Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure a long-term legacy from the National Year of Reading.

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

The National Year of Reading 2026 aims to make lasting change to the reading habits of the nation to address the decline in reading for pleasure, unlocking one of the most powerful tools for equity and opportunity, a love of reading that lasts a lifetime. The campaign aims for lasting impact by engaging new audiences, making reading relevant, transforming practice, and building infrastructure. For example, we are providing £5 million of funding for secondary schools to purchase books to encourage reading for pleasure.

The National Year of Reading is grounded in both existing evidence and new research, conducted by an external research agency. This is a critical component of the campaign, to ensure it is impactful and meaningful, both during the year and beyond.

There will be an independent external evaluation of the National Year of Reading, to be published in 2027. The evaluation will examine how the campaign influences reading behaviours, connects with audiences and shapes attitudes towards reading, particularly among the campaign’s priority audiences of teenage boys, early years children and families from disadvantaged communities. It will also assess the wider impact on the literacy sector and the foundations for long-term change.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans his Department has to promote the National Year of Reading in Scotland.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults. For example, only this week our delivery partner for this campaign, the National Literacy Trust, revealed that fewer than 1 in 10 teenage boys read daily for pleasure.

The National Year of Reading aims to engage new audiences, reshape public attitudes and embed lasting, meaningful change on attitudes to reading. The campaign includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout 2026.

We are working in collaboration with the Scottish Government and lead delivery partners - DC Thomson, The Scottish Book Trust and The Scottish Book and Information Council - to deliver this important initiative in Scotland. ​​

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of mental health absences in the Work, Study, Family and Ukraine visa unit within the Visas and Passports directorate, in each of the past three years.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the mental health absence rate is in (a) the Work, Study, Family and Ukraine visa unit within the Visas and Passports directorate, and (b) the Home Office.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the written answer of 4 February 2026 to question 109058, if he will list the RFA vessels where permanent employees have opted in to work a reduced assignment length, other than the RFA Proteus.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Uptake varies according to operational cycles, but participation consistently fluctuates between nine and 10 per cent of the total workforce. These arrangements continue to support individual choice while maintaining operational resilience.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on delivering (a) investment and (b) employment in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleet through the Defence Industrial Strategy.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Industrial Strategy sets out how our national security is defended by our Armed Forces, that they are only as strong as the defence sector which equips them, including the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a unique asset to Government, which we continue to invest in, working closely across Government to ensure the seafarers who work for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have the employment conditions that reflect their essential work.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she last discussed application of the ILO Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention 147 in the merchant shipping industry with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

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

Officials in the Department for Transport (DfT) meet regularly with their counterparts in the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to discuss the implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC), which supersedes the ILO Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 147). DfT also participate in the UK’s MLC Tripartite Working Group, which convenes every six months to review the effectiveness of the Convention’s implementation in UK legislation and to consider any updates required to supporting guidance for industry.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on the application of merchant shipping legislation for civilian seafarers (a) in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and (b) working on MoD contracts.

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

Maritime and Coastguard Agency officials meet regularly with Ministry of Defence counterparts to discuss the application of merchant shipping legislation to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and other MoD shipping on non-commercial service. This relationship is set out in a memorandum of understanding between the MoD and MCA, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) ratings and (b) officers claimed Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction in each financial year between 2015-16 and 2024-25.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Outturn data for the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction claimants is available until 2023-24; HMRC does not publish an estimate of the number of claimants for 2024-25.

HMRC’s Tax Relief Statistics published on 22 January 2026 contain a forecast of the cost of relief for 2024-25. A forecast for 2025-26 will be produced for the 2026 Autumn publication and outturn cost in the following year.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Tax Relief Statistics published on 22 January 2026, if she will provide the claimant number for Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction in 2024-25.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Outturn data for the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction claimants is available until 2023-24; HMRC does not publish an estimate of the number of claimants for 2024-25.

