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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with supermarket retailers on ensuring that loose, packaged and multi-pack fresh fruit and vegetable products are displayed with comparable price-per-kilogram information.

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

The Price Marking Order (PMO) requires traders to display the selling price and, where applicable, the unit price for goods, enabling consumers to compare similar products and assess value for money. The PMO was recently updated so products sold by weight or volume must show unit prices in kilograms or litres. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 confirmed that the price displayed on the shelf must be the price the consumer pays. The Government engaged extensively with industry on these proposals and keeps them under review to support consistent pricing information for consumers.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of unit pricing measures used by supermarkets, including pricing by item, weight and package size for equivalent products, on consumers' ability to compare prices and identify best value for money; and whether his Department has plans to review existing unit pricing regulations to require retailers display prices using a single consistent metric for items.

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

The Price Marking Order (PMO) requires traders to display the selling price and, where applicable, the unit price for goods, enabling consumers to compare similar products and assess value for money. The PMO was recently updated so products sold by weight or volume must show unit prices in kilograms or litres. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 confirmed that the price displayed on the shelf must be the price the consumer pays. The Government engaged extensively with industry on these proposals and keeps them under review to support consistent pricing information for consumers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, why the Office of Rail and Road does not publish thermal comfort guidance for road drivers; for what reason air conditioning is not legally required in lorries and vans; and if her Department will take steps to begin collecting statistical data on cab temperatures in road vehicles.

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

The Office of Rail and Road does not have a role in monitoring, regulating or setting standards for vehicles or drivers. The Department for Transport has no current plans to begin collecting statistical data on cab temperatures in road vehicles.

Heat is classed as a hazard and should be treated by employers like any other hazard. There is a legal obligation under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 for all employers to make a suitable assessment of the risk to workers and act where necessary. Detailed guidance for employers and workers about temperature in the workplace is available from the Health and Safety Executive website. The guidance is not written for specific job roles, such as delivery drivers, but includes information on how to undertake a thermal comfort assessment and outlines measures that can be taken to improve thermal comfort and reduce the risk of heat stress.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her department has plans to take steps to reduce the national estimated waiting time for driving tests.

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

The Government set out a comprehensive package of measures in April 2025 to tackle long waiting times, aiming to deliver around 10,000 additional tests per month. A key step was reintroducing overtime incentives. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducted 1.99 million tests between April 2025 and March 2026, a record and 8.6% (159,000) higher than the previous year.

DVSA has continued to run national recruitment campaigns for driving examiners across the country. DVSA has also made changes to make the booking system fairer.

These are practical steps to increase supply, protect access to tests, and bring waiting times down, across the country.

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 access to hydrotherapy services in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made an assessment of the adequacy of access to hydrotherapy services in Greater Manchester as a whole. The Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has reviewed its hydrotherapy service and has determined that it is more appropriate to offer patients alternative evidence-based rehabilitation pathways in line with clinical guidance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to extend the National Year of Reading into a longer-term programme of support for children's literacy; and whether she has considered the introduction of a National Reading Guarantee.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is committed to ensuring that reading for pleasure remains a long-term priority. The National Year of Reading will have an enduring legacy through continued partnership, working between the hundreds of campaign partners who are creating strong local and national networks dedicated to improving reading for pleasure.

Additionally, this government has invested in improving access to books, with £12.5 million to ensure there is a library in every primary school in England and £5 million for secondary schools to purchase books and reading materials, which pupils will enjoy and engage with long beyond the end of the campaign year.

We look forward to reviewing the findings of the external evaluation of the National Year of Reading in spring 2027. We will consider its evidence-based reflections on which interventions, programmes and aspects of the National Year of Reading have worked well and why, and use it to shape future policy decisions.

The government is currently considering the recommendations within the Education Select Committee's report on reading for pleasure and will be submitting a response in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of local authority fee rates and the cost of delivering high-quality adult social care services.

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

On 29 July the Prime Minister set out his objectives to reform the social care system and brought forward the timetable for Baroness Casey’s commission to inform that reform programme. All aspects of the current system will be reviewed as part of that process, including the issues raised by the Hon Member, and we will continue to update Parliament on a regular basis. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-sets-out-new-path-to-fix-social-care-together-29-july-2026

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has considered measures to improve transparency regarding the ownership and financial arrangements of adult social care providers.

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

On 29 July the Prime Minister set out his objectives to reform the social care system and brought forward the timetable for Baroness Casey’s commission to inform that reform programme. All aspects of the current system will be reviewed as part of that process, including the issues raised by the Hon Member, and we will continue to update Parliament on a regular basis. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-sets-out-new-path-to-fix-social-care-together-29-july-2026

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with local authorities on the adequacy of social care funding to meet current and projected demand.

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

On 29 July the Prime Minister set out his objectives to reform the social care system and brought forward the timetable for Baroness Casey’s commission to inform that reform programme. All aspects of the current system will be reviewed as part of that process, including the issues raised by the Hon Member, and we will continue to update Parliament on a regular basis. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-sets-out-new-path-to-fix-social-care-together-29-july-2026

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 adequacy of funding available to local authorities to (a) provide timely care and (b) support assessments for people with dementia.

