Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2026 to Question 6594, what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistency between integrated care boards in the commissioning of care pathways for patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and other autonomic nervous system disorders.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 15 June in response to Question 6594.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department will take to ensure that landlords are not penalised for not meeting the EPC C standard where the final Home Energy Model metrics and band boundaries are published after landlords have begun making investment decisions.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Achieving EPC C by 2030 using reformed EPC metrics is one route to compliance with the new standards. Alternatively, landlords can start to undertake improvement works now under the grandparenting clause – properties which achieve EPC C or higher on existing EPCs before 1 October 2029 will be recognised as compliant until the EPC expires or is replaced.
Government has also announced the maximum expenditure required and is designing an enhanced exemptions regime, recognising that efficiency improvements need to be sensitive to the characteristics of each property. We will set out more detail in guidance and regulations.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2026 to question 14913, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the absence of a timetable for phasing out animal testing does not adversely impact the delivery of the targeted replacements set out in the Replacing Animals in Science strategy.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The absence of an overall timetable for phasing out animal testing does not affect delivery of the targeted replacements set out in the Replacing Animals in Science strategy. The Government’s approach is science-led and focused on delivering specific actions where validated alternatives can be developed and adopted. The strategy includes targeted commitments, supported by defined milestones, timelines and key performance indicators, to reduce reliance on particular animal tests and models where scientifically justified. Progress will be tracked through a publicly available dashboard, delivery updates and key performance indicators, which the Government will publish later in 2026.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of (a) the effectiveness of current legal penalties for possessing number plates designed to evade ANPR detection, (b) the potential impact of increasing the penalty for possessing such plates on the level of use of such number plates, and (c) if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward new legislation on this issue.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has considered concerns raised by the police and road safety groups that incorrect, altered or false number plates can make it harder to identify vehicle users and pursue offenders.
As part of the Road Safety Strategy, the Government consulted on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for being in charge of a vehicle with such a plate. The consultation closed on 11 May 2026. Responses are being analysed and any legislative proposals will be brought forward in the usual way.
DVLA works with the police, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime. DVLA enforcement officers also work with the police and Trading Standards on compliance activity relating to number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement is a matter for the police.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support equitable access to electric vehicle charging for households without private off-street parking, including those in shared covenant restricted residential areas.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government supports equitable access to electric vehicle charging for households without off-street parking. Support includes the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund which is expected to deliver over 100,000 local public charge points. A further fund was provided for local authorities to install cross pavement solutions to enable residents to charge on-street safely using a home charger. There are also Government grants for renters, flat owners and for landlords to install electric vehicle charge points.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the answer of 23 January 2026 to Question 105837 and to the The report of the independent review of deaths among care-experienced young adults in England, published 25 August 2026, what timetable she has set for completing the review of guidance on Promoting the health and well-being of care experienced children and its extension to age 25; what timetable she has set for implementing the Staying Close duty for all local authorities; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the pace of this work.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is grateful for the work of Ashley John-Baptiste and Clare Chamberlain in completing their review, commissioned by this government to look at the shockingly high number of early deaths of care experienced young people.
We are determined to address this national tragedy, and we are working at pace, across central government and with local partners, to deliver a significant programme of improved support for care leavers as part of our wider reforms to children’s social care.
We will ensure that the statutory guidance, ‘Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked after children’, takes into account the review’s findings and reflects our wider reforms. These include measures in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, such as corporate parenting responsibilities for government departments and relevant public bodies, and the health support measures for care leavers announced by the Department of Health and Social Care in December 2025, including free prescriptions, dental and optical care for care leavers.
The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to roll out this suite of measures, sequencing implementation with the statutory guidance update so the guidance reflects these important developments for looked-after children and care leavers.
Staying Close will become a national duty for local authorities to support care leavers up to age 25 to find and keep suitable accommodation in 2029. The programme is already delivered across 50 sites (47 local authorities and 3 charities). An enhanced Staying Close programme will be rolled out nationally by 2029 in a phased approach. It is focused on improving care leavers’ housing outcomes, and stability and belonging, which is fundamental to promoting enduring relationships.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of data centre expansion on water shortages.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade works with DEFRA, the Environment Agency and industry to ensure the growth of this critical national infrastructure does not compromise the resilience of public water supplies.
Data centres use just 0.2% of England’s non-household water, equivalent to one-fifth of one per cent, and an even smaller share of total water use.
A 2025 techUK–Environment Agency survey found that 51% of surveyed sites use closed-loop cooling systems, which recirculate water rather than continually drawing fresh supplies. The Government supports the wider adoption of efficient cooling technologies and alternative water sources, including rainwater harvesting.