Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to review the UK Emissions Trading Scheme once the International Maritime Organisation rules come into force.

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

Addressing international emissions from shipping is critical and it is important action is taken globally through the International Maritime Organization (IMO). If the IMO Net-Zero Framework is introduced, the Government will review the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to assess the effectiveness and fairness of the system for operators.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing the recommendations in the APPG on Pharmacy’s report entitled The Future of Community Pharmacy in England, published in November 2025.

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

I am grateful to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy for its report. I agree that pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system and recognise the challenges the sector faces. The Department will consider the recommendations set out by the report, some of which overlap with commitments already set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, such as introducing an independent prescribing service in community pharmacy.

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed or future changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase funding for community pharmacies; and whether there are plans for a long-term, inflation-linked funding settlement for the sector.

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

I am grateful to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy for its report. I agree that pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system and recognise the challenges the sector faces. The Department will consider the recommendations set out by the report, some of which overlap with commitments already set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, such as introducing an independent prescribing service in community pharmacy.

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed or future changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made a recent assessment of the eligibility of tenants who purchase electricity via landlord-supplied prepayment card systems for support under the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

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

In 2025, the Government consulted on whether to expand the Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme to other households without a direct relationship with their energy supplier (including those pay their landlord for energy). Given the cost of the scheme falls on energy bills it was decided not to expand the scheme in this way. Households who are ineligible for a rebate payment may still be eligible for support through Warm Home Discount Industry Initiatives.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 202 to Question 105434 on Retail Trade: Business Rates, what proportion of the 23% of ratepayers expected to see a reduction in business rates are from the retail sector.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Data on the change in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 revaluation, including for the retail sector, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councils-in-england-forecast-2025-to-2026

Bills will be issued in due course by local councils.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the methodology used by the Valuation Office Agency to calculate recent rateable value increases for self-catering accommodation.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Self-catered accommodation is valued in the same way as any other class of non-domestic property; through applying the statutory and common law principles that apply across non-domestic rating.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what factors the Valuation Office Agency takes into consideration in (a) coastal and (b) tourism-dependent areas when setting rateable values for self-catering accommodation.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Self-catered accommodation is valued in the same way as any other class of non-domestic property; through applying the statutory and common law principles that apply across non-domestic rating.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of applying an interest rate of RPI plus 3% to Plan 2 student loans for graduates earning over £50,270 on the disposable income of those graduates.

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

Plan 2 student loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.

Plan 2 loans interest rates are applied at the Retail Price Index (RPI) only, then variable up to RPI +3% depending on earnings. Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers, which stay at a constant rate of 9% above an earnings threshold to protect lower earners. If a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Any outstanding loan and interest is written off at the end of the loan term, and debit is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the extent to which business rates relief and other fiscal support provided to Heathrow and Gatwick is available to regional airports; and what steps she is taking to ensure regional airports are not placed at a competitive disadvantage.

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

The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector, however this government recognises the crucial role regional airports play in supporting thousands of local jobs, connecting communities to global opportunities, and strengthening social and economic ties across the four nations.

My department regularly engages with regional airports including through the Aviation Council, which includes a Regional Connectivity Working Group chaired by industry.

At the Budget, the Government announced a £4.3bn business rates support package. This includes a redesigned transitional relief scheme worth £3.2 billion to provide more generous support for those paying higher tax rates (such as the new high-value multiplier), including airports.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of Air Passenger Duty on domestic air routes and regional airport connectivity in the UK, compared with the approach taken by other European countries to supporting internal air connectivity.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to the long-term future of the aviation sector in the UK and recognises the importance of maintaining a thriving and competitive aviation sector in the UK to deliver connectivity.

In April 2023, reforms to APD took effect, aiming to bolster air connectivity within the UK. This included the introduction of a new band for domestic flights, initially set at half the rate for short-haul international flights. The domestic rate applies to all flights between airports in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (excluding private jets) and is currently set at £7 for economy passengers until April 2026.

The Government is clear that APD is an appropriate tax that ensures airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. Other countries also have different forms of aviation taxes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide, for each driving test centre in Great Britain, the car practical driving test waiting time in weeks in January 2026.

