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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of local authorities' Local Flood Risk Management Strategies.

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

We are committed to supporting communities and ensuring flood risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future.  Local flood risk management is a devolved matter, but we will work to improve resilience and preparation across central government and local authorities to better protect communities across the UK.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. That is why we set up a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after the winter flood season.  This marks a new approach to preparing for flooding and working between national, regional and local Government, including the devolved administrations, and flood risk partners.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Achieving our commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade requires close cooperation and coordination across Government, public services, the private sector, and the charity sector. Through the Safer Streets Mission Board and VAWG Ministerial Group, we are driving collective action across Government to achieve this. We will set out further detail in a new, transformative VAWG Strategy, which we aim to publish in September.

While crime prevention, policing, and justice policy are reserved matters in England and Wales, we are also working closely with partners in Scotland and Northern Ireland in achieving our shared ambition in tackling VAWG.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department will take to improve digital infrastructure in rural schools.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outline the information for England only.

The Department for Education are joint funding with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology fibre upgrades to 833 schools in England, due to be completed this year, to ensure that rural schools in England are not left disconnected.

The department has also published digital and technology standards to help schools make informed decisions about technology, leading to safer and more cost-efficient practices. These standards cover critical areas such as connectivity, cyber security, and filtering and monitoring. We launched a consultation on narrowing the digital divide in schools and colleges, which included proposals on the future of these standards, and we will publish our response to this consultation in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Child Poverty Strategy will include funding for family hubs.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Strangford to the answer of 03 July 2025 to Question 63139.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of food security.

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

The second United Kingdom Food Security Report (UKFSR) was published in December 2024. The UKFSR sets out an analysis of statistical data relating to food security in the UK, fulfilling the duty in the Agriculture Act 2020 to present a report on food security to Parliament at least once every three years.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help uphold human rights in Kenya.

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

Over the past two weeks, in addition to regular engagement with Government of Kenya at all levels, we have issued three statements, on 11th, 18th and 24th June expressing concern at Kenyan police brutality and in support of fundamental freedoms, including a British High Commission Nairobi released joint statement reaffirming every Kenyan's right to peaceful protest, and the importance of preserving civic space, and called for swift, transparent and independent investigations into all instances of violence against protestors. The UK's development funding supports police reform, focusing on human rights compliant policing and accountability. We are committed to maintaining a constructive dialogue with the Government of Kenya which will enable us to pursue shared interests, support Kenya's most vulnerable people, deepen our strong people-to-people links and raise challenging issues such as human rights.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve awareness of symptoms of (a) lung and (b) pancreatic cancer.

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

The Department is committed to improving symptom awareness of lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, and NHS England is also taking steps to improve awareness.

NHS England runs Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point. NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, also publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. This information can be found on the NHS website.

The Department has also committed support to the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, which is a group of charities focusing on cancers with poor survival rates. This partnership focuses on raising awareness of less survivable cancers, including lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, so more people understand their symptoms and go to see their general practitioner if they have concerns.

As part of developing the forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England, the Department has been working with members of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce to identify how to improve diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for less survivable cancers, including lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart on the (a) recent airstrike on Evin Prison in Tehran and (b) detention of (i) Christians and (ii) other religious minorities; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to (A) help uphold freedom of religion or belief and (B) advocate for prisoners of conscience in that country.

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

The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary consistently called for de-escalation throughout the 12-day conflict. We continue raise Iran's repression of freedom of religion or belief, including against Christians, in multilateral fora. On 18 March, the UK's Permanent Representative to the UN highlighted the continued systematic targeting and repression of religious minorities at the UN Human Rights Council. On 3 April, we were integral to the delivery of a new Human Rights Council resolution, which renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, to investigate a broader range of abuses including against religious minorities, in an important step towards accountability.

On 3 July, the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, met the Baha'i International Community UN Representative, Simin Fahandej, to discuss the current situation faced by Baha'is in Iran. We continue to monitor the ongoing harassment and arbitrary detention of Christians in Iran, and in November 2024, called on the Iranian government to release religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities on behalf of a minority religious group at the UN Third Committee.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to introduce a GCSE on British Sign Language.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department is in the process of developing a British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE. This landmark GCSE is an important step towards greater recognition of BSL as a language and will foster better communication between deaf and hearing communities.

