Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the level of threat posed by long-range drones to UK military bases and critical national infrastructure.

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

The Strategic Defence Review considered all aspects of Defence, including the capabilities required by the UK to meet the challenges, threats, and opportunities of the twenty-first century. The Strategic Defence Review also highlighted the importance of autonomous systems both within the UK’s Integrated Force and the threats they pose, building upon ongoing threat assessments and learning lessons from our partners and allies. Decisions on our equipment requirements, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on allocating the funding announced for air and missile defence; and what capabilities that funding is expected to deliver.

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

The Strategic Defence Review announced up to £1 billion for UK air and missile defence. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Reviews recommendations, including on the allocation for Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has identified which categories of critical national infrastructure should be prioritised for protection under the UK’s integrated air and missile defence planning.

Answered by Al Carns

Defence is working with the Cabinet Office to prioritise and protect Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). Defence is capturing data on a CNI knowledge base, which helps government understand the priorities and vulnerabilities between the 13 CNI sectors. This tool is contributing to Defence work to refresh our homeland defence plan as a priority for 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to increase the number of Sky Sabre air defence missile systems in service.

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

A doubling of the number of deployable Sky Sabre systems operated by the Armed Forces is already on contract and due to deliver by 2027.

Sky Sabre represents a step change in the UK’s ground-based air defence capability. As the Army’s most advanced air defence system, it provides a powerful shield against modern airborne threats, from fast jets to precision-guided weapons and drones.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of current legal protections for victims of domestic abuse seeking to be released from joint tenancies in the private rented sector, particularly in circumstances where (a) the alleged perpetrator is on police bail, (b) the survivor needs to move immediately for safety reasons, and (c) the landlord or letting agent refuses to release the survivor without the agreement of the other tenant or a court order.

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

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, all tenancies with a fixed term transitioned to periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. As a result, victims of domestic abuse are no longer locked into fixed terms with perpetrators.

The courts have established that any individual tenant can usually end a periodic tenancy without the other tenants’ permission.

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 patients are not required to pay privately to obtain medicines prescribed to them on the NHS during periods of supply disruption.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Patients should not be required to pay privately for medicines that are prescribed to them on the National Health Service. Where supply disruption occurs, the Department has policies in place to ensure patients continue to have access to NHS prescriptions.

Pharmacies have a legal obligation to dispense all valid NHS prescriptions presented to them. Where a pharmacy is unable to supply a particular medicine promptly, in these instances, professional guidance states that they should talk to the patient to discuss the possible options available to them, which can include:

• offering to contact the patient’s prescriber to jointly consider whether another suitable brand or medicine is available to be prescribed; and

• checking whether the medicine is available at another pharmacy.

Alongside this, we have Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs), which are a tool to manage and mitigate medicine shortages. An SSP enables community pharmacists to supply a specified alternative in accordance with a protocol rather than a prescription, without needing another prescription.

Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes, or distribution issues and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.

While we cannot always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and mitigate risks to patients, including those with auto-immune and muscle weakness conditions. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of SSPs, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of Ramipril in each strength and formulation; and what steps he is taking to ensure continuity of supply to patients.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

All strengths of ramipril capsules and tablets remain available, however, the Department is aware that ramipril 1.25 milligrams capsules are in more limited supply until late July 2026 due to manufacturing issues affecting some suppliers. We are working closely with suppliers to resolve the disruptions as soon as possible. We have issued comprehensive management guidance to the National Health Service to manage affected patients during this time, which includes advice on the use of alternative medicines. We have also issued a Serious Shortage Protocol to limit prescriptions to one month’s supply to support equitable distribution of available stocks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of conflict in the Middle East on the supply of generic medicines to the UK.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is closely monitoring the Middle East conflict to assess any potential impact on United Kingdom medical supply chains through disruptions to manufacturing and logistics.

There have been limited impacts on generic medicines and the wider medical supply chain to date. We have limited direct exposure to the Middle East for medical products, and maintain well-established contingency arrangements to manage supply disruptions where these occur. These can include coordination of mutual aid, work to identify alternative products, alternative clinical practices, regulatory easements, and/or use of the Express Freight Service which can provide bespoke global logistics services in the event of critical supply disruption.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment his Department has made of (a) Drug Tariff reimbursement prices and (b) prices paid by community pharmacies to obtain medicines affected by supply disruption.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

With regards to the Drug Tariff reimbursement prices, the community pharmacy reimbursement arrangements do not guarantee that every contractor will be paid the cost of every item; however, concessionary prices mitigate losses for individual products, while medicine margin arrangements ensure contractors are paid more than their overall purchasing costs.