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

The attached Excel document shows the average waiting time in weeks, in January 2026, for a car practical driving test at all driving test centres (DTC) in Great Britain.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time was for a practical car driving test at Swindon Test Centre in the most recent month for which data is available.

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

For January 2026, the average waiting time for a car practical driving test at Swindon driving test centre was 18.8 weeks.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the maritime sector.

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

The Government strongly supports the sector, including £448m of funding for maritime decarbonisation, updating the National Policy Statement for Ports, fostering an environment for port investment, backing maritime skills and seafarers’ rights. We will shortly publish a Maritime Growth Strategy with our priorities for sustainable sector growth, people, environment, and safety.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her proposed timeline is for publishing her Department's response to the consultation and evidence-gathering exercise on removing the 50km restriction for 18 to 20-year-old bus and coach drivers.

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

In April 2024, the previous government launched a consultation to help support driver recruitment, including a measure to amend licensing restrictions which would enable 18 to 19-year-olds to drive a bus and coach over 50km when driving a regular service, aiming help to increase the number of available bus drivers, particularly for longer, more rural routes.

Following the change of government, the Department has re-engaged with industry to better understand the likely effect of removing the current restrictions.

Once all responses have been gathered, they will be considered alongside contributions from other stakeholders. This combined evidence base will be used to determine our next steps.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time was for driving licence applications in December 2025.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January to question UIN 103613.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to require in-vehicle CCTV in licensed taxis and private hire vehicles.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. The power was approved by the House of Commons and the Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords. Should Parliament enable the setting of standards, mandating CCTV in vehicles will be considered as part of that process.

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 changes to employer National Insurance contributions to (a) GP practices, (b) the number of FTE GPs in work and (c) locum GPs.

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

We are investing an extra £1.1 billion in general practices (GPs) in 2025/26, the biggest cash increase in a decade. We now have the highest number of fully qualified GPs serving in more than a decade. By boosting the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme with £160 million pounds, we have prevented over 3,000 GPs graduating into unemployment.

GPs are valued independent contractors who provide over £13 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with the sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract, taking into account the cost of delivering services, including staffing costs.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the optical sector on (a) proposals to modernise driver vision testing and (b) any other proposals to strengthen road safety standards.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. Alongside the strategy, we launched five consultations including a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers. We welcome responses from optometrists and optometrist organisations to the consultations.

My officials have met with various optometrist organisations (including the College of Optometrists and the Association of Optometrists) while developing the proposed changes to eyesight testing for older drivers, and we will continue to engage with optometrist organisations as our policies develop further.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help support public awareness of the Don’t Swerve a Sight Test campaign.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We appreciate the work that the Association of Optometrists is doing to highlight the importance of good vision for driving.

On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all road users. Alongside the strategy, we launched a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.

All drivers, regardless of age, have a legal responsibility to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a medical condition that may affect their ability to drive.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of increasing the number of vision checks required for drivers aged over 70 on road safety.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

At the age of 70, drivers must renew their entitlement, and at most, every three years after that. This provides a timely reminder to individuals to consider their health in the context of driving. To renew their entitlement, they must make a legal declaration, via self-certification, that they can meet the legal eyesight standards required to drive and confirm whether they have any medical condition which may affect their fitness to drive.

On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all road users including older drivers. Alongside the strategy, we launched a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.

A summary of the evidence underpinning the need for mandatory eyesight testing is included in the ‘safety impacts of mandatory eyesight testing’ section of the consultation document.

Once the consultation has concluded, we will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the reduction in NHS waiting lists since April 2025 is attributable to patient removals; and if he will publish a breakdown of waiting-list change by treatment status.

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 Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish full, raw NHS waiting-list data including removals and treatment activity on a weekly and monthly basis.

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 Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many ports have operational shore power infrastructure capable of supporting zero-emission operations; and how this compares with the number of ports affected by the inclusion of emissions at berth in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.

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

The Government does not centrally record the level of live shore power infrastructure at ports, harbours, marinas, terminals or wharves, including whether they offer low voltage or high voltage shore power connections.

