Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing the current statute of limitations on medical negligence cases involving cerebral palsy.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Limitation periods set statutory time limits within which a party must bring a civil claim, or give notice of a claim, to the other party in a dispute. For negligence resulting in personal injury (which would include clinical negligence claims) the limitation period is normally three years from the date of the alleged negligence or the date of the claimant’s knowledge of damage, whichever is later.

However, under Section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980, this period can be extended at the court’s discretion, if it appears that it would be equitable (ie. fair and reasonable) to all parties to allow an action to proceed.

The Government has no plans to reform the law in this area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reclassifying the NHS ambulance service as an emergency service on (a) retirement age, (b) pension entitlements and (c) other areas.

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

National Health Service ambulance staff are entitled to NHS Pension Scheme membership. There are no plans to reclassify these staff as being entitled to Police or Firefighter’s Pension Scheme membership, or to a separate scheme with similar terms. This reclassification would significantly increase the pension contribution costs of these staff.

NHS Pension Scheme members, including those in the ambulance service, do not have to work to the scheme’s normal pension age (NPA) to claim their retirement benefits. Flexible retirement options enable members to choose when to claim their benefits. Voluntary Early Retirement allows staff to fully retire up to ten years earlier than the NPA with an actuarially reduced pension due to the pension being in payment for longer. Alternatively, partial retirement allows members to draw down some or all of their pension while continuing to work and build up further pension benefits. Even when taken years before normal pension age, NHS Pension Scheme entitlements give exceptional value to staff and can provide for a comfortable living in retirement.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the personal expenses allowance for residents in care homes to meet the cost of (a) transport, (b) health-related services and (c) social participation.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The rates of the personal expenses allowance (PEA) are reviewed annually, and local authorities also have the discretion to set higher rates for the PEA if they so choose.

To allow people receiving means-tested support to keep more of their own income, the PEA was increased in line with consumer price index inflation for the present financial year, 2025/26.

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 amend the Caravan Sites Act 1968 to prevent touring caravan sites becoming permanent without full planning permission requirements.

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

To operate land as touring caravan sites, site operators are required to have the appropriate planning permission and a site licence (unless exempted) from the local authority. If a site operator fails to get the necessary permissions and licence, the relevant local authority can take enforcement action against them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the delivery of 10,910 new dental appointments in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly since February 2025 .

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.

ICBs have the flexibility to commission the additional activity in the way which best meets their local needs. Options include buying more appointments through new or recommissioned contracts, modification of existing contracts, or using flexible commissioning.

National Health Service dentistry is delegated to the ICBs, who are accountable to NHS England for the delivery of urgent dental appointments.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to introduce performance targets for Royal Mail’s Special Delivery guaranteed services.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service. Ofcom monitors Royal Mail’s provision of the universal service and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action if Royal Mail fails to achieve its performance targets as appropriate, taking account of all relevant factors.

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Noah Law

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Noah Law

Found: houseofcommons Restricted: For Committee use only roundtable in Parliament, hosted by Committee member Noah Law

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law;

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law;