Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of school transport support available to parents of SEND children in Slough.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Slough to the answer of 30 December 2024 to Question 20796.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with local councils on funding available for school transport services for SEND children.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Slough to the answer of 30 December 2024 to Question 20796.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of its statutory intervention at Slough Borough Council since December 2021.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

After publishing the fifth report from Slough Commissioners together with my response in October 2024, I confirmed to the House on 20 November that I had extended the statutory intervention at Slough Borough Council until 30 November 2026, and reappointed the Commissioner team together with a Managing Director Commissioner.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions has she had with retailers on the potential impact of the Crime and Policing Bill on the retail sector.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We want to send a strong message to offenders and would-be offenders that violence against retail workers will not be tolerated. This Government and the retail sector have long championed the new offence.

Assaults against delivery drivers are already an offence (common assault) under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and are covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Our definition of a ‘retail worker’ is intentionally narrow given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job. Those workers whose roles are not included within the definition are already covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This includes those working in retail and other public-facing roles.

We will use the parliamentary process to scrutinise the provisions in the Bill and will consider carefully amendments tabled as well as evidence put forward in support of such amendments.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with retail companies on the safety of home delivery drivers.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We want to send a strong message to offenders and would-be offenders that violence against retail workers will not be tolerated. This Government and the retail sector have long championed the new offence.

Assaults against delivery drivers are already an offence (common assault) under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and are covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Our definition of a ‘retail worker’ is intentionally narrow given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job. Those workers whose roles are not included within the definition are already covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This includes those working in retail and other public-facing roles.

We will use the parliamentary process to scrutinise the provisions in the Bill and will consider carefully amendments tabled as well as evidence put forward in support of such amendments.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take legislative steps to help protect the safety of retail home delivery drivers.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We want to send a strong message to offenders and would-be offenders that violence against retail workers will not be tolerated. This Government and the retail sector have long championed the new offence.

Assaults against delivery drivers are already an offence (common assault) under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and are covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Our definition of a ‘retail worker’ is intentionally narrow given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job. Those workers whose roles are not included within the definition are already covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This includes those working in retail and other public-facing roles.

We will use the parliamentary process to scrutinise the provisions in the Bill and will consider carefully amendments tabled as well as evidence put forward in support of such amendments.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the availability of driving tests in Slough constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows the number of car practical driving tests booked and available in the 24-week booking window, as of 28^th April 2025, for driving test centres (DTCs) serving customers in the Slough constituency:

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system.

On the 18 December 2024, a call for evidence was launched, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes. On the 23 April the Secretary of State announced that this consultation has been fast-tracked to May 2025.

On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Since this change DVSA has issued 25 warnings, 4 suspensions, and closed 90 business accounts.

DVSA has deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly. These applications, however, are constantly evolving and changing, and DVSA’s work on this is ongoing.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to prevent block booking by bots for driving tests in Slough.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows the number of car practical driving tests booked and available in the 24-week booking window, as of 28^th April 2025, for driving test centres (DTCs) serving customers in the Slough constituency:

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system.

On the 18 December 2024, a call for evidence was launched, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes. On the 23 April the Secretary of State announced that this consultation has been fast-tracked to May 2025.

On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Since this change DVSA has issued 25 warnings, 4 suspensions, and closed 90 business accounts.

DVSA has deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly. These applications, however, are constantly evolving and changing, and DVSA’s work on this is ongoing.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to help increase the number of (a) driving instructors and (b) examiners.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not employ driving instructors. Whilst DVSA does not have the power to either increase or limit the number of approved driving instructors (ADIs), the number of instructors on the DVSA’s ADI register has increased in the last few years.

The number of new applications to start the qualification process to become an ADI has also increased and DVSA are using all available ADI examiner resources to provide as many ADI qualifications tests as possible, to ensure potential instructors can complete the process.

On the 18 December 2024, DVSA set out plans to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. These steps included recruiting 450 driving examiners.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that she has asked DVSA to take action on four additional measures. These include:

• Incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners – potentially creating thousands of extra tests per month.
• Doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners – meaning more can start carrying out driving tests sooner.
• A call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.

Further information regarding these measures can be found on GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent steps he has taken to phase out animal testing.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The Government invests £10m annually in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) to accelerate the development and adoption of 3Rs approaches. A significant amount of research funding in the UK also goes to underpinning technologies that have the potential to deliver the 3Rs, driving forward innovation.

