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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on the potential impact of auditing car park operator records where recurring disputes over charges have been identified on County Court caseloads.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is aware of the high volumes of small claims from the parking industry and is determined to drive up standards in the parking sector. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking. Alongside the new Code, my department is also developing a Certification Scheme which will set out rules for auditing private parking operator compliance with the Code; this will include audits of notices of parking charges including those that progress to the County Court.

The private parking industry is currently self-regulating and whilst the Secretary of State has not had discussions with the Justice Secretary on this issue, my officials have had meetings with their counterparts at the Ministry of Justice and are working together to develop a Justice Impact Test to assess the impact of introducing the Code and the Certification Scheme on the justice system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to require estate management companies to provide estate management agreements to residents when requested.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges.

We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.

The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders.

Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates.

On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to introduce a statutory code of practice for private estate management in relation to (a) levels of transparency, (b) approaches to tendering and (c) service standards.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges.

We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.

The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders.

Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates.

On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a (a) single mandatory redress and (b) ombudsman scheme for freeholders on private estates who want to challenge management charges.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges.

We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.

The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders.

Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates.

On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to introduce a prescribed annual statement for estate management charges that itemises (a) contractor costs, (b) management fees and (c) procurement overheads.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges.

We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.

The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders.

Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates.

On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whetehr he plans to take steps to mandate the disclosure of contracts between managing agents and maintenance contractors to residents.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges.

We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.

The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders.

Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates.

On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications (a) by adults and (b) on behalf of children for Disability Living Allowance benefits are outstanding; and what is the average waiting time for these applications to be resolved.

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

New claims for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) are only open to children under the age of 16. As of August 2025, there are 39,150 new claims for child DLA that are outstanding, with an average actual outstanding time of 33 days.

Points to note:

- Figures above capture the number of outstanding claims that have been registered onto our systems. We do not have figures on the number of outstanding claims that are waiting to be registered.

- Figure related to average actual outstanding time are median averages.

- Figures are for new child DLA claims under normal rules only.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many complaints of package holiday operators failing to provide adequate assistance during accommodation emergencies have been reported to the Competition and Markets Authority in each of the last three years.

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

Obtaining a definitive figure for the number of complaints would require a manual review, which would be disproportionate. But a search for relevant terms identified only one complaint relating to the provision of emergency accommodation by a package travel operator, which was received in 2025.

The CMA uses complaints, alongside other sources of information and intelligence, to help inform decisions as to the work it undertakes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date he last met with Baroness Casey to discuss her Commission on adult social care.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, engages with Baroness Louise Casey regularly on a number of issues, including adult social care.

The commission is independent, and Baroness Casey has the autonomy to define her own engagement plans, including with ministers, based on what she believes is most appropriate for the commission’s work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her department is taking to reduce the Child Disability Living Allowance claim time.

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

We have seen unprecedented demand in new claims to the DLA Child service line. Additional resources have been deployed, and cases are cleared in date or to ensure fair customer service. As a result, we are seeing improvements in our processing times.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times people have been refused (a) airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa verification problems since 1 January 2025.

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

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition.

There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means.

On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:

• Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.
• Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.

On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.

We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source

Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will publish quarterly breakdowns of eVisa issues by (a) category, (b) access failure, (c) incorrect data, (d) share-code errors and (e) outcomes.

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

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition.

There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means.

On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:

• Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.
• Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.

On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.

We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source

Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the UK Visas and Immigration account terms and conditions in relation to liability for losses arising from inability to access an eVisa.

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

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition.

There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means.

On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:

• Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.
• Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.

On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.

We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source

Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered the merits of introducing an offline backup for e-visas.

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

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition.

There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means.

On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:

• Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.
• Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.

On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.

We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source

Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve the reliability of eVisa share codes.

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

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition.

There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means.

On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:

• Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.
• Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.

On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.

We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source

Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will (a) set and (b) publish service standards for responding to eVisa error reports.

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

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition.

There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means.

On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:

• Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.
• Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.

On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.

We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source

Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the future of agri-environmental farming schemes.