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

On 29 July the Prime Minister set out his objectives to reform the social care system and brought forward the timetable for Baroness Casey’s commission to inform that reform programme. All aspects of the current system will be reviewed as part of that process, including the issues raised by the Hon Member, and we will continue to update Parliament on a regular basis. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-sets-out-new-path-to-fix-social-care-together-29-july-2026

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what engagement her Department has had with British AI health technology companies supplying tools for the adult social care sector.

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

On 29 July the Prime Minister set out his objectives to reform the social care system and brought forward the timetable for Baroness Casey’s commission to inform that reform programme. All aspects of the current system will be reviewed as part of that process, including the issues raised by the Hon Member, and we will continue to update Parliament on a regular basis. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-sets-out-new-path-to-fix-social-care-together-29-july-2026

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2026 to question 9713 titled Cameras: Wearable Technology, if his Department will take steps to strengthen the law on this issue, considering the increase in the availability of smart glasses.

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

Existing criminal offences and online safety protections already provide safeguards against harmful conduct. The Government will continue to monitor developments in wearable technology, including the increasing availability of smart glasses, and keep the effectiveness of the legislative framework under review.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to update the guidance entitled Be open and use open source, last updated in March 2021.

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

The department has no current plans to update this guidance.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Chinese policy on minorities on Tibetan (a) language and (b) culture.

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

The UK stands firm on human rights in China, including in Tibet. We continue to encourage respect for freedom of religion or belief, cultural expression and linguistic rights in Tibet and across China, and we raise this directly with the Chinese authorities at senior levels.

We note the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' concerns that China's Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress may further restrict the rights and freedoms of ethnic minorities. The law also risks undermining Tibetans' ability to use the Tibetan language freely and to preserve and develop their cultural heritage. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has raised these concerns with Chinese officials, stressing the importance of ensuring that the law does not harm the rights of ethnic minority communities and is not applied extraterritorially.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government was represented at the United Nations Open Source Week held in 2025.

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

Yes, the UK Government was represented at the United Nations Open Source Week in 2025 by officials from the UK Mission to the UN in New York.

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 potential impact of excessive temperatures in hospital maternity units on (a) maternal, (b) neonatal and (c) general staff wellbeing; and whether she plans to issue additional (i) guidance and (ii) funding to support NHS trusts in managing heat-related risks within maternity services.

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

On capital investment, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to the Hon. Member for Newbury on 16 July 2026 in response to Question 17199.

On maternity specifically, including extreme heat guidance, I refer the Hon. Member to the the answer provided to the Hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster on 16 April 2026 in response to Question 121634.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of British Nationals in Taiwan as of 1 August 2026; and how many FCDO staff are based in Taiwan as of 1 August 2026.

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

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not hold data on the number of British nationals resident overseas.

The UK has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but a strong, unofficial relationship. As of 1 August 2026, approximately 52 staff worked at the British Office Taipei. This comprises both staff from the UK and staff employed locally.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the risk assessment procedures applied when considering bail for defendants with previous convictions for serious sexual offences.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The decision to remand an individual into custody or to grant bail is solely a matter for the independent judiciary acting in accordance with the criteria set out in the Bail Act 1976.

When courts (magistrates or judges) are presiding over a case they decide on a case-by-case basis based on the evidence put before the court whether the defendant presents such a bail risk as to warrant custody.

Risks that may be considered by a court in order to refuse bail include whether there are substantial grounds for believing that the defendant would commit further offences while on bail or engage in conduct that would cause physical or mental injury, or fear of injury, to an associated person.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had contact with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

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

Yes - Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials have contact with representatives of the Central Tibetan Administration.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure new housing stock remains safe during heatwave weather conditions.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 18607 on 17 July 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the annual value of goods entering the UK under current de minimis arrangements in each of the last five years; and what evidence was used in determining that October 2028 was the appropriate implementation date for reforms to the de minimis low-value import threshold.

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

Goods valued at £135 or less imported into the UK are predominantly imported through a simplified customs declaration. Before 2023, it was not mandatory to provide the total value of goods as part of the simplified customs declaration. However, since collecting this information, it is estimated that £5.8bn worth of goods under £135 are declared annually.

Following consultation, at Tax Update Day 2026, the Government announced that implementation of new customs arrangements for goods valued at £135 or less would be accelerated from March 2029 to October 2028. A new system for duty collection will need to be built to handle the significant volume of low value goods and avoid disruption at the border. Businesses involved in the sale and movement of these goods will also need time to prepare for the changes. The Government is making every effort to introduce changes to the low value import regime as quickly as reasonably possible while avoiding disruption, which is a core design principle of the reform.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2026 to Question 16084 on Recycling, when she expects to publish the Circular Economy Growth Plan.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to delivering a more circular and resilient economy for good growth in every place. We established a Circular Economy Task Force to co-design our approach and will outline our next steps shortly

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the proportion of children in England who meet the national curriculum requirement to swim 25 metres by the end of primary school; and what steps her Department is taking to support schools where attainment of that standard is below the national average.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Swimming is a vital life skill. Every child should have the opportunity to learn to swim before leaving primary school. Schools must provide core swimming lessons within the PE national curriculum in key stage 1 or key stage 2, teaching pupils to swim competently, confidently and proficiently over at least 25 metres.

