Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 90706, what funding has been allocated to each West Midlands area participating in wave 1 of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme; how much of that funding represents new investment rather than existing budgets; what assessment he has made of the programme’s impact on GP access, community nursing capacity and waiting times in Walsall, Coventry, Shropshire, East Birmingham, Solihull and Herefordshire; and what metrics will be used to evaluate success, including whether place-level data will be published.

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

National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) sites have not been allocated additional funding. NNHIP sites have been provided with expert and peer support to facilitate learning and sharing solutions. This support helps sites tackle challenges, deliver improvements, adapt solutions to their own circumstances, and spread best practices across all sites.

Collection of outcome metrics is currently being piloted across NNHIP sites. A measurement guide has been co-produced with NNHIP sites. Data collection for this will begin in early 2026 which will take some time to embed and then analyse. In the interim, sites are producing case studies showcasing what has worked for their populations and the learning from these case studies are shared as part of the improvement programme with the 43 sites, as well as the national community of practice, open to all places. In addition, four deep-dive case studies are planned, providing an in-depth view of the conditions for success across four geographically and demographically different places across the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 90706, how neighbourhood health services in the West Midlands will be staffed in practice; what steps are being taken to address workforce shortages in general practice, community nursing and district nursing; what role Integrated Care Boards and elected local authorities will play in the design and oversight of neighbourhood health services; and how democratic accountability will be ensured.

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

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

Neighbourhood health services will bring together integrated neighbourhood teams of professionals and partners closer to people’s home, including nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, health visitors, employment support, children’s services, and more, to work together to support people and places to improve their health and wellbeing.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, general practice services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. Both ICBs and local health systems will be responsible for designing neighbourhood health services and centres that reflect the needs of their local populations. This will be the case for determining neighbourhood health services and staffing in the West Midlands.

The 10-Year Health Plan committed to neighbourhood health plans that will be drawn up in partnership with ICBs, local authorities, and partners.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to prevent mistaken prisoner releases.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Releases in error are never acceptable, and we are bearing down on those errors that do occur. Following the release in error of Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford, we took immediate steps to make the processes that take place when a prisoner is released more robust. This includes implementing a clear checklist for governors to determine that every step has been followed before any release takes place.

On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced this Government’s five-point action plan to address the causes of releases in error. This includes an urgent query process with a dedicated unit and court experts to allow prisons to quickly escalate warrant-related queries and reduce release errors, a multi-million pound investment to deploy digital tools and upgrade outdated paper-based processes, and an independent review into the recent errors and systemic issues, with recommendations to prevent further inaccuracies.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent progress his Department has made in delivering 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament.

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

I refer the Rt. hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 19066 on 20 December 2024.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of regulation of rented homes on landlords.

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

The Impact Assessment for the Renters’ Rights Act can be found here.

The government’s policy statement, impact assessment, and response to the Decent Homes Standard consultation can be found on gov.uk here.

The government’s response to the 2025 consultation on Improving the Energy Performance of Privately Rented Homes in England and Wales, along with the accompanying impact assessment, can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support local authorities to reduce SEND assessment backlogs.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department publishes annual SEN2 data on education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments, including timeliness of assessment. These data underpin our monitoring of local authority performance, support targeted intervention, and strengthen transparency across the system. SEN2 returns inform regular engagement and monitoring meetings with local areas and help us identify where additional support or challenge may be required.

Through our special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) improvement and intervention programmes, we focus on areas showing signs of decline to help strengthen services. When inspections, other local intelligence or monitoring highlight concerns, including failures to meet statutory duties on EHC plan timeliness, we provide a range of universal, targeted and intensive support. This includes peer‑to‑peer support from sector-led improvement partners.

Local authorities struggling to meet the 20‑week timeframe receive enhanced monitoring, and specialist SEND Advisers are deployed where further diagnostic support is needed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve outcomes for children with special educational needs.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has recently announced £200 million of investment over the course of this Parliament to upskill staff in every school, college and nursery, ensuring a skilled workforce for generations to come. This builds on our £3 billion investment to create more specialist places and ensure more children and young people can thrive at a setting close to home.

This government is determined to deliver reform that stands the test of time and rebuilds the confidence of families, which is why we have undertaken a national conversation to gather information and views from parents, teachers and experts in every region of the country so that lived experience and partnership are at the heart of our solutions.

We will set out our plans for reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper, building on the work we’ve already done to create a system that’s rooted in inclusion, where children receive high-quality support early on and can thrive at their local school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels in the availability of specialist school places in constituencies such as Aldridge-Brownhills.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure there are sufficient school places for pupils in their area, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. If a local authority identifies a shortage of places, resulting in a significant number of pupils needing to travel a long way to access a placement, they should consider creating, adapting, or expanding provision to meet that need.

