Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what accountability mechanisms will be in place for the Financial Conduct Authority to report publicly on in what way it has considered financial inclusion in its activities, following the change of scope to the have regard duties in the Financial Services and Markets Bill.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Financial inclusion is a priority for this Government. The Financial Services and Markets Act requires the Treasury to write to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) at least once in each Parliament, to make recommendations to the FCA about aspects of the government’s economic policy to which the FCA should have regard when advancing its objectives and discharging its duties. This is known as the “remit letter”. The current remit letter, sent to the FCA by the Chancellor in November 2024, states that the FCA should have regard to reinforcing financial inclusion to enable individuals to access the financial services and products they need to fully participate in the economy.
Under the reforms in the Financial Services and Markets Bill, the FCA will be required to publish long-term strategies that set out its top priorities and the outcomes it is seeking to achieve in advancing its objectives.
The reforms will require the FCA to have regard to its remit letter when preparing or revising its long-term strategy.
The FCA will continue to be required to respond annually to the Treasury’s remit letter, setting out actions it has taken in response to the Government’s recommendations. The FCA’s most recent response, published in July 2026, sets out recent actions taken to support financial inclusion, amongst other things.
More widely, the Government continues to work closely with the FCA on our priorities in relation to financial inclusion. This includes through the Financial Inclusion Strategy which was published last year and includes a range of ambitious measures for Government and industry to improve the financial inclusion and resilience for underserved groups across the UK. The FCA has a key role in the delivery of interventions and is represented on the Financial Inclusion Committee who are supporting and monitoring the successful implementation of the Strategy.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Consumer Duty on people (a) with and (b) without access to mainstream financial products.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Consumer Duty is an important part of the wider framework supporting financial inclusion. It requires regulated firms to act to deliver good outcomes for retail consumers, including by ensuring that products and services meet the needs of their target customers, provide fair value, and are supported by communications that consumers can understand
For people with access to products, the Duty helps ensure that firms identify where groups of consumers are experiencing poorer outcomes and take appropriate action to address this. The Duty applies across the customer journey, including the application process, and its focus on good outcomes can help reduce barriers to accessing and using financial services
The Consumer Duty does not require firms to provide products or services to every consumer, and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) cannot, on its own, address all the causes of financial exclusion. That is why it is important for the Government to coordinate efforts across industry, civil society, and the regulator to tackle the barriers to financial inclusion and help people access the financial products and services they need. We continue to work closely with the FCA on the delivery of the Financial Inclusion Strategy which is intended to do just that.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what considerations she has made in relation to housing for refugees entering under the new refugee pathways.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that refugees arriving through the new safe and legal routes have suitable accommodation in place.
Sponsors will be responsible for providing suitable accommodation and must demonstrate that it is in place before a visa is granted. Lead sponsors will assess these arrangements and provide details of their assessment to the Home Office as part of the sponsorship application.
Information on the role of lead sponsors in assessing accommodation is set out in the lead sponsor guidance. Further details on accommodation requirements will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria are used for approving student visas.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
All applications for Student visas are assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules and the Home Office’s published guidance.
This includes having an offer from an approved education institution, English language skills at the required level and being able to support themselves financially during their studies.
For an application to be successful, all relevant requirements must be met.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, , what steps her Department is taking to support NHS hospitals to provide safe and appropriate care for people with severe and very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis while the development of specialised services remains under consideration.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers provided on 16 July in response to Question 16893, and on 15 September in response to Question 21290. We will provide further updates to the House in the normal way in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the national template service specification for mild, moderate and severe ME/CFS will be published and what steps will be taken to support its implementation by integrated care boards.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers provided on 16 July in response to Question 16893, and on 15 September in response to Question 21290. We will provide further updates to the House in the normal way in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when a decision will be made on whether to commission a specialised service for people with very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis as laid out in the ME/CFS Delivery Plan.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers provided on 16 July in response to Question 16893, and on 15 September in response to Question 21290. We will provide further updates to the House in the normal way in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what time scales are in place for student visa application processing.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Where an application has exceeded the published service standard and an enrolment deadline is at risk, sponsors may use the established escalation routes. Further information on service standards and processing times is available at Visa processing times - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration she has given to the potential impact of the use of Depo-Provera on trends in the level of meningioma.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care and regulates medicine, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.
Depo-Provera is an effective injectable contraceptive which contains medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), a synthetic form of progesterone, and provides 12 weeks of contraception.
Meningiomas are generally non-cancerous (benign) brain tumours which affect the meninges, the thin layer of tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord. In recent years, meningioma has rarely been associated with long-term use of high doses of some synthetic forms of progesterone, including cyproterone acetate and nomegestrol.
The MHRA has not examined the impact of Depo-Provera use on trends in meningioma diagnoses. However, the product information for Depo-Provera was updated after a study published in 2024 showed an excess risk of meningioma with high dose MPA. The marketing authorisation holder subsequently wrote to UK healthcare professionals with updated advice on managing this risk. Additional studies have since confirmed the association, and the MHRA is conducting research using UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink data to compare the risks of meningioma, fracture and osteoporosis associated with injectable depot MPA and other contraceptives.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor for the Exchequer, whether the Government has considered extending the proposed 20% business rates reduction for pubs, social clubs and live music venues to post offices.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
I refer the honourable member to my response to UIN 21793.