Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support universities affected by the withdrawal of Medical Research Council funding.

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

Following a review, the Medical Research Council (MRC) is changing how it supports research within its units and centres to maximise impact. New MRC Centres of Research Excellence (CoRE) investments will improve how MRC coalesces the best science, skills, and leadership and focus on the challenges that will transform biomedical and health research. All existing units can seek funding through the MRC CoRE model and/or transition into regular MRC grant funding. MRC continues to engage with unit staff and their host universities to best support them during this transition.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will publish the formal consultation on proposals to change the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from 5 years to 10 years.

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

We will be consulting on the new settlement rules later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to help improve access to NHS dentistry in South Cambridgeshire constituency.

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

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For South Cambridgeshire constituency, this is Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICB.

We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025. Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICB is expected to deliver 14,195 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

ICBs are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. As of 22 September 2025, in England there were 97 dentists in post with a further eight dentists who have been recruited but are yet to start in post under this scheme. A further 224 posts are currently being advertised.

We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability. The Government is committed to achieving fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.

We recently held a full public consultation on a package of changes to improve access to, and the quality of NHS dentistry, which will deliver better care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. The consultation closed on 19 August 2025. The Government is considering the outcomes of the consultation and will publish 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 steps he plans to take to increase awareness of aerobic vaginitis.

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

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future.

Professional bodies, including the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, are considering how to raise awareness and make more information available about aerobic vaginitis.

Additionally, we have supported the system to improve access to more specialised and multidisciplinary teams in the community through the introduction of women’s health hubs. Women’s health hubs provide better integrated care for women with a range of different conditions.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential risk associated with self-swab rape kits being marketed to the public.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice is aware of self-swab kits being marketed to the public as a means of collecting DNA following sexual violence. These kits are in no way associated with any government department or criminal justice agency, or the Government’s wider VAWG mission. We recommend that victims of sexual violence attend a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), where trained clinicians can provide holistic care and forensic evidence can be collected in accordance with established standards.

We are also aware of concerns raised about the promotion of self-swab kits, including those outlined in position statements by the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine and Rape Crisis England & Wales. Support is available for victims of rape through SARCs and the 24-7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line. We are committed to tackling sexual violence and achieving the best outcome for all victims, in line with our goal to halve VAWG within a decade.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to take steps to raise awareness on the potential impact of self-swab rape kits being used to collect DNA on criminal prosecutions.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice is aware of self-swab kits being marketed to the public as a means of collecting DNA following sexual violence. These kits are in no way associated with any government department or criminal justice agency, or the Government’s wider VAWG mission. We recommend that victims of sexual violence attend a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), where trained clinicians can provide holistic care and forensic evidence can be collected in accordance with established standards.

We are also aware of concerns raised about the promotion of self-swab kits, including those outlined in position statements by the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine and Rape Crisis England & Wales. Support is available for victims of rape through SARCs and the 24-7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line. We are committed to tackling sexual violence and achieving the best outcome for all victims, in line with our goal to halve VAWG within a decade.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help increase awareness of irritable bowel syndrome.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise the significant impact that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can have on a person’s quality of life. We want a society where every person, including those with one or more long-term conditions, receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.

To support early diagnosis and effective management of IBS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg61

To raise awareness of IBS among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an e-learning module on the IBS pathway. The course covers the investigation of patients who present with lower gastrointestinal symptoms that are likely to be IBS, the red flags to look out for, how to make a confident diagnosis in primary care, and how to manage patients in line with NICE guidance.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to United States' Department of the Interior's letter to Orsted North America Inc, dated 22 August 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of that letter on international investor confidence in UK offshore wind projects.

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

The Government is aware of the US Department of the Interior’s 22 August 2025 letter to Ørsted North America. Overseas regulatory decisions are for those authorities; the UK is a separate market with our own regulatory framework.