The department has announced at least £3 billion for high needs capital between 2026/27 and 2029/30. Local authorities can use this funding to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools, adapt mainstream schools to be more accessible, and create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

This builds on the £740 million invested in 2025/26, which is on track to create around 10,000 new specialist places. Of this, Walsall Council received an allocation of just over £5 million. We will confirm local authority allocations for 2026/27 later in the spring.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the fiscal impact on her Department’s budget of supporting the resettlement of the Chagossian community.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answers provided on 12 January in response to Question 103250, and in the Urgent Question debate on 26 January.

The costs of the Treaty will be split between the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate she has made of the total cost to her Department of implementing the proposed treaty with Mauritius on the Chagos Archipelago.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answers provided on 12 January in response to Question 103250, and in the Urgent Question debate on 26 January.

The costs of the Treaty will be split between the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to HCWS1248, what estimate has been made of the annual cost to the NHS of expanding access to abiraterone; what savings have been achieved through the availability of generic versions of the drug; and how value for money will be assessed over the course of the commissioning policy.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Approximately 2,000 men diagnosed in the last three months with non‑metastatic prostate cancer will now be able to receive abiraterone where it is of clinical benefit, alongside prednisolone. An additional 7,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and will be eligible for the drug. The clinical treatment criteria are available via the Cancer Drugs Fund list at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-cancer-drugs-fund-list/

These national clinical treatment criteria ensure equity of access for patients across England.

NHS England sets national service standards for those elements of cancer care designated as specialised services. Integrated care boards, supported by Cancer Alliances, are expected to plan and organise access to prostate cancer treatment in line with national standards. The integration of specialised and nonspecialised commissioning allows them to join up care and target resources where they can have the greatest impact on outcomes.

The National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) assesses the process of care and its outcomes in men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England and Wales. Further information about the NPCA can be found via the National Disease Registration Service at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/our-work/ncras-partnerships/national-prostate-cancer-audit-npca

Information regarding the annual cost of expanding access to abiraterone is commercially sensitive. The availability of generic abiraterone means the National Health Service in England can procure the treatment at a lower cost than Zytiga under patent. NHS England has been able to give the green light to the rollout of generic abiraterone for thousands more eligible patients thanks to the health service buying and delivering treatments at better value, following the clinical advice to roll the treatment out last year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to HCWS1248, what assessment has been made of existing regional variation in access to prostate cancer treatments and what steps are being taken to prevent disparities in uptake between different NHS trusts and integrated care boards.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Approximately 2,000 men diagnosed in the last three months with non‑metastatic prostate cancer will now be able to receive abiraterone where it is of clinical benefit, alongside prednisolone. An additional 7,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and will be eligible for the drug. The clinical treatment criteria are available via the Cancer Drugs Fund list at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-cancer-drugs-fund-list/

These national clinical treatment criteria ensure equity of access for patients across England.

NHS England sets national service standards for those elements of cancer care designated as specialised services. Integrated care boards, supported by Cancer Alliances, are expected to plan and organise access to prostate cancer treatment in line with national standards. The integration of specialised and nonspecialised commissioning allows them to join up care and target resources where they can have the greatest impact on outcomes.

The National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) assesses the process of care and its outcomes in men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England and Wales. Further information about the NPCA can be found via the National Disease Registration Service at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/our-work/ncras-partnerships/national-prostate-cancer-audit-npca

Information regarding the annual cost of expanding access to abiraterone is commercially sensitive. The availability of generic abiraterone means the National Health Service in England can procure the treatment at a lower cost than Zytiga under patent. NHS England has been able to give the green light to the rollout of generic abiraterone for thousands more eligible patients thanks to the health service buying and delivering treatments at better value, following the clinical advice to roll the treatment out last year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to HCWS1248, how many patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer are expected to be eligible for abiraterone in each of the next three financial years; what clinical criteria determine eligibility; and how NHS England will ensure consistent access across all integrated care boards.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Approximately 2,000 men diagnosed in the last three months with non‑metastatic prostate cancer will now be able to receive abiraterone where it is of clinical benefit, alongside prednisolone. An additional 7,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and will be eligible for the drug. The clinical treatment criteria are available via the Cancer Drugs Fund list at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-cancer-drugs-fund-list/

These national clinical treatment criteria ensure equity of access for patients across England.

NHS England sets national service standards for those elements of cancer care designated as specialised services. Integrated care boards, supported by Cancer Alliances, are expected to plan and organise access to prostate cancer treatment in line with national standards. The integration of specialised and nonspecialised commissioning allows them to join up care and target resources where they can have the greatest impact on outcomes.