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

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

There are currently record numbers of farmers taking part in farming schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive. As of April 2025, these schemes supported 885,000 hectares of arable land being farmed without insecticides; 330,000 hectares of low input grassland being managed sustainably; and 85,000 kilometres of hedgerows being protected and restored.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to continue the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

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

Defra is working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer that will better target SFI in an orderly way towards our priorities for food, farming and nature. Further information about the reformed SFI will be provided shortly.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) local authorities and (b) Trading Standards take action against rogue builders; and what steps her Department is taking to improve the (i) frequency and (ii) success of Trading Standards actions against rogue builders.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department does not hold the data requested.

Local Authorities are responsible for determining resourcing priorities in accordance with the needs of their local electorates, and the members of those electorates will differ according to the areas where they live.

I otherwise refer the hon Member to UIN 18841 answered on 17 December 2024 and UIN 23175 answered on 16 January 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department holds information on the number of rogue builders prosecuted in England in each of the past three financial years.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department does not hold the data requested.

Local Authorities are responsible for determining resourcing priorities in accordance with the needs of their local electorates, and the members of those electorates will differ according to the areas where they live.

I otherwise refer the hon Member to UIN 18841 answered on 17 December 2024 and UIN 23175 answered on 16 January 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to help (a) advance gender equality and (b) protect women’s and girls’ rights through multilateral negotiations.

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

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer I gave him on 9 September to Question 71594.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the potential merits of funding more programmes that support gender equality as their main objective.

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

The UK remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting gender equality around the world, and stands in solidarity with women's rights organisations who are on the frontline of that fight. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) recognises that advancing gender equality and breaking down the barriers faced by women and girls is essential to development and to delivering the missions of this government overseas.

The FCDO is taking steps to strengthen the integration of gender equality across the Department's work. This will ensure we maximise the impacts for women, girls, and marginalised groups across all our spend and through our diplomatic levers, including by driving innovation to generate sustainable funding flows for women's rights.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including hazard perception tests for drivers who have been diagnosed with glaucoma.

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

Glaucoma is a condition that can affect visual fields. Driving licence holders or applicants who have glaucoma in both eyes must notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and will be required to have an eyesight test to make sure that they meet the legally required visual field standards for driving.

The requirements for visual field can only be assessed through formal visual field testing. The Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel for Visual Disorders and Driving advises that the appropriate visual field assessment for determining fitness to drive is a binocular Esterman field test or, exceptionally, a Goldmann perimetry assessment. Both of these tests must be carried out to strict criteria and are conducted to the exact specifications required to enable the DVLA to assess whether the visual field requirements for driving can be met.

There are no plans to use hazard perception tests for this purpose.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the median waiting time is for an emergency department patient to receive a consultant neurologist review in hospitals that do not have an on-site neurology team.

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

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the clinical impact of (a) delayed and (b) missed diagnosis of (i) autoimmune encephalitis and (ii) other acute neurological emergencies presenting to emergency departments without neurology cover.

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

The revised NHS England specialised neurology service specification, published on 13 August, following extensive consultation with clinical and charity partners, states that all patients should have access to acute neurology advice via a networked model of care. The national specialised commissioning team is also developing an integrated care system toolkit to support implementation, which includes acute neurology guidance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of instructing the DVLA to audit car park operator records in cases where a recurring pattern of disputes over charges has been identified.

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

The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to provide vehicle keeper information to parking companies so that they can contact the registered keepers of vehicles which may have been parked on private land in breach of the terms and conditions applying.

These arrangements are subject to a comprehensive range of safeguards to ensure motorists are treated fairly. Companies requesting data from the DVLA to manage private parking must belong to an appropriate accredited trade association and abide by its published code of practice. The DVLA and the Government Internal Audit Agency carry out audits on those requesting data and appropriate action will be taken if patterns are identified from complaints received.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many households have agreed an unmetered water utility bill charge in each of the last five years.

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

The proportion of households in England with unmetered water utility bill charges has been gradually declining over recent years due to the rollout of smart metering initiatives.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Type 1 emergency departments in England currently operate without an on-site neurology service.

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

In 2021, NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme shared its national specialty report for neurology following deep dive visits to all 24 neuroscience regions, then to the 67 trusts that together deliver neurology services to 139 sites.

Data from the report shows that 28% of emergency admissions were at N4 sites, sties with a visiting neurologists only and no on-site service, and a further 4% at N5 sites, sites with no visiting neurologists.