The department published subject content for the BSL GCSE in December 2023. As is the usual process for introducing a qualification, the independent qualifications regulator, Ofqual, recently ran a public consultation on its proposed assessment arrangements and expects to confirm its decision on the qualification rules in autumn 2025. At this point, any exam board that chooses to offer the GCSE will be able to start developing specifications.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Nigerian counterpart following the killing of up to 200 internally displaced Christians in Yelewata, Benue State.

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

While the UK Government has not yet discussed the violent attacks on 13 June, UK officials have been actively engaging on broader security issues in Benue State. On 10 June, UK officials met Mr. Dickson Tarkighir, Member of the House of Representatives for Makurdi/Guma in Benue State and Chair of the House Committee on Constituency Outreach to discuss the root causes of insecurity in the region. The UK also maintains regular dialogue with key Nigerian institutions, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), and the Office of Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE) to address conflict in Nigeria's middle belt. During his visit to Nigeria between 28-30 May, the Minister for Africa raised Freedom of Religion and Belief and the root causes of insecurity in discussions with Nigerian counterparts, including the Foreign Minister and Deputy Speaker.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many homes have qualified for new boilers through Government energy schemes.

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

Between January 2013 and April 2025, 889,589 boilers and 13 biomass boilers were installed under the Energy Company Obligation.

Between May 2022 and May 2025, 407 vouchers for biomass boilers were granted under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

No boilers were installed through the Home Upgrade Grant, Local Authority Delivery scheme, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund or Great British Insulation Scheme.

Only biomass boilers are eligible for support under the Warm Homes: Local Grant and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund. The schemes started delivery in April 2025 and therefore installation figures are not yet available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to establish a governance framework for (a) monitoring the implementation of and (b) ensuring accountability for the national cancer plan.

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

Governance mechanisms for monitoring implementation and ensuring accountability for delivery will be established as part of the development of the National Cancer Plan, which will be published later this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the (a) eligibility criteria and (b) application process for (i) employers and (ii) sectors seeking to have occupations included on the proposed Temporary Shortage List; and what the criteria for inclusion on that list will be.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

An interim Temporary Shortage List (TSL), containing occupations at RQF levels 3-5 which the Department for Business and Trade and His Majesty’s Treasury have identified as being important for the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy was included in Immigration Rules changes laid before Parliament on 1 July 2025 (HC 997).

The TSL will be subject to review by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). Occupations will only be included or retained on the list where the MAC has advised it is justified, where there is a workforce strategy in place, and where sectors are key to the industrial strategy or delivering critical infrastructure. The MAC will be commissioned to undertake this review shortly and will issue a call for evidence to which interested stakeholders should engage.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) tackle local authority financial deficits and (b) improve local authority value for money.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government recognises the pressures local authorities are facing because of their Dedicated School Grant (DSG) deficits. The Department for Education Spending Review settlement confirmed funding for reform of the current Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, details of which will be set out in a White Paper in the autumn. The government will commence a phased transition process which will include an extension to the Dedicated Schools Grant Statutory Override, currently due to end in March 2026, until the end of 2027-28. The government will provide more detail by the end of the year including a plan for supporting local authorities with both historic and accruing deficits. We will set out more detail at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.

Furthermore, through this Spending Review we are providing an additional £3.4bn of grant funding for local authorities in 2028-29 compared to 2024-25 and the government has committed to reforms which will mitigate the growing pressures on Local Government services and achieve better value for money.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to require local authorities to provide family hubs.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025.

This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that: the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.

The department is working with the Department of Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme. We recognise the importance of providing local authorities with certainty of future funding across the whole programme and we will share further information when we are able to.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will develop a national outcomes framework for family hubs.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025.

This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that: the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.

The department is working with the Department of Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme. We recognise the importance of providing local authorities with certainty of future funding across the whole programme and we will share further information when we are able to.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding she plans to allocate to family hubs.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025.