The National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) assesses the process of care and its outcomes in men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England and Wales. Further information about the NPCA can be found via the National Disease Registration Service at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/our-work/ncras-partnerships/national-prostate-cancer-audit-npca

Information regarding the annual cost of expanding access to abiraterone is commercially sensitive. The availability of generic abiraterone means the National Health Service in England can procure the treatment at a lower cost than Zytiga under patent. NHS England has been able to give the green light to the rollout of generic abiraterone for thousands more eligible patients thanks to the health service buying and delivering treatments at better value, following the clinical advice to roll the treatment out last year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to HCWS1248, what arrangements are in place to monitor patient outcomes following the expanded use of abiraterone at earlier stages of prostate cancer; and whether those outcomes will be published on a national and regional basis.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Approximately 2,000 men diagnosed in the last three months with non‑metastatic prostate cancer will now be able to receive abiraterone where it is of clinical benefit, alongside prednisolone. An additional 7,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and will be eligible for the drug. The clinical treatment criteria are available via the Cancer Drugs Fund list at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-cancer-drugs-fund-list/

These national clinical treatment criteria ensure equity of access for patients across England.

NHS England sets national service standards for those elements of cancer care designated as specialised services. Integrated care boards, supported by Cancer Alliances, are expected to plan and organise access to prostate cancer treatment in line with national standards. The integration of specialised and nonspecialised commissioning allows them to join up care and target resources where they can have the greatest impact on outcomes.

The National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) assesses the process of care and its outcomes in men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England and Wales. Further information about the NPCA can be found via the National Disease Registration Service at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/our-work/ncras-partnerships/national-prostate-cancer-audit-npca

Information regarding the annual cost of expanding access to abiraterone is commercially sensitive. The availability of generic abiraterone means the National Health Service in England can procure the treatment at a lower cost than Zytiga under patent. NHS England has been able to give the green light to the rollout of generic abiraterone for thousands more eligible patients thanks to the health service buying and delivering treatments at better value, following the clinical advice to roll the treatment out last year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is her Department taking to ensure that all pupils leave school with life-saving road safety skills.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills to the answer of 14 October 2025 to Question 77400.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure all children can access cycle training at school.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

This government is committed to increasing activity levels for all children. Schools have the flexibility to decide on the activities they provide to deliver a rounded and enriching education to suit their pupils’ needs.

The government currently funds a cycling training programme called Bikeability, with the aims to equip more children and families with the skills, confidence, and knowledge needed to cycle safely on roads, while encouraging active travel in everyday life. This investment is part of a broader effort to support local authorities in developing and constructing walking, wheeling, and cycling facilities across England.

The department welcomes the opportunity for continued collaboration with Bikeability to create sustainable improvements in physical activity for young people. For example, through active travel and promoting the overall wellbeing benefits of physical activity, including through cycling.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the benefits to educational outcomes of regular physical activity.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Physical education (PE) and sport are vital elements of a rounded and enriching education that every child deserves. As outlined in the government's response to the curriculum and assessment review recommendations, the department will be strengthening the national curriculum for PE, recognising its role in supporting pupils’ wellbeing and educational outcomes.

We have also made a commitment to set out a core enrichment offer that every school and college, in every community, should aim to provide for all children beyond the statutory curriculum. Our ambition is that all schools should provide an offer to all pupils that meets the new benchmarks. This includes access to sport and physical activities, civic engagement, arts and culture, nature, outdoor and adventure, and developing wider life skills.

As announced last June by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, the department is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to develop a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network which aims to support schools to ensure all children and young people have equal access to high quality PE and extracurricular sport.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of local labour market participation rates in the West Midlands.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is published and available at:

https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp

Guidance for users can be found at:

https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

The estimated participation rates can be found by selecting “Query data” on the NOMIS home page and selecting “Annual Population Survey/Labour Force Survey” and then “annual population survey (Dec 2004 to Jun 2025)” in the lists of data sources. The Geography will need to be set for the relevant ‘local authorities: district / unitary’ within the West Midlands. The Variable will need to be set to “Economic activity rate - aged 16-64”. West Midlands can also be selected in the ‘regions’ category to give participation rates for the whole region.

Through our Get Britain Working Strategy, we are reforming employment, health, and skills support to tackle economic inactivity, support people into good work, and create an inclusive, thriving labour market.

Specifically in the West Midlands, we are working with the West Midlands Combined Authority to deliver a Youth Trailblazer, which is testing how best to deliver and integrate work, health and skills support locally for young people. The West Midlands Combined Authority has also received their Connect to Work funding through their 2025/26 Integrated Settlement to deliver Supported Employment to disabled people, individuals with health conditions and people with complex barriers to employment. They will receive further Connect to Work funding in the 2026/27 – 2028/29 Integrated Settlement from April.

Furthermore, all areas in England have been asked to develop a Local Get Britain Working plan. Led by local government and co-developed with local NHS, Jobcentre Plus and wider stakeholders, these plans will identify local labour market challenges and priorities, and support the integration of locally-delivered services. West Midlands Combined Authority have published their local Get Britain Working Plan, which can be found here: West Midlands Works

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for road maintenance for metropolitan authorities.

