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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason her Department is considering box-level Not for EU labelling of wine and spirits in Northern Ireland.

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

The UK is committed to full, faithful, and timely implementation of the Windsor Framework, including the 'Not for EU' labelling requirements of the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. Defra continually reviews compliance with the Windsor Framework to ensure the UK meets its international obligations.

The Government is negotiating an SPS Agreement with the EU, the benefits of which will flow to movements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This depends on the UK showing itself to be a trusted partner by continuing to faithfully implement its existing Windsor Framework commitments.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has held with the Welsh Government on the differentiation of identical glass containers in scope of the Deposit Return Scheme in Wales and Extended Producer Responsibility in the UK from 1 October 2027.

Answered by Mary Creagh

Defra officials engaged extensively with Welsh Government on its decision to include single-use glass containers in its Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). This led to an agreement by UK Government to an exclusion from the UK Internal Market Act 2020.

Welsh Government and their Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), once appointed, will need to consider how glass containers subject to their DRS will be labelled.

We continue to engage with the Welsh Government on the implementation of its DRS in respect of single-use glass.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether an interim solution to the exemption process for non-household waste under Extended Producer Responsibility regulations will cover non-household drinks containers supplied indirectly via business models such as wholesalers and third-party distributors.

Answered by Mary Creagh

Defra is working closely with stakeholders on potential changes to the household packaging definition in the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) regulations, including interim and longer-term approaches to dual-use packaging.

Any approach must be supported by sufficient evidence and be enforceable by regulators.

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 a proposed interim solution to the exemption process for non-household waste under Extended Producer Responsibility regulations.

Answered by Mary Creagh

Defra is working closely with stakeholders on potential changes to the household packaging definition in the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) regulations, including interim and longer-term approaches to dual-use packaging. No final date has been set for any proposed interim solution.

Any changes would need to be workable, enforceable, and protect the operational integrity of the scheme across different supply chains and business models.

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 the availability of early intervention and treatment pathways for children with Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS); and what steps he is taking to improve access to timely diagnosis and treatment.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

Paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) are distressing conditions for children, young people, and their families, and we recognise the challenges that families face.

The Department acknowledges the importance of raising awareness of PANS/PANDAS to improve diagnosis. That is why we welcome the formation of the PANS PANDAS Steering Group which includes representatives from key royal colleges, specialist clinical bodies, and the national charity PANS PANDAS UK. The steering group has already taken action to improve awareness, understanding, and care.

Work is underway to develop the first United Kingdom clinical guidelines for PANS and PANDAS, led by a multidisciplinary group and supported by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. These guidelines are expected to be published in autumn 2026 and will support more consistent care across the system. Pending publication, the PANS PANDAS Steering Group recommends that clinicians be aware of existing international peer-reviewed guidelines, including the PANS research consortium treatment guidelines, published in 2017, and the clinical guidance for diagnosis and management of PANS in the Nordic Countries, published in 2021.

With the backing of NHS England, a dedicated PANS PANDAS research group is advancing efforts to strengthen the evidence base, including through a nationwide surveillance study, designed to identify the number of children and young people presenting to healthcare professionals with symptoms matching the diagnostic criteria for PANS and PANDAS.

In addition, a cross-sector group is developing practical guidance for local authorities to improve support for children and young people living with PANS and PANDAS. Publication is due later this year, ensuring more consistent access to appropriate educational and social care services.

More widely, healthcare professionals are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This includes taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

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 the adequacy of the level of clinical awareness and training on Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) among NHS professionals; and what steps he is taking to reduce variations in diagnosis and care.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

Paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) are distressing conditions for children, young people, and their families, and we recognise the challenges that families face.

The Department acknowledges the importance of raising awareness of PANS/PANDAS to improve diagnosis. That is why we welcome the formation of the PANS PANDAS Steering Group which includes representatives from key royal colleges, specialist clinical bodies, and the national charity PANS PANDAS UK. The steering group has already taken action to improve awareness, understanding, and care.

Work is underway to develop the first United Kingdom clinical guidelines for PANS and PANDAS, led by a multidisciplinary group and supported by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. These guidelines are expected to be published in autumn 2026 and will support more consistent care across the system. Pending publication, the PANS PANDAS Steering Group recommends that clinicians be aware of existing international peer-reviewed guidelines, including the PANS research consortium treatment guidelines, published in 2017, and the clinical guidance for diagnosis and management of PANS in the Nordic Countries, published in 2021.

With the backing of NHS England, a dedicated PANS PANDAS research group is advancing efforts to strengthen the evidence base, including through a nationwide surveillance study, designed to identify the number of children and young people presenting to healthcare professionals with symptoms matching the diagnostic criteria for PANS and PANDAS.

In addition, a cross-sector group is developing practical guidance for local authorities to improve support for children and young people living with PANS and PANDAS. Publication is due later this year, ensuring more consistent access to appropriate educational and social care services.

More widely, healthcare professionals are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This includes taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking following the Keep Britain Working review to improve access to paid employment for people with learning disabilities.

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

Sir Charlie Mayfield’s independent Keep Britain Working Review, published on 5 November 2025, highlighted the scale of the problem of people falling out of work for reasons of ill-health and disability, and the vital role employers can play in addressing this. The Review identified structural challenges for disabled people, including people with learning disabilities, creating barriers to starting and staying in work, and proposed reforms to create healthier, more inclusive workplaces.

While the Keep Britain Working programme’s central aim is to improve workplace health and inclusion for those already in employment, improving workplace conditions, support and inclusion for people with learning disabilities and other disabled people will also help remove barriers to accessing paid employment and support more people to enter and sustain work.