We are aware of at least nine ports, harbours, marinas, terminals and wharves that have live operational shore power units that allows some vessels to run on shore power today. At least another two locations are currently installing shore power. Of these eleven locations, six of them received R&D funding through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme.

The policies in the Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy will encourage more investment in maritime decarbonisation, including shore power rollout at more ports.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Isle of Wight will be eligible for funding under the National Youth Strategy; and what steps are being taken to ensure that the Island is supported thought the national funding criteria.

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

‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ is a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of.

This is backed by over £500 million of new youth funding over the next 3 years from DCMS, which complements a range of funding committed by other departments. The majority of the funding underpinning the first steps of the Strategy will be available from next the financial year 2026/27. We will share more information as our plans develop, including details on the eligible areas for funding.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how the schools identified to receive support through the National Youth Strategy will be selected; and whether schools on the Isle of Wight will receive support.

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

The Government's National Youth Strategy is a 10-year plan designed to ensure that every young person nationwide has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them, and a community they feel a part of. Schools are key to implementing the strategy including through enrichment activities, especially for disadvantaged youth.

DCMS, in partnership with DfE, will invest £22.5 million over 3 years to enable up to 400 schools across England to deliver a youth-voice led, tailored enrichment offer. This funding will help schools meet the Enrichment Framework benchmarks and ensure disadvantaged pupils have access to good enrichment activities, supporting their wellbeing, personal development, and life skills.

The programme is currently in the design phase, and we will share the selection criteria in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP practices have closed in the last 12 months; and and GPs have (a) resigned and (b) retired in the same period of time.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - 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 Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions Minister in his Department have had with Alan Milburn about the costs of clinical negligence since 4 July 2024.

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

Details of internal ministerial meetings are not routinely declared.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee reports.

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 help reduce the proportion of legal costs as a percentage of overall clinical negligence costs.

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

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.

Although forecasts remain uncertain, it is likely that the costs of clinical negligence will continue to grow substantially. As the question describes, the Government Actuary’s Department forecasts that annual payments for compensation and legal costs will increase from £3.1 billion in 2024/25 to £4.1 billion by 2029/30.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee reports.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which external organisations David Lock KC has referenced in advice to Ministers as part of his advice on the costs of clinical negligence.

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

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. He has engaged a number of stakeholders to date and will continue to consult. His work is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reports.

The results of David Lock’s work 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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Civil Procedure Rules Committee on the implementation of fixed recoverable costs for lower value clinical negligence claims since 4 July 2024.

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

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.

Although forecasts remain uncertain, it is likely that the costs of clinical negligence will continue to grow substantially. As the question describes, the Government Actuary’s Department forecasts that annual payments for compensation and legal costs will increase from £3.1 billion in 2024/25 to £4.1 billion by 2029/30.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee reports.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which external organisations David Lock KC has spoken to as part of his role advising Ministers on the costs of clinical negligence.

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

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. He has engaged a number of stakeholders to date and will continue to consult. His work is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reports.

The results of David Lock’s work 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.

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 (a) improve access to GPs and (b) increase the number of FTE GPs (i) in work and (ii) on permanent contracts.

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

We are increasing the capacity in general practices by investing £160 million via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) to recruit more general practitioners (GPs) to ensure the delivery of more GP appointments. Since October 2024, 3,073 individual GPs have been recruited into work, preventing them from graduating into unemployment. Further flexibilities were made to the ARRS to enable primary care networks to recruit recently qualified GPs, including removing caps on the number of GPs that can be recruited through the scheme to increase the number of both part-time and full-time GPs in employment.

As a result, 6.8 million additional appointments were delivered in the year to December 2025, compared with the previous 12 months, and there is now the largest number of fully qualified GPs since 2015

We have invested an additional £1.1 billion in GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest cash increase in over a decade and will facilitate the recruitment of GPs. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the National Health Service budget as a whole.

The Government is also committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. The plan will also ensure that staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future.

Importantly, after a decade of declining satisfaction, patient experiences with access to their GP has improved significantly. As of December 2025, 75.2% of patients report that they find it is easy to contact their GP, a 14.3 percentage point increase since July 2024.