Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will extend the temporary reduced rate of VAT on admission tickets to visitor attractions suitable for families with children to include events and festivals suitable for families with children.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
From 25 June to 1 September the Government is introducing a temporary reduced rate of VAT on children's menu meals and eligible family attractions.
This is a targeted and temporary scheme to reduce the costs of children’s meals in restaurants, children’s tickets for theatres, concerts and cinemas and tickets for everyone for attractions like soft play, adventure centres, and theme parks, helping families enjoy a day out for less.
The decision was taken to focus the VAT relief on activities especially targeted at children and families, keeping the package targeted and affordable. Including events and festivals beyond those categories already included in the statutory instrument would risk extending the relief to unintended activities, with a knock-on impact on cost. Individual organisations and charities should consult HMRC’s guidance to determine how the rules apply in their circumstances.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to reform the conveyancing process for residential property in England.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 103629 on 14 January 2026.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve access to clinical trials for brain cancer treatments.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with brain cancers, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.
The Department is supporting the delivery of brain cancer clinical trials through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) that funds research and research infrastructure to support patients and the public to participate in high-quality research.
In January 2026, the NIHR announced a total investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium to accelerate research into new brain tumour treatments across the United Kingdom. The consortium will develop and enhance innovative clinical trials.
As set out in our National Cancer Plan, the Government will implement the Rare Cancers Act 2026 to make it easier for clinical trials on brain cancer to take place in England, by ensuring the patient population can be more easily contacted by researchers.
Additionally, NIHR provides an online service called Be Part of Research which promotes participation in health and care research, by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has undertaken analysis on the likelihood of (a) Egypt, (b) Japan, (c) Saudi Arabia, (d) South Korea, (e) Turkey and (f) Taiwan obtaining independent nuclear deterrents.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK keeps the global nuclear proliferation landscape under close and continuous review. Any further nuclear proliferation would not make the world a safer place and would undermine the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which remains the cornerstone of the international non-proliferation architecture. I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand that assessments on proliferation are not publicly released.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that universities provide students with sufficient teaching time to deliver value for money for the cost of tuition.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Higher education (HE) providers in England have the autonomy to design and deliver their courses. Providers should be transparent about the amount of contact hours, and balance of face-to-face and online teaching, that students can expect so they can make informed choices about what and where to study.
The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of HE in England. It does not mandate specific levels of face‑to‑face teaching, but its conditions of registration set minimum quality standards for student experience. These require effective student engagement, up‑to‑date resources, and adequate support. The OfS can investigate providers that do not meet these standards.
The department expects the HE sector to demonstrate that it delivers the very best outcomes for both students and the country, in return for the investment students are asked to make. To support this, we intend to link future inflationary fee uplifts to judgements on HE providers’ quality.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has for the disposal of land at Parsons Barracks; and what land at MOD Donnington he plans to retain for strategic defence purposes.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Both Parsons and Venning Barracks have been identified for future disposal when they become surplus to military requirements as part of the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Estate Optimisation work and Future Soldier: Transformation of the British Army reforms. As this is not forecast to be before 2030, our assessments are still underway.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has researched the potential need for Venning Barracks in delivering future strategic defence policy.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Both Parsons and Venning Barracks have been identified for future disposal when they become surplus to military requirements as part of the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Estate Optimisation work and Future Soldier: Transformation of the British Army reforms. As this is not forecast to be before 2030, our assessments are still underway.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the HM Armed Forces Veteran ID card is accepted as photo identification by (a) banks, (b) foreign exchange services and (c) polling stations.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The HM Armed Forces Veteran Card was introduced to improve recognition of our veterans and provide an easier way to prove veteran status when accessing the services, discounts and concessions available to veterans.
The Veteran Card is now accepted within the identity checking policies of many organisations including as identification for voting in elections, where it is included on the list of photographic identifications accepted in polling stations as voter ID, in addition to the already accepted MOD Form 90 Defence Identity Card. The Veteran Card can also be used as evidence in Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) checks and for some domestic flights with some airlines.
It is important to note that it is not a formal identity document, and different organisations will have their own policies in this regard. Banks are required to follow specific regulations and standards for identity verification, which specify a small number of official identity documents, such as a passport or driving licence.
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs continually advocates for wider acceptance of the Veteran Card where possible within legislative and sector-specific constrains.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what research his Department has undertaken on the (a) disposal of Parsons Barracks and (b) use of that site for strategic defence purposes.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Both Parsons and Venning Barracks have been identified for future disposal when they become surplus to military requirements as part of the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Estate Optimisation work and Future Soldier: Transformation of the British Army reforms. As this is not forecast to be before 2030, our assessments are still underway.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether training is provided to asylum seekers on British (a) law and (b) culture while asylum applications are being processed.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
While asylum applications are being processed, asylum seekers do not receive formal training on British law or culture. However, at the point a claim is made, asylum seekers are provided with written information, including a point of claim information leaflet, which sets out key information about the asylum process and the standards of behaviour expected while their claim is under consideration.
In addition, upon arrival into Home Office‑provided accommodation, asylum seekers receive an induction briefing explaining what constitutes appropriate behaviour. This sets out acceptable and unacceptable behaviours, as well as their responsibilities as individuals to act as good neighbours.
Asylum seekers are clearly advised of the expectations the Home Office and accommodation providers have for them to behave responsibly while they are accommodated in Home Office properties, and not to engage in any form of criminal or anti‑social activity.
No one in the UK, including foreign nationals, asylum seekers or refugees, is above the law. The Home Office does not tolerate criminal behaviour, and asylum seekers who commit criminal offences are subject to the law in the same way as anyone else. Any criminality will be taken into account when considering an individual’s asylum claim, and serious offending can have consequences for a person’s immigration status, including refusal of asylum and removal from the UK where appropriate. Criminal and anti-social behaviour can also lead to removal of asylum support.