The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with cancer charities on taking steps to improve the transportation of stem cells.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There have been no recent discussions with cancer charities that suggest the need to improve the transportation of donor stem cells in the United Kingdom or internationally. The UK Aligned Stem Cell Registry has robust contingency measures in place to address travel disruptions and costs incurred by voluntary and contracted couriers who transport donor stem cells to patient transplant centres.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on taking steps to improve the transportation of donor stem cells.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No such discussions have taken place. The UK Aligned Stem Cell Registry has robust contingency measures in place to address travel disruptions and costs incurred by voluntary and contracted couriers who transport donor stem cells to patient transplant centres.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to encourage active travel in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.

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

Slough Unitary Authority has been allocated over £415,000 for active travel in 2024/25 and 2025/26. Over £3.2 million has been allocated to local transport authorities in Berkshire for the same period. Decisions on how to use this funding to improve local cycling and walking routes would be a matter for the respective authorities.

The Government is committed to improving the safety of all road users, especially the most vulnerable such as pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists. This is a key priority for the Department which was reflected in the updated Highway Code in January 2022 with the implementation of a Hierarchy of Road Users. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to help improve cycling safety on roads.

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

Slough Unitary Authority has been allocated over £415,000 for active travel in 2024/25 and 2025/26. Over £3.2 million has been allocated to local transport authorities in Berkshire for the same period. Decisions on how to use this funding to improve local cycling and walking routes would be a matter for the respective authorities.

The Government is committed to improving the safety of all road users, especially the most vulnerable such as pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists. This is a key priority for the Department which was reflected in the updated Highway Code in January 2022 with the implementation of a Hierarchy of Road Users. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to increase awareness of the availability of a PSA blood test.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Currently, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not recommend a national prostate cancer screening programme due to the limitations of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen test, which may lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of cancers that would not have caused harm during a man’s lifetime. However, the UK NSC is undertaking a comprehensive evidence review to assess six potential approaches to targeted screening for those at higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Recommendations will be published upon the conclusion of this review.

In addition, the Government has invested £16 million in the £42 million United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, led by Prostate Cancer UK, which aims to identify new ways of detecting prostate cancer at an earlier stage, including in men without symptoms. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of participants are black men, reflecting their higher risk and the importance of ensuring new tests are effective across all groups.

The UK NSC does not currently recommend a national screening programme for prostate cancer, as the current PSA test lacks the necessary accuracy. It can lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment, as well as false reassurance for some men. This is particularly important given that many prostate cancers are slow-growing and may not cause harm during a man's lifetime.

NHS England is taking steps to increase public understanding of prostate cancer and its risk factors. This includes working in partnership with Cancer Alliances, charities, and local representatives to reach people in their communities with tailored messaging and support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of prostate cancer screening for high risk groups.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Currently, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not recommend a national prostate cancer screening programme due to the limitations of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen test, which may lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of cancers that would not have caused harm during a man’s lifetime. However, the UK NSC is undertaking a comprehensive evidence review to assess six potential approaches to targeted screening for those at higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Recommendations will be published upon the conclusion of this review.

In addition, the Government has invested £16 million in the £42 million United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, led by Prostate Cancer UK, which aims to identify new ways of detecting prostate cancer at an earlier stage, including in men without symptoms. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of participants are black men, reflecting their higher risk and the importance of ensuring new tests are effective across all groups.

The UK NSC does not currently recommend a national screening programme for prostate cancer, as the current PSA test lacks the necessary accuracy. It can lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment, as well as false reassurance for some men. This is particularly important given that many prostate cancers are slow-growing and may not cause harm during a man's lifetime.

NHS England is taking steps to increase public understanding of prostate cancer and its risk factors. This includes working in partnership with Cancer Alliances, charities, and local representatives to reach people in their communities with tailored messaging and support.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to support victims of modern slavery.

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

The Government has developed a Modern Slavery Action Plan which reinforces our commitment to working across Government and with civil society, businesses, and international partners to prevent exploitation, protect victims, and pursue those responsible for these heinous crimes.

In England and Wales, the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC) provides victims safe accommodation, financial support and a support worker to help them access other support such as NHS medical care. We will soon be tendering for the new Support for Victims of Modern Slavery (SVMS) contract to replace the MSVCC when it ends. The SVMS contract has been informed by engagement with survivors and key organisations across the modern slavery sector.

