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 include primates in the scope of the proposed ban on the import of hunting trophies.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is continuing to engage with relevant stakeholders to help determine the most appropriate scope for the ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Species of conservation concern are listed primarily on Appendices I and II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) according to the level of threat international trade has on their conservation status. This includes a large number of primate species.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of measures to protect women and girls from harassment, abuse and intimidation.

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

Everyone has the right to both feel safe and be safe going about their day-to-day lives and the scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in our country is intolerable.

We recognise that public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is very much an important part of our ambition to halve VAWG in a decade.

Once in force, the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 will help tackle this issue and ensure women both feel and are safer on our streets.

We are also working tirelessly across Government to deliver a new VAWG Strategy, which will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver the Government’s objectives on VAWG.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to local authorities to support rough sleepers during winter 2025–26; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for rough sleeping.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant (RSPARG) is providing a total of £185.6 million to local authorities across England in 2025/26. The RSPARG gives local authorities the flexibility to determine the most suitable rough sleeping services required to meet local need, this includes providing support over the winter period.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help protect the aluminium industry from (a) US tariffs and (b) geopolitical competition.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We have taken decisive action to support the UK aluminium industry through recent trade agreements that reduce barriers and enhance market access. For example, in May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US, which included an agreement to remove the 25% tariff on steel and aluminium - restoring rates to Most Favoured Nation (MFN) levels. We continue to work closely with the US to ensure the deal is implemented as soon as possible. In the meantime, the UK remains the first country in the world to benefit from a 25% tariff rate that is half the 50% global rate.

Where domestic producers believe they are at risk of being injured by unfair foreign trade practices, such as dumping or subsidisation, they should directly engage the Trade Remedies Authority. I welcome the fact that the TRA has been in discussion with UK aluminium producers over a potential trade remedies investigation.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help protect the aluminium industry through free trade agreements.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We have taken decisive action to support the UK aluminium industry through recent trade agreements that reduce barriers and enhance market access. For example, in May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US, which included an agreement to remove the 25% tariff on steel and aluminium - restoring rates to Most Favoured Nation (MFN) levels. We continue to work closely with the US to ensure the deal is implemented as soon as possible. In the meantime, the UK remains the first country in the world to benefit from a 25% tariff rate that is half the 50% global rate.

Where domestic producers believe they are at risk of being injured by unfair foreign trade practices, such as dumping or subsidisation, they should directly engage the Trade Remedies Authority. I welcome the fact that the TRA has been in discussion with UK aluminium producers over a potential trade remedies investigation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on the implementation of the Oliver McGowan mandatory training on learning disability and autism across the NHS and social care workforce.

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

On 19 June 2025, the Department laid a Code of Practice in Parliament which sets out how providers can meet the statutory requirement for learning disability and autism training.

Over three million people have completed the e-learning package, the first part of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism (Oliver’s Training). National Health Service providers have reported that approximately 520,000 people have completed either Tier 1 or Tier 2 of Oliver’s Training. At the end of August 2025, 2,850 people have been trained to deliver Oliver’s Training and have been added to the Approved Trainer list.

Data on completion of Oliver’s Training by the NHS is held locally and is reported to NHS England by the integrated care boards. This data does not differentiate between completion by frontline staff and other NHS and social care staff and is instead focussed on the overall completion of Tier 1 and Tier 2.

The Department will be providing funding in autumn 2025 to support rollout of Oliver’s Training to the adult social care sector, via the same online claims service as the Learning and Development Support Scheme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the comparative cost to the NHS of (a) hospice inpatient beds and (b) acute hospital beds for palliative care patients.

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

While the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including charitable hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and those important to them. As charitable hospices are independent, autonomous organisations, they are free to set their own wages and some associated costs, and the Department does not hold or collect this information.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to section 8 of the Crime and Policing Bill, what guidance will be given to police forces on the circumstances in which a vehicle should be seized without warning.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

We are amending the Police Reform Act 2002 through the Crime and Policing Bill to allow the police to seize vehicles which are used in an anti-social manner without having to first give a warning to the offender, as is currently required in some circumstances.

