Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the answer of 14 November 2025 to UIN 87821, which 11 companies have olanzapine products which do not list lactose as an ingredient.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The search that was carried out in November 2025 for UIN 87821 listed 11 companies. Accord UK Limited has since cancelled, as of 31 December 2025, its lactose free olanzapine licences, leaving 10 companies from the original list: Generics (UK) Limited; Nordic Pharma Limited; Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (UK) Limited; Milpharm Limited; Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Europe BV; Torrent Pharma (UK) Limited: Eramol (UK) Limited; Krka, Tovarna Zdravil, D.D., Novo Mesto; Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Europe Limited; and Neon Healthcare Limited.

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 tackle regional disparities in access to specialist mental health support for parents following baby loss.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

We are committed to ensuring that all parents experiencing the devastating loss of a baby receive timely, equitable, and compassionate support, regardless of where they live.

Every National Health Service trust in England has signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP), supporting the delivery of consistent, individualised, and sensitive bereavement care. NHS England is working with Sands to support faster and more consistent implementation, and the NBCP has been included in its Medium Term Planning Framework for 2026/27 to 2028/29.

To reduce regional variation, NHS England has funded all integrated care boards to establish seven-day bereavement services across maternity settings. Currently, 38 of 42 integrated care boards and 115 of 120 trusts offer this service.

Maternal mental health services are now available in all areas of England, providing specialist psychological support for women experiencing moderate-to-severe or complex mental health difficulties arising from baby loss. More parents than ever, including fathers and partners, accessed maternal mental health or specialist community perinatal mental health services in the year to April 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 improve emergency maternity care in Slough.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is the provider of maternity services to the residents of Slough, through community midwifery, Frimley Park Hospital services, and Wexham Park Hospital services.

Since March 2026, a Day Assessment Unit has been in place to provide surveillance for high-risk pregnancies within a midwifery-led setting. This operates as a seven-day service and supports the availability of maternity triage services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for those presenting with acute concerns.

Service users at Wexham Park Hospital are able to access all areas of the maternity service via a dedicated telephone triage system, the MAMAS Line, introduced in 2022. Women are triaged using the nationally recognised Birmingham Symptom-Specific Obstetric Triage System (BSOTS). The trust continues to strengthen its application, including undertaking a BSOTS health check in May 2026 to ensure women are assessed according to clinical urgency and seen by the most appropriate clinician.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of legislation in ensuring workplaces are maintained at a reasonable temperature during periods of extreme heat.

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

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 place an obligation on employers to provide a ‘reasonable’ temperature in indoor workplaces.

There is a legal obligation under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 for all employers to make a suitable assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their workers and take action where necessary to minimise those risks as far as reasonably practicable. This would include the risks from extreme weather events, such as heatwaves.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is progressing a wider review of the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 to ensure it is fit for purpose for a modern workplace.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of support available to members of the Armed Forces who are medically discharged to transition into civilian life.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 July 2026 to Question 12263 to the hon. Member for Mid Buckinghamshire (Greg Smith).

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-06-23/12263

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to standardise medical discharge pathways for veterans across the Armed Forces.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 July 2026 to Question 12263 to the hon. Member for Mid Buckinghamshire (Greg Smith).

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-06-23/12263

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether further guidance will be published on the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network for schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is currently procuring a National Delivery Partner to establish and manage the new PE and School Sport Partnership network.

Once this procurement process has concluded, we will be sharing further detail on how this new model will work. The National Delivery Partner, working closely with the government, will be responsible for on-going communication with schools and the wider sector.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the percentage uptake of lung cancer screenings for those invited in Slough constituency.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

Uptake data is not collected or reported at constituency level.

Slough is covered by the Thames Valley Cancer Alliance. Since the start of the Targeted Lung Health Check programme in the Alliance area, 97,462 invitations have been issued and 45,492 people have attended a Lung Health Check appointment, representing an uptake rate of approximately 47%.

In the most recent 12-month period, uptake across the Thames Valley Cancer Alliance has improved to 53%.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Environment Agency on the impact of local businesses located in the Baylis and Salt Hill ward in Slough on air quality.

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

Defra works closely with the Environment Agency (EA) at every level to assess its performance, ensure it is equipped to carry out its functions effectively, and deliver for the public and the environment.

