Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 82467 on Unmanned Air Systems: Testing; whether his Department will support the Civil Aviation Authority in making sure there is a decreased time taken in quarterly statistics on Airspace Change Proposal throughput regarding decision times for uncrewed air system-related Special Use Airspace applications.

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

The Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with the Civil Aviation Authority to refine the airspace change processes in CAP1616 to improve the speed and efficiency at which both permanent and temporary Special Use Airspace can be established for uncrewed air systems.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October to Question 8246 on Unmanned Air Systems: Delivery Services, whether his Department has assessed the operational impact of Civil Air Publication 1616 timelines on (a) scheduling of uncrewed air system test and (b) evaluation activities.

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

To facilitate planned test and evaluation activities the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is able to operate uncrewed air systems in established permanent Special Use Airspace. The MOD utilises the CAP1616 processes to establish temporary and trial Special Use Areas for periods of up to 90 days.

However, for emerging test and evaluation activity out-with the CAP1616 timelines, the MOD may reserve airspace pursuant to Article 239 of the Air Navigation Order.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to section 58 of the Children Act 2004, if she will take legislative steps to remove the defence of reasonable punishment for parents.

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

The landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, a key part of the government’s Plan for Change, represents the most transformative piece of child protection legislation in a generation, including wholesale reform of the children’s social care system and the introduction of measures to improve information sharing between education, police, health, justice and social workers to stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks.

While the department is looking closely at the impact of the legal changes made in Wales and Scotland in relation to reasonable punishment, we have no plans to legislate at this stage.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of NHS dentists in the Newton Abbot constituency.

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

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Newton Abbot constituency, this is the Devon ICB.

We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025.

ICBs are recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability. The Government is committed to achieving fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.

We recently held a full public consultation on a package of changes to improve access to, and the quality of, NHS dentistry, which will deliver better care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. The consultation closed on 19 August. The Government is considering the outcomes of the consultation and will publish a response in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase cancer survivability rates in Devon.

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

Early cancer diagnosis is a key priority for the Government, as the chances of survival are higher if cancer is diagnosed at an early stage.

The Department recognises that cancer patients, including those with in Devon, are often waiting too long for referral and treatment. As the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and treatment, NHS England has delivered an extra 100,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week since the start of this administration. This is supported by an increase in capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new MRI and CT scanners. The government is investing an extra £26 billion in the NHS and opening up community diagnostic centres (CDCs) at evening and weekends, including three CDCs located within NHS Devon Integrated Care Board, to help diagnose cancer earlier.

Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan for England. The plan will include further details on how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including brain cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.

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 economic merits of increasing levels of transparency over copyrighted works that are being used by generative AI developers to (a) train and (b) improve the performance of their models.

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

The Government recently consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI), including seeking views on increasing levels of transparency over the use of copyright material in AI model development.

The Government’s priority now is to consider all responses to the consultation, to help inform next steps. Alongside this we launched expert working groups in July, bringing together representatives of the creative, media and AI sectors, and convened a parliamentary working group on the issue.

The Government will continue to engage extensively on this issue, and its proposals will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans she has to ensure that the Government’s expert working groups on AI and copyright help increase levels of transparency that copyright holders have over the use of their copyrighted material as inputs for (a) training and (b) improving the performance of AI models.

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

We are establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together both British and global companies, alongside voices beyond the AI and creative sectors. A range of issues will be discussed, including transparency in the development and deployment of AI in the UK. The terms of reference will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's joint press release entitled Creative and AI sectors kick-off next steps in finding solutions to AI and copyright, published 16 July 2025, whether the terms of reference for the government’s expert working groups on AI and copyright will include reviewing the transparency of inputs used by generative AI firms to (a) train and (b) improve the performance of their models.

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

We are establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together both British and global companies, alongside voices beyond the AI and creative sectors. A range of issues will be discussed, including transparency in the development and deployment of AI in the UK. The terms of reference will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's joint press release entitled Creative and AI sectors kick-off next steps in finding solutions to AI and copyright, published 16 July 2025, whether the expert working groups on AI and copyright will have a specific remit to assess the transparency requirements for data used to (a) train and (b) ground generative AI models.

