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 assessment of the potential merits of either a) exempting people providing healthcare as individuals from the Care Quality Commission registration fee, or b) charging a reduced fee, following the enactment of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2026.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Following the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the new rules bring treatment of disease, disorder, or injury (TDDI) at sporting and cultural events, sports grounds, and gymnasiums under the regulation of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and are intended to ensure that higher-risk event healthcare is appropriately regulated to support safe, high-quality care.

This only applies where the care in such circumstances is being provided by, or under the supervision of, listed healthcare professionals, or by a team including such a professional. Existing exceptions, including the provision of medical cover that would typically be considered “first aid”, or employer-arranged healthcare for employees, are unaffected.

The Department and the CQC recognise sector concerns, including about the potential impact on volunteers and individual clinicians. Both organisations will continue to engage with stakeholders during the implementation phase, and the Department will consider whether further action is needed to address any unintended consequences.

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 assessment of the potential impact of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 on the viability of medical professionals who are not registered with the Care Quality Commission for events being able to continue to provide cover for such events, for example on a voluntary basis.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Following the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the new rules bring treatment of disease, disorder, or injury (TDDI) at sporting and cultural events, sports grounds, and gymnasiums under the regulation of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and are intended to ensure that higher-risk event healthcare is appropriately regulated to support safe, high-quality care.

This only applies where the care in such circumstances is being provided by, or under the supervision of, listed healthcare professionals, or by a team including such a professional. Existing exceptions, including the provision of medical cover that would typically be considered “first aid”, or employer-arranged healthcare for employees, are unaffected.

The Department and the CQC recognise sector concerns, including about the potential impact on volunteers and individual clinicians. Both organisations will continue to engage with stakeholders during the implementation phase, and the Department will consider whether further action is needed to address any unintended consequences.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that water companies do not delay (a) housing developments, and (b) commercial developments as a result of a failure to upgrade relevant infrastructure.

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

The Government is ensuring water infrastructure supports housing delivery and environmental resilience. Water companies have a statutory duty to maintain secure water supplies and must plan for future housing through their Water Resources Management Plans. A record £104bn is being invested between 2025 and 2030 in the water sector, including nine new reservoirs.

Defra’s Water Delivery Taskforce brings together key partners, including MHCLG, to identify and resolve water constraints that risk delaying development, and to oversee delivery. The Taskforce has already helped unblock 10,000s of homes in Oxford, Cambridge, and North Sussex through targeted interventions and improved coordination.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the improvement of water companies’ developer services.

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

For the current Price Review period (PR24) Ofwat introduced a new incentive of ‘developer services measure of experience’, and water companies now face financial and reputational penalties for underperforming in this area.

https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Developer-services-measure-of-experience-D-MeX-PC-definition-4.pdf

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using existing community infrastructure, including Post Office branches, to support access to cash and everyday banking transactions.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the importance of cash, understanding that it continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including charities, churches, voluntary organisations and community groups to support communities across the UK, and is committed to protecting access to cash for individuals and businesses.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumed regulatory responsibility for access to cash in September 2024. Its rules ensure cash continues to be a viable method of payment for the millions of people who depend on it by providing reasonable access to cash withdrawal and deposit facilities for individuals and businesses, including free services for personal accounts. 

In addition to access to cash, the Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking can continue to access essential services. That is why the Government commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services, to assess whether changes to access to in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment and the scale of any detriment.

As part of this, the Review will consider existing forms of in-person banking provision, including those available in the Post Office. Under the Banking Framework, a commercial agreement with 30 banking firms, most personal and business customers can withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at over 10,000 Post Office branches across the UK, subject to each bank’s service arrangements.

Alongside the Review, the Financial Services and Markets Bill includes a power to allow the Government to take action in future to protect access to banking services, should this be necessary. This power ensures the Government can act swiftly and proportionately, including through future regulation, if the evidence from the Review supports intervention.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement visits relating to suspected breaches of heather burning regulations have been undertaken in the last 12 months; what the average cost to the Department was of conducting such a visit; and what guidance her Department provides on the circumstances in which a caution may be issued instead of further enforcement action.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to protecting England’s peatlands. The Heather and Grass Burning Regulations establish a licensing regime for burning on protected peatland with a peat depth of more than 30cm.

