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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in his Department had with MPs (a) in the period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

Ministers in the Department take their responsibilities to Parliament seriously and regularly engage with members from across the House on a range of issues. The specific information in the format requested, however, is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in his Department had with MPs (a) in the period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales

Ministers in the Department held a total of 14 MP surgeries between July 2024 and January 2025, and 89 since January 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in her Department had with MPs (a) in period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Secretary of State does not hold MP surgeries, she has 1-2-1 meetings as required. The figures for Ministers in the Department are below:

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in her Department had with MPs (a) in period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Treasury Ministers meet regularly with Members of Parliament to discuss a wide range of issues relating to their departmental responsibilities and matters of interest to constituents. Information on individual meetings is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of extreme temperatures in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens

The levers to mitigate the impact of extreme temperatures in Wales are a mixture of devolved and reserved responsibilities. Climate change adaptation is generally devolved in Wales.

The Met Office (a UK Government Agency of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) provides warnings for extreme heat and has a network of civil contingency advisors across all parts of the UK to help local councils make decisions during periods of severe weather which includes a team dedicated to Wales. The Welsh Government is also represented in civil contingency structures for severe heat emergencies.

The UK Government is tackling the potential impact of extreme temperatures by electrifying Britain and delivering clean, homegrown energy, which will also unlock greater energy security, lower bills for good, cleaner air and thousands of good jobs.

The Government has set the next achievable and pragmatic target for long-term emissions reduction, Carbon Budget 7, building on the framework that has secured billions of private investment and economic growth since 2008.

Since July 2024, over £100 billion of private investment has been announced in UK clean energy industries. The UK’s net zero economy now underpins the jobs of 1.1 million UK workers, according to the CBI report published in June 2026. The UK Government is taking action to deliver clean energy in Wales – we are progressing the UK’s first SMRs at Wylfa, supporting The Crown Estate’s Leasing Round 5 which will deliver up to 4.5GW of floating wind in the Celtic Sea, and secured a contract for the Awel y Môr offshore wind project.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in his Department had with MPs (a) in period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what role she considers broadcast infrastructure plays in ensuring that the Government can communicate with the public during national emergencies.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The government understands how important it is that citizens can access information in times of national emergency. Resilient radio and television play an important role in a range of different emergency scenarios.

The BBC has specific requirements under its Framework Agreement in relation to broadcast security and resilience, and works closely with DCMS in ensuring its infrastructure is able to support emergency communications.

DCMS works with the Cabinet Office and other Departments to ensure the BBC’s public emergency messaging capabilities are integrated into wider cross government resilience planning.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of trends in employment levels in the retail sector in East Grinstead and Uckfield.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Parliamentary Question of 7th July is attached.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of how the UK’s communications infrastructure would perform in maintaining mass public communications in the event of a large-scale cyber-attack on broadband networks.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Government works closely with communications providers, Ofcom, the energy sector and other partners to ensure the resilience and security of the UK's communications infrastructure. Communications providers are responsible for the resilience of their networks and services and have statutory obligations to identify, reduce and manage risks that could affect the security and availability of services. Ofcom oversees compliance and has powers to monitor, investigate failures and take enforcement action where appropriate. The Government is also supporting collaboration between the electricity and telecommunications sectors to reduce the likelihood of telecommunications disruption during power outages and, where disruption occurs, minimise the number of people affected and the duration of any impact. In the event of a national power outage or a large-scale cyber incident affecting broadband networks, plans are in place to ensure the public can continue to receive critical information. This includes the use of BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4, which would continue to broadcast key public advice. In the event of a prolonged broadband outage, critical information can also be communicated through alternative channels, including Emergency Alerts, which do not require a broadband connection to operate.

On 6 September 2024, Ofcom published updated Network and Service Resilience Guidance setting out the measures communications providers should take to improve network resilience. In February 2025, Ofcom published a technical report on mobile power resilience and undertook further analysis of mobile network resilience. Building on this work, Ofcom updated its Resilience Guidance in June 2026, clarifying its expectations for mobile network operators' backup power arrangements and sharing its findings with Government to support wider policy development.

The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 established a strengthened framework for the security and resilience of public telecommunications networks and services, introducing enhanced security duties on providers to protect their networks and services against cyber attack and reduce the risk and impact of security compromises. The framework is supported by the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which was updated in 2026 to reflect evolving threats, technologies and operational practices.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of how the UK’s communications infrastructure would perform in maintaining mass public communications in the event of a national power outage.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Government works closely with communications providers, Ofcom, the energy sector and other partners to ensure the resilience and security of the UK's communications infrastructure. Communications providers are responsible for the resilience of their networks and services and have statutory obligations to identify, reduce and manage risks that could affect the security and availability of services. Ofcom oversees compliance and has powers to monitor, investigate failures and take enforcement action where appropriate. The Government is also supporting collaboration between the electricity and telecommunications sectors to reduce the likelihood of telecommunications disruption during power outages and, where disruption occurs, minimise the number of people affected and the duration of any impact. In the event of a national power outage or a large-scale cyber incident affecting broadband networks, plans are in place to ensure the public can continue to receive critical information. This includes the use of BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4, which would continue to broadcast key public advice. In the event of a prolonged broadband outage, critical information can also be communicated through alternative channels, including Emergency Alerts, which do not require a broadband connection to operate.