We will work with the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to assess what guidance is required to forces on the implementation of these changes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of waiting times for gynaecology treatment on women’s health outcomes; and what steps he is taking to improve access to timely care.

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. Our focus is on turning the commitments in the Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as providing emergency hormonal contraception free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS from October 2025; setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan; and taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including women waiting for gynaecological care, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029. We provided additional investment in the Autumn Budget that has enabled us to fulfil our pledge to deliver over two million more elective care appointments early. More than double that number, 4.9 million more appointments, have now been delivered.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January, sets out the reform we will undertake to return to the 18-week standard, and to ensure patients have the best possible experience while they wait. This includes commitments to offer patients care closer to home, in the community, including piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with unscheduled bleeding on hormone replacement therapy. We have also committed to increasing the relative funding available to support gynaecology procedures with the largest waiting lists.

We know the vital role general practitioners (GPs) have to play in the Government’s mission to tackle NHS waiting lists. This is why we have expanded the Advice and Guidance scheme, investing £80 million to keep patients off the waiting list, with GPs working more closely with hospital specialists to access expert advice to make sure patients can access timely, high quality care.

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 potential impact of reintroducing private finance through public private partnerships for neighbourhood health centres on the NHS; and how those proposals differ from previous private finance initiative models.

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

As set out in the 10 Year Health Plan, the Department, alongside the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, is working on a business case to look at the feasibility of using a public private partnership (PPP) model for Neighbourhood Health Centres, with a decision expected in the Autumn Budget.

Any new PPP models will be subject to market testing and will build on lessons learned from past government experience, models currently in use, and the March 2025 National Audit Office report, ‘Lessons Learned: private finance for infrastructure’.

The Department conducted a successful preliminary market engagement exercise over summer 2025, and this is feeding into the business case.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of trends in the level of (a) debt bondage and (b) tied visa arrangements among migrant care workers in the UK.

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

To date the Home Office hasn’t made an assessment of trends in the level of (a) debt bondage and (b) tied visa arrangements among migrant care workers in the UK.

The Government has taken the decision to end overseas recruitment in Adult Social Care following significant abuse of the system and exploitation of workers. Thousands of workers have been displaced due to employer non-compliance, who continue to struggle to secure full time roles in the sector.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services for veterans in the North West.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who have served our country. In the North West and across the United Kingdom, the Veterans Welfare Service provides advice and support to veterans and their families. In England, Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE provide a broad range of specialist mental health, physical and wellbeing care services to veterans.

Additionally, with the North West Thrive Together programme, it is building and improving the veteran self-help referral process and reducing the stigma of asking for help by those that need it the most.

The Reducing Veteran Homelessness ‘Homes at Ease’ programme in the North West provides mental health support for housing applications. In 2024-25, it delivered 267 psychotherapy sessions to 54 beneficiaries to provide a bridge to highly stretched services in the region.

In May this year, we also announced VALOUR, our new commitment, backed by £50 million, to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support, which will ensure easier access to essential care and support for veterans across the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to ensure that NHS pay awards are implemented on 1 April each year.

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

The Government is committed to improving the timing of the pay round as set out in the Chancellor’s speech on 29 July 2024. We recognise the importance of giving certainty on pay settlements as early as possible and are working to be able to announce pay uplifts sooner this round.

Having accepted the 2025/26 headline pay recommendations in full, the Government issued remit letters to pay review boards in July 2025 formally beginning the 2026/27 pay round. This is over two months earlier than last year and puts us on track to meet the stated ambition of my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to announce and implement pay uplifts as close to 1 April 2026 as possible.

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 waiting times for cardiac care in the North West.

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

Tackling the waiting list is a top priority for the Government. This includes decreasing wait times for those accessing cardiac care. We have exceeded our pledge to deliver over two million more elective care appointments. More than double that number, or 5.2 million more appointments, have now been delivered in England.

