Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration has been given to issuing X Passports to people who do not identify as male or female.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the response given to UIN 55474 on the 5^th June 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Highways, Authorities and Utilities Committee in improving collaboration between utilities and highways at a local level.

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

The Department has not formally assessed the effectiveness of the Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (HAUC) in improving local collaboration between utilities and highway authorities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) any changes have been made to the report of the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation since it was submitted to her on 29 May 2026, and (b) whether her Department plans to publish the report in full.

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

Lord Macdonald submitted the report of the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation to the Home Secretary on 29 May. The report as submitted to the Home Secretary will be published in full shortly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what national guidance exists on safe discharge practices for mental health inpatients at risk of suicide.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Planning for discharge should start at admission and continue throughout a patient’s stay, with responsible agencies collaborating from an early stage to ensure safe and timely discharge, appropriate community support, and effective section 117 aftercare where applicable. Statutory guidance on discharge from mental health hospitals was published in 2024 under the National Health Service Act 2006. It emphasises the importance of communication and collaboration between responsible agencies to ensure the patient’s safe and timely discharge and continued care and support after hospital.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also published guidance on safe discharge practices for mental health inpatients at risk of suicide which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng225/chapter/Recommendations#admission-to-and-discharge-from-hospital

The Mental Health Act 2025 also strengthens decision-making around discharge by requiring responsible clinicians to consult another professional before discharging a patient from the act, and by introducing statutory care and treatment plans, including discharge planning. These reforms are intended to support more robust discharge decisions, improve patient involvement, and help ensure that appropriate support is in place following discharge.

Finally, the Staying safe from suicide guidance published last year by NHS England means all mental health practitioners must align their practice to the latest evidence in understanding and managing suicide. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/staying-safe-from-suicide/

An accompanying e-learning package is available to all NHS and non-NHS mental health staff.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the four year limit for reclaiming rental income taxon minors who will inherit discretionary trusts.

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

The general time limit for making any Income Tax claim or overpayment refund is four years from the end of the relevant tax year. For repayment claims by beneficiaries of discretionary trusts, the claim must be made within four years of the end of the tax year in which they receive a relevant income distribution, rather than when the income arose to the trustees.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the cost and efficiency of Traffic Regulation Orders in the delivery of yellow lines.

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

The Department has not undertaken a formal assessment of the cost and efficiency of Traffic Regulation Orders specifically in relation to the delivery of yellow lines. The making and implementation of individual Traffic Regulation Orders is a matter for the relevant traffic authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the accessibility by public transport of DVLA-contracted eyesight assessment services in Gloucestershire.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s contract with Specsavers for vision testing services provides coverage across England, Wales and Scotland, with 436 stores able to perform the services required. Where required, there are provisions within the contract that allow Specsavers to utilise alternative local opticians for customers who live more than 25 miles from their nearest Specsavers branch.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the extent of commissioning gaps in specialist autism mental health services across Integrated Care Systems.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Independent Review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues, including the current provision of services in relation to autism and mental health.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy, to be published later this year. The Government also remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

The Government recently announced a major expansion of mental health support within the community, with £187 million allocated for 100 community mental health centres, and £156 million for 59 mental health emergency departments.

In addition, people of all ages experiencing a mental health crisis can access support through NHS 111 by selecting the mental health option. This provides access to mental health support and advice, including for children and young people, and can help people access appropriate local services when they need urgent support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of current NHS crisis response provision for patients experiencing acute mental health crises.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Independent Review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues, including the current provision of services in relation to autism and mental health.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy, to be published later this year. The Government also remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

The Government recently announced a major expansion of mental health support within the community, with £187 million allocated for 100 community mental health centres, and £156 million for 59 mental health emergency departments.

In addition, people of all ages experiencing a mental health crisis can access support through NHS 111 by selecting the mental health option. This provides access to mental health support and advice, including for children and young people, and can help people access appropriate local services when they need urgent support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to introduce national standards for autism-informed mental health care.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Independent Review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues, including the current provision of services in relation to autism and mental health.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy, to be published later this year. The Government also remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

The Government recently announced a major expansion of mental health support within the community, with £187 million allocated for 100 community mental health centres, and £156 million for 59 mental health emergency departments.