On 6 September 2024, Ofcom published updated Network and Service Resilience Guidance setting out the measures communications providers should take to improve network resilience. In February 2025, Ofcom published a technical report on mobile power resilience and undertook further analysis of mobile network resilience. Building on this work, Ofcom updated its Resilience Guidance in June 2026, clarifying its expectations for mobile network operators' backup power arrangements and sharing its findings with Government to support wider policy development.

The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 established a strengthened framework for the security and resilience of public telecommunications networks and services, introducing enhanced security duties on providers to protect their networks and services against cyber attack and reduce the risk and impact of security compromises. The framework is supported by the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which was updated in 2026 to reflect evolving threats, technologies and operational practices.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has in place to ensure continuity of mass public communications during prolonged disruption to IP-based networks.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The government recognises the importance of maintaining public communications during disruptions affecting telecommunications networks. Telecommunications providers are required to take appropriate and proportionate measures to identify, reduce, prepare for and recover from risks to the resilience of their networks and services, under the Communications Act 2003, as amended by the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021. The department works closely with industry, Ofcom and other government departments through established resilience and emergency response arrangements to prepare for, respond to and recover from major telecommunications incidents, while continuing to strengthen the resilience of the UK's telecommunications infrastructure.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the role of maintaining multiple, independent communications platforms in strengthening the UK’s national resilience – particularly those not dependent on fixed broadband.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The government recognises the importance of diverse and resilient communications networks as part of the UK's national resilience. Telecommunications providers are required under the Communications Act 2003, as amended by the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, to take appropriate and proportionate measures to identify, reduce and prepare for risks to the availability and resilience of their networks and services. Ofcom oversees compliance with these duties.

The UK benefits from a range of communications technologies, including fixed, mobile, satellite and broadcast services. A diverse communications ecosystem helps reduce dependence on any single technology and can support continuity of communications during disruptive events. The government works closely with industry, Ofcom and resilience partners to strengthen the resilience of communications infrastructure, including through planning for severe weather, power outages and other risks.

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 merits for cyber resilience of maintaining communications systems with differing architectures and modes of delivery.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The government recognises the importance of resilient communications networks and services. Telecommunications providers are required to take appropriate and proportionate measures to identify, reduce, prepare for and recover from risks to the security and resilience of their networks and services under the Communications Act 2003, as amended by the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021. The government works closely with Ofcom and industry to strengthen telecommunications resilience and to ensure providers are able to manage a range of risks, including cyber threats, through appropriate resilience and security measures. These measures may include maintaining different communications architectures and modes of delivery, although this is not, in general, legally mandated.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the value for money to the taxpayer of the retrospective Loan Charge.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 9 February 2026 to UINs 109843.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in his Department had with MPs (a) in the period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the number of parental order applications for surrogate born babies made by single men in the courts of England and Wales since 2019 on safeguarding risks.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

There has been no assessment made of the potential impact of the number of parental order applications for surrogate born babies made by single men in the courts of England and Wales since 2019 on safeguarding risks.

The Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service is responsible for making safeguarding assessments on parental order applications. All such applications are considered by the family court on the facts of the individual cases.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in his Department had with MPs (a) in the period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her polices of Nigeria becoming the second most popular international surrogacy destination for British residents seeking surrogacy abroad; and whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on this.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the response provided on 26 June to Question 10761.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the popularity of Nigeria as an international surrogacy destination for British residents seeking surrogacy abroad.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the response provided on 26 June to Question 10761.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many surgeries Ministers in his Department have held for hon. Members (a) between July 2024 and January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Justice Ministers meet regularly with Members of Parliament to discuss a wide range of issues relating to their departmental responsibilities and matters of interest to constituents. The information requested is not centrally held.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what consideration has been given to roll out British Standard BS 30416 to the civil service workforce.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Civil Service is committed to being an inclusive employer. The adoption for British Standard BS 30416, is delegated to departments as individual employers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of how the public will receive critical information in the event of widespread and prolonged broadband or power outages.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

There are plans in place for the public to receive critical information in both of these scenarios. This includes the use of both BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4 which will continue to broadcast key advice to the public.

In a prolonged broadband outage there are other ways to send critical information, such as emergency alerts, which do not require broadband connection to function.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when she last met with representatives of the glass sector to discuss the Deposit Return Scheme.

Answered by Jo Stevens

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 18 June 2026 (UIN 8620).

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with stakeholders on Welsh livestock numbers.