The EA has received pollution incident reports and complaints related to odour and dust from Simpsons Environmental Services Ltd, Simpsons Way, Slough. This is a waste management business that the EA regulates. The EA has regularly inspected the site and undertaken amenity monitoring; odour and dust pollution has not been substantiated as originating from the site. The EA continues to undertake proportionate regulation of the site.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the affordability of wraparound childcare in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.

Answered by Olivia Bailey

We want families to access the childcare support they need and get help with the cost of childcare, so that parents can work and children have the best start in life. We are rolling out free breakfast clubs across the country to support families with work choices and tackle the costs of wraparound childcare. From September 2026 more than 1,400 more schools will be running free breakfast clubs, saving parents up to £450 a year. This includes three free breakfast clubs in Slough, alongside more than 2,700 in total across England.

The government continues to support wraparound and holiday provision, including providing £12.9 million to local authorities this financial year to support school-age childcare, and more than £600m over three years to deliver the Holiday Activities and Food programme.

The Coram Childcare Survey 2025 assessed the average price of an after-school club for a week as £66.48. To help with affordability, eligible parents can access support with childcare costs through Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit Childcare and The Flexible Support Fund.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Slough Borough Council on improving air quality in Slough constituency.

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

Under the Environment Act 1995, local authorities have a duty to assess local air quality and to take action to reduce pollution where air quality objectives are exceeded.

Slough Borough Council is working with local stakeholders to improve air quality through its Air Quality Action Plan for 2024 to 2028. As a statutory consultee, Defra appraises all action plans and reviews progress annually through the Council’s Annual Status Reports, providing feedback to ensure measures remain effective.

As set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, Government is committed to supporting local authority delivery and reducing the time and investment needed to act on air quality at a local level. To help with this, we are refreshing guidance, webinars and materials for air quality officers.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken with local stakeholders to improve air quality in Slough.

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

Under the Environment Act 1995, local authorities have a duty to assess local air quality and to take action to reduce pollution where air quality objectives are exceeded.

Slough Borough Council is working with local stakeholders to improve air quality through its Air Quality Action Plan for 2024 to 2028. As a statutory consultee, Defra appraises all action plans and reviews progress annually through the Council’s Annual Status Reports, providing feedback to ensure measures remain effective.

As set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, Government is committed to supporting local authority delivery and reducing the time and investment needed to act on air quality at a local level. To help with this, we are refreshing guidance, webinars and materials for air quality officers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with Thames Valley Police on the prevention of the illegal (a) use and (b) sale of fireworks.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

No recent discussions have taken place with Thames Valley Police on the prevention of the illegal use and sale of fireworks. Enforcement mechanisms are in place to tackle situations when fireworks are sold illegally, or misused. Local areas decide how best to deploy these powers. New Respect Orders will empower police and councils to impose stringent behavioural restrictions on individuals who repeatedly engage in antisocial behaviour. The 2026–27 final police funding settlement provides up to £21.0 billion for policing in England and Wales - an increase of up to £1.4 billion compared with the 2025–26 settlement.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with Slough Borough Council on the prevention of the illegal (a) use and (b) sale of fireworks.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

No recent discussions have taken place with Slough Borough Council on the prevention of the illegal use and sale of fireworks.

Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers, based on their specific circumstances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken with local stakeholders to increase the proportion of plastic waste recycled in Slough.

Answered by Mary Creagh

The Simpler Recycling reforms ensure that across England, people can recycle the same materials, including plastic, whether at home, work or school.

These changes are already in force for workplaces with 10 or more full time employees and came into effect for households in England from 31 March 2026. Simpler Recycling will apply to micro-firms (workplaces with fewer than 10 employees) from 31 March 2027.

We have provided a suite of resources and guidance on gov.uk to assist local stakeholders in implementing the new requirements. We continue to engage with stakeholders to support successful delivery of the reforms.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the volume of plastic packaging produced for uncut (a) fruit and (b) vegetables where data is available in the past year.

