Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2026 to Question 16287 on Parking: Private Sector, how many of the (a) 157 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency statements of control audits and (b) 203 Government Internal Audit Agency evidence-based transactional audits identified non-compliance by private parking companies; and what action was taken in each case.

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

Of the 157 Statement of Control audits of private parking companies carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), 156 presented a low risk in respect of the handling, storage and processing of vehicle keeper data, demonstrating that appropriate controls were in place and consistently applied.

One audit identified a medium level of risk, indicating a limited level of concern. The DVLA worked directly with the company concerned to address the areas of non-compliance and ensure that appropriate remedial action was taken to reduce and mitigate the identified risks.

Of the 203 Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) evidence-based transactional audits undertaken, 65 identified areas of non-compliance with DVLA requirements.

GIAA audit findings represent a point-in-time assessment based on the information and evidence available during the audit. In many cases, evidence that was not available at the time of the audit will subsequently be provided to the DVLA demonstrating compliance with requirements.

Where non-compliance is identified, companies are required to provide appropriate assurances and evidence demonstrating that corrective and remedial actions have been implemented before the matter is considered resolved.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2026 to Question 13039 on Aviation: Antisocial Behaviour, whether her Department holds information on the number of passengers who have been (a) refused carriage and (b) banned from future travel by UK airlines due to disruptive or unruly behaviour in each of the last five years.

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

The Department for Transport does not collect or hold data on the number of passengers who have been refused carriage and banned from future travel by UK airlines due to disruptive or unruly behaviour.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in student visa fees on levels of non-compliance with student visa requirements.

Answered by Mike Tapp

Where changes to fee legislation are made, Impact Assessments are produced which identify potential impacts resulting from the changes. The most recent Impact Assessment which includes considerations in respect of fees for student routes is published here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/44/pdfs/ukia_20260044_en.pdf

However, no assessment has been made of the potential impact of student visa fees on levels of non-compliance with student visa requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Skilled Worker visas have been granted since 2024 to applicants sponsored by takeaway and restaurant businesses; and what assessment she has made of the occupations for which those visas were issued, the types of establishments sponsoring them, and the skills shortages they were intended to address.

Answered by Mike Tapp

The information requested is not available from published statistics and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Our Immigration White Paper, published last year, set out how we are reducing reliance on international workers and encouraging investment in the domestic workforce. In July 2025, we raised the Skilled Worker threshold to graduate-level occupations, meaning more than 100 occupations are no longer eligible, including restaurant managers and chefs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Treasury has considered calculating benefit-in-kind tax on used company vehicles by reference to their market value rather than their original P11D list price.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

The Government considers P11D list prices the fairest and most practical way to calculate benefit-in-kind liabilities for company cars and has no plans to move away from this approach. However, the Government will keep the second-hand EV market under review and continue to monitor developments closely.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2026 to Question 10561 on Department for Transport: Public Relations, which PR firms have been hired since July 2024; on what campaigns and topics; and at what cost.

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

Since July 2024, Department for Transport have hired the following PR firms:

• 23red, to work on the Electric Vehicles campaign. For spend relating to the Electric Vehicles campaign please contact the lead department, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
• 23red, to work with JOE Media for PR activity on Drink Driving to challenge young men's perception of "feeling fine to drive". This included a pre-recorded audio package and social media content. This activity came to a total cost of £49,974.89.
• 23red, to work with JOE Media and The News Movement for content on the effects of drugs on people's ability to drive, and how peers can support each other to avoid risks. This included the production of social media reels and advertorials. This activity came to a total cost £67,039.76.

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 potential merits of (a) introducing a maximum annual limit on the amount of public funding that may be spent on an individual's adult social care package and (b) implementing a cap on annual local authority expenditure on adult social care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales

No assessment has been made of either introducing a maximum annual limit on the amount of public funding that may be spent on an individual’s adult social care package, or implementing a cap on annual local authority expenditure on adult social care.

Under the Care Act 2014, access to care and support is based on a person's eligible needs, while any contribution towards the cost of that care is based on what they can afford to pay.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of Plumpot's statistic that anti-social behaviour crime is increasing in Leicester; and what steps her Department is taking to support early intervention and preventative measures to reduce crimes of this nature in a) Leicester East, b) Leicester and c) the country.