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

The Government recognises that historic under-investment has made it difficult for authorities to maintain their roads in the way that they would want to. The Government has therefore confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This new, four-year funding settlement is in addition to the Government's investment of £1.6 billion this year, a £500 million increase compared to last year. By confirming funding allocations for a four-year period, authorities have certainty to plan ahead and shift from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance.

Metropolitan authorities that are part of a Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA) who receive a City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), receive their baseline highways maintenance funding consolidated into their City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) which is paid to the relevant MSA. From 2027/28, 9 eligible MSAs will receive increased funding from the Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlement.

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 effectiveness of current employment support programmes in former industrial areas.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our Get Britain Working Labour Market Insights publication contains a range of analysis of how labour markets are performing in different types of labour market across the country - including former industrial areas - Get Britain Working: Labour Market Insights - GOV.UK.

We are committed to ensuring employment support meets the needs of local areas. To do this, we are:

• Rolling out Connect to Work across England and Wales, which is a voluntary, locally commissioned, Supported Employment programme for individuals that are disabled, have a health condition or are experiencing non-health related barriers to work to find and sustain employment.

• Delivering local Get Britain Working plans across England, led by local government and co-developed with local NHS, Jobcentre Plus and wider stakeholders. These plans will identify local labour market challenges and priorities including in former industrial areas, and work collectively to address these challenges and support the integration of services.

• Delivering 17 Economic Inactivity and Youth Guarantee Trailblazers led by Mayoral Strategic Authorities and Wales during 24/25 and 25/26. Trailblazers are testing local approaches to support people who are hardest to reach to move towards work, considering the specific needs of local labour markets.

• Reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers.

Employment support programmes such as the Get Britain Working Trailblazers, WorkWell and Connect to Work will be evaluated to assess the extent to which they help people to enter and remain in work.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 90706, how the Neighbourhood Health Service will improve access to care in rural areas and communities with poor digital connectivity or low digital confidence in the West Midlands; what safeguards are in place to ensure that neighbourhood health centres do not lead to the downgrading or closure of existing GP surgeries or community hospitals; what evaluation he has made of previous neighbourhood care pilots in the region; and what timetable he has set for expanding the programme beyond wave 1, including the inclusion of additional West Midlands areas.

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

The Neighbourhood Health Service will make it easier for people to access care closer to where they live, including in neighbourhood health centres. Delivery will be locally led, with systems determining how neighbourhood health is designed to meet local population need. This will factor in how services may need to look different across rural and urban areas.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will also move us towards a fully digitally enabled health service. We are striving for digital services to improve access, experiences, and outcomes for the widest range of people, based on their preferences, as any digital healthcare benefits will be limited if people remain digitally excluded.

Neighbourhood health provides the unifying framework that brings together what is already underway across primary care, community services, urgent care, prevention, digital, estates, and population health, and will build on existing assets and services rather than replacing them. We are intending to publish further guidance that will set-out how areas should work together to design neighbourhood health services around local needs and different population cohorts.

In September 2025, we launched the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) in 43 places across England, including in East Birmingham. Collection of metrics is currently being piloted across all NNHIP sites. Systems are also encouraged to participate in the monthly Community of Practice, that aims to share learning and strengthen collective delivery.

Work is underway to consider the future direction of the NNHIP, and we will share an update on this as soon as we can.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate has she made of the number of places that will be available for a) young British nationals and b) young EU nationals in each of the next five years under the new Erasmus scheme; and what assessment has she made of the expected regional allocation and breakdown of places.

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

We have now concluded negotiations with the European Commission on the UK’s association to Erasmus+ in 2027. This commitment covers the 2027/28 academic year. Any participation in Erasmus+ into the next Multiannual Financial Framework from 2028/34 will need to be agreed in the future and be based on a fair and balanced contribution.

We expect that over 100,000 people could benefit from mobility and partnership opportunities from participation in 2027.

We will have detailed information on the UK’s Erasmus+ beneficiaries after our first year of participation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with Transport for West Midlands on improving bus reliability in the Black Country.

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

The Government is committed to helping local leaders improve local bus services and improve reliability across England, including in the West Midlands. The Department for Transport regularly engages with local authority representatives from the West Midlands Combined Authority, including as part of our support to local transport authorities pursuing bus franchising.

We are taking action to give local leaders the powers they need to deliver better bus services for passengers, including through the Bus Services Act 2025 which devolved powers to local authorities who know their local areas the best. In addition, the Government has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators to improve bus services over the spending review period. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year.