Medicine prices can increase for several reasons, for example, suppliers rapidly increasing their prices due to supply constraints or manufacturing issues. Where the market price of a medicine suddenly increases, concessionary prices can be granted in that month, increasing the reimbursement price above the published Drug Tariff reimbursement price. This arrangement helps to ensure that pharmacy contractors can continue to obtain sufficient stock for their patients.

Medicine margin is the difference between the reimbursement price and the price the pharmacy was charged by the supplier. As part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2026/27, pharmacies can retain £1.1 billion as medicine margin to contribute to their payment for pharmaceutical service provision. The Department assesses the medicine margin retained by pharmacies across purchases through a quarterly survey. These arrangements ensure that pharmacies are paid above what it cost them to purchase medicines and the allowed amount of medicine margin to contribute to their payment for pharmaceutical service provision.

As set out in A guide to the systems and processes for managing medicines supply issues in England, we have a range of established tools to manage disruption and support pharmacy contractors when issues arise. These include working with suppliers to expedite deliveries, issuing timely guidance to pharmacy contractors, supporting access to alternative strengths or formulations, and sourcing unlicensed imports where appropriate. The guide is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/a-guide-to-the-systems-and-processes-for-managing-medicines-supply-issues-in-england/

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans her Department has in place to support farm businesses in the event of prolonged increases in red diesel and fertiliser prices.

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

The Government has direct lines open with domestic fertiliser suppliers, commodity traders and farming stakeholders and is closely monitoring market conditions feeding intelligence into our contingency planning. New tools have been produced to support farmers in increasing fertiliser efficiency.

Government is taking seriously the impacts of the Middle East Conflict on the food and farming sector and is determined to keep costs down for farmers by taking decisive action. This includes slashing the rate for red diesel from 10.18p to 6.48p per litre, meaning red diesel now benefits from an 88% tax discount, saving farmers over £300 million a year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of recent increases in agricultural input costs on food price inflation over the next 12 months.

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

Government is taking seriously the impacts of the Middle East Conflict on the UK’s food and farming sectors and monitoring the effects of the crisis as they emerge.

This Government is taking action to ease that pressure. We are aware that fertiliser prices have increased and are committed to keeping costs for farmers down.

DEFRA is working closely with retailers to prevent temporary increases becoming embedded in long-term food prices. The Chancellor announced the suspension of tariffs on a range of everyday food and drink items until 2028. This is expected to save consumers £100-£200 million a year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of global ammonia and urea supply disruption arising from conflict in the Middle East on UK farming.

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

The UK supply is sufficient for this season. The UK sources fertiliser both domestically and through diverse imports, helping keep supply chains flexible and maintain a diverse nutrient supply. As part of a global market, UK prices and availability (including ammonia and urea) are driven by international prices and the value of the pound. Fertiliser prices have stabilised and slightly reduced. Defra is assessing the impact in the wider supply chain, working closely with industry and the sector to understand risks and issues, and options for action where needed.

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 ensure that residents’ management companies which hold the freehold on behalf of leaseholders are not treated as commercial freeholders for the purposes of remediation liability under building safety legislation.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The leaseholder protections, which cap liability for paying towards certain remediation costs, do not apply to buildings where some or all the leaseholders have acquired the freehold.

RMCs who hold the freehold on behalf of leaseholders can use remediation contribution orders, introduced in the Building Safety Act to compel responsible entities to meet remediation costs.

We acknowledge the challenges resident management companies in this position face and my officials are looking at what more can be done to further protect these leaseholders facing uncapped costs.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission on ensuring that UK-built vehicles and components are treated as equivalent to EU-origin content under future “Made in Europe” automotive policies.

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

My department is looking carefully at the proposed measures in the EU’s Industrial Accelerator Act. Where these measures, as currently drafted, could disadvantage the UK’s automotive sector, or UK-EU integrated automotive supply chains, the Secretary of State, Minister Bryant, and I have and are continuing to engage positively with EU member states, Commission counterparts, and MEPs.

We continue to engage industry to assess potential impacts to business.

This Government is supporting investment into the transformation of our automotive industry through DRIVE35, a £4 billion programme to 2035. This is in addition to wider interventions to improve competitiveness and attract investment. From 2027, a new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs by c.£35-40/MWh and support thousands of businesses, including those in the automotive sector.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps to support the competitiveness of UK automotive manufacturers and supply chains in response to the European Commission’s proposal for an Industrial Accelerator Act and the inclusion of Made in EU requirements on the sector.