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

The Government’s police reforms will protect and strengthen neighbourhood policing by freeing local forces, including Leicestershire Police, from national responsibilities so they can focus on issues that matter most locally, like anti-social behaviour (ASB). Every police force in England and Wales now has an ASB lead in place who will work with communities, stakeholders and the general public to implement their individual ASB Action Plans, which were published at the start of April. Further information on the Leicestershire Police ASB Action Plan can be found here: https://www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/antisocial-behaviour-action-plan/

Through the Crime and Policing Act, we are making our streets and neighbourhoods safer by strengthening the powers available to the police and other agencies to tackle ASB. Our new Respect Orders will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless adult ASB offenders.

We are also strengthening the powers available to the police and other local agencies by increasing the upper limit for fixed penalty notices for breaches of CPNs and PSPOs from £100 to £500, increasing the time a dispersal direction can be implemented for from 48 to 72 hours and giving registered social housing providers the power to issue closure notices, amongst others.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures she is taking to help protect communities against anti-social behaviour.

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

The Government’s police reforms will protect and strengthen neighbourhood policing by freeing local forces, including Leicestershire Police, from national responsibilities so they can focus on issues that matter most locally, like anti-social behaviour (ASB). Every police force in England and Wales now has an ASB lead in place who will work with communities, stakeholders and the general public to implement their individual ASB Action Plans, which were published at the start of April. Further information on the Leicestershire Police ASB Action Plan can be found here: https://www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/antisocial-behaviour-action-plan/

Through the Crime and Policing Act, we are making our streets and neighbourhoods safer by strengthening the powers available to the police and other agencies to tackle ASB. Our new Respect Orders will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless adult ASB offenders.

We are also strengthening the powers available to the police and other local agencies by increasing the upper limit for fixed penalty notices for breaches of CPNs and PSPOs from £100 to £500, increasing the time a dispersal direction can be implemented for from 48 to 72 hours and giving registered social housing providers the power to issue closure notices, amongst others.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she expects to publish the Government's response to the consultation on the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, which closed on 10 March 2026.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 387 on 18 May 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it remains the Government's position that biodiversity net gain applies to most development.

Answered by Mary Creagh

Defra have published an impact assessment alongside regulations, implementing changes to biodiversity net gain for smaller developments. This shows around 80% of planning applications are already exempt from BNG under existing exemptions, such as for householder development, which are having little of no impact on biodiversity. We expect that the new exemption for sites of 0.2 hectares or less will exempt around an additional 51% of residential planning applications that are currently eligible for biodiversity net gain.

The consultation on a potential additional targeted exemption for residential brownfield development closed on 10 June 2026. All responses and evidence submissions are being analysed and the Government will respond to the consultation in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) transport funding and (b) infrastructure investment are allocated equitably to cities that are not part of a mayoral combined authority or city region, including Leicester.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is providing local leaders in England with £21bn of local transport funding until 2029/30, through consolidated, multi-year settlements, including £9.6bn in non-mayoral areas, which they can use to deliver their local transport priorities, including transport infrastructure. The majority of local transport funding is allocated by formula to give a fair share of funding for all areas.

Leicester City Council has been awarded £148 million transport funding to invest in their local transport priorities.

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 impact of delayed diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence on women and girls; and if he will ensure the renewed Women's Health Strategy for England includes specific measures to improve access to continence services and reduce regional variation in care.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

Continence is an important component in a person’s health and well-being at any stage of life. Early assessment by an appropriately trained professional allows a patient centred care pathway to be followed.

The Renewed Women's Health Strategy for England, published in April 2026, recognises that these conditions are often normalised by women and girls themselves and by wider society, with many women viewing symptoms such as leaking as an inevitable part of pregnancy, childbirth, ageing or the menopause. It also recognises that many women feel too embarrassed to seek support, which can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment. The Women’s Health Strategy is not condition specific, instead it focuses on systemic changes including redesigning services, improving diagnosis, and embedding women and girls’ voices so that care improves across all conditions. It sets out how the Government will make women and girls’ voices and choices central in healthcare, transform National Health Service performance in services that matter most to women, support all women to live healthy, prosperous lives and create an approach to research and development that works for and empowers women.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the fall in the number of students studying creative subjects on the level of youth mental health.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department recognises the value of music and the arts in supporting wellbeing and engagement, and that participation in the arts can bring a range of benefits for children and young people. Furthermore, the Education Endowment Fund’s teaching and learning toolkit reports that it can have a positive impact on academic outcomes in other curriculum areas, as well as benefits to children’s wellbeing and attitudes to learning.