On 6 January 2025, NHS England published the new Elective Reform Plan. This sets out a whole system approach to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, in line with the National Health Service constitutional standard, by March 2029.

As of the end of July 2025, compared with the end of June 2024, the overall number of people waiting for cardiac treatment in the North West has fallen by 7,536. However, performance against the 18-week target has decreased by 0.3 percentage points over the same period, namely 56.2% in June 2024 and 55.9% in July 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the new NHS workforce plan.

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

We will publish our 10 Year Workforce Plan by the end of 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests for biometric deferral have been received from Palestinian students in Gaza since October 2023; and how many have been approved.

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

The Home Office does not currently publish data regarding the number of biometric deferral requests submitted or approved.

The Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival in the UK for all Chevening scholars from Gaza.  We are in the process of doing the same for a group of students in Gaza who have been awarded fully funded scholarships covering course fees and living costs at UK universities so they can start their studies in Autumn 2025. The Government is doing everything it can to support their safe exit and onward travel to the UK. The situation on the ground in Gaza makes this extremely challenging.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of measures to prevent child sexual exploitation; and what steps she is taking to improve support for (a) victims and (b) survivors of child sexual exploitation.

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

The Home Office recognises the devastating impacts that child sexual exploitation and abuse can have on victims and survivors and is committed to ensuring that all victims and survivors, receive better care and support.

The Government is committed to intervening as early as possible to prevent vulnerable children and young people from experiencing child sexual abuse and exploitation.

This includes through equipping frontline professionals and safeguarding partners with the right tools and training to identify and respond effectively to child sexual abuse, and through raising awareness via communications and engagement with parents/carers and the wider public.

Through the provision of targeted support, and collaboration across the public, private and third sectors, we are also working to protect those who may be at increased risk from offenders who seek to exploit their vulnerabilities.

Prevention and education are absolutely fundamental to our approach, and we will tackle the root causes of these crimes, including supporting our education system to teach children about respectful and healthy relationships and consent.

As set out in the Government’s Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update in April, we are working across Government to develop ambitious proposals to improve therapeutic support services for victims of child sexual abuse.

This year the Home Office is doubling funding for adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, to a total investment of £2.59 million in the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) fund. This includes funding for support helplines, in-person and remote counselling, group support, and training for professionals working with victims.

We also recognise the importance of ensuring that all staff supporting victims have sufficient guidance on child sexual abuse to deliver effective trauma informed support. The Government is providing funding to the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to strengthen professional responses to child sexual abuse through evidence-based training and resources.

In line with the Inquiries Act 2005, the Chair of the National Inquiry into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, once appointed, will play a central role in shaping the inquiry’s Terms of Reference. These will be published in draft and consulted on with stakeholders, including victims and survivors, before being finalised. The Inquiry will have full statutory powers to investigate systemic and institutional failings wherever they are found.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with domestic abuse (a) charities and (b) specialist organisations on the sustainability of their services; and what steps she is taking to ensure that (i) victims and (ii) survivors of domestic abuse have access to adequate support.

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

The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s VAWG ambition. The new Strategy must reflect the real-world context and lived experiences of the people it is seeking to protect, and we have engaged with sector experts and delivery partners, including charities and specialist organisations, to ensure that it is informed by their views and insights. This included ministerially chaired roundtables on a range of key VAWG issues, including a session specifically on commissioning of specialist services for victims of VAWG.

In this financial year, the Home Office is investing £19.9m in victims' support services - to provide vital support to victims of VAWG, increase awareness of VAWG and fund projects across the country aimed at preventing these horrific crimes.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency’s efforts to disrupt livestreamed child sexual abuse networks involving UK-based offenders.

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

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse This includes ensuring that we are working to combat livestreamed abuse and ensuring that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.