In addition, people of all ages experiencing a mental health crisis can access support through NHS 111 by selecting the mental health option. This provides access to mental health support and advice, including for children and young people, and can help people access appropriate local services when they need urgent support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for autism diagnostic assessments for primary school-aged children.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, which will be relevant to the issues raised by the Hon Member:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

The Government remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating a specific offence for one punch Manslaughter.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Lord Chancellor in 2024-5 asked the Law Commission to undertake a review of homicide law and murder sentencing. The review will cover the full range of homicide offence issues, including the merits of reform on the issue of one punch manslaughter. The publication for the final report is due in 2028.

The Government will carefully consider any recommendations arising from the Law Commission’s review once it has concluded.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating Accessible Housing Registers in England.

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

Local housing authorities are free to set their own allocation schemes in accordance with the relevant legislation and statutory guidance, and they take different approaches to meeting these requirements in relation to accessible accommodation. Some maintain separate registers of accessible housing while others choose incorporate information into their main housing registers.

The government recognises the importance of local housing authorities holding detailed information on the accessibility of their properties and being able to provide prospective tenants with information in that regard. We are currently working with stakeholders on a review of the statutory guidance on social housing allocations. As part of this review, we will consider whether further guidance or the clarification of existing guidance is needed to support local housing authorities to effectively manage their stock and make information about accessible housing available.

The government has no current plans to mandate accessible housing registers in England.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing lifetime carbon emissions reporting for buildings.

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

The Government is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and recognises that embodied carbon can account for a significant portion of a building’s whole life carbon emissions. As steps to reduce operational carbon take effect, the share of whole life carbon emissions taken up by embodied carbon will increase.

My Department has commissioned research to build understanding of the impacts of measuring and reducing embodied carbon, summarise the data currently available, and to identify where any gaps or challenges lie. We have published the final report, Consideration of embodied carbon in new buildings, to share the insights with industry. The Government is considering its next steps on this matter carefully.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether the £4.75m contribution from the Office of Life Sciences for phase two of the Sequence ME & Long Covid study for this project will be supplemented by funding from MRC.

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

There are no plans for MRC to provide further funding to the study.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of option 2 of the 'Raising accessibility standards for new homes' consultation document, mandating the current M4(2) requirement in Building Regulations as a minimum standard for all new homes.

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

Requirements set out in the Building Regulations 2010 include Part M, ‘Access to and use of Buildings’. These requirements intend that new building work meets the needs of occupants with differing needs, including some older or disabled people and wheelchair users, and allow adaptation of the dwelling to meet changing needs over time. Statutory guidance, called Approved Documents, offer guidance to developers about how to meet the legal requirements set out in the Building Regulations. M4(2) homes provide enhanced accessibility, requiring features such as a living area and step free access at entrance level. M4(3) homes meet or can be easily adapted to meet the needs of wheelchair users.

Government recognises the importance of increasing the supply of housing for people with greater need for adaptability or accessibility, through the planning system. The Government’s new National Planning Policy Framework and consultation response were published on 17 August 2026, setting out requirements for authorities to deliver accessible housing. Plans should set out the proportion of new homes that should be delivered to M4(2) and M4(3) accessibility standards, to meet or exceed identified need. There is a clear position that at least 40% of housing on major development should be built to M4(2) to drive-up provision, particularly in areas that do not already have clear requirements. In the consultation response, Government committed to providing further guidance to assist local authorities in assessing older and disabled people’s housing need and will consider appropriate engagement to support this work.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to implement the recommendations of the 2020 ‘Raising accessibility standards for new homes' consultation.

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

Requirements set out in the Building Regulations 2010 include Part M, ‘Access to and use of Buildings’. These requirements intend that new building work meets the needs of occupants with differing needs, including some older or disabled people and wheelchair users, and allow adaptation of the dwelling to meet changing needs over time. Statutory guidance, called Approved Documents, offer guidance to developers about how to meet the legal requirements set out in the Building Regulations. M4(2) homes provide enhanced accessibility, requiring features such as a living area and step free access at entrance level. M4(3) homes meet or can be easily adapted to meet the needs of wheelchair users.

