Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Valour Veterans' Support Programme will include working with existing social enterprises that provide advice, services and support to veterans.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The VALOUR programme will engage across a wide range of stakeholders who provide support services for veterans, including social enterprises. VALOUR Field Officers will work with these stakeholders to improve the coordination of veteran support. The programme will also work with existing organisations to ensure VALOUR Recognised Centres provide a holistic network of support centres for veterans, in areas such as health, housing, employment and finance.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individuals that have migrated from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit in the last 12 months have had the amount of council tax support they receive reduced.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department does not administer the Council Tax Reduction scheme and therefore does not hold the data required to answer this question.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to include one or more representatives of providers of home-to-school transport for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities on the SEND Ministerial Development Group.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) ministerial development group brings together voices from across the SEND sector. This group considers a range of perspectives and tests potential solutions to the key challenges the SEND system faces to ensure that policy proposals are informed by the knowledge and experiences of children, their families and those working in the system.

Additional participants are invited on a rolling basis according to the topics under discussion. This approach allows the group to include expertise relevant to specific areas as appropriate.

Outside of the group, the department already holds bi-monthly forums to which all local authority home to school travel teams are invited to enable to them to share best practice and so that we understand the challenges they face.

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 issued guidance to local authorities on the assessment of entitlement to a Council Tax reduction for residents who are in receipt of Universal Credit.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department has not issued any recent guidance to local authorities on the assessment of entitlement to a council tax reduction for residents who are in receipt of Universal Credit. The administration of council tax reduction for working-age claimants is the responsibility of local authorities. The government encourages taxpayers who are in hardship to contact their local authority to discuss their options.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding for Ofsted to (a) increase the duration of inspections in early years settings and (b) use CCTV as part of the inspection process.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Giving young children the best start in life is the foundation of the government’s opportunity mission. From April, the department is funding Ofsted to inspect all new early years providers within 18 months of opening and move towards inspecting all providers at least once every four years, compared to the current six-year window. This means standards will be reviewed more regularly and parents will have more up-to-date information to help them choose the right setting for their child. We will continue to work collaboratively with Ofsted as inspection reforms are implemented.

The Secretary of State has announced that she will be appointing an expert panel to inform guidance for the sector on the effective and safe use of digital devices and CCTV in relation to safeguarding. The panel will consider the question of whether CCTV should be mandated and will set out best practice, technical information and clear expectations on CCTV and digital device usage.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the number of NHS and social care workers impacted by the Immigration White Paper in (a) Poole constituency and (b) the UK.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Spring 2025 Impact Assessment (published here: Impact assessments covering migration policy - GOV.UK) provides the Department’s estimates on the volumes of impacted care and senior care workers resulting from the Immigration White Paper proposals. Place-based impacts are estimated at a regional level in the impact assessment.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish an impact assessment for the proposals in the White Paper for Immigration.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Spring 2025 and Autumn 2025 Impact Assessments (published here: Impact assessments covering migration policy - GOV.UK) cover the proposals in the White Paper for Immigration.

Specifically, they cover proposals relating to the Skilled Worker route, Health and Care route, Student and Graduate route, HPI route, Global Talent route and the proposed changes to English Language Requirements and the Immigration Skills Charge.

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 prevent properties being incorrectly designated as short term lets.

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

There is no single, consistently applied definition of a short-term let.

The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 defines a “short-term rental property” as (a) a dwelling, or part of a dwelling, which is provided by a person (“the host”) to another person (“the guest”) for use by the guest as accommodation other than the guest’s only or principal residence, in return for payment (whether or not by the guest), and in the course of a trade or business carried on by the host, and (b) any dwelling or premises, or part of a dwelling or premises, not falling within paragraph (a) which is specified for the purposes of this paragraph.

