Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the current number of either-way cases in the present Crown Court backlog that have yet to elect mode of trial.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about cases in the open caseload at both the magistrates’ courts and at the Crown Court. This includes breakdowns of volumes and durations as part of the Crown Court open caseload published as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: Criminal court statistics quarterly.

The Ministry of Justice does not publish data relating to the progression of cases or mode of trial in the open caseload.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the proportion of cases in the backlog are still pending the decision of the defendant to elect mode of trial.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about cases in the open caseload at both the magistrates’ courts and at the Crown Court. This includes breakdowns of volumes and durations as part of the Crown Court open caseload published as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: Criminal court statistics quarterly.

The Ministry of Justice does not publish data relating to the progression of cases or mode of trial in the open caseload.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has information on the median age of cases that have yet to elect mode of trial.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about cases in the open caseload at both the magistrates’ courts and at the Crown Court. This includes breakdowns of volumes and durations as part of the Crown Court open caseload published as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: Criminal court statistics quarterly.

The Ministry of Justice does not publish data relating to the progression of cases or mode of trial in the open caseload.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the percentage of the cases awaiting a Crown Court trial that have a potential sentence of up to three years imprisonment and that would go before a Judge-only court under his proposed court reforms.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the percentage of cases in the overall Crown Court backlog are either way cases that would be no longer eligible for jury trial under the government’s proposed reforms.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the percentage of the current Crown Court backlog would be sent for judge alone trials under the government’s proposed court reforms.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will undertake a review of publicly funded fellowship programmes for training overseas doctors.

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

There are currently no plans to review publicly funded fellowship programmes for training overseas doctors. A range of international postgraduate medical training schemes operate across the National Health Service. These are governed by individual NHS trusts, medical royal colleges, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, and indirectly, NHS England, and the General Medical Council. These programmes are expected to be properly governed, provide value for money, and ensure fair treatment for all participants. We expect all NHS organisations to operate in line with these principles.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will consider the potential merits of exemptions to restrictions on importing docked dogs for recognised rescue charities rehoming dogs that were docked prior to rescue.

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

As outlined in the manifesto, the Government is committed to ending puppy smuggling. Which is why the Government supported the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025.

This Act will give the Government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom.

The Government will use these powers to prohibit dogs and cats being brought into Great Britain with non-exempted mutilations, such as docked tails and cropped ears. Any appropriate exemptions to these prohibitions will be delivered via secondary legislation at a later date. In the meantime, Defra will continue to work with stakeholders including rescue organisations and consider their feedback. The Government is clear that any exemptions will need to be finely balanced against the risk of creating loopholes that could be exploited by bad actors.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce delays for members of the Teachers Pension who have submitted their remedial service statement.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Recalculating benefits for retired members is a complex process. For those members retiring, these cases are relatively straightforward as no benefits are already in payment. For retired members, additional complications around tax, interest rules and system functionality required extensive consultation.

Capita, as the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme (TPS) administrator, are processing Remediable Service Statement (RSS) choices and aim to complete payments as quickly as possible.

The issuing and payment of members’ RSS choices is a high priority and the department is continually exploring ways to improve payment times with Capita, which includes recruiting additional staff and automating functions wherever possible. Members’ original pension benefits will continue to be paid until their choice has been implemented.

In summer 2026, administration of the TPS will become the responsibility of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The department is working with TCS to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs and any subsequent payments.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support exists for park home owners with faulty LPG boilers.

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

The Government’s Warm Homes Plan (WHP) - which represents the biggest ever investment in home upgrades, is an offer for every household.

Park home residents can apply for support via a range of Government schemes including the Warm Homes: Local Grant, and ECO4 - which Government intends to extend until the end of the year, subject to Parliamentary approval. All eligible households in England and Wales can benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme, funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. BUS provides grants up to £7,500 to help households with the upfront costs of installing heat pumps and biomass boilers. In addition, the 0% VAT rate on heat pumps installations offers further financial support.

We are also working with the finance sector to make a range of low-cost finance solutions available to homeowners, with Government backing a total loan portfolio of £2 billion, including up to £1.7 billion from our new Warm Homes Fund.

Residents who are not directly supplied with electricity may also be eligible for support with their bills through the Park Homes Warm Home Discount scheme.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to cap service charges on managed estates.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to publish proposals for a code of practice for the operating of private car parks.

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

I wish to assure the hon. Member that this government is determined to drive up standards in the private 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 facilities.

A consultation document outlining proposals to raise standard across the private parking industry was published on 11 July 2025.

The consultation has closed and all responses are being analysed.

We expect to the lay the Code in accordance with the negative procedure in due course.

NHS access to medical cannabis for children with drug-resistant epilepsy

Endometriosis Awareness Month 2026

Heating oil prices

Energy prices for households and businesses

Airport drop-off charges

UNESCO World Heritage status for chalk streams in England

Creative industries and the use of AI

Delay Repay scheme

Outdoor learning

Congratulations to Hollie Davidson

Health and Care Worker visas

Eating disorder services

Cancer care in Gaza

NHS dentistry

International Women's Day 2026 and women’s inclusion in placemaking

Funding for rural fire and rescue services

Import and sale of real fur

Conduct of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

National Keep Britain Tidy Campaign

World Hearing Day 2026

Covid Day of Reflection 2026

Curlew populations

Cardiac risk in the young

New US sanctions on Cuba

Palantir and the NHS

Dual nationals without British passports

Recognition of Ukrainian driving licences

Penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium

Bus accessibility for disabled people in Hampshire

River Meon

Securing the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme

High street bank closures

Homelessness in Wiltshire

Scientific hearing on animal experiments

Speeding in rural areas

Found: Attendance Jack Abbott (Labour, Ipswich) (added 28 Oct 2024; removed 3 Mar 2025) 9 of 14 (64.3%) Jess Brown-Fuller