This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that: the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.

The department is working with the Department of Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme. We recognise the importance of providing local authorities with certainty of future funding across the whole programme and we will share further information when we are able to.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of Inheritance Tax provisions for agricultural property on farmers.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to UIN 36399.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of anti-conversion laws in India.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is firmly committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, as a fundamental human right. We are aware of concerns regarding anti-conversion laws in India, and their potential impact on religious minorities. Where issues arise, we raise them directly with the Government of India, both at national and state levels. Our diplomatic network across India monitor developments closely.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what leadership skills training is provided by the military to corporate leaders seeking assistance with upskilling their leadership teams.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence does not provide leadership training specifically for corporate leaders. There are some opportunities for industry partners to attend courses which include Leadership themes.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps are being taken to support small businesses changing finance providers.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring the UK has a highly competitive and diverse banking sector, working in the interests of all consumers and businesses across the country. It is important that businesses shop around for their banking needs as this drives competition, improves choice and helps keep prices fair. There are a number of policies that help facilitate this:

Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees and an annual turnover of less than £6.5m are already able to use the current account switch service – designed to make it easier to shop around for their business current account.

The Commercial Credit Data Sharing scheme requires the UK’s largest banks to share credit information on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with other lenders through designated Credit Reference Agencies. This has helped lower the barriers to entry for new finance providers and improved credit scoring in the SME finance market, giving small businesses more choice when applying for finance. The Government will consult on enhancing the scheme later this year to ensure it continues to keep pace with market changes.

The Government has also committed to consult on improving the Bank Referral Scheme. The scheme requires designated banks to refer SME business customers that they reject for finance, to platforms that can match the SME with alternative finance providers.

The British Business Bank’s Finance Hub also provides independent and impartial information on different finance options for scale-up, high growth, and potential high growth businesses, as well as resources that support SMEs to innovate and become more sustainable

Finally, in December 2024 the Secretary of State for Business and Trade also announced a new Business Growth Service (BGS) which will make it easier and quicker for businesses across the UK to get the help, support and advice they need to grow and thrive.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of trends in the level of the cost of travel insurance abroad for people diagnosed with cancer.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. For example, the existence of pre-existing medical conditions may represent an increased risk.

However, the Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA is clear that it monitors firms to ensure they provide products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.

It is worth noting that different insurers may take a different view of the relevant factors in determining the price of insurance based on their differing claims experience. Since some specialist travel insurers may be more equipped to provide cover for consumers with pre-existing medical conditions, the government would encourage consumers to shop around for the most suitable cover at the best price.

To support consumers in accessing travel insurance, the FCA also requires travel insurers to signpost consumers to a directory of specialist providers if they are declined cover, offered cover with an exclusion, or charged a significantly higher premium based on their pre-existing medical conditions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure that the national cancer plan includes measures to support collaboration with partners across the cancer ecosystem.

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

The National Cancer Plan will seek to foster improved collaboration with partners across the cancer ecosystem, including the voluntary and community sector.

The 10-Year Health Plan laid out our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service, which will rebalance our health system so that it fits around people’s lives, not the other way round. At its core, the Neighbourhood Health Service will embody our new preventative principle that care should happen as locally as it can: digitally by default, in a patient’s home if possible, in a neighbourhood health centre when needed, in a hospital if necessary.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean millions of patients are treated and care for closer to their home by new teams of professionals; and neighbourhood health centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a full range of healthcare services on people’s doorsteps.

We will soon launch the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP). The NNHIP will support systems across the country to test new ways of working, share learning, and scale what works, making Neighbourhood Health the norm, not the exception.

The National Cancer Plan will be published later in 2025 and will set out further details on measures to support collaboration with cancer partners.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans for the (a) voluntary and (b) community sector to have a role in implementing the neighbourhood cancer care model set out in the national cancer plan.

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

The National Cancer Plan will seek to foster improved collaboration with partners across the cancer ecosystem, including the voluntary and community sector.