Answered by Mary Creagh

The department does not hold data on, nor has it made an estimate of, the volume of plastic packaging used specifically for uncut fruit and uncut vegetables in the last year. Packaging data reported under the UK’s producer responsibility system is collected by packaging category and material type, rather than by individual food products, and is therefore not available at this level of detail.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure the safety of staff working on the rail network in extreme heat.

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

As employers, train operating companies are responsible for considering if high temperatures pose a risk to the health and safety of their employees. It is the individual employer’s responsibility to decide on the specific measures to put in place to mitigate any health or safety risks. The Office of Rail and Road regulates health and safety for the entire mainline rail network in Great

Network Rail takes seriously the risks of adverse weather conditions on the health and safety of its employees such as dehydration, sunburn, and heat exhaustion. it work collectively with its trade union colleagues to issue general advice on how risks can be mitigated with things like work rotation, regular breaks and sun protection (which is made available). Local areas also consider specific measures to put in place to mitigate any health or safety risks dependent on the work activity and individual vulnerabilities, whilst monitoring effectiveness. Teams also have the opportunity to instigate Network Rail’s work safe procedure should further adjustments be required.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure the safety of rail passengers travelling in extreme heat conditions in (a) Slough and (b) the South East.

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

Ensuring the welfare of passengers and rail staff remains a priority for the Department, including during extreme hot weather. Train operators, including those serving Slough and the South East (Great Western Railway, Greater Thameslink Railway, Southeastern and South Western Railway) encourage all passengers to follow the latest public health and travel advice. During the most recent high temperatures, amended timetables and passenger messaging were developed to support the welfare of passengers and rail staff. Additionally, Elizabeth Line trains travelling through Slough and some Great Western Railway trains also benefit from modern air-conditioned rolling stock, which helps to maintain a safe and comfortable environment during periods of high temperatures.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress his Department has made on establishing a Youth Hub in Slough constituency.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government is committed to ensuring every young person aged 16 – 24 has support and opportunities to enter work or education. We are investing over £2.5bn to help young people build skills, gain experience and progress into earning or learning through the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in apprenticeships via the Growth and Skills Levy over the next three years. This will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn or learn.

Youth Hubs are a core component of the Youth Guarantee. We are expanding Youth Hubs to over 360 areas across Great Britain, underpinned by a core blueprint for minimum service standards. This will make support more accessible and better integrated with other local services in line with local needs and partnerships, ensuring young people can access joined-up employment, skills, housing and wellbeing support in their communities.

Slough is included in the expansion plans for year 2 (2027–28) of the rollout programme.

Local engagement will form an important part of establishing a Youth Hub in Slough. Members with an interest may wish to engage with their local jobcentre Service Leader to understand local plans. Collaboration between Jobcentres, local authorities and community organisations will help ensure young people can access joined-up employment, skills and wider support.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC can provide paper tax returns permanently each year for individuals who request it.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

HMRC provides a range of ways for customers to complete their Self Assessment tax returns. While the majority of customers now file online, paper tax returns remain available for those who cannot or prefer not to use digital services.

Customers who filed a paper return in a previous year are automatically issued with a paper return for the following year. Those who have not previously filed on paper can download the relevant forms from GOV.UK or request a copy from HMRC.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with international counterparts on the availability of safe drinking water in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Quantifying how much aid has entered into Gaza is difficult, due to the complex operating environment and limited real-time data, as well as the Government of Israel's restrictions on humanitarian workers and monitors. However, as we have consistently made clear in recent months, there is still not enough aid getting into Gaza, and it is unacceptable that critical water and sanitation infrastructure remains destroyed. We therefore continue to urge the Government of Israel to remove arbitrary restrictions and take steps to improve living conditions, in line with the commitments it made in the 20-point peace plan.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what volume of UK aid has been successfully delivered to Gaza in the last six months.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Quantifying how much aid has entered into Gaza is difficult, due to the complex operating environment and limited real-time data, as well as the Government of Israel's restrictions on humanitarian workers and monitors. However, as we have consistently made clear in recent months, there is still not enough aid getting into Gaza, and it is unacceptable that critical water and sanitation infrastructure remains destroyed. We therefore continue to urge the Government of Israel to remove arbitrary restrictions and take steps to improve living conditions, in line with the commitments it made in the 20-point peace plan.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent progress she has made on phasing out animal testing.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Government is making progress through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, published in November 2025, which drives a cross‑government programme to accelerate development, validation and uptake of alternative methods. Delivery is underway, supported by £75m investment, new infrastructure such as a preclinical translational models hub, and regulatory reforms including MHRA guidance and early review of non‑animal data. Targeted actions are reducing reliance on specific animal tests and models as validated alternatives emerge. Progress will be tracked through a public delivery update, including key performance indicators, to be published later in 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with British DanceSport Association on the adequacy of safeguarding legislation in protecting children who attend extracurricular activities.

