Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his proposed timeline is for introducing regulations for online retailing of Personal Protective Equipment under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As required by Regulation 2016/425, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must meet essential health and safety requirements before being placed on the market, including online. The Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 provides the framework to enforce these regulations.

We recognise the challenge of non-compliant products sold online. Government will consult on major reforms to the core product safety legislative framework in early 2026. This will include proposals to modernise and clarify responsibilities of online marketplaces using the powers in the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions on trading standards has the Office for Product Safety and Standards had with the British Safety Industry Federation on Personal Protective Equipment.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) regularly discuss Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) matters, including trading standards’ market surveillance of PPE. BSIF and OPSS engage through direct dialogue, BSIF’s attendance at OPSS’ business reference panels and other events, and OPSS attendance at BSIF’s PPE Test and Certification Bodies Group meetings.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure freight drivers have adequate secure facilities for overnight and welfare stops.

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

Through the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme the Department for Transport and industry partners are projected to deliver up to £35.7m of joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. This significant investment is in addition to joint investment by National Highways and industry of up to a further £30 million, aimed at improving lorry parking facilities along the strategic road network.

The scheme is supporting operators across 30 counties in England to improve driver facilities such as security measures, toilets, showers, refreshment facilities and increasing lorry parking spaces.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that there is adequate lorry parking provision and welfare facilities for freight drivers.

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

Through the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme the Department for Transport and industry partners are projected to deliver up to £35.7m of joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. This investment is in addition to joint investment by National Highways and industry of up to a further £30 million, aimed at improving lorry parking facilities along the strategic road network.

The scheme is supporting operators across 30 counties in England to improve driver facilities such as security measures, toilets, showers, refreshment facilities and increasing lorry parking spaces.

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 adequacy of endometriosis healthcare services on the waiting times for receiving such services in the past year.

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

Reducing waiting lists, including for endometriosis and other gynaecological conditions, is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission. We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. As of the end of December 2025, the gynaecology waiting list stands at 577,232, with 57.3% of patient pathways waiting less than 18 weeks, an improvement of 1.9% since December 2024.

We know there is more to do to improve access to endometriosis care and waiting times against the 18-week standard. We are expanding the number of dedicated and protected surgical hubs, of which gynaecology procedures are a key offering, and commissioning research focussed on endometriosis diagnosis, treatment, and pain. We are also introducing an “online hospital”, NHS Online, which from 2027 will provide additional appointments to cut waiting times for certain pathways. This includes people who are experiencing menstrual problems, a potential sign of endometriosis, who will be given the choice of receiving at least some of their specialist care from the convenience of their own home. Across all specialities, NHS Online will deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, four times more than an average trust.

We are improving the standards of care for women with severe endometriosis by ensuring specialist endometriosis services have access to the most up-to-date evidence and advice on diagnosis and treatment. In 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved two new pills to treat endometriosis, Relugolix and Linzagolix. Both are estimated to help approximately 1,000 women with severe endometriosis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on reducing gynaecological waiting times in the last year.

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

We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients are treated within 18 weeks of referral to consultant-led care, including gynaecology, by March 2029. As of the end of December 2025, the waiting list for gynaecology services stood at 577,232. Of these patient pathways, 57.3% were waiting within 18 weeks. This an improvement from December 2024 where the waiting list for gynaecology services was 586,202, 55.4% of which were within 18 weeks.

There is clearly more progress to be made. The Government will continue to develop innovative models of care in the community, including piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding, and increasing the relative funding available to incentivise providers to take on more gynaecology procedures.

We are committed to expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide valuable and protected capacity across elective specialities, including gynaecology. Currently, over half of the 125 operational elective surgical hubs in England provide gynaecology services.

We are also introducing an “online hospital”, NHS Online, which aims to provide additional appointments to cut waiting times. From 2027, people on certain pathways, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that may be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will have the choice of being referred to NHS Online to receive at least some of the specialist care they need from the convenience of their home.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will call for an end to the military detention of Palestinian children on the basis international juvenile justice standards.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 20 January to Question 907383.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has investigated and reviewed licenses of arms components in the context of arms used by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided in the Urgent Question debate on this issue held on 15 December 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that UK-funded mine action and demining programmes include (a) child-focused victim assistance, (b) access to prosthetics, (c) physical rehabilitation, (d) psychosocial support, and (e) education for children injured by explosive weapons.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's main humanitarian mine action programme, the Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP), prioritises preventing casualties, increasing access to basic services, and improving livelihoods, including through targeted interventions that benefit children. Over half of GMAP's beneficiaries are children, which includes mine risk education to over 540,000 children since 2024. It does not provide direct victim assistance, as our assessment is that improving health systems through wider UK funded health programmes is a more effective and equitable way of helping all injured civilians. Where practicable, we do require GMAP's implementing partners to refer victims on for medical care and rehabilitation, and GMAP's work does enable access to medical support and facilities.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether there has been any uptake of BS30417 standards in Government procurement specifications.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government strongly supports the principle of provision of inclusive PPE. PPE should be suitable for all workers, including groups who may be disproportionately impacted by ill-fitting equipment.

The British Standards Institution have been invited to present on BS30417 to officials working in construction procurements. Central government commercial teams have seen increased provision of inclusive PPE across our strategic suppliers, and on our major projects and programmes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the status of endometriosis as a possible condition for the NHS outcomes and registry programme.

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

The NHS England Outcomes and Registries Programme (ORP) was set up to collate device level information that is not easily accessible elsewhere, with the aim of improving patient safety and device recall procedures.

There has recently been an expansion of this data platform to receive non-device-related data in exceptional circumstances, prioritising registry support to clinical services where there are gaps or existing data would otherwise be lost. As endometriosis can be identified through existing means, such as diagnostic coding, we have no plans to bring it in scope of the ORP at this time.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on the weighting that Ofgem gives (a) social value, (b) domestic economic impact and (c) onshore manufacturing when allocating the first round of the cap and floor contracts.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Ofgem has published a Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework to determine which Long Duration Electricity Storage projects will be awarded a cap and floor regime. This framework examines each project across an economic, strategic and financial assessment. Ofgem will assess the impact of each project on the Socio-Economic Welfare of consumers, producers and the LDES asset owners themselves, alongside wider impacts on the GB electricity system and wider social and economic impacts. Ofgem plans to take an in-the-round approach of not setting weightings in advance between these assessments.

50th anniversary of the Court of the Deacons of the Ancient and Royal Burgh of Linlithgow

Styled by Macs and the Best Family-Run Boutique Award

Turpie & Co. of Bathgate

Steve Cram CBE

Ollie Royles

Darcy Webb from Betley Primary School in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education 2026 for North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College

Non-League Day

Stand-Out Theatre School

21st Ayrshire Scout Group

Bonhill Primary School Pupils' charity fundraising

30th anniversary of the Dunblane Primary School tragedy

Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal 2026

PANS+ Scotland

Halesowen Ramblers

Scotland Loves Local Week

Falkirk Trinity Church fundraiser for Ukraine

Chief Constable’s Bravery Award, Clackmannanshire officers

Boujee Dogs

Glasgow Girls Club receives Arts Champion award

The Lonely Broomstick

The Kit-Tea Café

Sisters and Misters 30th anniversary fundraiser for Strathcarron Hospice

Finnegans

Girl Pwr Studios

Clydemuir Primary School

Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund’s Wee Box Appeal 2026

30th anniversary of Held In Our Hearts

Scottish Opera founder Sir Alexander Gibson's 100th birthday

Found: the Chair Alex Barros-Curtis Bambos Charalambous Mary Glindon Navendu Mishra Tessa Munt Kirsteen Sullivan