Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with her French counterpart on steps to ensure adequate passport control staff at the Eurotunnel and Calais Port.

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

There has been extensive ministerial and official level engagement between the UK government and France on ensuring border fluidity at the short straits over the summer period, including securing assurances on Police aux Frontières staffing at the juxtaposed controls.

This was raised by the Home Secretary most recently in a letter to French Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez on 16 July.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is the Department taking to learn about the impacts of the 2026 heatwaves to inform the future needs of schools during extreme temperatures.

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

The department takes periods of hot weather and heatwaves seriously and has published a climate risk assessment, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-uk-climate-change-risk-on-the-delivery-of-education/summary-of-findings-in-relation-to-3-climate-risks-overheating-flooding-and-water-scarcity.

The department has also published guidance to support education settings during hot weather, available at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/hot-weather-and-heatwaves-guidance-for-schools-and-other-education-settings/.

This advice draws on guidance from the UK Health Security Agency. In most cases, schools are the safest place for children during hot weather, as staff can actively monitor pupils, ensure regular hydration, and make adjustments to keep them cool. Children may also not be any cooler at home than in school, recent analysis by the National Housing Federation and the Chartered Institute of Housing shows that 1.6 million children currently living in overheated homes.

We are improving infrastructure and strengthening resilience across the education estate through our Education Estates Strategy which can be read at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-estates-strategy. This includes a new £710 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme to improve condition and climate resilience, investment of almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance to improve the condition of the school and college estate and investment of almost £20 billion through to 2034/35 in the School Rebuilding Programme, delivering climate‑resilient buildings at over 750 schools.

The department is also developing its objectives as part of the fourth National Adaptation Programme due in 2028 and engaging the sector to inform its approach to future heatwaves.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, following the redistribution of the responsibilities of the Department for Science and Technology, what steps he is taking to support UK science interests and investment abroad.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

This Government remains committed to driving UK science interests and investment through our international engagement. My department will continue to support research and innovation partnerships with priority countries, maintain the UK’s participation in major international collaborations, and promote opportunities through the Science and Technology Network. International engagement will help deliver the Industrial Strategy, attract global talent and inward investment, and ensure that UK science and technology contribute to long-term economic growth, prosperity and national security.

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 conduct a comparative assessment of the level of grants provided to horticultural growers and the costs of modern horticultural water infrastructure.

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

The Government recognises the importance of resilient water infrastructure for horticultural growers and continues to support investment through available grant schemes. We keep all our schemes under review and engage regularly across different sectors to ensure support remains effective.

Defra also engages closely with horticultural stakeholders, including through the development of the sector-led Horticulture Growth Plan, to understand the challenges growers face and ensure our support meets the sector’s needs.

While we have no current plans to undertake a separate comparative assessment, we will continue to consider evidence from growers on investment needs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate has she made of the number of dog owners who may seek withdrawal of their certificate of exemption because they do not believe that their dog is an XL Bully type.

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

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal process so that owners who no longer believe that their dog meets the legal definition of an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Further details will be shared once the process has been finalised.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the Economic Impact Assessment for Leicestershire as a result of the Government's reorganisation of Local Government in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland.

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

In deciding which proposal, if any, to implement in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the previous Secretary of State considered the expected costs and benefits of each proposal, the ability of each new council to be financially resilient, statutory consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information against the published criteria for local government reorganisation. The two-unitary proposal was judged as the best outcome for the area overall and to be deliverable on a sustainable financial basis.

Reorganisation will provide clearer accountability by making one council responsible for local services in each area. New unitary councils will also be required to establish effective neighbourhood governance arrangements, so that communities continue to have a meaningful voice in local decision-making.

The Government has published the decision letter and summary of the consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of setting up a process allowing the revocation of exemption certificates on owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully type.

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

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal process so that owners who no longer believe that their dog meets the legal definition of an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Further details will be shared once the process has been finalised.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate has she made of the cost of the process to allow the revocation of exemption certificates for owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully type.

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

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal process so that owners who no longer believe that their dog meets the legal definition of an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Further details will be shared once the process has been finalised.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to determine necessary criteria to assess whether strategic authorities are suitably established by the end of 2027 and able to be operational by 2028.

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

The Cabinet Statement, “Rewiring the State”, set out the Government’s ambition is to ensure every area in England has, or is in the process of establishing, a strategic authority by the end of 2027, with strategic authorities in place everywhere by the end of 2028. The criteria for knowing whether this has been achieved are simple.

An area will ‘have’ a strategic authority if an authority has been legally established through the necessary statutory instrument. And an area ‘in the process of establishing’ a strategic authority will have started on the pathway to establishment, for example they may be in advanced discussions with government about plans for a strategic authority, launched a local consultation, or given local consent for government to proceed with the legislation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the long-term adequacy of the preferred local government economic models for [a] Leicester and [b] Leicestershire and Rutland.

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

In deciding which proposal, if any, to implement in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the previous Secretary of State considered the expected costs and benefits of each proposal, the ability of each new council to be financially resilient, statutory consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information against the published criteria for local government reorganisation. The two-unitary proposal was judged as the best outcome for the area overall and to be deliverable on a sustainable financial basis.

Reorganisation will provide clearer accountability by making one council responsible for local services in each area. New unitary councils will also be required to establish effective neighbourhood governance arrangements, so that communities continue to have a meaningful voice in local decision-making.

The Government has published the decision letter and summary of the consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of opportunities for communities to hold accountable the new local government frameworks for Leicester and Leicestershire.

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

In deciding which proposal, if any, to implement in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the previous Secretary of State considered the expected costs and benefits of each proposal, the ability of each new council to be financially resilient, statutory consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information against the published criteria for local government reorganisation. The two-unitary proposal was judged as the best outcome for the area overall and to be deliverable on a sustainable financial basis.

Reorganisation will provide clearer accountability by making one council responsible for local services in each area. New unitary councils will also be required to establish effective neighbourhood governance arrangements, so that communities continue to have a meaningful voice in local decision-making.

The Government has published the decision letter and summary of the consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish a summary report of the consultation responses about the Government's plans for local government reorganisation in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland.

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

In deciding which proposal, if any, to implement in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the previous Secretary of State considered the expected costs and benefits of each proposal, the ability of each new council to be financially resilient, statutory consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information against the published criteria for local government reorganisation. The two-unitary proposal was judged as the best outcome for the area overall and to be deliverable on a sustainable financial basis.

Reorganisation will provide clearer accountability by making one council responsible for local services in each area. New unitary councils will also be required to establish effective neighbourhood governance arrangements, so that communities continue to have a meaningful voice in local decision-making.

The Government has published the decision letter and summary of the consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the business case supporting the Government's plans for Local Government reorganisation in Leicestershire.

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

In deciding which proposal, if any, to implement in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the previous Secretary of State considered the expected costs and benefits of each proposal, the ability of each new council to be financially resilient, statutory consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information against the published criteria for local government reorganisation. The two-unitary proposal was judged as the best outcome for the area overall and to be deliverable on a sustainable financial basis.

Reorganisation will provide clearer accountability by making one council responsible for local services in each area. New unitary councils will also be required to establish effective neighbourhood governance arrangements, so that communities continue to have a meaningful voice in local decision-making.

The Government has published the decision letter and summary of the consultation analysis on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with animal welfare charities about the revocation of exemption certificates for owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully type.

