Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have left asylum accommodation having been granted asylum in each month of (a) 2025 and (b) 2026 for which the latest data is available.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

The Home Office does not publish data on the number of people who leave asylum accommodation after being granted asylum. While statistics are published on grants of refugee permission at initial decision (Asy_D02) and on the number of people receiving asylum support (Asy_D09), these datasets are not linked and therefore cannot be used to identify how many individuals left asylum accommodation following a grant of asylum. Consequently, the information requested is not available through published statistics.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to help ensure consistency between water companies in the inclusion of Universal Credit housing costs when calculating household income.

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

Water companies are responsible for the design of their social tariffs and may take different approaches when assessing household income, including when considering Universal Credit and housing cost. Government is working with industry to keep support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers are supported. In addition, we are reforming the statutory WaterSure scheme, including extending eligibility and increasing support for qualifying households.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the AI model that will conduct AI facial age assessments on children at the border; and what assessment she has made of the risk of error and bias in AI facial age assessment technology to conduct age assessments on children seeking asylum.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Our published factsheet - Facial age estimation - GOV.UK- explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the France No. 2 (2025) Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the French Republic on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys, published in August 2025, what was the cost to the public purse of charter flights from the UK to France under that Agreement (a) in aggregate and (b) for each flight from August 2025 to the period for which the latest data is available.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

The Home Office has made returns under the new UK-France agreement utilising both charter flights and regular scheduled flights. This approach allows the Home Office to maximise value for money and best satisfy operational requirements.

We do not comment on individual charter flight costs as these are commercially sensitive arrangements that can provide an insight into pricing structure. To do otherwise could deter the private sector from entering into contracts with the Home Office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what comparative assessment she has made of employment outcomes for refugees who were and were not in receipt of asylum support at the time of the decision on their asylum claim.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Receipt of asylum support is a right and a responsibility. It is also right and fair to ask those who can contribute to do so.

In 2024/2025 financial year, a total of £4 billion was spent on asylum support in the UK.

The Home Office does not publish data on the number of people who leave asylum accommodation after being granted asylum. While statistics are published on grants of refugee permission at initial decision (Asy_D02) and on the number of people receiving asylum support (Asy_D09), these datasets are not linked and therefore cannot be used to identify how many individuals left asylum accommodation following a grant of asylum. Consequently, the information requested is not available through published statistics.

Recognised refugees have immediate access to the labour market and housing.

The Asylum and Immigration Bill introduced to Parliament on 30 June introduces the principle that where someone becomes financially secure, they make a proportionate contribution towards the asylum support system they have benefited from. The £10,000 figure has been provided as an indicative figure. It is not the final amount. The level and the detail for how the scheme will operate will be set out in regulations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's news story entitled Asylum seekers will pay towards costs of accommodation, published on 30 June 2026, for what reason the flat charge is set at £10,000.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Receipt of asylum support is a right and a responsibility. It is also right and fair to ask those who can contribute to do so.

In 2024/2025 financial year, a total of £4 billion was spent on asylum support in the UK.

The Home Office does not publish data on the number of people who leave asylum accommodation after being granted asylum. While statistics are published on grants of refugee permission at initial decision (Asy_D02) and on the number of people receiving asylum support (Asy_D09), these datasets are not linked and therefore cannot be used to identify how many individuals left asylum accommodation following a grant of asylum. Consequently, the information requested is not available through published statistics.

Recognised refugees have immediate access to the labour market and housing.

The Asylum and Immigration Bill introduced to Parliament on 30 June introduces the principle that where someone becomes financially secure, they make a proportionate contribution towards the asylum support system they have benefited from. The £10,000 figure has been provided as an indicative figure. It is not the final amount. The level and the detail for how the scheme will operate will be set out in regulations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people granted refugee status were in receipt of asylum support at the time of the decision on their asylum claim in the last 12 months.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Receipt of asylum support is a right and a responsibility. It is also right and fair to ask those who can contribute to do so.

In 2024/2025 financial year, a total of £4 billion was spent on asylum support in the UK.

The Home Office does not publish data on the number of people who leave asylum accommodation after being granted asylum. While statistics are published on grants of refugee permission at initial decision (Asy_D02) and on the number of people receiving asylum support (Asy_D09), these datasets are not linked and therefore cannot be used to identify how many individuals left asylum accommodation following a grant of asylum. Consequently, the information requested is not available through published statistics.

Recognised refugees have immediate access to the labour market and housing.