The Government remains confident in the UK’s ability to attract international investment in the clean energy mission. We will achieve this by driving investment certainty, delivering targeted catalytic public investment, investing alongside industry where necessary, and breaking down barriers to investment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to take steps to prevent the closure of The Clink Restaurant in HMP Brixton.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We value the Clink’s longstanding partnership with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.

The current contract at HMP Brixton will terminate on 30 September 2026, and in line with public procurement regulations a tendering process for the new contract is now in progress. Recommissioning this service provides an opportunity to update the specification that reflects the changing needs of the prison population at Brixton since the original contract was agreed over a decade ago.

As the incumbent supplier, the Clink has direct experience of operating this service and will be able to draw on this in its bid to operate the new contract. It is important that all government opportunities are subject to fair and open competition to ensure value for money.

The specification for the new contract continues to require delivery of independently accredited training, with a defined programme of learning that prepares prisoners for work after release. Prisoners will be able to acquire accredited and non-accredited qualifications that are relevant to the current needs of the labour market.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to help protect (a) female and (b) child asylum seekers against (i) sexual violence and (ii) other abuse in hotel accommodation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government and our manifesto included the mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

The Home Office will also go further than before to deliver a cross-government transformative approach to halve violence against women and girls, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published this year.

The Home Office works carefully to ensure that the needs and vulnerabilities of those residing in asylum accommodation are identified and considered, including those needs related to mental health and trauma and will use every tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence wherever it occurs, including in asylum accommodation.

This government also state our commitment to a gender sensitive asylum system and that we carefully consider the vulnerabilities of all those in our care, which includes previous trauma.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to provide (a) safe and (b) supportive accommodation for female asylum seekers.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government and our manifesto included the mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

The Home Office will also go further than before to deliver a cross-government transformative approach to halve violence against women and girls, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published this year.

The Home Office works carefully to ensure that the needs and vulnerabilities of those residing in asylum accommodation are identified and considered, including those needs related to mental health and trauma and will use every tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence wherever it occurs, including in asylum accommodation.

This government also state our commitment to a gender sensitive asylum system and that we carefully consider the vulnerabilities of all those in our care, which includes previous trauma.

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 potential impact of the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy on the Office for Nuclear Regulation’s (a) safety standards and (b) independence and impartiality.

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

The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy builds on existing collaboration and will accelerate licensing and reactor design checks, provide certainty to industry and uphold safety standards, while making both the UK and US an attractive place to invest.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the UKs independent regulator, will need to be satisfied that any design to be deployed in the UK meets UK safety standards and complies with UK law.

By working with the US the ONR will streamline processes, while continuing to maintain rigorous UK regulatory standards and its independent decision making.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department are taking to tackle (a) modern slavery and (b) human trafficking through (i) earlier identification and (ii) long term support for victims.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery and human trafficking in all its forms and to giving survivors the support they need to recover. The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK’s framework for identifying and supporting potential victims of modern slavery.

In July 2025, the Home Office launched a public Call for Evidence on how the Government can improve the process of identifying victims of modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation. This closed on 8 October 2025, and we are now analysing the responses received.

The Home Office is in the process of procuring the new Support for Victims of Modern Slavery contract, which aims to deliver positive outcomes for adult survivors, supporting them to achieve long-term stability, live independently and reduce their risk of re-exploitation

In September, the Home Office also launched the tender for the new Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship contract, which will expand the service coverage from two-thirds of local authorities in England and Wales to provide support to all child victims referred into the NRM in England and Wales.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the United States' Department of Energy's press release entitled Energy Department returns $13 billion in unobligated wasteful spending to American taxpayers, published on 24 September 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of that announcement on international investment confidence in UK renewable energy developments.

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

Government remains confident in the UK’s ability to attract international investment in the clean energy mission. We will achieve this by driving investment certainty, delivering targeted catalytic public investment, and breaking down barriers to investment.

