Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with small businesses on the apprenticeship system.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers and learners in England and support the industrial strategy. We recognise the importance of ensuring that small and medium sized (SME) employers can benefit from these reforms and continue to access apprenticeships.

The department engages regularly with employers and their representative organisations, including small businesses, to inform the ongoing development of the growth and skills levy. This includes regular sessions to explore how to simplify systems and processes as well as engagement with employers following the Budget on delivery of the next phase of the growth and skills levy.

Skills England also works closely with employers, training providers, unions and other key partners to identify priority skills gaps, helping ensure that the growth and skills levy delivers value for money, meets the needs of business and helps kick-start economic growth.

To ensure its work is shaped by real business experience, Skills England maintains regular dialogue with the B5 group of major employer organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses. It also has a dedicated SME sponsor on its board and an executive team actively engaging SMEs across the country, ensuring smaller firms have a strong voice in shaping the skills system.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to (a) provide funding to help improve broadband provision for very hard-to-reach premises and (b) ensure that the Universal Service Obligation supports connectivity to rural communities.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Through Project Gigabit, we are delivering gigabit‑capable broadband to premises that are not included in suppliers’ commercial rollout plans, many of which are in rural areas.

Government is committed to delivering gigabit coverage to 99% of UK premises by 2032 and will continue to consider what it can do to further enable alternatives to fibre connections, for premises located in very hard-to-reach areas.

The market for ultrafast, alternative connections via technologies such as LEO satellite and 5G fixed wireless access is developing at pace. Government continues to monitor and support the development of this market, including encouraging spectrum releases and ground station deployments, and many remote premises are already adopting these services.

Government recognises the need to keep the parameters of the Broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) under review to support connectivity in rural communities. We have hit the legislated trigger point to review the Broadband USO and are working with Ofcom to commence a review in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to offer the same settlement terms to those facing the Loan Charge as were offered to individuals who previously settled with HM Revenue and Customs.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to bring the matter to a close for those affected, ensure fairness for all taxpayers and ensure that appropriate support is in place for those subject to the loan charge.

The Government accepted the review’s conclusion that the loan charge was an extraordinary piece of Government policy which necessitated an exceptional response, and is now legislating a new settlement opportunity that will assist those who have not yet settled to do so.

As a result, most individuals could see reductions of at least 50% in their outstanding loan charge liabilities, and an estimated 30% of individuals could have these liabilities written off entirely. To encourage more people to settle, the Government will write off the first £5,000 of liabilities in addition to the proposals put forward by Ray McCann.

The Government’s response to the review represents a fair and proportionate attempt to provide a route to resolution for those who have not yet been able to settle with HMRC. In turn, this requires those individuals to now come forward and engage with HMRC in good faith.

Tax avoidance deprives the Exchequer of funds needed to deliver vital public services and it is right that resources are targeted to stop this. There are no plans to apply the review’s recommendations beyond those individuals and employers with outstanding liabilities that were the focus of the 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 delays in Access to Work decision-making on the ability of people with learning disabilities to enter and remain in employment.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to reducing waiting times in Access to Work so that people can access the support they need. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work applications and prioritise cases where someone is about to start a job or needs to renew existing support.

Through the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we have consulted on how to improve Access to Work so it can support more disabled people. All elements of the scheme are now being reviewed as we develop plans for future reform.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to increases levels of emphasis on the development of work-related skills in schools and colleges.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

A reformed national curriculum will provide pupils with a broad range of knowledge and skills that prepares them for adult life.

The department will prepare young people for life and careers in a changing world, embedding vital applied knowledge skills in financial, media and digital literacy in the revised curriculum, improving climate and sustainability education.

We will make citizenship compulsory in key stages 1 and 2 and will explore a new level 3 qualification in data science and artificial intelligence.

We are also setting out a new enrichment framework for every pupil, which will help them play, explore, create, and develop wider life skills.

We will develop ‘V Levels’ as the pathway of vocational qualifications at level 3 for young people. These will be linked to occupational standards.