Suspected breaches of the Regulations are subject to an assessment process and, where appropriate, referred for investigation. Defra Counter Fraud and Investigations (CFI) officers investigating allegations of unauthorised burning follow the policies and guidance outlined within the Heather and Grass Burning Regulations 2021 and amended 2025.

Whilst we don’t comment on individual investigations, within the last two years, CFI have been referred 8 HGB investigations for potential breaches. The Department does not hold information on cases where any initial assessment may subsequently have been revised following an independent expert assessment.

Within the last 12 months, Defra CFI have undertaken one enforcement visit in relation to suspected breaches of the Heather and Grass burning regulations. We do not immediately hold the information regarding the costs associated with the visit and the wider triage and assessment process.

Decision on enforcement action or issuing cautions are taken in accordance with the Defra enforcement policy. The decision is determined on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the circumstances of the offence and enforcement considerations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department provides to officials conducting inspections of land subject to allegations of unauthorised heather burning; and how many cases in the last two years have resulted in an initial finding being subsequently revised following an independent expert assessment.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to protecting England’s peatlands. The Heather and Grass Burning Regulations establish a licensing regime for burning on protected peatland with a peat depth of more than 30cm.

Suspected breaches of the Regulations are subject to an assessment process and, where appropriate, referred for investigation. Defra Counter Fraud and Investigations (CFI) officers investigating allegations of unauthorised burning follow the policies and guidance outlined within the Heather and Grass Burning Regulations 2021 and amended 2025.

Whilst we don’t comment on individual investigations, within the last two years, CFI have been referred 8 HGB investigations for potential breaches. The Department does not hold information on cases where any initial assessment may subsequently have been revised following an independent expert assessment.

Within the last 12 months, Defra CFI have undertaken one enforcement visit in relation to suspected breaches of the Heather and Grass burning regulations. We do not immediately hold the information regarding the costs associated with the visit and the wider triage and assessment process.

Decision on enforcement action or issuing cautions are taken in accordance with the Defra enforcement policy. The decision is determined on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the circumstances of the offence and enforcement considerations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the scientific evidence on the environmental impacts of managed heather burning on deep peat; and whether it has commissioned any independent reviews of that evidence.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is committed to protecting moorlands. In September 2025, we amended the Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to improve the resilience of our moorlands. The Regulations reflect the latest available evidence to guide sustainable land management and protect areas of moorland where intensive management is known to occur on deep peat. A licensing scheme was introduced alongside the regulations in 2021 and has been maintained under the 2025 amendments. This enables land managers to apply for a licence to burn to reduce the impacts of wildfire where there is no feasible alternative. Burning is one of several tools available to land managers to manage vegetation and reduce wildfire risk. Other land management methods are not restricted by these regulations, which cover roughly 5% of England’s land area.

Defra relies on good quality evidence to inform its decision-making and policy design. Whilst we know that damage from burning can occur at any depth, evidence shows that at 30cm, peatlands are capable of sustaining blanket bog habitat. Natural England’s Evidence Review on the effects of managed burning in upland peatland (NEER155) was one source of information which fed into the decision to amend the Regulations. NEER155 built on Natural England’s 2013 review (NEER004) by incorporating 102 new studies, which were assessed and subjected to the appropriate academic rigour. The overall findings and conclusions of NEER155 remained consistent with those of the 2013 review. It concluded that burning, especially repeated burning, results in a departure from the typical structure of these habitats and can impact how they function. The Government remains satisfied that the Regulations are supported by the available evidence.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review the licencing system under the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is committed to protecting moorlands. In September 2025, we amended the Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to improve the resilience of our moorlands. The Regulations reflect the latest available evidence to guide sustainable land management and protect areas of moorland where intensive management is known to occur on deep peat. A licensing scheme was introduced alongside the regulations in 2021 and has been maintained under the 2025 amendments. This enables land managers to apply for a licence to burn to reduce the impacts of wildfire where there is no feasible alternative. Burning is one of several tools available to land managers to manage vegetation and reduce wildfire risk. Other land management methods are not restricted by these regulations, which cover roughly 5% of England’s land area.