For local property taxation purposes, whether a short-term let is assessed for business rates or council tax will depend on how many nights the property is available to let each year and how many nights it was actually let. Properties must have been available for short-term letting for at least 140 days in the previous year and demonstrate at least 70 days of actual letting activity in the previous year before they can be assessed for business rates. The Valuation Office Agency has a duty to maintain accurate council tax and business rates lists.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the definition of coercive and controlling behaviour within the Serious Crime Act 2015 to include extremist groups, cults and gangs.

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

Controlling or coercive behaviour (CCB) is an insidious form of domestic abuse. The CCB legislative framework was introduced in 2015 and was explicitly designed to address patterns of behaviour within relationships where the perpetrator and victim are “personally connected”, as outlined in Section 2 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Expanding CCB beyond this context would risk undermining that clarity, creating uncertainty for police to identify, investigate and prosecute this offence.

We do not intend to expand the CCB offence beyond its current scope at this time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what safeguards have been considered in relation to Meta support for building AI systems for UK national security.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not use services from Meta to build Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems for United Kingdom (UK) national security purposes.

Broader policy on the governance, assurance and oversight of the UK’s relationships with commercial AI developers, including any safeguarding expectations, sits with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which leads for Government on the regulation and safe development of AI technologies.

The MOD’s role is limited to ensuring that any AI technologies we adopt or develop follow our established Defence AI Strategy, our ethical principles for responsible AI in Defence as set out in our ‘Ambitious, Safe, Responsible’ policy document, and the security requirements set out in UK Government security classifications. These include robust technical; security and assurance measures appropriate to the sensitivity of MOD systems.

We continue to work closely with DSIT, the National Cyber Security Centre and other cross-Government partners to ensure any Defence use of AI is safe, secure and compliant with national policy.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to ratify the UN High Seas Treaty by June 2026.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Following Royal Assent of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Act (BBNJ), further secondary legislation is required before the BBNJ Agreement can be ratified by the UK. This will happen when the parliamentary timetable allows.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether all species of Zebra will be included in the proposed ban on hunting trophies.

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

Defra is continuing to engage with relevant stakeholders to help determine the most appropriate scope for a ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Timeframes for introducing legislation and details of its scope will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.

Species of conservation concern are listed primarily on Appendices I and II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) based on the level of threat that international trade poses to their conservation status.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on his Department's modelling of workforce numbers in the 10 Year Workforce Plan.

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

The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026. This plan will set out action to create a National Health Service workforce which is able to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. It is important we do this in a robust and joined up way. We are therefore engaging extensively with partners to ensure this plan delivers for staff and patients.

That engagement began well before the call for evidence was closed. In early November, ministers hosted an event with nearly one hundred representatives of partner organisations to hear views from across the health system.

Engagement is now continuing while we analyse the submissions to our call for evidence, including a roundtable with medical royal colleges on 14 January, which I chaired.

We have committed to publishing regular workforce planning. This will start with the 10-Year Workforce Plan, which will include updated workforce modelling and its underlying assumptions when published in spring 2026. The updated workforce modelling will be subject to independent scrutiny by our appointed external scrutiny panel.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to review the (a) role and (b) voting rights of bishops in the House of Lords.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

There are no plans to review the role and voting rights of the Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords.

The Government has set out an ambitious programme of House of Lords reform in its manifesto, including a commitment to replace the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber that is more representative of the regions and nations. The Government will consult on proposals for an alternative second chamber, seeking the input of the British public on how politics can best serve them.

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 adequacy of medication available on the NHS to treat Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in babies.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Acute myeloid leukaemia is rare in babies, as there are approximately 10 cases in England each year. Standard upfront chemotherapy is available but options for patients who do not respond to standard chemotherapy or relapse are limited. NHS England encourages clinicians to submit proposals to expand the range of clinical commissioning policies, helping to ensure that patients are able to access the latest, evidence-based treatments and care.

