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 reduce the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in (a) cookware, (b) school uniforms and (c) other consumer products; what comparative assessment she has made of regulatory approaches adopted by (i) France, (ii) Denmark and (iii) other countries in developing the UK’s approach to PFAS regulation; and what her Department’s planned timetable is to minimise the effects of PFAS while transitioning to safer alternative substances.

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

Steps to better understand the sources of these chemicals, tackle how they move around in the environment, and act to reduce public and environmental exposure were set out on 3 February 2026 in the UK’s first-ever PFAS Plan. PFAS Plan: building a safer future together - GOV.UK

This includes actions on food contact materials, school uniforms and other consumer products.

We are closely following the specific measures adopted by France and Denmark which will usefully inform the development of the actions we take forward from the plan.

Our long-term vision is to work in partnership, taking a science-based and proportionate approach, to reduce and minimise the impacts of harmful PFAS on public health and the environment, including through the transition to safer alternatives.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of driving tests in Eastleigh constituency; what assessment she has made of trends in the level of driving test waiting times and test centre capacity in Hampshire; and what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests, including in Eastleigh and Hampshire.

For test centres serving the Eastleigh area, DVSA has made offers of employment to 14 new potential driving examiners; 12 of which are currently awaiting pre-employment checks and two who have passed these checks are currently awaiting training. Since January 2026, seven new driving examiners have begun testing in this area. A full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

The table below shows the number of tests booked and available at the driving test centres (DTCs) serving the Eastleigh constituency as of 11 May 2026.

Between June 2025 – April 2026, at the DTCs above, DVSA conducted 409 additional car practical driving tests in overtime, when compared to the equivalent overtime scheme between June 2024 – March 2025. This increase can largely be attributed to the additional test allowance scheme the agency introduced in June 2025.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken to introduce legislation relating to secondary ticketing platforms on consumers.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We are fully committed to putting fans first by ending the scourge of industrial-scale ticket touting and protecting consumers on the secondary ticketing market. That is why we announced plans last year to introduce a price cap prohibiting the resale of a live events ticket for more than the original ticket cost.

We are taking the time to get this right and will publish a draft bill in this session of parliament for pre-legislative scrutiny. This will allow us to draw on expertise from parliamentarians, industry organisations and campaign groups to ensure that the legislation is effective, enforceable and future-proof.

Following our consultation last year, the ticketing industry is also stepping up to establish new best practice on ticket sales. We welcome the work undertaken by the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) who have already convened the sector to begin this work.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what timetable the Government has set for implementation of a UK-EU youth mobility or youth experience scheme; what assessment he has made of the potential economic, educational and cultural benefits of increased youth mobility between the UK and EU member states; what steps he will take to ensure accessibility of any future scheme for young people from low and middle income backgrounds; and whether the Government plans to seek participation in wider European educational and exchange programmes.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

We are negotiating an ambitious youth experience scheme with the EU. Any scheme will provide a valuable form of cultural exchange for young Brits to travel, work, study and experience other cultures. We have been clear that the scheme should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes, such as Australia and New Zealand, but the exact parameters are subject to negotiation. The youth experience scheme will be good for the economy, but we will not be able to provide a full assessment of the impacts whilst negotiations are ongoing.

This scheme will support opportunities for educational and cultural exchange, building on the exciting opportunities our association to Erasmus+ in 2027 brings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to GP practices on the application of NHS proxy access policies for children aged 11 to 16; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current arrangements in providing support for parents and carers of children with autism requiring assistance in accessing healthcare services and medical information; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure consistent interpretation and application of NHS proxy access guidance by GP practices for patients aged 11 to 16.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

General practices (GPs) can provide proxy access to parents or carers of a child under the age of 16 years old. The GP surgery must get the child's consent before giving access to their online GP services, if the child is able to understand and make an informed decision. Children aged 11 years old and over are generally presumed to have capacity to consent to, or refuse, proxy access, unless, for example, a medical condition or learning disability affects their understanding.