Building on the recommendations in the GIRFT national report, the NHS England Neurology Transformation Programme is developing guidance to support integrated care boards and service providers to deliver services for patients with acute neurological conditions efficiently and equitably.

Earlier access to expert opinion improves outcomes and allows earlier discharge, reducing lengths of stay and inpatient care costs. Many admissions are potentially avoidable if appropriate ambulatory admission avoidance pathways for acute neurology are put in place.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England is taking to ensure that A&E clinicians are trained to (a) recognise neurological red-flag symptoms and (b) initiate (i) plasma exchange, (ii) intravenous methyl-prednisolone and (iii) other urgent treatments.

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

All accident and emergency clinicians are trained to the highest standards to ensure the best patient care possible. Recognition of neurological emergencies is part of the emergency care curriculum, which is written by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine to the standards set by the medical regulator, the General Medical Council.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce a requirement for (a) 24-hour on-call neurology cover or (b) rapid tele-neurology support in all major emergency departments.

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

The Department has no plans to introduce a requirement for 24-hour on-call neurology cover or rapid tele-neurology support in all major emergency departments.

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 patients who cannot use the internet retain (a) telephone or (b) in-person routes to (i) book GP appointments and (ii) access triage services.

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

People unable to access the NHS App or online services, or visit their general practice (GP) in person, can ask for a feature called proxy access available through the NHS App. This function allows a trusted relative or carer to act on the patient’s behalf and can be set up through the patient’s GP surgery, so that they can help them manage their health and care. This is done through a proxy, or linked, account. Depending on the access that the GP surgery has enabled, proxy users may be able to act for the person they support, by ordering repeat prescriptions, booking appointments, viewing test results or vaccinations, and accessing all or part of the GP health record, to help with health-related tasks and managing health issues.

While digital health tools like the NHS App offer convenience, they should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.

NHS England has published a framework for National Health Service action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion. Digital health tools are part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support and telephone services, with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.

NHS England has successfully run a number of programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include:

- the NHS App ‘Spoken Word’ Pilot project, designed to test the efficacy of promoting NHS digital health products and services in languages other than English;

- the Digital Health Champions programme, a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online; and

- the Widening Digital Participation programme, aimed to ensure more people have the digital skills, motivation, and means to access health information and services online.

GP surgeries also offer patients non-digital methods to manage their primary and secondary healthcare, and these methods usually consist of telephonic communication and letters. Patients can request a non-digital route by registering their preference with their GP surgery.

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 potential impact of digital-first primary care systems on patients without internet access; and what steps he plans to take to reduce digital exclusion in the NHS.

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

People unable to access the NHS App or online services, or visit their general practice (GP) in person, can ask for a feature called proxy access available through the NHS App. This function allows a trusted relative or carer to act on the patient’s behalf and can be set up through the patient’s GP surgery, so that they can help them manage their health and care. This is done through a proxy, or linked, account. Depending on the access that the GP surgery has enabled, proxy users may be able to act for the person they support, by ordering repeat prescriptions, booking appointments, viewing test results or vaccinations, and accessing all or part of the GP health record, to help with health-related tasks and managing health issues.

While digital health tools like the NHS App offer convenience, they should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.

NHS England has published a framework for National Health Service action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion. Digital health tools are part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support and telephone services, with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.

NHS England has successfully run a number of programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include:

- the NHS App ‘Spoken Word’ Pilot project, designed to test the efficacy of promoting NHS digital health products and services in languages other than English;

- the Digital Health Champions programme, a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online; and

- the Widening Digital Participation programme, aimed to ensure more people have the digital skills, motivation, and means to access health information and services online.

GP surgeries also offer patients non-digital methods to manage their primary and secondary healthcare, and these methods usually consist of telephonic communication and letters. Patients can request a non-digital route by registering their preference with their GP surgery.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure schools have sufficient funding to retain experienced teachers alongside recruiting new staff.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

This government recognises the importance of retaining experienced teachers. We have demonstrated our commitment to supporting schools by increasing school funding by £3.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, meaning the core school budget will total £65.3 billion compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25.

In the 2025 spending review, the department has announced that funding for schools will further increase by £4.2 billion per year by 2028/29, compared to 2025/26. This additional funding will provide an above real terms per pupil increase in the core schools budget.

