Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of business confidence included in the Business insights and impact on the UK economy confidence intervals, published by the Office of National Statistics, in the last six months.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government monitors a wide range of indicators to assess the UK’s economic performance, including measures of business confidence. Many of these confidence measures are volatile and can move materially from month to month. Official economic forecasts and assessments of policy impacts are set out in the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook documents, the most recent of which was published in March 2025.

Kickstarting economic growth is the Government’s primary mission and businesses are central to this. The Government is committed to going further and faster to drive growth and raise living standards, working in close partnership with business design and delivery policy. For example, at the recent Spending Review, the government increased funding for employment support to over £3.5 billion by 2028-29, tackling inactivity and ensuring more people are in better jobs by helping people to access the skills they need to progress.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of business confidence levels on levels of (a) investment and (b) job creation in the economy.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government monitors a wide range of indicators to assess the UK’s economic performance, including measures of business confidence. Many of these confidence measures are volatile and can move materially from month to month. Official economic forecasts and assessments of policy impacts are set out in the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook documents, the most recent of which was published in March 2025.

Kickstarting economic growth is the Government’s primary mission and businesses are central to this. The Government is committed to going further and faster to drive growth and raise living standards, working in close partnership with business design and delivery policy. For example, at the recent Spending Review, the government increased funding for employment support to over £3.5 billion by 2028-29, tackling inactivity and ensuring more people are in better jobs by helping people to access the skills they need to progress.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 25% withdrawal penalty on Lifetime ISAs on the level of first-time buyers purchasing a property valued marginally above the £450,000 cap.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Lifetime ISA (LISA) is designed to help people buy their first home or save for later life. You can withdraw funds (plus a government bonus) to buy a first home under £450k, from age 60, or if terminally ill.

Data from the latest UK House Price Index shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the average price paid is affected by boroughs with very high property values.

This Government is committed to helping first time buyers own their own home and will do this by building 1.5 million more homes.

The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent comparative assessment she has made of trends in the identification of special educational needs and disabilities among (a) boys and (b) girls.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Information on the characteristics of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are recorded in the school census. Data is not available for independent schools or general hospital schools. As of January 2025, 24.1% of male pupils were identified with SEN, compared to 14.2% of female pupils. 16.8% of male pupils were identified as receiving SEN support, compared to 11.1% of female pupils. 7.4% of male pupils had an education, health and care plan compared to 3.1% of female pupils. Whilst the number of both male and female pupils with SEN has grown since January 2016, the rate of growth has been higher among female pupils compared to male pupils.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of electric shock collars on the welfare of livestock.

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

All livestock are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation: the Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence either to cause any captive animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for the welfare needs of the animal; and The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 set down detailed requirements on how farmed livestock should be kept. Defra also has a series of statutory species-specific welfare codes, which farmers are required by law to have access to and be familiar with, which encourage high standards of husbandry.

We have considered the Animal Welfare Committee’s opinion on the welfare implications of using virtual fencing systems on livestock, where livestock are fitted with electronic collars as part of a system for containing, monitoring and moving livestock. We are taking account of the Committee’s advice and plan to revise the Code of Practice for the welfare of cattle accordingly.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve the retention of male students in higher education.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator for higher education (HE), has a statutory duty to have regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity in relation to the whole of the student lifecycle, not just access, but also continuation and success.

HE providers registered with the OfS that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an access and participation plan (APP) approved by the OfS.

APPs articulate key risks to equality of opportunity in HE, how these will be addressed and the student groups that will be supported through them. The OfS advises HE providers to consider intersections of disadvantage, such as those faced by white working-class men, when creating their APPs, based on credible assessment of risk.

Supporting disadvantaged and underrepresented students in HE remains a priority. The government has allocated £265 million this financial year in student premium funding to support successful student outcomes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase higher education participation among young men.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator for higher education (HE), has a statutory duty to have regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity in relation to the whole of the student lifecycle, not just access, but also continuation and success.

