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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of online platforms scraping news articles produced by UK newspapers.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

UK newspapers at national and local level play an invaluable role in the fabric of our society and we are committed to supporting a free, sustainable and plural media landscape. Rapid recent developments in generative AI pose both significant risks and opportunities for news media, including with regard to the scraping of news articles for use in AI development.

We are engaging with press stakeholders on this. The Media Minister and the Technology Secretary each held roundtables earlier this year with publishers and broadcasters to discuss the impact of AI on journalism.

The Government intends to support our news media to capitalise on the huge potential benefits of the technology, while mitigating its risks. This includes with regard to our work to ensure a copyright framework which values and protects human creativity, can be trusted, and unlocks new opportunities for innovation across creative sectors, including news media, and the wider economy. A number of news media representatives are also involved in the Government’s Technical Working Groups established in November to consider this work in more detail.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (2024) gave new powers to the Competition and Markets Authority (the CMA) to both boost competition and innovation in the UK digital tech sector, and ensure the largest digital firms treat consumers and UK businesses fairly, including news publishers. The CMA concluded its first investigations in October 2025, designating Google with SMS in search, and both Apple and Google with SMS in mobile ecosystems. The CMA will now consult on conduct requirements which Google and Apple must adhere to. These conduct requirements will be based on fair dealing, open choices, and increasing trust and transparency.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with local authority trading standards teams about assessing the potential risk of purchasing imported e-bikes and e-scooters, and fire risk from sub standard batteries and chargers.

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

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) within my Department leads the UK’s product safety framework, and works closely with Local Authority Trading Standards (LATS) to enforce product safety laws, including safety requirements for e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries. OPSS shares border profiling with LATS to target unsafe products entering the UK and supports LATS with training, testing and scientific advice. In 2024, OPSS funded a programme of LATS inspections of businesses repairing or modifying e-bike and e-scooter products to raise compliance.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of arts and culture programmes on reducing and preventing youth crime.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice recognises the important role that arts and culture can play in engaging children and supporting positive outcomes.

Evidence from the 2025 publication by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, ‘The effects of arts and culture programmes on youth crime: A rapid review’ shows that, whilst the current evidence base is limited, arts and culture programmes can help improve young people’s wellbeing, confidence, relationships and engagement with services. These are all factors associated with a reduced risk of future offending.

This year, the Government is providing more than £100 million of investment in Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) across England and Wales, including through the early intervention Turnaround programme. This gives YOTs the flexibility to use and commission arts and culture interventions where they judge this may be most effective in helping a child’s rehabilitation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of approaches to bringing empty residential properties back into use.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 80458 on 20 October 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the volume, proportion and value of food waste in the NHS.

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

The National standards for healthcare food and drink include instructions on the measurement, reductions, and monitoring of food waste. Production, spoilage, unserved and plate waste are the areas of focus. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-standards-for-healthcare-food-and-drink/

Data on food waste at National Health Service organisations is collected through the Estates Return Information Collection and is published at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection

The latest available figures are for 2024/25 and were published on 16 October 2025. As per these figures, there was 11,262 tonnes of domestic waste (food) weight, which represents 3% of the total waste, 377,079 tonnes, disposed of. This domestic waste cost £1,728,839, which represents 0.9% of the total waste disposal costs of £187,804,007.

Over recent years, we have significantly improved how we measure food waste, so any apparent increases are more likely to be due to better measurement rather than an actual rise in waste produced.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the current working assumption for the Casey review into adult social care to start and conclude.

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

The Independent Commission into Adult Social Care (the Commission), chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, formally began in April 2025. The Commission is in two phases: phase one will report in 2026, focusing on medium-term improvements using existing resources; and phase two will conclude by 2028, when the Commission publishes their report setting out long-term recommendations for transforming the system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of blood donations by blood type.

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

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England. Since the amber alert for O group blood was lifted in July 2025, overall collections have remained strong, reaching 98% of the collection target, with an average of 119,500 units per month of blood collected, compared to 116,700 per month in the six months prior.

NHSBT still faces challenges in maintaining stocks of B-, O-, and Ro blood groups. NHSBT currently meets approximately 50% of the demand for Ro type blood, with the remaining demand met by safely substituting, typically with B- and O-. This places further pressure on stocks for these groups.

NHSBT has recently opened new donor centres and expanded the number of donation appointments available to grow its Ro, B-, and O- donor base and increase collections for these blood groups. Up-to-date blood stock statuses are available on NHSBT’s website at the following link:

https://hospital.blood.co.uk/business-continuity/blood-stocks

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Hospice at Home programme delivered by hospices such as Dr Kershaw’s in Oldham on patients.

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

Charitable hospices are independent, autonomous organisations that provide a wide range of services, many of which go beyond what statutory services are legally required to be delivered. Therefore, the Government does not collect or assess data on these services.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services, delivered both in inpatient units and in people’s homes, available within the ICB catchment.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, following the recent National Living Wage increase announced in the Budget, what assumptions have been made on future wage differential compression for social care workers currently earning just above the current National Living Wage.

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

When assessing National Living Wage (NLW) increases, we assume that individuals earning at or near the NLW will receive a pay increase equivalent to the full NLW uplift, whilst pay growth for higher earning workers will increase in line with forecasts for average earnings. This assumption is based on robust external evidence on the impact of increases in the NLW on pay in the United Kingdom labour market. However, employers are ultimately responsible for the implementation of NLW increases and impacts may therefore vary locally.