Answered by Anna McMorrin - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

I have regular discussions with the farming unions on a range of matters. While agriculture is devolved to the Welsh Government, the farming unions are a key partner for the Wales Office and both the Secretary of State and I are committed to working with them and maintaining an active dialogue.

In April of this year, I met with the National Farmers Union (NFU) Cymru and I joined the then Farming Minister in a meeting with the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW). Separately, I met with the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) in May.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether (a) her Department and (b) the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs is informed when Welsh Government ministers meet foreign diplomats; whether permission is sought for such meetings; and whether (i) her Department and (ii) the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs are informed of the content of those meetings.

Answered by Jo Stevens

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works closely with the Wales Office to monitor and support the Welsh Government’s international engagement on devolved matters.

The FCDO provides support and guidance when the Welsh Government chooses to advise UK Government of these meetings, and where it is appropriate to do so. The FCDO also works to ensure that foreign diplomats are aware of the respective responsibilities of the UK and Devolved Governments.

The Wales Office also engages directly with the FCDO overseas network to support ministerial and official investment missions. For the second year in a row, the UK Government has overseen an increase in the number of foreign investments coming into Wales, alongside a rise in the number of jobs created or protected. The new £2.4m Brand Wales programme will enhance our promotion of Wales' Trade and Investment opportunities.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on their meetings with foreign ambassadors.

Answered by Jo Stevens

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works closely with the Wales Office to monitor and support the Welsh Government’s international engagement on devolved matters.

The FCDO provides support and guidance when the Welsh Government chooses to advise UK Government of these meetings, and where it is appropriate to do so. The FCDO also works to ensure that foreign diplomats are aware of the respective responsibilities of the UK and Devolved Governments.

The Wales Office also engages directly with the FCDO overseas network to support ministerial and official investment missions. For the second year in a row, the UK Government has overseen an increase in the number of foreign investments coming into Wales, alongside a rise in the number of jobs created or protected. The new £2.4m Brand Wales programme will enhance our promotion of Wales' Trade and Investment opportunities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help prevent pub closures in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government recognises the pressures facing pubs and the important role they play in communities across the UK. That is why we have introduced targeted support, including a 15% reduction in business rates bills for pubs from April 2026, followed by a two-year real-terms freeze, alongside permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties. We have also increased the Hospitality Support Fund to £10 million over three years to help pubs diversify and remain financially sustainable.

In addition, the Great British Summer Savings scheme is reducing VAT from 20% to 5% on selected hospitality, leisure and visitor economy activities between 25 June and 1 September 2026, helping to drive customer demand and support hospitality businesses during the busy summer period.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in her Department had with MPs since July 2024.

Answered by Jo Stevens

Wales Office Ministers spend significant time engaging with Welsh and other MPs on a wide range of issues, hosting MPs at Wales Office events, and holding dedicated meetings with MPs on a regular basis.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many MP surgeries have ministers in her Department had with MPs since January 2025.

Answered by Jo Stevens

Wales Office Ministers spend significant time engaging with Welsh and other MPs on a wide range of issues, hosting MPs at Wales Office events, and holding dedicated meetings with MPs on a regular basis.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many surgeries Ministers in his Department have held for hon. Members (a) between July 2024 and January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Hilary Benn

Northern Ireland Office Ministers meet regularly with Members of Parliament to discuss a wide range of issues relating to departmental responsibilities and matters of interest to constituents.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in her Department had with MPs (a) in the period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Our records show that in the period between July 2024 and January 2025, DCMS Ministers held four MP surgeries.

In the period between January 2025 and 17 July 2026, DCMS Ministers held 34 MP surgeries.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in the context of consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework, if he will revise Part 9 to recognise mobile telecommunications as an essential service and reflect this in planning reform to deliver connectivity across the UK.

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

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework. The consultation on the revised framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included a new section intended to replace Chapter 10 of current Framework on supporting high-quality telecommunications infrastructure.

We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in his Department had with MPs (a) in the period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

Ministers in AGO have had 60 MP surgeries from July 2024 – July 2026 inclusive.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many surgeries Ministers in his Department have held for hon. Members (a) between July 2024 and January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland

Scotland Office Ministers meet regularly with Members of Parliament to discuss a wide range of issues relating to their departmental responsibilities.

For the purpose of this PQ, we have taken ‘surgeries’ to mean meetings or briefings with MPs where external stakeholders were not also present.

a) July 2024 to January 2025: 7

b) From January 2025 onwards: 37

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in her Department had with MPs (a) in the period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Ministers at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) engage regularly with MPs to discuss a range of issues, whether in Parliamentary debates, committee hearings, or meetings with specialist groups. Ministers have had regular engagement with parliamentarians at surgeries, with APPGs and with MPs on consular casework. FCDO ministers have responded to a quarter of all urgent question debates since the last election, regularly engaging with colleagues on a range of topical matters.

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