In order to tackle the threat and reduce livestreaming of child sexual abuse, which is an inherently transnational crime, the National Crime Agency (NCA) works in collaboration with law enforcement in the UK and internationally to pursue the highest harm offenders. The UK is also leading the way in supporting the building and developing thematic knowledge and operational capabilities of other international law enforcement agencies to work together to pursue offenders and safeguard children. In addition, the NCA is leading a number of initiatives with industry and engagement with the financial sector to specifically prevent and detect livestreaming offending. This includes work to build on the UK-supported report by the Action Taskforce (FATF) ‘Detecting, Disrupting and Investigating Online Child Sexual Exploitation’.

This UK Government is prioritising our response to this crime, including crucial action through multilateral and bilateral forums to lead the way in ensuring there is robust international capacity to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, including in response to livestreaming and other online offending, and working to keep children safe online and in communities around the world.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation with governments in countries with high incidences of livestreamed child sexual abuse production.

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

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse This includes ensuring that we are working to combat livestreamed abuse and ensuring that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.

In order to tackle the threat and reduce livestreaming of child sexual abuse, which is an inherently transnational crime, the National Crime Agency (NCA) works in collaboration with law enforcement in the UK and internationally to pursue the highest harm offenders. The UK is also leading the way in supporting the building and developing thematic knowledge and operational capabilities of other international law enforcement agencies to work together to pursue offenders and safeguard children. In addition, the NCA is leading a number of initiatives with industry and engagement with the financial sector to specifically prevent and detect livestreaming offending. This includes work to build on the UK-supported report by the Action Taskforce (FATF) ‘Detecting, Disrupting and Investigating Online Child Sexual Exploitation’.

This UK Government is prioritising our response to this crime, including crucial action through multilateral and bilateral forums to lead the way in ensuring there is robust international capacity to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, including in response to livestreaming and other online offending, and working to keep children safe online and in communities around the world.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has held recent discussions with technology companies on the implementation of on-device detection tools to prevent livestreamed child sexual abuse.

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

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from online sexual abuse. Livestreamed abuse is a particularly abhorrent form of exploitation, and we are determined to ensure that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.

The Online Safety Act introduces world-leading protections for children. It places robust duties on tech companies to prevent and swiftly remove illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, and to take proactive steps to protect children from harm. Ofcom, as the regulator, will have strong enforcement powers to ensure compliance.

We also recognise the importance of device-level protections. I support the development and deployment of safety technologies that can help prevent abuse before it happens. This includes exploring the role of on-device tools that can detect and disrupt livestreamed abuse and other image-based harms, while respecting users' privacy and maintaining end-to-end encryption.

The Government continues to work closely with law enforcement, industry, and child protection experts to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of efforts to tackle online child sexual abuse.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on tackling plastic pollution; and what steps he is taking through international forums to promote global action to (a) reduce plastic waste and (b) support sustainable alternatives.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Plastic pollution is a global crisis that no country can solve alone. The UK has played an active role in pushing for an ambitious and effective global plastics treaty.

In June 2025 I met with a range of influential countries in the margins of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice to discuss global action. Over 90 countries, including the UK, endorsed the 'Nice Wake-up Call' calling for an ambitious global treaty to end plastic pollution.

I also attended the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee took place from 5-14 August in Geneva. The UK worked hard to progress negotiations, working closely with our partners to push for effective global measures on plastic products, including ensuring that any alternatives are sustainable. We are disappointed that no agreement was reached.

The Government remains steadfast in our commitment to continue working to secure an effective global treaty on plastic pollution which protects the environment and paves the way to a circular economy.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the (a) cultural identity and (b) creative sector growth of towns in the North West that are outside major metropolitan areas.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

There are creative industries clusters and micro clusters in every part of the UK and they , all of which are equally crucial to the delivery of our Growth Mission. We are keen to ensure that there are no cultural not-spots in the country and that everyone has an equal chance to pursue a career in the creative industries whether they live in a major metropolitan area or not.

The new 10-year Creative Industries Sector Plan seeks to tackles barriers to growth and maximises opportunities across the Creative Industries sector throughout the UK. As part of this, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Combined Authority will also receive shares of the £150million Creative Places Growth Fund which can be used to support the Creative Industries in local towns in the North West.