The Government is committed to transforming adult social care and supporting adult social care workers, turning the page on decades of low pay and insecurity. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce. This represents the most significant investment in improving pay and conditions for adult social care staff to date.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of vulnerable users of telecare alarms who have (a) successfully transferred and (b) not yet transferred from analogue to digital systems.

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

There is limited data available on the number of telecare users in England and/or the United Kingdom. Our best available estimate comes from the TEC Services Association, who estimate that there are upwards of two million telecare users in the UK.

To improve our evidence base, the Department has commissioned an independent technical advisor, FarrPoint, to carry out surveys of telecare services providers and call handling services. This research is currently live and aims to identify the number of analogue and digital telecare devices in use.

The Department also works closely with the Telecare Action Board and Partners in Care and Health to monitor the progress of the digital phone switchover.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of MRI scanning waiting lists in (a) all Greater Manchester hospitals (b) Royal Oldham Hospital.

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

Data on diagnostic lists and waiting times is published at a National Health Service trust level and is available in the document attached. We do not hold data on waiting lists for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in the Royal Oldham Hospital.

The following table shows the number of patients waiting for an MRI scan in all acute Greater Manchester NHS trusts, as well as the number and percentage waiting more than six weeks, with data being correct as of September 2025:

The national six week waiting times standard is that no more than one percent of patients waiting for an MRI scan should wait more than six weeks, or 42 days.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the notional lost revenue to newspapers of online platforms using content without payment in return.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The challenges of quantifying the value exchange between newspapers and online platforms have been explored by a number of studies, including the independent Cairncross Review into sustainable journalism and advice from the CMA and Ofcom on how a digital markets regime might govern the relationship between platforms and content providers such as news publishers.

Regardless of the exact transfer of value, the imbalanced commercial relationship between newspapers and online platforms has been raised as a key driver in the financial sustainability challenges facing news publishers in recent years. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (2024) gave new powers to the Competition and Markets Authority to boost competition in digital markets and help rebalance the relationship between online platforms and the businesses which rely on their services, including news publishers. The Government will continue to monitor this relationship and whether further action is required to ensure a level playing field with online platforms as AI and other new technologies continue to disrupt the market.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending Asset of Community Value protections to local newspaper titles and community radio stations.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is aware of the National Union of Journalists’ (NUJ) calls to confer Asset of Community Value status on local newspapers.

We are committed to supporting local journalism and DCMS is developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. We are working across Government and with other stakeholders as the Strategy develops. While there is limited evidence to show that this proposal would have a substantial impact on the sustainability of local media, we have not yet ruled any options out for the Strategy as we continue to engage with stakeholders, including the NUJ.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department are considering introducing a requirement for users to (a) licence and (b) insure (1) e bikes and (2) e scooters.

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

There are no plans to require the licensing or insurance of e-bikes. A previous detailed review of licensing and insurance for all cyclists (including e-bike users) concluded that the cost and complexity of introducing such a system would far outweigh the benefits.

Private e-scooters are illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements. Rental e-scooters can only be used as part of the Government’s national rental e-scooter trials, in which e-scooters must be covered by a motor vehicle insurance policy, and users must have at least a provisional driving licence.

The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles, which is likely to include e-scooters, when parliamentary time allows. No decisions on future micromobility legislation have yet been made and we will use evidence from the trials to learn how to effectively and safely regulate them.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of business broadband connectivity speed and reliability on business growth, productivity and competitiveness in (a) Greater Manchester (b) Oldham.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has not made any specific assessment of the impact of business connectivity with regards to the specific areas of Greater Manchester and Oldham.

The Government’s view is that fast and reliable business broadband is critical for the growth of the economy, fostering innovation, and ensuring investment in the UK. In the Budget last month, the Chancellor set out that the government will work with Ofcom to support the availability and adoption of gigabit broadband solutions by business.

In July, we published our draft updated Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom, where we set out that the regulator should continue to ensure that businesses across the country are able to access the fast, reliable, and resilient broadband services they need to thrive.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of trends of junior bank account openings and levels of savings for young people since 2015.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Ensuring that individuals have access to appropriate financial services and products is a key Government priority. This is vital for supporting financial resilience and wellbeing and enables people, including young people, to fully participate in the economy.

HM Treasury does not hold data on junior current account openings specifically. However, the Money and Pensions Service’s (MaPS) UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing 2020–2030 reports that one in ten 16- to 17-year-olds have no bank account at all. Of those who do have accounts, 30% have never deposited money.

Through the Financial Inclusion Strategy, the Government is working with schools and the Money and Pensions Service to improve young people’s financial capability. As part of this, financial education will become compulsory in primary schools in England through a new statutory requirement to teach citizenship. In 2025–26, MaPS will also pilot its Talk, Learn, Do programme, which helps parents have money conversations with their children. The pilot will run through five family hubs and other organisations that support families in England, with the aim of achieving sustainable scale across the UK.

The Government is also supportive of industry’s efforts to develop age-appropriate products and services for young people.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving the take up of roof mounted solar retrofit equipment on existing agricultural buildings.