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

We are establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together both British and global companies, alongside voices beyond the AI and creative sectors. A range of issues will be discussed, including transparency in the development and deployment of AI in the UK. The terms of reference will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's joint press release entitled Creative and AI sectors kick-off next steps in finding solutions to AI and copyright, published 16 July 2025, whether she will (a) publish the terms of reference for the expert working groups on AI and copyright and (b) set out (i) the expected number of meetings for each group and (ii) how she plans to update Rt hon. and hon. Members on the groups' outputs; and what consideration she made of the balance between UK based and non-UK based organisations in determining the membership of the groups.

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

We are establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together a range of experts and stakeholders across key issues, including transparency and technical standards. The terms of reference will be published in due course. This will set out the meeting structure for the technical working groups.

We will publish a progress update before the end of the year, which will be informed by findings from the technical working groups.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of asking the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review their scheduling of Psilocybin.

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

Psilocybin is controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (‘the 1971 Act’) and placed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (‘the 2001 Regulations’). Drugs are typically placed in Schedule 1 when there is no established medical use in the UK.

Ministers are under a duty to consider advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) prior to making regulations under the 1971 Act. The Government has no current plans to commission the ACMD to review the scheduling of psilocybin.

Medicines based on psilocybin have to date not been assessed on the basis of their safety, quality and efficacy and granted a marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA). Reconsideration of scheduling under the 1971 Act would ordinarily follow such an assessment by the MHRA.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she had made of the potential impact of the Amazon Web Services outage in October 2025 on NHS services.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are not aware of any impact to National Health Services resulting from the outage at Amazon Web Services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve breast cancer screening rates in Devon.

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

The Government is taking a range of actions to improve participation in breast screening in Devon, through the NHS Breast Screening Programme. These actions include:

• creating videos for different audiences, such as people with a learning disability or dementia;
• collaborating with local schools to provide information and promote breast screening awareness;
• contacting patients who do not attend their booked appointment to understand the reasons for non-attendance, and addressing barriers on an individual level to support attendance;
• sending text messages to remind patients of appointments;
• offering a chaperone service to individuals who are nervous about attending their appointment; and
• collaborating with a local menopause nurse to raise awareness of breast screening.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Prime Minster will have discussions with his international colleagues at the next G20 on raising the international corporate tax rate to 21%.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The global minimum tax project is the result of an agreement reached by members of the G20/OECD Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting to reduce profit shifting by large multinationals.

Under the global minimum tax, large MNE groups will be subject to top-up tax if their effective tax rate is lower than 15%. The 15% rate was agreed in 2021, and was the outcome of negotiation and agreement by more than 130 countries. Many of these countries including the UK have now implemented the global minimum tax into their domestic legislation.

The internationally agreed 15% rate is not open for negotiation, but the government believes that it strikes the right balance between curbing harmful tax practices without preventing jurisdictions like the UK from enacting our 25% rate.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to increase the (a) Plastic Packaging Tax rate and (b) recycled content requirement to promote domestic recycling.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Plastic Packaging Tax was introduced in April 2022 under the previous government and provides a price incentive for businesses to use recycled plastic in the manufacture of plastic packaging – thereby stimulating the collection and recycling of plastic waste.

The Government keeps all taxes under review, and the Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework – delivering change together 2026/27 to 2028/29, published on 24 October 2025, what plans he has to consult the Royal College of General Practitioners on the same day appointments for all clinically urgent patients (face to face, phone or online) success measure.

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

As part of our recently published Medium-Term Planning Framework, we have introduced a new and ambitious target to ensure all urgent appointments are provided on the same day, so that patients requiring urgent care are prioritised, irrespective of how they are delivered, whether it be face-to-face, via telephone, or online. At present, 44.4% of appointments are already delivered on the same day they are booked

We have always valued input from a range of stakeholders on the future of general practice and continue to engage with general practitioners broadly to ensure the targets are achievable, reflect the needs of the populations they serve, and to understand any barriers to delivery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework – delivering change together 2026/27 to 2028/29, published 24 October 2025, what steps his Department is taking to measure the same day appointments for all clinically urgent patients (face to face, phone or online) success measure.

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

As part of our recently published Medium-Term Planning Framework, we have introduced a new and ambitious target to ensure all urgent appointments are provided on the same day, so that patients requiring urgent care are prioritised, irrespective of how they are delivered, whether it be face-to-face, via telephone, or online. At present, 44.4% of appointments are already delivered on the same day they are booked

We have always valued input from a range of stakeholders on the future of general practice and continue to engage with general practitioners broadly to ensure the targets are achievable, reflect the needs of the populations they serve, and to understand any barriers to delivery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) dentists currently accepting NHS patients, (b) NHS dental appointments offered each month and (c) patients seeking NHS dentistry in Newton Abbot constituency.