The 10-Year Health Plan laid out our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service, which will rebalance our health system so that it fits around people’s lives, not the other way round. At its core, the Neighbourhood Health Service will embody our new preventative principle that care should happen as locally as it can: digitally by default, in a patient’s home if possible, in a neighbourhood health centre when needed, in a hospital if necessary.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean millions of patients are treated and care for closer to their home by new teams of professionals; and neighbourhood health centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a full range of healthcare services on people’s doorsteps.

We will soon launch the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP). The NNHIP will support systems across the country to test new ways of working, share learning, and scale what works, making Neighbourhood Health the norm, not the exception.

The National Cancer Plan will be published later in 2025 and will set out further details on measures to support collaboration with cancer partners.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support the aviation sector.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government has shown that it will support the UK aviation sector by backing airport expansions that promote economic growth while meeting climate and environmental standards, as well as ending years of uncertainty by inviting proposals for a third runway at Heathrow.

We have introduced a package of measures to encourage the production and use of homegrown Sustainable Aviation Fuel, positioning the UK as a world leading destination for this new market.  The new revenue certainty mechanism will provide a price guarantee for SAF producers that will boost jobs across the country. This delivers on the UK’s clean energy and growth missions.

We have also recently announced the go ahead for the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) which will improve confidence in the delivery of airspace modernisation in the UK, fulfilling a key manifesto commitment to enable quicker, quieter and cleaner flights.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of trials of a test designed to identify pregnant women at risk of miscarriage; and whether his Department plans to roll this out on the NHS.

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

The Government is committed to considering the latest research and evidence that will improve the experiences and outcomes for women at risk of miscarriage.

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR is currently funding a £1 million award focused on a device that delivers vital doses of progesterone to women with threatened miscarriage. If approved, this would become the world’s first drug-device combination product to treat threatened miscarriage. The new technology could help over 150,000 women in the United Kingdom who experience threatened miscarriage each year.

Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage and Research at the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire is piloting a new test to identify women with an abnormal womb lining that increases their risk of miscarriage. We will carefully consider the findings of this pilot when it concludes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of making Apolipoprotein M available through the NHS on the prevention of macular degeneration.

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

The Department has not made an assessment. There are no approved medicinal products in the United Kingdom with apolipoprotein M, and there is no specifically approved product for macular degeneration that is known to act mainly by increasing apolipoprotein M.

If a company were to develop such a medicine, they would need to apply for a licence to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The medicine would be assessed for safety, quality, and efficacy before it could be granted a marketing authorisation in order to be appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for routine National Health Service use.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to roll out integrated family hubs.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

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 encourage young girls to attend smear tests.

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

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England provides all women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64 years old with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or cervical abnormalities at an early, more treatable stage. The screening test does not look for cancer, but for HPV, which causes nearly all cervical cancers. As it takes approximately ten years for HPV to cause cancerous cells, it is rare for women below the age of 25 years old to develop cervical cancer. This is why the age limit is set as it is.

NHS England launched its first ever cervical cancer elimination creative campaign and communications toolkit for Cervical Screening Awareness Week, which took place between 16 and 24 June 2025. The campaign included digital resources that create a strong sense of shared responsibility and aim to increase awareness of the elimination goal, educate the public, and build confidence in cervical screening.

In March 2025, NHS England published its Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England, setting out how the National Health Service will improve equitable uptake and coverage across cervical screening to meet the goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. NHS England will build on what is already working well to drive vaccination and screening uptake and coverage, focussing on five cross-cutting themes: increasing access; raising awareness; reducing inequalities; improving digital capabilities; and strengthening workforce capacity. Further information on the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/

From early 2026, screening providers in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England will be able to offer HPV self-sampling kits to women if they have not attended their appointment for six months or more following routine invitation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure a wide roll out the Family Hubs programme.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

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 encourage young women to attend cervical cancer screenings.

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

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England provides all women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64 years old with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or cervical abnormalities at an early, more treatable stage. The screening test does not look for cancer, but for HPV, which causes nearly all cervical cancers. As it takes approximately ten years for HPV to cause cancerous cells, it is rare for women below the age of 25 years old to develop cervical cancer. This is why the age limit is set as it is.

