Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure the business rates system supports the regeneration of high streets.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has already started the work of reforming our business rates system by introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new multipliers will benefit over 750,000 properties.

The Government is paying for this through higher rates on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. This includes many large distribution warehouses, such as those used by online giants. The high value multiplier is 33% more than the multiplier for small RHL properties.

The new RHL multipliers replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since the pandemic. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made on reform of the credit union common bond.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is a strong supporter of the mutual sector, including credit unions, and is working to support its growth in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the sector.

On 18 March, the government announced plans to reform the credit union common bond in Great Britain by:

• Increasing the potential membership cap on the locality bond from 3 million to 10 million, which will significantly expand the potential size of locality-based credit unions, which make up 79% of the sector, and reduce uncertainty around merger activity.
• Allowing credit unions to admit students to locality-based credit unions, if not otherwise eligible through residence or work.
• Expanding eligibility for members' relatives to allow credit unions to admit relatives of qualifying members regardless of whether they share a household.
• Allowing credit unions to retain retired members as fully qualifying members.

These reforms will help more people get access to fair loans and a safe place to save, so families have a real alternative to high-cost credit.

Full details of the government’s plans have been published in a call for evidence response available on GOV.UK.

The government will legislate to give effect to these reforms as soon as parliamentary time allows.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her department has made to a) strengthen the Environment Agency and b) support the EAs work to improve the condition of the River Wear.

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

The Environment Agency (EA) works to ensure all sectors, including the water industry, are fulfilling their legal responsibilities to the environment. Where breaches and illegal activity are found, they will not hesitate to hold companies to account.

The Water (Special Measures) Act has provided the most significant increase in enforcement powers to regulators, including EA in a decade, to take tougher action against water companies.

The Environment Agency is regulating Northumbrian Water to ensure it invests in the Wear catchment to reduce sewage discharges and improve water quality through the water industry national environment programme (WINEP). As part of this WINEP cycle, there are approximately 400 investigations and interventions to improve the condition of the River Wear.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of patient parking at hospitals across County Durham.

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

No assessment has been made by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, of the adequacy of patient parking at hospitals across County Durham.

National Health Service organisations decide locally on the amount of car parking they provide to patients, visitors, and staff, depending on the clinical services they provide and their local environment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his department has made on improving support for patients with bulimia.

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

We recognise the devastating impact an eating disorder such as bulimia can have on someone’s life, and the earlier treatment is provided, the greater the chance of recovery. NHS England continues to work with clinical experts, provider collaboratives, and patient groups to strengthen pathways for eating disorder care, including ensuring that specialised services remain accessible to those with the most severe presentations across the full spectrum of eating disorders.

On 20 January 2026, NHS England published its refreshed Eating Disorder Services for Children and Young People national guidance for integrated care boards and providers, setting out how to design collaborative, integrated services that support all children, young people, and their families and carers. Whilst the guidance focuses on improving community pathways for children and young people, the national specialised adult service model continues to provide access to highly specialist inpatient treatment for adults with complex eating disorders, including bulimia, through the Specialised Adult Eating Disorder Units network. These units deliver multidisciplinary care that typically includes psychiatric assessment and treatment, psychological therapies, medical monitoring, dietetic support and structured rehabilitation, and can provide inpatient care for adults with severe and enduring eating disorders, including bulimia, where required.

We have also commissioned an evaluation of the care pathway for children and young people with bulimia, binge eating disorder, and anorexia, in England, including a subsequent economic evaluation. The overall aim is to map out what eating disorder care pathways look like for children and young people and to develop an economic model of resource use, to quantify the relative value for money of each of the pathway elements.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to question 120636 a) what information her Department holds on the investigations and interventions; and b) is this information publicly available.

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

This information is publicly available and can be viewed using the PR24 WINEP interactive map. The Environment Agency (EA) launched this map last year. It shows for the first time where investment is being made to improve the water environment. The map includes the majority of WINEP data provided by water companies. The EA is working with water companies to add any missing information.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance is provided to police forces on the enforcement of the Caravan Sites Act 1968 in relation to the harassment of elderly or vulnerable residents by park home site owners.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The police are the enforcing authorities against harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Public Order Act 1986. Enforcement against harassment under the Caravan Sites Act 1968 is the responsibility of local authorities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Fit and Proper Person test in protecting park home residents from unsuitable landowners.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The fit and proper person test, which applies to a site owner or the person appointed to manage a site, is intended to ensure that those managing park home sites are competent to do so.

Where properly applied by local planning authorities, the legislation has been shown to be effective.

My Department will continue to monitor its operation and consider whether any changes are required.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will review the enforcement powers available to local authorities in cases where a site owner refuses to formally (a) recognise and (b) consult with a Qualifying Residents’ Association.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Site owners’ obligations to park home residents are set out in the implied terms of a resident’s Mobile Homes Act 1983 written agreement.

If a site owner breaches any of their obligations, including recognising or consulting with a Qualifying Residents’ Association, the association can seek a determination at the First Tier Tribunal.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the levels of the risk of insolvency among universities in England.

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

We are aware that some higher education (HE) providers are making difficult decisions about course consolidation and closures. As autonomous institutions, HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances. It is therefore right that they focus on ensuring their courses are financially sustainable.

The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department works closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape and level of risk.

The government recognises that the sector's financial environment is challenging. This is why tuition fee caps were uplifted in line with forecast inflation for 2025/26, with further uplifts planned for 2026/27 and 2027/28. We will then legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. The department has also appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening its commitment to financial sustainability.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the number of course closures announced in higher education over the past year.

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

We are aware that some higher education (HE) providers are making difficult decisions about course consolidation and closures. As autonomous institutions, HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances. It is therefore right that they focus on ensuring their courses are financially sustainable.

The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department works closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape and level of risk.

The government recognises that the sector's financial environment is challenging. This is why tuition fee caps were uplifted in line with forecast inflation for 2025/26, with further uplifts planned for 2026/27 and 2027/28. We will then legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. The department has also appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening its commitment to financial sustainability.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the international student levy on university incomes.

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

The International Student Levy will require higher education (HE) providers to pay a flat fee of £925 per international student per year. An impact analysis of the levy published in November 2025 estimated the income losses to the HE sector from the levy in isolation to be £270 million in its first year. The full impact analysis is available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/international-student-levy-unit/international-student-levy/supporting_documents/international-student-levy-impact-analysispdf.

HE providers are independent from government and as such are responsible for managing their own finances. The department has announced increases to tuition fee limits in line with forecast inflation for the 2025/26, 2026/27, and 2027/28 academic years. We will also legislate, when parliamentary time allows, to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years.

Over the next five years, tuition fee limit uplifts could generate an additional £6 billion for HE providers, significantly outweighing the currently projected less than £1 billion cost of the levy. This approach ensures the sector benefits from compounding annual increases, delivering growing resources to support quality education and innovation.

Durham District Prostate Cancer Group

Universal Credit health for under-22s

Transition of rail workers into Great British Railways

Restructuring at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Industrial action and the cost of living

World Social Work Day 2026

Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (No. 2)

Found: Sir Christopher Chope (Conservative; Christchurch) Mr Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat; Newbury) Mary Kelly Foy