The West Midlands Combined Authority will be allocated £119.4 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in addition to the £37 million they are already receiving this year. This funding can be used to expand services and improve reliability.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to HCWS1249, what productivity gains and cash-releasing savings are expected from the digital government roadmap by 2030; how those savings will be measured; and how benefits will be shared between central government and local public bodies.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Work undertaken by the Office for Value for Money at SR25 identified total annual efficiency gains of almost £14bn by 2028-29, of which the Government expects digital to contributes a substantial portion of this. The Government Digital Service (GDS) will work with HM Treasury to measure central government departments’ contributions to this by tracking the digital efficiencies they’ve identified in their delivery plans by the end of the spending review period. GDS will also draw on productivity and efficiency information from across the public sector to understand how government is driving wider efficiency.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to HCWS1249, what steps are being taken to prevent digital exclusion arising from the expansion of the GOV.UK app, GOV.UK Wallet and GOV.UK One Login; how access to offline or assisted services will be protected between 2025 and 2030; and how progress on digital inclusion will be measured.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

All new GDS products are designed and tested to meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards and support users with diverse access needs, skills and devices. In addition, the Government is taking coordinated action to reduce digital exclusion. Through the Digital Innovation Fund we are supporting locally led projects that test new approaches to help people gain skills, confidence and access to digital public services. This forms part of the wider Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which brings together work across accessibility, connectivity, skills and affordability to ensure those facing the greatest barriers are supported to get online.

Departments will continue to offer offline, phone and assisted‑digital routes so people who cannot or prefer not to use online services can still get help. No essential service will become digital‑only without suitable support.

Progress on digital inclusion is measured through accessibility assessments, user research and service performance data to ensure services work for everyone.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 January 2026 on Launch of new capital fund for places of worship, HCWS1268, and the evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, what evidence her Department has used to support the determination that 80% of respondents would have undertaken works without the rebate; and what steps her Department took to assess whether those works would have been delayed, scaled back, or funded through additional fundraising and debt.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department conducted an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. The evaluation included an extensive survey of current and past scheme users and is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-listed-places-of-worship-scheme-final-report. Our evaluation showed that while it had many benefits, 80% of respondents said that they would still have carried out the work without the rebate.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 January 2026 on Launch of new capital fund for places of worship, HCWS1268, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ending the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on the financial sustainability of (a) historic churches and (b) other faith buildings; what estimate she has made of the potential number of repairs likely to be (i) delayed and (ii) cancelled as a result; and what estimate she has made of the additional financial burden placed on congregations and local communities.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department conducted an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. The evaluation included an extensive survey of current and past scheme users and is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-listed-places-of-worship-scheme-final-report. The evaluation did not assess the impact of ending the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on the financial sustainability of places of worship. Our evaluation showed that while it had many benefits, 80% of respondents said that they would still have carried out the work without the rebate. As we look towards a new fiscal period and the evolving needs of our community, it is essential that government support is deployed to the areas where it can have the greatest impact and where it is needed most. Over the next four years, the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will invest £92 million capital funding into listed places of worship and is designed to ensure that taxpayer funding is targeted more effectively toward the preservation of our heritage assets.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of police officer numbers in the West Midlands Police force area and planned officer numbers for 2026/27 and 2027/28.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. An effective, well-supported police service is central to achieving this.

Published statistics show, as at 30 September 2025, West Midlands Police had 8,027 full-time equivalent police officers.

It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions, to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how best to allocate and deploy the resources at their disposal to provide an effective service to local communities.

Chief Constables, PCCs and Mayors with PCC functions will also be able to make decisions on the shape of their overall workforce of officers and staff in response to the 2026/27 Police Funding Settlement and future funding settlements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the apology from the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police for providing erroneous evidence used to justify the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ban on the level of public confidence in policing in the West Midlands.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises that public confidence in policing is fundamental to the effectiveness of the police and to the principle of policing by consent.

I met the Acting Chief Constable, Scott Green, for West Midlands Police on 21 January. I was assured that appropriate steps are being taken to rebuild trust and confidence in the force and its leadership team, including with local communities.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation, using its power of initiative, into the role of West Midlands Police in the intelligence and decision‑making that led to the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.

Accountability for the performance of West Midlands Police rests primarily with the directly elected West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public. The PCC has a range of statutory powers to scrutinise force performance and governance, and to ensure that public confidence is maintained.

From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” published on 26 January set out the Government’s proposals to reintroduce a power for the Home Secretary to remove a Chief Constable on performance grounds and reforming the appointment, suspension and dismissal of Chief Constables.

Through Home Office funding to the NPCC Artificial Intelligence (AI) portfolio, detailed guidance has been developed and published on the responsible use of AI in policing, including through the NPCC AI Playbook and the Covenant.

All Chief Constables have signed up to the Covenant, which establishes core principles for the transparent, responsible and accountable use of AI and generative technologies in UK policing. It also explicitly refers to the need for processes in place to ensure AI output is not accepted uncritically.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the matter of banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, what recent discussions she has had with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner on the adequacy of the accountability and oversight of West Midlands Police.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises that public confidence in policing is fundamental to the effectiveness of the police and to the principle of policing by consent.