The increase for 2025/26 includes additional funding to support schools with overall costs, including the costs of the 4% schools teacher pay award and the local government services pay award in respect of support staff in 2025/26.

​This follows government agreeing a 5.5% pay award for academic year 2024/25. Taken together, this means teachers and leaders will see an increase in their pay of almost 10% over two years.

For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the department is also offering retention payments worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Department of Business and Trade and (b) the Cabinet office on ensuring its supply chains do not involve forced labour.

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

Modern slavery is a serious human rights violation depriving individuals of their freedom and dignity while inflicting immeasurable harm on families, communities, and society as-a-whole. DESNZ is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.

The Government will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of new policy tools that are emerging to ensure we can effectively tackle forced labour in supply chains. Government’s Responsible Business Conduct Review will be a primary lever for delivering this as a cross-departmental endeavour to review and address UK’s policy regime and voluntary due diligence requirements for forced labour. Additionally, the Industrial Strategy Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan committed to embedding ethical supply chain standards into DESNZ public spend; and Great British Energy confirmed it will follow strict ethical standards to help ensure solar supply chains are free from exploitation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he has issued to integrated care boards on commissioning pathways that guarantee immediate access to plasma exchange for patients with acute inflammatory neurological disorders.

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

NHS England’s Specialised Neurology service specification outlines a networked model of care for neurology and stipulates that all specialised neurology centres should have access to timely plasma exchange services to patients with severe autoimmune neurological disorders. Although secondary care hospitals will not ordinarily have plasma exchange services on site, all secondary care hospitals are linked to a regional specialised neurology centre that can offer this treatment in a timely way.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding has been allocated in the financial year 2025-26 to expand regional (a) neurological emergency networks and (b) tele-neurology services.

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

There is no formal structure or funding for neurological emergency networks. The acute neurology guidance forming part of the NHS England integrated care system neurology toolkit provides guidance on the organisation of services to ensure patients admitted to acute medical units are able to access neurological advice where necessary. Tele-neurology is available across the country as required.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to introduce targeted retention incentives for experienced teachers in addition to those offered to early-career teachers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Supporting our expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child, as the within-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcomes is high-quality teaching. Combined with the previous year’s 5.5% award, this year’s above-inflation pay award will mean schoolteachers have seen an increase in their pay of almost 10% over two years.

The financial incentives the department offers are targeted where there is most need to recruit and retain teachers. School workforce data shows that teachers are most likely to leave within the first five years of their career. Targeted Retention Incentives are currently offered to mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools as it is vital that we retain new teachers in these priority subjects and in the schools that need them most.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the value for money provided by Social Work England.

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

The department is the sponsor department for Social Work England, and as such we monitor their performance on an ongoing basis. In addition, Social Work England is regulated by the Professional Standards Authority and is meeting 17 out of the 18 standards of good regulation. The government has a statutory obligation to appoint an independent person to review the operation of Part 2 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, which includes powers related to Social Work England. The review will collect evidence of Social Work England’s overall effectiveness as a regulator. Further details will be announced in due course, and on completion the report will be laid before Parliament. On 31 July 2025, Social Work England employed 278 staff (full-time equivalent 263).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of Social Work England.

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

The department is the sponsor department for Social Work England, and as such we monitor their performance on an ongoing basis. In addition, Social Work England is regulated by the Professional Standards Authority and is meeting 17 out of the 18 standards of good regulation. The government has a statutory obligation to appoint an independent person to review the operation of Part 2 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, which includes powers related to Social Work England. The review will collect evidence of Social Work England’s overall effectiveness as a regulator. Further details will be announced in due course, and on completion the report will be laid before Parliament. On 31 July 2025, Social Work England employed 278 staff (full-time equivalent 263).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the value for money of the services provided by Social Work England.

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

The department is the sponsor department for Social Work England, and as such we monitor their performance on an ongoing basis. In addition, Social Work England is regulated by the Professional Standards Authority and is meeting 17 out of the 18 standards of good regulation. The government has a statutory obligation to appoint an independent person to review the operation of Part 2 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, which includes powers related to Social Work England. The review will collect evidence of Social Work England’s overall effectiveness as a regulator. Further details will be announced in due course, and on completion the report will be laid before Parliament. On 31 July 2025, Social Work England employed 278 staff (full-time equivalent 263).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people are employed by Social Work England.

