Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of customers who have been overcharged for their energy use due to smart meter errors in each of the last three years.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Accuracy levels for both smart and analogue meters must comply with the Measuring Instruments Regulations (SI 2016/1153). Consumers have the right to have their meter independently tested if they dispute its accuracy.

The Department does not hold data on the number of customers who have been overcharged due to meter errors. More broadly, customers with analogue meters are almost three times more likely to complain about billing errors than customers with smart meters.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the capacity of sewage works in a local area is assessed before planning permission is given for new housing developments; and what steps he is taking to ensure that capacity is increased where needed.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 103042 on 14 January 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure that housing developers build an adequate amount of affordable housing in (a) Bolsover constituency and (b) other rural areas.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 101017 on 6 January 2026 and to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 2 July 2025 (HCWS771) and 28 January (HCWS1283).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of DVLA-mandated eye tests in rural and semi-rural communities.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s contract with Specsavers for vision testing services provide coverage across England, Wales and Scotland, with 436 stores able to perform the services required.

Specsavers is working to increase the number of stores available to carry out eyesight tests by supplying them with the appropriate equipment.

Specsavers may utilise local opticians for customers who live more than 25 miles from their nearest Specsavers branch, for example those living in rural or semi rural areas.

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 merits of NHS midwives undertaking trauma-informed training as part of their maternity care training.

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

Many National Health Service trusts and Accredited Education Providers such as universities have developed their own training programmes or academic modules around Trauma Informed Care (TIC) for midwives. NHS England is undertaking a rapid scoping exercise on current TIC mandatory and non-mandatory training provision across perinatal services, to assess the merit of more comprehensive TIC training for staff.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is available for schools situated (a) on and (b) close to unadopted roads where no parties are maintaining (i) those roads and (ii) street furniture to an acceptable standard.

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

Responsibility for maintaining unadopted private roads rests with the frontagers of the road, who are the owners of properties or land that front, border or have access to the road.

If the road becomes dangerous, the relevant local authority has enforcement powers to force them to carry out repairs.

Schools may engage directly with those responsible for the management and maintenance of private roads to resolve issues, including estate management companies where applicable.

I also refer my hon. Friend to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).