More broadly, the Government is taking steps to improve access to services for patients who may need additional support, including children with autism and their carers. GPs are required to provide online consultation tools, which can support patients and carers to contact their practice remotely, including for appointments, repeat prescriptions, and registration.

In addition, NHS England is rolling out the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag, which allows services to record where a disabled patient needs reasonable adjustments so that care can be provided more appropriately and consistently.

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 freezing repayment thresholds and interest rate arrangements for Plan 2 student loans from 2027 on (a) low and middle income graduates and (b) the wider financial circumstances of young adults; what assessment she has made of the implications of these changes for the Government’s policy objective of ensuring that the student finance system is fair for students, graduates and taxpayers; whether her Department has assessed the impact of applying changes to repayment terms to existing borrowers who entered into loan agreements under previous conditions; and whether she has considered the case for greater regulatory oversight of student loans, including by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by the previous government and, given the inherited fiscal situation, we are making tough but necessary decisions.

It is important to consider this change in the round. We have increased the repayment threshold for Plan 2 loans to £28,470 in April 2025, its first increase since 2021, and increased it again on 6 April this year, to £29,385. Threshold freezes from 2027 have been introduced to protect taxpayers and students now, alongside future generations of learners and workers.

Student loan balances do not appear on borrower credit records, meaning the total size of the student loan debt is not considered in a borrower mortgage application.

Student loans have more favourable features compared with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated loans and cannot be regarded as comparable financial services to such loans. Unlike FCA-regulated products, key student loan terms are set out in regulations, and any changes would be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

Student loan terms and conditions make clear that the conditions of the loan may change in line with the regulations that govern the loans. Students sign these terms and conditions before any money is paid to them.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the lifetime impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of whether the freezing of repayment thresholds for Plan 2 student loans from 2027 constitutes a form of fiscal drag; what assessment she has made of the distributional impact of this measure across different income groups and regions; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of frozen repayment thresholds on the ability of graduates to (a) save for a house deposit, (b) access mortgage lending, (c) build savings and financial resilience; and what assessment she has made of the wider economic impact of increased student loan repayment levels on consumer spending and living standards among low and middle income graduates.

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

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by the previous government and, given the inherited fiscal situation, we are making tough but necessary decisions.

It is important to consider this change in the round. We have increased the repayment threshold for Plan 2 loans to £28,470 in April 2025, its first increase since 2021, and increased it again on 6 April this year, to £29,385. Threshold freezes from 2027 have been introduced to protect taxpayers and students now, alongside future generations of learners and workers.

Student loan balances do not appear on borrower credit records, meaning the total size of the student loan debt is not considered in a borrower mortgage application.

Student loans have more favourable features compared with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated loans and cannot be regarded as comparable financial services to such loans. Unlike FCA-regulated products, key student loan terms are set out in regulations, and any changes would be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

Student loan terms and conditions make clear that the conditions of the loan may change in line with the regulations that govern the loans. Students sign these terms and conditions before any money is paid to them.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the lifetime impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of car thefts in Eastleigh constituency; what assessment she has made of the impact of (a) relay attacks, (b) CAN bus attacks and (c) other sophisticated theft methods on rates of vehicle theft; and what steps her Department is taking to support (i) public awareness campaigns, (ii) improved vehicle security standards, (iii) collaboration with manufacturers, (iv) police efforts to tackle organised vehicle crime and the export of stolen vehicles and car parts and (v) other methods to prevent car theft.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of vehicle offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. This information is published at Community Safety Partnership level, including Eastleigh.

The latest information, for the year ending December 2025, is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/police-recorded-crime-and-outcomes-open-data-tables#police-recorded-crime-open-data-community-safety-partnership-tables

The Government is cracking down on the brazen car thieves who use new technologies to commit their crimes.