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

The Government is looking to facilitate and promote extensive deployment of rooftop solar on industrial and commercial property, including agricultural buildings.

Our Solar Roadmap, published in June, sets out cross-Whitehall engagement to deliver action in the commercial solar space. Delivery of this and the other 71 Solar Roadmap actions is being monitored and supported by the government/industry Solar Council.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on practices for the safe evacuation of high rise buildings in the event of fire as building heights increase to over 70 stories.

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

Responsibility for fire safety building regulations and evacuation both now sit within MHCLG policy responsibilities.

All new building work must meet the functional requirements of Building Regulations, including a means of warning and escape in case of fire to a place of safety outside the building that is capable of being safely and effectively used at all material times. In non-common building situations, which may include very tall buildings, a fire engineered solution may be necessary.

Government published Means of escape in residential buildings earlier this year; this analysis covers evacuation strategies in relation to high-rise residential buildings, taking into account building design, fire alarm systems and human behaviour.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of third-party campaigner regulations and levels of compliance in England.

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

Political parties, candidates and third-party campaigners are subject to strict campaign spending limits at UK elections and transparency requirements.

As set out in our Strategy for Modern Elections, we are taking forward a package of measures to strengthen the rules around political finance, some of which will apply to third-party campaigners. This includes requiring recipients of donations to consider the risk of political donations being illegitimate, ensure political donors declare any benefit or sources of funding connected to their donation and tighten the rules around company donations by allowing them to donate only if they have a genuine connection to the UK or Ireland.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what place based funding allocations has the Government confirmed for each area in the UK for the current spending review period.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The government is investing billions in city regions, towns and communities across the UK as a commitment to driving growth everywhere.

This includes, for example, the historic £15.6 billion investment in transport infrastructure in major city regions outside London; £410 million for a Local Innovation Partnerships Fund to support local leaders to drive innovation excellence in key sectors across the UK; at least £13 billion of funding via Integrated Settlements from 2026-27 to 2029-30 for seven Mayoral Strategic Authorities; and a Local Transport Grant providing £2.3 billion to enable local authorities to deliver transport improvements.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the proportion of people in creative roles such as writers, editors, producers, commissioners who come from working-class backgrounds.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

A creative career should never be the preserve of a privileged few. However, we know that informal working and recruitment practices, and the concentration of creative jobs in London, can act as barriers to the inclusion of people who come from working-class backgrounds.

Making creative careers accessible for everyone is a key priority for the Government. That is why in our Creative Industries Sector Plan we committed to a refreshed UK-wide £9 million creative careers service. We are working closely with industry partners to design next year’s expanded programme, with a particular focus on priority areas where children and young people face the greatest barriers to accessing creative opportunities. Building on this we announced in November that we have invested £500,000 to expand Creative Futures, delivered through The King’s Trust. The programme is designed to break down barriers to jobs in the creative industries for young people across the country who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), or at risk of being so – particularly those facing significant barriers and currently underrepresented in the creative industries.

We are also working across the economy to address the issue of unpaid internships, as part of the Plan to Make Work Pay. Unpaid internships, which are not part of a formal educational or training course, are already largely banned. The law is clear: if someone is a worker, calling them an unpaid intern does not mean they are not entitled to pay. The commitment to ban unpaid internships reflects our vision for a fair and inclusive labour market where everyone has the opportunity to succeed based on their talent and not their financial circumstances. The recent call for evidence on unpaid internships is the first step in tackling this issue.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of unpaid internships, informal recruitment, and London-based hiring practices on working-class inclusion in the culture and media sectors.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

A creative career should never be the preserve of a privileged few. However, we know that informal working and recruitment practices, and the concentration of creative jobs in London, can act as barriers to the inclusion of people who come from working-class backgrounds.

Making creative careers accessible for everyone is a key priority for the Government. That is why in our Creative Industries Sector Plan we committed to a refreshed UK-wide £9 million creative careers service. We are working closely with industry partners to design next year’s expanded programme, with a particular focus on priority areas where children and young people face the greatest barriers to accessing creative opportunities. Building on this we announced in November that we have invested £500,000 to expand Creative Futures, delivered through The King’s Trust. The programme is designed to break down barriers to jobs in the creative industries for young people across the country who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), or at risk of being so – particularly those facing significant barriers and currently underrepresented in the creative industries.

We are also working across the economy to address the issue of unpaid internships, as part of the Plan to Make Work Pay. Unpaid internships, which are not part of a formal educational or training course, are already largely banned. The law is clear: if someone is a worker, calling them an unpaid intern does not mean they are not entitled to pay. The commitment to ban unpaid internships reflects our vision for a fair and inclusive labour market where everyone has the opportunity to succeed based on their talent and not their financial circumstances. The recent call for evidence on unpaid internships is the first step in tackling this issue.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to conduct an inquiry, investigation or review into foreign interference at elections and with elected members at all levels.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

It is, and always will be, an absolute priority for this Government to protect our democratic and electoral processes. This is why on 18 November, I set out a Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan to disrupt and deter foreign influence and spying from foreign states.

We recognise that elected representatives are potential targets for foreign influence and interference. In October 2025, the National Protective Security Agency published its guidance on how members of Parliament and their Parliamentary staff can protect themselves from foreign states and its proxies in relation to espionage and foreign interference.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of young people who have been off-rolled by schools and colleges while awaiting Education, Health and Care Plans in England.