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

The department is committed to safeguarding all children from harm, including those attending extracurricular activities. ​

Last year, we launched a Call for Evidence on Safeguarding in Out-of-School Settings to better understand current practice and invite views on approaches to strengthen safeguards further. To supplement analysis of the Call for Evidence, we have continued to engage with key stakeholders, including British Dancesport Association, to help inform next steps.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent his Department has made of the adequacy of financial support available to hospitality businesses in the constituency of Slough.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Department keeps the adequacy of support for hospitality businesses under regular review, working closely with HM Treasury and industry representatives including through the Hospitality Sector Council.

We are delivering permanently lower business rates multipliers for over 750,000 retail, hospitality and leisure properties, backed by a £4.3 billion support package over three years, including transitional relief to protect businesses from large bill increases following revaluation. Later this year we will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy, to help reinvigorate our communities. To support employment costs, we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500 and maintained NICs reliefs for younger workers and apprentices. We have increased and extended the Hospitality Support Fund to £10 million over the next three years so we can continue to help more pubs, help more people into work and find more innovate ways to improve business productivity and sustainability. The temporary Great British Summer Savings scheme reduces VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent on selected hospitality, leisure and visitor economy activities between 25 June and 1 September.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress he has made on tackling regional differences in the availability of treatment for children with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

Children’s care on this issue should be managed in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on epilepsies, with the reference code NG217. The guideline sets out a range of evidence‑based treatment options beyond anti‑seizure medications, including referral to specialist centres to consider interventions such as epilepsy surgery, vagus nerve stimulation, and dietary therapies, where clinically appropriate.

NHS England commissions specialised paediatric epilepsy services, including tertiary centres that provide multidisciplinary assessment and access to a full range of treatment options for children with complex or drug‑resistant epilepsy. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning local services and for addressing variation in access and outcomes within their populations.

The national bundle of care for children with epilepsy supports more consistent, high‑quality care by setting out a clear, standardised approach to assessment, treatment, and ongoing management. By promoting timely referral to specialist services, multidisciplinary review, and consideration of the full range of evidence‑based treatment options, including for children with drug‑resistant epilepsy, the bundle helps ensure that care is delivered in line with best practice regardless of where a child lives. This reduces unwarranted regional variation and improves equitable access to appropriate interventions by supporting ICBs and providers to align services with national expectations and clinical guidance.

Implementation of the national bundle of care, alongside NICE guidance and NHS England’s service specifications for specialised epilepsy services, helps to ensure a more standardised approach to care and supports efforts to reduce unwarranted variation in access to appropriate treatments across England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of alternative treatments for children with drug-resistant epilepsy in Slough.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

Children’s care on this issue should be managed in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on epilepsies, with the reference code NG217. The guideline sets out a range of evidence‑based treatment options beyond anti‑seizure medications, including referral to specialist centres to consider interventions such as epilepsy surgery, vagus nerve stimulation, and dietary therapies, where clinically appropriate.

NHS England commissions specialised paediatric epilepsy services, including tertiary centres that provide multidisciplinary assessment and access to a full range of treatment options for children with complex or drug‑resistant epilepsy. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning local services and for addressing variation in access and outcomes within their populations.

The national bundle of care for children with epilepsy supports more consistent, high‑quality care by setting out a clear, standardised approach to assessment, treatment, and ongoing management. By promoting timely referral to specialist services, multidisciplinary review, and consideration of the full range of evidence‑based treatment options, including for children with drug‑resistant epilepsy, the bundle helps ensure that care is delivered in line with best practice regardless of where a child lives. This reduces unwarranted regional variation and improves equitable access to appropriate interventions by supporting ICBs and providers to align services with national expectations and clinical guidance.