HE providers registered with the OfS that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an access and participation plan (APP) approved by the OfS.

APPs articulate key risks to equality of opportunity in HE, how these will be addressed and the student groups that will be supported through them. The OfS advises HE providers to consider intersections of disadvantage, such as those faced by white working-class men, when creating their APPs, based on credible assessment of risk.

Supporting disadvantaged and underrepresented students in HE remains a priority. The government has allocated £265 million this financial year in student premium funding to support successful student outcomes.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that jobseekers receive prompt CV support.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 September to PQ 73218

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of male drop-out rates in higher education for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department does not publish statistics on drop-out rates.

Figures on continuation rates, which are the proportion of entrants continuing in their studies one year after entry, are published by the Office for Students. The latest year of data for UK domiciled male entrants studying a full-time first degree, covering those who entered in the 2021/22 academic year, shows that the continuation rate was 84.9%, compared with 89.0% for females.

The requested data on continuation rates is available in more detail here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/student-characteristics-data/outcomes-data-dashboard/. This data has been available since 3 September 2024.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of employment support programmes for young people.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave 16 September to PQ 75889, referencing DWP evaluations which demonstrate the effectiveness of support programmes for young people.

The department will continue to build on the existing evidence base as we test, learn and improve the support available to help young people to find, stay in, and progress in work.

Our current evaluation plans include a dedicated evaluation of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers. Preparatory research is already underway to map activities, identify outcome pathways, and understand the supporting systems. As part of this research, we will also assess the feasibility of different methods to evaluate the impact of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers.

A process and theory-based evaluation will also be commissioned as part of a wider Get Britain Working Trailblazer evaluation, scheduled to begin in early 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with business representatives on levels of business confidence.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Treasury Ministers and Senior Officials regularly meet with businesses and business representation organisations. These meetings provide an opportunity for the Government to hear the views of the business community, and aid in the formation of policy. These engagements are ongoing.

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 improve (a) infrastructure, (b) better understanding of complex patients and (b) staff (i) morale and (ii) experience in the 10 Year Health Plan.

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

The 10-Year Health Plan detailed our ambition to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future through three big shifts: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

Regarding infrastructure, the plan set out our aim to establish neighbourhood health centres in every community over the course of the next 10 years, transforming healthcare access and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it most. We are also increasing health capital budgets to over £14.6 billion by the end of the Spending Review period, namely 2029/30, to invest in the NHS and wider health infrastructure, a £2.3 billion real terms increase from 2023/24 to 2029/30.

To better our understanding of patients with complex health needs, we will set a new standard that, by 2027, 95% of people with complex needs will have an agreed care plan. As outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will expect all care plans to be co-created with patients and cover their holistic needs, not just their treatment. They will align with national standards for high quality care but, within that, give patients significant choice and freedom.

As set out in the plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. We will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions. We will also work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the workplace.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has considered introducing targeted funding or grants to help increase the facilities of charities that are experiencing significant demand for their services.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government recognises the vital role that charities play up and down the country, by providing crucial targeted support to different groups and communities.

DCMS is promoting the availability of funding for smaller charities in several ways. This includes delivery of a number of grant schemes, such as the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund and the £25.5 million Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is supporting frontline organisations across England to improve their energy efficiency and sustainability.

The Youth Investment Fund is also funding over £300 million to over 250 projects in targeted areas to build, renovate and expand youth facilities in less advantaged areas of England. Alongside this, the £30.5 million Better Youth Spaces fund recently launched for smaller capital projects in youth facilities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to support early access to clinical trials for patients with rare cancers.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, life-saving treatments, including those with rare cancers.

We are also working to fast track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, to improve health outcomes and to accelerate the development of medicines and therapies of the future, including for rare cancers.

The Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million across 2023/24, reflecting their high priority.

The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country, including patients with rare cancers. It will ensure that more patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and to clinical trials.

The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide certainty on funding to voluntary organisations delivering drug and alcohol treatment services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authorities, both upper tier and unitary, are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services as part of their public health responsibilities. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26 the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol treatment services and recovery support. This funding can be used by local authorities to support voluntary organisations to deliver drug and alcohol treatment services.

