Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy that digital identity would only be made a condition of access to employment, public services, or social security with Parliamentary approval.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Where legislation is required, Parliament will scrutinise this in the usual way.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Cancer Plan will address (a) access to and (b) capacity for radiotherapy services for cancer patients.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as how we will reduce waiting times for diagnosis and treatment.

Improving access to all treatment services, including radiotherapy, remains a key priority for the Government. Our commitment to radiotherapy services is demonstrated by our £70 million investment in new LINAC radiotherapy machines to replace older, less efficient equipment. This crucial investment will boost treatment efficiency and productivity, freeing up capacity and reduce waiting times for patients. These new machines are currently being rolled out and have already started treating cancer patients across the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Cancer Plan will address access to, and capacity for, radiotherapy services for cancer patients.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as how we will reduce waiting times for diagnosis and treatment.

Improving access to all treatment services, including radiotherapy, remains a key priority for the Government. Our commitment to radiotherapy services is demonstrated by our £70 million investment in new LINAC radiotherapy machines to replace older, less efficient equipment. This crucial investment will boost treatment efficiency and productivity, freeing up capacity and reduce waiting times for patients. These new machines are currently being rolled out and have already started treating cancer patients across the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to increase (a) capacity of and (b) access to radiotherapy cancer treatment in (i) England and (ii) Stratford-upon-Avon.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Radiotherapy is crucial to cancer treatment, and it remains a key priority for the Government to reduce radiotherapy waiting times and provide high quality treatment for all patients, including those in Stratford-upon-Avon. This is why the Government has invested £70 million of central funding on 28 new LINAC radiotherapy machines across the country to replace older, less efficient radiotherapy machines. This crucial investment will boost treatment efficiency and productivity, freeing up capacity and reduce waiting times for patients. These new machines are currently being rolled out and have already started treating cancer patients across the country.

The Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust received £2.3 million to replace ageing radiotherapy equipment from an underspend in the National Health Service’s capital settlement for 2024/25.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the principle underlying corporate manslaughter legislation on the regulation of large technology platforms whose design enables the creation and spread of (a) child sexual abuse material and (b) non-consensual deepfakes.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act (OSA) regulatory regime gives platforms clear duties to prevent and remove child sexual abuse material and non-consensual deepfakes. Providers must fully assess risks and design services to be safe. For example, Ofcom has announced an investigation into X to assess if it has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK.

The Government keeps all legislative frameworks under review and has also announced that it will bring into effect a new offence covering the creation of non-consensual intimate images.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of existing legal frameworks to hold technology companies accountable for the dissemination of (a) child sexual abuse material and (b) non-consensual deepfakes.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act (OSA) regulatory regime gives platforms clear duties to prevent and remove child sexual abuse material and non-consensual deepfakes. Providers must fully assess risks and design services to be safe. For example, Ofcom has announced an investigation into X to assess if it has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK.

The Government keeps all legislative frameworks under review and has also announced that it will bring into effect a new offence covering the creation of non-consensual intimate images.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to (a) oppose the use of nationwide internet shutdowns by the Iranian authorities during protests, and (b) to support access to information for protesters.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 13 January, and her responses to the questions raised in the subsequent debate.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking through the United Nations to support the rights of peaceful protesters in Iran, including efforts to (a) monitor and (b) document alleged human rights violations.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 13 January, and her responses to the questions raised in the subsequent debate.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to apply diplomatic pressure on Iran in response to the use of force against protesters.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 13 January, and her responses to the questions raised in the subsequent debate.

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 ensure that continuous NHS service is recognised across (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) community care settings for the purposes of (i) redundancy pay and (ii) employment protections.

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

The Department understands the significance of recognising continuous service across different parts of the health system. Sections 12 and 16 of the National Health Service terms and conditions of service (Agenda for Change) handbook establish redundancy entitlements and employment protections for staff directly employed on Agenda for Change contracts in England, as well as employees whose contracts refer to Section 16. These arrangements are collectively agreed with NHS trade unions.

