Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress she has made on developing a central finance facility for credit unions.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has made clear its strong support for the credit union sector, recognising the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities across the country in providing savings products and affordable credit.

On 14 November, the Chancellor announced new measures to support the growth of the credit union and mutuals sector. Following this Mansion House speech, HM Treasury has concluded a call for evidence on potential reforms to credit union common bonds, supported the industry-led Mutual and Co-operative Sector Business Council, and commissioned the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to publish a report on the mutuals landscape by the end of 2025.

There are currently no plans to develop a central finance facility for credit unions. The Government continues to engage with the sector and will keep all issues, like central finance functions, under review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the immigration fees for an Irish citizen seeking to gain British Citizenship through the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The fee for an Irish citizen seeking to gain British Citizenship through the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024 is currently under consideration and we will provide an update in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of seeking an agreement with the European Union on the mutual recognition of (a) qualifications and (b) licenses for (i) pilots, (ii) flight crew and (iii) aircraft engineers.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has been clear that it will work to reset the relationship with Europe, to strengthen ties and tackle barriers to trade. Establishing an effective personnel licensing regime that supports UK aviation remains a priority for us, and the UK is keen to establish closer cooperation on personnel licensing where possible to ease the current burden on UK and EU personnel.

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 improve access to treatments for long covid.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers, which can include parents.

Across the National Health Service in England, there are services supporting people with post-COVID syndrome, often described as long COVID. These services offer physical, cognitive, and psychological assessment, and, where appropriate, refer patients onto existing services for treatment and rehabilitation. Further information can be found via the NHS website, at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) remain committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment for long COVID. We are actively exploring next steps for research in this area.

Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, through the NIHR and MRC, we have invested over £57 million on research into long COVID, with almost £40 million of this through two specific research calls on long COVID. The funded projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical care.

This includes funded clinical trials to test and compare different treatments such as antihistamines, anticoagulants, and anti-inflammatory medicines, as well as trials such as the approximately £1.5 million REGAIN trial funded through the NIHR. REGAIN is the first randomised trial to show a benefit from rehabilitation for people with long COVID, and the first high-quality evidence confirming the sustained clinical benefit and lack of harm with rehabilitation programmes for long COVID which combine exercise with behavioural support, to measure their effects on symptoms, health, and other outcomes.

The approximately £1.9 million CLoCk study, co-funded by the NIHR and the MRC, developed an agreed definition of long COVID in children and young people as well as the associated symptoms, which will help harmonise research and improve understanding of the condition.

Funding is available and we welcome funding applications for research into long COVID in both adults and children. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England has worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to develop a new Clinical Post-COVID Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice and to support people affected by long COVID. Further information about the society can be found at the following link:

https://www.clinicalpcs.org.uk

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 adequacy of clinical research into treatments for long covid.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers, which can include parents.

Across the National Health Service in England, there are services supporting people with post-COVID syndrome, often described as long COVID. These services offer physical, cognitive, and psychological assessment, and, where appropriate, refer patients onto existing services for treatment and rehabilitation. Further information can be found via the NHS website, at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) remain committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment for long COVID. We are actively exploring next steps for research in this area.

Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, through the NIHR and MRC, we have invested over £57 million on research into long COVID, with almost £40 million of this through two specific research calls on long COVID. The funded projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical care.

This includes funded clinical trials to test and compare different treatments such as antihistamines, anticoagulants, and anti-inflammatory medicines, as well as trials such as the approximately £1.5 million REGAIN trial funded through the NIHR. REGAIN is the first randomised trial to show a benefit from rehabilitation for people with long COVID, and the first high-quality evidence confirming the sustained clinical benefit and lack of harm with rehabilitation programmes for long COVID which combine exercise with behavioural support, to measure their effects on symptoms, health, and other outcomes.

The approximately £1.9 million CLoCk study, co-funded by the NIHR and the MRC, developed an agreed definition of long COVID in children and young people as well as the associated symptoms, which will help harmonise research and improve understanding of the condition.

Funding is available and we welcome funding applications for research into long COVID in both adults and children. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England has worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to develop a new Clinical Post-COVID Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice and to support people affected by long COVID. Further information about the society can be found at the following link:

https://www.clinicalpcs.org.uk

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of land access disputes arising from delays in completing remediation work on residential flats.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department has currently made no such assessment.

Since Grenfell Tower in 2017, 96% of buildings with Grenfell-style cladding have started or completed remediation but 51% of mid and high-rise buildings with all types of cladding issues identified still are yet to start remediation. This is unacceptably slow.

We have been clear on our intentions to ensure we deliver remediation faster, with more action from manufacturers, freeholders, developers and organisations with a responsibility to make sure buildings are safe.

The Remediation Acceleration Plan (RAP) was announced on 2 December 2024. It sets out key measures to fix buildings faster, identify remaining buildings still at risk and ensure that residents are supported through the remediation process.

The RAP sets out the government’s ambitious approach to tackle these issues for buildings in England. We recognise that the scale and importance of the challenge is so significant that we expect to publish a further update on this plan in summer 2025 to report on progress and to reflect the second phase of the spending review.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Catherine

Found: 4DR Tel: 0300 330 3000 E-Mail: Heidi.Alexander@dft.gov.uk Web site: www.gov.uk/dft Ruth Cadbury

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Catherine

Found: Airport Limited The Compass Centre, Nelson Road, Hounslow, Middlesex TW6 2GW W: heathrow.com Ruth Cadbury

Found: Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Inveralmond House 200 Dunkeld Road Perth PH1 3AQ Ms Ruth Cadbury