Arts Council England (ACE) supports organisations through their National Portfolio (NPOs) programme which provides funding of over £450 million a year to arts organisations across the country, many of which provide programmes in local community settings. Between 2023 and 2026 almost £50 million per annum will be invested into organisations in the North West through the NPO programme, including in areas outside major city hubs.

The British Film Institute (BFI) works with a network of partners across the country, including the North West, both to administer funding and to deliver activity under their ten-year strategy, Screen Culture 2033. For example, through the BFI’s National Lottery Screen Clusters Fund, Screen Manchester and Liverpool Film Office, as partners in Screen Alliance North, have received funding to support below-the-line skills and training activity across the North. This includes workshops with industry professionals for students at Warrington Vale Royal, helping to connect them with local employment opportunities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that funding for film and creative industry projects is distributed equitably across the North West.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

There are creative industries clusters and micro clusters in every part of the UK and they , all of which are equally crucial to the delivery of our Growth Mission. We are keen to ensure that there are no cultural not-spots in the country and that everyone has an equal chance to pursue a career in the creative industries whether they live in a major metropolitan area or not.

The new 10-year Creative Industries Sector Plan seeks to tackles barriers to growth and maximises opportunities across the Creative Industries sector throughout the UK. As part of this, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Combined Authority will also receive shares of the £150million Creative Places Growth Fund which can be used to support the Creative Industries in local towns in the North West.

Arts Council England (ACE) supports organisations through their National Portfolio (NPOs) programme which provides funding of over £450 million a year to arts organisations across the country, many of which provide programmes in local community settings. Between 2023 and 2026 almost £50 million per annum will be invested into organisations in the North West through the NPO programme, including in areas outside major city hubs.

The British Film Institute (BFI) works with a network of partners across the country, including the North West, both to administer funding and to deliver activity under their ten-year strategy, Screen Culture 2033. For example, through the BFI’s National Lottery Screen Clusters Fund, Screen Manchester and Liverpool Film Office, as partners in Screen Alliance North, have received funding to support below-the-line skills and training activity across the North. This includes workshops with industry professionals for students at Warrington Vale Royal, helping to connect them with local employment opportunities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding provision for grassroots creative projects outside major city hubs.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

There are creative industries clusters and micro clusters in every part of the UK and they , all of which are equally crucial to the delivery of our Growth Mission. We are keen to ensure that there are no cultural not-spots in the country and that everyone has an equal chance to pursue a career in the creative industries whether they live in a major metropolitan area or not.

The new 10-year Creative Industries Sector Plan seeks to tackles barriers to growth and maximises opportunities across the Creative Industries sector throughout the UK. As part of this, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Combined Authority will also receive shares of the £150million Creative Places Growth Fund which can be used to support the Creative Industries in local towns in the North West.

Arts Council England (ACE) supports organisations through their National Portfolio (NPOs) programme which provides funding of over £450 million a year to arts organisations across the country, many of which provide programmes in local community settings. Between 2023 and 2026 almost £50 million per annum will be invested into organisations in the North West through the NPO programme, including in areas outside major city hubs.

The British Film Institute (BFI) works with a network of partners across the country, including the North West, both to administer funding and to deliver activity under their ten-year strategy, Screen Culture 2033. For example, through the BFI’s National Lottery Screen Clusters Fund, Screen Manchester and Liverpool Film Office, as partners in Screen Alliance North, have received funding to support below-the-line skills and training activity across the North. This includes workshops with industry professionals for students at Warrington Vale Royal, helping to connect them with local employment opportunities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support parents with the adoption process.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

​​The government is funding Adoption England with £8.8 million this year to improve adoption services. Adoption England has published national standards for the adopter journey which covers all stages of the approval process from initial contact, through to assessment, approval and matching. A key feature of the standards is that prospective adopters feel welcomed and supported throughout the process. This includes opportunities to meet existing adopters and others going through the approval process. Adoption England regularly undertake mystery shopping exercises to ensure the advice and support adopters receive is consistent and high-quality across the country.

