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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the response to the Stage 3 consultation on managing bottom trawl fishing in 41 English marine protected areas.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire on 13 November 2025, PQ 88509.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the VMD has made with its roadmap to help address the presence of chemicals from pet flea and tick treatments in UK waterways.

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

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) leads the cross‑government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group and is taking forward a programme of work to address the presence of chemicals from pet flea and tick treatments in UK waterways. In response to detections of fipronil and imidacloprid above toxicity thresholds for aquatic invertebrates, the VMD published a roadmap setting out planned actions.

Progress includes holding the first PiE stakeholder workshop in Summer 2025, commissioning research on pet owner behaviours and exposure modelling, and working with environment agencies to improve monitoring data consistency. The VMD is also undertaking an evidence‑based review of the legal distribution categories for products containing these substances and contributing to international work to consider updates to environmental risk assessment approaches.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will provide an estimate of the proportion of UK-funded aid to Gaza that has been held up at the Israeli border and prevented from entering Gaza.

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

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic, and the UK is doing all we can to alleviate suffering. All allocations under our Humanitarian Programme are publicly available on Development Tracker. While much UK‑funded aid has entered Gaza, many urgently needed supplies remain stuck at the border due to Israeli restrictions. The UK will continue to press for the entry of all consignments of UK‑funded aid that have been delayed by restrictions and closed routes, so that assistance reaches those who need it most.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to support the reconstruction of Gaza.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the second half of the answer provided on 26 January in response to Question HL13572 which, for ease of reference, is copied below:

The UK is providing £81 million for humanitarian and early recovery support for Palestine this financial year. Last month, supplies of UK-funded tents entered Gaza, providing urgent shelter for 12,000 vulnerable civilians, and we will continue to push for the entry of further UK-funded aid, including tents and shelter kits, which have so far been unable to reach those in need. On 30 December 2025, the Foreign Secretary issued a joint statement alongside a number of international partners calling on the Government of Israel to remove restrictions hindering the delivery of essential humanitarian aid.

The UK is supporting the US-led plan for Gaza's post-conflict stability, as well as exploring the mobilisation of private-sector finance to support Palestinian-led reconstruction of Gaza. We have also deployed UK civilian and military experts to support the Civil-Military Coordination Centre that aims to coordinate reconstruction efforts in Gaza. In addition, the UK has announced £4 million of funding for the United Nations Mine Action Service to help clear rubble, protect civilians and aid workers, and enable the safe delivery of aid. In total, the UK is providing £116 million for Palestine this financial year for humanitarian aid, support for Palestinian economic development, and strengthening Palestinian Authority governance and reform.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she last spoke to her Israeli counterpart regarding the decision to restrict the operations of international non-governmental organisations in Gaza and the West Bank.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made on 5 January, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and several of her counterparts on 30 December 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of financial support for new parents who are (a) self-employed and (b) limited company directors.

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

The Government launched the Parental Leave and Pay Review in July 2025, as part of the Plan to Make Work Pay. The Review is exploring how the system can better support working families, including those where parents are self-employed, and reflect the realities of modern work. It provides a much-needed opportunity to consider our overall approach to parental leave and pay, with all current and upcoming entitlements in scope.

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 impact of reducing public funding for Level 7 apprenticeships for learners over the age of 21 on access to advanced training in marine engineering, naval architecture and marine surveying.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57098.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has assessed the potential merits of amending the user risk mitigation advice for spot-on pet treatments to include all sources of the potential impact of short and long term exposure in households where pets are treated routinely, including on children.

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

Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMPs) undergo a product-specific user risk assessment that considers all those that may come into contact with the medicine, including adults and children. This assessment considers the identified hazards of the medicine, the likely exposure to adults and children when VMPs are used as recommended and concludes on the likely risks to humans. The identified risks are mitigated using appropriate packaging and user safety warnings on the product information supplied with the medicines. Once authorised for marketing, pharmacovigilance reporting provides further data from use of these medicines in real-world situations, and these data are used to consider any changes required to reduce identified risks, such as updating the user safety warnings. If a concern with the current mitigations is identified, then the advice can be updated.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has assessed the potential merits of asking the VMD to reduce the unrestricted use of spot-on pet treatments by re-classifying them from general sales to POM-V.