The Asylum and Immigration Bill introduced to Parliament on 30 June introduces the principle that where someone becomes financially secure, they make a proportionate contribution towards the asylum support system they have benefited from. The £10,000 figure has been provided as an indicative figure. It is not the final amount. The level and the detail for how the scheme will operate will be set out in regulations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing statutory guidance to local authorities that anyone with a chronic and progressive condition should not be reassessed for a Blue Badge.

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

Whilst there is no provision in legislation to publish statutory guidance on assessment of progressive and chronic conditions, the Blue Badge Digital Service provides local authorities with the option to mark cases as ‘not needing an evidence review’. This option means that future applications may be assessed without the necessity for an applicant to provide evidence previously submitted, to facilitate an easier and less time-consuming process.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the answer to the Answer of 10 May 2002 to Question 54672, what recent guidance his Department has given to public bodies on potential embarrassment as a justifiable reason to withhold the release of material relating to the Royal Family under the Public Records Act 1958 (as amended in 1967).

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds

The Cabinet Office has issued no such guidance to public bodies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients in England in the last five years who have not received a meals on wheels service after leaving hospital, after they have been assessed as needing this service upon discharge, broken down by patients who were a) nourished, and b) malnourished upon discharge.

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

The Department does not centrally collect this data.

The Hospital discharge and community support guidance sets out that where a person may require support following discharge, National Health Service trusts should work with local authorities and partners to identify and plan for their ongoing care and support needs. The Hospital discharge and community support guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance#annex-a-discharge-to-assess---operational-process

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 social care service delays, including (a) the availability of supported housing, (b) the availability of home care or community care packages, and (c) access to mental health beds, on delays to discharges from the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, and what steps is his Department taking to address any impacts identified.

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

No assessment has been made on the impact of social care on discharge delays as we do not hold the data. Data on reasons for discharge delays is published by NHS England and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/discharge-delays/acute-discharge-situation-report/

Through the Government's new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026 to 2036, we will be delivering new supply of supported housing in greater numbers, and across a diverse range of cohorts, and housing types. This will support more people to build and sustain their independence and reduce care and support needs over the long term.

We are improving discharge delays through the £9 billion Better Care Fund, which supports joint working between the National Health Service and local authorities. It invests in services such as intermediate care, rehabilitation and reablement. Local areas review the balance of home‑based and bed‑based intermediate care, the design and intensity of intermediate care packages, and commissioning arrangements.

The Medium Term Planning Framework asks integrated care boards to deliver real productivity gains by 2028/29, including shorter average stays in adult acute mental health beds.

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 effectiveness of early support hubs in increasing access to timely mental health support for children and young people aged 11 to 25, and whether he plans to support the rollout of this model in Brighton and Hove.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The Government is committed to improving early, accessible mental health support for children and young people. We know too many children are reaching crisis point before getting help. That is why we have provided more than £20 million in top-up funding to 24 Early Support Hubs since 2024, including £7 million in 2026/27, supporting at least 30,000 additional interventions by April 2027.

This funding is enabling Early Support Hubs to deliver at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions in 2026/27, expanding access to free, community-based support without the need for a referral, helping children and young people access support earlier, preventing problems from escalating, and reducing pressure on specialist services.

The current programme is generating important learning on reach, outcomes, and delivery models. This evidence will inform future plans, including the development of Young Futures Hubs, so that any wider rollout is based on what works for young people and local communities. No decisions have yet been made on the rollout of this model in specific areas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the resources required to deliver his commitment to open-access mental health support for children and young people in every community.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The Government has not made a specific estimate of the total resources required to deliver open-access mental health support for children and young people in every community. However, we are already investing in a range of early intervention and prevention measures to expand access to support and ensure young people can get help before problems escalate. This includes continuing the rollout of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, with full national coverage by 2029, and backing early support hubs which provide open-access mental health support for young people aged 11 to 25 years old without the need for referral. On 11 February 2026, the Department announced a further £7 million in funding for 24 early support hubs, enabling at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions and strengthening the evidence base for community-based early intervention support. The total funding is over £20 million across three years, which will deliver over 30,000 interventions.

The Government is also committed to opening 50 young futures hubs by the end of this Parliament. As of April 2026, eight are operational, with a further 42 to be rolled out. These hubs will bring together local services at a community level to improve access to opportunities, promote mental health and wellbeing, and provide early support for children and young people.

