Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 103635, whether her Department has completed its assessment of avian influenza risks associated with the release of captive-bred pheasants and partridges for recreational shooting; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of such releases on biodiversity, native wildlife populations and ecosystem balance.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Great Britain regained freedom from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in May 2026 and the current risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza from wild birds, including released captive-bred pheasants and partridges, is assessed as low.
Defra’s Gamebird rapid evidence review was published in 2020 and is available here. Further research into these findings was published in 2025 and available here.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy steps to ban the import of foie gras produced using methods that are illegal in the UK.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and is committed to delivering the most ambitious animal welfare programme in a generation, as set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy.
It has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Production using force feeding has been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years as it is not compatible with our animal welfare legislation.
The Government remains committed to maintaining and enhancing animal welfare standards and recognises the strength of public feeling on this issue.
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 discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on introducing legal protections preventing employers from changing (a) bonus and (b) commission schemes at short notice.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department meets regularly with stakeholders to discuss a range of issues around pay and remuneration.
Entitlement to bonuses and commission will depend on the terms of an individual's employment contract and any workplace pay scheme. There is no general legal entitlement to a discretionary bonus. Depending on the circumstances, where bonus or commission arrangements are contractual, the Employment Rights Act 2025’s new fire and rehire measures will also, once commenced, introduce new legal protection in this area. In the meantime, the Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement sets out employers’ responsibilities when seeking to change contractual terms and conditions of employment.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure councils are held accountable in their duty to provide appropriate and sufficient support to SEND families during the process of attaining an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP); what assessment has she made of the potential incentive for councils to stall the process of EHCP provision, given these plans place long-term statutory and financial obligations upon already stretched councils; and what steps is she taking to increase transparency in the delivery of EHCP provision, to ensure SEND families are kept fully informed throughout the process.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is determined to strengthen the oversight and accountability of local authorities to drive up the quality of the service they provide. This is why, for example, as part of proposed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms that we consulted on earlier this year, we proposed strengthening the education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment process, so it is clearer, simpler and reflects the voice of parents, carers and the child or young person. We also proposed strengthening transparency and accountability around Tribunal judgments by requiring local authorities to publish regular updates that summarise any judgments against them and set out how they will remedy any wider systemic issues.
The SEND consultation has now closed. We are carefully reviewing and taking into account all responses submitted to the consultation, alongside feedback from engagement events and will set out our response in due course.
As to the current system, the department expects local authorities to work closely with families in their decision-making over EHC plans, to support them to participate fully in the process and to make decisions in a timely fashion, as they are required to do by law.
All local areas are due to receive a full inspection under the current Ofsted and Care Quality Commission Area SEND inspection framework by the end of 2027. As per the SEND reform consultation, we have proposed updating the framework to align to clarified statutory roles that local authorities and integrated care boards will have in relation to children and young people with SEND.
The department publishes annual data on EHC plans and assessments, including timeliness.
Where serious concerns arise, the department may intervene directly, using statutory powers and improvement partners to support service improvement.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in the context of the impact of persistent disadvantage on academic success, what steps her Department is taking to (a) improve the tracking of persistently disadvantaged pupils in the Eastleigh constituency and (b) close the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils in the Eastleigh constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ White Paper establishes our plan to improve outcomes for all children across all constituencies. We recognise that poverty can have a significant impact on children's attainment and life chances, and tackling child poverty is central to the government's work to break down barriers to opportunity. When children born under this government finish secondary school, it is our ambition that the key stage 4 disadvantage gap will be halved.
The department’s approach is comprehensive and includes rebuilding early family support, improving teacher recruitment and retention so every child benefits from high-quality teaching, broadening the curriculum alongside access to high-quality enrichment, and launching two place-based missions to drive improvement in areas where outcomes remain stubbornly low.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of childcare support for parents seeking to enter or return to employment; whether she has assessed the extent to which the number of funded childcare hours available aligns with the working patterns of parents undertaking part-time employment; and whether she plans to review (a) eligibility criteria for childcare support, (b) the availability of funded childcare outside term time and (c) the accessibility of childcare provision in locations close to where families live and work.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are 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. In addition to funding increases, we are committing to consult on changes to how early years funding is allocated and distributed as part of the ongoing review of childcare provision and regulation.
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.
We continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places; the key measure being the supply of available places is sufficient to meet requirements.
Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006 states local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient in their area.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the context of the (a) Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s decision to cease paying volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers for their time and (b) financial costs associated with providing this voluntary service, what steps her Department is taking to help mitigate the financial impacts on volunteers of providing this service.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Plans to move the Coastguard Rescue Service to an expenses-only volunteer model in September will not go ahead, and current arrangements will remain in place. We will now take time to gather the robust information required to understand the full operational implications of future decisions, as well as the impact on individual Coastguard Rescue Officers and the choices they will make. This will involve engaging with CROs directly and ensuring that their views inform the decisions that we will take on the shape of the Coastguard Rescue Service.
Serving CROs are entitled to compensation for up to the previous six years of service, in line with the Court of Appeal judgment regarding worker status. The MCA will calculate each person’s entitlement and contact individuals.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve mental health and wellbeing in young people through the expansion of Mental Health Support Teams in schools.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early mental health support.
As of March 2026, 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England are covered by an MHST, including 79% of pupils in state-funded secondary schools. We estimate that MHST coverage will reach 66% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England by the end of the 2026/27 financial year.
We plan to accelerate the rollout of MHSTs in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029.
More information on MHSTs can be found at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/cyp/trailblazers/ and data for 2025/2026 can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-support-teams-coverage-and-school-and-college-experience.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) what the average waiting time is between a Personal Independence Payment appeal being lodged and his Department submitting its response to HM Courts and Tribunals Service, (b) what the average waiting time is between a Personal Independence Payment appeal being lodged and a tribunal hearing date being set, and (c) what steps he is taking, in collaboration with HMCTS, to reduce these delays for people in Eastleigh constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The mean and median waiting time between a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeal being lodged and the Department submitting its response to HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), for initial clearances and award review clearances in the calendar year 2025, was 5 weeks.
The Department does not hold data on when a tribunal hearing date is set. This information is in the domain of HMCTS.
We are increasing resources available for writing appeal responses by redeploying staff and making overtime available.
We are also looking to make appeal writing more efficient by improving the programme that decision makers use. The improved tool will integrate better with other DWP computer systems, which will make it faster and easier to use than the current process.
We will continue working to make the right decision as early as possible in the claim journey so people get the support they are entitled to without needing to appeal.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the availability of guidance to parents following the planned social media ban for under 16s; what steps her Department will take to involve parents in the protection of their children online; whether her Department has assessed the risks of AI chatbot functions which are not covered by the planned regulation on sexualised AI chatbots including, harmful advice, over-reliance and emotional dependency and what steps her Department is taking to address the high-risk features of messaging platforms which are not addressed by the up-coming ban including disappearing content, which can perpetuate practises such as intimate-image abuse.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The government will provide a package of support for parents and carers to support children in navigating the online world safely. This includes an expanded media literacy campaign and Kids Online Safety Hub, providing advice, practical tools and support to help parents and carers support their children in navigating the online world safely and confidently.
The government will also restrict risky features, including contact with strangers, across a wider range of services - banning them for under-16s and making them off by default for 16 and 17-year-olds. The government also announced that we will make it impossible for children to take, share or view naked pictures on their devices.
Finally, we have announced mandatory breaks for under-18s using chatbots, alongside committing to stronger action to address dangerous, misleading or unverified mental health advice.