Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered adopting (a) mandatory sterilisation equipment, (b) spot checks, (c) minimum qualification standards and (d) other international best practices for nail and beauty salons.

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

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.

The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.

We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) training and (b) accreditation for nail and beauty professionals reflect modern (i) hygiene and (ii) safety standards.

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

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.

The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.

We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to monitor (a) cases of (i) parasitic infections and (ii) chemical sensitisation and (b) infection rates associated with poor hygiene practices in nail and beauty salons.

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

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.

The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.

We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the regulation of nail and beauty salons in (a) the UK and (b) other European countries.

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

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.

The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.

We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered the introduction of (a) mandatory hygiene protocols and (b) licensing requirements for nail and beauty salons.

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

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.

The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.

We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of low-cost, unregulated online beauty courses on (a) public safety and (b) professional standards.

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

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.

The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.

We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) update the national (i) curriculum and (ii) accreditation frameworks for nail and beauty qualifications.

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

Nail and beauty salons are already required to comply with various legislation depending on the services they offer. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that operators ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce further regulation in this space. As part of this work the Government has committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.

The consultation response sets out that, in the first instance, the Government will prioritise the introduction of legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities. This will mean that these procedures will only be performed by suitably qualified regulated healthcare professionals, working for providers who are registered with the CQC.

We will subsequently take forward work to determine which procedures will be included within the scheme and what requirements will have to be met in order to be granted a licence. This includes requirements relating to training and qualification standards and infection prevention and control measures. We are working with a range of stakeholders to better understand the risks posed by unsafe practice and to ensure the design of the licensing scheme addresses these safety concerns. To help inform this work, we will consider what relevant systems and standards are already in place, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the tourism industry in the South West.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS works with the national tourism agency, VisitBritain, to champion visits to Britain to a worldwide audience. To drive more inbound visits across Britain, VisitBritain launched a global screen tourism campaign ‘’Starring Great Britain’’ in January 2025. The campaign uses the country's rich film and television history as a hook to inspire visitors to explore diverse and often rural destinations. The launch was supported by a wider advertising campaign across the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets including Australia, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, France, Germany and the USA.

The Government also has part funded, through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the South West Visitor Economy Hub, which is an online tool providing tourism and hospitality businesses in Devon and Somerset with real-time data and insights to help them make informed decisions. It tracks trends like visitor demographics, volume, and expenditure, as well as business performance and marketing impact. By offering this information, the Hub aims to support local businesses in growing their productivity and financial stability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's plan Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, when he plans to publish more information about the intended reforms to the Better Care Fund.

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

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and in the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, we will reform the Better Care Fund from the 2026/27 financial year. An announcement with further detail on this reform will be made in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered the potential impact for reducing funding for the International Baccalaureate on (a) the number of university admissions and (b) the representation of state-educated students at (i) Oxford, (b) Cambridge and (c) other leading institutions.

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

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the funding for the International Baccalaureate on (a) school culture and (b) the retention of teaching staff.

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

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes in the level of funding for the International Baccalaureate on the number of students learning foreign languages in state schools.

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

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential number of redundancies as a result of changes in the level of funding for the International Baccalaureate in the state sector.

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

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the average reduction in funding to each state school affected by the planned reduction in funding for the International Baccalaureate.

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

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to issue guidance to affected schools on managing the planned reduction in funding for the International Baccalaureate.

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

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with the International Baccalaureate Organisation on the withdrawal of state funding support.

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

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of the Better Care Fund will be spent on supporting unpaid family carers in the 2025-26 financial year; and how much was provided for (a) short breaks and (b) respite for carers in the 2022-23 financial year.

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

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, we will reform the Better Care Fund from financial year 2026/27. An announcement with further detail on this reform will be made in due course. The reform will not impact on the level of funding intended to support unpaid carers in future financial years.

In 2025/26, health and wellbeing boards were asked what the primary objective of each scheme was. In England, £222,515,273 was allocated to schemes with the primary objective of supporting unpaid carers. Primary objectives were not requested in previous years for comparison.

Health and wellbeing boards are also asked to record information on scheme types. The most appropriate scheme type in 2025/26 was support to carers, including unpaid carers, which has a planned spend of £201,223,000. In previous years, the most appropriate scheme type was carers services. The following table shows the total planned spend on carers services for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:

There are no sub types for planned spend on unpaid family carers or short breaks. In 2022/23, £86,394,455, or 55%, of the total planned spend on carers services was spent on the sub type respite.

Information on scheme types for carers broken down by health and wellbeing board has been published and is available for the year 2025/26 and for the years 2023 to 2025, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2025-26-planning-data/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2023-to-2025-planning-data/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much Better Care Fund funding has been provided to each health and wellbeing board to support unpaid carers in each of the last three financial years.

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

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, we will reform the Better Care Fund from financial year 2026/27. An announcement with further detail on this reform will be made in due course. The reform will not impact on the level of funding intended to support unpaid carers in future financial years.

In 2025/26, health and wellbeing boards were asked what the primary objective of each scheme was. In England, £222,515,273 was allocated to schemes with the primary objective of supporting unpaid carers. Primary objectives were not requested in previous years for comparison.

