Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to work with technology companies to co-develop (a) standards and (b) frameworks to help increase levels of trust in AI among (i) the public and (ii) businesses.

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

The government recognises the importance of trust in AI systems. DSIT is building confidence in and driving adoption of AI by supporting a growing, competitive, and dynamic AI assurance ecosystem. AI assurance can help provide the basis for consumers to trust the products they buy will work as intended and for industry to confidently invest in new products and services.

The Department will continue to work with a range of stakeholders, including the public and businesses, as we deliver initiatives to support the AI assurance ecosystem. This includes further developing our AI Management Essentials framework for businesses as well as our roadmap to trusted third-party AI assurance, which will be published this summer.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an international AI safety agency headquartered in the UK.

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

AI is the technology driving the next global industrial revolution - creating the economic growth which is central to our Plan for Change. Through the AI opportunities action plan, we are cementing Britain's position as a world leader on AI.

The UK is committed to international cooperation on AI safety and security. The AI Security Institute is a central example of our leadership.

The Institute has one of the world's largest teams dedicated to AI security.

Technical talent is drawn from the best AI labs in the world, including: Anthropic, OpenAI and Google DeepMind. It is the first state-backed body of its kind, and its work sets the global gold standard for AI security.

It partners internationally, with the US, Canada and many others to develop best practices on secure AI development.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the use of e-invoicing to support SME digital adoption.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

E-invoicing can help SMEs to reduce administrative burdens and data processing errors. Increasing SME adoption of digital tools like e-invoicing can therefore lead to increased productivity, as well as improved payment times and streamlined tax administration.

The SME Digital Adoption Taskforce has been developing recommendations for Government and Industry on how best to encourage uptake of digital tools such as e-invoicing. The Taskforce produced an interim report in March 2025. Their final report will be published later this Summer.

DBT and HMRC recently ran a joint 12-week consultation to gather views on promoting e-invoicing in the UK. The Government will publish a summary of responses and provide an update on next steps in due course.

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 improve timely access to innovative treatments for women with ovarian cancer.

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

The Department is committed to improving cancer care for patients across England, including those with ovarian cancer. The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country, including patients with ovarian cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and access to treatment. It will ensure that more patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and to clinical trials. These actions will help bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

The Government is supporting Scott Arthur’s Private Members Bill on rare cancers. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials into rare cancers, such as ovarian cancer, to take place in England by ensuring the patient population can be easily contacted by researchers.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of permitted development rights on (a) community engagement with and (b) levels of local oversight for planning; and what steps she is taking to ensure that all developments of a significant scale require local (i) consultation and (ii) scrutiny at the planning stage.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Where permitted development rights consent development which could have local impacts, a prior approval process can allow for consideration of specified planning matters by the local planning authority and the local community.

Planning law requires local planning authorities to publicise applications for planning permission and consult any relevant statutory bodies for a minimum of 21 days. The local planning authority must not determine the application until after this period. This is 30 days if the development is subject to Environmental Impact Assessment.

The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of bus services in rural areas in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.

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

The government recognises the importance of accessible, frequent and affordable bus services in keeping communities connected, including in rural areas. Buses in England outside London were deregulated by the Transport Act 1985 and at present are largely run on a commercial basis where the operator decides on routes and provision.

The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December 2024 as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire more widely, and rural areas right across England.

In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million to local authorities across the country, of which Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £12.2 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities, including in rural areas.

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming continued funding each year from 26/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots, and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of e-invoicing on (a) payment times and (b) cash flow management for SMEs.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to tackling late payments, which can cause cash flow issues for SMEs. In September 2024 we announced measures including a new Fair Payment Code, legislation requiring large companies to report headline payment performance data in their annual reports, and a public consultation on further measures.

Adoption of e-invoicing can also help improve payment times and cash flow management by reducing administrative burdens and data errors and streamlining invoicing processes.

DBT and HMRC recently ran a joint 12-week consultation to gather views on promoting e-invoicing in the UK. The Government will publish a summary of responses and provide an update on next steps in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to help promote reading through (a) digital formats and (b) media platforms commonly used by young people.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

​I refer the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted to the answer of 26 June 2025 to Question ​​61425​.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase (a) awareness and (b) availability of Parkinson’s specialist nurses in primary care; and what proportion of GP surgeries have established referral pathways to such specialist support.