To better support upper tier and unitary local authorities’ vital public health work, from 2026/27 we will bring together over £4 billion of public health funding for local government, by consolidating service specific grants into the Public Health Grant. It is our intention to publish indicative Public Health Grant funding alongside the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year, with final multi-year Local Authority Public Health Grant allocations published early in the new year. This will give local authorities more advanced notice of their total funding allocations, further empowering them to plan more effectively and better manage their services.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to ensure that SEND reforms improve consistency of outcomes across local authorities.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

To improve the consistency of outcomes, the department is funding regional improvement and innovation alliances which promote collaboration and mutual learning between local authorities, driving consistent improvements in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision across regions.

Launched in January 2023, the Ofsted/Care Quality Commission area SEND inspection framework will also inspect all local areas by 2027 to drive better outcomes and consistency. All inspection reports include recommendations for improvement, with departmental intervention to prioritise children’s needs where necessary.

The department is working with 32 local authorities as part of the SEND and alternative provision Change Programme to test reform proposals to improve inclusive mainstream practice, create a sustainable system and deliver national consistency through local delivery.

Regarding financial support, in the 2025/26 financial year, the department is allocating high needs revenue funding of over £12 billion and capital funding of £740 million for places and provision for children and young people with complex SEND in England.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support local authorities with SEND provision.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

To improve the consistency of outcomes, the department is funding regional improvement and innovation alliances which promote collaboration and mutual learning between local authorities, driving consistent improvements in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision across regions.

Launched in January 2023, the Ofsted/Care Quality Commission area SEND inspection framework will also inspect all local areas by 2027 to drive better outcomes and consistency. All inspection reports include recommendations for improvement, with departmental intervention to prioritise children’s needs where necessary.

The department is working with 32 local authorities as part of the SEND and alternative provision Change Programme to test reform proposals to improve inclusive mainstream practice, create a sustainable system and deliver national consistency through local delivery.

Regarding financial support, in the 2025/26 financial year, the department is allocating high needs revenue funding of over £12 billion and capital funding of £740 million for places and provision for children and young people with complex SEND in England.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of SEND support for children without education, health and care plans.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

This government’s ambition is that every child or young person receives the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child or young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.

As part of our Plan for Change, we are determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore parents’ trust by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate.

We will build a better system which is grounded in evidence, identifies and supports need at the earliest opportunity, and ensures families can secure support swiftly without a fight. There will always be a legal right to the additional support that children with SEND need.

Our new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams will work with mainstream schools to help them become more inclusive places as one of four priority areas for improvement.

The newly published RISE Inclusive Mainstream webpage provides schools with programmes and resources to help mainstream schools improve inclusivity and support for those with SEND, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rise-support-for-inclusive-mainstream-education/rise-support-for-inclusive-mainstream-education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of how many and what proportion of university graduates are in full-time employment within six months of graduation.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Administrative Longitudinal Educational Outcome data of 292,945 UK domiciled first-degree students who graduated with a first degree from UK Higher Education Institutions only in 2022/23 academic year shows that an estimated 82.8% were in sustained employment (with or without study) one year after graduation. The full dataset was published in June 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/leo-graduate-and-postgraduate-outcomes/2022-23#dataBlock-d7be0f33-0ec5-4b78-98ed-ba6f25dfb414-charts.

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 proportion of illegally traded medicines intercepted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Criminal Enforcement Unit.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), acting on behalf of my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for the regulation of medicines intended for human use 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.

The MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) works hard to identify those involved in the illegal trade in medicines and takes robust enforcement action where necessary. The Agency also works closely with overseas health regulators, customs authorities, law enforcement agencies, and private sector partners.

Since 1 January 2025, the MHRA and its partners have seized over 8.5 million doses of unauthorised or falsified medicines at the United Kingdom border, together with another 3.9 million doses seized as a result of direct operational activity conducted by the CEU.

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