Adoption agencies agree a support plan with prospective adopters when they have been matched with children which evolves over time as the child grows and develops.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce mandatory suicide prevention training for all frontline NHS staff.

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

There are no current plans to introduce mandatory training for NHS frontline staff on suicide prevention.

On 4 April 2025, NHS England published Staying Safe from Suicide: Best Practice Guidance for Safety Assessment, Formulation and Management. This requires all mental health practitioners to align their practice to latest evidence in suicide prevention. The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/staying-safe-from-suicide/.

Pre-registration (qualifying) training for registered mental health staff is expected to contain appropriate suicide prevention training.

Training for NHS staff is being developed based on the Staying Safe from Suicide Guidance in the form of an eLearning session. This will commence in September 2025 and will be available to all mental health practitioners across all sectors including the NHS, voluntary, community, social enterprises and the independent sector.

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 average ambulance response times for Category (a) 1 and (b) 2 incidents.

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

Our Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Delivery Plan for 2025/26 commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year. We are also tackling unacceptable ambulance handover delays by introducing a maximum 45-minute standard, ensuring ambulances are released more quickly and get back on the road to treat patients.

Backed by almost £450 million, the UEC Delivery Plan will deliver around 40 new Same Day Emergency Care and Urgent Treatment Centres – which treat and discharge patients in the same day, avoiding unnecessary admissions to hospital and in turn reducing handover delays. This is alongside upgrading hundreds of ambulances as part of the investment to improve the speed and quality of care for those most in need.

We have already seen improvements in response times across the country. The latest national figures show that Category 1 incidents were responded to in an average of 7 minutes 56 seconds, and Category 2 incidents in 28 minutes 40 seconds. This is faster than 8 minutes 15 seconds and 33 minutes 24 seconds respectively in July 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England will include targets to improve the timeliness of diagnosis of blood cancers.

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

Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.

To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.

We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancer earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to reform the (a) Packaging Recovery Note and (b) Packaging Waste Export Recycling Note system to (i) reduce price disparities, (ii) strengthen oversight of overseas export destinations and (iii) support domestic recycling infrastructure.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We meet regularly with industry stakeholders and will examine options to reform the Packaging Waste Recycling Note (PRN/PERN) system, which will include proposals intended to support the UK recycling sector.

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 potential impact of the quality of (a) infrastructure and (b) property in NHS facilities on (i) patient safety and (ii) service delivery.

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

The safety of NHS staff and patients is a top priority for the Government, and we recognise that delivering high quality NHS healthcare services requires safe, sustainable, and effective infrastructure and facilities. Lord Darzi’s investigation considered the impact of NHS infrastructure, estates and capital funding on the NHS, and found that capital investment has been neglected, with the hospital estate left to crumble.

Repairing and rebuilding our healthcare estate is a vital part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Health Plan. The Government’s recently published 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy set out 10-year maintenance budgets for the public estate, confirming £6 billion per year for maintenance and repair of the NHS estate up to 2034/35. Within this, the 2025 Spending Review settlement announced a total capital investment of £30 billion over five years in day-to-day maintenance and repair of the NHS estate, with over £5 billion specifically allocated to address the most critical building repairs.

In 2025/26, this includes a £750 million Estates Safety Fund which will deliver vital safety improvements, enhance patient and staff environments, and reduce disruptions to NHS clinical services.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that end-to-end encryption continues to protect personal privacy while enabling law enforcement to detect serious criminal activity.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government supports strong encryption, which protects our citizens online. However, this must not and need not be at the expense of public safety, which is this Government’s first priority.

Targeted investigatory powers allow the authorities to investigate terrorists, paedophiles and the most serious criminals and are subject to robust safeguards, including judicial authorisations and oversight to protect people’s privacy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on tackling (a) pavement parking and (b) other obstructions for (i) pushchair, (ii) wheelchair and (iii) mobility aid users.

