Samantha Dixon

Ministers and officials have been in touch with key European Commission and Member State contacts, as well as business representative organisations, ahead of the next UK-EU Summit. As the Prime Minister announced to the House on 12 October, the Summit will take place on 20 November 2026 in Brussels.

Educational psychologists play a key role in supporting children and young people, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities. The department is committed to growing the workforce of educational psychologists so that children and young people can access the support they need sooner.

As set out in the Schools White Paper, the government is investing £26 million to train at least 200 educational psychologists per year from 2026/27, with further investment to train more over the following three years, subject to future spending reviews. This is in addition to the £31 million already invested since 2023.

The department is also investing around £1.8 billion for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards, to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, which will provide access to support from key services, such as educational psychologists and trainees.

The UK-EU SPS Agreement will reduce trade barriers and support the safe and efficient movement of goods and animals, including zoo animals and conservation transfers. It will cut certification and border-check costs and delays for zoos and aquariums. Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) controls are separate, and its rules will continue.

The Health and Safety Executive is currently reassessing glyphosate to determine whether it continues to meet strict approval criteria.

Defra is working through the implications of the transition from the current pesticides regulatory system in Great Britain to a new one defined by the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement under negotiation. The department cannot comment further on the SPS agreement as negotiations are ongoing.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently undertaking a renewal assessment of the pesticide active substance glyphosate to determine whether it continues to meet the strict approval criteria for use in pesticide products in Great Britain.

As part of this, HSE is planning to launch a 60-day public consultation on its draft scientific assessment of glyphosate in due course.

The uses that HSE is considering as part of this renewal assessment include the use of products containing glyphosate by professionals only in home gardens, schools and playgrounds. Other uses not assessed under the renewal assessment would be determined under individual product renewal assessments at a future date.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently undertaking a renewal assessment of the pesticide active substance, glyphosate, to determine whether it continues to meet the strict approval criteria for use in pesticide products in Great Britain (GB).

HSE is considering extending the approval of glyphosate beyond its current expiry date of 15 December 2026.

Any extension that is granted will be on the same basis as its current approval, so would not change products containing glyphosate authorised for use in GB, including those for use in home gardens, schools, and playgrounds.

The requirement to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for complete calendar months is set out in law. VED is issued from the first of each month and refunds are issued for only the full months remaining on a vehicle licence. Licensing and refunding vehicles from a date other than the first of the month would add a large amount of administrative complexity to the vehicle tax system, increasing costs to the taxpayer.

The government has no plans to change how VED payments are administered in this way, but we welcome representations from stakeholders about how the tax system can be improved. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and most law firms in England and Wales, with oversight from the Legal Services Board (LSB). The SRA has powers to protect clients' interests when a regulated law firm ceases trading, including by intervening to secure client files and money and appointing an intervention agent.

The SRA intervened in PM Law Ltd and associated firms (including PM Property Lawyers) on 4 February 2026 and appointed Gordons LLP as intervention agent. Gordons has contacted affected clients, prioritised urgent requests and helped them access their files. The SRA has published guidance for affected clients (https://www.sra.org.uk/news/news/pm-law-intervention/) to help them find alternative representation and progress their cases. It has also taken steps to return client money, while eligible clients may apply to its discretionary Compensation Fund.

Following the closure of PM Law Ltd and associated firms, I met the Chief Executive of the SRA on 12 February to seek assurances on the steps being taken to protect affected clients, including the return of client money. My officials and I continue to engage with both the SRA and LSB on the action being taken in response, including on the lessons learnt and steps being taken to strengthen consumer protection and maintain public confidence in legal services regulation.