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

The Government is committed to improving care for people with neurological conditions, including those with Parkinson’s disease, and ensuring they receive the support that they need. With one in six people suffering from neurological conditions that can severely impact every aspect of their lives, it is vital we ensure that they, along with their families and carers, receive high-quality, compassionate care and access to the latest services and treatments. Having a better understanding of diseases like Parkinson’s is vital in making sure we can provide the right care at the right time.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) commission secondary care neurology services and interface with primary care to ensure there is access to specialist services. Parkinson’s specialist nurses are generally based in secondary and community care settings, depending on where the ICB determines is the best service provision for their locality.

All general practitioners should follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline 127 on the recognition and referral of people with suspected neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease. Further information on NICE clinical guideline 127 is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127

Regular support with a Parkinson’s disease nurse specialist is highlighted as a key intervention in NICE guideline 71, Parkinson’s disease in adults, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng71/

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the funding allocation for planning enforcement for local authorities for the next (a) year and (b) five years; and what steps she is taking (i) to ensure timely enforcement action in cases of alleged breaches and (ii) with local authorities to help improve enforcement capacity.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local planning authorities do not receive a standalone funding allocation for planning enforcement.

Planning enforcement is at the discretion of local planning authorities and it is for them to decide when and how they use the powers available to them depending on the circumstances of any given case.

Resourcing planning departments remains a priority for this government.

On 25 February 2025, the draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 were agreed. These regulations increase planning fees for householder and other applications, with a view to providing much-needed additional resources for hard-pressed LPAs.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill also includes provisions that will allow LPAs to set planning fees or charges at a level that reflects the individual costs to the LPA to carry out the function for which it is imposed and to ensure that the income from planning fees or charges is applied towards the delivery of the planning function.

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 potential impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill on the ability of charitable landlords to offer flexible housing in areas lacking affordable private rentals.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters' Rights Bill delivers the government's manifesto commitment to overhaul the regulation of the private rented sector, including by abolishing Section 21 'no fault' evictions.

Upon the commencement date, the new tenancy system provided for by the Bill will apply to all private tenancies - existing tenancies will become periodic, and any new tenancies will be governed by the new rules.

We recognise that regaining possession is sometimes necessary to ensure supply of specialist types of accommodation. The Bill therefore introduces a limited number of possession grounds to ensure there is an adequate supply of properties in vital sectors such as supported accommodation, and for those offering 'stepping stone' accommodation. These grounds may be available to registered charities who provide relevant accommodation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) tailored exemption and (b) alternative mechanism to the Renter’s Rights Bill for non-profit charitable landlords.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters' Rights Bill delivers the government's manifesto commitment to overhaul the regulation of the private rented sector, including by abolishing Section 21 'no fault' evictions.

Upon the commencement date, the new tenancy system provided for by the Bill will apply to all private tenancies - existing tenancies will become periodic, and any new tenancies will be governed by the new rules.

We recognise that regaining possession is sometimes necessary to ensure supply of specialist types of accommodation. The Bill therefore introduces a limited number of possession grounds to ensure there is an adequate supply of properties in vital sectors such as supported accommodation, and for those offering 'stepping stone' accommodation. These grounds may be available to registered charities who provide relevant accommodation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of excess sewage sludge on river pollution in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.

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

Sewage sludge is a by-product of the wastewater treatment process which can be spread on fields as a fertiliser.

Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989 (SUiAR) supported by the Sewage Sludge Code of Practice provide environmental and health protections from sludge spreading.

The Government is continuing to work with the Environment Agency to assess the regulatory framework for spreading sludge. We recognise that effective and proportionate regulations are an essential tool to improve the water environment.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his planned timetable is for publishing the consultation on the proposed AI Bill.

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

The Government plans to publish a consultation later this year on AI legislation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to finance for creative SMEs in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

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

The new Creative Industries Sector Plan, published as part of the government’s Industrial Strategy, recognises that outside London and the South East, creative businesses find it harder to access finance. The £43 million DCMS Create Growth Programme supports thousands of creative SMEs to grow and access finance, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, providing grant funding, investor capacity building activities and investment readiness support.

The Sector Plan sets out further support for creative SMEs, including significantly increased support for the sector from the British Business Bank and UKRI as well as a £380 million funding package over the Spending Review period.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to encourage local government support for arts and culture in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

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

The Secretary of State has a range of discussions with Cabinet colleagues across the whole of her portfolio, and DCMS officials regularly discuss support for arts and culture with their counterparts across His Majesty’s Government.

