Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered the potential merits of reviewing the current approach to mental capacity assessments, particularly in relation to addiction and conditions which may involve fluctuating capacity, such as short-term dementia.

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

On 18 October 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced the intention to launch a public consultation on the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) in 2026. The consultation will cover a revised Code of Practice and will incorporate changes in case law, legislation, and good practice in the application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

The LPS as introduced by the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 aims to deliver streamlined processes and assessments for authorising deprivations of liberty, including for individuals with fluctuating capacity. This consultation will seek the views of those affected, and people involved in their care and welfare. The responses from this consultation will be used to inform a final MCA Code of Practice which will be laid in Parliament.

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 tackle repeated retrospective planning applications designed to delay enforcement action on projects which have already had permission rejected.

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

Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, local planning authorities have various powers to decline to determine planning applications. These include the power to decline to determine a retrospective planning application where an enforcement notice has already been issued (section 70C) and the power to decline to determine repeat planning applications (section 70A).

It is for local planning authorities to decide when and how they use these powers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce the level of exposure to children of diesel emissions from buses operating near schools.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government shares the concern about the impact diesel bus emissions have on air quality, and ultimately to children's health.

The NO2 programme has provided £576m to support local authorities (LAs) to improve air quality in areas of nitrogen oxide exceedances. This funding is for LAs to scope and develop measures; implement, monitor and evaluate their measures; and provide mitigation funding for local people and businesses affected by their measures. Clean Air Zones have also been implemented in places where the local evidence shows they are the quickest route to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution.

The most effective way to reduce bus emissions and improve air quality is to achieve an all zero emission bus (ZEB) fleet. As of March 2025, 12.4% of the bus fleet across England was zero emission, however we need to make further progress in accelerating bus decarbonisation.

We legislated in the Bus Services Act 2025 to ultimately prevent bus operators from using new non-ZEBs on local bus routes in England. This measure will provide confidence to the sector and stimulate the investment needed to deliver a fully zero emission fleet alongside the improved air quality benefits.

Separately, in April we announced £38m to deliver an additional 319 ZEBs through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas programme. Furthermore, the recent announcement of £15.6 billion over five years, to improve local transport in some of our largest city regions, allows local leaders to play a more active role in the delivery of local bus services and allocate some funding toward decarbonising their local fleets. Our smaller cities, towns and rural areas will also receive £2.3 billion from the Local Transport Grant.

Found: Q351 Sam Carling: Thank you. That is really helpful.

Found: Blake: International Day of Democracy • Liz Jarvis: 200th anniversary of the modern railway • Sam Carling

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Simon Hoare (Chair); Richard Baker; Markus Campbell- Savours; Sam Carling

The report from the Infected Blood Inquiry includes recommendations for Parliament on two key areas: how to respond to calls for public inquiries and how to scrutinise the implementation of recommendations resulting from future inquiries.