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

Data is not held on the number of National Health Service dental appointments offered each month.

As of 3 November 2025, there were nine NHS dentist practices in the Newton Abbot constituency, with two showing as ‘accepting new child patients when availability allows’ and two showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’.

This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

The data for the Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes the Newton Abbot constituency, shows that 29% of adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, compared to 40% in England.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the ICBs across England.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to (a) ring-fence and (b) increase funding for school infrastructure where buildings are assessed as structurally unsound.

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

The government has given a long-term commitment for capital investment through to 2034/35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England, including those which may have structural issues.

The department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal of the school and college estate, rising every year from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.

This is in addition to the investment of almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme, with a further 250 schools to be selected within the next two years. Two schools within the Newton Abbey constituency, Dawlish College and Kenton Primary School, are already part of the programme. The department aims to set out further details on the process for selecting additional schools for rebuilding later this year.

Where there are serious and urgent safety issues with school buildings, such as those which threaten closure of a school, and that cannot be managed locally by responsible bodies, the department provides additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an investment standard for general practice.

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

The Government recognises the important role that general practice (GP) plays in the National Health Service and is committed to shifting more funding towards primary and community care services to enable early intervention and to reduce pressure on hospitals. We are committed to investing in reforms to support this shift, and to ensure sustainable resources for GPs. We’ve delivered the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an almost £1.1 billion uplift, with GPs now receiving a growing share of National Health Service resources.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on granting support for Indefinite Leave to Remain for international medical graduates who have completed their training.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects including immigration policy.

As part of the Immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, announced a proposed contribution-based settlement model which will include the expansion of the settlement qualifying period from five years to ten years, though some people will be able to qualify earlier. The Home Office will be consulting on the new settlement rules later this year.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has had recent discussions with Ofcom on the costs of the per-metre charging regime to rural network builders.

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

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.

DSIT is engaging on this issue with Ofcom at an official level. In July, we published our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report entitled BritCard: A progressive digital identity for Britain, published June 2025.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The recently announced digital ID scheme is not called a BritCard and is not based on the report mentioned.

The government appreciates the role of think tanks in publishing research on potential government policy.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which elements of the digital ID system will use One Login infrastructure; and whether he expects to undertake additional procurement for this purpose.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The new digital ID scheme will build on existing infrastructure, including GOV.UK One Login which has already been used to verify the identities of over 13 million people.

Users will store the digital ID credential in the GOV.UK Wallet, as they will with digital other versions of other government documents like the veterans card and the digital driving licence.

In the event any specialist external services or expertise are procured to support the delivery of the new digital ID system, this will be subject to all the usual competitive processes to ensure transparency, and value for the taxpayer.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35864 on Broadband: Devon and Somerset, whether her Department plans to take steps to help ensure that the physical infrastructure access pricing model encourages investment by alternative network providers in rural areas.

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

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.

In July, we published our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices.

The draft Statement also sets out how Ofcom can continue to support the roll-out of broadband across the UK, including in rural areas, by promoting competition.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 62291 on Broadband: Newton Abbot, what steps her Department is taking to expand broadband coverage for rural communities with market competition.

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

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.

In July, we published our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices.

The draft Statement also sets out how Ofcom can continue to support the roll-out of broadband across the UK, including in rural areas, by promoting competition.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support patients with postural tachycardia syndrome in Devon.

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

Many patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) can be diagnosed and managed effectively within primary care. In complex cases, or where patients do not respond to initial treatment, patients may be referred to specialised cardiology or neurology services. Management of PoTS typically involves lifestyle changes and medications to help control symptoms, and can involve support from a multidisciplinary team.

Integrated care boards (ICBs), with oversight from NHS England, have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local populations, including for those with PoTS. It is the responsibility of ICBs, including the NHS Devon ICB, to work with clinicians, service users, and patient groups to develop services and care pathways that meet the needs of patients with PoTS.

There are a number of policies outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan which should have a positive impact on care for patients with PoTS: more tests and scans delivered in the community; better joint working between services; and greater use of technology. These changes will help people with PoTS to manage their care closer to home.