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

The department does not hold data on the number of children or young people who have been off-rolled while waiting for an education, health and care plan assessment.

This government is clear that off-rolling in any form is unacceptable, and we will continue to work closely with Ofsted to tackle it.

Pupils may leave a school roll for many reasons, including permanent exclusion, transfer to another school, or change of circumstances. All schools are legally required to notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is removed from the admissions register.

The law is clear that a pupil’s name can only be deleted from the admission register on the grounds prescribed in Regulation 9 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024.

Our ambition is that all children with special educational needs (SEN) receive the right support to succeed. We are committed to strengthening the accountability system and to providing earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with SEN.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Welsh government on increasing the economic potential of Holyhead Port relative to UK - Ireland trade.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Department for Business and Trade ministers and officials engage regularly with the Welsh Government on the modern industrial strategy, including the economic potential of Holyhead Port and Freeport. The Port of Holyhead carries substantial trade between Ireland and the UK. UKG has invested £20 million into the breakwater at the port, and Holyhead’s potential will be further advanced by the designation of the AI Growth Zone, as well the selection of Wylfa as the preferred site for small modular nuclear in the UK. UKG and WG officials have been working closely together to ensure these opportunities are maximised.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of (a) the number of pupils suspended or sent home for not wearing the required school uniform and (b) lost school days as a result for the most recent year the data is available.

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

The department does not hold the requested information. While statistics on suspension are collected by reason category, ‘not wearing the required school uniform’ is not included as a separate category.

The department publishes data on suspensions and permanent exclusions in state-funded schools in England. The most recent full academic year release, covering 2023/24, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24. This has been available since 10 July 2025.

The department’s position is clear that it is for the headteacher to determine how to address breaches of the school’s uniform and appearance, in line with the school’s behaviour policy. We expect schools to respond to non-compliance, such as uniform breaches in a proportionate and fair way. Where a school imposes a sanction such as a suspension the formal exclusion process must be followed.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions have been had with US counterparts about potential US political interference in UK domestic political discourse.

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

UK ministers and officials are in regular dialogue with their US counterparts on a wide range of issues. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary met the US Secretary of State in Washington DC on 8 December to discuss the cooperation between our two countries on areas vital to our shared interests and security.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the network of publicly available defibrillators; whether there are any blackspots; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that all areas have access to defibrillators.

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

The Department’s Community Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Fund delivered 3,080 new AEDs to local communities between September 2023 and February 2025. These AEDs were prioritised for areas of greatest need. This included remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.

The Government’s position is that local communities are best placed to make decisions about procuring, locating, and maintaining AEDs. Over 110,000 defibrillators are registered in the United Kingdom on The Circuit, the independent AED database. Over 30,000 of these have been added in the past two years, many as a result of local community led action.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that the social media and online platform income and donations by non-party political activists are published.

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

Political parties, candidates and third-party campaigners are subject to strict campaign spending limits and transparency requirements at UK elections. Registered third-party campaigners are required to report all forms of donations related to their campaign activity above the relevant thresholds in their spending returns to the Electoral Commission. Electoral law only covers donations given specifically for regulated campaign activity; it does not cover general income or revenue, whether from social media platforms or other sources. As set out in our Strategy for Modern Elections, we are taking forward a package of measures to strengthen the rules around political finance, some of which will apply to third-party campaigners.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the level of commercial energy costs on Zoos in England, such as Chester and Blackpool Zoos.

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

Defra is responsible for the welfare and management of animals kept by zoos and aquariums, as well as the conservation work zoos and aquariums are required to undertake. However, we remain engaged on cross-cutting matters where relevant and the government is taking decisive action to protect and support businesses, facing difficulties with their energy costs, on multiple fronts.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many safety breaches have there been at rail road level crossings in Greater Manchester since 2015.

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

Great Britain’s level crossings are among the safest in Europe. The number of incidents at rail-road level crossings in Greater Manchester since 2017/18 is set out below. No comparable data is available for previous years.

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Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is being done to improve train driver availability and reduce train cancellations and delays that are caused by a lack of trained staff.

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

All train operating companies have been asked to complete a seven-point traincrew resourcing proposal as part of their annual business plan. These plans cover staffing levels, recruitment, training, overtime and planning efficiency in order to improve reliability.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the levels of the use of drones in importing contraband into prisons; and what was number of drone incidents recorded in each year since 2015.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Drone incidents around prisons in England and Wales pose a major threat to prison security. We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the illegal use of drones. This includes working across government and international partners on this global issue.

We publish the number of drone incidents in England and Wales in the HMPPS Annual Digest, please see table 6_1 in the Finds tables. The latest issue covers the 12-month period to March 2025, with a time series of drone incidents starting from the 12-months to March 2021. We published Official Statistics on drone incidents for the first time in July 2025, with data back to April 2020. Drone statistics back to 2015 cannot be provided, having not been equivalently recorded or assured.

Any increase in reported drone incidents should not be interpreted as an increase in incursions; it may reflect more focused reporting. Drone incidents should not be interpreted as definitive evidence of the delivery of contraband into prisons, as they include all incidents where a drone is sighted. Data specific to deliveries of illicit items cannot be disclosed for security reasons.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the government intends to equalise the National Living Wage rates for workers over 18 years old.

