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 local authorities on making appropriate allowance for licensed dog home boarding businesses that are in the process of changing premises when scheduling inspections and applying licensing conditions.

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

Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations (2018) local authorities may vary a licence following an application by the licence holder and inspect premises as part of the process for granting or renewing licences.

Where a licence holder seeks to change premises, the relevant local authority inspector would need to ensure compliance with the licensing conditions. The decision whether to vary or issue a new licence is the responsibility of the local authority. After varying or issuing a licence, local authorities will decide on an individual basis the timing of mid-term or renewal inspections.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of data centres on (a) local water availability, (b) chalk streams and (c) other sensitive waterways.

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

Most data centres source their water from public water supply. Water companies are not required to provide businesses with water if this risks supply to households or would impact their environmental protection obligations. Data centres should embed water efficiency in their design, consider the type of cooling technology being selected and the location of the data centre to protect water supplies and the local water environment.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of guidance to local authorities on publishing the costs of mid term inspections for licensed dog home boarding businesses.

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

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (LAIA) (England) Regulations 2018 are accompanied by statutory guidance for local authorities which they must have regard to. This guidance sets out that inspections of premises must be carried out upon application or renewal of a licence. The frequency of inspections therefore depends on the duration of the licence, which is determined by its star rating.

The LAIA Regulations require that fees for licences, which includes inspections, are reasonable and proportionate. Local authorities are encouraged to use the Local Government Animal Welfare Group’s (LGAWG) non-statutory guidance on fee setting.

Additionally, local authorities are required to submit an annual data return to the Secretary of State which includes costs of licences. Previous data returns can be found here.

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 local authorities on determining the appropriate frequency of inspections for licensed dog home boarding businesses.

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

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (LAIA) (England) Regulations 2018 are accompanied by statutory guidance for local authorities which they must have regard to. This guidance sets out that inspections of premises must be carried out upon application or renewal of a licence. The frequency of inspections therefore depends on the duration of the licence, which is determined by its star rating.

The LAIA Regulations require that fees for licences, which includes inspections, are reasonable and proportionate. Local authorities are encouraged to use the Local Government Animal Welfare Group’s (LGAWG) non-statutory guidance on fee setting.

Additionally, local authorities are required to submit an annual data return to the Secretary of State which includes costs of licences. Previous data returns can be found here.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help improve public awareness of the risks associated with spray foam insulation, including the circumstances in which it may affect mortgage lending or insurance.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I convened a roundtable in Spring with lenders, consumer bodies and the insulation industry and I agreed with attendees to continue working with my officials on public awareness around spray foam.

While most lenders now consider applications, it is important that banks, surveyors and homeowners use the information now available so they can make informed decisions and that homes are treated on a case-by-case basis.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what redress is available to homeowners whose spray foam insulation was incorrectly installed by TrustMark-approved companies that have since ceased trading.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

If the installer is no longer trading, consumers should contact the guarantee provider associated with the installation. TrustMark registered installers are required to provide financial protection through approved guarantee arrangements, subject to the policy terms and conditions.

Installers should provide consumers with a copy of the guarantee after installation is complete. Where consumers do not have a copy of a guarantee, they should contact the installer's scheme provider in the first instance or alternatively get in touch with TrustMark directly.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available to homeowners with incorrectly installed spray foam insulation through TrustMark-approved schemes outside the ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to supporting homeowners that have had poor quality installations obtain redress.

Where products, including spray foam, have not been installed correctly installers are required to remedy the work. Where installed by a TrustMark registered business, customers should follow the TrustMark dispute resolution process. The TrustMark website contains further guidance on how consumers can complain if things go wrong and the dispute resolution process: https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowners/if-things-go-wrong.

Consumers can also contact their respective guarantee provider to make a claim, subject to the policy's terms and conditions.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her department plans to promote examples of effective stepping stone schemes to local authorities as part of its work to prevent youth homelessness.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My department continues to engage with stakeholders in the homelessness sector to support the development of schemes and policies to tackle homelessness, including stepping stone accommodation.

Local authorities are best placed to assess the local need in their areas and determine the most effective services and accommodation arrangements to support young people including in Uxbridge, South Ruislip, Newbury and other areas facing homelessness pressures.