Since publication of the Review, Keep Britian Working has engaged with 180 employers and providers, 11 regions, and worked directly with more than 250 organisations to explore how to create healthier and more inclusive workplaces. This work has included:

• Inclusion-focused workshops with Vanguard employers, Disabled People's Organisations and people with lived experience to explore disability inclusion in the workplace.
• Employer-led sprints and feedback groups examining prevention, staying in work and returning to work, helping identify practical ways employers can better support disabled employees.
• Partnership working with the British Standards Institution to develop a recognised employer-facing standard for healthy and inclusive workplaces.
• Development of Workplace Health Provision, designed to provide employees and managers with coordinated support, advice and early intervention to help people remain in and thrive at work.

Alongside Keep Britain Working, the Government's Pathways to Work offer provides work, health and skills support for disabled people and people with health conditions, backed by £3.5bn of investment by the end of the decade. Pathways to Work includes Connect to Work, a voluntary and locally led Supported Employment programme for disabled people, those with health conditions and people facing complex barriers to work. It will deliver tailored support to around 300,000 people by the end of the decade across England and Wales.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that providers of occupational health clinical services maintain accurate and contemporaneous records and a reliable audit trail, including the retention of metadata, for the medical information they hold about individuals.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

The Department expects all providers of occupational health services to comply with their legal obligations regarding the management, storage, and retention of personal data and medical records, including their responsibilities under United Kingdom data protection legislation and any other relevant statutory or professional requirements.

Responsibility for maintaining accurate and contemporaneous records, and for ensuring appropriate audit arrangements for the information they hold, rests with the individual provider.

The Department does not routinely audit occupational health providers' record-keeping practices, including the retention of metadata, nor does it centrally collect or monitor information on providers' compliance with these requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will copy applicants into major citizenship certificate notifications, such as approvals and dispatch, when a legal representative is appointed, to reduce delays caused by third-party administrative errors.

Answered by Mike Tapp

There are currently no plans to copy applicants into all major citizenship decisions and/or certificate dispatch notifications where a legal representative has been appointed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to introduce an online status tracking portal for citizenship certificate applications, allowing applicants to view live case updates independently of their appointed representative.

Answered by Mike Tapp

There are no current plans to introduce a dedicated online status tracking portal for citizenship certificate applications which would allow applicants or their appointed representative to view live case updates.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what support the Intellectual Property Office provides to SMEs seeking to enforce registered copyright and trademark rights against overseas infringers.

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

Helping SMEs protect and enforce their intellectual property (IP) rights is an important priority for the UK Government. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) provides support through its International IP Service, which offers guidance on protecting and enforcing IP overseas. This includes country and region-specific information on local regulatory frameworks, registration requirements, enforcement routes and common risks, as well as signposting to relevant overseas offices and enforcement authorities.

The IPO also maintains a network of IP attachés in key international markets, providing practical guidance to help UK businesses make informed decisions about protecting and enforcing their rights overseas.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of greater cross-agency action between the Intellectual Property Office, Trading Standards and Border Force on tackling counterfeiting.

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

The Government is reducing the sale of counterfeit goods by supporting Police, Trading Standards and Border Force to take targeted enforcement action, disrupt online sales, seize counterfeit goods and use Proceeds of Crime Act powers to recover criminal profits.

Between 2021 and 2023, Border Force seized counterfeit articles with an estimated retail value exceeding half a billion pounds. The volume of suspected counterfeit articles seized varied over this period, falling from more than 3 million articles in 2021 to just over 1 million in 2023. Of these seizures, 95% were confirmed as counterfeit in 2021 and 89% in 2023. The estimated retail value of destroyed counterfeit goods increased from £142 million in 2021 to over £200 million in 2023, indicating a trend towards lower volumes of higher-value items.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to encourage employers to offer paid work trials as an alternative to formal interviews for jobseekers with learning disabilities.

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

Education and skills are devolved matters, the response outlines the information for England only.

We are transforming the Apprenticeships Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy in England, giving employers greater flexibility, creating more opportunities for young people, and directly supporting the Industrial Strategy.

In April 2026 we launched the first apprenticeship units focussing on priority sectors including artificial intelligence (AI), digital, construction and engineering. Apprenticeship units are short courses built from the knowledge and skills within existing employer-led occupational apprenticeship standards, ensuring high-quality, targeted training. They target immediate shortages in areas that will drive productivity and growth and will help employers upskill existing employees quickly and flexibly.

We have also reduced the apprenticeship minimum duration to 8 months, where this is appropriate for the role or the apprentice, as we know the previous 12-month minimum duration meant some employers and learners were prevented from accessing apprenticeships.

Additionally, we are also supporting more entry-level opportunities for young people, by introducing new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, such as construction and health and social care.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the provision of interview questions in advance as a reasonable adjustment for jobseekers with learning disabilities and autism.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP recognises that some disabled candidates, including people with learning disabilities and autistic people, may benefit from reasonable adjustments during recruitment and as such promotes practices that support fair and accessible recruitment, including the provision of interview questions in advance, the use of clear language and flexibility in assessment methods where appropriate. DWP's Learning Disabilities Project is also working with employers and specialist organisations to identify barriers to recruitment and develop practical guidance that supports more inclusive employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

Local Housing Allowance rates

Touring artists mobility arrangements

Russian sanctions

International Court of Justice's July 2024 Advisory Opinion on the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Found: (Conservative; Staffordshire Moorlands) (Chair) Lewis Atkinson (Labour; Sunderland Central) Mr Paul Kohler

Found: Members present: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Chris Bloore; Claire Hanna; Adam Jogee; Mike Kane; Mr Paul Kohler

Found: Members present: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Chris Bloore; Claire Hanna; Adam Jogee; Mike Kane; Mr Paul Kohler

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Karen Bradley (Chair); Lewis Atkinson; Mr Paul Kohler; Robbie