I met the Acting Chief Constable, Scott Green, for West Midlands Police on 21 January. I was assured that appropriate steps are being taken to rebuild trust and confidence in the force and its leadership team, including with local communities.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation, using its power of initiative, into the role of West Midlands Police in the intelligence and decision‑making that led to the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.

Accountability for the performance of West Midlands Police rests primarily with the directly elected West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public. The PCC has a range of statutory powers to scrutinise force performance and governance, and to ensure that public confidence is maintained.

From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” published on 26 January set out the Government’s proposals to reintroduce a power for the Home Secretary to remove a Chief Constable on performance grounds and reforming the appointment, suspension and dismissal of Chief Constables.

Through Home Office funding to the NPCC Artificial Intelligence (AI) portfolio, detailed guidance has been developed and published on the responsible use of AI in policing, including through the NPCC AI Playbook and the Covenant.

All Chief Constables have signed up to the Covenant, which establishes core principles for the transparent, responsible and accountable use of AI and generative technologies in UK policing. It also explicitly refers to the need for processes in place to ensure AI output is not accepted uncritically.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will review the current frameworks for the (a) removal and (b) censure of a Chief Constable when Rt hon. and hon. Members have been misled by police evidence.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises that public confidence in policing is fundamental to the effectiveness of the police and to the principle of policing by consent.

I met the Acting Chief Constable, Scott Green, for West Midlands Police on 21 January. I was assured that appropriate steps are being taken to rebuild trust and confidence in the force and its leadership team, including with local communities.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation, using its power of initiative, into the role of West Midlands Police in the intelligence and decision‑making that led to the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.

Accountability for the performance of West Midlands Police rests primarily with the directly elected West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public. The PCC has a range of statutory powers to scrutinise force performance and governance, and to ensure that public confidence is maintained.

From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” published on 26 January set out the Government’s proposals to reintroduce a power for the Home Secretary to remove a Chief Constable on performance grounds and reforming the appointment, suspension and dismissal of Chief Constables.

Through Home Office funding to the NPCC Artificial Intelligence (AI) portfolio, detailed guidance has been developed and published on the responsible use of AI in policing, including through the NPCC AI Playbook and the Covenant.

All Chief Constables have signed up to the Covenant, which establishes core principles for the transparent, responsible and accountable use of AI and generative technologies in UK policing. It also explicitly refers to the need for processes in place to ensure AI output is not accepted uncritically.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to policing bodies on the use of (a) artificial intelligence and (b) generative technologies in (i) gathering and (ii) analysing intelligence related to public order.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises that public confidence in policing is fundamental to the effectiveness of the police and to the principle of policing by consent.

I met the Acting Chief Constable, Scott Green, for West Midlands Police on 21 January. I was assured that appropriate steps are being taken to rebuild trust and confidence in the force and its leadership team, including with local communities.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation, using its power of initiative, into the role of West Midlands Police in the intelligence and decision‑making that led to the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.

Accountability for the performance of West Midlands Police rests primarily with the directly elected West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public. The PCC has a range of statutory powers to scrutinise force performance and governance, and to ensure that public confidence is maintained.

From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” published on 26 January set out the Government’s proposals to reintroduce a power for the Home Secretary to remove a Chief Constable on performance grounds and reforming the appointment, suspension and dismissal of Chief Constables.

Through Home Office funding to the NPCC Artificial Intelligence (AI) portfolio, detailed guidance has been developed and published on the responsible use of AI in policing, including through the NPCC AI Playbook and the Covenant.

All Chief Constables have signed up to the Covenant, which establishes core principles for the transparent, responsible and accountable use of AI and generative technologies in UK policing. It also explicitly refers to the need for processes in place to ensure AI output is not accepted uncritically.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in antisocial behaviour in the West Midlands over the past five years.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Information on the number of incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded by police forces in England and Wales, by force and by year can be found in the year ending March 2025 annual supplementary tables published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), here: Crime in England and Wales: Annual supplementary tables - Office for National Statistics

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support police forces in tackling shoplifting and retail crime.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police recorded crime figures recorded 529,994 shoplifting offences for year ending June 2025. This represents a 13% increase from the previous year.

Charges for shop theft rose by 25% (up to 107,090 charges). That is why we’re committed to restoring visible, responsive neighbourhood policing with 3,000 additional officers in neighbourhood policing roles by spring next year.

In the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores and we are removing the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.

The Home Office has regular discussions with the police and other partners on protecting retail workers and tackling shop theft.

We are also providing over £7 million over the next three years to support the police and retailers tackle retail crime, including continuing to fund a specialist policing team – in partnership with the retail sector - to better understand the tactics used by organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost of decarbonising the electricity grid by 2030.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

NESO's analysis confirmed delivering clean power by 2030 is deliverable, more secure, and could see a lower cost of electricity, and lower bills.