We are developing a national Youth Homelessness Prevention Toolkit to support councils to prevent youth homelessness in line with the Government’s National Plan to End Homelessness.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of aligning eligibility for free home-to-school transport with a child's designated or catchment school, rather than nearest suitable school.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department’s home to school travel policy aims to make sure no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Children of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, are eligible for free travel if they attend their nearest suitable school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or the safety of the route. There are extended rights to free travel for low-income families to help them exercise school choice. We do not currently have any plans to change the existing statutory framework.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his department is taking to improve humanitarian access to civilians impacted by the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK remains concerned by the impact of the conflict in Cameroon's North-West and South-West regions on civilian populations. Through our High Commission in Yaoundé, we continue to engage the Cameroonian Government at all levels and call for inclusive dialogue to address the root causes of the crisis. We remain ready to support efforts towards a peaceful resolution, recognising that any lasting solution must be Cameroonian-owned and led. UK humanitarian funding has supported the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide assistance in affected regions. Sanctions are one of a range of tools available to the UK Government, but any use must be supported by robust evidence and meet the relevant legal tests. We also continue to press for credible investigations into reported human rights violations and accountability for those responsible.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his department has made of the potential merits of the use of targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, against people alleged to be responsible for serious human rights violations in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK remains concerned by the impact of the conflict in Cameroon's North-West and South-West regions on civilian populations. Through our High Commission in Yaoundé, we continue to engage the Cameroonian Government at all levels and call for inclusive dialogue to address the root causes of the crisis. We remain ready to support efforts towards a peaceful resolution, recognising that any lasting solution must be Cameroonian-owned and led. UK humanitarian funding has supported the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide assistance in affected regions. Sanctions are one of a range of tools available to the UK Government, but any use must be supported by robust evidence and meet the relevant legal tests. We also continue to press for credible investigations into reported human rights violations and accountability for those responsible.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to support a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK remains concerned by the impact of the conflict in Cameroon's North-West and South-West regions on civilian populations. Through our High Commission in Yaoundé, we continue to engage the Cameroonian Government at all levels and call for inclusive dialogue to address the root causes of the crisis. We remain ready to support efforts towards a peaceful resolution, recognising that any lasting solution must be Cameroonian-owned and led. UK humanitarian funding has supported the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide assistance in affected regions. Sanctions are one of a range of tools available to the UK Government, but any use must be supported by robust evidence and meet the relevant legal tests. We also continue to press for credible investigations into reported human rights violations and accountability for those responsible.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered reviewing the council tax premium exemptions as they apply to occupied annexes attached to unoccupied main dwellings.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government has introduced a range of exceptions from council tax premiums to reflect individual circumstances. This includes an exception for annexes which are being occupied by a person as part of their sole or main residence. This does not make a distinction between whether the resident primarily occupies the larger or smaller dwelling. The government has no plans to amend this exception.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of late concessions by local authorities in Special Education Needs and Disabilities Tribunal cases, and whether she will commission an independent audit of the length of the time children were left without provision in cases where late concessions were made.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about the number of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Tribunal cases disposed of as well as outcomes, including the number of cases conceded, in the SEND Tribunal Tables.

In the department’s recent ‘SEND Reform: Putting children and young people first’ consultation, we set out proposals to ensure that the new system supports families to resolve any disagreements as early and collaboratively as possible, so children and young people can access the right provision quickly. This includes improving complaints processes and strengthening mediation, reducing the need for an appeal to the Tribunal.

To improve transparency around tribunal outcomes, we also propose to publish an annual SEND tribunal outcomes dashboard, providing anonymised information on the outcomes of tribunal cases by local authority. The department is currently considering all consultation feedback and will publish final proposals in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help protect homeowners from exploitative firms offering spray foam insulation removal services.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I convened a roundtable in Spring with lenders, consumer bodies and the insulation industry on spray foam, and agreed for attendees to continue working with officials on public communications.

Tools are available online to find independent surveyors experienced with spray foam who can provide an assessment.

Homeowners receiving cold calls in relation to spray foam removals may wish to report these to Trading Standards or The Information Commissioners Office.

The department has launched a consultation seeking views on how the consumer protection system for home upgrades should be reformed to support delivery of the Warm Homes Plan.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what requirements her Department places on companies operating data centres to assess and mitigate the impact of their water use on local water resources and environmentally sensitive waterways.

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

The Government expects all developments, including data centres, to comply with the relevant planning and environmental regulatory regimes. Government strongly encourages developers and operators to consider water efficiency to through measures such as water recycling and the use of non-potable supplies such as rainwater, greywater or treated wastewater where appropriat

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in the context of the proposed expansion of the educational psychologist workforce set out in The Schools White Paper 2026, what consideration has she given to the potential merits of measures to improve the recruitment and retention of educational psychologists in local authority services.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is investing £26 million to train at least 200 educational psychologists per year from 2026/27, with further investment to train more over the following three years, subject to future spending reviews. This is in addition to the £31 million already invested since 2023.

Upon graduating, trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period, which is three years for trainees starting from 2024. This is to ensure that children and young people, schools and families are benefitting from the investment of public money in their training.