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

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal process so that owners who no longer believe that their dog meets the legal definition of an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Further details will be shared once the process has been finalised.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to WPQ 8165 answered on 29 July 2026 about Chagos Islands: Sovereignty and the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, during Departmental Questions on 1 September 2026, whether the issue of the UK Government's costs arising from the Chagos Treaty have been raised during discussions with the US Government.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

We worked in lockstep with the US in developing and testing the deal to ensure that it meets all UK and US security requirements. We have always been clear that the US Government must be content with the agreement before we proceed with ratifying the treaty. We will continue to work with the US and Mauritius to find a way forward that is in the UK's best interests and protects our national security.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of average levels of transport spending in the East Midlands on the development of transport infrastructure in [i] Leicestershire and [ii] the East Midlands.

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

All local transport authorities – including Leicestershire County Council – are provided with multi-year consolidated local transport funding settlements by my Department. This funding is largely allocated by formula to provide suitable funding to all areas.

Published allocations for Leicestershire County Council total £251,836,827 for 2026/27 to 2028/29 (2029/30 for capital).

These settlements give individual local transport authorities greater freedom and flexibility to make strategic decisions to develop and fund the priorities that best impact their local areas.

My Department will monitor the programmes as they are delivered, and evaluate their impact.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent conversations she has had with the British Berry Growers Association about the challenges faced by British Berry Growers.

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

Defra Ministers and officials engage regularly with a range of horticultural stakeholders, including the British Berry Growers association, to discuss opportunities and challenges facing the sector, including through the Horticulture Environment and Growth Group, of which they are a member, and which provides an important forum for engagement between government and industry on matters affecting horticultural businesses.

The Government is also working with industry, on a Horticulture Sector Growth Plan aiming to grow the sector’s profit. These are sector-led, using sector expertise to create evidence-based plans setting out a clear vision for growth and a practical pathway to deliver it.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the comments made by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, during Departmental Questions on 1 September 2026, how much of the funding for the UK- Mauritius Treaty on the Chagos Archipelago will be allocated from the existing spending review settlement for the FCDO.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

Payments will be published in the normal manner alongside other departmental spend in the annual accounts. No payments are due under the terms of the UK-Mauritius agreement until the Treaty has been ratified.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, What is her Department's policy on allowing residents of a newly formed strategic authority to vote on governance changes.

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

There is no statutory provision for a local referendum on the governance arrangements of a combined authority or combined county authority. A strategic authority's members are councillors appointed by its constituent councils and accountable to their local electorates, and where an authority is mayoral its mayor is directly elected by residents across the whole area. Residents therefore have a route to influence how governance changes are considered through their elected representatives.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made in finalising the Government's response to the consultation The Adoption Support that works for all: Reimagining adoption and kinship support, making it fit for the future.

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

Through our ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’ consultation, the department is considering evidence from adoptive and kinship families, and other stakeholders, about the support they would like to see made available.

The consultation included proposals to promote standardised needs assessments from multi-disciplinary teams. We are already funding Regional Adoption Agencies to develop multi-disciplinary teams, bringing together social care, health, and educational partners to deliver assessment and support to adopted and kinship children and families.

We currently plan to publish the government's response to the consultation later this year.

We are also assessing kinship families’ support requirements through the Kinship Zones pilot on the impact of financial allowances, assessed through independent evaluation. The National Kinship Care Ambassador has published learning in her report ‘Improving the Kinship Local Offer and Approach to Kinship Care’ and school census data collected from autumn 2026 will help improve the evidence base.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of Regional Adoption Agency Multi-Disciplinary Teams in providing differing levels of support for families who have adopted children and families who are kinship carers.

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

Through our ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’ consultation, the department is considering evidence from adoptive and kinship families, and other stakeholders, about the support they would like to see made available.

The consultation included proposals to promote standardised needs assessments from multi-disciplinary teams. We are already funding Regional Adoption Agencies to develop multi-disciplinary teams, bringing together social care, health, and educational partners to deliver assessment and support to adopted and kinship children and families.

We currently plan to publish the government's response to the consultation later this year.

We are also assessing kinship families’ support requirements through the Kinship Zones pilot on the impact of financial allowances, assessed through independent evaluation. The National Kinship Care Ambassador has published learning in her report ‘Improving the Kinship Local Offer and Approach to Kinship Care’ and school census data collected from autumn 2026 will help improve the evidence base.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the levels of support requirements for families who have adopted children and families who are kinship carers.

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

Through our ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’ consultation, the department is considering evidence from adoptive and kinship families, and other stakeholders, about the support they would like to see made available.

The consultation included proposals to promote standardised needs assessments from multi-disciplinary teams. We are already funding Regional Adoption Agencies to develop multi-disciplinary teams, bringing together social care, health, and educational partners to deliver assessment and support to adopted and kinship children and families.

We currently plan to publish the government's response to the consultation later this year.

We are also assessing kinship families’ support requirements through the Kinship Zones pilot on the impact of financial allowances, assessed through independent evaluation. The National Kinship Care Ambassador has published learning in her report ‘Improving the Kinship Local Offer and Approach to Kinship Care’ and school census data collected from autumn 2026 will help improve the evidence base.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Treasury on aligning transport funding in the East Midlands with other areas in England.

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

All local transport authorities – including those in the East Midlands – have been provided with multi-year consolidated local transport funding settlements over the current Spending Review Period (2026/27 to 2028/29 for resource funding and 2029/30 for capital funding). This funding is largely allocated by formula to provide suitable funding to all areas.

Local transport funding allocations beyond this time period will be considered as part of work led by HM Treasury at a future Spending Review.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the extent of progress by the Government Actuary's Department in conducting a factors review of Public Sector Pension Schemes.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) regularly review and, if appropriate, revise the actuarial factors in use in the Public Service Pension Schemes. In May 2026, a new SCAPE discount rate was announced. Updated factors for all the public service pension schemes were provided by GAD to scheme administrators within 11 days of the announcement. The factors are available on the GAD guidance hub and further details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-service-pension-schemes-new-cetv-factors

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body's findings that poorly implemented Advice and Guidance pathways have contributed to delayed diagnoses, missed diagnoses and delays to treatment.

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

The Advice and Guidance (A&G) model helps ensure that patients receive an appropriate and timely assessment, with clear next steps, in primary and community settings. Where specialist advice supports ongoing management in the community, patients can often be managed more quickly and closer to home, benefiting from earlier specialist input.

Under this Government, the A&G model has therefore supported millions of patients to receive care in the right place without unnecessarily having to join elective waiting lists, alongside the 2,000 extra general practitioners (GPs) we have recruited since July 2024. This is one of the reasons 77% of patients are now reporting a ‘good’ overall experience with their GP.

Under A&G, the clinical threshold for a referral remains unchanged, and GPs should continue to make a clinical decision to refer for specialist care where that is in the patient’s best interest. We will continue to assess the safety of the model and support providers to implement it effectively, and we have already commissioned an external evaluation of A&G, and Single Point of Access processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of survey findings from Pulse that general practitioners estimate that 36% of unsolicited Advice and Guidance responses include requests for work outside the remit of general practice.

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

The Advice and Guidance (A&G) model helps ensure that patients receive an appropriate and timely assessment, with clear next steps, in primary and community settings. Where specialist advice supports ongoing management in the community, patients can often be managed more quickly and closer to home, benefiting from earlier specialist input.

Under this Government, the A&G model has therefore supported millions of patients to receive care in the right place without unnecessarily having to join elective waiting lists, alongside the 2,000 extra general practitioners (GPs) we have recruited since July 2024. This is one of the reasons 77% of patients are now reporting a ‘good’ overall experience with their GP.

Under A&G, the clinical threshold for a referral remains unchanged, and GPs should continue to make a clinical decision to refer for specialist care where that is in the patient’s best interest. We will continue to assess the safety of the model and support providers to implement it effectively, and we have already commissioned an external evaluation of A&G, and Single Point of Access processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of survey findings from Pulse that general practitioners estimate around a quarter of referrals to secondary care are returned as unsolicited Advice and Guidance requests.