In last month’s spending review, the government committed to providing an additional £3.4 billion of grant funding to local government in 2028‑29 compared to 2024‑25. This equates to an average annual real terms increase in overall local authority core spending power of 3.1% across the spending review period. Whilst individual decisions on how to invest departmental resources will be determined in due course, there will be significant investment into Arts and Culture over the spending review period, including to Arts Council England (ACE) who will continue to support local arts programmes and projects across the country.

In the 2024-25 financial year, ACE provided over £22k of funding to arts projects in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. Details of this funding can be found on the ACE website here https://culture.localinsight.org/#/map

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the British film industry, in the context of potential US tariffs.

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

The Creative Industries Sector Plan announced significant support for the UK film industry, including a new £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years. This includes a scaled-up £18 million per year UK Global Screen Fund; support for the London Film Festival; funding to attract inward investment; and an expansion of the BFI Film Academy to get more 16-25 year olds from underrepresented backgrounds into the industry.

In addition to this package, we are devolving £150 million to six Mayoral Strategic Authorities through our Creative Places Growth Fund, which can be used by local leaders to boost their film and TV industries. We are investing £25 million to fund five new CoSTAR labs to develop innovative technologies like augmented reality and motion capture and two showcase spaces to demonstrate new innovations, working with partners including the BFI. And we are delivering £10 million to expand the world-leading National Film and Television School, unlocking £11 million of private investment.

There are no tariffs on the UK’s film industry. The deep ties between the US and UK film industries provide mutual economic and cultural benefits to both countries and we are committed to maintaining our strong partnership. The government will continue to monitor the situation closely, and will continue to take a calm and balanced approach to our engagement with the US.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support freelancers in the creative industries in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) the rest of England.

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

DCMS has committed in the recent Creative Industries Sector Plan to appoint a Freelance Champion, who will give freelancers a voice within government.

DCMS will work with industry to develop Terms of Reference for this role. We envisage that it will represent the interests of creative freelancers in areas such as the development of the Plan to Make Work Pay, the Small Business Commissioner, the Fair Work Agency, and the Department for Business and Trade’s Small Business Growth Forum.

Skills Bootcamps continue to support adults across England to build sector-specific skills, including those needed for the creative industries. The government is allocating up to £5.6 million for Skills Bootcamps in 25/26 for Hertfordshire County Council, to support training for local learners, including those that are freelance or self-employed. This includes production assistant training and training in content creation for the creative industry.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of permitting GPs to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products; and what plans he has to ensure NHS access to full-spectrum cannabinoid treatments for treatment-resistant epilepsy.

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

The conditions attached to a medicine’s marketing authorisation determine who it can be prescribed by. This may include restricting the initiation of treatments to specialist doctors, as is the case for the licensed cannabis-based medicines Sativex and Epidyolex. These are not first line treatments, and patients will be at a stage in their treatment pathway where they will be under the care of a specialist doctor before accessing these medicines.

General practitioners (GPs) cannot independently prescribe unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use. The law allows GPs to prescribe these products under the direction of a specialist as part of a shared care arrangement. A GP can accept ongoing shared care responsibilities once a specialist has initiated a prescription, and a patient’s clinical condition is stable. In doing so, they must accept the enhanced legal and professional responsibilities associated with prescribing an unlicensed product, and this includes accountability for the quality of the product prescribed.

This restriction forms part of the checks and balances that the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs recommended the Government put in place when rescheduling cannabis-based products for medicinal use, to minimise the risk of misuse and diversion.

Clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) state that there is insufficient evidence to make population level recommendations for the use of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use in the treatment of patients with refractory epilepsy. NICE recommends that further research is carried out to inform future commissioning decisions in the National Health Service.

Like any medicine, manufacturers of unlicensed cannabinoid treatments need to invest in research and clinical trials to prove that their products are safe and effective. In the absence of action from manufacturers, NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Research have agreed to over £8.5 million in funding for two world first clinical trials relating to the use of cannabis-based products for medicinal use for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsies and neuropathic pain due to chemotherapy. Further information on the trial of medicinal cannabis for refractory epilepsies, and the trial of oral cannabinoids for the treatment of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathic pain is available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR131309

https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR151052

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to include targets on improving survival for (a) ovarian cancer and (b) other rare and less common cancers in the upcoming national cancer plan.