The Department continues to work with NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to support the development of new treatments for rare paediatric cancers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 14 October 2025 to Questions 77787, 77788 and 77789 on Pension Funds: Fossil Fuels, what estimate The Pensions Regulator has made of the (a) proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in (i) thermal coal-fired and (ii) other fossil fuel-fired power generation capacity, (b) contribution of UK pension funds to fossil fuel expansion in (i) the UK, (ii) Europe and (iii) other international markets and (c) value of UK pension fund assets invested in fossil fuels that are at risk of becoming stranded.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has not produced such estimates.

Occupational pension schemes are required to set out how they consider financially material environmental, social and governance factors in their Statements of Investment Principles and to report annually on implementation. Larger schemes must also disclose their climate related risks and opportunities in line with the Task Force on Climate related Financial Disclosures framework. A 2024 TPR review found that more than 60% of sampled schemes had set a net zero goal for 2050 or earlier. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is currently undertaking a Post Implementation Review of the TCFD regime. We will report our findings this year.

In parallel, Government is working on the adoption of UK Sustainability Reporting Standards aligned with international standards and on mandating climate transition plans. TPR’s Transition Plan Working Group, which includes representatives from across the pensions industry, will report to the DWP in the spring. These initiatives will continue to strengthen transparency around scheme exposures to climate related risks and support the UK’s net-zero goals and broader green agenda.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps to ensure that water companies provide low income customers with cheaper social tariffs.

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

The Government expects water companies to ensure their customers know what support schemes are available and how to access them if they need help. Companies offer a range of support schemes for customers struggling to afford their bills, including social tariffs, WaterSure, debt support schemes, financial hardship funds, flexible payment plans and payment breaks.

All companies voluntarily offer social tariff schemes for households – each setting their own eligibility criteria and level of support. Defra is working with water companies to ensure social tariffs are more consistent and taken up by those most in need. Defra also expects companies to hold themselves accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030.

Additionally, the Government has committed to reforming the WaterSure scheme to extend scope and increase support to low-income households who have higher water usage due to medical needs or three or more children.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will increase the level of funding for import of medication from abroad to treat Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is important that patients with acute myeloid leukaemia can access safe and effective treatments when they need them. The Government’s priority is to maintain the continuity of supply of all medicines, including those sourced from abroad, and to take action with suppliers, National Health Service organisations, and regulators where supply issues arise.

Where there are no licensed available medicines in the United Kingdom, companies may manufacture or import unlicensed medicines. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency operates established routes that can enable clinicians and pharmacists to obtain unlicensed medicines for individual patients. Funding for these medicines is not set nationally. Instead, decisions on commissioning, procurement, and reimbursement for unlicensed medicines are made locally by NHS commissioners, who are best placed to determine how resources are allocated to meet the needs of their populations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question 100240, tabled by the hon. Member for Poole on 15 December 2025.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 100240 was published on 4 February 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to remove VAT from refurbished building work.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.

Residential renovations are subject to a reduced rate of VAT of five per cent if they meet certain conditions. These include conversions of buildings from one residential use to another, conversions from commercial to residential use, and the renovation of properties that have been empty for two or more years.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish the consultation on restricting Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in consumer articles.

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

The Government published a PFAS Plan on 3 February 2026. This sets out the Government’s approach towards PFAS in consumer articles.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to (a) promote and (b) enforce the new EN-1 and EN-3 requirements associated with incinerators.

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

The Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1) and the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure (EN-3) govern planning requirements for larger-scale incinerators (50MW+) that fall under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime. Applications for Development Consent of NSIPs, including larger-scale incinerators, are determined by the Secretary of State under these policy frameworks. In 2025 these documents were updated to reflect current policy, including removal of Critical National Priority policy presumption from Energy from Waste proposals. Updates were subject to public consultation, and the revised energy National Policy Statements were published and came into effect in January 2026.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the suitability of Ithaca Energy developing on Rosebank oil field.

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

The NSTA is responsible for suitability checks of license-holders, including their technical and financial capability.

