Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the consultation requirements for passengers under the Bus Services Act 2025; and whether she plans to introduce further measures to help ensure bus users are consulted before significant changes are made to local bus services.

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

The Bus Services Act 2025 places passengers at the heart of local bus services by strengthening requirements on local authorities and operators to consider the needs of the communities they serve.

The Act introduces safeguards that ensure passengers are properly considered before significant changes are made. This includes the socially necessary local services measure which means that local transport authorities (LTAs) and bus operators are now required to identify those services which are considered as being socially necessary for their community. Should such a service then face potential withdrawal or substantial alteration, the parties must work together to explore all available options before any significant changes are made. The Government is clear that passenger views are vital in implementing this measure, and LTAs should take care to ensure there is a balanced representation of passenger voices.

The Department's guidance to local transport authorities on establishing Enhanced Partnerships makes clear that stakeholders, including passenger groups, should be consulted on the contents of any such scheme. Guidance on setting up a franchising scheme requires local transport authorities to consult on the proposals, including with passenger groups. These measures ensure that passenger views are taken into account as part of considerations on delivering better local bus services.

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 take steps to ensure the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill contains provisions to ensure housing-with-care is affordable to as many retirees as possible.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 108467 on 3 February 2026.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Department has made of the real-terms value of Bereavement Support Payment since its introduction in April 2017, including the change in value adjusted for CPI inflation in each financial year.

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

The rate of Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) is reviewed annually on a discretionary basis as part of the uprating process. As BSP is not a cost‑of‑living benefit, it is not automatically linked to inflation. While factors such as Consumer Prices Index (CPI) may be considered in the annual review, there is no requirement to link to CPI and no fixed methodology for determining changes to its value.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what methodology is used in the annual uprating assessment of Bereavement Support Payment; and whether CPI inflation is explicitly incorporated into decisions on maintaining its real-terms value.

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

The rate of Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) is reviewed annually on a discretionary basis as part of the uprating process. As BSP is not a cost‑of‑living benefit, it is not automatically linked to inflation. While factors such as Consumer Prices Index (CPI) may be considered in the annual review, there is no requirement to link to CPI and no fixed methodology for determining changes to its value.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason there is no dedicated bereavement-related income support payment paid directly or specifically in respect of bereaved children.

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

Bereavement Support Payment aims to provide support during the acute period following a bereavement by way of an initial lump sum followed by up to 18 monthly instalments with a higher amount paid for those with dependent children. Longer-term financial support is delivered through the wider welfare system, including through Universal Credit, Child Benefit and other forms of local support where appropriate. School support, local family help services and wider health services all play a role in meeting the longer-term emotional needs of bereaved children.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to monitor how accredited lenders are applying the Growth Guarantee Scheme, including the use of personal guarantees, the interest rates being charged, and the criteria used to assess applications from viable small businesses; and whether he will require the British Business Bank to publish annual performance data for the Scheme, including application volumes, approval and decline rates, average APRs, and the proportion of facilities supported by personal guarantees.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Accredited lenders must operate within Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) rules and the British Business Bank (BBB) monitors lenders to ensure compliance with those requirements.

Decisions on individual lending applications, including the assessment of whether a business meets GGS eligibility criteria, the use of personal guarantees and the interest rates charged, are decisions for accredited lenders, undertaken in accordance with the Scheme's rules and each lender's own credit and risk assessment processes.

The BBB publishes quarterly performance data for GGS, including information on the number and value of facilities, sectoral and regional distribution, the characteristics of supported businesses, and portfolio performance.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that products subject to an OPSS withdrawal notice, such as the UPP U004 e-bike battery, cannot remain listed for sale on online marketplaces months after the notice is issued.

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

Under UK law, businesses are responsible for only placing safe products on the market, and must act to protect consumers where a product poses a risk. In 2024, the Office for Product Safety and Standards OPSS issued Withdrawal Notices, including eight to online marketplaces, to prevent the sale of dangerous models of UPP-branded e-bike battery. OPSS holds businesses, including online marketplaces, accountable for removing unsafe products from supply.

My department also recently consulted on reforming the Product Safety Framework, including to introduce requirements for online marketplaces to take proactive action to identify, prevent and remove non-compliant products from sale.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to use secondary legislation under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 to mandate independent third-party certification of e-bike and e-scooter batteries before they can be sold in the UK.

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

Battery safety is covered by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 which require all consumer products sold in the UK to be safe. Batteries are also subject to traceability requirements. Through our recent product safety framework consultations, we have sought views on the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and potential measures to strengthen consumer protections. Defra is also reviewing the UK’s extended producer responsibility scheme for batteries.

Given the complexity of the issues in the consultation, we will carefully consider stakeholder feedback and intend to publish our response in the autumn.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to introduce mandatory registration of e-bike and e-scooter batteries at the point of sale, to improve traceability in the event of a recall, fire or safety incident.

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

Battery safety is covered by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 which require all consumer products sold in the UK to be safe. Batteries are also subject to traceability requirements. Through our recent product safety framework consultations, we have sought views on the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and potential measures to strengthen consumer protections. Defra is also reviewing the UK’s extended producer responsibility scheme for batteries.

Given the complexity of the issues in the consultation, we will carefully consider stakeholder feedback and intend to publish our response in the autumn.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government what progress has been made in updating the national Incident Recording System to capture data on lithium-ion battery fires, including whether the battery involved was an e-bike or e-scooter battery and whether it was on charge at the time of the incident; and when this update will be operational.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

There is currently no set date for Fire and Rescue Services to record whether fires involve lithium-ion batteries or electric vehicles. However, development work is ongoing to enable the collection of these data points, with the intention that this capability will be in place by the end of 2026. As part of the development of Version 2 of the Fire and Rescue Data Platform (FaRDaP), we will be adding new reference data to allow fire and rescue services to record and report on when an incident involves lithium‑ion batteries or electric vehicles. This will include identifying whether the source of ignition was a battery and, where relevant, whether that battery was on charge at the time of the incident. These additions will ensure that such information is collected and reported consistently across services. Publication of the data is currently expected by the end of next year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Department takes to involve autistic people and other experts by experience in the design, drafting and review of written communications, guidance and other documents relating to benefits and employment support; and whether autistic people with lived experience are involved in the development and delivery of autism-related training provided to DWP staff as is currently mandatory in the NHS.

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

DWP works with a range of internal and external experts when developing learning and support relating to disabled customers, including autistic people.

Working in partnership with Coventry University, Neurobox and DWP psychologists, the Department has developed a new Supporting Customer Needs learning offer for customer-facing colleagues. This includes dedicated learning on neurodivergence, including autism, and has been informed by expert insight and engagement with stakeholders from across the Department.

Additionally, learning for all Jobcentre staff includes comprehensive mandatory learning enabling them to support customers with a broad range of health, disability and additional or complex needs. This equips staff to determine appropriate actions, avoid making assumptions, and explain what reasonable adjustments, support and signposting options DWP can offer when supporting customers into work.

Memorial plaque for Ann Widdecombe

South Yemen