Employers such as general practices within primary care operate as independent entities rather than NHS employers. Nevertheless, employers retain discretion to consider non-NHS service when calculating redundancy benefits, where this experience is relevant to NHS employment. NHS policy indicates that it may be reasonable, but is not obligatory, for employers to consider this previous service in the redundancy. These decisions should be mutually agreed upon by both the employer and employee at the point of joining or returning to the NHS.

Collectively, sections 12 and 16 ensure that staff retain redundancy protections when moving between NHS organisations, while affording employers the flexibility to acknowledge any relevant external experience, which supports fairness and consistency in redundancy outcomes across the NHS. NHS Employers provides guidance to support the consistent implementation of NHS redundancy provisions across all settings. Ultimately, NHS organisations are responsible for administering the nationally agreed redundancy terms.

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 the potential impact of fragmented recognition of service across different NHS sectors on long-serving NHS staff during redundancy processes.

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

The Department has not made an assessment of how fragmented recognition of service across different National Health Service sectors might affect long-serving NHS staff who face redundancy.

Redundancy entitlements for NHS staff are determined by Section 16 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (Agenda for Change) handbook, which covers employees directly employed on Agenda for Change contracts in England and those whose contracts refer to Section 16. These arrangements are collectively agreed with NHS trade unions and also specify how previous NHS employment is defined and counted when determining redundancy pay.

Local employers are responsible for confirming entitlement to a redundancy payment, and these terms will be stipulated in an employee’s contract of employment. The redundancy rules as described above apply to those employed by NHS employers in England as listed in Annex 1 of the Agenda for Change handbook. Employers must determine an individual’s redundancy entitlement in accordance with Section 16 as nationally agreed between employers and NHS trade unions. If someone has worked outside the NHS but in a role relevant to NHS employment, NHS policy recommends that it would be reasonable, but not a requirement, for employers to consider this service in any redundancy calculation. This consideration should be agreed between the employer and employee either upon joining or returning to the NHS.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the Report Stage of the Pension Schemes Bill on 3 December 2025, whether the guidance on fiduciary duties will cover the (a) ability to consider system-level risks, (b) ability to consider the impacts of investments and the organisations in which schemes invest, including on members' standard of living, (c) ability to consider members' views and (d) duty to cover matters when they are financially material.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring that private pension trustees have a clear, range of guidance, with the objective of supporting consideration of wider factors within their existing legal obligations. This will include clarification and practical support on their ability to take account of system level risks, such as climate related risks, and the impacts of investments where these affect members’ long-term outcomes, including their standard of living.

The guidance will also explore how trustees may consider members’ views, provided this remains consistent with investing in members’ best interests, and will reaffirm that trustees should take account of all financially material matters, where appropriate in their investment decision making.

Our objective is for guidance to be delivered in partnership with the pension sector and other interested parties. Work will commence shortly beginning with an industry roundtable to gather views and technical expertise to ensure the guidance meets the identified need.

Role of the House of Lords in scrutinising legislation

Graduate driving licences

Harm caused by exposure to sodium valproate

Social media for under 16s

UK digital sovereignty strategy

British forces on the front line in Afghanistan

Marking the 60th anniversary of the University of the Air White Paper

Brain cancer

Iran protests

Situation in Iran

Neurodivergent service personnel in the armed forces

Libraries Week 2025

National Heart Month

Deregistration of international non-governmental organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Found: present: Helen Hayes (Chair); Jess Asato; Sureena Brackenridge; Darren Paffey; Rebecca Paul; Manuela Perteghella

Air pollution is a serious threat to both public health and the natural environment. It has been linked to heart disease, strokes, cancer, asthma and impacts on lung development in children. Tens of thousands of lives are being shortened in the UK by air pollution, according to the Chair of the Environment Agency.