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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce plastic pollution across the UK.

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

The Government recognises the scale and impact of plastic pollution on the environment and is focused on preventing and reducing plastic and other litter entering the environment.

We have a number of restrictions on unnecessary single use plastic products, and we will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions.

In November 2025, the Government legislated to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England, marking a major step forward in tackling the plastic and microplastic pollution which harms our waterways.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help ensure the safety of young people online.

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

Protecting children online is a top priority. The Online Safety Act brought in some of the strongest protections for children globally.

We have already taken steps to build on these by introducing new priority offences and tackling intimate image abuse and we have launched a landmark consultation on further measures to protect children online, including whether there should be a minimum age for social media, and restrictions to AI chatbots and gaming.

Finally, we are legislating to ensure we can act quickly on the findings of the consultation because no child should have to wait to experience a safe, fulfilling life online.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many sewage discharges there have been into the (a) River Thames and (b) River Crane in the last five years.

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

The following water companies have permitted discharges of treated final effluent into the River Thames:

• Thames Water Utilities Ltd into the River Thames – 19
• Southern Water Services – 2
• Anglian Water Services – 4
• Albion Water – 1

35 of the most polluting Combined Sewer Overflows in London have now been intercepted by the London Tideway Tunnels. These have prevented 19 million tonnes of storm sewage polluting the River Thames since they became operational in 2025.

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 raise awareness about early diagnosis of lobular breast cancer.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients, including those with lobular breast cancer, survive this horrible set of diseases. There are multiple NHS initiatives and funding streams across the NHS in England that support the early detection of lobular breast cancer, and many organisations across the health service are involved.

The Government recognises the crucial need for research into all forms of cancer to support earlier diagnosis, including for lobular breast cancer. In November 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) issued a highlight notice encouraging applications for new research into lobular breast cancer, to improve the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term surveillance of patients. The NIHR continues to welcome high quality funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including lobular breast cancer.

The Breast Screening Risk Adaptive Imaging for Density trial is looking into the use of supplementary imaging techniques for women within the standard breast screening programme who are found to have radiographically dense breast tissue. The different tests include magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound. The UK National Screening Committee is in contact with the researchers and is reviewing this evidence as it becomes available. It will make recommendations to ministers in light of this.

To raise awareness about early diagnosis of lobular breast cancer, the NHS in England encourages everyone to check their breast regularly for changes or thickened areas of tissue, and to consult their general practitioner straight away if they have any concerns. To increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, including lobular breast cancer, and address barriers to acting on them, the NHS runs Help Us Help You campaigns. These campaigns focus on recognising a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers, including breast cancer, at an earlier 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 improve early diagnosis of lobular breast cancer.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients, including those with lobular breast cancer, survive this horrible set of diseases. There are multiple NHS initiatives and funding streams across the NHS in England that support the early detection of lobular breast cancer, and many organisations across the health service are involved.

The Government recognises the crucial need for research into all forms of cancer to support earlier diagnosis, including for lobular breast cancer. In November 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) issued a highlight notice encouraging applications for new research into lobular breast cancer, to improve the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term surveillance of patients. The NIHR continues to welcome high quality funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including lobular breast cancer.

The Breast Screening Risk Adaptive Imaging for Density trial is looking into the use of supplementary imaging techniques for women within the standard breast screening programme who are found to have radiographically dense breast tissue. The different tests include magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound. The UK National Screening Committee is in contact with the researchers and is reviewing this evidence as it becomes available. It will make recommendations to ministers in light of this.

To raise awareness about early diagnosis of lobular breast cancer, the NHS in England encourages everyone to check their breast regularly for changes or thickened areas of tissue, and to consult their general practitioner straight away if they have any concerns. To increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, including lobular breast cancer, and address barriers to acting on them, the NHS runs Help Us Help You campaigns. These campaigns focus on recognising a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers, including breast cancer, at an earlier stage.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of playing fields that will be developed as a result of proposals to remove Sport England as a statutory consultee.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) includes strong protections for existing open space, sports and recreational buildings, and land, including playing fields, setting out that they should not be built on unless they are no longer needed, equivalent or better provision is made, or the development is for alternative sports or recreational provision which offers benefits that clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.

The government recently consulted on a new NPPF that includes clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation included updated policy on development affecting existing recreation facilities, including playing fields. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

The government is committed to maintaining and improving our stock of playing fields. We recognise that Sport England can play a valuable strategic role in supporting local planning authorities in the development of local planning policy. However, we do not believe that statutory consultation on individual cases to a national body is proportionate.

In our recent consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system, we proposed a series of mitigations which could minimise the potential impacts of removing Sport England’s statutory consultee status, while delivering the benefits of reducing regulatory requirements. These include the introduction of a new notification requirement in relation to housing and commercial development on playing fields. Under this approach, local planning authorities would be required to notify Sport England when such applications would result in the wholesale or substantial loss of playing fields.

The consultation closed on 13 January 2026, and we are currently analysing the feedback received.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2026 to Question 117420, a) which areas have received funding to deliver 24/7 thrombectomy and b) the date by which they are expected to have 24/7 access in place.

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

All thrombectomy centres have received funding aligned with individual provider readiness and implementation plans to deliver extended hours and 24/7 provision. Total recurrent national investment in mechanical thrombectomy in 2025/26 is in excess of £100 million.

A targeted approach to additional national investment 2026/27 was taken in recognition of disparities in historical investment due to provider readiness to achieve 24/7 provision.

This funding was targeted to the North East and Yorkshire, Midlands, and the South East regions to secure 24/7 access to service provision.

The approved funding was confirmed to regions in February 2026, to enable 24/7 service delivery from 1 April 2026.

Student finance system reform