Neighbourhood Health Services will be organised around the needs of their patients. The plan will create joined-up working across hospitals and into community settings with multi-disciplinary teams who can provide wrap-around support services to people with PoTS or other long-term conditions.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS App will be enhanced to allow patients to manage appointments, medications, and view or create their own care plans. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access and preference over the services they need. My Medicines will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and My Health will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place. Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through My Specialist on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his digital ID proposals will use (a) biometric and (b) facial-recognition technology for age verification.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government will conduct a full public consultation on the new digital ID to inform our approach. We are currently exploring best practice from other countries with digital identity schemes and other private sector companies who have digitised their services in order to develop the set of proposals to take to public consultation.

The Government has been clear that privacy and security will be hard-wired into the system from the start, and user control will be central to plans. It will operate to best practice standards for security and privacy.

This includes established standards for cyber security, counter-fraud and data storage, and following all existing UK legislation.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether proposals for digital ID include a centralised audit log of verification events.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government will conduct a full public consultation on the new digital ID to inform our approach. We are currently exploring best practice from other countries with digital identity schemes and other private sector companies who have digitised their services in order to develop the set of proposals to take to public consultation.

The Government has been clear that privacy and security will be hard-wired into the system from the start, and user control will be central to plans. It will operate to best practice standards for security and privacy.

This includes established standards for cyber security, counter-fraud and data storage, and following all existing UK legislation.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will publish all consultation responses on the proposed digital ID scheme prior to the introduction of legislation.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

We will follow the Cabinet Office principles for consultations and consider all responses received, from both individuals and organisations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing people using the UK digital ID system to have the right to view an access log showing (a) which and (b) organisations checked their identity.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government will conduct a full public consultation on the new digital ID to inform our approach. We are currently exploring best practice from other countries with digital identity schemes and other private sector companies who have digitised their services in order to develop the set of proposals to take to public consultation.

The Government has been clear that privacy and security will be hard-wired into the system from the start, and user control will be central to plans. It will operate to best practice standards for security and privacy.

This includes established standards for cyber security, counter-fraud and data storage, and following all existing UK legislation.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to take steps to prevent commercial entities acting as digital ID verifiers from using verification data for (a) marketing, (b) analytics and (c) employment profiling.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government will conduct a full public consultation on the new digital ID to inform our approach. We are currently exploring best practice from other countries with digital identity schemes and other private sector companies who have digitised their services in order to develop the set of proposals to take to public consultation.

The Government has been clear that privacy and security will be hard-wired into the system from the start, and user control will be central to plans. It will operate to best practice standards for security and privacy.

This includes established standards for cyber security, counter-fraud and data storage, and following all existing UK legislation.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what process the he is planning for (a) employers and (b) landlords to verify digital ID credentials; and whether that process will require personal data to be transmitted to a (i) central record and (ii) broker service.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new digital credential by the end of this Parliament.

We will be consulting on the detail of the programme in due course, including how to help employers onboard onto the system and how they will validate the credential to prove an employee's right to work.

There are no plans to pool data in a single location. The Government has been clear that privacy and security will be hard-wired into the system from the start, and user control will be central to plans. It will operate to best practice standards for security and privacy.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to ensure that any AI-assisted (a) decision and (b) image recognition within the digital ID system is (i) explainable, (ii) human-reviewed before adverse action, and (iii) subject to a right of correction or appeal.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government will conduct a full public consultation on the new digital ID to inform our approach. We are currently exploring best practice from other countries with digital identity schemes and other private sector companies who have digitised their services in order to develop the set of proposals to take to public consultation.

The Government has been clear that privacy and security will be hard-wired into the system from the start, and user control will be central to plans. It will operate to best practice standards for security and privacy.

This includes established standards for cyber security, counter-fraud and data storage, and following all existing UK legislation.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what types of cross-system data matching he is planning under the proposed digital ID system.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government will conduct a full public consultation on the new digital ID to inform our approach. We are currently exploring best practice from other countries with digital identity schemes and other private sector companies who have digitised their services in order to develop the set of proposals to take to public consultation.

The Government has been clear that privacy and security will be hard-wired into the system from the start, and user control will be central to plans. It will operate to best practice standards for security and privacy.

This includes established standards for cyber security, counter-fraud and data storage, and following all existing UK legislation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he intends to consult the Royal College of General Practitioners on a potential replacement of the Carr-Hill funding formula.

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

The review of the Carr-Hill formula is being conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The review has commenced and will draw on a range of evidence and advice from experts, with key stakeholders, including the Royal College of General Practitioners, involved in the process.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the risk from non-government actors to people's personal data security under the proposed digital ID scheme; and what (a) technical and (b) legal controls will be used to mitigate this.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The cyber security of the UK is a key priority for this government – crucial to protecting the public and our way of life, and a successful, growing economy. We are introducing the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to improve UK cyber defences - protecting our economy, safeguarding essential public services and strengthening UK national security.