NHS England launched its first ever cervical cancer elimination creative campaign and communications toolkit for Cervical Screening Awareness Week, which took place between 16 and 24 June 2025. The campaign included digital resources that create a strong sense of shared responsibility and aim to increase awareness of the elimination goal, educate the public, and build confidence in cervical screening.

In March 2025, NHS England published its Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England, setting out how the National Health Service will improve equitable uptake and coverage across cervical screening to meet the goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. NHS England will build on what is already working well to drive vaccination and screening uptake and coverage, focussing on five cross-cutting themes: increasing access; raising awareness; reducing inequalities; improving digital capabilities; and strengthening workforce capacity. Further information on the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/

From early 2026, screening providers in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England will be able to offer HPV self-sampling kits to women if they have not attended their appointment for six months or more following routine invitation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the number of first-time buyers in each of the last five years.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department does not hold official data on the total number of first-time buyers over the past five years and is therefore unable to provide an official estimate.

However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on the number of first-time buyer mortgage sales by Local Authority across the UK, which can be found on gov.uk here. This data set does not include cash sales.

In addition, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) provides UK-wide totals for the same data, available here.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take through the national cancer plan to help (a) reduce inequalities in cancer care and (b) improve outcomes in underserved communities.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Mid Leicestershire on 16 June 2025 to Question 58897.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of multiple sclerosis.

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

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit.

NHS England has also established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with MS. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions. A toolkit is being developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which will include components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services. The Neurology Transformation Programme has developed an Adult Neurology ICB dashboard, which includes specific data on MS disease-modifying therapies. Additionally, NHS England has also developed guidance for systems on improving access to disease-modifying treatments for MS closer to home, which includes successful delivery models and good practice case studies.

We have set up a United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, facilitating formal, biannual meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and the Neurological Alliances of all four nations. The new forum brings key stakeholders together, to share learnings across the system and discuss challenges, best practice examples, and potential solutions for improving the care of people with neurological conditions, including MS.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance on the management of MS in adults, which includes a number of recommendations on recognising the signs and symptoms of MS and the initial assessment and diagnosis of MS. NICE has recommended a number of new medicines for use in the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS that are now routinely available for use in the treatment of National Health Service patients. In December 2024, NICE recommended Ublituximab for treating relapsing-remitting MS, and more recently in April 2025, NICE recommended Cladribine for treating active relapsing-remitting forms of MS.

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 family hubs on (a) neighbourhood health and (b) integrated community-based health services.

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

We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and support people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer.

The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme supports the three reform shifts set out in the Government’s Health Mission, including the shift from hospital to community. It is already delivering a community-based model to transform health outcomes for babies, children, and their families.

The effectiveness of the programme will take time to be realised, as long-term evaluation is required. The programme is subject to two national, independent evaluations to understand its implementation and impact.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, when she plans to publish the (a) eligibility criteria and (b) application process for (i) employers and (ii) sectors for occupations listed on the proposed Temporary Shortage List; and if she will set out the criteria for inclusion on the proposed Temporary Shortage List.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to UIN 63590 on 8 July.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to tackle child poverty.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in autumn that will deliver fully funded measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.

The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments.

As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year (including Barnett impact), investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.

These commitments come on top of the existing action we have taken which includes expanding free breakfast clubs, capping the number of branded school uniform items children are expected to wear, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

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

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities publishes a liver disease profile that compares local areas within England. Data on the number of people in the population, or the prevalence of people, with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not collected.

The liver disease profile provides NAFLD hospital admission and mortality rates. However, these rates underestimate the level of NAFLD in the population as the great majority of people with NAFLD never experience any symptoms from the condition. Only a minority may progress to more serious forms of the disease that require hospital admission. It is unclear what proportion of people experience this serious disease, and therefore we cannot make a reasonable estimate of the number of people with NAFLD.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress his Department has made on fitting military vehicles with direct energy weapons to help protect from swarm drone attacks.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This Government has announced nearly £1 billion in further investment for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) to bring these capabilities into service, including a new DEW for the British Army by the end of the decade.