We are committed to working with industry to grow our clean energy system with once-in-a-generation levels of energy investment – an estimated £40 billion, the vast majority of which will come from the private sector.

The government is leveraging public finance institutions like the National Wealth Fund and Great British Energy to catalyse private investment.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce industrial electricity prices.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Our mission for Clean Power by 2030 will get us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices, to cut bills for businesses and households for good.

The Government remains committed to supporting industrial electrification and addressing barriers to investment, as highlighted in the 2023 call for evidence on enabling industrial electrification.

We are continuing to develop policies to bring down electricity costs relative to gas for the non-domestic sector and intend to consult on options to reduce costs and make low-carbon heat the economically rational choice. Stakeholders will therefore have a voice in shaping future electrification policy.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism on the costs of installing new gas boilers.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Clean Heat Market Mechanism does not require a change in the price of fossil fuel boilers.

The Government took steps to change earlier proposals for the design of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism ahead of its launch in April 2025 to reduce the potential impact on boiler manufacturers and provide them more time to scale up supply chains.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support the North Sea oil and gas sector.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In November, the Government published its North Sea Future Plan. The Plan sets out how it will support North Sea oil and gas jobs and supply chains and secure the next generation of good jobs. As part of this, the Government will introduce Transitional Energy Certificates to enable some oil and gas production in areas adjacent to existing fields, to help ensure they are managed for their lifespan.

It also sets out Government plans for investment in new clean energy technologies and a new North Sea Jobs Service to provide end-to-end support for the current workforce.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Great British Energy on household energy bills.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower will bring energy security, protect billpayers, create good jobs, and help to protect future generations from the cost of climate breakdown. Delivering clean power by 2030 will protect billpayers from volatile international fossil fuel markets and bring down energy bills for good.

Great British Energy is a key part of this plan. It will ensure taxpayers and billpayers reap the benefits of homegrown energy by investing in and developing clean energy projects across the United Kingdom.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his proposed changes to the right to a jury trial on the rule of law.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government will publish a full impact assessment of our proposed justice reforms in the usual way with bill introduction. That will include an assessment of the impact of the proposed changes in the threshold for who can access a jury trial. Currently, over 90% of criminal cases are already heard by magistrates, without a jury. These proposals make a modest change to the threshold. All indictable only offences and any offence with a likely sentence over three years will continue to receive a jury trial.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to HCWS1249, whether he will publish annual progress reports against the roadmap, department-level performance metrics for digital services, and information on major digital programmes assessed as high risk.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The roadmap is an iterative and transparent record of government’s digital priorities and will be updated regularly as projects progress and delivery milestones are met. The Government Digital Service (GDS) is also developing the Digital Performance Framework to provide a single, cross-government way to measure and understand digital and technology performance. Departments will start sharing annual outcome-based data on the performance of their services with each other, with Secretaries of State held accountable in regular reviews. This will encourage open working and drive evidence-led improvements across digital government.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with local employers in the West Midlands on tackling skills shortages.

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

We recognise the important role that local employers have in addressing skills shortages, that is why Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are increasing the voice and influence that employers directly have in their local skills systems. The West Midlands LSIP is led by Coventry Chamber of Commerce, working collaboratively with: other Chambers of Commerce in the region; the West Midlands Combined Authority and a range of local employers; further- and higher- education training providers; and other stakeholders – including Job Centre Plus. When the new LSIP is developed this summer, it will provide strategic direction to the West Midlands skills system and an invaluable source of intelligence to the newly established Skills England, which has recently joined my Department.

Additionally, through both its national Strategic Relationship Team (SRT) and Job Centre Plus teams in the West Midlands, the DWP is working to address the skills shortages in the area. This includes delivering Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which give people job specific training and guaranteed interviews and running employer led academies in areas like construction, manufacturing and food production. The department is working with: industry bodies; West Midlands Combined Authority; local employers; and with organisations such as the Construction Industry Training Board and Skills for Care, to design training that meets real employer needs.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help increase uptake of apprenticeships among young people in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

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

This government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people, including those in the Aldridge-Brownhills constituency, at the beginning of their careers.

In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career.

We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people, launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities, and fully fund SME apprenticeships for eligible 16–24-year-olds from the next academic year.