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

The Advice and Guidance (A&G) model helps ensure that patients receive an appropriate and timely assessment, with clear next steps, in primary and community settings. Where specialist advice supports ongoing management in the community, patients can often be managed more quickly and closer to home, benefiting from earlier specialist input.

Under this Government, the A&G model has therefore supported millions of patients to receive care in the right place without unnecessarily having to join elective waiting lists, alongside the 2,000 extra general practitioners (GPs) we have recruited since July 2024. This is one of the reasons 77% of patients are now reporting a ‘good’ overall experience with their GP.

Under A&G, the clinical threshold for a referral remains unchanged, and GPs should continue to make a clinical decision to refer for specialist care where that is in the patient’s best interest. We will continue to assess the safety of the model and support providers to implement it effectively, and we have already commissioned an external evaluation of A&G, and Single Point of Access processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department will accept the recommendation by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body that NHS England and the Department undertake a rapid evaluation of Advice and Guidance services.

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

The Advice and Guidance (A&G) model helps ensure that patients receive an appropriate and timely assessment, with clear next steps, in primary and community settings. Where specialist advice supports ongoing management in the community, patients can often be managed more quickly and closer to home, benefiting from earlier specialist input.

Under this Government, the A&G model has therefore supported millions of patients to receive care in the right place without unnecessarily having to join elective waiting lists, alongside the 2,000 extra general practitioners (GPs) we have recruited since July 2024. This is one of the reasons 77% of patients are now reporting a ‘good’ overall experience with their GP.

Under A&G, the clinical threshold for a referral remains unchanged, and GPs should continue to make a clinical decision to refer for specialist care where that is in the patient’s best interest. We will continue to assess the safety of the model and support providers to implement it effectively, and we have already commissioned an external evaluation of A&G, and Single Point of Access processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Royal College of Physicians survey finding that 47% of physicians providing Advice and Guidance have no dedicated time for that work within their job plans.

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

The Advice and Guidance (A&G) model helps ensure that patients receive an appropriate and timely assessment, with clear next steps, in primary and community settings. Where specialist advice supports ongoing management in the community, patients can often be managed more quickly and closer to home, benefiting from earlier specialist input.

Under this Government, the A&G model has therefore supported millions of patients to receive care in the right place without unnecessarily having to join elective waiting lists, alongside the 2,000 extra general practitioners (GPs) we have recruited since July 2024. This is one of the reasons 77% of patients are now reporting a ‘good’ overall experience with their GP.

Under A&G, the clinical threshold for a referral remains unchanged, and GPs should continue to make a clinical decision to refer for specialist care where that is in the patient’s best interest. We will continue to assess the safety of the model and support providers to implement it effectively, and we have already commissioned an external evaluation of A&G, and Single Point of Access processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Royal College of Physicians survey finding that 89% of physicians delivering Advice and Guidance have received no formal training.

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

The Advice and Guidance (A&G) model helps ensure that patients receive an appropriate and timely assessment, with clear next steps, in primary and community settings. Where specialist advice supports ongoing management in the community, patients can often be managed more quickly and closer to home, benefiting from earlier specialist input.

Under this Government, the A&G model has therefore supported millions of patients to receive care in the right place without unnecessarily having to join elective waiting lists, alongside the 2,000 extra general practitioners (GPs) we have recruited since July 2024. This is one of the reasons 77% of patients are now reporting a ‘good’ overall experience with their GP.

Under A&G, the clinical threshold for a referral remains unchanged, and GPs should continue to make a clinical decision to refer for specialist care where that is in the patient’s best interest. We will continue to assess the safety of the model and support providers to implement it effectively, and we have already commissioned an external evaluation of A&G, and Single Point of Access processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance NHS England has issued to providers on the circumstances in which a referral may be returned to a general practitioner as unsolicited Advice and Guidance.

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

The Advice and Guidance (A&G) model helps ensure that patients receive an appropriate and timely assessment, with clear next steps, in primary and community settings. Where specialist advice supports ongoing management in the community, patients can often be managed more quickly and closer to home, benefiting from earlier specialist input.

Under this Government, the A&G model has therefore supported millions of patients to receive care in the right place without unnecessarily having to join elective waiting lists, alongside the 2,000 extra general practitioners (GPs) we have recruited since July 2024. This is one of the reasons 77% of patients are now reporting a ‘good’ overall experience with their GP.

Under A&G, the clinical threshold for a referral remains unchanged, and GPs should continue to make a clinical decision to refer for specialist care where that is in the patient’s best interest. We will continue to assess the safety of the model and support providers to implement it effectively, and we have already commissioned an external evaluation of A&G, and Single Point of Access processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the additional consultant time required to support Advice and Guidance requests.

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

The Advice and Guidance (A&G) model helps ensure that patients receive an appropriate and timely assessment, with clear next steps, in primary and community settings. Where specialist advice supports ongoing management in the community, patients can often be managed more quickly and closer to home, benefiting from earlier specialist input.

Under this Government, the A&G model has therefore supported millions of patients to receive care in the right place without unnecessarily having to join elective waiting lists, alongside the 2,000 extra general practitioners (GPs) we have recruited since July 2024. This is one of the reasons 77% of patients are now reporting a ‘good’ overall experience with their GP.

Under A&G, the clinical threshold for a referral remains unchanged, and GPs should continue to make a clinical decision to refer for specialist care where that is in the patient’s best interest. We will continue to assess the safety of the model and support providers to implement it effectively, and we have already commissioned an external evaluation of A&G, and Single Point of Access processes.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the work by the Gambling Industry to reduce gambling harm amongst consumers.

Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

We are committed to working with industry to strengthen protections and reduce the risk of gambling-related harm. Since the election we have worked with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Gambling Commission, to raise standards. We consistently monitor the effectiveness of both recent reforms and voluntary actions.

These changes have included, but are not limited to: the introduction of the statutory gambling levy; increased customer choice regarding marketing; the banning of harmful and confusing incentives; strengthened rules around advertising on social media; and the upcoming, careful implementation of financial risk checks. The gambling industry also enforces the Industry Group for Socially Responsible Gambling’s Code for Socially Responsible Advertising (IGRG Code) which includes a number of rules designed to ensure advertising is socially responsible. In land-based venues, an agreement has been reached to strengthen the self-exclusion process, and operators have announced facial recognition trials to support the identification of self-excluded individuals. Together, these measures boost fairness, increase openness, and strengthen protections to prevent excessive or harmful gambling and improve outcomes for the public.

As the statutory regulator for gambling in Great Britain, the Gambling Commission has a responsibility to ensure that gambling businesses are compliant in making gambling safer and fairer.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to WPQ 16079 answered on 14 July 2026 about 'Marriage, Relatives,' if he will publish the evidence that the number of first cousins choosing to marry in England is declining.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government does not collect data on the prevalence of first cousin marriage. The evidence referenced in WPQ 16079 relates to longitudinal research from the Born in Bradford programme which shows that rates of consanguineous relationships have fallen substantially over time.

As a matter of course, officials at the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Health and Social Care work collaboratively on the topic of cousin marriage, including on the risk of congenital birth defects posed to children of closely related parents.

We recognise the serious concerns that have been raised on this issue. As any responsible Government would do, we will be considering all options on how to tackle first cousin marriage.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will introduce measures to progress changes to the Marriage Act 1949 and the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to place restrictions on first cousin marriage.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government does not collect data on the prevalence of first cousin marriage. The evidence referenced in WPQ 16079 relates to longitudinal research from the Born in Bradford programme which shows that rates of consanguineous relationships have fallen substantially over time.