The Secretary of State is responsible for determining whether to agree to the grant of consent for development of the project under the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations for offshore oil and gas, and will make a decision in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure preserved Armed Forces Pension benefits are claimed.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence continues to conduct tracing exercises 60 working days after the pension due date to establish the member's address and invite them to claim; we continue to explore additional mechanisms to identify individuals who qualify for an unclaimed deferred pension.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to provide music hubs with three year funding agreements.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has provided funding to support a network of Music Hub partnerships across England since 2012. As of September 2024, the network comprises of 43 Music Hub partnerships.

The government has committed £76 million per year for the Music Hubs network, including the current 2025/26 academic year, to offer a range of services, including continuing professional development, musical instrument tuition, instrument loans and whole-class ensemble teaching.

Future revenue grant funding will be confirmed with Music Hubs in the coming months, and matters related to level of funding and length of grant agreements will be set out at that point.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide an uplift in funding to music hubs parallel to that for National Portfolio Organisations.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has provided funding to support a network of Music Hub partnerships across England since 2012. As of September 2024, the network comprises of 43 Music Hub partnerships.

The government has committed £76 million per year for the Music Hubs network, including the current 2025/26 academic year, to offer a range of services, including continuing professional development, musical instrument tuition, instrument loans and whole-class ensemble teaching.

Future revenue grant funding will be confirmed with Music Hubs in the coming months, and matters related to level of funding and length of grant agreements will be set out at that point.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to publish a revised National Planning Policy for Waste before May 2026.

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

The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making.

The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will review the awarding of the contract for DVLA required eye tests to Specsavers.

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

Following an open and fair competition, the current contract for Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) required eyesight tests was awarded to Specsavers in February 2025 and commenced on 1 April 2025. The contract is for three years, with the option to extend for two further oneyear periods. The DVLA will consider its future requirements for eyesight testing prior to the expiry of the current contract period. ‑year periods. The DVLA will consider its future requirements for eyesight testing prior to the expiry of the current contract.

The DVLA will consider the results of vision tests carried out by an optometrist or ophthalmologist other than Specsavers. However, such arrangements are at an individual’s own expense and the test must be carried out to the required specifications. If the test does not meet the appropriate specifications, the applicant may still be asked to attend a further examination with Specsavers.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information she holds on when the Animal Welfare Committee plans to publish its report on the responsible sourcing of fur.

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

As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we will publish the results of the previous Government’s call for evidence on the fur trade. Defrawill also publish and consider carefully the report from the Animal Welfare Committee on the responsible sourcing of fur. This is due to be completed shortly and will be published on GOV.UK thereafter.

The strategy also stated that we will bring together a working group on fur. The group will include both industry experts as well as those who support restrictions on the trade in fur. The aim of the working group will be to explore concerns regarding the trade in fur and the different ways in which they could be addressed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to publish a response to the call for evidence on the fur trade, published on 31 May 2021.

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

As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we will publish the results of the previous Government’s call for evidence on the fur trade. Defrawill also publish and consider carefully the report from the Animal Welfare Committee on the responsible sourcing of fur. This is due to be completed shortly and will be published on GOV.UK thereafter.

The strategy also stated that we will bring together a working group on fur. The group will include both industry experts as well as those who support restrictions on the trade in fur. The aim of the working group will be to explore concerns regarding the trade in fur and the different ways in which they could be addressed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the working group on fur will be established; and whether animal welfare organisations will be asked to participate.

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

As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we will publish the results of the previous Government’s call for evidence on the fur trade. Defrawill also publish and consider carefully the report from the Animal Welfare Committee on the responsible sourcing of fur. This is due to be completed shortly and will be published on GOV.UK thereafter.

The strategy also stated that we will bring together a working group on fur. The group will include both industry experts as well as those who support restrictions on the trade in fur. The aim of the working group will be to explore concerns regarding the trade in fur and the different ways in which they could be addressed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) objectives and (b) workplan will be for the working group on fur.

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

As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we will publish the results of the previous Government’s call for evidence on the fur trade. Defrawill also publish and consider carefully the report from the Animal Welfare Committee on the responsible sourcing of fur. This is due to be completed shortly and will be published on GOV.UK thereafter.