The government also facilitates the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), comprising around 2,500 employer and apprentice volunteers who go into schools and colleges to share their compelling stories and experiences of what apprenticeships can do for young people.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of ending the Memorial Grant Scheme on the preservation of local war memorials; how the new £2 million memorial fund compares in scope and accessibility to the previous scheme; and what steps she is taking to ensure that smaller community memorials are not neglected or lost.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Memorial Grant scheme rebates VAT on eligible works to memorials and had a budget of £150,000 in this financial year. No formal assessment has been made of the specific impact of closing the scheme. The new £2 million War Memorial Fund will support the conservation and repair of war memorials across the UK. We are currently working with the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the War Memorials Trust to develop scheme criteria and this will include how to proactively engage local communities with at-risk war memorials.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 January 2026 on Launch of new capital fund for places of worship, HCWS1268, what assessment she has made of the wider community role of places of worship when designing the new funding scheme; and if she will prioritise funding for buildings that provide essential community services beyond worship.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Many places of worship also provide essential community services beyond worship and will consider this as we develop criteria, however we also acknowledge that not all religions use places of worship in this way. We are currently designing the specific criteria for the new scheme.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 January 2026 on Launch of new capital fund for places of worship, HCWS1268, what reporting requirements will apply to Historic England in administering the Places of Worship Renewal Fund; if her Department will publish annual data on applications, approvals, refusals and regional allocation; and how Ministers will assess whether the scheme represents an improvement on the previous grant system.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Further details on the Places of Worship Renewal Fund specific criteria, application process and funding allocation will be announced in due course, along with details on monitoring and evaluation.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to HCWS1249, what estimate he has made of the number of legacy digital systems in use across government; what timetable exists for decommissioning the highest-risk systems, what resources are available to support “secure by design” requirements; and what assessment has been made of the impact of the government vulnerability scanning service.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The most recent assessment of the scale of legacy systems across the public sector was conducted as part of the State of Digital Government Review, which found that 28% of public sector systems were identified as legacy IT. Individual departments remain responsible for addressing their highest risk systems. While DSIT provides oversight, it does not hold central information on all these plans.

The Secure by Design approach provides delivery and project teams with clear principles and activities to follow to increase the cyber resilience and security of new and emerging systems, services and technology infrastructure. A central DSIT team supports them through a community of champions, nominated by their respective organisation.

Over 700 public sector organisations have now signed up to the vulnerability scanning service, with the service finding and helping fix over 100 critical vulnerabilities a month.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what interim arrangements are in place to manage border and entry for Gibraltar pending the implementation of the UK-EU Gibraltar treaty.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 June 2025 to Question 60853, and I look forward to going over the detail of the new arrangements with her when the final text of the treaty is brought before the House for scrutiny in due course.

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 her (a) Spanish and (b) European Union counterparts on the application of Schengen entry rules to passengers travelling to Gibraltar.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 June 2025 to Question 60853, and I look forward to going over the detail of the new arrangements with her when the final text of the treaty is brought before the House for scrutiny in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether UK citizens will retain unrestricted access to Gibraltar once the UK-EU Gibraltar treaty and associated border arrangements are fully implemented.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 June 2025 to Question 60853, and I look forward to going over the detail of the new arrangements with her when the final text of the treaty is brought before the House for scrutiny in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has reviewed the legal and regulatory frameworks governing Gibraltar’s aviation, immigration and border arrangements.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 June 2025 to Question 60853, and I look forward to going over the detail of the new arrangements with her when the final text of the treaty is brought before the House for scrutiny in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which authorities are responsible for controlling Schengen entry checks at Gibraltar’s airport and ports, and how the Government ensures UK travellers are not subject to improper enforcement.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 June 2025 to Question 60853, and I look forward to going over the detail of the new arrangements with her when the final text of the treaty is brought before the House for scrutiny in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has issued guidance to (a) airlines and (b) British travellers on Schengen entry requirements for flights to Gibraltar that may be diverted into the Schengen zone.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 June 2025 to Question 60853, and I look forward to going over the detail of the new arrangements with her when the final text of the treaty is brought before the House for scrutiny in due course.

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 help protect British citizens from detention or refusal of entry following flight diversions into the Schengen area.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 June 2025 to Question 60853, and I look forward to going over the detail of the new arrangements with her when the final text of the treaty is brought before the House for scrutiny in due course.

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 the Government of Gibraltar on the functioning of border arrangements.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 June 2025 to Question 60853, and I look forward to going over the detail of the new arrangements with her when the final text of the treaty is brought before the House for scrutiny in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what arrangements are in place to support UK travellers and airlines when Gibraltar-bound flights are diverted to Schengen territory and passengers are refused entry.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 June 2025 to Question 60853, and I look forward to going over the detail of the new arrangements with her when the final text of the treaty is brought before the House for scrutiny in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to her Spanish counterpart on the detention and return of British nationals at Málaga Airport following flight diversions.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I am aware of a recent incident in which a flight to Gibraltar was diverted to Malaga due to bad weather and some passengers were subsequently returned to the UK. Border control in Spain, as in all Schengen states, is the responsibility of the national (in this case Spanish) authorities. Passengers who arrive in Malaga, Spain become subject to Schengen entry rules. For British citizens travelling on a full British passport, these rules include requirements on passport validity, the 90/180 day limit for visa‑free stays, and the checks applied under the Schengen Entry/Exit System. Travellers who do not hold a full British citizen passport, including those with other categories of British nationality, may require a Schengen visa to enter Spain.