As a matter of course, officials at the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Health and Social Care work collaboratively on the topic of cousin marriage, including on the risk of congenital birth defects posed to children of closely related parents.

We recognise the serious concerns that have been raised on this issue. As any responsible Government would do, we will be considering all options on how to tackle first cousin marriage.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent conversations he has had with health bodies on the increased risk of congenital birth defects to children whose parents are first cousins.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government does not collect data on the prevalence of first cousin marriage. The evidence referenced in WPQ 16079 relates to longitudinal research from the Born in Bradford programme which shows that rates of consanguineous relationships have fallen substantially over time.

As a matter of course, officials at the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Health and Social Care work collaboratively on the topic of cousin marriage, including on the risk of congenital birth defects posed to children of closely related parents.

We recognise the serious concerns that have been raised on this issue. As any responsible Government would do, we will be considering all options on how to tackle first cousin marriage.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will have discussions with hairdressing and beauty industry representatives on the potential impact of increasing levels of sector-based self-employment on the number of apprenticeship opportunities for young people to enter the hair and beauty industry.

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

Apprenticeship standards supporting the hair and beauty sector include the Level 2 Hairdressing Professional and Level 2 Barbering Professional standards.

The Government is investing £2.5 billion by 2029 through the Youth Guarantee and the additional funding for the Growth and Skills Levy, creating opportunities for young people to access work, training and apprenticeships.

We are providing financial support to employers to recruit young apprentices, including hiring payments, Youth Jobs Grants and incentive payments for eligible apprentices.

Apprenticeship training is now fully funded for all eligible under-25s, while the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network supports employers to recruit and retain apprentices. Skills England continues to engage with the sector to understand and address barriers to apprenticeship take-up.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, following the redistribution of the responsibilities of the Department for Science and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure the effective oversight of science and technology investment for projects that involve the interest of several different Government Departments.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The government remains committed to ensuring effective oversight of science and technology investment across departments.

Individual departments remain responsible for their own science and technology budgets. Following the transfer of science and innovation responsibilities to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, the government continues to ensure effective cross-government oversight through existing cross-departmental governance arrangements for science and technology, bringing departments together to align investments, share evidence and identify opportunities for collaboration on shared priorities.

The Department will continue to work with Ministers, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, the CSA network, HMT and senior R&D officials across Government to maintain a strategic view of science and technology investment across Government, and help ensure that science and technology investment delivers maximum benefit for the UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to WPQ 18148 answered on 16 July 2026 about 'Farms Water,' when does she intend to publish an outcome.

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

The Environment Agency is reviewing its approach to high-flow abstraction to help farmers store water when it is available and to simplify access to long-duration abstraction licences. The review is ongoing, and its findings will be published in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority about their progress in supporting the delivery of large infrastructure projects.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Chancellor of the Exchequer meets regularly with HM Treasury officials, to discuss a range of matters relating to the government's priorities, including infrastructure delivery.

NISTA is focused on the delivery of the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, strengthening project delivery capability, improving assurance and oversight of major projects, removing barriers to delivery and ensuring infrastructure investment delivers value for money and supports economic growth.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what conversations is she having with [i] Water Companies and [ii] Environment Agency about communication to affected farmers and landowners about water abstraction changes and infrastructure developments.

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

Ministers engage regularly with both the Environment Agency (EA) and water companies on drought preparedness and response, including through the National Drought Group, to assess drought impacts and coordinate action across sectors, including agriculture. The National Farmers' Union represents the farming sector on the National Drought Group, helping to inform planning, response and resilience measures to protect food production. This engagement informed the Government’s package of support for farmers affected by drought, announced in August.

The EA also works closely with farmers, landowners and their representative bodies to communicate changes to water abstraction and support long-term water resilience. They provide updates through drought briefings, stakeholder forums and the Farming Advice Service. Farmers and landowners are encouraged to talk to local EA teams about abstraction changes, available support and options to improve resilience, including water sharing, on-farm storage and other local solutions.

Water companies also work with affected customers and stakeholders to provide information and advice during periods of drought.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she is having with [a] water companies and [b] the Environment Agency about maintaining food production during periods of drought.

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

Ministers engage regularly with both the Environment Agency (EA) and water companies on drought preparedness and response, including through the National Drought Group, to assess drought impacts and coordinate action across sectors, including agriculture. The National Farmers' Union represents the farming sector on the National Drought Group, helping to inform planning, response and resilience measures to protect food production. This engagement informed the Government’s package of support for farmers affected by drought, announced in August.

The EA also works closely with farmers, landowners and their representative bodies to communicate changes to water abstraction and support long-term water resilience. They provide updates through drought briefings, stakeholder forums and the Farming Advice Service. Farmers and landowners are encouraged to talk to local EA teams about abstraction changes, available support and options to improve resilience, including water sharing, on-farm storage and other local solutions.

Water companies also work with affected customers and stakeholders to provide information and advice during periods of drought.

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 merits of the role played by [i] Leicestershire and [ii] East Midlands in the fostering of scientific expertise and knowledge to [a] advance the UK's reputation for scientific research and [b] contribute to regional economic growth.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Innovation is central to delivering good growth in every part of the UK. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invested £596 million in the East Midlands in 2023/24, including £172 million in Leicestershire, Rutland & Northamptonshire.

Up to £20 million has been allocated to the East Midlands through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, supporting manufacturers to scale up clean energy and advanced production technologies.

Government is also backing Midlands Mindforge, the investment company dedicated to supporting university spin-outs in the Midlands, helping unlock an initial £30 million of capital.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will conduct a review of water abstraction licensing for farmers to ensure that any regime better captures winter flows and periods of high rainfall.

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

The Government encourages the use of reservoirs to store high winter flows.

To enable farmers to make better use of available water during wetter periods, Defra is taking steps towards a more dynamic abstraction licensing system and encouraging the use of reservoirs to store high winter flows.

The Environment Agency has committed to review its approach to abstraction at high flows to support the filling of on-farm reservoirs during wetter periods. This will help farmers store water for use during dry weather while maintaining environmental protection.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent assessment has he made about trends in the use of AI to misrepresent products to consumers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government is committed to ensuring that consumers can shop online with confidence and that businesses using AI do so in compliance with consumer protection legislation. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 prohibits unfair commercial practices, including misleading actions, and strengthens the CMA’s enforcement powers with the ability to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover for businesses that are found to breach consumer law.

The CMA has also recently published guidance for businesses using agentic AI on complying with consumer law, making clear that businesses remain responsible for the outputs of AI systems they deploy.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if he will have discussions with hairdressing and beauty industry representatives on the potential impact of increasing levels of sector-based self-employment on the ability for employees to afford pension provision.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government recognises the important contribution that hairdressing and beauty businesses make to the UK economy and local communities. We regularly engage with representatives from the sector through established forums, including the Personal Care Sector Roundtable, which I chair. These discussions provide an opportunity to hear directly from businesses and representative bodies on a range of issues affecting the sector, including workforce and employment matters.

Last year the Government revived the Pensions Commission to examine how to improve retirement outcomes for future generations, especially for those groups at the greatest risk of under-saving, including the self-employed. Its interim report, published on 19 May 2026, sets out the key challenges with the current system and priorities for its next phase of work. The Government looks forward to receiving the Commission's final report and recommendations in early 2027.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the effectiveness of the [i] School Food Regulations 2014, [ii] School Food Standards practical guide, [iii] School food standards: resources for schools and [iv] School Food in England and consider the potential merits of adding references to the slaughter methods of meat to [a] provide information to people to understand how their meat is prepared and produced and to [b] provide information to parents and guardians about the school food that their children are eating.