In addition to the statutory support local authorities provide to children in need in their areas, the Government's Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) service is available in two-thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. The ICTG service provides an additional source of advice and support for potential child victims of modern slavery and exploitation and advocates on a child's behalf to ensure their best interests are reflected in the decision-making of the public authorities involved in their care.

An ICTG's advocacy and involvement throughout the decision-making process is intended to ensure the child is protected from further harm, to promote their recovery and prevent them from possible repeat victimisation, re-trafficking or going missing.

The Government intends to go out to tender for the contract for the roll out of a national ICTG service that will cover the whole of England and Wales in Summer 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to increase awareness of the risk factors associated with prostate cancer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Currently, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not recommend a national prostate cancer screening programme due to the limitations of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen test, which may lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of cancers that would not have caused harm during a man’s lifetime. However, the UK NSC is undertaking a comprehensive evidence review to assess six potential approaches to targeted screening for those at higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Recommendations will be published upon the conclusion of this review.

In addition, the Government has invested £16 million in the £42 million United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, led by Prostate Cancer UK, which aims to identify new ways of detecting prostate cancer at an earlier stage, including in men without symptoms. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of participants are black men, reflecting their higher risk and the importance of ensuring new tests are effective across all groups.

The UK NSC does not currently recommend a national screening programme for prostate cancer, as the current PSA test lacks the necessary accuracy. It can lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment, as well as false reassurance for some men. This is particularly important given that many prostate cancers are slow-growing and may not cause harm during a man's lifetime.

NHS England is taking steps to increase public understanding of prostate cancer and its risk factors. This includes working in partnership with Cancer Alliances, charities, and local representatives to reach people in their communities with tailored messaging and support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to increase early stage detection rates for prostate cancer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Currently, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not recommend a national prostate cancer screening programme due to the limitations of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen test, which may lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of cancers that would not have caused harm during a man’s lifetime. However, the UK NSC is undertaking a comprehensive evidence review to assess six potential approaches to targeted screening for those at higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Recommendations will be published upon the conclusion of this review.

In addition, the Government has invested £16 million in the £42 million United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, led by Prostate Cancer UK, which aims to identify new ways of detecting prostate cancer at an earlier stage, including in men without symptoms. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of participants are black men, reflecting their higher risk and the importance of ensuring new tests are effective across all groups.

The UK NSC does not currently recommend a national screening programme for prostate cancer, as the current PSA test lacks the necessary accuracy. It can lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment, as well as false reassurance for some men. This is particularly important given that many prostate cancers are slow-growing and may not cause harm during a man's lifetime.

NHS England is taking steps to increase public understanding of prostate cancer and its risk factors. This includes working in partnership with Cancer Alliances, charities, and local representatives to reach people in their communities with tailored messaging and support.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to ensure (a) compliance with and (b) raise awareness of legal lighting requirements for cyclists at night.

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

Those who cycle have a duty to behave in a safe and responsible manner and to follow the rules set out in The Highway Code. The enforcement of cycling offences is an operational matter for the police.

We promote cycle safety advice for cyclists and motorists via the THINK! website, social channels, education resources and radio filler advertising. We continually review our campaign priorities using data and research to make sure we are addressing the most important road safety issues to help make our roads safer. The Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his expected timeline is for full-fibre availability in the SL2 postcode in Slough constituency.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

According to the independent website ThinkBroadband, over 99% of premises in Slough have access to superfast broadband speeds, and over 96% have access to a gigabit-capable (1000 Mbps) connection.

We currently expect the remaining premises in Slough to be reached by suppliers' commercial rollout, but if there are any premises that cannot be covered commercially, they will be considered for inclusion in Project Gigabit or other interventions.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions has he had with animal protection groups on the phasing out of animal testing.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. The Government will also be hosting a roundtable shortly with representatives from animal welfare organisations to discuss the strategy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress she has made with local councils on improving cycling infrastructure in (a) Slough, (b) Berkshire and (c) the South East.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 12 February, the Department for Transport and Active Travel England (ATE) announced almost £300 million of funding to boost walking, wheeling and cycling with £222.5 million awarded to local authorities across England. This includes over £415,000 of funding in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to Slough Unitary Authority, over £3.2 million to local transport authorities in Berkshire and almost £38.5 million to local authorities in the South East. It will be for local authorities in receipt of funding to decide on priorities for investment across its local transport network.