These investments form part of the Government’s wider commitment to shift mental health services from treatment to prevention. We are developing a new mental health strategy for England, to be published later this year, which will aim to ensure people receive support earlier, reduce waiting times, strengthen prevention and early intervention, and consider the role of schools, local government, community organisations, and wider public services in supporting mental health and wellbeing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of records relating to the Royal Family eligible for release under the 30 year rule were withheld in (a) 2007, (b) 2017, (c) 2020, (d) 2022 and (e) 2024.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The total number of records relating to the Royal Family that have been withheld, or redacted, under section 37 of the Freedom of Information Act can be reported on, with the number of exemptions relating to the Royal Family made under section 37 for each of the years cited being as follows:

2007: 0

2017: 97

2020: 80

2022: 35

2024: 46

However, records transferred in these years would not date from 30 years previously as public records are now due for transfer 20 years after their creation. Under the timetable for transitioning to the 20-year rule between 2013-2022, records dating from 1987-1994 were processed between 2015-2018. Details of exemptions made under section 37 on this basis are as follows:

2007 (1977 records): 0

2015 (1987 records): 33

2016 (1990 records): 58

2017 (1992 records): 97

2018 (1994 records): 84

It should be noted, however, that The National Archives cannot determine how many Royal Family-related records may have been withheld under other exemptions because it is not possible to search the actual content of all records held by The National Archives to identify those that include information relating to a particular subject. This is because searches in The National Archives’ Discovery catalogue are based on the terms used in catalogue descriptions rather than the full content of records. As a result, searching for a broad term such as “Royal Family” will not necessarily identify all relevant records, as many records may instead be catalogued under the name of an individual, institution, title, event, or other descriptive term.

Consequently, TNA officials are unable to provide a comprehensive figure for such records or express them as a proportion of the total number of records relating to the Royal Family.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many records relating to Royal matters have been transferred from the National Archives to the Royal Archives in Windsor since 2010.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The National Archives has not transferred any records to the Royal Archives since 2010.

Since 2013, the law has required central government departments to identify records of historical value and transfer them for permanent preservation to The National Archives by the time they are 20 years old.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Young Lives vs Cancer’s report entitled The cost of waiting, published in March 2025, what assessment he has made of the impact of the average time between a child or young person (under 25) being diagnosed with cancer and their first payment of disability benefit on carers’ ability to support them.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

Reducing customer journey times for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service. More information can be found here:

Disability Living Allowance for children timeliness performance, for new claims cleared between 1 August 2025 and 31 March 2026 - GOV.UK

Personal Independence Payment: Official Statistics to April 2026 - GOV.UK

A child or young adult cannot qualify for DLA or PIP unless the disability conditions have been satisfied for an initial period of three months. This helps establish that disability and the resulting needs are of a longstanding nature and ensures that the benefit goes only to those for whom it is intended. Where entitlement conditions are met, Carer’s Allowance can be backdated for up to three months from the date that entitlement to the qualifying disability benefit begins. Severely disabled children and young adults do not always have to wait for the full three months from the date of their claim before they become entitled to DLA or PIP if they have already had the requisite needs arising prior to their claim.

Special considerations also apply to those who are terminally ill, who are awarded the highest rate of the care component of DLA or the enhanced rate of the PIP daily living component automatically without having to complete a qualifying period. Such claims are dealt with quickly and sensitively.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of waiting times between a child or young person (under 25) being diagnosed with cancer and their first payment of disability benefit on (a) debt levels, (b) carers’ support access, and (c) long-term financial resilience.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

Reducing customer journey times for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service. More information can be found here:

Disability Living Allowance for children timeliness performance, for new claims cleared between 1 August 2025 and 31 March 2026 - GOV.UK

Personal Independence Payment: Official Statistics to April 2026 - GOV.UK

A child or young adult cannot qualify for DLA or PIP unless the disability conditions have been satisfied for an initial period of three months. This helps establish that disability and the resulting needs are of a longstanding nature and ensures that the benefit goes only to those for whom it is intended. Where entitlement conditions are met, Carer’s Allowance can be backdated for up to three months from the date that entitlement to the qualifying disability benefit begins. Severely disabled children and young adults do not always have to wait for the full three months from the date of their claim before they become entitled to DLA or PIP if they have already had the requisite needs arising prior to their claim.