Implementation of the national bundle of care, alongside NICE guidance and NHS England’s service specifications for specialised epilepsy services, helps to ensure a more standardised approach to care and supports efforts to reduce unwarranted variation in access to appropriate treatments across England.

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 with relevant stakeholders to ensure the safety of vulnerable groups during periods of extreme heat in Slough constituency.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) supports partner organisations, including in Slough, to prepare for periods of hot weather through its Adverse Weather and Health Plan and associated resources, including Heat-Health guidance and checklists for those supporting the vulnerable. As periods of hot weather approach, the UKHSA and the Met Office jointly assess risks to health and issue Heat-Health Alerts based on this assessment. These alerts trigger enhanced communications to support partner organisations and the public to take action to minimise health harms and to look out for the vulnerable.

The Adverse Weather and Health Plan and further information on Heat-Health Alerts are available on the GOV.UK website, at the following two links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adverse-weather-and-health-plan

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/weather-health-alerting-system

The UKHSA’s public-facing communications also reinforce who is particularly vulnerable to health impacts of heat and why, and what action they should take. Further information is available at the following two links:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/heat-summary-supporting-vulnerable-people-for-all-users

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/beat-the-heat-advice-for-hot-weather

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with speech and language (a) organisations and (b) specialists on their views on (i) SEND reforms and (ii) the support available to children with speech and language challenges within schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government consultation, special educational needs and disabilities reform: putting children and young people first, revealed the critical role that speech and language therapy plays in supporting children with speech, language and communication needs.

Our reforms will ensure every child gets the right support at the right time. We are investing £1.8 billion in the new Experts at Hand offer, through which education settings will be able to access support from speech and language therapists (SaLTs). These experts will work directly with staff in education settings to equip them with the skills and strategies to better meet needs.

We are also investing £15 million to establish new SaLT advanced practitioners in every integrated care board area to support more SaLTs to work with educational settings, upskill speech and language support workers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the availability of speech and language therapy for children in Slough.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government consultation, special educational needs and disabilities reform: putting children and young people first, revealed the critical role that speech and language therapy plays in supporting children with speech, language and communication needs.

Our reforms will ensure every child gets the right support at the right time. We are investing £1.8 billion in the new Experts at Hand offer, through which education settings will be able to access support from speech and language therapists (SaLTs). These experts will work directly with staff in education settings to equip them with the skills and strategies to better meet needs.

We are also investing £15 million to establish new SaLT advanced practitioners in every integrated care board area to support more SaLTs to work with educational settings, upskill speech and language support workers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with Frimley Health NHS Trust on progress made on the recruitment of midwives for Wexham Park Hospital.

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

The Department has not discussed midwife recruitment with the Frimley Health NHS Trust. Decisions on the recruitment of midwives are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts, which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

We are investing £10.6 million to fund an additional 1,000 temporary roles to help newly qualified midwives join the NHS. The new roles for graduates will help build on the success of the 2025 Graduate Guarantee that means every newly qualified midwife in England will have the opportunity to apply to join the NHS.

We will also shortly be publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan, which will put the NHS workforce on a sustainable footing so it can deliver the service model set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to help prevent the importation of low-welfare animal products.

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

The Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare protections.

The Government will always consider whether overseas goods benefit from an unfair advantage and any impact on UK producers. Where necessary, the Government will use the full range of powers at Government’s disposal including permanent quotas, exclusions and safeguards. For example, the trade deal with India agreed in May 2025 and the recently agreed deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council both reflect the priorities of the farming sector, including opening new opportunities for UK agricultural exports and excluding pork, chicken and eggs from tariff reductions.

Found: Current membership Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour; Slough) (Chair) Mr Calvin Bailey (Labour; Leyton

Found: Defence Committee members present: Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Chair); Alex Baker; Michelle Scrogham.

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

Submit Evidence (by 7 Oct 2026)

This inquiry will examine the UK’s resilience and preparedness for conflict, asking whether the UK government is meeting its obligations under NATO’s Article 3. The inquiry will also look at what powers the proposed Defence Readiness Bill might need to include to enable civil assistance to military authority in the event of a conflict.

Submit Evidence (by 6 Sep 2026)

No description available