The strategy also stated that we will bring together a working group on fur. The group will include both industry experts as well as those who support restrictions on the trade in fur. The aim of the working group will be to explore concerns regarding the trade in fur and the different ways in which they could be addressed.

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 restrict the number of House in Multiple Occupation developments in residential areas.

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

Local planning authorities already have planning powers to limit the concentration or proliferation of HMOs within their locality. They can remove the national permitted development right for smaller HMOs to protect the local amenity or wellbeing of an area by introducing an ‘Article 4’ direction which, once in place, requires all new HMO proposals to secure planning permission. We keep the powers to regulate HMOs under review.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help promote tourism in coastal communities.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS is committed to ensuring that tourism contributes to growth and jobs across all parts of the country including in rural and coastal communities.

The forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will set out a long term plan to increase visitor flows across the UK, boost value, and deliver sustainable growth. Central to this strategy is the delivery of greater regional dispersal, ensuring that visitor income is spread effectively across regional destinations, including rural and coastal communities.

VisitEngland is launching a major domestic marketing campaign pilot in February, specifically highlighting the seaside resorts of the North West. This initiative aims to drive a surge in visits and overnight stays during the vital shoulder season, providing essential year-round support for local businesses.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to end the sale of written-off consumer debts to third-party debt purchasers.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government expects that consumers are treated fairly by firms purchasing and collecting debt, and recognises the importance of responsible debt recovery practices.

Firms that purchase or collect consumer credit debts must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and comply with its rules, including requirements to treat customers fairly and to offer appropriate forbearance options to customers in financial difficulty. The FCA has a broad range of supervisory and enforcement powers to address misconduct.

The Government remains committed to supporting individuals in financial difficulty and keeps the regulatory framework under review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Poole constituency compared with national averages; and what steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through the introduction of a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.

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

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.

The Department holds data on emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of respiratory condition for Poole and England, for activity from August 2024 to November 2025, although the data is provisional. The following table shows the number of emergency FAEs with a primary diagnosis of respiratory condition, for Poole and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, from August 2024 to November 2025:

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.

Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at a regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for Dorset is available at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E06000059/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1

The Government has committed to delivering the three big shifts that our NHS needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country.

Through our community diagnostic centres, we are building capacity for respiratory testing and enabling people to get diagnosed closer to home. 101 community diagnostic centres across the country now offer out of hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around busy working lives. This is alongside action being taken to expand capacity and improve the quality of pulmonary rehabilitation services to support patients living with respiratory conditions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is her Department taking to help ensure pedestrians are kept safe from accidents involving e-bikes and scooters.

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

The safety of pedestrians like all road users is a priority for this government.

The Highway Code updates in January 2022 implemented a Hierarchy of Road Users. This places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision, such as pedestrians, at the top of the hierarchy.

Our new Road Safety Strategy, published in January 2026 sets out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads, including pedestrians, by 65% by 2035.

We are also making our streets safer for pedestrians, by introducing new cycling offences in the Crime and Policing Bill to tackle those rare instances where victims have been killed or seriously injured by irresponsible cyclist behaviour.

It is illegal to ride a cycle, e-cycle or e-scooter on the pavement; enforcement against illegal or irresponsible e-scooter use is a matter for the police.

Dual nationals and new UK entry documentation requirements

Rosebank oil field

Crawley Hospital Urgent Treatment Centre opening hours

World Book Day 2026

Surveillance and political intimidation of journalists

Funding for fire and rescue services

Community spaces

British couple detained in Iran

Government response to Israel’s West Bank annexation plan

Government contract with Palantir Technologies

Closure of Sickle Cell Day Unit at the Royal London Hospital

Relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

NEU dispute and strike action at Access Creative College

15th anniversary of the Bahrain pro-democracy uprising

Heart Unions Week and the contribution of trade unions

Public inquiry into Epstein links

Together Alliance