In our Crime and Policing Act, we have brought forward two new offences to criminalise the possession, importation, making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply an electronic device (such as a signal jammer) for use in theft of a vehicle or theft of anything in a vehicle.

The Government provided funding to set up the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership, a partnership of policing, industry and government aimed at combatting organised vehicle crime across the UK. The Government continues to support this work.

Since 2024, the Home Office has dedicated almost £1m (£970,000) to bolster the enforcement response to organised vehicle theft and export. This money, provided to the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership (NVCRP), has supported enforcement work inland and at the ports to prevent and disrupt stolen vehicles and their parts being shipped abroad, including additional staff, police training, and specialist equipment.

The funding enabled Operation Alliances II, a national crackdown on organised vehicle crime, which brought together local and national policing, and key partners, including the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS). In a coordinated week of action in October last year, over £3.3 million worth of stolen vehicles and over £13m worth of vehicle parts were recovered, and there were more than 365 arrests.

The Home Office is committing a further £300k this year toward tackling organised vehicle theft and export, to further strengthen these efforts and build on the progress already made.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness of HMRC’s administrative and data handling processes and (b) adequacy of the average time taken by HMRC to respond to correspondence and resolve ongoing cases; and what targets are in place to improve response times.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has set out its approach to improving the effectiveness of HMRC’s administrative and data‑handling processes in the HMRC Transformation Roadmap, which outlines HMRC’s digital-first approach. HMRC is modernising systems, making better use of data and technology, and increasing automation and self-serve digital options to support customers and staff.

Improving day‑to‑day performance is a key priority for HMRC. HMRC has a service standard for handling customer correspondence, with the aim of processing 80% of priority post within 15 working days, and 95% within 40 working days.

Regular performance updates are published on GOV.UK - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what timetable his Department has set for implementing the commitments relating to research, attitudes and education, and support for people living with ME/CFS contained within the Government’s policy paper entitled 'ME/CFS: the final delivery plan'; whether his Department plans to publish regular progress reports or annual reviews on implementation; what assessment he has made of whether NHS bodies have sufficient workforce capacity and resources to deliver the commitments contained within the plan; and whether any delivery timelines or implementation milestones have been revised since the plan’s publication.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The final delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), published in July 2025, contains 44 actions for the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, other Government departments, and other organisations to implement. Of these commitments, over half have been delivered already, with many more actions progressing well.

Progress on research-related actions will be reported on annually, to the ME/CFS Post-Implementation Stakeholder Engagement Group and officials intend to provide the first of those annual updates on progress against all the actions included in the final delivery plan to stakeholders in the coming months.

To help support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes. All sessions of the e-learning programme are now available at the following link, with sessions one, two, and three having universal access, whilst the final session on managing severe ME/CFS is only available to healthcare professionals:

https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288

The Medical Schools Council will promote the e-learning programme to all United Kingdom medical schools and will encourage those medical schools to provide undergraduates with direct patient experience of ME/CFS. Additionally, the Department has taken steps towards developing the awareness campaign that was committed to in the plan.

NHS England, with support from the Department, is developing a template service specification for mild and moderate ME/CFS, which will aim to support the commissioning, provision and evaluation of services for patients. Following stakeholder feedback, this template now includes reference severe ME/CFS. This template is intended to be published alongside a Language Matters Guide. The impact on National Health Service bodies, outside of NHS England, is expected to be minimal. The decision has been made to delay the action to consider whether a specialised service should be commissioned for very severe ME/CFS until April 2027. Currently, this is the only action that has been delayed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve fire safety in homes; what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing fire safety regulations for household furnishings and consumer products; what plans the Government has to increase public awareness of fire prevention and household fire risks; and what steps he is taking to ensure that any future changes to fire safety regulations do not reduce protections for consumers or increase the risk of fire-related deaths and injuries.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government’s national ‘Fire Kills’ campaign provides clear, practical advice to help people prevent fires in the home and respond safely if a fire occurs, and this year has focused on the need to have sufficient smoke alarms. The campaign also supports fire and rescue services in delivering their statutory duty to promote fire safety through local prevention activity.