This will be complemented by sharing best practice between 16-19 providers to ensure students develop the important applied knowledge and transferable skills for adulthood.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to increases levels of emphasis on the development of essential life skills in schools and colleges.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

A reformed national curriculum will provide pupils with a broad range of knowledge and skills that prepares them for adult life.

The department will prepare young people for life and careers in a changing world, embedding vital applied knowledge skills in financial, media and digital literacy in the revised curriculum, improving climate and sustainability education.

We will make citizenship compulsory in key stages 1 and 2 and will explore a new level 3 qualification in data science and artificial intelligence.

We are also setting out a new enrichment framework for every pupil, which will help them play, explore, create, and develop wider life skills.

We will develop ‘V Levels’ as the pathway of vocational qualifications at level 3 for young people. These will be linked to occupational standards.

This will be complemented by sharing best practice between 16-19 providers to ensure students develop the important applied knowledge and transferable skills for adulthood.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to provide local authorities with guidance on whole society resilience.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

In July 2025, the Government published its Resilience Action Plan which set out its approach to enable the whole of society to take action to increase resilience.

The Resilience Guidance Doctrine on GOV.UK brings all resilience guidance together in one place. It supports local responders, including local authorities, to understand how to fulfil their duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and how to work with partners to drive community resilience.

There is also specific guidance in the ‘Local Authorities Preparedness for Civil Emergencies: A Good Practice Guide for Chief Executives’, which provides assistance to local authorities to make sure they are well-prepared to respond and recover from emergencies, including how to work collaboratively with wider partners. In response to the Grenfell Inquiry recommendations, MHCLG has committed to review this guidance further.

Additionally, the Government, UK Resilience Academy, Local Government Association and Society of Local Authority Chief Executives are running a pilot to test a new training offer to local authority chief executives and all relevant staff.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the proposed hydrofluorocarbon phasedown reforms will include mandatory training requirements for the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump workforce.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The regulatory phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons has been in place since 2015, with the gradual transition of industry to alternative refrigerants occurring as the phasedown has continued. As stated in last year’s consultation document, the proposal put forward only covered reform of the phasedown. Other changes to the fluorinated gas regulatory framework may be considered in the future. The UK Government, in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Governments, is committed to further exploring areas for fluorinated gas regulatory reform considered out of scope of the consultation, which could for example include training and certification relating to alternatives to hydrofluorocarbons.

The current regulatory framework already sets minimum training and certification requirements for handling hydrofluorocarbons as regards refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment.

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 that refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump engineers receive training in handling flammable and toxic alternative refrigerants before the proposed hydrofluorocarbon phasedown adjustments take effect.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The regulatory phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons has been in place since 2015, with the gradual transition of industry to alternative refrigerants occurring as the phasedown has continued. As stated in last year’s consultation document, the proposal put forward only covered reform of the phasedown. Other changes to the fluorinated gas regulatory framework may be considered in the future. The UK Government, in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Governments, is committed to further exploring areas for fluorinated gas regulatory reform considered out of scope of the consultation, which could for example include training and certification relating to alternatives to hydrofluorocarbons.

The current regulatory framework already sets minimum training and certification requirements for handling hydrofluorocarbons as regards refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to end the use of body mass index as a criterion for determining eligibility for joint replacement surgery.

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

It is the responsibility of individual integrated care boards to determine clinical commissioning policies for their local areas, including eligibility for joint replacement surgery.

As with all surgery, body mass index (BMI) should be considered as part of a holistic, personalised perioperative evaluation of the risks versus the clinical need for joint replacement surgery of an individual patient. BMI should not be considered in isolation as a barrier to surgery.

As part of the NHS Elective Reform Plan, the Government has committed to expanding access to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme for patients waiting for hip and knee replacements. This will help optimise patients for their surgery, potentially leading to a reduced length of hospital stay and minimising their risk of post-operative complications.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to review diversion routes for M4 closures to ensure that country lanes are not used.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

For planned closures on the M4, National Highways will identify and review diversion routes in advance to ensure they are safe, suitable and appropriate for the surrounding road network, including for heavy goods vehicles.