Health and wellbeing boards are also asked to record information on scheme types. The most appropriate scheme type in 2025/26 was support to carers, including unpaid carers, which has a planned spend of £201,223,000. In previous years, the most appropriate scheme type was carers services. The following table shows the total planned spend on carers services for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:

There are no sub types for planned spend on unpaid family carers or short breaks. In 2022/23, £86,394,455, or 55%, of the total planned spend on carers services was spent on the sub type respite.

Information on scheme types for carers broken down by health and wellbeing board has been published and is available for the year 2025/26 and for the years 2023 to 2025, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2025-26-planning-data/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2023-to-2025-planning-data/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the cost to the public purse of supporting unpaid carers in England through the Better Care Fund in each of the last three financial years.

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

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, we will reform the Better Care Fund from financial year 2026/27. An announcement with further detail on this reform will be made in due course. The reform will not impact on the level of funding intended to support unpaid carers in future financial years.

In 2025/26, health and wellbeing boards were asked what the primary objective of each scheme was. In England, £222,515,273 was allocated to schemes with the primary objective of supporting unpaid carers. Primary objectives were not requested in previous years for comparison.

Health and wellbeing boards are also asked to record information on scheme types. The most appropriate scheme type in 2025/26 was support to carers, including unpaid carers, which has a planned spend of £201,223,000. In previous years, the most appropriate scheme type was carers services. The following table shows the total planned spend on carers services for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:

There are no sub types for planned spend on unpaid family carers or short breaks. In 2022/23, £86,394,455, or 55%, of the total planned spend on carers services was spent on the sub type respite.

Information on scheme types for carers broken down by health and wellbeing board has been published and is available for the year 2025/26 and for the years 2023 to 2025, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2025-26-planning-data/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2023-to-2025-planning-data/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's plan Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, whether the plans to reform the Better Care Fund will impact on the level of funding intended to support unpaid carers in future financial years.

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

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, we will reform the Better Care Fund from financial year 2026/27. An announcement with further detail on this reform will be made in due course. The reform will not impact on the level of funding intended to support unpaid carers in future financial years.

In 2025/26, health and wellbeing boards were asked what the primary objective of each scheme was. In England, £222,515,273 was allocated to schemes with the primary objective of supporting unpaid carers. Primary objectives were not requested in previous years for comparison.

Health and wellbeing boards are also asked to record information on scheme types. The most appropriate scheme type in 2025/26 was support to carers, including unpaid carers, which has a planned spend of £201,223,000. In previous years, the most appropriate scheme type was carers services. The following table shows the total planned spend on carers services for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:

There are no sub types for planned spend on unpaid family carers or short breaks. In 2022/23, £86,394,455, or 55%, of the total planned spend on carers services was spent on the sub type respite.

Information on scheme types for carers broken down by health and wellbeing board has been published and is available for the year 2025/26 and for the years 2023 to 2025, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2025-26-planning-data/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/better-care-fund-2023-to-2025-planning-data/

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 evaluation commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care Research on support for unpaid carers funded through the Better Care Fund undertaken in 2023-24.

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

The Department funds independent research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). This project is funded through the NIHR Policy Research Programme.

The research undertaken in 2023/24 was a development phase, which is the preparatory stage for a larger research project, with findings available at the following link:

https://www.lse.ac.uk/cpec/assets/documents/CPEC-Briefing-Note-2-Support-for-unpaid-carers.pdf

The second phase of the evaluation is ongoing. Findings from the second phase will be made publicly available after research is completed in July 2028.

The publication of research is led by the research team and in line with NIHR commitments to the transparent and independent publication of high-quality research. The views expressed in research outputs are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners has Serco failed to transport from (a) magistrates courts and (b) crown courts to prisons across the south of England in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We have interpreted question 90429 to relate purely to individuals with a custodial sentence and not all convicted of an offence. In the last 5 years, there have been no failures by Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) suppliers to return or take an individual to a prison following an order to do so from a Magistrates or Crown Court.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convicted criminals were not transported from Newton Abbott magistrates court to prison in the last five years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We have interpreted question 90429 to relate purely to individuals with a custodial sentence and not all convicted of an offence. In the last 5 years, there have been no failures by Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) suppliers to return or take an individual to a prison following an order to do so from a Magistrates or Crown Court.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were not transported from (a) magistrates courts and (b) crown courts to prison in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We have interpreted question 90429 to relate purely to individuals with a custodial sentence and not all convicted of an offence. In the last 5 years, there have been no failures by Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) suppliers to return or take an individual to a prison following an order to do so from a Magistrates or Crown Court.

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 support international efforts to document and investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 19 September to Question 74226.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure accountability for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 19 September to Question 74226.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has held discussions with international partners on the absence of a defined timeline for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza under the ceasefire agreement.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made on Gaza and Sudan by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November and the statement on the Middle East by the Prime Minister on 14 October, following his participation in the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt on 13 October, where he addressed these issues at length.