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

The removal of the 18–20-year-old age band is a manifesto pledge; we remain committed to the equalisation of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW).

The latest increase to the NMW of 8.5% continues to close the gap between the 18-20 NMW rate and the NLW rate, moving towards a single adult rate.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of invasive weed removal from publicly owned land in England.

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

Various public bodies and local authorities undertake removal activities for invasive non-native weed species as part of their land management responsibilities. Natural England investigates complaints about the threat of injurious weeds spreading to agricultural land.

An assessment of the effectiveness of these interventions on publicly owned land has not been made.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the government has accessed the potential merits of expanding uniformed groups such as scouts, cubs and brownies on levels of skills and confidence among young people and tackling online driven isolation.

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

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport commissioned an independent provider (Ipsos) to conduct an evaluation covering the Uniformed Youth Fund from 2022 to 2025, which was published on 11th September 2025. The research found uniformed youth organisations (UYOs) contribute to the social and emotional development of young people by providing them with structured activities and supportive environments, enhancing young people’s cooperation skills, communication, and confidence.

Whilst no assessment has been made of the role of uniformed groups in tackling online isolation, this Government is committed to supporting people to have the social connections they need. This is a key part of achieving wider government priorities including a healthier, more connected society and ensuring opportunities for all. Rather than treating loneliness as a stand alone issue we are embedding this across wider government strategies, including the National Youth Strategy.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has held discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential merits of a National Library for Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Responsibility for libraries in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter. My Ministerial colleagues in the Northern Ireland Office and I hold regular meetings with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers, including the Communities Minister, to discuss areas of mutual interest. I welcome discussion about the potential merits of a National Library for Northern Ireland, although thus far no discussions on this topic have been held.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the levels of brightness of street lighting on community safety; and whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on this issue since July 2024.

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

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what cross government support is provided to local authorities to identify the location of, and those buried in, historic unmarked mass child graves in England such as those discovered in Royton, Oldham.

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

The Government recognises the distress caused to bereaved parents by these historic practices and we commend the work that families and charities have been doing to highlight this issue and support other bereaved parents. We are working across Government to better support parents searching for the final resting place of their child’s remains and will ensure they are given as much help as possible. Ministers from across Government will be meeting shortly to discuss this issue, to ensure effective cross-Government coordination and support for affected families.

Tracing a baby’s grave or a record of cremation can be a very difficult time for people both mentally and emotionally. It is important, therefore, that parents searching for the final resting place of their child’s remains are given as much help as possible. The Government expects all hospitals and burial and cremation authorities to assist by providing all information and records available to them, to any parents that enquire about what happened to their stillborn babies and their final resting place, in a timely manner.

The 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement makes available over £69 billion for local government. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

Standards from the mid-1980s onwards brought an end to the historic practice of placing the remains of stillborn babies’ bodies in unmarked graves. The current death certification process means that this historic practice is no longer possible.

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 regional impact of having no workforce representation in any English region outside London and the South East.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office operates out of three locations in the UK; King Charles Street in London, Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes and Abercrombie House in East Kilbride. We are committed to the Government's Places for Growth 2030 strategy to move more roles outside of London and the Government's Plan for London to streamline and make savings across the London estate. We continue to make a positive impact to the East Kilbride and Greater Glasgow region as one of the larger Civil Service Departments in Scotland.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to prevent NHS trusts from generating surpluses from car parking income charged to staff, patients and visitors.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential safeguarding risk of unknown adults from the general public being on premises such as B&Bs and hotels along with families with children living in temporary accommodation.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is clear that B&B accommodation is never suitable for families with children and their use in emergencies should be rare and short. Our National Plan to End Homelessness sets a target to end the use of B&B accommodation for families with children by the end of this parliament.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve platform advance notice, customer experience and waiting hall overcrowding at London Euston station.

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

Euston station was designed for a different era and we acknowledge that it needs major investment and modernisation. For the majority of the time the station works, however during times of major disruption, there simply isn’t enough room for passengers and we know this can make for an uncomfortable and unpleasant environment.

Network Rail is developing plans for a major upgrade to London Euston station. Making the best use of tax-payer money, we will deliver a brand-new station concourse that’s fit for the future, and offers much better facilities to passengers. Network Rail continue to work with partners to ensure the upgraded station integrates with the new HS2 station, provides enhancements to wider local transport facilities and offers new homes, community, office and retail spaces.

Ahead of this, the Journey to a Better Euston programme is helping to improve passenger experience, reduce congestion, and enhance the provision of travel information in the short term. Building on improvements delivered over the last 12 months, which included displaying train and customer information on the station's large screen and upgrading the toilets, further plans include:

• Establishing a Customer Information Hub to provide clearer and more timely updates to passengers.
• Upgrading the Assisted Travel Lounge and refurbishing mezzanine seating to improve comfort and accessibility.
• Implementing an enhanced retail strategy and introducing a new multi-faith room to create a more inclusive environment.
• Improving visibility and clarity of travel information screens, alongside concourse adjustments to maximise space for passengers.
• Launching the Team Euston Service Academy to strengthen staff capability and collaboration across industry partners.