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

The department is the sponsor department for Social Work England, and as such we monitor their performance on an ongoing basis. In addition, Social Work England is regulated by the Professional Standards Authority and is meeting 17 out of the 18 standards of good regulation. The government has a statutory obligation to appoint an independent person to review the operation of Part 2 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, which includes powers related to Social Work England. The review will collect evidence of Social Work England’s overall effectiveness as a regulator. Further details will be announced in due course, and on completion the report will be laid before Parliament. On 31 July 2025, Social Work England employed 278 staff (full-time equivalent 263).

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) increasing the housing benefit earnings disregard and (b) aligning the taper rate with Universal Credit.

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

We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for working age customers living in supported and temporary accommodation. This issue is a complex one, and eradicating the financial cliff edge some individuals face as they incrementally increase their earnings could not be achieved by simply aligning the taper rates within the two benefits.

We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context.

It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reviewing the universal credit taper to help more young people into work.

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

Extended periods of unemployment at a young age can have long-lasting consequences, including limiting of future employment prospects and reduced lifetime earnings. Early intervention is therefore critical. That is why our plan to Get Britain Working includes a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. Eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers were launched earlier this year, and the insights gained will inform the future design and delivery of the Youth Guarantee.

Universal Credit is designed to top-up earnings from employment and to make work pay, so a household’s Universal Credit is withdrawn at a steady rate as their net earnings increase.

Some customers will also benefit from a work allowance which is the amount someone can earn before their Universal Credit award starts to reduce.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he will take through the benefit system to incentivise young people to work additional hours.

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

Extended periods of unemployment at a young age can have long-lasting consequences, including limiting of future employment prospects and reduced lifetime earnings. Early intervention is therefore critical. That is why our plan to Get Britain Working includes a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. Eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers were launched earlier this year, and the insights gained will inform the future design and delivery of the Youth Guarantee.

Universal Credit is designed to top-up earnings from employment and to make work pay, so a household’s Universal Credit is withdrawn at a steady rate as their net earnings increase.

Some customers will also benefit from a work allowance which is the amount someone can earn before their Universal Credit award starts to reduce.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to make work pay for young people in supported accommodation.

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

We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for working age customers living in supported and temporary accommodation. This issue is a complex one, and eradicating the financial cliff edge some individuals face as they incrementally increase their earnings could not be achieved by simply aligning the taper rates within the two benefits.

We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context.

It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of children expected to be impacted by planned reductions to Official Development Assistance spending on nutrition programmes in 2025-26.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Our 2025/26 Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations reflect the first step as we begin to pivot to a lower ODA budget. An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) - which considers impacts on women and girls and wider equalities - was an essential part of how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) made these decisions. Final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations were published in the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts on 22 July alongside the EIA. As confirmed by the EIA, the allocations process for 2025/26 has protected against disproportionate impacts on women and girls and people living with disabilities.

The UK remains committed to tackling gender inequality around the world and we are placing women and girls at the heart of our international work.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in ODA on levels of funding for programmes with gender equality objectives.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Our 2025/26 Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations reflect the first step as we begin to pivot to a lower ODA budget. An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) - which considers impacts on women and girls and wider equalities - was an essential part of how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) made these decisions. Final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations were published in the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts on 22 July alongside the EIA. As confirmed by the EIA, the allocations process for 2025/26 has protected against disproportionate impacts on women and girls and people living with disabilities.

The UK remains committed to tackling gender inequality around the world and we are placing women and girls at the heart of our international work.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to publish annual reports on the outcomes of ODA spending on (a) gender equality initiatives and (b) whether the (i) principal and (ii) significant objectives of that spending has been achieved.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As we transition to spending 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA), the Government is reviewing existing commitments. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be informed by impact assessments, ahead of publishing multi-year allocations.

Data on ODA spend is available in the Statistics on International Development publications, which are available for 2023 and provisionally for 2024. Data is available broken down by sector for the 2023 publication, including social sector spending on health and education, and humanitarian aid. Further information and annual reviews on specific programmes, including those with a specific focus on equalities, can be found on GOV.UK's Development Tracker.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting gender equality around the world, and is taking steps to strengthen the integration of gender equality across the Department's work.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has specified (a) targets and (b) benchmarks for gender equality spending from the ODA budget as a (i) principal and (ii) significant objective.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As we transition to spending 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA), the Government is reviewing existing commitments. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be informed by impact assessments, ahead of publishing multi-year allocations.