The bill will deliver a fundamental step change in the UK’s national security – making essential and digital services more secure in the face of cyber criminals and state actors who want to disrupt our way of life.

This framework will be applied to the new digital ID, which will have robust cyber security and personal data protections in place. These will also feature in the upcoming consultation on the scheme.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) offline and (b) paper-based alternatives will be available for citizens without (i) digital access and (ii) smartphones under the proposed digital ID system.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

To design and deliver digital ID, this government will undertake the biggest digital inclusion drive in our country's history. This will ensure everyone eligible can access and use this new digital ID, including those more likely to be digitally excluded.

We are considering options like a digitally enabled physical alternative for those without access to technology, help for those who are partially sighted, in-person support for those who struggle to engage digitally, and a dedicated team of case workers to support those who may struggle to initially prove their identity and access the system.

We will launch a public consultation in the coming months and have already started to engage with a range of expert organisations and community groups, including the Digital Inclusion Action Committee.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to respond to the Freedom of Information Act request of 7 October 2025 by the hon. Member for Newton Abbot regarding meetings between Boris Johnson and Peter Thiel.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires that requests are answered promptly and no later than 20 working days after receipt. Cabinet Office responded to the hon. Member’s request on 5 November 2025, within the statutory time limit.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the two-child benefit cap on working class people in Newton Abbot constituency.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children are published annually and provide various breakdowns including by households with someone earning.

The latest publication, with April 2025 data, is published here: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK data by Parliamentary Constituencies can be found in tables 12A, 12B, 12C in the published spreadsheet.

All previous releases of these statistics are published here: Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what team in her Department produced the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (Security Requirements for Relevant Connectable Products) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025.

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

The Cyber Security & Digital Identity Directorate within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) are the policy owners of the overall PSTI regime and led the development of the draft Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (Security Requirements for Relevant Connectable Products) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025.

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 merits of a framework model for functional neurological disorder (FND) care, including (a) FND care pathways, (b) the requirement for multidisciplinary teams trained in FND, (c) follow-up appointments for patients, and (d) mandatory training for (i) GPs, (ii) neurologists, and (ii) A&E staff.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) included information on functional neurological disorder (FND) in its guideline Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral, code NG127, which covers symptoms and the appropriate referral pathways. The NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries also feature a detailed topic on FND, offering information on diagnosis and management. The guideline and Clinical Knowledge Summary are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/functional-neurological-disorder/

We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to ensure that the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, and with the right skills, to deliver the best care for patients, including those with FND, when they need it. We have recently published a call for evidence to gather views from stakeholders on the specific professions, roles, skills, and training needed to implement the reforms outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan for England.

More widely, the Elective Reform Plan has committed to reforming outpatient care, which will improve outcomes for patients with FND, through:

¾ clinical pathway reform, by transforming clinical pathways to build on the opportunity to deliver more activity in the community and increase the opportunities for patients to be referred straight to diagnostic tests;

¾ reducing unnecessary follow up care by using remote monitoring and widening access to Patient Initiated Follow Up so that more patients can have choice and control over if and when they require follow up care, freeing up appointments for patients who need them most; and

¾ focusing on the smaller aspects of service delivery than can make a big difference to productivity, by focusing on waiting list validation being properly funded as a form of activity, better use of outpatient clinical capacity, and making better use of clinic templates and job planning so clinicians have the right balance of activity to meet demand.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is his Department's policy that the proposed digital ID scheme will be overseen by an independent body to (a) monitor compliance, (b) investigate misuse and (c) publish annual transparency reports.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Digital ID scheme will build on existing programmes and infrastructure. We will follow best practice on privacy and security, from both within the UK and internationally. The National Cyber Security Centre Security (NCSC) is advising how this is done to the highest standard. We will adhere to all existing UK law and governance structures, including close working with the ICO during the development of the scheme.

We will examine options for appropriate oversight of the digital ID system through the upcoming consultation, which will begin in the new year.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much paid civil service time did it take to create The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (Security Requirements for Relevant Connectable Products) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025.

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

The UK is the most targeted country in Europe for cyber-attacks and with most connected products used here manufactured abroad, so developing these Regulations required collaboration with international partners to reduce complexity for manufacturers and consumers.

