Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what employment protections and transition arrangements are in place for long-serving NHS clinical staff being moved into civil service contracts through the NHS England restructuring process.

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

Employment protections and transition arrangements will form part of consultation under a legal transfer mechanism. Detail on this will be provided to recognised trade unions and staff when consultation commences.

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 NHS England restructure on equalities, particularly on disabled, neurodiverse, female and non-British staff members.

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

NHS England is actively monitoring the impact of transition through multiple feedback channels, including the annual staff survey, engagement forums, its Health and Safety Committee, staff networks, and recognised trade union forums, as well as through sickness absence and direct feedback mechanisms. This approach is underpinned by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion framework, which proved effective in assessing the potential impact of restructuring on staff with protected characteristics.

NHS England has designed and implemented an enhanced support package for its staff during transition which has been shaped and informed with its staff networks who are representative of the diversity of its workforce, trade unions, and health and safety representatives to meet the diverse needs of colleagues in the organisation. The support includes:

• dedicated mental health resources through the Employee Assistance Programme, with confidential counselling, and occupational health and wellbeing services available to all staff;
• a mix of wellbeing workshops to support staff with career planning, financial planning and stress management;
• inclusive guidance for line managers to help them identify and respond to wellbeing concerns in a way that is sensitive to individual circumstances, including those related to protected characteristics and personal responsibilities;
• targeted support for staff networks and underrepresented groups, ensuring that voices from across NHS England’s organisation are heard and supported during transition; and
• a commitment to undertake additional Equality Impact Assessments as the programme moves into more detailed design phases, ensuring that equality considerations remain central to decision-making.

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 implications for his policies of the recommendations of the Kingdon review of children's hearing services; and if he will set out a timetable for the implementation of (a) actions and (b) additional funding and resources required.

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

We are grateful to Dr Kingdon for the review into children’s hearing services published on 4 December 2025. No assessment has yet been made of the potential implications on policies. We are progressing an early analysis of implementation requirements for each of the 12 recommendations made by Dr. Kingdon. We will provide further updates once this initial assessment has been completed and a detailed timetable has been established.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to monitor and mitigate the mental health impact of changes being made during the NHS England restructuring process on affected staff.

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

Safeguarding the mental health and wellbeing of colleagues while delivering the changes needed for the future of NHS England is a key priority for NHS England. NHS England has designed and implemented an equity-focused support package which has been shaped and informed jointly with staff networks, representative of the diversity of the organisation, trade unions, and health and safety representatives to meet the diverse needs of colleagues in the organisation. The support includes:

• dedicated mental health resources through the Employee Assistance Programme, with confidential counselling, and occupational health and wellbeing services available to all staff;
• inclusive guidance for line managers to help them identify and respond to wellbeing concerns in a way that is sensitive to individual circumstances, including those related to protected characteristics and personal responsibilities; and
• targeted support for staff networks and underrepresented groups, ensuring that voices from across NHS England’s organisation are heard and supported during this transition.

NHS England is actively monitoring the impact of change through multiple feedback channels, including the annual staff survey, engagement forums, Health and Safety Committee staff network, and recognised trade union forums.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether as part of the Timms review ministers will consult Social Security Scotland and look at how assessments and reassessments are carried out.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We engage closely with officials and disability stakeholders from across the devolved governments, including the Scottish Government, to ensure the Timms Review is informed by diverse approaches to disability support from across the United Kingdom.

The Review’s Terms of Reference, which set out its scope, include an explicit reference to re-assessments to recognise that PIP must be fair and fit for new and existing claimants. You can view the Terms of Reference on GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer to question 37814 on 20 March 2025, when the outcome, recommendations and a departmental response arising from the review into the Science Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons will be (a) published, and (b) notified to Parliament.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of the entire Arm's Length Body (ALB) landscape, as announced on 6 April 2025, and is a core part of creating a productive and agile state.

As stated in my previous answer of 7 November 2025, the closure of the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (SACMILL) is an important step in Defence’s ALB reform journey.

The closure of the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (MILLWEC)) was announced on GOV.UK on 30 November 2025. The closure was agreed by Ministerial write round.

The provision of independent medical advice on the use of less lethal weapons will now be delivered by MILLWEC, as established by the Home Office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recent data obtained by StopWatch via Freedom of Information of this year’s Operation Sceptre results, what assessment will be made of the cost-effectiveness of public knife amnesty bins compared with enforcement options for recovering knives and other weapons.

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

The Government continues to encourage police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. In 2025 police have delivered two national weeks of intensification in May and November, and the data and operational results from these are owned and held by the police.

The Government ran an extended knife surrender arrangement in July 2025 in various areas in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and London. This allowed members of the public to surrender weapons anonymously at a mobile surrender van operated by FazAmnesty and in 37 new surrender bins installed by Word 4 Weapons with Home Office funding.

A total of 3,570 knives and weapons were surrendered through these arrangements. The figures were set out in a Written Ministerial Statement on 30 October: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Across police operations, border seizures and knife surrender schemes this Government has already seen nearly 60,000 knives taken off our streets.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a windfall tax on current Rolling Stock companies (ROSCOs).

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs) play an important role in the transport industry, bringing benefits to both taxpayers and passengers.