Data on ODA spend is available in the Statistics on International Development publications, which are available for 2023 and provisionally for 2024. Data is available broken down by sector for the 2023 publication, including social sector spending on health and education, and humanitarian aid. Further information and annual reviews on specific programmes, including those with a specific focus on equalities, can be found on GOV.UK's Development Tracker.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting gender equality around the world, and is taking steps to strengthen the integration of gender equality across the Department's work.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to introduce nature-friendly farming schemes.

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

We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. All our Environmental Land Management schemes (Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, and Landscape Recovery) will continue, and we will continue to evolve and improve them in an orderly way to make them work for farmers and nature.

We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further information about the reformed SFI will be provided shortly. The new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) service will open this month for applications to those who have been invited to apply, have received pre-application advice and have completed any preparatory work. Landscape Recovery projects that were awarded development funding in rounds one and two are continuing to progress towards the delivery phase, and the first two projects have now completed the necessary checks, signed their agreements, and are ready to start work on the ground.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what capital funding streams are available to academy trusts for essential playground (a) repairs and (b) replacement.

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

The government has given a long-term commitment for capital investment to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England through to 2034/35. It is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.

The department supports local authorities, academy trusts and voluntary-aided school bodies, who are responsible for keeping buildings and grounds safe and well-maintained, by providing capital funding to improve the condition of their estates.

The majority of capital funding is provided through annual School Condition Allocations to large responsible bodies, such as local authorities and large multi-academy trusts, to decide how to invest in improving the condition of their estates, including playgrounds. Small or stand-alone academy trusts and sixth form colleges bid for funding for essential condition projects through the Condition Improvement Fund.

Schools also receive a small annual capital allocation, Devolved Formula Capital, to spend on their own capital priorities, such as replacing or upgrading playground equipment.

Further details about capital funding for 2025/26 are published on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the job guarantee scheme for newly qualified nurses and midwives to include (a) occupational therapists, (b) physiotherapists and (c) other allied health professionals.

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

There are no plans to expand the job guarantee scheme to the professions highlighted, but the Government is committed to supporting all clinical staff in their careers. The new 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of children expected to be impacted by the planned reductions to Official Development Assistance spending on health programmes in 2025-26 in (a) Democratic Republic of Congo, (b) Mozambique, (c) Zimbabwe and (d) Ethiopia.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

To assess the impact of decisions on Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations in 2025/26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) conducted an equality impact assessment (EIA). While this did not capture the requested information and the data cannot readily be obtained for the purposes of answering this question, the EIA we have published confirmed we have avoided disproportionate negative impacts on women and girls and people living with disabilities in our 2025/26 ODA allocations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including a target of at least 80 hours of enrichment activities in the enrichment framework.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Rushcliffe to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62871.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including a target of at least 80 hours of enrichment activities in the enrichment framework.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Rushcliffe to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62871.

Found: ; Melksham and Devizes) David Mundell (Conservative; Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) James Naish

Found: Democrat; Melksham and Devizes) David Mundell (Conservative; Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) James Naish

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Brian Mathew (Chair); Tracy Gilbert; Noah Law; James Naish; Sam Rushworth

Found: International Development Committee members present: Brian Mathew; James Naish.

Found: II: James Naish. III: Luke Murphy. IV: Richard Quigley. V: Danny Beales.

Found: Hobhouse Jo White Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Mrs Elsie Blundell Sir Roger Gale Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Hobhouse Jo White Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Mrs Elsie Blundell Sir Roger Gale Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Hobhouse Jo White Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Mrs Elsie Blundell Sir Roger Gale Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Hobhouse Jo White Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Mrs Elsie Blundell Sir Roger Gale Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Hobhouse Jo White Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Mrs Elsie Blundell Sir Roger Gale Carla Denyer James Naish

Found: Hobhouse Jo White Adrian Ramsay Freddie van Mierlo Mrs Elsie Blundell Sir Roger Gale Carla Denyer James Naish

Submit Evidence (by 31 Oct 2025)

A new inquiry into the future of the UK’s international aid and development assistance programmes has been launched by the International Development Committee.