The department is also investing around £1.8 billion for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards, to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, which will provide access to support from key services, including educational psychologists and trainees.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Bereavement Support Payment recipients had children aged under five at the point their entitlement ended.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consideration has he given to the potential merits of replacing the 18-month limit on Bereavement Support Payment with a tapered withdrawal of support for families with dependent children.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Bereavement Support Payment was designed to provide financial support during the immediate period following a bereavement, rather than replace income over the longer term. We continue to keep Bereavement Support Payment under review to ensure it remains effective and sustainable within current budgetary constraints.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to implement Sections 3 and 48 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

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

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

In 2024 and 2026 we made changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to support increased delivery of SuDS. The NPPF now requires all development to utilise SuDS where they could have drainage impacts. These systems should be appropriate to the nature and scale of the proposed development and designed to national standards.

Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many project licenses and service licenses currently in force authorise the use of dogs in scientific procedures; and how many dogs are authorised under each license.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are currently 32 active project licences which authorise the use of dogs in scientific procedures. Across all projects the maximum number of animals authorised for use is 31,816. Of the 32 licences, there are 23 licences carrying out ‘service’ type activities, with a maximum of 29,589 animals authorised for use.

A better indication of the scale of actual use is provided by the annual accredited official statistics. In 2025, 2,889 procedures involving dogs were carried out in Great Britain. Although this was an increase of around 9% on 2024, it was approximately one third lower than the 4,340 procedures recorded in 2020. The five-year trend is therefore downward overall, despite year-to-year variation. This annual evidence is a more meaningful guide to likely use than the authorised maximum.

All activities authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are subject to a rigorous licensing process. Before a licence can be granted, applicants must demonstrate that the expected benefits justify the potential harms to the animals involved, and the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs) have been fully applied. This means that harms to animals must be minimised and the work cannot legally be authorised if there is a scientifically satisfactory alternative to the use of animals.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what categories of testing involving dogs are authorised under service licenses, including regulatory toxicology and batch quality control testing.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The majority of licences authorising the use of dogs and containing service type activities are for undertaking Regulatory Toxicology testing (safety testing) for purposes including human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and chemicals. A small number allow the production of biological samples, the development of veterinary treatments and pre-regulatory testing.

All activities authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are subject to a rigorous licensing process. Before a licence can be granted, applicants must demonstrate that the expected benefits justify the potential harms to the animals involved, and the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs) have been fully applied. This means that harms to animals must be minimised and the work cannot legally be authorised if there is a scientifically satisfactory alternative to the use of animals.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that applications to the Probate Service requiring specialist consideration, including cases involving lost wills and affidavits, are processed without undue delay.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Caseworkers receive ongoing training across all aspects of probate work and are deployed flexibly across workstreams to respond to operational demand and ensure resources are directed where they are needed most.

To improve waiting times, HMCTS has invested in additional staff in 2026, alongside system and process improvements and a programme of upskilling. These measures are intended to improve processing times and prevent growth in the outstanding caseload.

The Ministry of Justice publishes regular data on probate timeliness and open caseload in the quarterly Family Court Statistics bulletin, available at: Family Court Statistics Quarterly - GOV.UK.

However, HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not categorise probate applications as “specialist” or “non-specialist”, nor does it hold central data on whether each application involves a lost will or affidavit. HMCTS therefore does not hold comprehensive management information on these cases and cannot provide an exact figure for the time taken to process applications referred for specialist review for specific reasons.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average waiting time is for probate applications requiring specialist consideration, including cases involving lost wills and affidavits.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Caseworkers receive ongoing training across all aspects of probate work and are deployed flexibly across workstreams to respond to operational demand and ensure resources are directed where they are needed most.

To improve waiting times, HMCTS has invested in additional staff in 2026, alongside system and process improvements and a programme of upskilling. These measures are intended to improve processing times and prevent growth in the outstanding caseload.

The Ministry of Justice publishes regular data on probate timeliness and open caseload in the quarterly Family Court Statistics bulletin, available at: Family Court Statistics Quarterly - GOV.UK.

However, HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not categorise probate applications as “specialist” or “non-specialist”, nor does it hold central data on whether each application involves a lost will or affidavit. HMCTS therefore does not hold comprehensive management information on these cases and cannot provide an exact figure for the time taken to process applications referred for specialist review for specific reasons.

Road fuel prices

Support for retired service animals

Barbering and hairdressing

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (No. 2)

Battle of Britain Day 2026

Contribution of women to the Bayeux Tapestry

World Suicide Prevention Day 2026

Support for hospices

Publication of Legal Advice on Local Government Reorganisation

Epsom Common Local Nature Reserve awarded 20th consecutive Green Flag Award

E1 settlement project and international law

Devon maternity services

Nigel Bevan and Berkshire Scouts

Furniture poverty and access to essential household goods

Smarter Water Catchment Initiative

Miscarriage care

Cosmetic specifications for fresh produce and national food security

Found: Select Committee Changes or Nominations Resolved, Mr Lee Dillon to be nominated to the Backbench Business