Special considerations also apply to those who are terminally ill, who are awarded the highest rate of the care component of DLA or the enhanced rate of the PIP daily living component automatically without having to complete a qualifying period. Such claims are dealt with quickly and sensitively.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the average processing time between an application being accepted and the first payment for DLA and PIP for children and young people under 25 with cancer.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

Reducing customer journey times for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service. More information can be found here:

Disability Living Allowance for children timeliness performance, for new claims cleared between 1 August 2025 and 31 March 2026 - GOV.UK

Personal Independence Payment: Official Statistics to April 2026 - GOV.UK

A child or young adult cannot qualify for DLA or PIP unless the disability conditions have been satisfied for an initial period of three months. This helps establish that disability and the resulting needs are of a longstanding nature and ensures that the benefit goes only to those for whom it is intended. Where entitlement conditions are met, Carer’s Allowance can be backdated for up to three months from the date that entitlement to the qualifying disability benefit begins. Severely disabled children and young adults do not always have to wait for the full three months from the date of their claim before they become entitled to DLA or PIP if they have already had the requisite needs arising prior to their claim.

Special considerations also apply to those who are terminally ill, who are awarded the highest rate of the care component of DLA or the enhanced rate of the PIP daily living component automatically without having to complete a qualifying period. Such claims are dealt with quickly and sensitively.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he made of the reasons for the increase in probate processing times.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson

The Ministry of Justice publish regular data on probate timeliness and open caseload in our quarterly family court statistics bulletin Family Court Statistics Quarterly - GOV.UK. According to the published data in the Family Court Statistics Quarterly, the overall timeliness (both mean weeks and median weeks) has remained stable since Q1 of 2025 to the most recently published Q1 of 2026. There has been an improvement in the timeliness (both mean weeks and median weeks) from the figures in 2024. The published data shows that timeliness figures vary between case types, whether it is a paper or a digital application, whether the case has had to be stopped to request further information.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service have invested in more staff in 2026, alongside system, process improvements and a programme of upskilling to improve the processing time for applications and maintain the low level of outstanding caseload.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the data included in the climate change mitigation metric in the Local Outcomes Framework; what plans he has to update this metric; and when will the first results from the Local Outcomes Framework be published.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are continuing to work with Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the sector to explore options for metrics that show how local councils are helping to tackle and adapt to climate change in their area.

The Local Outcomes Framework digital tool will be published later this year.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the role of access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene in supporting global health, economic development and climate resilience, and what discussions has she had with the World Bank on increasing investment in water security, sanitation and hygiene through the Water Forward initiative.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is working with international partners to build global ambition on water security and support preparations for a successful and action-orientated 2026 UN Water Conference.

We recognise the critical importance of water security, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for progress on health, health security, women and girls, economic growth, climate and nature and the Sustainable Development Goals, and we welcome the new Water Forward initiative launched at the World Bank Spring Meetings. We are working with Multilateral Development Banks to drive access to climate-resilient and inclusive WASH services and attract additional financial resources to the sector, including from private investors, to accelerate progress and scale up results. We will also continue to support WASH through our recently established Communities of Expertise, working with partner countries to build more resilient, sustainable and equitable health systems and support healthier lives.

Priorities for the UK's 2027 G20 Presidency will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that water security, sanitation and hygiene are reflected in the priorities of the UK's forthcoming G20 Presidency, and what preparations she is making for the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is working with international partners to build global ambition on water security and support preparations for a successful and action-orientated 2026 UN Water Conference.

We recognise the critical importance of water security, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for progress on health, health security, women and girls, economic growth, climate and nature and the Sustainable Development Goals, and we welcome the new Water Forward initiative launched at the World Bank Spring Meetings. We are working with Multilateral Development Banks to drive access to climate-resilient and inclusive WASH services and attract additional financial resources to the sector, including from private investors, to accelerate progress and scale up results. We will also continue to support WASH through our recently established Communities of Expertise, working with partner countries to build more resilient, sustainable and equitable health systems and support healthier lives.

Priorities for the UK's 2027 G20 Presidency will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) Royal Wills and (b) other Wills have been sealed since 1911; and whether he has assessed the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to prohibit the sealing of Royal Wills.

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

On 24 November 2021 Annex 1 was published, listing wills which were held in the custody of the President at that time and with each date of probate. HMCTS does not hold data on other Wills sealed since 1911.

The Government has no plans to change the current practice regarding the treatment of Royal Wills. It is an important constitutional principle that the Sovereign’s Will remains sealed. For other Royal Wills, the Government is of the view the existing approach of generally sealing the Wills upon death but allowing them to be viewed in the future, is the right balance between protecting the privacy of the Royal Family and upholding constitutional principles against the need for historical transparency and open justice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by what date does he estimate that minimum pay will reach £15 per hour for domiciliary care workers through the work of the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales

The details of individual Fair Pay Agreements for the care sector, such as what is included and who it applies to, will be subject to the negotiation process.