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

The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England. They do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural and religious needs.

Beyond the School Food Standards, headteachers, governors and their catering providers are best placed to make decisions about school food policies and provision. The department expects schools to act reasonably by offering choices that take account of cultural, religious and special dietary needs and to work with parents to make appropriate arrangements. Schools should decide how they engage parents about food provision and how they hold discussions. Schools are also best placed to determine what works best for their pupils and wider school community.

All meat produced in UK slaughterhouses must meet the animal welfare standards set out in legislation, which requires animals to be stunned before slaughter so that they are unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception is where animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites. There is no legal requirement to label meat from animals slaughtered without prior stunning. However, where such information is provided, it must be accurate and must not mislead consumers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the potential impact of the Government food procurement and guidance on the use of slaughtered and non-slaughtered meat on (a) meeting animal welfare standards and (b) awareness amongst caterers and diners of slaughtered and non-slaughtered meat in meals.

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

The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England. They do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural and religious needs.

Beyond the School Food Standards, headteachers, governors and their catering providers are best placed to make decisions about school food policies and provision. The department expects schools to act reasonably by offering choices that take account of cultural, religious and special dietary needs and to work with parents to make appropriate arrangements. Schools should decide how they engage parents about food provision and how they hold discussions. Schools are also best placed to determine what works best for their pupils and wider school community.

All meat produced in UK slaughterhouses must meet the animal welfare standards set out in legislation, which requires animals to be stunned before slaughter so that they are unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception is where animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites. There is no legal requirement to label meat from animals slaughtered without prior stunning. However, where such information is provided, it must be accurate and must not mislead consumers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the methods by which schools interpret the concept of reasonable adjustments referred to in the 2023 School Food in England guidance to source stunned and non-stunned meat for the medical, dietary and cultural needs of school diners.

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

The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England. They do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural and religious needs.

Beyond the School Food Standards, headteachers, governors and their catering providers are best placed to make decisions about school food policies and provision. The department expects schools to act reasonably by offering choices that take account of cultural, religious and special dietary needs and to work with parents to make appropriate arrangements. Schools should decide how they engage parents about food provision and how they hold discussions. Schools are also best placed to determine what works best for their pupils and wider school community.

All meat produced in UK slaughterhouses must meet the animal welfare standards set out in legislation, which requires animals to be stunned before slaughter so that they are unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception is where animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites. There is no legal requirement to label meat from animals slaughtered without prior stunning. However, where such information is provided, it must be accurate and must not mislead consumers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of VAT thresholds on the ability for hair and beauty establishments to expand their service provision and employ more staff.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This means the majority of UK businesses are not in the VAT system at all. 

Any consideration of changes to the threshold would have to carefully balance potential impacts on small businesses, the economy as a whole, and tax revenues.  

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of armed forces veterans awaiting an outcome to Cash Equivalent Transfer Value enquiries for pension benefits.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

1,585 Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) members are currently awaiting an outcome to their Cash Equivalent Value (CEV) enquiry in relation to divorce proceedings. In addition, there are 186 members awaiting a Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV) for pension transfer purposes.

A CEV is the cash value assigned to a member's pension benefits and is used by the court to determine a Pension Sharing Order (PSO).

The delay in processing CEVs affected by the 2015 Pension Remedy is due to the initial divorce guidance being insufficient and further guidance was required from the Government Actuary's Department (GAD). Time was also required for the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) pension administrator to implement new calculation processes arising from the updated guidance. These are now being processed in the order received, with priority given to clearing outstanding cases before new requests.

In addition, the introduction of revised actuarial factors, along with the additional time needed to update administration systems and calculations following receipt of these factors, has affected the delivery of CEVs for members.

The 2015 Pension Remedy, also known as the McCloud Judgement, is a complex piece of legislation that requires detailed guidance to implement, including aspects related to divorce. This challenge is not unique to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) or the MOD.

Updates are published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#divorce

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces veterans are currently awaiting an outcome to their Cash Equivalent Transfer Value enquiry for their pension benefits.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

1,585 Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) members are currently awaiting an outcome to their Cash Equivalent Value (CEV) enquiry in relation to divorce proceedings. In addition, there are 186 members awaiting a Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV) for pension transfer purposes.

A CEV is the cash value assigned to a member's pension benefits and is used by the court to determine a Pension Sharing Order (PSO).

The delay in processing CEVs affected by the 2015 Pension Remedy is due to the initial divorce guidance being insufficient and further guidance was required from the Government Actuary's Department (GAD). Time was also required for the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) pension administrator to implement new calculation processes arising from the updated guidance. These are now being processed in the order received, with priority given to clearing outstanding cases before new requests.

In addition, the introduction of revised actuarial factors, along with the additional time needed to update administration systems and calculations following receipt of these factors, has affected the delivery of CEVs for members.

The 2015 Pension Remedy, also known as the McCloud Judgement, is a complex piece of legislation that requires detailed guidance to implement, including aspects related to divorce. This challenge is not unique to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) or the MOD.

Updates are published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#divorce

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Science and Technologies Facilities Council about the impact of [i] increasing energy costs and [ii] changing foreign exchange rates due to the STFC's subscriptions to international projects.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I met with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Executive Chair, Professor Michele Dougherty, in August to discuss the council’s strategic programmes and infrastructure investments. UK Research and Innovation undertook a comprehensive, evidence-based prioritisation exercise to address rising operational costs while maintaining a financially sustainable portfolio. The reprioritisation has come as a result of increased cost pressures from energy, inflation, foreign exchange, staffing costs and an expanded portfolio of activity. STFC has set out a plan to live within its budget while protecting the capabilities that matter most to the UK’s long-term scientific and international standing.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Science and Technologies Facilities Council on the potential impact of the withdrawal of funding for e-Merlin at the Jodrell Bank on the UK's reputation for radio astronomy.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I met with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Executive Chair, Professor Michele Dougherty, in August to discuss the council’s strategic programmes and infrastructure investments. Current funding for e-MERLIN remains in place until 31 March 2028, allowing for a managed transition for the research community. To maintain the UK's long-term capability in radio astronomy, the Government continues to prioritise investment in the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, with £327 million committed between 2021 and 2030. Jodrell Bank will continue to host the international SKAO headquarters, supporting global scientific collaboration.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, pursuant to WPQ 17716 answered on 17 July 2026 about Artificial Intelligence: West Midlands, what recent estimate he has made of the number of workers receiving essential AI skills in [i] Leicestershire and [ii] the East Midlands.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Government is determined to ensure the benefits of artificial intelligence are felt in every part of the country, including Leicestershire and the wider East Midlands. Through AI Skills Boost we are providing free AI training for all, with over 1.7 million AI training courses delivered across the UK since June 2025. We remain committed to equipping 10 million workers across the UK with AI skills by 2030 and making the UK the fastest adopting AI country in the G7. This national upskilling offer is available to all to workers and businesses across the East Midlands.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, pursuant to WPQ 17716 answered on 17 July 2026 about Artificial Intelligence: West Midlands, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of progress in meeting the commitments of the AI Action Plan in [i] Leicestershire and [ii] the East Midlands.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out UK-wide commitments rather than for individual regions. That plan is delivering. By January 2026, we met 38 of the Action Plan’s 50 commitments, driving AI adoption, progress across public services and the foundations for economic growth. A dashboard setting out progress is here.