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

My department is looking carefully at the proposed measures in the EU’s Industrial Accelerator Act. Where these measures, as currently drafted, could disadvantage the UK’s automotive sector, or UK-EU integrated automotive supply chains, the Secretary of State, Minister Bryant, and I have and are continuing to engage positively with EU member states, Commission counterparts, and MEPs.

We continue to engage industry to assess potential impacts to business.

This Government is supporting investment into the transformation of our automotive industry through DRIVE35, a £4 billion programme to 2035. This is in addition to wider interventions to improve competitiveness and attract investment. From 2027, a new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs by c.£35-40/MWh and support thousands of businesses, including those in the automotive sector.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for sexual offences committed in nursery, pre-school or other early years settings, broken down by (i) sex of the offender, (ii) offence type and (iii) age of the victim in each of the last five years.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

This Government is resolutely committed to delivering meaningful change for victims of child sexual abuse and will do everything in its power to prevent the horrors of these appalling crimes. Cases of such abuse committed in nurseries and early years settings are particularly shocking.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions for a wide range of offences, including sexual offences in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK. It is not possible to identify where sexual offences have been committed nor the exact age of the victim. This information may be held in court records, but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.

The Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update, published in April 2025, sets out clearly the actions the Government is taking to respond to the final recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), alongside broader measures to address the evolving threat from child sexual abuse and exploitation.

For the Ministry of Justice, this includes:

• Introducing a new mandatory reporting duty under the Crime and Policing Act 2026. This requires individuals undertaking key roles with responsibility for children in England to report sexual abuse and creates a new criminal offence of obstructing an individual from making a report under the duty.

• Making it easier for victims to pursue justice by removing the three-year time limit for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to bring personal injury claims through the civil courts.

• Providing funding for the Centre for Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to develop a directory of child sexual abuse support services across England and Wales.

This sits alongside a broader programme of cross-government work on CSA, including the creation of a new Child Protection Authority to make the child protection system clearer and more joined up, and the rollout of the multi-agency Child House model across all NHS regions in England to provide survivors with specialist, trauma informed care.

More widely, the Ministry of Justice is investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in victim support services to date. This includes ringfenced funding for Police and Crime Commissioners for community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services, including Children’s Independent Sexual Violence Advisers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on establishing a statutory professional register for senior managers in the National Health Service to strengthen leadership accountability and patient safety.

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

The Government made a commitment at the General Election to introduce professional standards for, and regulation of, National Health Service managers. Departmental officials have engaged extensively on the proposals with key stakeholders, including NHS England, and consulted on options for regulating NHS managers in 2025. As set out in the response to the consultation, Leading the NHS: proposals to regulate NHS managers, which was published on 21 July 2025, the Government will introduce a statutory barring system for NHS senior managers within this Parliament.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many allegations of sexual abuse, sexual assault or other sexual offences in registered early years settings have been reported to Ofsted in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) sex of the alleged perpetrator, (b) type of early years provider and (c) outcome of the notification.

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

The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements within early years settings to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

We set the standards that early years providers must meet through the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework. Ofsted is responsible for the registration and inspection of early years providers and for collecting and holding information relating to notifications made by providers.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Reigate directly, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of Bisoprolol in each strength and formulation; and what contingency plans are in place in the event of further disruption to supply.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is aware that there are intermittent supply issues with bisoprolol 1.25 milligrams tablets, however, all other strengths of bisoprolol remain in stock. We continue to engage directly with suppliers of bisoprolol 1.25 milligrams tablets to monitor current stocks and incoming deliveries to ensure continuity of supply.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which (a) businesses, (b) trade bodies, (c) public bodies and (d) road safety organisations her Department has consulted on the development of the National Work-Related Road Safety Charter.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department is committed to developing and piloting a new Work-Related Road Safety Charter that will provide a national framework for improving safety when driving for work.

The content of the Charter is in the early stages of development with further detail, including timings, to be communicated in due course. Initial discussions have been held by officials with a wide range of stakeholders including businesses, trade bodies, public bodies, and road safety organisations. This is only the beginning of the process, and I welcome input from all interested parties.

In relation to riding mopeds and motorcycles for work, the Department also published a consultation on wider motorcycle licensing that closed on 11 May . The consultation was launched with a range of measures designed to support a targeted review of the training, testing and licensing framework for motorcyclists. Officials are now analysing the responses and will publish the outcome of the consultation on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what requirements her Department plans to include in the National Work-Related Road Safety Charter in relation to people riding (a) mopeds and (b) motorcycles for work on (i) provisional licences and (ii) Compulsory Basic Training certificates.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department is committed to developing and piloting a new Work-Related Road Safety Charter that will provide a national framework for improving safety when driving for work.