Great British Railways will work with ROSCOs and manufacturers in an effective and streamlined way. The government will also develop a long-term strategy for rolling stock, which will support manufacturing and ensure a stable pipeline of work.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Freedom From Violence and Abuse Strategy, published 18 December 2025, if she will take steps to ensure that the expansion of electronic monitoring for perpetrators of violence against women and girls does not automatically link the perpetrator to their previous residence when this could potentially be the survivor’s home.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Probation practitioners follow robust safeguarding practices when considering the use of Electronic Monitoring (EM). Practitioners assess the suitability of an offender’s proposed address covering who resides there, any safeguarding concerns, and proximity to victims. They will not recommend EM where it could increase risk e.g. imposing a curfew to an address that puts the occupants in danger. Informed consent from the main occupier is required for a curfew requirement. Enquiries must be made with police and relevant safeguarding agencies to inform a risk assessment before an EM curfew condition is proposed.

We will continue to expand EM for perpetrators of violence against women and girls, ensuring that public protection and victim safety will remain at the heart of decision making when determining whether to impose EM.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to make trauma-informed training mandatory for all criminal court staff by spring 2026.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

We are rolling-out national trauma-informed training for HMCTS criminal court staff from spring 2026. Staff will be encouraged to undertake the training, particularly where their role involves regular interaction with witnesses and victims.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that police training on violence against women and girls includes training on technology-facilitated abuse.

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

The Home Office has already invested £13.1 million this year into the new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP). This funding includes an additional £2 million to deliver a comprehensive package of training enhancements across public protection. Through the NCVPP, we are working closely with the College of Policing to develop strengthened, specialist training for officers across all operational levels - frontline, specialist, and leadership. Grounded in academic research and behaviour change science, new training programmes will ensure that all officers are well equipped to investigate these crimes and provide support to victims. This includes the development of new modules to equip officers with the skills to investigate technology-facilitated and online harm.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with Southern Water on (a) the significant pollution incident on the south coast of England in October 2025 and (b) the steps it is taking to ensure that its infrastructure is functioning correctly.

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

The Secretary of State and I are in close contact with the Environment Agency, which is now conducting an active investigation into the incident. Southern Water will be subject to a PACE interview; a formal, legally regulated interview under the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act 1984. The Environment Agency has also conducted detailed inspections of the Eastbourne wastewater treatment works and is overseeing the improvement works being carried out by Southern Water.

I have written to Water Companies to further emphasise the need for the sector to ensure that these sorts of incidents do not occur, to reiterate how unacceptable the pollution incident at Camber Sands is, and to stress the positive action Water Companies must take to ensure their infrastructure is functioning correctly.

Water companies should take all necessary precautions to ensure all equipment is properly constructed and maintained to prevent the unauthorised or accidental escape of bio-beads from wastewater treatment works into the environment. The Government is looking into developing new standards for infrastructure resilience which, coupled with robust water company planning through Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans and the new statutory Pollution Incident Reduction Plans, will drive investment to improve wastewater assets and reduce pollution into our environment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help prevent regional inconsistencies in pavement parking enforcement policy; and when statutory guidance for local authorities to enforce against unnecessary obstruction of the pavement will be published.

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

On 8 January 2026, the Secretary of State announced the publication of the government’s formal response to the 2020 public consultation 'Pavement parking: options for change' which sets out the legislative measures to tackle pavement parking. The government will publish statutory guidance by end of 2026 to assist local authorities in carrying out enforcement in a fair and proportionate manner.

UK digital sovereignty strategy

Public inquiry into Epstein links

Closure of Sickle Cell Day Unit at the Royal London Hospital

Civil service pension scheme

Human Remains (Prohibition of Sale, Purchase and Advertising) Bill

Apprenticeship Week 2026

Hospices and end of life care

Guantánamo Bay Prison Camp

Seafarer pay and conditions at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Together Alliance

Role of the House of Lords in scrutinising legislation

Safe sleep standards in early years settings

BBC Charter review

Trends in the level of poverty

Dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands

Health and Care Worker visas

Industrial dispute at the Department for Work and Pensions

Short-term holiday let licensing with caps

Right To Food UK Commission

Situation of Kurdish people in Syria

Public health campaign on tackling stigma towards suicide

Big Garden Bird Watch 2026

Essentials Guarantee

Water White Paper

Changes to Right To Protest in the Public Order Act 2023

Sinking of SS Tilawa

Missing Evri deliveries

UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons

ADHD services

The Gatehouse in Oxford

International sport and alleged United States violations of international law

Food insecurity amongst workers in food processing, manufacturing and retail sectors

Report on conditions and treatment at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre

Deregistration of international non-governmental organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce research funding

Use of UK bases by the United States and international law in relation to Greenland

Less Survivable Cancers Week

Grok AI generation and dissemination of sexually explicit and non-consensual images of women and children on X

Newborn bloodspot screening for spinal muscular atrophy

10th anniversary of Boxing Day floods

Nuclear Regulatory Review and habitats regulations

Situation in Iran

Hunger strike by pro-Palestinian activists

Parliamentary screening of The Removed and historic forced adoptions

Winter NHS corridor care

Gambling executives' profits