Defra relies on good quality evidence to inform its decision-making and policy design. Whilst we know that damage from burning can occur at any depth, evidence shows that at 30cm, peatlands are capable of sustaining blanket bog habitat. Natural England’s Evidence Review on the effects of managed burning in upland peatland (NEER155) was one source of information which fed into the decision to amend the Regulations. NEER155 built on Natural England’s 2013 review (NEER004) by incorporating 102 new studies, which were assessed and subjected to the appropriate academic rigour. The overall findings and conclusions of NEER155 remained consistent with those of the 2013 review. It concluded that burning, especially repeated burning, results in a departure from the typical structure of these habitats and can impact how they function. The Government remains satisfied that the Regulations are supported by the available evidence.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on land managers of the change in the peat-depth threshold used for regulating heather burning from 40 centimetres to 30 centimetres; and what scientific evidence was used to support that change.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is committed to protecting moorlands. In September 2025, we amended the Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to improve the resilience of our moorlands. The Regulations reflect the latest available evidence to guide sustainable land management and protect areas of moorland where intensive management is known to occur on deep peat. A licensing scheme was introduced alongside the regulations in 2021 and has been maintained under the 2025 amendments. This enables land managers to apply for a licence to burn to reduce the impacts of wildfire where there is no feasible alternative. Burning is one of several tools available to land managers to manage vegetation and reduce wildfire risk. Other land management methods are not restricted by these regulations, which cover roughly 5% of England’s land area.

Defra relies on good quality evidence to inform its decision-making and policy design. Whilst we know that damage from burning can occur at any depth, evidence shows that at 30cm, peatlands are capable of sustaining blanket bog habitat. Natural England’s Evidence Review on the effects of managed burning in upland peatland (NEER155) was one source of information which fed into the decision to amend the Regulations. NEER155 built on Natural England’s 2013 review (NEER004) by incorporating 102 new studies, which were assessed and subjected to the appropriate academic rigour. The overall findings and conclusions of NEER155 remained consistent with those of the 2013 review. It concluded that burning, especially repeated burning, results in a departure from the typical structure of these habitats and can impact how they function. The Government remains satisfied that the Regulations are supported by the available evidence.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of the national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services (2023) on a) the quality of autism assessments and b) the average waiting time for autism assessments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a system of quality control for autism assessments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that autism assessments are a) comprehensive and b) completed in a timely manner.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging autism assessment providers to conduct face-to-face autism assessments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of face-to-face rather than remote autism assessments on the quality of such assessments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that the National Institute for Health and Social Care Excellence recommendation of an autism assessment within 3 months of referral is fulfilled.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that all autism assessments result in a detailed report of the assessment, to allow sufficient evidence for a second opinion.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the impact of the quality of autism assessments on demand for reassessments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including controlled burning for wildfire prevention as part of the definition of favourable conservation status for blanket bogs.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The 2025 Definition of Favourable Conservation Status for Blanket Bog describes conditions in which blanket bog thrives across its natural range. It states that both prescribed burning and wildfire can damage blanket peat hydrology. Fully functioning blanket bog is a self-sustaining climax habitat that requires no management intervention and is naturally resilient to wildfire. However, restoration measures may be needed on degraded sites to recover hydrological function. The Heather and Grass Management Code 2025 provides relevant guidance. The government recognises that prescribed burning may be necessary in limited circumstances, and managers can apply for a licence where wildfire risk is evidenced and no practical alternatives exist.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the introduction of the availability of statutory sick pay from the first day of sickness absence on trends in the levels of employment, specifically with regard to a) young people and b) low-paid workers.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Prior to the introduction of the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) reforms, the Government published an impact assessment which can be found at Impact assessment: Improve access Statutory Sick Pay removing Lower Earnings Limit and waiting period. The Government will also monitor and evaluate the impact of the SSP changes and consider the experiences of employers and employees, as part of the post implementation review.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the introduction of the availability of statutory sick pay from the first day of sickness absence on costs to businesses, particularly those relying on low-income workers.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Prior to the introduction of the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) reforms, the Government published an impact assessment which can be found at Impact assessment: Improve access Statutory Sick Pay removing Lower Earnings Limit and waiting period. The Government will also monitor and evaluate the impact of the SSP changes and consider the experiences of employers and employees, as part of the post implementation review.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a statutory sick pay rebate for businesses.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 July 2026 to Question UIN 17890.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for each of the last five financial years, what data is available on the uptake of a) the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service, and b) the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme among patients living in rural versus non-rural areas.

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

No data is centrally held on the uptake of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service provision. The following table shows the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme’s uptake over the last five financial years:

The usage of the schemes cannot be disaggregated by rural/non-rural areas as the data is not collected in this way.