We have recently completed trials of both radio frequency and laser DEW demonstrators mounted on British Army vehicles, putting DEW in the hands of the warfighter so we can learn from their experience and shape the development of future systems. This included the first use of DEW by the Army to counter drone swarms as part of live testing against targets.

DragonFire, our high energy laser for Type 45 destroyers, recently completed a trial that saw us fire 300 times, proving consistency and reliability, and included 30 drone defeats and firings in adverse weather conditions. This is critical to system development, meeting our plan to put it into service from 2027.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Glastonbury organisers on comments made at the festival by Kneecap.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Culture Secretary has made clear that previous comments made by Kneecap are appalling, and that celebrating and promoting prescribed terrorist organisations is a criminal offence. This Government unequivocally condemns threatening remarks made towards any individual, and political intimidation and abuse must have no place in our society.

Following conversations between the Secretary of State and members of the Jewish community on concerns about imagery and slogans on display at the festival, DCMS officials have met with Glastonbury organisers for detailed discussions on their procedures to monitor imagery on site, and the due diligence processes undertaken for festival acts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure children have access to drama education in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Drama is included in the current English national curriculum, compulsory up to age 16 (key stages 1 to 4). At key stage 4, all pupils in maintained schools have an entitlement to study an arts subject, including drama, if they wish.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum, including drama. The final report and government response will be published this autumn.

To help meet our ambitions for improved and more equitable arts education, we will be launching a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education, which will promote arts opportunities to children and young people, support excellent teacher training in the arts, and boost partnerships between schools and arts organisations.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help improve HMRC investigation times.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As part of our transformation of HMRC, we are improving our compliance learning offer to build the capability of both new trainees and established colleagues. Our Compliance Professional Standards reinforce that all colleagues should be mindful to avoid unnecessary delay in dealing with cases and keep customers informed throughout the compliance activity.

HMRC’s new Interactive Compliance Guidance tool, launched in April 2025, is designed to help businesses and individuals understand HMRC compliance checks, improving our support for customers. This promotes a better experience for the customer.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has any plans to upgrade cannabis to a class A controlled substance.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has no current plans to review the classification of cannabis.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of seizures of cocaine at (a) ports and (b) airports on the supply of the drug.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

In 2023/24, 28.3 tonnes of powder cocaine was seized by police and Border Force in England and Wales. This was an increase from 18.6 tonnes the previous year and the largest recorded quantity of cocaine seized since the time series began in 1973.

However, serious criminals are constantly developing their approaches to traffic cocaine into the UK in response to our efforts at the border. This includes changing their trafficking routes and evolving their methodologies to evade detection, for example, diversifying importation methods through at-sea-drop-offs.

We therefore recognise that we must continue to adapt our strategy and work more closely with law enforcement partners upstream to stop cocaine trafficking at source and all across the supply chain, targeting the gangs responsible, and bringing them to justice. Officials will continue to assess the impact of global drug trafficking on the UK and implement new approaches to respond to this threat.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan; and what steps he is taking to promote respect for freedom of religion or belief in efforts to secure a peaceful resolution.

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

The UK welcomes the conclusion of negotiations on a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and urges both sides to sign the agreement as soon as possible in the interest of lasting peace and stability in the region. We remain ready to support further progress wherever it may be helpful. The recent meeting between the leaders in Tirana marked a positive step forward, and we continue to encourage peaceful dialogue to address the remaining challenges. I reiterated this message during my engagements with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in April, as well as with Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister, Yalchin Rafiyev, on 30 April. The Foreign Secretary also conveyed this message during his phone call with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister on 17 June.

The UK Government remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief globally.

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 promote public awareness of (a) sarcoma and (b) its symptoms.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to the Hon. Member on 23 January 2025 to Question 24851.