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

The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with local authorities on these matters. The Government fully understands the serious problems that vehicles parked on the pavement, and other obstacles on the pavement, can cause for pedestrians, especially for people with mobility or sight impairments and those with wheelchairs, prams or pushchairs. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.  In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate. Recent reforms by my Department to the process by which Traffic Regulation Orders are made will make it easier for them to do so.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason the aluminium sector was not included in the Industrial Strategy.

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

The Industrial Strategy focusses on the eight sectors with the highest economic potential, while supporting the Government's strategic objectives of resilient, environmentally sustainable, and regionally balanced growth. It also identifies foundational inputs for those sectors, including aluminium.

The aluminium sector will benefit from wider growth policies. The latest UK criticality assessment includes aluminium within its critical minerals list, to be used as the basis for the upcoming Critical Minerals Strategy. Some aluminium businesses will benefit from the increased network charge compensation.

We will also consult on eligibility for the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, which will cut electricity bills for electricity-intensive industries by up to 25%.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Reports and footage of the chaos at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites are horrifying. It is appalling that at least 2,294 people have been killed and over 16,839 injured at or near the distribution sites. This further illustrates why humanitarian partners such as the UN and humanitarian non-governmental organisations must be allowed to operate in line with their principles. We have repeatedly urged Israel to remove restrictions on aid and ensure that aid can be delivered across the Gaza strip safely.

The UK has been clear that we will not support any aid mechanism that seeks to deliver political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk while retrieving aid.

On 11 July, I called for an independent investigation into the killing of women and children while collecting aid in central Gaza. Indications that Israel's Military Advocate General may open an investigation into allegations of deliberate targeting of civilians at aid distribution sites are a step in the right direction. We expect those responsible to be held to account.

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 help safeguard public sector digital infrastructure against cyberattacks.

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

Government is committed to improving the cyber resilience of public sector digital infrastructure, focusing our efforts around the Government Cyber Security Strategy.

We have already made important steps to better understand and mitigate cyber risk and are now accelerating our response to address key risks and better support departments through a more interventionist approach.

This accelerated response will address the long-standing shortage of cyber skills, strengthen accountability for cyber risks, provide greater support for delivery in the form of cyber services, guidance, and hands-on technical support and bolster our response capabilities to fast-moving cyber incidents.

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 ensure that the 10-Year Plan for Health promotes equitable access to (a) palliative and (b) end of life care.

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

One of the three ‘shifts’ that the 10 Year Health Plan will deliver is around the Government’s determination to shift healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift and were highlighted in the plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

To support integrated care boards (ICBs) in the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the service delivery of end of life care for adults also includes recommendations about 24/7 access to care. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to help ensure that services remove variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a 24/7 single point of access for palliative and end of life care (a) advice, (b) guidance and (c) support, following the publication of the 10-Year Plan for Health.

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

One of the three ‘shifts’ that the 10 Year Health Plan will deliver is around the Government’s determination to shift healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift and were highlighted in the plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

To support integrated care boards (ICBs) in the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the service delivery of end of life care for adults also includes recommendations about 24/7 access to care. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to help ensure that services remove variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

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 provide funding certainty to hospices beyond this financial year, in the context of the 10-year plan for palliative and end-of-life care.

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

One of the three ‘shifts’ that the 10 Year Health Plan will deliver is around the Government’s determination to shift healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift and were highlighted in the plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

To support integrated care boards (ICBs) in the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the service delivery of end of life care for adults also includes recommendations about 24/7 access to care. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to help ensure that services remove variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 10-Year Plan for Health, if he will publish further detail on proposals to increase the provision of palliative and end of life care in community settings.

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

One of the three ‘shifts’ that the 10 Year Health Plan will deliver is around the Government’s determination to shift healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift and were highlighted in the plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

To support integrated care boards (ICBs) in the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the service delivery of end of life care for adults also includes recommendations about 24/7 access to care. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to help ensure that services remove variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with farmers to help improve the resilience of domestic food supply chains.

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

Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change we are delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers which includes a raft of new policies and major investment to boost profits for farmers.

