Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long her Department usually takes to obtain good character references for British citizenship applications; what the maximum length of time taken for such a reference to be obtained is; and how many British citizenship applications are currently waiting for good character references to be obtained.

Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely request character references for British citizenship applications. Where further evidence is required, applicants are normally given 14 calendar days to provide it. The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

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 support people and families impacted by brain conditions such as iatrogenic cerebral amyloid angiopathy following neurological surgeries of Cadaver Implants in the brain.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Patients and families affected by neurological conditions, including iatrogenic cerebral amyloid angiopathy, can access a range of support through the National Health Service, including specialist neurological services, psychological support, and community-based care where appropriate to their individual needs. The Government recognises the significant impact that serious neurological conditions can have on patients and their families and is committed to ensuring that appropriate support is available through health and care services.

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 improve access for newly qualified psychotherapists to NHS roles.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 16 July 2026 to Question 16343.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that drivers are aware of the most recent changes to the Highway Code.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users.

That is why we published our Road Safety Strategy, which sets out the Government’s plan to significantly reduce deaths and serious injuries on Great Britain’s roads by 65% overall and (70% for children under 16) by 2035.

Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes, with the percentage of road users reporting they knew a little or a lot about the changes going from 36% in January 2022 to over 50% in August 2022 and 70% in September 2023. By that time 86% of road users reported having heard of the changes.

Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations.

However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.

As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As set out in the Road Safety Strategy, this Government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, we will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of education on preventing antisemitism.

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

There is no place for antisemitism in our society.

The department has asked Sir David Bell to undertake an independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges, which will include a consideration of learning in schools and colleges. This review is due to be published later this autumn.

We have committed £7 million to support schools, colleges and universities, including £1 million for an innovation fund, to help young people identify and challenge antisemitism, misinformation and harmful narratives. We are committed to evaluating each of these programmes.

The department supports teachers through our Educate Against Hate website, which provides a range of free, quality-assured resources on building resilience to antisemitism, teaching about tolerance and rejecting discrimination.

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 increase awareness of how to report crimes in foreign countries.

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

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to helping British nationals stay safe overseas. We raise awareness of travel risks, including sexual assault, alongside information on how to access help and report crimes, through Travel Advice, GOV.UK guidance and the FCDO's Travel Aware campaign. We undertake specific initiatives and campaigns in support of this work informed by the trends and concerns identified.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that travellers are aware of the risk of sexual assault when using services abroad such as massage therapy.

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

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to helping British nationals stay safe overseas. We raise awareness of travel risks, including sexual assault, alongside information on how to access help and report crimes, through Travel Advice, GOV.UK guidance and the FCDO's Travel Aware campaign. We undertake specific initiatives and campaigns in support of this work informed by the trends and concerns identified.

Publication of Legal Advice on Local Government Reorganisation

Essential energy guarantee

Funding of Jodrell Bank Observatory

Climate Change Committee's seventh Carbon Budget

Found: were exempt from Freedom of Information legislation.59 For the Liberal Democrats, Hazel Grove MP Lisa Smart