The content of the Charter is in the early stages of development with further detail, including timings, to be communicated in due course. Initial discussions have been held by officials with a wide range of stakeholders including businesses, trade bodies, public bodies, and road safety organisations. This is only the beginning of the process, and I welcome input from all interested parties.

In relation to riding mopeds and motorcycles for work, the Department also published a consultation on wider motorcycle licensing that closed on 11 May . The consultation was launched with a range of measures designed to support a targeted review of the training, testing and licensing framework for motorcyclists. Officials are now analysing the responses and will publish the outcome of the consultation on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to publish further details on the National Work-Related Road Safety Charter, including the proposed timetable for launching the pilot.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department is committed to developing and piloting a new Work-Related Road Safety Charter that will provide a national framework for improving safety when driving for work.

The content of the Charter is in the early stages of development with further detail, including timings, to be communicated in due course. Initial discussions have been held by officials with a wide range of stakeholders including businesses, trade bodies, public bodies, and road safety organisations. This is only the beginning of the process, and I welcome input from all interested parties.

In relation to riding mopeds and motorcycles for work, the Department also published a consultation on wider motorcycle licensing that closed on 11 May . The consultation was launched with a range of measures designed to support a targeted review of the training, testing and licensing framework for motorcyclists. Officials are now analysing the responses and will publish the outcome of the consultation on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to publish a list of businesses and organisations participating in the pilot of the National Work-Related Road Safety Charter.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department is committed to developing and piloting a new Work-Related Road Safety Charter that will provide a national framework for improving safety when driving for work.

The content of the Charter is in the early stages of development with further detail, including timings, to be communicated in due course. Initial discussions have been held by officials with a wide range of stakeholders including businesses, trade bodies, public bodies, and road safety organisations. This is only the beginning of the process, and I welcome input from all interested parties.

In relation to riding mopeds and motorcycles for work, the Department also published a consultation on wider motorcycle licensing that closed on 11 May . The consultation was launched with a range of measures designed to support a targeted review of the training, testing and licensing framework for motorcyclists. Officials are now analysing the responses and will publish the outcome of the consultation on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with counterparts in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on coordinating low-carbon hydrogen production and end-use demand within the transport sector.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that renewable hydrogen and its derived fuels have an important role to play in decarbonising transport applications where alternatives such as electrification are limited, particularly in aviation and in the maritime sector, where the diversity of operations requires a wide range of fuels and technologies. Low carbon hydrogen will be increasingly important both as a direct fuel (e.g. in fuel cells and internal combustion engines) and in the production of other low carbon fuels such as ammonia, methanol, and power-to-liquid sustainable aviation fuels.

DfT officials are working closely with DESNZ on the updated Hydrogen Strategy to set out Government’s vision and objectives for hydrogen, and how we intend to work together with industry to continue to transform ambition into action. DfT and DESNZ officials are working together on ensuring a supply of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives is available to meet transport demand and will continue to develop relevant policies where evidence shows that these fuels are a suitable decarbonisation solution.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential role of hydrogen-powered vehicles in decarbonising hard-to-electrify transport modes.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that renewable hydrogen and its derived fuels have an important role to play in decarbonising transport applications where alternatives such as electrification are limited, particularly in aviation and in the maritime sector, where the diversity of operations requires a wide range of fuels and technologies. Low carbon hydrogen will be increasingly important both as a direct fuel (e.g. in fuel cells and internal combustion engines) and in the production of other low carbon fuels such as ammonia, methanol, and power-to-liquid sustainable aviation fuels.

DfT officials are working closely with DESNZ on the updated Hydrogen Strategy to set out Government’s vision and objectives for hydrogen, and how we intend to work together with industry to continue to transform ambition into action. DfT and DESNZ officials are working together on ensuring a supply of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives is available to meet transport demand and will continue to develop relevant policies where evidence shows that these fuels are a suitable decarbonisation solution.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role hydrogen for transport will play in the updated Hydrogen Strategy.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that renewable hydrogen and its derived fuels have an important role to play in decarbonising transport applications where alternatives such as electrification are limited, particularly in aviation and in the maritime sector, where the diversity of operations requires a wide range of fuels and technologies. Low carbon hydrogen will be increasingly important both as a direct fuel (e.g. in fuel cells and internal combustion engines) and in the production of other low carbon fuels such as ammonia, methanol, and power-to-liquid sustainable aviation fuels.

