Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 14 April 2026 to Question 124216, whether the final modifications have been delivered and tested on the trains that will be used on East West Rail from West Midlands Trains.

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

Modifications are nearing completion, and a full testing regime is underway that will support the safety validation process. A start date for the services will be announced as soon as it is possible to do so.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans the Government has to support retailers and their direct suppliers with energy bills, in particular addressing non commodity costs.

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

Tackling affordability is this government’s number one priority. Bringing down energy bills for good can only be achieved by ending our reliance on international fossil fuel markets.

Non-commodity costs pay for essential network infrastructure, system operations and generation investment to support the clean energy transition. We are committed to ensuring that the framework for recovering these costs is fair, proportionate, and supports a well-functioning and competitive market. We continue to work closely with the independent regulator, Ofgem, on these issues.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department will consider the potential merits of bringing forward a deadline before October 2028 regarding the closure of the de minimis loophole.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

Goods valued at £135 or less imported into the UK are predominantly imported through a simplified customs declaration. Before 2023, it was not mandatory to provide the total value of goods as part of the simplified customs declaration. However, since collecting this information, it is estimated that £5.8bn worth of goods under £135 are declared annually.

Following consultation, at Tax Update Day 2026, the Government announced that implementation of new customs arrangements for goods valued at £135 or less would be accelerated from March 2029 to October 2028. A new system for duty collection will need to be built to handle the significant volume of low value goods and avoid disruption at the border. Businesses involved in the sale and movement of these goods will also need time to prepare for the changes. The Government is making every effort to introduce changes to the low value import regime as quickly as reasonably possible while avoiding disruption, which is a core design principle of the reform.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take urgent steps to respond to Professor Hughes’ deadline for the Government to commit to a compensation scheme for women harmed by pelvic mesh and sodium valproate.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 14 July in response to Question 16121.

Found: 13 Present: Jessica Morden (in the Chair) Deirdre Costigan Lilian Greenwood Gen Kitchen Jerome Mayhew