Since July 2024, over £50 billion of private investment has been announced into the UK’s clean energy industries.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the ability of overseas producers to label their products as alcohol free at up to 0.5% ABV in the UK on UK-based brewers that are restricted to 0.05% ABV.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

DBT is working closely with DHSC on the Government’s ‘Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan’, which includes a commitment to consult consumers and industry on raising the upper alcohol limit for drinks labelled as alcohol-free to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) from 0.05% ABV. This proposal would align UK brewers with international standards and support the growth of the sector, in addition to providing clarity to consumers and producers.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will list the energy performance certificate ratings recorded for each building within the Parliamentary estate in each of the last five years.

Answered by Nick Smith

The House of Commons retains copies of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) where we acquire new buildings or undertake major refurbishments. It also holds EPCs for buildings or spaces that we lease. These EPCs are the responsibility of our landlords.

The buildings and EPC ratings for buildings in these categories are detailed in the table below. Data for Derby Gate is not available for the period of refurbishment running to 2022. We do not currently hold the data for 14 Tothill Street for 2021–22

The areas of the Parliamentary Estate used by the House of Commons includes a number of freehold buildings that have not been subject to major refurbishment and where EPCs are not therefore required. The House of Commons also holds several properties in Bridge Street which are rented out for non-Parliamentary uses.

We also hold Display Energy Certificates (DECs) for several buildings across the Parliamentary Estate. DECs are designed to show the energy performance of public buildings. As part of our commitment to sustainability and compliance, we commission annual DECs for many of our buildings. These certificates are publicly accessible via the Find an energy certificate service on GOV.UK. DECs are also displayed at the Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House.

Pages 39–46 of the House of Commons Administration Annual Report and Accounts 2024–25 provide an Environmental Review detailing the steps the Administration is taking to increase sustainability as well as data on emissions and energy consumption for the Estate (House of Commons: Annual Report & Accounts 2024-25).

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing a comprehensive redress scheme for consumers (a) installing and (b) retrofitting low carbon technologies.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

This government’s main priority is protecting consumers and the homes they live in, and we will continue to fight for reform of a system which is clearly not fit for purpose.

The reform will involve rapidly changing the landscape of regulation, spanning from how installers working in people’s homes are certified and monitored, to where homeowners turn to for rapid action and enforcement if things go wrong. This work is already underway, but we will set out plans for root and branch reform as part of the Warm Homes Plan, which will be published soon.

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 improve consumer confidence in low carbon home upgrades in the context of delivery issues in previous iterations of the ECO scheme.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government is committed to protecting homeowners across the UK who receive energy efficiency upgrades. We are introducing a new system of consumer protections, with clear centralised oversight to ensure proper installer accountability as part of the Warm Homes Plan.

Immediate actions taken include improved oversight of installations and installers, with a more robust suspension and reinstatement process, and enhanced contractor checks and restrictions to prevent installers from evading accountability if they operate through multiple certification bodies.

Additionally, Government has increased oversight of TrustMark’s operations, and introduced site visits from retrofit co-ordinators to give an additional layer of on-site assurance.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that the UK’s workforce has the skills required to meet its targets for heat pump installations.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government recently published the Clean Energy Jobs Plan which sets out cross-Government actions to deliver more skilled workers. Today’s heat pump workforce is large enough to meet current demand and training rates are on track to meet future demand. The Government is delivering several policies to support the heat pump workforce and is working with industry to ensure training equips installers with the skills needed to provide high quality installs. The £10 million Heat Training Grant supports existing heating professionals in England to upskill and the Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship is helping to bring new entrants into the sector.

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 reduce the number of patients having to be treated in (a) corridors, (b) converted office spaces, (c) gyms and (d) other spaces this winter.

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

We are doing everything we can as fast as we can to tackle and eliminate corridor care. The Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so patients can be treated with dignity.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out the steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

We have been taking key steps to ensure that the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try to reduce the demand pressure on accident and emergency departments, increase vaccination rates, and offer health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care board and trust winter plans to confirm they are able to meet demand and support patient flow.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that female asylum seekers who are victims of gender-based violence have access to (a) mental health support and (b) trauma-informed care.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has set out our ambition to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, using every tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of violence.