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

The Department is committed to improving survival outcomes for all cancer types, including ovarian cancer and other rare and less common cancers, by catching it early, and treating it faster and more effectively. As a first step, the National Health Service is now delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to support early diagnosis and faster treatment.

NHS England is continuing the roll out of community diagnostic centres to ensure that patients can access the diagnostic tests they need as quickly as possible. The NHS is also improving pathways to get people diagnosed faster once they are referred, including non-specific symptom pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway.

To ensure patients have access to the best treatment for ovarian cancer, NHS England commissioned an audit on ovarian cancer. Using routine data collected on patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer in an NHS setting as part of their care and treatment, the audits bring together information to look at what is being done well, where it’s being done well, and what needs to be improved. The audit published its report in September 2024 and officials across NHS England and the Department are considering its findings.

Further actions on improving the survival of all cancers, including ovarian cancer and other rare and less common cancers, will be outlined in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, which will be published later this year. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. The goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years, and the ambition will be set out as part of the National Cancer Plan.

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 improve survival outcomes for patients diagnosed with (a) ovarian cancer and (b) other rare and less common cancers.

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

The Department is committed to improving survival outcomes for all cancer types, including ovarian cancer and other rare and less common cancers, by catching it early, and treating it faster and more effectively. As a first step, the National Health Service is now delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to support early diagnosis and faster treatment.

NHS England is continuing the roll out of community diagnostic centres to ensure that patients can access the diagnostic tests they need as quickly as possible. The NHS is also improving pathways to get people diagnosed faster once they are referred, including non-specific symptom pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway.

To ensure patients have access to the best treatment for ovarian cancer, NHS England commissioned an audit on ovarian cancer. Using routine data collected on patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer in an NHS setting as part of their care and treatment, the audits bring together information to look at what is being done well, where it’s being done well, and what needs to be improved. The audit published its report in September 2024 and officials across NHS England and the Department are considering its findings.

Further actions on improving the survival of all cancers, including ovarian cancer and other rare and less common cancers, will be outlined in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, which will be published later this year. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. The goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years, and the ambition will be set out as part of the National Cancer Plan.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to encourage investment in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

This government is committed to keeping Britain economically stable to spur investment. Investment that will increase the number of good, well-skilled jobs and improve productivity across the country.

Last month the government released the Industrial and Infrastructure Strategies. These 10-year plans will create and connect people to good jobs, support new housing and neighborhoods, and ensuring people can depend on vital public services. They will also increase business investment in 8 growth-driving sectors, by making it quicker and easier for businesses to invest and providing them with the certainty and stability needed for long-term investment decisions.

To support the success of our strategies the Department for Business and Trade has a dedicated investment function in the UK and overseas, including the new expanded Office for Investment (OfI) which is the UK’s investment promotion agency. This bolstered OfI redoubles UK efforts to secure investment to drive economic growth as part of Government’s Plan for Change and targets investors in high-growth and foundational sectors. Since taking office over 600 individual investments have been supported by this government, and we will continue to work hard on landing more.

This government is also committed to supporting growth driving initiatives such as the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor. At the start of this year Science Minister Vallance was appointed as Oxford-Cambridge Innovation Champion. He will strengthen connections between OxCam and the wider UK, so this region is an economic engine for the entire nation.

These measures will encourage investment into Harpenden and Berkhamsted, with local organisations like Rothamsted Research able to benefit from participation in OxCam-related research and innovation. The Industrial Strategy’s focus on frontier manufacturing sectors, including Agri-Tech, will further support this.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Financial Conduct Authority's powers in preventing insurers from applying excessive premium increases to non-fault claimants.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Insurers make commercial decisions about pricing and the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics.

However, the Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive).

The FCA have made clear they monitor firms to ensure they provide products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it has robust powers to take action against firms that fail to comply with its rules.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase railway capacity in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.

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

Rail services in the Hertfordshire region are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. Operators must continually reassess their services to ensure they provide rail timetables that provide sufficient capacity, are fit for the future, and carefully balance cost and performance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of passenger rail performance in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and b) Hertfordshire.

