Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Jobcentre Plus staff receive training on trauma-informed approaches when working with refugees and asylum seekers.

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

The DWP launched introductory trauma informed learning in Summer 2025, following a successful pilot across 23/24; supporting staff to respond to experiences of adversity and trauma including that experienced by refugees and asylum seekers. The learning is further embedded through bespoke products and wider initiatives.

This is part of a comprehensive training package designed to equip staff with the skills to provide high-quality, inclusive customer service to all claimants and tailor support to individual needs.

The Department remains committed to continually reviewing and improving training to meet the diverse requirements of customers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what processes are in place for families to seek remedial action against GPs who fail to correctly diagnose patients who shortly afterwards pass away.

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

If a family wishes to make a formal complaint about services provided by a general practice, they should write to the practice manager. If the family is not comfortable raising a complaint directly, they can instead raise their concerns with their local National Health Service integrated care board, with NHS England or with their local Healthwatch, the independent consumer champion for health and social care. Further information about the NHS complaints procedure and Healthwatch can be found, respectively, at the following two links:

www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs

www.healthwatch.co.uk

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support young people pursuing apprenticeships who are unable to obtain English and Maths GCSEs; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the requirement to obtain English and Maths GCSEs when irrelevant to their chosen vocation on young people's confidence and self belief.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Young people are not required to hold GCSE qualifications in English and/or maths before starting an apprenticeship.

Apprentices under the age of 19 are funded to achieve up to a level 2 qualification in English and/or maths (where they do not already hold one) before the end of their apprenticeship, putting them in the best position to progress in their life and career. This can be a GCSE or functional skills qualification.

Further flexibility is in place for apprentices with a learning difficulty and/or disability, where there is evidence this is likely to be a barrier to them completing their apprenticeship. In these cases, they are able to achieve an entry level 3 functional skills qualification to complete. Since August 2024, this flexibility has been available to apprentices with a learning difficulty and/or disability but without an Education Health and Care Plan.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the requirement to have GCSEs to enter apprenticeships on young people with disabilities, learning difficulties and neurodivergence.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Young people are not required to hold GCSE qualifications in English and/or maths before starting an apprenticeship.

Apprentices under the age of 19 are funded to achieve up to a level 2 qualification in English and/or maths (where they do not already hold one) before the end of their apprenticeship, putting them in the best position to progress in their life and career. This can be a GCSE or functional skills qualification.

Further flexibility is in place for apprentices with a learning difficulty and/or disability, where there is evidence this is likely to be a barrier to them completing their apprenticeship. In these cases, they are able to achieve an entry level 3 functional skills qualification to complete. Since August 2024, this flexibility has been available to apprentices with a learning difficulty and/or disability but without an Education Health and Care Plan.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the regularity of identity verification for businesses and shops possibly operating illegally.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department considered the regularity of identity verification as part of Companies House reform. Identity verification applies to individuals associated with registered entities, not all businesses and is generally a one-off requirement. This approach provides more assurance about who is setting up, running and controlling companies in the UK whilst minimising burdens to business. Companies House can, require individuals to re-verify their identity where there are concerns that verification was obtained fraudulently. Identity verification forms part of a broader, risk-based approach, alongside enhanced intelligence sharing and strengthened powers to detect and address suspicious activity.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what role the UK Government is playing internationally to support equitable access to long-acting HIV prevention technologies, including long-acting PrEP, in low-income settings.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 January in response to Question 101723.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how the Government is working with international partners to ensure that new HIV prevention technologies are affordable and accessible to populations most at risk.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 January in response to Question 101723.

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 that funding reductions do not undermine progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 January in response to Question 101723.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international partners on protecting global HIV funding and increasing progress towards ending AIDS by 2030.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 January in response to Question 101723.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking maximise the public sharing of evidence on which assertions by the VOA are made; and how the VOA's duty to taxpayer confidentiality will be used when responding to queries.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Valuation Office Agency publishes valuation information for transparency while ensuring the protection of taxpayer confidentiality in line with its duty under the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005. The VOA published draft valuations from the 2026 Revaluation of Business Rates alongside Autumn Budget, so ratepayers can see the Rateable Values on which their bills will be based from 1 April 2026. To increase transparency, VOA also provided customers with information on comparable properties to help them understand how their rateable value has been determined.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure transparency in the work of the VOA.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Valuation Office Agency publishes valuation information for transparency while ensuring the protection of taxpayer confidentiality in line with its duty under the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005. The VOA published draft valuations from the 2026 Revaluation of Business Rates alongside Autumn Budget, so ratepayers can see the Rateable Values on which their bills will be based from 1 April 2026. To increase transparency, VOA also provided customers with information on comparable properties to help them understand how their rateable value has been determined.

Review of the student loan system

Situation in Iran

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026

Artificial Intelligence chatbots

Financial Support for the Music and Dance Scheme

Social media for under 16s

Gambling harms

Found: Singh Josan (Labour; Smethwick) John Lamont (Conservative; Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) Tom Morrison

Found: Singh Josan (Labour; Smethwick) John Lamont (Conservative; Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) Tom Morrison

Found: Industries Stuart Brittle Medisort Susannah Odell Microsoft Tara Singh Coalition for App Fairness Tom Morrison