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

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is responsible for setting legal distribution categories for veterinary medicines and must balance animal health and welfare, public health, environmental protection and access to treatment. Many flea and tick products containing fipronil and imidacloprid are currently classified as AVM‑GSL, allowing supply without professional advice.

In light of environmental evidence, the VMD is undertaking an evidence‑based review of the distribution categories for these products. This includes considering whether requiring professional advice at the point of sale, through a minimum classification of NFA‑VPS, could help reduce environmental risk while maintaining access for pet owners.

Further details on this review will be available in early 2026. Any future regulatory decisions will follow a transparent, consultative process and will be based on robust scientific evidence, with animal welfare remaining paramount.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that contracts for Trinity House multi-function vessels are awarded to UK shipyards.

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

Trinity House is the contracting authority for this contract. It is following the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023 which include a fair, open and transparent competition allowing all eligible suppliers to compete on an equal basis.

This competition is the perfect opportunity for UK yards to demonstrate their strengths, skills and competitiveness on an international stage.

Regardless of which supplier is ultimately awarded the contract, this programme will also generate significant value for the UK through ongoing maintenance, support services and sub-contracting opportunities.

We are continuing to support the growth of the UK shipbuilding industry through the excellent work of the National Shipbuilding Office.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to prevent parents from avoiding paying VAT on private school fees by paying several years' fees in advance.

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

All fees paid since the tax changes were announced on 29 July 2024, in relation to terms after 1 January 2025, are subject to VAT. HMRC is scrutinising the detail of any pre-payment schemes and stands ready to challenge the validity of these schemes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department considers clinical nursing care delivered in education settings to constitute NHS healthcare for which Integrated Care Boards hold commissioning responsibility under existing statutory duties.

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

The Government is committed to delivering the healthiest generation of children ever.  The National Health Service is responsible for meeting the health needs of children and young people diagnosed with an illness or medical condition, including long term conditions.

On 5 February Standardising community health services – core component descriptions was published, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/standardising-community-health-services-core-component-descriptions/

It includes the core components of a special school nursing service and community children's nursing service. This document is primarily to support integrated care boards’ strategic commissioning of Community Health Services.

Within this document, NHS England outlines the core responsibilities of these services, including their role in supporting children with medical conditions to access education settings.

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 a nationally consistent delivery model for NHS-commissioned clinical nursing services for children and young people in education settings.

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

The Government is committed to delivering the healthiest generation of children ever.  The National Health Service is responsible for meeting the health needs of children and young people diagnosed with an illness or medical condition, including long term conditions.

On 5 February Standardising community health services – core component descriptions was published, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/standardising-community-health-services-core-component-descriptions/

It includes the core components of a special school nursing service and community children's nursing service. This document is primarily to support integrated care boards’ strategic commissioning of Community Health Services.

Within this document, NHS England outlines the core responsibilities of these services, including their role in supporting children with medical conditions to access education settings.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to announce details of the next steps of the Maritime Decarbonisation Plan, including responses to calls for evidence on net zero ports and decarbonising small vessels.

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

We are already meeting the commitments set out in the 2025 Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. This includes expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to the domestic maritime sector from July this year and a further £448 million for the UK SHORE programme supporting the research and development of clean maritime fuels and technologies.

As set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, we committed to publishing a review of the Strategy within five years of publication and an update following the adoption of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) mid-term measures. We remain committed to working with other Member States to progress adoption of the mid-term measures this year, which is vital for climate action and providing industry with the certainty it needs.

We will provide a summary of responses to the calls for evidence on net zero ports and smaller vessels in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that contracts for Border Force patrol vessels are awarded to UK shipyards.

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

We are continuing to engage suppliers on the basis of a UK-led build, using the Defence and Security provisions within the Procurement Act 2023 where appropriate. This approach is consistent with the cross-government commitment to back British businesses. My officials are working closely with the National Shipbuilding Office while ensuring value for money and deliverability.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing HGV drivers with controlled Type 1 diabetes to renew their Class 1 licence every three years.

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

The medical standards for driving require Group 2 (lorry and bus) drivers with diabetes to have an annual medical assessment to ensure they meet the higher medical standards required for Group 2 drivers. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency keep standards under review in conjunction with the Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Diabetes and Driving. However, there are no plans to change the existing requirements and allow Group 2 drivers with controlled Type 1 diabetes to renew driving licence every three years.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to provide local authorities with standards to help support the construction of flood resilient social homes.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 81948 on 21 October 2025.