National Highways will agree diversion routes with the relevant local highway authorities, ensure they are clearly signed in line with national standards and ensure they are monitored while in operation. Diversion routes are kept under review and may be amended where issues are identified.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce speeding on rural roads in Newbury constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

As part of the Road Safety Strategy, published on 7 January 2026, the department is exploring new sub-categories for rural roads to help target safety and speed management interventions more effectively, ensuring resources are focused where they will have the greatest impact.

Local authorities have a duty under section 122 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to manage the safe movement of vehicular and other traffic, including pedestrians, and are best placed to assess matters such as speed management interventions.

Responsible authorities are asked to have regard to the Department for Transport’s Setting Local Speed Limits guidance, which ensures speed limits are set appropriately and consistently while allowing flexibility to respond to local circumstances.

As committed to in the Strategy, the Government will be updating this guidance to further support local authorities in making well‑informed decisions about managing speed on their roads. Final decisions on local speed limits remain with the relevant authority, working with the police who are responsible for enforcement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an estimate of the proportion of automotive technicians qualified to work on electric vehicles.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring the UK has the right vehicle maintenance and repair skills to remain at the forefront of the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). According to the Institute of the Motor Industry there are 71,942 qualified EV technicians. This means 26% of all technicians in the country are qualified to work on EVs, which make up about 13% of all licensed vehicles in the UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the performance of AJM Healthcare in delivering wheelchair services to the NHS.

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

The safety of all patients, whether they are treated in the National Health Service or the independent sector, is a top priority for the Government. There are a range of providers of NHS wheelchair services across England. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for monitoring service provision and effectively managing contracts with their commissioned providers.

NHS England are aware there have been a number of separate complaints about the quality of services provided by AJM Healthcare, which are being dealt with on an individual basis by the Ombudsman’s office. NHS England has flagged this to the relevant ICBs, who are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services. NHS England supports ICBs to make improvements and commission effective, efficient, and personalised wheelchair services. Actions taken include:

- establishing a national wheelchair dataset, where data has been collected quarterly from ICBs, formerly clinical commissioning groups, since July 2015 and which supports the drive for improvements in wheelchair services. This data looks at waiting times across the pathway to enable targeted action if improvement is required. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/national-wheelchair/

- the Wheelchair Quality Framework, which was published on the 9 April 2025, and which was co-produced with key stakeholders, including Whizz Kids. The framework sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs, such as offering personal wheelchair budgets, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/wheelchair-quality-framework/

- personal wheelchair budgets, with NHS England having introduced personal wheelchair budgets, including in legal rights, in 2019, providing a clear framework for ICBs to commission personalised wheelchair services which are outcomes focused and integrated. Personal wheelchair budgets give people greater choice over the wheelchair provided, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/guidance-on-the-legal-rights-to-have-personal-health-budgets-and-personal-wheelchair-budgets/

Thatcham level crossing

Keith Butcher

New US sanctions on Cuba

90th anniversary of the Spitfire

Community sport spaces and Sport England

Signing of the Hamburg Declaration

Artificial Intelligence chatbots

Financial Support for the Music and Dance Scheme

World Cancer Day and breast cancer

Stamp Duty liability for periodic tenancies

Grey belt policy and the impact on villages and rural communities

Local Government

Radiotherapy in the National Cancer Plan

Refugee homelessness and the asylum move-on period

Removal of statutory consultee status from Sport England

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank

Child protection from illicit vapes

Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund 2026-27

High street bank closures

Business rates reform and revaluation

Palantir and the NHS

Recognition of Ukrainian driving licences

Dual nationals without British passports

Review of the student loan system

Securing the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme

Dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands

Public inquiry into Epstein links

Found: Charalambous (Labour; Southgate and Wood Green) Sir Christopher Chope (Conservative; Christchurch) Mr Lee Dillon

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jonathan Davies; Mr Lee Dillon; Mary Glindon

Found: Communities and Local Government Committee: Florence Eshalomi (Chair); Lewis Cocking; Chris Curtis; Mr Lee Dillon

Found: Broxbourne) Andrew Cooper (Labour; Mid Cheshire) Chris Curtis (Labour; Milton Keynes North) Mr Lee Dillon