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

Department officials continuously monitor the performance of train operating companies across a range of measures and meet regularly with senior management to scrutinise and challenge their companies’ performance. The Department will continue to engage with the operators serving the constituency to ensure that they deliver their contractual commitments.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the autumn Budget 2024 on costs for small and medium-sized businesses in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) the rest of England.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government’s priority mission is to deliver strong, secure and sustainable economic growth to boost living standards in every part of the UK. The Spending Review marked a key step in the growth mission, allocating substantial new capital investment to ensure growth is felt across the country. This investment will be further bolstered in the coming months by other reforms, building on the Industrial Strategy and the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy announced last month.

Hertfordshire will receive £38 million in Local Transport Grant funding enabling local authorities to deliver transport improvements including more zero emission buses, cycleways, accessibility and congestion improvement measures. This will deliver a four-fold increase in funding in 2029-30 compared to 2024-25.

At Autumn Budget, the Government protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. The Government also froze the small businesses multiplier for 2025-26, and extended the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) business rates relief for 1-year at 40% (up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business).

The Government has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations to increase the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates, which balance the impacts on business, competitiveness of the labour market and wider economy, as well as taking into account the cost of living.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help increase economic growth in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government’s priority mission is to deliver strong, secure and sustainable economic growth to boost living standards in every part of the UK. The Spending Review marked a key step in the growth mission, allocating substantial new capital investment to ensure growth is felt across the country. This investment will be further bolstered in the coming months by other reforms, building on the Industrial Strategy and the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy announced last month.

Hertfordshire will receive £38 million in Local Transport Grant funding enabling local authorities to deliver transport improvements including more zero emission buses, cycleways, accessibility and congestion improvement measures. This will deliver a four-fold increase in funding in 2029-30 compared to 2024-25.

At Autumn Budget, the Government protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. The Government also froze the small businesses multiplier for 2025-26, and extended the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) business rates relief for 1-year at 40% (up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business).

The Government has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations to increase the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates, which balance the impacts on business, competitiveness of the labour market and wider economy, as well as taking into account the cost of living.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the Digital Services Tax.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The DST is an interim solution to widely held concerns with international corporate tax, and the UK remains committed to remove it once a global solution on the taxation of the digital economy through Pillar 1 of the G20-OECD Inclusive Framework project is in place.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress her Department has made towards establishing a ban on conversion practices.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

I refer the Honourable member to my answer on 24 June (PQ 60396).

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential of state pension integration practices on (a) lower-paid and (b) female pensioners; and if she will take steps to review (i) guidance and (ii) legislation to help ensure (A) fairness and (B) transparency.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The aim of “integrated” pension schemes is to provide a more predictable and stable pension income over time where a person’s occupational pension comes into payment before their State Pension. This is achieved by paying a higher pension before the person reaches State Pension age, which is subsequently reduced when their State Pension comes into payment. The Government is aware of the concerns raised by members of these schemes, especially in terms of the possible disproportionate impact on women.

The reduction applied to lower-paid and female pensioners in an integrated scheme may be a greater proportion of the overall entitlement than it is for higher-paid and male pensioners. This is due to societal and labour market issues during their working lives, which has resulted in these groups having, on average, lower earnings and therefore receiving a lower pension from the scheme.

It is extremely important that people have good, clear information about their occupational pension scheme, so that they can make informed decisions about their retirement. Trustees are required to provide relevant information to members of a pension scheme, including information about how integration will affect their pension benefits. If someone does not think that their scheme has been sufficiently clear about the way integration will affect their pension, they should use the scheme’s internal dispute resolution service, which every scheme is required to have. If they are not satisfied with the outcome, they can take the matter to the Pensions Ombudsman.

The precise design of pension benefits is a matter for employers and trustees and is not covered in Department for Work and Pensions legislation. Pension scheme rules on the calculation of benefits are many and varied and are a matter for employers and scheme trustees to decide.; however, these pensions have been paid in accordance with the scheme rules and within the law.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the implementation of Grey Belt policy aligns with the settlement hierarchy set out in adopted local plans.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department published updated guidance on Green Belt policy on 27 February 2025 to assist local authorities and other decision-makers, including planning inspectors, in determining whether land is grey belt. It can be found on gov.uk here.

It is for decision-makers to consider how best to apply the policy to particular local circumstances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the interpretation of the definition of Grey Belt by planning inspectors in (a) rural and (b) semi-rural areas.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department published updated guidance on Green Belt policy on 27 February 2025 to assist local authorities and other decision-makers, including planning inspectors, in determining whether land is grey belt. It can be found on gov.uk here.