HMRC’s Tax Relief Statistics published on 22 January 2026 contain a forecast of the cost of relief for 2024-25. A forecast for 2025-26 will be produced for the 2026 Autumn publication and outturn cost in the following year.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the cost figure for Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction from Income Tax for 2025-26 will be published.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Outturn data for the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction claimants is available until 2023-24; HMRC does not publish an estimate of the number of claimants for 2024-25.

HMRC’s Tax Relief Statistics published on 22 January 2026 contain a forecast of the cost of relief for 2024-25. A forecast for 2025-26 will be produced for the 2026 Autumn publication and outturn cost in the following year.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans his Department has to promote the National Year of Reading in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I recently hosted the East West Council in Belfast where the Minister for Early Years noted the significant collaboration between all four nations of the UK to support the National Year of Reading.

Education is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive. Decisions about the National Year of Reading in Northern Ireland are for the Northern Ireland Education Minister.

This Government remains committed to working with partners across the United Kingdom to collaborate to share best practices and I look forward to seeing how this great initiative progresses throughout the year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the replacement vessels his department has ordered from Serco Marine under the Defence Maritime Service Next Generation (DMS NG) programme will be owned by the MoD.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Yes. Information regarding the contract for the Defence Maritime Services Next Generation Vessel Replacement Programme can be found through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what role Young Futures Hubs will play in the delivery of the National Year of Reading.

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

The National Year of Reading is a Department for Education initiative, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust.

Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive. Local Authorities participating in the programme will co-design the services in each hub alongside young people in the community to ensure it meets local needs.

Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape, and will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase library engagement during the National Year of Reading.

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

Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge in 2026, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April 2026, will be key moments for libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026. Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to support their work and boost engagement.

Local authorities such as Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Hillingdon, Oxfordshire and Nottinghamshire are actively celebrating and participating in the National Year of Reading programmes with various activities and events at their library branches.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what role public libraries will play in the delivery of the National Year of Reading.

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

Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge in 2026, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April 2026, will be key moments for libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026. Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to support their work and boost engagement.

Local authorities such as Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Hillingdon, Oxfordshire and Nottinghamshire are actively celebrating and participating in the National Year of Reading programmes with various activities and events at their library branches.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans her Department has to promote the National Year of Reading in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

My Department works closely with the Department for Education (DfE) and the Welsh Government to deliver for the people of Wales across a range of shared priorities.

The National Year of Reading, a DfE initiative, aims to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change, during 2026 and beyond. The National Year of Reading includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools, and early years settings throughout the year.

In Wales, the bilingual campaign will build on work already underway to support schools, learners and families, to improve literacy standards and nurture a lasting habit of enjoying reading. The campaign will encourage people to ‘Go all in’/ Ymgolli’ and enjoy reading. The National Year of Reading offers further opportunity to celebrate and promote the love of reading in both English and Welsh, showcasing the rich linguistic landscape and encouraging more people to discover, enjoy and engage with literature in the language of their choice.

As Education is devolved, the Welsh Government is working with partners such as schools, local authorities, public libraries, and community groups across Wales to promote a love of reading and deliver a campaign to nurture lifelong reading habits. These partners play a vital role in the campaign and will take part in events across the year to showcase the joy of reading to people of all ages. The campaign also aligns with Estyn’s enhanced focus on reading, which will see the inspectorate working with all education providers to prioritise improving the reading skills of all learners in Wales.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total value was of dividend payments made to Tonnage Tax qualifying companies by companies not resident in the UK for tax purposes in each year since 2003-04 to date.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The information required is not readily available. Most dividends from non-UK resident companies are exempt in any event and tax risk is accordingly low.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many ship management companies have qualified for the Tonnage Tax scheme since 1 April 2024 to date.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The data on the number of ship management companies which have qualified for Tonnage Tax scheme since 1 April 2024 to date is not available as the full set of corporation tax returns relating to 2024-25 liabilities are yet to be received and processed. Estimates will be published in the next Tax relief statistics publication, scheduled for January 2027.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) actual and (b) estimated cost was of Corporation Tax relief for qualifying shipping company groups in the Tonnage Tax in each year for which there are figures between 2020-21 and 2026-27.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