The process of developing any legislation is inherently complex and time-consuming, involving extensive consultation, drafting, and scrutiny. Development of the draft Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (Security Requirements for Relevant Connectable Products) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 was no different and involved a collaborative effort between DSIT policy officials and legal experts, as well as discussing the appropriate terminology used in the draft Regulations with our counterparts in Japan and Singapore.

We do not have figures for the exact amount of civil service time involved but can confirm that developing this Statutory Instrument was part of the work of the Cyber Security & Digital Identity Directorate within DSIT.

We have worked closely with global partners to develop the internationally recognised European Standard for Cyber Security in Consumer Internet of Things devices ETSI EN 303 645. This standard is the foundation for nearly every major consumer product security regime worldwide and we are engaging with international partners to encourage its uptake in their connected devices regimes.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans his Department has to ensure that (a) cloud hosting, (b) data processing and (c) other core components of the proposed digital ID system are under sovereign UK control.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Data associated with the Digital ID system will be held and kept safe in secure cloud environments hosted in the United Kingdom.

The Government will work closely with expert stakeholders to make the programme effective, secure and inclusive, including taking insights from previous IT projects where appropriate.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in Israel on the potential impact of drone activity in international waters on establishing new aid flotillas.

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

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 the white paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, on the adequacy of (a) the supply of trainee GPs and (b) levels of access to primary care services.

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

We are aware of the white paper and officials are considering the implications for the general practice workforce and for access to primary care services.

Whilst we hugely value our international workforce and the skills and experience they bring, we are also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our National Health Service. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, thereby enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 October 2024 to Question 6887 on Plastics: Pollution, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the plastic waste export regime in promoting domestic recycling.

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

Defra is reviewing the role of plastic waste exports as part of the Government’s wider efforts to improve management of this waste. Our focus is on ensuring a level playing field for domestic recyclers whilst realising our environmental objectives, and any future action will aim to help drive investment in UK reprocessing infrastructure and promote domestic recycling.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 86440 on Deposit Return Schemes, if she will take steps to ensure the deposit return scheme allows (a) bottles and (b) other deposit items (i) purchased in the UK to be returned in other European countries and (ii) vice versa.

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

Thank you for your interest in the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The objectives of DRS include boosting recycling levels, reducing littering, and offering greater opportunities to collect higher quality, uncontaminated materials in greater quantities.

In practical terms, DRS regulations allow UK Deposit Management Organisation (Ltd), who has been appointed to operate the scheme in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, to work jointly and in cooperation with other scheme administrators, including those operating an overseas scheme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring vape liquid and vapes to be sold separately.

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

The Government is currently exploring a range of topics related to vaping and nicotine products.

On 8 October, we launched a call for evidence which examines the size and shape of vapes, vape-like devices and tanks, the components of vaping products, as well as the role of technology in these devices. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/tobacco-and-vapes-evidence-to-support-legislation/tobacco-and-vapes-evidence-to-support-legislation.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs banned the sale and supply of single use vapes due to the harm that they cause to the environment on 1 June 2025. They will continue to monitor the impact of these changes to ensure that they have the desired positive environmental impact.

Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week 2025

UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Agreement

Safeguarding pubs, brewers and one million jobs

Access to banks

County FA Recognition Awards 2025

Neurodivergent service personnel in the armed forces

Tackling van and tool theft

Fly-tipping and illegal waste dumping by criminal gangs

Tobias Gutteridge

Jordan Codices

Conduct of Samir Zitouni and Stephen Crean on the 18.25 Doncaster to Kings Cross train on 1 November 2025

Fossil fuel company profits

Decarbonising refrigerated transport

Local government and social care

Second homes in the Lake District

Protections for animals and people

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill

Taxi accessibility for disabled people

Ukrainian Permission Extension Scheme

Found: George Freeman (Chair); Dr Allison Gardner; Samantha Niblett; Dame Chi Onwura; Adam Thompson; Martin Wrigley

Found: George Freeman (Chair); Dr Allison Gardner; Samantha Niblett; Dame Chi Onwura; Adam Thompson; Martin Wrigley

Found: George Freeman (Chair); Dr Allison Gardner; Samantha Niblett; Dame Chi Onwura; Adam Thompson; Martin Wrigley

Found: Q90 Martin Wrigley: Don’t get me wrong, that is a good thing.

Found: Q90 Martin Wrigley: Don’t get me wrong, that is a good thing.