It is for decision-makers to consider how best to apply the policy to particular local circumstances.

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 plans to issue planning practice guidance on the (a) use and (b) interpretation of Grey Belt policy.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department published updated guidance on Green Belt policy on 27 February 2025 to assist local authorities and other decision-makers, including planning inspectors, in determining whether land is grey belt. It can be found on gov.uk here.

It is for decision-makers to consider how best to apply the policy to particular local circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether investment in family hubs will be included in the upcoming Child Poverty Strategy.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted to the answer of 03 July 2025 to Question 63139.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) a hub and spoke model and (b) the utilisation of detached youth work within Young Futures Hubs on (i) outreach and (ii) access for young people.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government has committed to the creation of a new Young Futures Programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships. Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive.

Officials from across several departments are already working jointly, using evidence of what works to start to shape the Young Futures Hubs model. We are engaging with local areas, communities, statutory partners, charities, and other stakeholders, including assessing evidence they have supplied, to support the design of the Young Futures Hubs and explore options for their delivery. This includes considering how best to engage with those young people who would benefit most from support.

Across Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, the government is adopting a phased approach to learn from what works. To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, we will establish a number of early adopter hubs, the locations of which will be determined by where they will have the most impact. These early adopters and work in local areas and will inform the longer-term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs.

Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape and they will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing. The government is developing a National Youth Strategy to set out a new long-term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how local areas will be supported to implement Young Futures Hubs.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government has committed to the creation of a new Young Futures Programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships. Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive.

Officials from across several departments are already working jointly, using evidence of what works to start to shape the Young Futures Hubs model. We are engaging with local areas, communities, statutory partners, charities, and other stakeholders, including assessing evidence they have supplied, to support the design of the Young Futures Hubs and explore options for their delivery. This includes considering how best to engage with those young people who would benefit most from support.

Across Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, the government is adopting a phased approach to learn from what works. To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, we will establish a number of early adopter hubs, the locations of which will be determined by where they will have the most impact. These early adopters and work in local areas and will inform the longer-term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs.

Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape and they will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing. The government is developing a National Youth Strategy to set out a new long-term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that its fraud strategy provides consumers with protection from all types of fraudulent advertising.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

As part of the requirements of the Online Safety Act (2023), large social media and search services will be required to use proactive systems and processes to prevent the public from encountering fraudulent adverts, and minimise the length of time any such content is present on their platforms.

Ofcom is scheduled to consult on the Fraudulent Advertising Duty by early 2026. This consultation is part of the broader framework for ‘Additional Duties’ on the largest in-scope companies.

This Government committed in our manifesto to introduce an expanded Fraud Strategy, and details of that strategy, including the approach to tackling fraudulent advertising, will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential merits of integrating health and social care services with access to welfare advice.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As announced in the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions’ statement on Welfare Reform on 30 June, we are investing an additional £300 million over the next 3 years, enabling us to go further and faster on our new planned investment in work, health and skills support offers. This means our Pathways to Work Guarantee is now backed by an investment of £2.2 billion by 2030. This brings our total investment in employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions to £3.8 billion over this Parliament.

As part of our mission driven Government, regular cross-Government collaboration takes place at both Ministerial and official level. The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions and has a range of support available so individuals can stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell, as well as support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants.

Building on our WorkWell, Employment Advisers in Talking Therapies and Connect to Work programmes, we will ensure people with a health condition have access to the holistic support they need. In the Government’s Pathways to Work green paper, we further committed to developing a support guarantee, so that disabled people and those with a health condition get the work, health and skills support they need to access and thrive in employment. We will further pilot the integration of employment advisers and work coaches into the neighbourhood health service, so that working age people with long term health conditions have an integrated public service offer. A patient’s employment goals will be part of care plans, to support more joined up service provision.

Carers and social care reform

Funding and support for SEND

Government policy on the Hillsborough Law

Scientific hearing on animal experiments

Equitable national prostate cancer screening

Investment in General Practice

Access to dentistry

Loan Charge and settlement terms offered to large companies and individuals

Found: Snell Apsana Begum Freddie van Mierlo Sarah Green Josh Babarinde Will Stone Marie Goldman Victoria Collins