Schools receive core funding for curriculum activities, including PE, which can be used for swimming lessons and transport.

The department has also confirmed £1 billion funding for PE and school sport over three years, building on £67 billion of core funding this year.

Increasing access and improving attainment in swimming will be key priorities for the new PE and School Sport Partnerships network. The network will develop more consistent high-quality support, including swimming and water safety training, access to specialist coaching, links to local swimming clubs and greater access to competitions and national programmes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints her Department has received regarding the accessibility and usability of the DVLA’s online system for renewing driving licenses for people age 70 and over since its introduction; and what steps she is taking to ensure that people with limited digital skills are able to access the service.

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

The information requested is not readily available and can only be extracted at disproportionate cost. To extract this information would require a manual interrogation of all the complaints made about a driving licence to determine whether it related to accessibility and/or useability of the DVLA’s online system, as well as considering the age of the writer.

The DVLA online services currently adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and work is underway to bring all services to WCAG 2.2 level AA standard. These are an internationally recognised set of recommendations to ensure services are accessible to users with a range of needs including visual, hearing, mobility and cognitive.

The DVLA tests services with users who have a wide range of accessibility needs and levels of digital confidence independent service assessments also carried out ahead of any new service being launched.

The DVLA recognises that not all customers can or want to access online services. Customers can contact the DVLA by telephone, or in writing and paper application facilities are also available.

The DVLA welcomes and reviews user feedback through its published accessibility statements to support continuous improvements of its online services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to improve coordination between local authorities and police forces in tackling the illegal and antisocial use of e-bikes and off-road bikes.

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

Decisions about local enforcement and partnership working are operational matters for Chief Constables and local authorities, reflecting local circumstances. The Government supports this work through the powers available to the police and local authorities and through action to prevent unsafe and illegal e-bikes entering the market. The Office for Product Safety and Standards works with local authority Trading Standards services to identify and remove unsafe products.

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 mitigate the impacts of extreme hot weather for older adults and people with underlying medical conditions.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the report published by the UK Health Security Agency on excess deaths linked to the heatwaves in May and June, available at the link below, and to the accompanying response from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-report-shows-2877-excess-deaths-caused-by-may-and-june-heatwaves

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Greater Manchester Police Federation on racism experienced by police officers.

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

There have been no recent discussions between the Home Secretary and the Greater Manchester Police Federation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that women and girls have confidence that reports of sexual violence will be investigated effectively by the police.

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

Rape and sexual violence are among the most harmful crimes, and we know they, and broader VAWG offences are underreported. This Government is taking action to ensure victims have the confidence to report these offences and trust that they will be taken seriously and supported when they do.

As set out in Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls, we are strengthening the police response to sexual violence. Every police force in England and Wales is to have a specialist rape and sexual offences team by December 2027, 18 months earlier than previously planned. Providing forces with the specialist capability to investigate these offences effectively is vital to improving outcomes and maintaining victims' confidence in the criminal justice system. Alongside these measures, through our cross-government communications campaign Enough, we are seeking to improve the public’s understanding of abusive behaviours.

We are also supporting police forces through the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection to embed Operation Soteria. Operation Soteria provides evidence-based guidance and practical tools, developed in collaboration with academics, to help officers focus investigations on the actions and behaviours of suspects, while ensuring victims are supported.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms are available to ensure that officers who are found to have failed to appropriately investigate serious offences are held accountable.

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

Members of the public have access to the statutory police complaints system if they are dissatisfied with the service they have received, or to raise concerns about policing where they are directly impacted.

Most police complaints are dealt with by the local police force, with an opportunity for escalation and for independent review. Reviews are conducted either by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), or Mayor with PCC functions, or by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The most serious and sensitive types of complaint or misconduct allegations identified internally must immediately be referred by the police to the IOPC for consideration. The mandatory referral criteria include incidents of deaths or serious injuries involving the police or allegations of serious corruption. Investigations by the IOPC and by police forces are conducted independently of Government.

This Government launched an independent, end-to-end review on 30 July into the police accountability system. The review will examine the timeliness, efficiency, and effectiveness of the systems for holding police to account.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the continued detention of Osman Kavala by the Republic of Türkiye.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

On 2 September, the UK delivered a statement at the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers calling for the immediate release of Osman Kavala in line with the latest judgment made by the European Court of Human Rights on 25 August 2026. We will continue to raise Mr Kavala's case at the highest levels and encourage Turkey to uphold the rule of law and its obligations as a member of the Council of Europe.

Found: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat; Chelmsford) Carolyn Harris (Labour; Neath and Swansea East) Navendu Mishra