We've allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of security officers at magistrate's courts.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Security in our courts and judicial security is paramount. Over £20 million in additional funding in 2025/26 has been allocated to a programme of works to further strengthen the existing arrangements. Local court security risk assessments are carried out to determine the appropriate number of Court Security Officers deployed at Magistrates Courts. These are reviewed when there are any significant changes to work activities or threats. There are ongoing risk monitoring arrangements in place to ensure the adequacy of these arrangements.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of menopause support services.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service.

NHS England is working on menopause workforce support packages for employees and developing a range of tools and interventions that will help to upskill more GPs in menopause care, including awareness of mental health symptoms during menopause, and improve access to treatments. We are also using Community Diagnostic Centres to pilot pathways for women that suffer from post-menopausal bleeding.

We also know that support in the workplace during the menopause can be crucial. Which is why we will: require large employers to detail the steps they are taking to support their staff as part of an action plan; and, publish guidance for small and medium employers on the measures they should consider to enable women to better manage their symptoms.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to expand prescribing of GLP-1 medications beyond specialist weight-management services.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the first two GLP-1 medicines licensed for the treatment of obesity, namely liraglutide under various brand names and semaglutide with brand name Wegovy, restricted their use to specialist weight management services. These services are primarily delivered in secondary care.

NICE recommended that tirzepatide, with brand name Mounjaro, could be used for the treatment of obesity in eligible patients without a restriction on its setting. This means tirzepatide can be used in specialist weight management services but can also be prescribed in primary care by general practitioners (GPs) and other competent prescribers. From 23 June 2025, tirzepatide started to become available in primary care so the expansion beyond specialist services is underway.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are the National Health Service organisations responsible for arranging the provision of health services within their area in line with local population need and taking account of relevant guidance. ICBs have had to develop new care pathways to ensure that patients can access these medicines via their GP with appropriate wraparound support. NHS England has been working closely with ICBs to support the safe and effective roll out of tirzepatide in primary care. It has identified the groups of people to be prioritised in each phase of the initial rollout; helped develop local treatment models; provided funding support and regular communication channels to ICBs; and set up an interim, centrally funded ‘wraparound care service’, known as the ‘Healthier You: Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing’, for patients to be referred into, with a procurement underway for a longer-term offer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had recent discussions with Eli Lilly on the cost of Mounjaro.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has held various discussions with Eli Lilly regarding the recent list price increase of Mounjaro. NHS England has worked with Eli Lilly to ensure the list price increase will not affect National Health Service commissioning of tirzepatide in England as a treatment for eligible diabetes and obesity patients in the NHS.

We remain committed to the rollout of this medicine as a weight loss treatment based on clinical priority. This will enable 220,000 eligible people to access the medication over the first three years. The initial eligibility criteria will be for people with a body mass index of 40 or more in addition to four or more qualifying comorbidities.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also entered equivalent agreements to maintain their current commissioning approaches.

Pricing in the private market is a matter for Eli Lilly and for private providers. Private patients who are impacted by price increases should discuss any concerns with their private provider. This includes their options regarding payment plans, alternative treatments, and/or stopping or tapering off their current medication. Eli Lilly is working with private providers to support continued patient access.

Fairtrade tea campaign

Securing habitat for endangered swifts and other cavity nesting birds

Found: (Liberal Democrat; Tiverton and Minehead) Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat; Chesham and Amersham) Sarah Hall

Found: (Liberal Democrat; Tiverton and Minehead) Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat; Chesham and Amersham) Sarah Hall

Found: (Liberal Democrat; Tiverton and Minehead) Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat; Chesham and Amersham) Sarah Hall

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Clive Betts (Chair); Sarah Hall; Lloyd Hatton; Sarah Olney; Michael

Found: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat, Chesham and Amersham) (added 28 Oct 2024) 24 of 51 (47.1%) Sarah Hall

Found: (Liberal Democrat; Tiverton and Minehead) Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat; Chesham and Amersham) Sarah Hall