This is giving people the skills to thrive in an AI-enabled economy, modernising public services, and building the economic foundations for long-term growth. Communities, public services and businesses in Leicestershire, the East Midlands and across the UK can continue to benefit from this Government delivering on the Action Plan.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the Department will consider the flow of the academic year and how exams are scheduled in light of extreme weather events.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has published guidance about hot weather and heatwaves and is available at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/hot-weather-and-heatwaves-guidance-for-schools-and-other-education-settings/. The guidance is based on UK Health Security Agency advice to support education settings. In most cases, schools remain the safest place for children during hot weather, as staff can monitor pupils, encourage hydration and take steps to keep them comfortable. Schools and colleges are expected to take reasonable steps to provide suitable conditions for students taking exams.

The exam timetable is designed to support the fair and efficient delivery of exams for students across England, and the timing of exams ensures that results are provided to pupils on time in August to support them to progress to further and higher education, employment and training.

Responsibility for the administration of GCSE, AS and A level qualifications, including arrangements for exam timetables and special consideration, rests with the independent awarding organisations. The department does, however, continue to work with Ofqual, awarding organisations, schools and colleges to support the safe and effective delivery of exams and to consider lessons learned from recent periods of extreme weather.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to WPQ 13718 answered on 1 July 2026 on Fires, what steps will the National Resilience Wildlife Advisor take to assess the impact of the wildfires in 2026 on whether further national capabilities will be needed to boost wildfire resilience.

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

Fire and rescue services are fully aware of the growing risk of wildfires and, working with their Local Resilience Forum partners, are responsible for maintaining the necessary plans and capabilities required to manage that risk.

Each fire and rescue authority is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in their area (including wildfire), through their Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), informed by engagement with other key local responders. Across the country there are many examples of collaborative working at the local level between land managers, those with local knowledge, first responders and other stakeholders before, during and after wildfires. The National Wildfire Advisor will be looped into a lot of these conversations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of chronic balance disorders on employment outcomes and economic productivity.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vestibular and balance disorders can significantly affect an individual's balance, mobility, and ability to carry out daily activities, which may in some cases affect their ability to work. The Government remains committed to improving timely diagnosis and care for people with these conditions, and ensuring that they are able to access clear information and support, including through the NHS.UK website, which offers accessible guidance on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, and signposts to relevant support where appropriate.

The Department also supports healthcare professionals to identify and manage vestibular and balance disorders through evidence-based guidance. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on ‘Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral’, reference code NG127, includes specific recommendations for the assessment and management of adults presenting with dizziness and vertigo, and helps clinicians identify when specialist referral may be appropriate.

Additionally, NICE provides Clinical Knowledge Summaries on vertigo, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuronitis, and Ménière's disease. Alongside NG127, this guidance helps general practitioners to recognise potential vestibular disorders, undertake appropriate initial assessment, and refer patients for specialist investigation where necessary. Clinicians are expected to have regard to NICE guidance when making decisions about patient care.

The Department does not currently hold the requested data on average waiting times, or regional variations in diagnosis and treatment, but we remain determined to reduce waiting times and regional variations across all areas of National Health Service support, while empowering integrated care boards to plan services according to the needs of their local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of regional variation in access to specialist diagnosis and treatment services for patients with vestibular and balance disorders.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vestibular and balance disorders can significantly affect an individual's balance, mobility, and ability to carry out daily activities, which may in some cases affect their ability to work. The Government remains committed to improving timely diagnosis and care for people with these conditions, and ensuring that they are able to access clear information and support, including through the NHS.UK website, which offers accessible guidance on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, and signposts to relevant support where appropriate.

The Department also supports healthcare professionals to identify and manage vestibular and balance disorders through evidence-based guidance. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on ‘Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral’, reference code NG127, includes specific recommendations for the assessment and management of adults presenting with dizziness and vertigo, and helps clinicians identify when specialist referral may be appropriate.

Additionally, NICE provides Clinical Knowledge Summaries on vertigo, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuronitis, and Ménière's disease. Alongside NG127, this guidance helps general practitioners to recognise potential vestibular disorders, undertake appropriate initial assessment, and refer patients for specialist investigation where necessary. Clinicians are expected to have regard to NICE guidance when making decisions about patient care.

The Department does not currently hold the requested data on average waiting times, or regional variations in diagnosis and treatment, but we remain determined to reduce waiting times and regional variations across all areas of National Health Service support, while empowering integrated care boards to plan services according to the needs of their local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve GP awareness and recognition of serious balance disorders.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vestibular and balance disorders can significantly affect an individual's balance, mobility, and ability to carry out daily activities, which may in some cases affect their ability to work. The Government remains committed to improving timely diagnosis and care for people with these conditions, and ensuring that they are able to access clear information and support, including through the NHS.UK website, which offers accessible guidance on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, and signposts to relevant support where appropriate.

The Department also supports healthcare professionals to identify and manage vestibular and balance disorders through evidence-based guidance. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on ‘Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral’, reference code NG127, includes specific recommendations for the assessment and management of adults presenting with dizziness and vertigo, and helps clinicians identify when specialist referral may be appropriate.

Additionally, NICE provides Clinical Knowledge Summaries on vertigo, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuronitis, and Ménière's disease. Alongside NG127, this guidance helps general practitioners to recognise potential vestibular disorders, undertake appropriate initial assessment, and refer patients for specialist investigation where necessary. Clinicians are expected to have regard to NICE guidance when making decisions about patient care.

The Department does not currently hold the requested data on average waiting times, or regional variations in diagnosis and treatment, but we remain determined to reduce waiting times and regional variations across all areas of National Health Service support, while empowering integrated care boards to plan services according to the needs of their local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered establishing regional centres for the diagnosis and treatment of complex balance disorders.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vestibular and balance disorders can significantly affect an individual's balance, mobility, and ability to carry out daily activities, which may in some cases affect their ability to work. The Government remains committed to improving timely diagnosis and care for people with these conditions, and ensuring that they are able to access clear information and support, including through the NHS.UK website, which offers accessible guidance on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, and signposts to relevant support where appropriate.

The Department also supports healthcare professionals to identify and manage vestibular and balance disorders through evidence-based guidance. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on ‘Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral’, reference code NG127, includes specific recommendations for the assessment and management of adults presenting with dizziness and vertigo, and helps clinicians identify when specialist referral may be appropriate.

Additionally, NICE provides Clinical Knowledge Summaries on vertigo, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuronitis, and Ménière's disease. Alongside NG127, this guidance helps general practitioners to recognise potential vestibular disorders, undertake appropriate initial assessment, and refer patients for specialist investigation where necessary. Clinicians are expected to have regard to NICE guidance when making decisions about patient care.

The Department does not currently hold the requested data on average waiting times, or regional variations in diagnosis and treatment, but we remain determined to reduce waiting times and regional variations across all areas of National Health Service support, while empowering integrated care boards to plan services according to the needs of their local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for a patient referred for specialist assessment of a vestibular or balance disorder in each of the last five years.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vestibular and balance disorders can significantly affect an individual's balance, mobility, and ability to carry out daily activities, which may in some cases affect their ability to work. The Government remains committed to improving timely diagnosis and care for people with these conditions, and ensuring that they are able to access clear information and support, including through the NHS.UK website, which offers accessible guidance on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, and signposts to relevant support where appropriate.

The Department also supports healthcare professionals to identify and manage vestibular and balance disorders through evidence-based guidance. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on ‘Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral’, reference code NG127, includes specific recommendations for the assessment and management of adults presenting with dizziness and vertigo, and helps clinicians identify when specialist referral may be appropriate.

Additionally, NICE provides Clinical Knowledge Summaries on vertigo, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuronitis, and Ménière's disease. Alongside NG127, this guidance helps general practitioners to recognise potential vestibular disorders, undertake appropriate initial assessment, and refer patients for specialist investigation where necessary. Clinicians are expected to have regard to NICE guidance when making decisions about patient care.