There has been a long-term downward trend in the number of dwelling fires over the past 10 years. In the year ending December 2025, there were 26,298 dwelling fires. This was a decrease of 16% with the year ending December 2015 where there were 31,213 dwelling fires.

The Government works closely with fire and rescue services, regulators and industry to monitor emerging risks, including those associated with modern consumer products, and to ensure that guidance and standards remain appropriate and effective.

MHCLG works closely with Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on fire safety matters. The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (FFRs), as well as general consumer product safety, is the responsibility of DBT. DBT has launched a consultation setting out the Government’s intention to reform the FFRs to maintain a high level of fire safety while facilitating a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants.

The Government remains clear that maintaining and improving public safety is paramount, and there are no plans to reduce protections for consumers or to introduce changes that would increase the risk of fire related deaths and injuries.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of employment protections for self-employed parcel delivery drivers; what discussions he has had with parcel delivery companies regarding the transparency of payment structures for delivery drivers; whether he has made an assessment of the extent to which self-employed parcel delivery drivers undertake unpaid work; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of dispute resolution mechanisms available to parcel delivery drivers; what discussions he has had with the parcel delivery industry regarding working conditions and remuneration models for drivers engaged on a self-employed basis; and whether his Department plans to review employment status, pay practices, and contractor oversight in the parcel delivery sector.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government expects parcel delivery companies to meet their legal obligations and ensure drivers receive their entitled protections. The Government is also committed to strengthening rights and protections to help the self-employed thrive in good quality self-employment.

We are aware of concerns around payment practices in the parcel delivery sector and are monitoring the emerging practice of dynamic pay generally.

Any individual with a complaint or uncertainty about their rights or employment status can seek advice from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

We intend to consult on the employment status framework in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS bodies on the (a) clinical, (b) functional and (c) other criteria to be used when prioritising patients for (i) Autism and (ii) ADHD assessments; what oversight arrangements are in place for decisions made by NHS bodies on the prioritisation of patients for Autism and ADHD assessments; and whether his Department has (A) undertaken and (B) required NHS bodies to undertake an Equality Impact Assessment in relation to restrictions or prioritisation decisions affecting access to Autism and ADHD assessments.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not issued guidance to National Health Service bodies on the criteria for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments. The Department has not undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment on the prioritisation decisions about access to autism and ADHD diagnostic assessments.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) should ensure appropriate impact assessment or assessments are completed as part of planning, via locally agreed mechanisms, considering both the Public Sector Equality Duty, under the Equality Act 2010, and the Health Inequalities Duty, under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. These should recognise that the experiences of neurodivergent people differ from that of the broader population.

ICBs are responsible for planning and commissioning services to meet the needs of their local populations, including making decisions about how best to manage demand and capacity within available resources. Where an ICB has taken a decision to pause or manage activity within a Right to Choose pathway, it is for that ICB to determine and apply any local prioritisation criteria, taking account of clinical need and patient safety. It is the responsibility of the local system to decide whether to publish criteria, and to ensure that patients, families, and the public are communicated with clearly and provided with appropriate information.

NHS England provides guidance and oversight to ICBs to support them in meeting their statutory duties, including in relation to patient choice. The Government is committed to patients having the right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their first appointment as an outpatient. Patients’ right to choose is set out in legislation and no changes are being made to this legal right. Further information on the choices available for patients can be found on the NHS Choice framework, available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-choice-framework

In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which can be found at the following link:

www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance

This guidance intends to help the NHS improve autism assessment services and improve the experience for those referred to a service.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of current childcare support arrangements for working parents, including (a) the relationship between minimum work requirements and the number of funded childcare hours available, (b) the availability of childcare support outside term time, and (c) the potential impact of childcare costs and accessibility on parents’ ability to enter or remain in employment.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department is investing over £1 billion more in the early years entitlements this year compared to 2025/26 and an above inflation increase to entitlements funding rates. In 2026/27, we expect to provide over £9.5 billion for the early years entitlements. Coram–PACEY’s 2026 Childcare Survey found that the expansion of 30 hours of funded childcare significantly reduced costs for eligible working parents in England, in some cases making part time childcare effectively free during term time.