These measures are designed to improve advance notice of services, alleviate overcrowding, and deliver a better overall experience for all users of London Euston station.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Indian and Pakistani counterparts on human rights violations in Kashmir and the potential impact of those violations on its diaspora in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government continues to monitor the human rights situation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Indian-administered Kashmir. We raise concerns, where we have them, directly with the Governments of India and Pakistan. We have consistently emphasised that any alleged human rights violations should be fully investigated in line with international human rights law. Ministers have also acknowledged the importance of community cohesion in the UK and the sensitivities of diaspora communities affected by developments in the region.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with regulators on reviewing rules on credit unions offering insurance products such as income protection.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Credit unions are regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to ensure the stability and soundness of the sector. The regulators are independent and make decisions on the regulation of credit unions in line with their statutory objectives.

Credit unions themselves are not insurance providers. Following the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, credit unions were given clearer permissions to act as distributors, enabling their members to access insurance products through partner firms. This does not allow credit unions to underwrite insurance themselves, and any arrangements made under these rules would be subject to the regulators' consumer protection rules.

In response to a request from HM Treasury, the PRA and FCA published reports on the mutuals sector on 5 December. As part of this, the regulators have committed to reviewing the regulatory framework governing credit unions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of cancelled appointments as a result of strike action in the NHS since July 2024.

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

The National Health Service met its ambitious goal to maintain 95% of planned care during the November round of strike action, surpassing the 93% protected during action in July, while still maintaining critical services, including maternity services and urgent cancer care. Cancellations have reduced across successive periods of strikes. As a result of industrial action:

• there were 61,989 elective procedures and appointments rescheduled between 27 June and 1 July;
• there were 54,095 elective procedures and appointments rescheduled between 25 July and 29 July; and
• there were 38,961 elective procedures and appointments rescheduled between 14 November to 18 November.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions has he had with Northern Care Alliance on capital funding for additional parking at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not held discussions with the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust regarding capital funding for additional parking at the Royal Oldham Hospital. Decisions on the provision and capital funding of car parking are made locally by National Health Service organisations.

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust has been allocated over £211 million in operational capital funding for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period. In addition, the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board has been allocated over £18 million for this period. This funding may be utilised for additional parking at the Royal Oldham Hospital where this is a local priority.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans are in place to build medium and long term NHS directly provided capacity to increase appointments in (a) diagnostic tests and (b) elective treatment.

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

As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment. Increasing surgical and diagnostic capacity is a key part of our plan to deliver this ambition.

We are providing additional diagnostic and elective capacity through a mixture of investments in new equipment and facilities in acute hospitals and community settings, as well as improving utilising and the productivity of our existing assets.

Dedicated and protected surgical hubs transform the way the NHS provides elective care by focusing on providing high volume, low complexity surgery, as recommended by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. There are currently 123 operational surgical hubs across England, 23 of which have opened since the Government took office. We will expand the number of hubs over the next three years to increase surgical capacity and deliver faster access to common procedures.

Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) provide a broad range of elective diagnostics away from acute facilities, reducing pressure on hospitals and giving patients quicker and more convenient access to tests. CDCs are now delivering additional tests and checks on 170 sites across the country. We will expand existing CDCs, as well as building up to five new ones in 2025/26. We are also committed to opening CDCs 12 hours per day, seven days a week.

This is supported by £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years for diagnostic, elective, urgent, and emergency capacity in the NHS. This includes £1.65 billion of capital funding in 2025/26 to deliver new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners, and beds to increase capacity for elective and emergency care.

We will create an NHS fit for the future, modernising care so that it takes place efficiently and closer to home, prioritising patient experience and ensuring that wherever you live in England, you will be seen, diagnosed, and treated in a timely way.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of multiagency responses to bullying in schools, online and through messaging platforms which disrupt the learning of young people and cause distress and harm.

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

Bullying is unacceptable and must be tackled to ensure schools are supportive environments where pupils can thrive. We know that evidence suggests that cyberbullying is often linked to face-to-face bullying.

All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. It is for schools to decide when to involve external agencies. Schools should contact the police where they believe an offence may have been committed.

The government is providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding mental health support teams.

To support schools further with preventing and tackling bullying, the department has recently launched procurement for an expert, evidence-led review of anti-bullying best practice to inform a practical resource for schools.

Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence Attendance and Behaviour Hubs will focus on supporting senior leaders in schools to develop cultures with high expectations for attendance and behaviour, with robust processes for following up poor behaviour.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has been made of the potential impact, average level and trends of business rates payable by businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors since 2015.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

Without our support, the pub sector as a whole would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. Because of the support we’ve put in place, this has fallen to just 4%.

The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.

The National Insurance Contributions (NICs) Employment Allowance has been more than doubled to £10,500, ensuring that over half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities, including those in the hospitality sector, will either gain or see no change this year. A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside changes to employer NICs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging the use of school grounds by communities to increase access to sports; and what plans she has to provide funding for upgrades to facilities.

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

On 4 December, the department launched a new programme, ‘Maximising Value for Pupils’, which will support schools and trusts maximise value from the investment in the school system, so every pound is delivering for children. A key pillar of the programme will be to make the most of financial and physical assets and we have committed to engage schools and trusts to understand how we can best support them to do so.