The Department does not currently hold the requested data on average waiting times, or regional variations in diagnosis and treatment, but we remain determined to reduce waiting times and regional variations across all areas of National Health Service support, while empowering integrated care boards to plan services according to the needs of their local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance NHS England provides to balance disorder services on signposting patients to voluntary sector and peer-support organisations.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vestibular and balance disorders can significantly affect an individual's balance, mobility, and ability to carry out daily activities, which may in some cases affect their ability to work. The Government remains committed to improving timely diagnosis and care for people with these conditions, and ensuring that they are able to access clear information and support, including through the NHS.UK website, which offers accessible guidance on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, and signposts to relevant support where appropriate.

The Department also supports healthcare professionals to identify and manage vestibular and balance disorders through evidence-based guidance. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on ‘Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral’, reference code NG127, includes specific recommendations for the assessment and management of adults presenting with dizziness and vertigo, and helps clinicians identify when specialist referral may be appropriate.

Additionally, NICE provides Clinical Knowledge Summaries on vertigo, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuronitis, and Ménière's disease. Alongside NG127, this guidance helps general practitioners to recognise potential vestibular disorders, undertake appropriate initial assessment, and refer patients for specialist investigation where necessary. Clinicians are expected to have regard to NICE guidance when making decisions about patient care.

The Department does not currently hold the requested data on average waiting times, or regional variations in diagnosis and treatment, but we remain determined to reduce waiting times and regional variations across all areas of National Health Service support, while empowering integrated care boards to plan services according to the needs of their local populations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of an enhanced A5 on (a) regional connectivity between the East and the West Midlands and (b) aligning East Midlands transport spending in line with comparative regions.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), published in March 2026, included a series of improvements to the A5 as part of the pipeline of future planned enhancement schemes to be delivered in the 2030s. These schemes, should they pass the necessary business case and other approvals in due course, would improve the performance of the A5 as a key strategic route connecting the East and West Midlands and would represent a significant investment for the region.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what conversations is she currently having with [i] Leicestershire County Council [ii] the Mayor of the East Midlands, and [iii] pan-regional bodies to determine the funding for local transport priorities in Leicestershire.

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

All local transport authorities – including Leicestershire County Council and East Midlands Combined County Authority – are provided with multi-year consolidated local transport funding settlements by my Department. This funding is largely allocated by formula to provide suitable funding to all areas.

These settlements give individual local transport authorities greater freedom and flexibility to make strategic decisions to fund the priorities that best impact their local areas.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to WPQ 8165 answered on 29 July 2026 about Chagos Islands: Sovereignty and the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, during Departmental Questions on 1 September 2026, what discussions he is having with departmental colleagues to determine the proportion of his Department's budget to be spent on the Chagos treaty in each remaining year of the current Parliament.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia is crucial to the security of the UK and our key allies, and to keeping the British people safe. Maintaining long-term operational control of Diego Garcia is the entire basis for the UK-Mauritius Agreement on the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). This is the best way to ensure that the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia remains secure and to protect its operations from legal challenge.

The UK continues to engage closely with the United States and Mauritius on the way forward for the UK-Mauritius Agreement.

Discussions regarding the Chagos treaty are ongoing and any future decisions will be managed as part of the Department's usual financial planning processes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the comments made by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, during Departmental Questions on 1 September 2026, how much of the funding for the UK- Mauritius Treaty on the Chagos Archipelago will be allocated from the existing spending review settlement for the Ministry of Defence.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia is crucial to the security of the UK and our key allies, and to keeping the British people safe. Maintaining long-term operational control of Diego Garcia is the entire basis for the UK-Mauritius Agreement on the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). This is the best way to ensure that the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia remains secure and to protect its operations from legal challenge.

The UK continues to engage closely with the United States and Mauritius on the way forward for the UK-Mauritius Agreement.

Discussions regarding the Chagos treaty are ongoing and any future decisions will be managed as part of the Department's usual financial planning processes.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the levels of hidden economic activity and disguised employment practices within the hairdressing and beauty industry.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

HMRC is committed to ensuring the tax system operates fairly and efficiently, creating a level playing field for compliant businesses. The majority of taxpayers (individuals/businesses) pay what they owe, but a small minority operate in the ‘hidden economy’.

HMRC does not separately estimate the levels of hidden economic activity and disguised employment practices within the hairdressing and beauty industry. These activities are included within the PAYE tax gap, for those that are registered for PAYE, and the hidden economy tax gap for those who are completely unknown to HMRC. The tax gaps are the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC and what is actually paid.

Overall, for the tax year 2024 to 2025 the tax gap for PAYE is estimated to be £4.4 billion, and the hidden economy tax gap is estimated to be £3.6 billion.

The tax gap statistics are published annually and are available at: Measuring tax gaps 2026 edition: tax gap estimates for 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the potential development of (a) the Ivanhoe Line and (b) other new railway projects in Leicestershire to (i) support regional connectivity and (ii) align East Midlands transport spending in line with comparative regions.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Rail investment plays an important role in supporting regional connectivity. Published allocations for Leicestershire County Council total £251,836,827 for 2026/27 to 2028/29 (2029/30 for capital). These settlements give individual local transport authorities greater freedom and flexibility to make strategic decisions to develop and fund the priorities that best impact their local areas.

Proposals for schemes including the Ivanhoe Line may be brought forward by local authorities for potential Government investment. Such proposals would need to take account of affordability, value for money, and alignment with our strategic priorities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure the prosperity of rural and less economically productive areas where significant business rate-generating sites are transferred to larger urban authorities.

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

The Government is committed to delivering good growth in every postcode. That includes creating strong growth engines for all areas, including cities, towns, rural and coastal areas.

The 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement strengthened the link between funding allocations and local need, helping to ensure that all areas, including rural communities, have access to sustainable funding regardless of the location of major business rate-generating sites.

The share of business rates retained by the sector is periodically redistributed on the basis of need to spend and an up-to-date assessment of how much business rates are raised within each authority. Within these periods, a portion of business rates growth can also be retained locally. It will be up to local leaders to decide how to spend funding from business rates within a local authority boundary.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 July 2026 to Question 8165 on Chagos Islands: Sovereignty and with reference to comments made by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, during Departmental Questions on 1 September 2026, what recent representations he has made to the Treasury about the proportion of the budget that needs to be allocated to the Chagos treaty in the context of future UK expenditure on foreign affairs.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

Payments will be published in the normal manner alongside other departmental spend in the annual accounts. No payments are due under the terms of the UK-Mauritius agreement until the Treaty has been ratified.

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 ensure patients are aware of community optometry services as an alternative to attending Emergency Departments for urgent eye conditions.

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

Integrated care boards are responsible for deciding whether to commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices to meet the needs of their local populations. This is in line with the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to local decision making.

As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £20 million to equip high street optometrists with the digital tools they need to refer patients faster and more accurately, helping more people get convenient eye care closer to home.

Accident and emergency departments should still be used for genuine emergencies, and we expect patients to be assessed and directed to the service that best meets their needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by the Association of Optometrists that up to 400,000 people are attending emergency departments for eye issues that could be treated on the high street.

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

Integrated care boards are responsible for deciding whether to commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices to meet the needs of their local populations. This is in line with the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to local decision making.

As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £20 million to equip high street optometrists with the digital tools they need to refer patients faster and more accurately, helping more people get convenient eye care closer to home.

Accident and emergency departments should still be used for genuine emergencies, and we expect patients to be assessed and directed to the service that best meets their needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using community optometrists to reduce pressure on Emergency Departments as part of the Government's neighbourhood health agenda.