The minimum work requirement acts as a qualifying threshold. Once met, families can access the full funded childcare entitlement. There is no direct proportional relationship between hours worked or earnings and the number of funded childcare hours. However, the department’s 2025 Childcare Experiences Survey covered the expanded entitlements and showed that 13% of parents increased their working hours after starting to claim the entitlement.

By allowing funded hours to be stretched across the year, deducting closures from calculations, and enabling mixed‑provider models, the system is designed to work alongside all‑year childcare businesses, managing funding and fees transparently and within national limits, broadening parental choice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what she is taking to ensure that her Department’s consultation on funding for assistive software through Disabled Students’ Allowance is informed by the experiences of disabled students; what steps she is taking to ensure the consultation adequately considers the potential impact of the proposals on disabled students’ access to higher education; how he will ensure will sufficient opportunity for engagement with disabled students and sector stakeholders; how she will ensure the consultation reflects the individual support needs of disabled students; and what steps she will take to ensure that decisions arising from the consultation are based on evidence of the effectiveness of specialist assistive technology.

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

The department’s consultation will enable disabled students and sector stakeholders to provide detailed feedback on our proposals. In addition, the department is undertaking a survey of students who are currently in receipt of Disabled Students’ Allowance to ensure that their thoughts and experiences are taken into account.

The department recognises the importance of understanding the effectiveness of specialist assistive technology and is using the consultation to gather further evidence and input in this area.

The consultation remains open until 18 June, and all feedback received will be carefully considered before any final decisions are taken.

AFC Stoneham FA Vase victory

Bank holiday for celebrations if England win the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Public health campaign on the dangers of swimming in open water

National day to recognise the contribution of Sir David Attenborough

VAT for UK hospitality

Abolition of Healthwatch

Youth unemployment in Wales

Climate Change Committee’s Fourth Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk

Official Development Assistance

Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Government response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on communication of changes to women’s state pension age

110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme

NHS maternity services

AI content labelling

Protecting children from data exploitation

Towards a ceasefire and political resolution in Sudan

Palantir and the NHS

A&E corridor care

Civil Service pensions

Medical Training and students

Draft Code of Practice on Services, public functions and associations

Carers Week 2026

National Emergency Briefing

Protection and restoration of ancient woodland

Seven-year anniversary of the mixed-aged couples’ rule

Protest rights

Arthritis Awareness Month 2026

UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme

Trophy hunting imports

Devolved powers in Wales

Free-to-air coverage of European finals

Safety of British nationals following the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla

UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures agreement

Stability for Ukrainian refugees in the UK

Local government and social care

Rough sleeping, homelessness prevention and long-term housing support

Climate Change Act 2008

Israel death penalty

Renewable energy and coal

Energy prices for households and businesses

Nuclear Regulatory Review and habitats regulations

Warm Homes Plan

President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

US sanctions on Cuba

Online abuse and exploitation of Ukrainian refugees

Visas and access to education for Ukrainian refugee children

UNESCO World Heritage status for chalk streams in England

UK-US Trade Deal and animal welfare and farming

UK hauliers and border friction

Afghan women and girls

Local Housing Allowance

Hillsborough Law

UK digital sovereignty strategy

Found: Rural Crime Bambos Charalambous: Debt cancellation for low income countries Rebecca Long Bailey, Liz Jarvis

Found: present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Mr Bayo Alaba; Vicky Foxcroft; Damian Hinds; Dr Rupa Huq; Liz Jarvis

Found: present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Mr Bayo Alaba; Vicky Foxcroft; Damian Hinds; Dr Rupa Huq; Liz Jarvis