The government believes creative subjects like music, art and design, dance and drama are important elements of the rounded and enriching education every child deserves. We will revitalise arts education as part of the reformed national curriculum and through high-quality support for teachers of arts subjects.

For secondary schools, the reformed curriculum will strengthen pupils’ subject-specific skills, including critical thinking, creative thinking and problem solving. A strengthened key stage 3 curriculum, alongside a new secondary oracy, reading and writing framework and enrichment entitlement, will help pupils build confidence, develop communication skills and broaden their horizons.

The government's consultation on key stage 4 performance measures included proposals intended to increase recognition of creative subjects within the accountability system, reflecting the important contribution they make to a broad and balanced curriculum. The government is considering the consultation feedback and will publish its response in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) performing arts and (b) creative subjects on the achievement of soft skills; and what steps her Department is taking to improve (i) resilience, (ii) ambition, and (iii) communication in secondary schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department recognises the value of music and the arts in supporting wellbeing and engagement, and that participation in the arts can bring a range of benefits for children and young people. Furthermore, the Education Endowment Fund’s teaching and learning toolkit reports that it can have a positive impact on academic outcomes in other curriculum areas, as well as benefits to children’s wellbeing and attitudes to learning.

The government believes creative subjects like music, art and design, dance and drama are important elements of the rounded and enriching education every child deserves. We will revitalise arts education as part of the reformed national curriculum and through high-quality support for teachers of arts subjects.

For secondary schools, the reformed curriculum will strengthen pupils’ subject-specific skills, including critical thinking, creative thinking and problem solving. A strengthened key stage 3 curriculum, alongside a new secondary oracy, reading and writing framework and enrichment entitlement, will help pupils build confidence, develop communication skills and broaden their horizons.

The government's consultation on key stage 4 performance measures included proposals intended to increase recognition of creative subjects within the accountability system, reflecting the important contribution they make to a broad and balanced curriculum. The government is considering the consultation feedback and will publish its response in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent infrastructure issues at Heathrow Airport on regulatory arrangements for future airport expansion.

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

The government recognises the importance of resilient airport infrastructure for passengers and the wider economy. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as the independent economic regulator of Heathrow Airport, is responsible for setting the economic regulatory framework for the airport.

The government continues to engage with the CAA and Heathrow on matters relating to the airport's resilience and future investment, while respecting the CAA's independent statutory duties. Decisions on any future airport expansion will be considered through the appropriate planning and regulatory processes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the resources of British Transport Police to maintain a permanent policing presence at major rail interchange stations.

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

The British Transport Police (BTP) is operationally independent from Government. It is therefore for the BTP Chief Constable to determine the optimal number of officers required at major rail interchange stations, using the budget allocated by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). The BTPA recently agreed a three-year budget settlement for BTP which will see BTP’s budget increase from £418.5m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which representatives of the outbound travel and package holiday sector were consulted during the development of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate and its accompanying cost-benefit analysis.

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

The development of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate was subject to extensive consultation. Open consultations, which any individual or organisation could respond to, were conducted in both 2021 and 2023. The Department received responses from stakeholders from a broad range of sectors.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, at which railway stations live facial recognition technology has been deployed in each of the last five years; on what dates it was deployed at each station; for what purpose; and how many individuals were (a) matched to watchlists, (b) stopped by police and (c) arrested following its use.

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

The British Transport Police (BTP) commenced a six-month pilot of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) at certain railway stations in February 2026. The purpose of every deployment is to identify and apprehend individuals wanted for serious crimes.

BTP have reported that to date (a) no offenders have been matched to watchlists, (b) one individual has been stopped by police but this was a false alert which was resolved quickly and (c) no individuals have been arrested specifically following use of facial recognition technology.