DfT officials are working closely with DESNZ on the updated Hydrogen Strategy to set out Government’s vision and objectives for hydrogen, and how we intend to work together with industry to continue to transform ambition into action. DfT and DESNZ officials are working together on ensuring a supply of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives is available to meet transport demand and will continue to develop relevant policies where evidence shows that these fuels are a suitable decarbonisation solution.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the experiences and clinical outcomes of individuals who have de-transitioned, alongside a range of patient outcomes, are being incorporated into the development of policy and clinical guidance in the provision of adult gender identity services.

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

In line with recommendation 25 of the Cass Review, NHS England is developing a clinical pathway for individuals who wish to detransition.

In April 2025, as one of several planned engagement exercises to help shape this programme of work, NHS England invited individuals with lived experience to share their views and experiences of detransition. Between October and December 2025, NHS England held a 'call for evidence' aimed at healthcare professionals and medical bodies.

NHS England is considering all relevant feedback that was submitted. It will collate views, evidence, and insights into a summary evidence report. Using this evidence, together with other intelligence and further engagement, NHS England plans to publish details of a potential clinical pathway later this year for the purpose of stakeholder engagement and public consultation.

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 ensure that robust and consistent informed consent processes are applied in the provision of adult NHS gender identity services.

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

NHS England's national service specification for adult gender services requires clinicians to make all efforts to ensure that individuals are aware of the longer-term consequences of the interventions offered to them. The service specification describes that the process of obtaining informed consent is an important aspect of ethical assessment and intervention, including the emotional, social, and factual issues, so as to enable the individual to make informed decisions about the treatment options, benefits, material risks, and the alternatives to the treatments proposed, including the option of having no treatment. Individuals must be given sufficient time to reflect on the clinical advice and the potential treatment options before deciding what is best for them.

Further, in response to the findings of the Operational and delivery review of NHS adult gender dysphoria clinics in England, chaired by David Levy, a national comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment framework is being developed to ensure each patient’s needs are identified, formulated, and interventions are agreed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has commissioned research to improve understanding of factors determining the number of referrals to gender identity services across the NHS.

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

The final report of the Cass Review, published in April 2024, gave a thorough assessment of factors determining the number of referrals to National Health Service children and young people’s gender services and the characteristics of referrals into these services.

The review concluded there is no single reason but rather several factors including the changing demographics of those likely to be referred and the prevalence of coexisting conditions this new cohort presents with: neurodiversity; mental health; and challenging family and social backgrounds.

The Cass Review used various methods to form its findings and recommendations, including evidence reviews, analysis of clinical data, audit, and evidence gathering from United Kingdom and international clinicians and academics. In response to the Cass Review, NHS England has established a National Research Oversight Board for Gender Services, which leads on identifying future research and evidence gathering priorities relating to paediatric and adult gender services.

As well as this, the review into the operation and delivery of NHS Adult Gender Dysphoria Clinics, led by Dr Levy, was published on 18 December 2025 and undertook a comprehensive examination of all nine NHS-commissioned adult Gender Dysphoria Clinics (GDCs) in England. The review specifically considered issues of access to clinics, reviewing both the volume of referrals and the length of waiting times for initial assessment and treatment. Dr Levy identified that waiting times for first appointments remain lengthy, with a significant increase in the number of people awaiting assessment, and that annual referrals have doubled since 2022/23. The review attributed these extended waits to several factors, including improved reporting as more clinics have joined the national system, as well as a backlog from referrals deferred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The review also set out that, surgery waiting times also contribute to the problem, as some masculinising procedures have waits of approximately eight to nine years. As a result, many patients require extra GDC appointments because the current service specification mandates follow-up reviews every six months for those waiting for surgery.

Found: meeting Members present: Helen Hayes (Chair); Jess Asato; Sureena Brackenridge; Darren Paffey; Rebecca Paul

Found: Johnson (Conservative; Sleaford and North Hykeham) Darren Paffey (Labour; Southampton Itchen) Rebecca Paul

Found: Education Committee members present: Helen Hayes (Chair); Jess Asato; Darren Paffey; Rebecca Paul; Manuela

Found: Education Committee members present: Helen Hayes (Chair); Jess Asato; Darren Paffey; Rebecca Paul; Manuela

Found: Education Committee members present: Helen Hayes (Chair); Jess Asato; Darren Paffey; Rebecca Paul; Manuela

Found: Owen (Chair); Alex Brewer; Rosie Duffield; Christine Jardine; Kim Leadbeater; Kevin McKenna; Rebecca Paul

Submit Evidence (by 30 Jul 2026)

The Education Committee is examining the Government’s proposals for reform of the school system in England, as set out in the Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper.