Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the context of the road safety strategy’s emphasis on partnership working with local authorities and schools to reduce casualties, what funding certainty the Department will provide beyond the current spending review period to organisations delivering road safety and cycle training in schools.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 30 March the Government announced £78m for Bikeability cycle training for the next three years. Funding beyond the current Spending Review period will be subject to future Spending Review decisions. The Department will continue to work with local authorities, schools and delivery partners as the Strategy is implemented.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contribution the Department expects (a) cycle training for children and (b) cycle awareness training for motorists to make towards the road safety strategy’s target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries among children by 70% by 2035; and how the Department will evaluate that contribution.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Cycle training has an important role in helping children develop the skills, understanding and confidence to cycle safely and responsibly. The Bikeability Trust, which administers cycle training in schools, has published an evaluation which found that 92% of riders report increased confidence cycling on roads and 91% report feeling safer after completing training.
Cycle awareness among motorists also supports the Road Safety Strategy’s wider “Safe System” approach, recognising that road safety depends on the actions of all road users.
Cycle training for children and cycle awareness for motorists are among the measures expected to contribute to the Strategy's target of reducing the number of children under 16 killed or seriously injured on roads in Great Britain by 70% by 2035. Progress on the targets within the Strategy will be overseen by the National Road Safety Board and supported by Safety Performance Indicators, including annual monitoring of the rate of cyclists and pedestrians killed or seriously injured on England’s roads per billion miles walked and cycled. We will continue to consider relevant evidence on the effectiveness of these interventions as the Strategy is implemented.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure packaging EPR costs support investment in UK recycling infrastructure while minimising regulatory burdens on businesses.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging raised £1.4 billion for local authorities in its first year and is already supporting investment in recycling infrastructure
We are committed to proportionate implementation. Smaller producers are protected by exemption thresholds, and we continue to improve guidance, communications and digital services to reduce administrative burdens.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department has taken to advance the mutual recognition of veterinary licenses with the EU.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government remains committed to improving recognition of professional qualifications with the EU, including for vets.
The UK’s veterinary regulator, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), is responsible for recognising overseas qualifications and currently recognises EU qualifications from veterinary schools accredited under the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Accreditation.
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement contains provisions which allow the UK and EU to agree mutual recognition of professional qualifications arrangements for specific professions where jointly proposed by UK and EU regulators. We encourage and support all UK regulators, including RCVS, to use this framework to agree mutual routes for recognition.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress her Department has made on the implementation of the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Regulations, which can be found on gov.uk here, came into force on 17 September 2026 allowing the Secretary of State to designate or approve a private landlord redress scheme which will provide private tenants with free and impartial access to redress.
The government’s intention is that the existing Housing Ombudsman Service, which currently provides mandatory redress for social housing tenants, will set up and operate the service.
The regulations in question do not require landlords to join a scheme immediately. The scheme will be prepared for designation, and the necessary digital and operational functionality will be developed before further regulations set out which landlords must join and when.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department are taking to improve safeguarding surrounding people with complex mental health conditions who refuse treatment.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Later this year, the Government will publish its new Mental Health Strategy, setting out our plans to transform mental health care into a system that responds earlier, reduces waiting times for support, intervenes earlier, and supports people to stay active and participate in education, work, family, and community life.
We are also developing a Modern Service Framework for Severe Mental Illness, setting out what high-quality, evidence-based and equitable care should look like.
The Mental Health Act 2025 introduces new treatment safeguards to ensure that patients’ wishes, feelings, beliefs, and values play a more central role in clinical decision making. It maintains the power to give compulsory medication where necessary, with greater safeguards to ensure this power is used only when necessary and appropriate.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reform the delivery of mental health care.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Later this year, the Government will publish its new Mental Health Strategy, setting out our plans to transform mental health care into a system that responds earlier, reduces waiting times for support, intervenes earlier, and supports people to stay active and participate in education, work, family, and community life.
We are also developing a Modern Service Framework for Severe Mental Illness, setting out what high-quality, evidence-based and equitable care should look like.
The Mental Health Act 2025 introduces new treatment safeguards to ensure that patients’ wishes, feelings, beliefs, and values play a more central role in clinical decision making. It maintains the power to give compulsory medication where necessary, with greater safeguards to ensure this power is used only when necessary and appropriate.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made on a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the European Union.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Negotiations with the European Union on a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement are at an advanced stage. This Government remains committed to concluding the agreement ahead of the next UK-EU Summit on 20 November.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the participation of women and girls in sport.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
We are working across Government to ensure that as many women and girls as possible have access to, and benefit from, quality sport and physical activity opportunities.
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year to help people get active, including women and girls. This includes their This Girl Can campaign, which has inspired millions of women and girls to get active.
We are also introducing a new approach to PE and school sport, which will ensure girls have equality of access. All state-funded schools, will be able to access specialist support through a combination of universal provision and more targeted local schemes.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support Border Force officers at regional airports.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Border Force recognises the important role played by every officer in the organisation, including at regional airports. Border Force is committed to ensuring they have the resources, training and wellbeing support needed to carry out their duties effectively. Border Force colleagues have access to a range of wellbeing and mental health support, including 24/7 peer support, access to Police Treatment Centres, dedicated wellbeing programmes and the Home Office Employee Assistance Programme.