Many schools and trusts are already using their assets for community benefit, which may include making school grounds and facilities available for local sports clubs. We want to ensure this social value is maintained while also supporting opportunities to maximise value from their assets. We are investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of school and college buildings and grounds, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to modernise whole system appointments to (a) improve patient access and (b) avoid missed appointments.

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

Digital transformation is revolutionising access to healthcare by putting patients at the centre of a modern, personalised, and data-driven service. The goal is to empower individuals with greater choice, transparency, and control over their care, while helping to reduce systemic health inequalities and drive digital modernisation across the National Health Service.

There are a range of changes that improve patient access to appointments and avoid missed appointments. Steps that we are taking to improve access include:

• enabling patients in England to submit online consultation submissions for help from their general practitioners (GPs) via the NHS App or their GP’s website. In October 2025, eight million online consultation submissions were made;
• rolling out cloud-based telephony to GP services, improving access via phone lines for those who struggle with digital solutions. This includes time-saving features such as call-backs and diversion into specialist services. These changes are already reducing call waiting times and improving patient experience;
• improving the ability to manage conditions outside GPs to support more timely access to care, including through Pharmacy First and Digital Referrals initiatives; and
• offering outpatient electronic referrals through the NHS App with 100% of acute trusts now offering first outpatient electronic referrals through the NHS App, with 89% allowing patients to manage follow up appointments too, with 100% expected in 2026.

To avoid missed appointment we sent over 130 million appointment invitations and reminders via the NHS App in the last year, replacing paper letters and reducing delays. Digital reminders and the ability for patients to reschedule at the swipe of a button are helping to cut Did Not Attend rates, supporting elective recovery, and improving GP access. Analysis shows that these measures are contributing to reductions in hospital waiting lists and improving patient satisfaction.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of possible generational links to suicide; and what support is available to children of people who have taken their own lives.

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

The Government has not made an assessment of possible generational links to suicide. The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies eight priority groups, including children and young people, for targeted and tailored support at a national level. Another key priority area is to improve support for people bereaved by suicide.

The purpose of the Suicide Prevention Strategy is to set out our aims to prevent suicide through action by working across Government and other organisations. One of the key visions of the strategy is to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health, so people feel able to seek help through the routes that work best for them. This includes raising awareness that no suicide is inevitable.

The Government is expanding access to mental health support teams in all schools and colleges to reach all pupils by 2029, ensuring that every pupil has access to early support services. This expansion will ensure that up to 900,000 more children and young people will have access to support from trained education mental health practitioners in 2025/26.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of levels of homelessness relative to (a) levels of affordability of rented accommodation and (b) rates of local housing allowance.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

A lack of affordable housing is a key driver of homelessness. This Government plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing, including with £39 billion funding for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.

We recognise some private renters need support with their rent. That is why we will work across government to keep Local Housing Allowance rates under review in order to deliver on the government's priorities, including maintaining the long-term fiscal sustainability of the welfare system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of inpatient mental health capacity in Greater Manchester; and what discussions he has had with Pennine Care NHS Trust on that issue.

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

No such specific assessment has been made. The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership is responsible for commissioning National Health Service mental health inpatient beds to meet the needs of the local population across Greater Manchester. Neither ministers nor departmental officials have held discussions with the Pennine Care NHS Trust on that issue.

Nationally, our ambition is to avoid unnecessary admissions to mental health inpatient services and provide care close to home, including alternatives to admission. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out our plans to transform mental health services to improve access and treatment, and to promote good mental health and wellbeing for the nation. This includes piloting neighbourhood mental health centres, which will bring together a range of community mental health services under one roof, including crisis services and short-stay beds.

In addition, all integrated care boards (ICBs) were asked to publish a three-year plan to localise and realign mental health, learning disability, and autism inpatient care. The Greater Manchester ICB shared their plan at their public board on 20 November 2024. The plan commits to making the best use of resource and reducing reliance on inpatient care, so that more people can access care and support for their mental health, as and when they need it.

We will move care closer to home by reducing out of area placements for mental health patients by March 2027, as outlined in the medium-term planning framework. We will also use new integrated health organisations to break down barriers between services and ensure more integrated, holistic care, addressing both physical and mental health care needs, with more freedom to determine how best to meet the needs of their local populations.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the local housing allowance was last updated; and what estimate he has made of the difference between average rents at the time of the last update compared with the most recent available data.

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

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were last updated in April 2024. The Office for National Statistics ‘Price Index of Private Rents’ (PIPR) provides monthly estimates for average rents in the whole private rental sector. PIPR data is available on the ONS website: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/datasets/priceindexofprivaterentsukmonthlypricestatistics

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2025 to question 92072, what framework, conditions and support she has agreed with the TV and film sector since July 2024 to ensure the inclusion of English regional dialects in productions.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Our priority is supporting a healthy and mixed screen ecology where public service broadcasters, alongside commercial broadcasters, can continue to deliver high-quality, culturally relevant content for audiences across England and the UK.

The Government has engaged extensively with industry and has consistently championed the commissioning and production of programming in all parts of the country, For example, the BBC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the West Midlands Combined Authority and Create Central, committing to increased output, skills investment, and a new production base in Digbeth.

