Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
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 potential merits of the use of zip cards as a form of voter ID for people aged 16 and 17.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has considered a range of documents for use at the polling station, including Oyster ZIP cards. We recognise that the current Voter ID rules are overly restrictive – however we must take into account that expanding the list of documents accepted at the polling station could make the policy more challenging to administer for polling station staff and could lead to confusion among electors as to what is and is not accepted.
We believe that our proposed change to allow the use of bank cards will significantly expand the proportion of legitimate electors easily able to meet the VID requirements and have no plans to make any further additions to the list of accepted documents.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to provide the latest register of interest for the Department's Senior Civil Servants and Non Executive Board Members as of 1 February 2026 including any updates following the publication of the Department's annual report and accounts for 2024-5.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Non-executive board members’ (NEBM) declarations of interest and any updates to them are published on the GOV.UK website, in alignment with Government policy. Updates to NEBM interests following the 2024/25 annual report and accounts publication can be found in the 2025/26 Department register of board members’ interests, at the following link:
The Department is required to publish the relevant interests of its Permanent Secretary, and other Senior Civil Servants who are Board Members at least annually within its annual report and accounts. Further information is available at the following link:
The next publication will be later this year.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will set out what companies with current Government contracts will be subject to the profit cap as proposed in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The profit cap provisions in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would apply in England to any non-local authority providers of children’s homes or fostering services, and subject to changing secondary legislation, supported accommodation. The government does not contract directly to companies to provide these services within scope of the profit cap provisions. Local authorities commission these contracts directly.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the outcome of the NHSE patient safety investigation into Community Health and Eye Care Services as reported in The Sunday Times in May 2025.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The safety of all patients, whether they are treated in the National Health Service or the independent sector, is a top priority for the Government. All providers of healthcare are regulated by the Care Quality Commission and follow a set of fundamental standards of safety and quality, below which care should never fall.
Those providers in receipt of NHS contracts must meet additional requirements, including meeting the provisions of the NHS Provider License and the NHS Standard Contract. These additional measures put in place specific standards which must be met. Contracts to private providers can be and are terminated where these are not met.
We take all claims relating to patient safety seriously. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has carried out inspection activity at a majority of community health and eye care services locations. All locations have been either rated as Good or Requires Improvement, and there have not been any significant concerns identified. The CQC has also not taken any enforcement action. Currently the CQC does not have on-going concerns, but will continue to monitor the providers as part of relevant ongoing engagement.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the restriction on pursuing clinical negligence cases to direct financial dependents only in cases where an individual has died on the justice system.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of the restriction on pursuing clinical negligence cases to direct financial dependents only in cases where an individual has died on the justice system.
As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office report.
We welcome the recent report by the National Audit Office on the costs of clinical negligence. The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of joining an European Union-wide repository of incidents of violence against police officers.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Assaults on police officers and staff are unacceptable. We are working with policing partners to ensure victims receive the right support, both physical and psychological, and that data on assaults is captured consistently to inform prevention and care. This forms part of the wider Police Covenant commitment to protect and support those who protect us.
Data on the number of police recorded crimes for assaults on officers is published by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Crime in England and Wales series.
We are not aware that a European Union-wide repository of incidents of violence against police officers currently exists. The UK and EU Member States share a wide range of information on law enforcement and criminal justice matters under the arrangements set out in Part 3 of the UK- EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her department has made of the number and scope of regulations in which there has been (a) active and (b) passive divergence between UK and European Union sanitary and phytosanitary rules; and whether her Department intends to prevent further divergence while EU-UK negotiations on a common sanitary and phytosanitary area are in progress.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
When it has been deemed appropriate for GB policy to actively diverge from EU regulations, steps have always been taken to consider how a change could impact businesses looking to sell into UK, NI and EU markets, and if they will be required to adhere to different regulations and systems for each.
The Government has begun negotiations with the EU on the SPS agreement. It is too early to assess the nature of the workloads which will result should an agreement be reached, but it is expected to be substantial.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants in her Department have been assigned to preparations for a EU-UK agreement on a common sanitary and phytosanitary area.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Negotiating and delivering an SPS Agreement with the EU is a whole of Government effort. It is a big priority for the department. We are working very closely with the Cabinet Office. Defra’s trade staff work flexibly across trade deals according to demand.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, at what frequency his Department plans to hold meetings of the EU Files Forum; and whether the Government intends to publish (a) agendas (b) lists of participants and (c) minutes for each.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade holds a quarterly official-level EU Files Forum, with the next meeting scheduled for December 2025.
This forum was established to facilitate a dialogue between government and the UK business community on evolving EU legislation. To protect any sensitive or commercially confidential information, we do not intend to publish agendas, participant lists, or minutes.
The Government remains committed to open and constructive dialogue with businesses and their representatives to ensure their perspectives are considered in shaping the UK's approach to EU-related trade matters.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to consult on changes to marriage value under the Leasehold Reform Act 2024; and when he expects to implement any changes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 89939 on 20 November 2025.