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

Integrated care boards are responsible for deciding whether to commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices to meet the needs of their local populations. This is in line with the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to local decision making.

As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £20 million to equip high street optometrists with the digital tools they need to refer patients faster and more accurately, helping more people get convenient eye care closer to home.

Accident and emergency departments should still be used for genuine emergencies, and we expect patients to be assessed and directed to the service that best meets their needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of expanding community optometry-led urgent eye care services on reducing attendances at Emergency Departments.

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

Integrated care boards are responsible for deciding whether to commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices to meet the needs of their local populations. This is in line with the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to local decision making.

As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £20 million to equip high street optometrists with the digital tools they need to refer patients faster and more accurately, helping more people get convenient eye care closer to home.

Accident and emergency departments should still be used for genuine emergencies, and we expect patients to be assessed and directed to the service that best meets their needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role does she plan for community optometry to play in delivering the Government's commitment to shift care from hospitals into the community.

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

Integrated care boards are responsible for deciding whether to commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices to meet the needs of their local populations. This is in line with the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to local decision making.

As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £20 million to equip high street optometrists with the digital tools they need to refer patients faster and more accurately, helping more people get convenient eye care closer to home.

Accident and emergency departments should still be used for genuine emergencies, and we expect patients to be assessed and directed to the service that best meets their needs.

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 reduce avoidable eye-related attendances at Emergency Departments.

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

Integrated care boards are responsible for deciding whether to commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices to meet the needs of their local populations. This is in line with the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to local decision making.

As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £20 million to equip high street optometrists with the digital tools they need to refer patients faster and more accurately, helping more people get convenient eye care closer to home.

Accident and emergency departments should still be used for genuine emergencies, and we expect patients to be assessed and directed to the service that best meets their needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of (a) business rates and (b) national insurance contribution increases on the financial viability of community pharmacies.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given on 17 June in response to Question 6747, and on 20 April in response to Question 125961.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of pharmacies reducing their opening hours on (a) patient care and (b) the wider healthcare system.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given on 17 June in response to Question 6747, and on 20 April in response to Question 125961.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is she taking to respond to the requests of the Patient Safety Commissioner about [i] the DHASC's engagement with the Hughes Report [ii] the action of the DHASC to consider policy decisions, costs and feasibility, and [iii] the plans of the DHASC about redress and to respond to the Hughes Report's recommendations.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 14 July 2026 in response to Question 16121.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will have discussions with relevant statutory and non- statutory third parties to gauge the current levels of cousin marriages where [i] a person was trapped in extended-family control networks, [ii] a person was unable to leave due to kinship pressure, and [iii] the sponsors had histories of coercive control.

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

Those wishing to live with a family member need a family visa. Those seeking to come to the UK as a partner or spouse must show that any marriage is valid and that they are in a genuine and subsisting relationship, as set out in the Immigration Rules.

The Family Immigration Rules require that partners must not be closely related but do not prohibit cousin marriage in line with UK legislation.

The joint Home Office and Foreign Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) works to combat forced marriage both at home and abroad. Where an immigration application raises concerns that a marriage may have been forced, these are considered as part of the individual case and may be referred to the FMU. Statistics on forced marriage are set out here: Forced Marriage Unit statistics 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will conduct an assessment of the [i] current levels of cases refused by Entry Clearance Officers raising concerns about the nature of a cousin marriage and [ii] the reasons why the concerns were raised about these marriages.

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

Those wishing to live with a family member need a family visa. Those seeking to come to the UK as a partner or spouse must show that any marriage is valid and that they are in a genuine and subsisting relationship, as set out in the Immigration Rules.

The Family Immigration Rules require that partners must not be closely related but do not prohibit cousin marriage in line with UK legislation.

The joint Home Office and Foreign Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) works to combat forced marriage both at home and abroad. Where an immigration application raises concerns that a marriage may have been forced, these are considered as part of the individual case and may be referred to the FMU. Statistics on forced marriage are set out here: Forced Marriage Unit statistics 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will conduct an assessment of recent trends in the numbers of immigration cases where the cousin marriage was noted to have been forced and determined as persecution.

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

Those wishing to live with a family member need a family visa. Those seeking to come to the UK as a partner or spouse must show that any marriage is valid and that they are in a genuine and subsisting relationship, as set out in the Immigration Rules.

The Family Immigration Rules require that partners must not be closely related but do not prohibit cousin marriage in line with UK legislation.

The joint Home Office and Foreign Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) works to combat forced marriage both at home and abroad. Where an immigration application raises concerns that a marriage may have been forced, these are considered as part of the individual case and may be referred to the FMU. Statistics on forced marriage are set out here: Forced Marriage Unit statistics 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the need for interim payments for those patients affected by the sodium valproate exposure in pregnancy.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care are in regular contact on a range of issues, including health and social care policy.

As previously set out, the Government extends its sincere and heartfelt sympathies to all those affected by sodium valproate. We recognise the suffering that many individuals and families have experienced and the lasting impact these harms have had on their health, wellbeing and quality of life.

Policy on the issue of redress for families affected by sodium valproate during pregnancy is the responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Care. The Department has been in contact with the Patient Safety Commissioner (PSC), Professor Henrietta Hughes, with regard to the ongoing health initiatives it is taking forward in conjunction with NHS England, relating to sodium valproate. Details of the Government’s work to date are set out in recent letters to Professor Hughes, which are published on the PSC website.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will assess the potential merits of making changes to the [i] Marriage Act 1949 and the [ii] Sexual Offences Act 2023 in view of placing restrictions on first cousin marriages.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the serious concerns that have been raised on the issue of first cousin marriage. As any responsible Government would do, we must look at whether legislation is the best solution to tackle first cousin marriage or whether education and community engagement are better options.

As a matter of course, the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Health and Social Care work collaboratively on the topic of cousin marriage, including on the congenital birth defects posed to children of closely related parents.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to WPQ 16079 answered on 14 July 2026 about Marriage Relatives, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on levels of congenital birth defects to children whose parents are first cousins.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the serious concerns that have been raised on the issue of first cousin marriage. As any responsible Government would do, we must look at whether legislation is the best solution to tackle first cousin marriage or whether education and community engagement are better options.

As a matter of course, the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Health and Social Care work collaboratively on the topic of cousin marriage, including on the congenital birth defects posed to children of closely related parents.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he is taking with the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation to ensure the efficiency of spending to support the delivery of large infrastructure projects.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority engages with projects and programmes throughout their project lifecycle, and throughout the delivery system in government, in order to enhance government’s capability and capacity to improve delivery of priority outcomes.

NISTA undertakes regular independent and rigorous assurance of large infrastructure projects on the Government Major Projects Portfolio, in line with the Teal Book and Treasury Approvals Process. This assurance provides confidence to senior leaders and stakeholders, including those involved in spending decisions, that work is well-governed and supports successful delivery of policy, strategy and objectives.

NISTA has also developed a comprehensive capability and capacity building offer for departments, ALBs and will be looking to expand this further to support regionally-led delivery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions is she having with [a] ICBs and [b] NHS Trusts on the trends and levels in usage of gambling support services.

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

NHS England will be developing a national commissioning specification to ensure consistent, high-quality care across all gambling treatment and support services nationwide. Given the evolving evidence landscape and NHS England’s plans to allocate funding to innovation and evaluation over the coming years, this document will be updated as required to reflect new findings, including trends and levels of usage of support services.

Found: HIGHAM LANE, RUSHDEN, NN10 0SU Authorisation: 1 vehicle(s), 1 trailer(s) Transport Manager(s): LUKE EVANS