You can find the requested statistics here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tax-reliefs

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which crewing agencies supply merchant seafarers to deliver MoD contracts.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not contract directly with crewing agencies. Where maritime outputs are delivered by civilian mariners, prime contractors are responsible for selecting, employing and managing any crewing agencies they use. As such, the Department does not hold a centrally maintained list of crewing agencies engaged by contractors delivering MOD maritime services.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what oversight his department carries out of crewing agencies supplying merchant seafarers to deliver MoD contracts.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Where civilian mariners are employed by contractors to deliver Ministry of Defence (MOD) maritime outputs, the Department ensures appropriate oversight through the contractual framework. Contractors are required to comply with UK maritime law, the Maritime Labour Convention, and all relevant safety, welfare and certification standards.

Prime contractors hold responsibility for selecting and managing any crewing agencies they use. The MOD monitors compliance through routine contract management, including assurance activity, audits, and safety reporting requirements. These oversight mechanisms ensure that contractors maintain suitably qualified and experienced personnel to deliver MOD tasks.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of maternity and paternity rights of seafarers working on merchant ships covered by the Merchant Shipping (Ministry of Defence Commercially Managed Ships) Order 1992.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Merchant Shipping Order provides a foundation for seafarers’ rights. For the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), these statutory measures are substantially augmented by a comprehensive suite of policies supporting all employees through every life event, offering protections and benefits well in excess of those minimums.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the written answer of 4 February 2026 to question 109057, if he will list the maritime industry stakeholders his department has engaged with to date regarding the continued transformation of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s workforce framework in support of Defence operational needs.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Department continues to engage widely across Defence, Government and the maritime sector in support of the RFA workforce transformation programme. This includes structured consultation with internal governance boards, representative bodies, specialist HR, legal and career management functions, as well as engagement with key maritime unions, industry groups and UK flag‑state partners. These collaborative discussions ensure that the evolving framework robustly supports Defence’s operational needs while remaining aligned with best practice across the wider maritime industry.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the application of merchant shipping legislation to crew accommodation standards on each Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) complies with the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, as mandated by law. In respect of those provisions that are not legally binding, the RFA endeavours to uphold an equivalent standard wherever practicable. Deviation from these standards will only occur when necessitated by urgent operational requirements.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will monitor shipboard standards against the requirements of the MLC as part of the ISM Code Safety Management certification process.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide an update on the implementation of the (a) Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2024 and (b) Employment Rights Act 2025 for merchant seafarers in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

RFA seafarers already receive the full statutory rights provided under the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2024 and the Employment Rights Act 2025. Since September 2025, the RFA has operated an independent assessment system, supported by external advocacy and assurance, to ensure all applications for flexible working are handled fairly. These robust arrangements place the RFA at the forefront of best practice across the maritime industry.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of civilian seafarers employed on live contracts between his Department and private contractors.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Contracted maritime support is delivered through a number of commercial providers, who are responsible for recruiting and managing their own workforces to meet contractual requirements.

Assassination of Yanar Mohammed, women's rights campaigner

Steve Cram CBE

World Social Work Day 2026

Future of Hamworthy Fire Station

Fipronil and Imidacloprid Pesticides

Closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan

Ketamine

Industrial relations at Carlisle Support Services

New United Nations Convention on the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals

Trade union de-recognition at GB Railfreight

Rosebank oil field

Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (No. 2)

Football ticket prices (No. 2)

Escalation of conflict with Iran

Billionaire wealth

Dual nationals and new UK entry documentation requirements

Found: • New clause 4, tabled by Labour MP John McDonnell, would have required ministers to undertake an