Government recognises the importance of increasing the supply of housing for people with greater need for adaptability or accessibility, through the planning system. The Government’s new National Planning Policy Framework and consultation response were published on 17 August 2026, setting out requirements for authorities to deliver accessible housing. Plans should set out the proportion of new homes that should be delivered to M4(2) and M4(3) accessibility standards, to meet or exceed identified need. There is a clear position that at least 40% of housing on major development should be built to M4(2) to drive-up provision, particularly in areas that do not already have clear requirements. In the consultation response, Government committed to providing further guidance to assist local authorities in assessing older and disabled people’s housing need and will consider appropriate engagement to support this work.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a VAT exemption on installing solar panels for schools.

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

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services, including solar panels purchased by schools. However, the Government operates VAT refund schemes which allow schools maintained by local authorities and academies to recover VAT paid on goods and services purchased in the course of providing free education.

Private schools that charge VAT on their fees may recover their VAT costs through the normal input tax rules.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to introduce a VAT exemption for schools installing solar panels.

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

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services, including solar panels purchased by schools. However, the Government operates VAT refund schemes which allow schools maintained by local authorities and academies to recover VAT paid on goods and services purchased in the course of providing free education.

Private schools that charge VAT on their fees may recover their VAT costs through the normal input tax rules.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2026 to Question 28456 on Asylum: Pakistan, whether her Department is aware of a letter template used by Pakistani men to falsely claim they are gay during the asylum process.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not comment on live operational matters.

The asylum system is built on robust safeguards to ensure every claim is rigorously and fairly assessed ensuring that protection is provided where it is needed and that unfounded claims are identified and refused.

If decision makers spot any suspicious patterns in asylum claims, such as letter templates, they can easily report them for further investigation by specialist teams who work closely with other relevant agencies and law enforcement to help identify and root out this sort of abuse.

Decisions are not made based solely on a letter from a support group or any other single piece of information.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Cross Country trains in 2026 scheduled to stop at Cheltenham Spa have not stopped at that station due to overcrowding.

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

CrossCountry (XC) reports that there have been 10 occasions since 1 January 2026 when services have failed to stop at Cheltenham Spa due to passenger loadings. We expect that with the recent announcement that XC is being funded by the Government to lease a further 40 carriages from next year, instances of this nature should become far less frequent.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her department has plans to provide help for those living with disabilities, who live in temporary housing and cannot gain access to Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG).

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

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people to live independently and safely in their homes.

Temporary accommodation provided under homelessness duties must be suitable, which includes meeting the needs of disabled members of the household.

Local authorities are responsible for administering the Disabled Facilities Grant in their area and have considerable discretion in how they manage the funding. Providing statutory duties are met, local areas can choose to invest in other social capital projects such as improving accessibility of temporary accommodation, in line with Better Care Funds plans, and their assessment of how best to support local disabled people.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the benefits of requiring a whole-life carbon assessment to accompany every major planning application.

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

I refer the hon. Member to policy CC2 of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August, which can be found on gov.uk here, and the government response to Question 42 of the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to introduce a clearer framework for assessing and reducing embodied carbon within the UK planning system.

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

I refer the hon. Member to policy CC2 of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August, which can be found on gov.uk here, and the government response to Question 42 of the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of transferring responsibility for the commissioning and full funding of alternative provision placements for children with special needs from schools to local authorities.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Local authorities are currently responsible for the commissioning and funding of all alternative provision in their area under section 19 of the Education Act 1996.

Schools can use their own budgets to place children in alternative provision or another school through an off-site direction, or provide education from the sixth day (or earlier) of a suspension for any child of compulsory school age.

In February, the department launched its SEND reform consultation. This reform sets out a clear vision for alternative provision and the key roles it will fulfil in mainstream settings and the specialist sector to support children and young people with complex and additional needs. We will publish our response to the consultation in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of changes to the PE and Sport Premium on access to sport.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Cheltenham to the answer of 26 June 2026 to Question 11062.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of safety risks posed by vehicles with elevated front-end profiles on the the visibility of vulnerable road and children.

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

The Government recognises concerns about the potential impact that the increasing size and front-end height of some vehicles may have on vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and children. The Department for Transport's Road Safety Strategy acknowledges these concerns and commits to working with stakeholders and vehicle manufacturers to further understand the safety implications of increasing vehicle size.

Local Housing Allowance rates

UK arms sales to Israel

Indefinite Leave to Remain changes