BTP have reported 13 arrests linked to the deployment of LFR so far during the pilot, and the locations see a reduced level of crime whilst LFR is in use.

The following railway stations have had LFR deployed:

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cost of student visas on the finances of UK universities; and what steps her Department is taking to support higher education institutions facing financial pressures.

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

The department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the cost of student visas on the finances of UK universities. However, the government continues to monitor the financial sustainability of the higher education (HE) sector and works closely with the Office for Students (OfS), to understand risks and pressures facing providers.

The OfS, as independent regulator of English HE providers, has statutory duties in relation to the financial sustainability of the sector. The government has a clear interest in understanding the level of risk across the sector and continues to work closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape.

We increased tuition fee caps in line with inflation in 2025/26 and are also increasing tuition fee caps in line with forecast inflation in 2026/27 and 2027/28 and will legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. Over the next five years, these uplifts could generate around £6 billion extra income for the sector.

HE providers are independent from government and as such must continue to make the necessary and appropriate decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability.

More broadly, the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out the government’s commitment to placing the sector on a more sustainable footing, supporting providers to drive efficiency, strengthen financial resilience, and adopt more effective operating models.

This government has taken a different stand on international students and we have spoken clearly about it. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has set out that we welcome international students who make a positive impact on the UK’s HE sector and our economy and society as a whole. The UK has a world class higher education sector with 4 universities in the top 10 and 17 in the top 100, alongside a wide array of high-quality institutions which can offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.

The Immigration White Paper confirmed that we will retain the graduate visa but reduce its duration from 2 years to 18 months. This will maintain our competitive post-study offer whilst ensuring individuals on this route obtain employment in graduate level roles and contribute to the country’s skills needs more quickly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the transfer of passenger services into public ownership on passenger revenue, fare yield and net subsidy.

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

The Department assesses the impacts of a variety of factors when forecasting passenger revenue and the cost of operating the railway, including the direct cost savings from public ownership through removing fees paid to private-sector operators, and the benefits, projects and programmes that the creation of Great British Railways (GBR) enables. Fare yield is one of the measures of passenger revenue that GBR will monitor; changes in yield are driven by various factors including average journey length, annual fares policy, and railcard use.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2026 to Question 14823 on Railways: Standards, what the average (a) 'Time to 3' performance and (b) cancellations rate for passenger rail services in Great Britain was in April to June of (i) 2025 and (ii) 2026.

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

In April to June 2025, the average 'Time to 3' punctuality was 86.3 percent and the cancellations score was 3.2 percent in Great Britain. Rail performance statistics have not yet been released for the equivalent period in 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passenger services operated by each train operating company were reported as having one or more defective toilets in each month since July 2024.

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

Information on individual rolling stock defects and the status of onboard facilities is held by train operators and rolling stock maintainers as part of their operational maintenance and asset management arrangements. Where toilets are fitted on board trains, the Department expects train operators to work with those maintaining them, to minimise any lack of availability and deliver facilities that passengers expect.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has modelled the potential impact of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate on the number of passengers beginning journeys from overseas airports.

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

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate cost benefit analysis did not make a specific assessment of the impact of the number of passengers beginning journeys from overseas airports.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what changes have been made of the remuneration of coastguards in the last 12 months.

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

In the past 12 months, the MCA have made two changes in hourly remuneration:

• Increasing the rate remunerated to Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) effective the 1 October 2025 from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour.
• Increasing the rate remunerated to Station Officers (SOs) effective the 1 October 2025 from £13.76 to £14.68 per hour.

Station Officers are Coastguard Rescue Officers who undertake additional activities as part of the response by Coastguard Rescue Teams and receive enhanced remuneration.

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 disparity between the level of NHS demand for nurses and the lack of employment opportunities for newly qualified nursing graduates; and what steps his Department is taking to address this.

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

Nurses play a vital role across the National Health Service and wider health and care system, and the Department and NHS England are committed to ensuring newly qualified nurses can access meaningful employment opportunities after graduation.

NHS England is actively monitoring the position and proactively working with employers, universities, and system partners to improve access to vacancies, broaden opportunities across community, primary care, social care and independent sector settings, and provide practical support that helps newly registered nurses successfully transition into professional practice.

Social Security