.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) plays an important role in setting international labour standards and holding those that fail to uphold international labour rights accountable. The UK was a founding member of the ILO; the Government is committed to maintaining its membership.

The UK’s assessed annual contribution is based on the standard United Nations system of assessed contributions applied to all 187 ILO member states, broadly linked to relative levels of GDP. In 2025–26 the total UK contribution totalled £14.76 million, the majority of which is classed within the UK’s Official Development Assistance.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ensures that the UK financial contribution to the ILO is used effectively, demonstrates value for money and aligns with the UK’s national objectives. Through our permanent membership of the ILO Governing Body, we undertake robust scrutiny of the ILO’s budgetary proposals and administration to increase the impact, effectiveness and delivery of the Organisation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to continue funding the International Labour Organisation.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) plays an important role in setting international labour standards and holding those that fail to uphold international labour rights accountable. The UK was a founding member of the ILO; the Government is committed to maintaining its membership.

The UK’s assessed annual contribution is based on the standard United Nations system of assessed contributions applied to all 187 ILO member states, broadly linked to relative levels of GDP. In 2025–26 the total UK contribution totalled £14.76 million, the majority of which is classed within the UK’s Official Development Assistance.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ensures that the UK financial contribution to the ILO is used effectively, demonstrates value for money and aligns with the UK’s national objectives. Through our permanent membership of the ILO Governing Body, we undertake robust scrutiny of the ILO’s budgetary proposals and administration to increase the impact, effectiveness and delivery of the Organisation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his letter to council leaders on 16 February 2026, whether he has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on whether the 2027 local elections will proceed in areas undergoing local government reorganisation.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government remains committed to the indicative timetable set out in July, with elections to the new councils scheduled for May 2027.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with the leader of Kent County Council on the potential impact of delays in asylum decision-making contribute on local authority social care costs.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help reduce the concentration of asylum-related social care costs in a small number of local authorities.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to publish regular forecasts of asylum-related social care costs incurred by local authorities.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of local authority expenditure on asylum-related social care in 2025-26 and 2026-27.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his letter to council leaders on 16 February 2026, whether the additional capacity funding will be provided (a) to all local authorities and (b) only to local authorities that requested election postponements.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Up to £63 million new funding will be made available to help all local councils across the 21 reorganisation areas best deliver local government re-organisation and builds on the £7.6 million provided last year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to Answer of 12 January 2026 to Question 102593 on Logistics: Infrastructure, what estimate she has made of the number of additional lorry parking spaces that will be required to meet projected demand in the next five years.

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

The Department has not made a specific estimate of the number of additional lorry parking spaces that will be required over the next five years. However, the Department will shortly launch a new National Lorry Parking Survey. This will provide a comprehensive picture of current capacity, demand and driver welfare facilities across England. The findings will inform future policy on HGV parking and welfare and will support planning applications for new or expanded sites.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle (a) human trafficking and (b) employer abuse affecting seafarers.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government takes reports of labour exploitation and human trafficking very seriously, including employer abuse against seafarers, and we remain committed to tackling the crime of modern slavery – wherever it occurs.

The Home Office funds the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), which has specially trained officers with police-style powers to prevent, detect, and investigate serious labour exploitation across the entire economy in England and Wales.

The Government is also establishing the Fair Work Agency (FWA) through the Employment Rights Act. This will bring under one roof multiple agencies and bodies, including the GLAA, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and HMRC’s National Minimum Wage Team and will ensure a more cohesive and streamlined response to exploitation across the economy. The FWA will have enhanced powers and resources to identify and address labour exploitation more effectively, including new powers to investigate under the Fraud Act 2006.

In relation to tackling abuse related to seafarers, Border Force is making use of maritime powers introduced by the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to detain vessels where there is suspected modern slavery.

As an operational command within the Home Office, BSC-Maritime takes responsibility for safeguarding the vulnerable and, where necessary, Maritime officers can and do take direct action to remove seafarers from abusive or exploitative environments for their protection, regardless of whether the offence is detected in port or at sea.

Maritime Command works closely with Government partners such as the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) to train Border Force officers to identify offences relevant to those partners, such as labour abuses under the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) or ILO Work in Fishing Convention No.188 (ILO C188).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce mechanisms for cases where unitary authority council areas disagree with the decision by a mayoral strategic authority to introduce a visitor's levy.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he is taking steps to ensure that local communities are included in decisions to introduce visitor levies by the mayoral strategic authority.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities that introduce a visitor levy would be permitted to repeal it later on.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a visitor levy on (a) coastal areas and (b) rural communities.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

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 introducing a visitor levy on the number of domestic tourists.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure revenue from a visitor levy is reinvested in local tourism infrastructure.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of revenue raised through a visitor levy will be retained locally.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the hotel and hospitality sector on the potential impact of a visitor levy on international competitiveness.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he is considering exemptions from a visitor levy for children, long-stay visitors and people travelling for medical purposes.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

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 a visitor levy on attendance at major cultural and sporting events.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

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 a visitor levy on school trips, business travel and major events.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

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 introducing a visitor levy on visitor numbers to (a) England and (b) Essex.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

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 a visitor levy on average visitor spending per trip.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

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 of a visitor levy on the competitiveness of English destinations compared with European cities including Paris, Barcelona and Rome.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

State visit of the president of Nigeria

Proscription of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Student finance

World Book Day 2026

Child protection from illicit vapes

Captain Philip Gilbert Muldowney

International Epilepsy Day 2026

World Cancer Day and breast cancer

Trafficking of the victims of grooming gangs overseas

Pause of puberty blockers trial and the potential merits of its full cancellation

500th anniversary of the Tyndale Bible