Recognising the mental health challenges faced by people seeking asylum the Home Office has a strategic team focussing on asylum seeker mental health working closely with accommodation providers, NGOs, health partners and lived experience groups to formulate a preventative approach.

This approach consists of mental health and wellbeing grant funding that is disseminated across the UK through Strategic Migration Partnerships and the rollout of a trauma-informed practice programme.

For further information on initiatives please see Asylum mental health: workstreams, tools and case studies (GOV.UK)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will take steps to ensure that the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy between the UK and the United States does not adversely impact nuclear (a) security and (b) safety.

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

The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy between the UK and United States will support the government's effort to improve our energy security, drive economic growth, and underpin our efforts to deliver of Net Zero.

The paramount importance placed on nuclear safety and security by government remains unchanged. All the nuclear projects announced as part of the Alliance will be subject to the scrutiny of an independent regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation, and will need to meet the robust standards safety and security standards demanded by government and the public.

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 potential merits of introducing a single accreditation scheme to protect households in upgrading to (a) more energy efficient and (b) low carbon technologies.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

This government’s priority is ensuring that all consumers are protected when undertaking home retrofit work, as well as improving the overall consumer journey regardless of housing tenure or how installation work is funded. Currently any installations under government energy efficiency schemes must be carried out by TrustMark registered and PAS 2030 or MCS certified businesses, in accordance with PAS 2035. As the only government endorsed quality scheme, TrustMark oversees compliance with the overarching PAS 2035 process.

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 potential merits of introducing (a) independent and (b) impartial statutory advice for consumers undertaking (i) retrofit and (ii) low carbon technology installations.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that access to trusted and impartial information is an important enabler to consumers, when making choices about how to retrofit their homes.

This is why the Government is working to enhance our digital consumer advice offer, creating a single access point for all consumers (homeowners, landlords and tenants) at varying points in their retrofit journey. It will bring information on energy efficiency and clean heating solutions like heat pumps and solar, sources of funding and links to trusted installers together for the first time. The digital service is also backed up with a national phoneline for those needing additional support in accessing advice on how to upgrade their homes.

We will set out additional steps towards improving the overall consumer journey in the Warm Homes Plan, which will be published soon.

Shelford Spice (No. 2)

Warm Homes Plan

Friends of the River Granta and the BBC Make a Difference Green Award (No. 2)

Ukrainian Permission Extension Scheme

Future of BBC Radio 4 Longwave

Humanitarian situation in Sudan

Government proposals for mandatory digital ID

Fossil fuel company profits

Conduct of the hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby

Administration of Sheffield Wednesday

National Cancer Plan

Water bills

Flying Nightingales

Contribution of legal immigrants

Warm Spaces Programme

Buying community energy locally

National inquiry into child sexual exploitation

Farmgate milk price reduction

Extinction of the slender-billed curlew

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the implementation Animal (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023, what discussions she had has with travel and tourism sector on preventing UK-based companies from (a) advertising an (b) profiting from low-welfare animal attractions overseas.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire, Pippa Heylings on 23 September 2025 PQ UIN 73101.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to raise public awareness of (a) the potential impact of low-welfare animal attractions abroad and (b) encourage responsible tourism through (i) education and (ii) regulation.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire, Pippa Heylings on 23 September 2025 PQ UIN 73101.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's timetable is for introducing the activity regulations required to bring the Animal (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 fully into force.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire, Pippa Heylings on 23 September 2025 PQ UIN 73101.

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 introduce regulations under the Animal (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 on the domestic (a) sale and (b) advertising of low welfare animal activities taking place abroad.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire, Pippa Heylings on 23 September 2025, PQ UIN 73101.