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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the potential regulatory implications of treating water stress and water efficiency as separate classifications; and whether her Department plans to require Ofwat to link leakage performance to water stress designations.

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

Defra has not made any assessment of the regulatory implications of treating water stress and water efficiency as separate classifications. The department defines serious water stress as ‘the current household demand for water is a high proportion of the current effective rainfall which is available to meet that demand; or, the future household demand for water is likely to be a high proportion of the effective rainfall which is likely to be available to meet that demand’ and water efficiency as practices that reduce the demand on potable water.

The department does not plan to link leakage performance to water stress designations as we continue to drive reform in both individual areas.

Defra concluded a consultation on revising the water efficiency standards in the Building Regulations in December last year. As part of our response to the consultation, Defra will be assessing how water stressed classifications are used to drive water efficiency in homes.

In the Water White Paper released this month, Defra committed to enabling smart metering implementation, which includes reviewing how charging scenarios differ for water stress classified areas and the ways in which this drives water efficiency.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the agricultural sector on the potential impact of proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on the number of farm estates in the UK.

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

The Government regularly and actively engages with representatives from the farming industry through regular meetings and discussions, ensuring we listen to their views, understand their concerns, and take their feedback into account.

At the November 2025 budget, the Chancellor announced that any unused allowance for the 100% rate of agricultural property relief and business property relief will be transferable between spouses and civil partners from 6 April 2026. The Government has taken this action after listening to feedback from stakeholders, who have called strongly for this change to the planned reforms to reduce complexity and remove an unfairness for widows/widowers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that organisations that hold licenses to use animals in science provide those animals with access to food and water; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the sanction given to people who fail to provide access to food and water.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

All licensed establishments must fully uphold the required standards for animal welfare as set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. This includes clear duties on ensuring animals have access to food and water.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) audits establishments to assure compliance with these requirements and takes any potential non-compliance very seriously.

Where incidents relating to access to food or water have occurred, ASRU has investigated them in line with its published Compliance Policy Framework, which sets out how potential non-compliance is identified, investigated, and addressed (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa).

All cases are thoroughly investigated and ASRU applies the most suitable remedy based on the severity of the incident. A broad range of sanctions are available, and outcomes are published in ASRU’s Annual Report to support learning and ensure transparency. Through consistent delivery of the compliance policy the Regulator aims to drive up standards of welfare.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to review the requirement for platforms to implement client-side scanning and other automated content analysis tools under the Online Safety Act 2023 in the context of the scanning of private cloud storage and encrypted communications.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act does not require platforms to implement client-side scanning or other automated content analysis tools on content communicated privately. The Act states that Ofcom may not recommend the use of proactive technology, such as client-side scanning, to analyse user-generated content communicated privately.

This means that Ofcom’s codes cannot recommend that service providers deploy proactive technology in private or encrypted communications. The Department has no plans to review this section of the Act.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help increase physiotherapy employment opportunities for the cohort graduating in 2026.

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

Decisions on the employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers, and educators to improve the transition into the workforce.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of availability of entry-level physiotherapy roles on musculoskeletal waiting lists.

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

Decisions on the recruitment of physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

To tackle waiting times, we are working to deliver the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Musculoskeletal Community Delivery Programme. GIRFT teams are working with health system leaders to further reduce musculoskeletal community waiting times, which are the largest volume of all community waits, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services. This includes mapping and analysing the provision and role of physiotherapists as First Contact Practitioners in primary care.

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 newly qualified physiotherapists are able to access Band 5 employment opportunities within the NHS, in the context of recruitment freezes and recent trends in the level of advertised posts across England.

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

Decisions on the recruitment and employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers, and educators to improve transition into the workforce.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to support physiotherapists that qualified last year into employment.

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

Decisions on the employment of newly qualified physiotherapists are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers, and educators to improve the transition into the workforce.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of abolishing the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of abolishing the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

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

There are no plans to abolish the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

Rape gang overseas trafficking

Found: meeting Members present: Debbie Abrahams (Chair); Rushanara Ali; Lee Barron; Johanna Baxter; Mr Peter Bedford

Found: meeting Members present: Debbie Abrahams (Chair); Rushanara Ali; Lee Barron; Johanna Baxter; Mr Peter Bedford

Found: Peter Bedford MP (Con) introduced the Local Government Reorganisation (Requirement for Referendum) Bill

Members of the Education and Work and Pensions Select Committees have decided to undertake an inquiry that will consider how the Government can ensure it will deliver a successful Child Poverty Strategy.