We expect negotiations on pay, terms and conditions, and other matters such as training and career progression to commence in April 2027. Once the negotiating body has reached an agreement on how the funding should be spent, the first Fair Pay Agreement will be implemented in 2028.

The Government is providing £500 million to support the implementation of a Fair Pay Agreement in adult social care from 2028. Illustratively, a full-time care worker on the National Living Wage, currently £12.71 per hour for workers aged 21 years old and over, could potentially earn up to £1,300 more per year from 2028, though the negotiating body could decide on a range of options outside of this. This estimate reflects how care is currently delivered, with the majority of care funded by local authorities, and is based on projections of the National Living Wage in 2028/29 alongside expected wage and workforce growth.

Over this Parliament, alongside our changes to the minimum wage and new measures in the Employment Rights Act, care workers will receive one of the biggest upgrades in their pay, employment rights, and conditions in a generation.

The Government's vision is that the Fair Pay Agreement in 2028 to 2029 will be the first of many negotiated in future years and will grow over time.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to question UIN 9801, answered in June 2026, what proportion of the £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028-29 will be allocated to the provision of meals on wheels services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales

The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the National Health Service contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with the Department’s Spending Review settlement.

The Government does not allocate a specific proportion of adult social care funding to meals on wheels services. Local authorities are responsible for how they use available funding to fulfil their duties under the Care Act 2014. The Government has radically simplified local authority funding for adult social care, giving councils more flexibility over the use of funding to deliver this government’s priorities for adult social care and respond to local need.

The Government has a longstanding commitment to provide funding to local authorities on a non-ringfenced basis. This supports effective and innovative financial management at the local level, giving local authorities the flexibility to make spending decisions based on local needs and priorities. This commitment underpins the Government’s wider approach to simplifying the funding landscape and reducing unnecessary controls and administrative burdens.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposal to remove access to the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity element of Universal Credit for under-22s on young people undergoing cancer treatment.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Young People and Work Report has been commissioned by the UK Government to investigate the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training (NEETs). On the 28^th May 2026, Alan Milburn published his diagnostic report, outlining his discoveries on the drivers of the increase in the number of young people who are part of this group.

The Report is being taken forward in two distinct phases, the first, a discovery phase which will provide a diagnosis on the increase in the number of young people who are NEET. The second phase will be a solution phase, which will identify potential areas for reform, aimed at increasing opportunities for young people.

The final Report is intended to take a holistic view of the welfare, health, skills and employment system and identify areas for reform. The Author will provide a full and final report in September.

Any proposals to change access to the benefits system will be considered in light of the conclusions and recommendations of the Young People and Work Report.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to apply the findings from the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment: interim report to Disability Living Allowance in areas where elements of both systems operate in similar ways.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Terms of Reference for the Timms Review set out the broad scope of the Review to ensure that PIP is fair and fit for the future. Disability Living Allowance is not in scope for this Review.

The steering group published its interim report on 9 July, providing an update on its work to date. Recommendations will be set out in the final report to be made to the Secretary of State in the autumn.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that foreign commercial interests do not act to disadvantage domestic producers in the implementation of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate.

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

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate can be met through both domestically produced SAF and SAF imported from abroad. To support the production of domestic SAF to contribute towards Mandate targets, the department has run grant funding programmes such as the Advanced Fuels Fund and will be opening another, the Low Carbon Fuels Fund, this summer.

The Revenue Certainty Mechanism will offer a guaranteed strike price to UK SAF producers to help unlock investment and lower risk to get first-of-a-kind UK SAF projects off the ground. To be eligible to apply for the Low Carbon Fuels Fund or the Revenue Certainty Mechanism, the lead applicant organisation must be registered in the UK and the SAF production plant itself must be located in the UK. These measures will help to ensure that domestic SAF producers are supported.

Parthenon Sculptures

Royal Mail delivery standards

Local Housing Allowance rates

Military housing

Prohibiting Members of Parliament from having paid second jobs

Abuse Doesn't Fly campaign

Detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya

Nature rights

Strike action and industrial dispute at Tower Hamlets leisure centres

Srebrenica Memorial Week

Industrial dispute of staff in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

National Day of Memory for Victims of Honour-Based Abuse

Flooding in Bangladesh

Changing Places Awareness Day 2026

Nelson Mandela Day

Moygashel Bonfire 2026

Cancer and access to travel insurance

London South Bank University industrial dispute

Autonomy’s report entitled Cleaning Up Politics