In addition Part 1 of the Media Act 2024, once commenced, will for the first time make clear in legislation the importance of the provision of indigenous regional and minority languages in the modernised public service remit for television, and will require public service broadcasters to provide a sufficient quantity of audiovisual content that reflects the lives and concerns of different communities and cultural interests across the UK. It will be for Ofcom, the independent regulator, to monitor compliance.

Alongside this, and building on competitive fiscal incentives like the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit, the Creative Industries Sector Plan published in June, also set out plans for how the Government will support television and film and television production across the nations and regions, tapping into the huge potential for growth across the country. Our £75 million Screen Growth Package specifically will support regional growth of Film & TV alongside wider measures - from our £150m Creative Places Growth Fund, to £100m for the Creative Industries Clusters programme - helping to create opportunities for all.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of trends in complaints and compensation payments for unacceptable standards of maternity care since 2015.

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

As assessment has not been made of the trends in complaints for unacceptable standards of maternity care. The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England is, however, of great concern to the Government.

A report published by the National Audit office (NAO) on 17 October 2025 stated that "over the last 20 years the cost of settling claims involving infants and children has increased significantly. Between 2006/07 and 2024/25, the total cost for obstetrics claims involving cerebral palsy or brain damage increased by over £1 billion in real terms, with average compensation for claims settled with damages growing by 305% (from £2.8 million to £11.2 million)”. The report can be viewed at the following link:

https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/costs-of-clinical-negligence/#downloads

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims, which will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.

Baroness Amos is leading a rapid, independent investigation into NHS Maternity and Neonatal services to help us understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care. The investigation will look into the maternity and neonatal system nationally, bringing together the findings of past reviews into one clear national set of recommendations. This will also include local investigations of maternity and neonatal services in selected trusts.

On 9 December, Baroness Amos published reflections on what she has heard so far as part of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, following engagement with women and families. Baroness Amos’ reflections and initial findings can be found at the following link:

https://www.matneoinv.org.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of cancelled annual leave days as a result of strike action in the NHS since July 2024.

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

The Department has made no estimate of the number of cancelled annual leave days as a result of strike action in the National Health Service. Information is not held centrally on the level of cancellation of annual leave of NHS staff, including for the reason of cover of staff who are undertaking industrial action.

Our priority is to keep patients as safe as possible during any industrial action. The NHS makes every effort through rigorous contingency planning to minimise the disruption of industrial action and its impact on patients and the public. Assessments are made by local Trusts about levels of resourcing available, and they can escalate concerns via regions and nationally, where appropriate.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how are post-16 options such as apprenticeships, technical qualifications and other vocational routes being reformed; and what outcomes data she plans to publish on progression and earnings.

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

This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners, and support the Industrial Strategy. In August, the government introduced new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, and shorter duration apprenticeships.

In October, we published a consultation which sets out our proposals for reformed qualifications pathways at level 3 and level 2. This includes a third, vocational pathway at level 3 called V Levels, and two new pathways at level 2 through the Further Study pathway and the Occupational pathway. The consultation closes on 12 January 2026 and can be accessed here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/technical-education-and-qualifications-reform/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways/supporting_documents/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways-consultationpdf.

The department publishes an annual official statistics publication which presents the employment, earnings and learning outcomes of further education learners. The statistics can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2021-22#explore-data-and-files.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of financial barriers such as maintenance loans, accommodation costs, unpaid placements on working-class students in higher education; and what reforms are being considered to improve retention alongside initial access.

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

The department recognises the impact the cost of living crisis on students. To help students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds progress into and excel in higher education, we will future proof our maintenance loan offer by increasing maintenance loans in line with forecast inflation every academic year. We will also provide extra support for care leavers, who will automatically become eligible to receive the maximum rate of maintenance loan.

We will reintroduce maintenance grants, providing full-time higher education students from low-income households studying subjects aligned with the government’s missions and Industrial Strategy with up to £1,000 extra support per year from 2028/29.

Further, we will develop options to address regional disparities in access and tackle systemic barriers in the journey to higher education for disadvantaged students. To deliver this we have brought together a task and finish group to focus on how the system can best widen access for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing legislation to regulate designed in bias in AI programmes such as ChatGPT, GROK, CoPilot and others.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

A range of regulation and legislation applies to AI systems such as data protection, equality legislation and sectoral regulation. Where AI systems contravene or are non-compliant with those rules, enforcement and mechanisms for redress will apply. The government is committed to supporting regulators to promote the responsible use of AI in their sectors including identifying and addressing bias.

To further tackle this issue, the government ran the Fairness Innovation Challenge (FIC) with Innovate UK, the Equality and Human Rights Council (EHRC), and the ICO. FIC supported the development of novel of solutions to address bias and discrimination in AI systems and supported the EHRC and ICO to shape their own broader regulatory guidance.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the regional representation of new peers appointed for each year since 2015 to the current December 2025 list.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The House of Lords works best when there is a diversity of perspectives represented, including from all the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister published a statement in June 2025, setting out the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the appointments system, in which he emphasised that party leaders should consider national and regional representation when making nominations, to ensure the second chamber better reflects the country it serves.

As a first step in reform of the House of Lords, the Government introduced the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill which removes the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. The Government’s priority is to get this Bill on the statute book as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the government has plans to offer basic first aid training in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton to the answer of 28 November to Question 92868.

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