ATE also provides funding to Sustrans to maintain and upgrade the National Cycle Network, which includes routes in the South East. In the most recent round of funding to the National Cycle Network, Sustrans allocated £1,279,000 to projects in the South East.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress she has made on improving cycling safety in (a) Slough, (b) Berkshire and (c) the South East.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 12 February, the Department for Transport and Active Travel England (ATE) announced almost £300 million of funding to boost walking, wheeling and cycling with £222.5 million awarded to local authorities across England. This includes over £415,000 of funding in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to Slough Unitary Authority, over £3.2 million to local transport authorities in Berkshire and almost £38.5 million to local authorities in the South East. It will be for local authorities in receipt of funding to decide on priorities for investment across its local transport network.

ATE also provides funding to Sustrans to maintain and upgrade the National Cycle Network, which includes routes in the South East. In the most recent round of funding to the National Cycle Network, Sustrans allocated £1,279,000 to projects in the South East.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with Network Rail on the (a) accessibility of train stations and (b) availability of staff to support disabled people who require assistance.

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

This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. Under license conditions and as part of their Accessible Travel Policy, operators including Network Rail must participate in the Passenger Assist scheme. This scheme is designed to help disabled passengers and those with additional needs to use the rail network with confidence and in safety. More broadly, rail operators and Network Rail are responsible for ensuring staff are available to deliver this assistance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with car manufacturers on the prevention of headlight dazzling from SUV style cars.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Officials from the Department for Transport are actively engaged in the recently established United Nations glare prevention taskforce which includes representatives from headlamp and vehicle manufacturers, including those which produce SUV style cars. The first meeting of the taskforce was in April.

In parallel, Government has commissioned independent research into headlamp glare. Careful consideration will be given to that work when it reports later this year to determine what future actions may be appropriate to ensure the safety of all road users.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of headlight dazzling on road user safety.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

All types of road vehicle headlamps, are designed, tested and approved to internationally recognised standards to help prevent undue glare on a broad range of roads and environments.

Police recorded collision statistics in Great Britain do not show any discernible trend over time that would suggest an underlying road safety issue linked to advances in lighting technology.

However, Government recognises increased public concern around headlamp glare and has commissioned independent research. This is measuring light levels experienced by drivers during real driving on UK roads and considers factors like vehicle characteristics, weather conditions and ambient lighting. It also includes a programme of stakeholder engagement to build a comprehensive understanding of the issues. Careful consideration will be given to that work when it reports later this year to determine what future actions may be appropriate to ensure the safety of all road users.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the accessibility of train stations in England.

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

The department undertook a comprehensive audit of the accessibility of GB rail station facilities between April 2021 to April 2023. The data is currently available on the Rail Data Marketplace and is being maintained by the rail industry. The data has also been used to update the National Rail Enquiries website with a more substantial redesign of the website’s station information pages under way and due to be delivered this summer.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to increase the number of train stations which have step free access in the South East.

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

This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and we are continuing to deliver the Access for All (AfA) programme. Since 2019, 22 AfA projects have completed in Network Rail's Southern region with a further 7 in construction or design and a further 15 currently undergoing feasibility studies.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with Transport for London on improving the accessibility of the network for disabled people.

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

Disabled people should be able to travel easily, confidently and with dignity. Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London on a variety of issues including accessibility of their network. Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London, and TfL is responsible for managing the London transport network.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of financial services.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government seeks to ensure that individuals have access to the appropriate financial products and services they need. This is why I am working with a committee of consumer and industry representatives to develop a Financial Inclusion Strategy which will be published later this year.

The strategy will seek to tackle a range of barriers to consumers’ ability to access products, including a focus on: (i) digital inclusion and access to banking; (ii) savings; (iii) insurance; (iv) affordable credit; (v) problem debt; and (vi) financial education and capability.

As part of this work, the committee is considering the cross-cutting theme of accessibility to ensure appropriate consideration of how physical and learning disabilities and cognitive impairments can affect people’s ability to use financial services products and engage with their providers.

More widely, the Government works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK’s financial services sector, to ensure that all customers get the right support with their financial products and services. FCA guidance outlines that firms should identify vulnerable customers and consider their needs appropriately.