Changing Places Toilets Awareness Day

Jagtar Singh Johal (No. 2)

Road Traffic (No. 2)

Carers and social care reform

EU Import Control System 2

Statutory consultees for sustainable development

Joe's Day campaign

Lothians Speak Their Name project

Jaguar Land Rover

Green House Climate Club campaign

Election of University of St Andrews academics to the British Academy

Road Traffic

Tribute to David Lawrie

Food waste

Emotional support animals

Funding and support for SEND

Provision of trained Family Liaison Officers

Hepatitis C elimination

2025 Island Games

Green Flag award for Victoria Park, Ashford

2025 Royal Welsh Show

Mrs Brummitt and Gillshill and Cavendish primary school

Tall Ships returning to Aberdeen

Freemen and freewomen of Lancaster in 2025

Courtney McBain Chartered Institute of Management Accountants success

Katie Wallace Scottish Engineering Modern Apprentice of the Year

Angus John Tulloch MBE

Cairngorm Brewery Food and Drink Excellence Awards

Kat Heathcote OBE

Antisemitism and Holocaust inversion

Dose of Nature

Highland producers and finals of Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards

Protection of survivors of domestic abuse under the Hague Convention

Truth and reconciliation in Bangladesh

Fauja Singh

Steve Willis Training Centre

Pakistan and the UK Air Safety List

Dame Norma Redfearn CBE

50th anniversary of Triton Showers

Impact of net zero policies on the agricultural sector and rural communities

Bath and North East Somerset Community Wellbeing Hub

Access to mental health support for children and young people

Funding and role of community pharmacies

100 years of RAF Odiham

Longlevens Mixed Ability Rugby Team champions

Mick Conroy retirement as a postman

Cool hubs

Remembering PC Ian Minett

Brian Standring’s fundraising and campaigning in Wellington

Repair Cafés

Croydon High School all-girls satellite launch

FareShare Sussex and Surrey

UK-based medical charities in Palestine

Marple Hall Girls U15s English Schools' FA Cup winners

Royal Black Preceptory 1000, Royal Black Institution and the Royal 13th at Scarva

Celtic FC supporters and banner

Birthday of James Furlong

North-East Scotland College Herald Education Award

12 July celebrations and commending the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland

Impact of net zero targets on UK agriculture and rural communities

National Day of Memory for Victims of Honour-Based Abuse, 14 July

Parthenon Sculptures

Peace and sovereignty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting and action plans

Reform of the special educational needs and disabilities system

RealTechBot, first Lego League International Open Winners

Recognition of Wiltshire schools achieving the Dyslexia-Friendly Quality Mark

Accessible facilities and responsible use of RADAR keys

Roshaan Khattak

Access to care and support for people living with arthritis

Irish Republic and Israel

Pilling Jubilee Silver Band

The Waid Academy and the HRUC National Innovation Challenge 2025

Fiftieth anniversary of 15th Coatbridge Boys' Brigade

Mental health in farming (No. 2)

Support for people with dyscalculia

Ynys Môn’s status as a UNESCO Global Geopark

Outsourced cleaners on Tyne and Wear Metro

Jibraan Chaudhary Sepsis Research Foundation and chemotherapy-associated sepsis

Bethany McLay and The King’s Trust Rising Star Award

Recognition of Craig McMurrough’s contribution to ovarian cancer awareness and healthcare fundraising

Port Isaac Fish and Chips

Peckish Fish and Chips

Small businesses in North Cornwall

Flying ring toys

Government policy on the Hillsborough Law

Richmond Surgery in Fleet

CVS Falkirk and District Volunteering Awards 2025

Lochaber Young Writers

150th anniversary of Carleton Street Orange Hall

Lord Tebbit

Apprenticeships strategy

Companion bus passes for the disabled

Found: Ann Davies Gavin Robinson Carla Lockhart Dan Aldridge Mary Glindon Jo Platt Frank McNally Jim Shannon

Found: Ann Davies Gavin Robinson Carla Lockhart Dan Aldridge Mary Glindon Jo Platt Frank McNally Jim Shannon

Found: Ann Davies Gavin Robinson Carla Lockhart Dan Aldridge Mary Glindon Jo Platt Frank McNally Jim Shannon