Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on media literacy and citizenship education of the findings of the report by Resilience and Reconstruction entitled Disinformation, UK Democracy, and Attitudes toward Ukraine & Russia in the UK, published in January 2026, on passive exposure to misinformation via social media.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Improved media literacy builds resilience to misinformation and disinformation and fosters critical thinking. The government is improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work, including funding innovative community-based interventions and launching an awareness campaign to build digital resilience and critical thinking skills online. The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy. This includes raising the awareness and understanding of misinformation and harmful content, especially where it affects vulnerable groups.

The government’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, published on 5 November 2025, emphasised the value of secure knowledge, the process of questioning and critical enquiry and weighing up evidence across information and sources. The government’s response to the review committed to strengthening media literacy content in the curriculum to ensure vital applied knowledge and skills in media and digital literacy are embedded into the revised curriculum, that subject-specific disciplinary skills including critical thinking and problem solving are clearly articulated in the refreshed programmes of study.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report by Resilience and Reconstruction entitled Disinformation, UK Democracy, and Attitudes toward Ukraine & Russia in the UK, published on January 2026; and whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of social media platform algorithms on the spread of misleading or hostile state-aligned narratives in relation to (a) the war in Ukraine and (b) other matters.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 January to Question 105450. As concerns the algorithms of social media platforms, the Online Safety Act gives Ofcom the power to request information on their design, including as this relates to allegations of illegal mis- and disinformation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to dentistry services for (a) veterans and (b) people suffering with long-term illnesses.

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

We are aware of the challenges faced by many in accessing a National Health Service dentist, including people suffering with long-term illnesses, and valued members of the Armed Forces community, such as our respected veterans who have spent their careers defending our country.

We have asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.

ICBs are also recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on the quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria:

• under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;

• pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months;

• being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges;

• receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits; and

• receiving War Pension Scheme payments, or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and the treatment is for your accepted disability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of dental care given to (a) veterans and (b) those suffering with long-term illnesses.

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

We are aware of the challenges faced by many in accessing a National Health Service dentist, including people suffering with long-term illnesses, and valued members of the Armed Forces community, such as our respected veterans who have spent their careers defending our country.

We have asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.

ICBs are also recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on the quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria:

• under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;

• pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months;

• being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges;

• receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits; and

• receiving War Pension Scheme payments, or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and the treatment is for your accepted disability.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of plastic recycling provision in supermarkets including where products are sold in packaging which needs to be recycled in-store.

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

Simpler Recycling came into force on 31 March 2025 requiring all workplaces in England with more than 10 full-time employees to separate their waste before collection, including any waste produced by employees, customers and visitors. This includes dry recyclable materials (i.e. plastic, metal, glass, paper and card) and, separately, food waste. Supermarkets are therefore required to comply and separately collect plastic as well as the other recyclable materials. Defra has not assessed the plastic recycling provision in supermarkets.

Whilst supermarkets collect plastic film on their premises (e.g. plastic bags) this is not currently a requirement. However, additional waste streams that are not included in the Simpler Recycling legislation, may be collected in advance of 31 March 2027 when plastic film collections from all households and workplaces will also become mandatory.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to hold the consultation on proposed changes to NDAs under the Employment Rights Bill; and what is the planned timeline for implementation.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Employment Rights Act 2025 will address the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by employers who want to silence workers about harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

The Government will consult on the conditions under which NDAs can still be validly made (known in the legislation as ‘excepted agreement’). We will also consult on the individuals that a worker with an excepted agreement can speak to (e.g. the police, or medical professionals).

We will bring forward the consultation shortly. The consultation will inform the policy detail in order to draft the regulations and commence this measure in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applicants for (a) new Access to Work awards and (b) the renewal of existing awards who undertook holistic workplace assessments received support in line with the recommendations of those assessments in each of the last three years.

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

The Department does not hold data on how many applicants for (a) new Access to Work awards and (b) the renewal of existing awards who undertook holistic workplace assessments received support in line with the recommendations of those assessments in each of the last three years. Determining this information would require manually reviewing individual applications which would incur disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to reform the family court system to ensure children's best interests are prioritised.

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

The Children Act 1989 states that the welfare of the child is the court’s paramount consideration when making decisions in relation to a child's upbringing.

This Government is committed to reform of the family court to improve the experience and outcomes for children and families. Central to this is the expansion of the private law Pathfinder model, which amplifies the voice of the child through a Child Impact Report and ensures a higher proportion of children are directly engaged by social workers during proceedings. The model is supporting the court in making safe decisions which prioritise the best interests of the child, without delay.

The Pathfinder pilot was launched in Dorset and North Wales in February 2022 and is now operating across 10 court in England and Wales, which accounts for around a quarter of relevant private law proceedings. Plans for further expansion will be announced in due course.

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 considered a) regulating the cost of veterinary procedures, and b) requiring increased transparency around costs of veterinary procedures for pets.

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

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are finalising a market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. On 15 October, they released a Provisional Decision Report, which included proposed remedies such as increased transparency of veterinary fees, requiring vets to publish price lists, and a cap on the price of written veterinary prescriptions. The proposed remedies are subject to the CMA’s final report which is due to be released in the Spring.

Defra welcomes the CMA’s market investigation into the veterinary sector and will consider any remedies from the CMA’s final report.

Currently, businesses providing veterinary services are not regulated. Reforms to the Veterinary Surgeons Act (which are currently being consulted on) will bring in regulation of veterinary and other animal healthcare businesses and empower the regulator to ensure competition within the market.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the financial impact of participating in GCSE exams on home-schooled students.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Parents who choose to educate children at home bear the financial responsibility for doing so, including covering the costs of their exam entry. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will not change this.

However, the Bill does introduce a new support duty. For the first time, local authorities will be required to provide advice and information on accessing GCSE examinations when requested by parents, unless it would be unreasonable to do so.

This advice should help parents understand how the exam system works, identify any suitable centres, and plan their child’s education and approach to exams in a timely and informed way.

Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal 2026

Local authority funding

National inquiry into child sexual exploitation

Dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands

15th anniversary of the Bahrain pro-democracy uprising

British couple detained in Iran

Child protection from illicit vapes

Kendal Farmers Market

Review of the student loan system

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026

Nuclear Regulatory Review and habitats regulations

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank

Bird gathering licences

Radiotherapy in the National Cancer Plan

Penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium

Graduate driving licences

Loan Charge and settlement terms offered to large companies and individuals

Right to object to data being used in online direct marketing

Public toilet provision

Flooding as a result of Storm Chandra

Improving equestrian road safety awareness

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Debbie Abrahams (Chair); Lee Barron; Johanna Baxter; Steve Darling

Found: to fulfil their duty of care to their employees and protecting their own staff from harm 253 Steve Darling

Found: Q14 Steve Darling: My first little question is to Ian and Chris.

Found: Q7 Steve Darling: DWP is a massive organisation.