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 the participation of Palestinian representatives in post-ceasefire governance arrangements for Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made on Gaza and Sudan by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November and the statement on the Middle East by the Prime Minister on 14 October, following his participation in the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt on 13 October, where he addressed these issues at length.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made on Gaza and Sudan by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November and the statement on the Middle East by the Prime Minister on 14 October, following his participation in the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt on 13 October, where he addressed these issues at length.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she last had discussions with her Israeli counterparts on (a) violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and (b) the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given on 29 July to question 66511, and on 3 September to question 71442.

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 with international partners to ensure accountability for alleged violations of international humanitarian law in the West Bank.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given on 29 July to question 66511, and on 3 September to question 71442.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Israeli counterparts on the rise in settler violence and forced displacement affecting Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given on 29 July to question 66511, and on 3 September to question 71442.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of Israeli settlement expansion on the viability of a future Palestinian state.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given on 29 July to question 66511, and on 3 September to question 71442.

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 (a) number of patients in Torbay NHS Foundation Trust who had no criteria to reside but who were not discharged by the end of the day and (b) what proportion of acute day beds this entails in each of the last seven days.

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

Data on the daily number of patients who no longer meet the criteria to reside is published monthly 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/

In addition, monthly average figures for the number of general and acute beds are published by NHS England, and are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/bed-availability-and-occupancy/critical-care-and-general-acute-beds-urgent-and-emergency-care-daily-situation-reports/

For the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, there were on average 34 adult patients each day in October 2025 who had no criteria to reside but who were not discharged by the end of the day.

The following table shows the proportion of acute beds occupied by patients with no criteria to reside but who had not been discharged for the last seven days of October 2025, during which time there were an average of 385 adult general and acute beds available, for the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust:

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism during the debate on Hospitality Sector of 3 September 2025, Official Report, column 351WH, whether she plans to introduce a tourism tax.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy, if they so choose.

We have published a consultation running until 18 February 2026, so that the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.

The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development and the Government welcomes engagement from the hospitality sector in developing this power through the consultation process.

The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear these concerns. This will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied and how any revenue is invested.

Following consultation, we expect Mayors would publish a summary of the consultation results and their response, including a final prospectus, and an impact assessment, informed by the consultation.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether officials in her Department have worked on proposals to provide Mayors with powers to introduce a visitor levy.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy, if they so choose.

We have published a consultation running until 18 February 2026, so that the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.

The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development and the Government welcomes engagement from the hospitality sector in developing this power through the consultation process.

The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear these concerns. This will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied and how any revenue is invested.

Following consultation, we expect Mayors would publish a summary of the consultation results and their response, including a final prospectus, and an impact assessment, informed by the consultation.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has carried out modelling on a visitor levy.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy, if they so choose.

We have published a consultation running until 18 February 2026, so that the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.

The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development and the Government welcomes engagement from the hospitality sector in developing this power through the consultation process.

The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear these concerns. This will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied and how any revenue is invested.

Following consultation, we expect Mayors would publish a summary of the consultation results and their response, including a final prospectus, and an impact assessment, informed by the consultation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and combined Mayoral Authorities on taxes relating to the hospitality sector.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.

We have published a consultation running until 18 February 2026, so that the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.

I am, of course, in regular communication with Ministers in other Departments on a range of issues, including options for deeper devolution.

25th Anniversary of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000

Citizens Advice Torbay

Detention of Hassan Mushaima and Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace

Julie Whitton

Palestinian children in Israeli military detention

Sheringham bus shelter

Water scarcity and agricultural reservoirs

Sewage discharge in the Severn and Avon

Chalk streams and salmon in Hampshire

Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week 2025

Tackling van and tool theft

Gambling executives' profits

Safeguarding pubs, brewers and one million jobs

Neurodivergent service personnel in the armed forces

Fly-tipping and illegal waste dumping by criminal gangs

110 years of the Women's Institute

Kaleidoscopic UK and the King's Award for Voluntary Service

Holt Crafters

Exmoor Forest Inn

As You Like It Club for the blind and partially sighted

Support for the Shakespeare Curriculum Project

Local Housing Allowance

Friends of Campsie Community Work

Jordan Codices

Family Business Week 2025

Support for the UK-Ukraine Trauma and Recovery Collaborative

Conduct of Sir Robbie Gibb and the independence of the BBC Board

Release of Alaa Abd El-Fattah and the plight of British nationals arbitrarily detained abroad

Tobias Gutteridge

RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Units

Naloxone

Found: Abrahams (Chair); Rushanara Ali; David Baines; Lee Barron; Johanna Baxter; Mr Peter Bedford; Steve Darling

Found: Baxter (Labour; Paisley and Renfrewshire South) Mr Peter Bedford (Conservative; Mid Leicestershire) Steve Darling

Found: Baxter (Labour; Paisley and Renfrewshire South) Mr Peter Bedford (Conservative; Mid Leicestershire) Steve Darling

Found: SBS0123 - Small business strategy Steve Darling Written Evidence

Found: Q20 Steve Darling: What hopes and fears do you have given the vacuum that now exists?

Found: bill 9 Commons Library Research Briefing, 21 November 2025 The Liberal Democrat spokesperson, Steve Darling