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 ratify the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the response given to question 109027 on 5 February.

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 reduce gynaecology waiting lists, which include those who need a diagnosis of, and treatment for, endometriosis.

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

Reducing waiting lists is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission. We are committed to putting patients first by ensuring that they are seen on time and that they have the best possible experience of care. Our Elective Reform Plan (ERP), published in January 2025, sets out reforms we are making to improve gynaecology waiting times across England. This includes:

- innovative models of care that offer care closer to home and in the community;

- 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 also introducing an “online hospital”, NHS Online, which will give people who are experiencing menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home.

Lastly, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated their guidelines on endometriosis in November 2024, and two new treatments have been approved.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding he plans to provide for treatments for secondary breast cancer in each of the next three years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

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 Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help strengthen safeguarding arrangements in out-of-school settings.

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

This government is committed to safeguarding children and protecting them from harm, including in out-of-school settings (OOSS).

The department has already updated guidance for providers and produced free e-learning, to support them in their legal duty to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in their settings and protect them from harm. We also strengthened guidance for local authorities on identifying and intervening in settings of concern, alongside updating guidance for parents and carers to help them make informed choices, including warning signs to look out for and steps to take if concerns arise.

On 29 May 2025, we launched a Call for Evidence on OOSS safeguarding to better understand current practice and invite views on possible approaches to further strengthen safeguarding. This was extended for an additional month in August 2025 and finally closed on 21 September 2025. We are currently analysing responses, and will undertake further engagement with sector representatives, safeguarding experts, and parents before issuing a full response in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with Ofsted on reducing the time taken to licence people who are in charge of children's homes.

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

The department is already taking steps to support Ofsted with effective prioritisation of registrations for new children’s social care provision. To address registration delays, we have supported Ofsted to update their registration prioritisation criteria, enabling Ofsted to prioritise applications for homes urgently needed to meet identified sufficiency gaps, homes receiving capital funding from us, and provision providing highly specialist care for children with complex needs and/or disability. The department will assist Ofsted to review the policy’s impact in April 2026 and consider further changes.

We are also committed to working with Ofsted to identify improvements to the registration process for children’s home managers. This includes considering changes to regulations and procedures to streamline registration transfers when managers move between children’s homes so that they can take up new positions more quickly where they are needed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that there is the right level of electric vehicle maintenance and repair skills to support the projected increase in electric vehicle adoption.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring the UK has the skills needed to support the growing number of zero emission electric vehicles. According to the Institute of the Motor Industry, around 71,942 technicians (26% of the UK’s total) are qualified to work on electric vehicles, which currently make up about 4.2% of all licensed vehicles. The proportion of electrified vehicles (including hybrids) is estimated to be slightly higher, at 13%. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles has endorsed the Institute of the Motor Industry’s TechSafe scheme, which ensures technicians have the skills required to safely repair zero emission electric vehicles and provides consumers with a register of qualified professionals.

Found: Labour; Hemel Hempstead) The following Members were members of the Committee during the inquiry: Laura Kyrke-Smith

Found: Labour; Hemel Hempstead) The following Members were members of the Committee during the inquiry: Laura Kyrke-Smith