Additionally, under the Equality Act 2010, banks must make reasonable adjustments to ensure their services are accessible to all.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to tackle financial exclusion.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government seeks to ensure that individuals have access to the appropriate financial products and services they need. This is why I am working with a committee of consumer and industry representatives to develop a Financial Inclusion Strategy which will be published later this year.

The strategy will seek to tackle a range of barriers to consumers’ ability to access products, including a focus on: (i) digital inclusion and access to banking; (ii) savings; (iii) insurance; (iv) affordable credit; (v) problem debt; and (vi) financial education and capability.

As part of this work, the committee is considering the cross-cutting theme of accessibility to ensure appropriate consideration of how physical and learning disabilities and cognitive impairments can affect people’s ability to use financial services products and engage with their providers.

More widely, the Government works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK’s financial services sector, to ensure that all customers get the right support with their financial products and services. FCA guidance outlines that firms should identify vulnerable customers and consider their needs appropriately.

Additionally, under the Equality Act 2010, banks must make reasonable adjustments to ensure their services are accessible to all.

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 help ensure that NHS patients who are deaf are able to adequately communicate with NHS staff about their care.

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

It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and integrated care boards, to comply with the Equality Act 2010. Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations have a legal duty to make changes in their approach or provision to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled people, including deaf people, as they are for everybody else. This includes responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate provision of British Sign Language interpreters to support deaf patients.

Health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. The Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag was developed to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view details of reasonable adjustments, across the NHS and social care, wherever the person is seen or treated. Following the launch of the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard, published September 2023, the flag went live in the National Care Record Service, and is being rolled out across England.

Since 2016, all NHS organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss, including deaf people. NHS England has been undertaking a review of the AIS to help ensure that the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss are met in health and care provision. A revised AIS will be published in due course. In the meantime, the current AIS remains in force, and therefore there should not be a gap in provision for people using services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to make NHS services more accessible for deaf patients.

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

It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and integrated care boards, to comply with the Equality Act 2010. Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations have a legal duty to make changes in their approach or provision to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled people, including deaf people, as they are for everybody else. This includes responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate provision of British Sign Language interpreters to support deaf patients.

Health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. The Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag was developed to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view details of reasonable adjustments, across the NHS and social care, wherever the person is seen or treated. Following the launch of the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard, published September 2023, the flag went live in the National Care Record Service, and is being rolled out across England.

Since 2016, all NHS organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss, including deaf people. NHS England has been undertaking a review of the AIS to help ensure that the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss are met in health and care provision. A revised AIS will be published in due course. In the meantime, the current AIS remains in force, and therefore there should not be a gap in provision for people using services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to eradicate modern slavery from the NHS.

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

As part of the recommendations from the review into the risk of modern slavery in National Health Service supply chains from December 2023, it was recommended that regulations be laid with a view to eradicating modern slavery, supporting the amendment of Section 12zc in the NHS Act 2006. Further information on the review into the risk of modern slavery in NHS supply chains is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-risk-of-modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking-in-the-nhs-supply-chain

The Department and NHS England have collaboratively developed detailed guidance to support the embedding of the regulations and policies throughout procurement exercises. This ensures alignment to procurements conducted under all legal regimes, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

A public consultation for the content and approach of those regulations was launched in Autumn 2024. A Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) was laid in both Houses of Parliament on 21 November 2024 to launch the consultation, which is available at the following link:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-11-21/hcws245.

As stated in the WMS, the draft regulations and guidance were published alongside the consultation. The consultation closed in February 2025 and the Department will publish a consultation report shortly on the GOV.UK website. The Department intends to lay the regulations in due course, following the publication of the report.

The published guidance refers to a risk assessment tool that NHS England has developed based on the six characteristics to help assess modern slavery risks, as set out in the Public Procurement Policy Note on identifying and managing modern slavery risks. These are: industry type; nature of the workforce; supplier location; context in which the supplier operates; commodity type; and business/supply chain model. Further information on the published guidance and the Public Procurement Policy Note on identifying and managing modern slavery risks is available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/tackling-modern-slavery-in-nhs-procurement-proposed-regulations-and-guidance

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ppn-009-tackling-modern-slavery-in-government-supply-chains

Found: Current members Attendance Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour, Slough) (Chair) (added 11 Sep 2024)

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Chair); Alex Baker; Lincoln Jopp; Mike

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Chair); Mr Calvin Bailey; Alex Baker;