Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his department is taking to increase the annual quota British car manufacturers can export tariff free to the United States of America.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The UK remains the only country to have secured a 10% tariff for automotives within quota - saving hundreds of millions of pounds on UK exports annually.

We will continue to engage with the US Administration, and with the UK autos industry, on how we can best deliver for them.

Supporting the sector remains a priority for this Government, and we will keep industry informed to support business planning and future investment decisions.

The UK's landmark economic deal with the US will protect thousands of jobs, support key British industries, and help drive economic growth.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the APPG on Ending the Need for Food Banks' call for evidence into how the level of support offered by Universal Credit is decided, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of food bank usage by people in receipt of Universal Credit.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We measure whether a household has used a food bank in the past 30 days or 12 months in the Family Resources Survey.

In 2024/25, 16% (1.8 million) of individuals in families on Universal Credit were in households that had used a food bank in the last 12 months. This is a decrease of 1 percentage point compared to 2023/24, although growth in families in receipt of Universal Credit means that the count of individuals in families on Universal Credit who lived in households accessing a food bank in the last 12 months increased by 0.2 million compared to 2023/24. For further trends, refer to the table below:

You can find individual level statistics on food bank use and associated statistics (e.g. food insecurity) in the annual Households Below Average Income statistics publication: Households below average income (HBAI) statistics – GOV.UK and on Stat-Xplore.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the APPG on Ending the Need for Food Banks' call for evidence into how the level of support offered by Universal Credit is decided, what consideration his Department has given to the role of independent (a) advice and (b) processes.

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

The rates of Universal Credit and the process for determining these are set out in legislation. For 2026/27, most rates of Universal Credit were increased by 3.8% in line with the Consumer Prices Index for the year to September. In addition, the standard allowance rate was increased by a further 2.3%, and will continue to be increased above inflation for the remainder of this Parliament.

We engage with a range of organisations, and will continue to consider evidence and insights including the findings of the APPG on Ending the Need for Food Banks' inquiry, to ensure the social security system provides for people’s needs.

More broadly, this Government has a clear commitment to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels and has already taken many steps to bring us closer to this goal including raising the national minimum wage, tripling our investment in breakfast clubs and confirming over £600 million for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for the next three financial years.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has identified processing errors where housing cost increases under Universal Credit have resulted in a reduction of a claimant's payment.

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

The Department has not identified processing errors that have caused increases in eligible housing costs under Universal Credit to reduce a claimant’s overall award.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made a comparative assessment of the cost of Extended Producer Responsibility in the (a) United Kingdom and (b) European Union.

Answered by Mary Creagh

Defra has considered the design of similar schemes in European countries as Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging has been developed in the UK. However, direct cost comparisons of schemes in different countries can be misleading because schemes differ in scope, the treatment of drinks containers, and how waste management costs are reflected. In the UK, fees are calculated to reflect the costs faced by local authorities, using packaging weight and estimated volume, alongside costs associated with collection, treatment and disposal.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will publish the data and results of the Extended Producer Responsibility pilot projects.

Answered by Mary Creagh

As scheme administrator for packaging Extended Producer Responsibility, PackUK will conduct annual local authority effectiveness assessments on behalf of the four nations from 2028. Following this assessment, a local authority may be subject to an Improvement Action Process (IAP), as set out in the regulations. PackUK has completed six IAP pilot programmes with volunteer local authorities across the UK to test how this process can support LAs to improve services, especially in relation to the management of household packaging waste. Findings from the pilots will inform development of the effectiveness assessments, an LA Support Framework and the final IAP process. PackUK is working closely with stakeholders, and a summary of the IAP pilot interim outcomes is available for interested stakeholders.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what oversight is NHS England exercising over ICBs whose conversion rates fall significantly below the national average.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales

We have interpreted ‘conversion rates’ as referring to the proportion of individuals found eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) by integrated care boards (ICBs), following the receipt of a positive CHC gateway ‘checklist’ or through another form of referral for assessment of CHC eligibility.

NHS England is responsible for the oversight of ICBs and engages with them regularly through well-established assurance processes to ensure they carry out their functions.

NHS England monitors CHC eligibility rates by undertaking detailed work to compare ICBs with similar demographics. This includes comparing eligibility, conversion, and referral rates and investigating outliers for drivers of variation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to address regional differences in NHS healthcare.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

The United Kingdom faces significant health inequalities, with life expectancy and healthy life expectancy varying widely both within and between communities. Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to tackling the social determinants of health, improving healthy life expectancy for everyone, and halving the gap between the richest and poorest regions.

The Department works closely with other Government departments, NHS England, and local government to support integrated care systems, including integrated care services, to address the wider determinants of health and to reduce health inequalities at a local level.

The National Health Service’s CORE20PLUS5 approach targets action to reduce health inequalities in the most deprived 20% of the population and improve outcomes for groups that experience the worst access, experience, and outcomes within the NHS. The approach focuses on improving the five clinical areas at most need of accelerated improvement, namely cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory, maternity, and mental health outcomes, in the poorest 20% of the population, along with other disadvantaged population groups identified at a local level.

In addition, we consider that the Carr-Hill formula, the UK’s formula for allocating core funding to general practices (GPs), is outdated, and evidence suggests that GPs serving in deprived parts of England receive on average 9.8% less funding per needs adjusted patient than those in less deprived communities, despite having greater health needs and significantly higher patient-to-GP ratios. This is why we are currently reviewing the formula to ensure that resources are targeted where they are most needed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the cost of expanding bring banks for glass recycling.

Answered by Mary Creagh

Simpler Recycling requires local authorities in England to collect core recyclable waste streams from households, including glass. In our guidance we set an expectation that households should receive an equivalent collection service for recycling as they do for residual waste services. In practice this means collecting directly from households.

Bring banks should only be provided to supplement collections from households.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor on the adequacy of levels of funding allocated to support women’s sport in Woking.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that as many women and girls as possible have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, whose work includes providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.

Sport England supports the work of the local Active Partnership which covers Woking, Active ​S​urrey, who champion physical activity with local leaders to develop interventions tailored to communities. Alongside this, Sport England invested £47,286 into sports-related projects in the constituency of Woking in 2024/25.

In addition, Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign has also inspired millions of women and girls across the country to get active. 1.6 million more women are expected to be active as a result of the campaign by 2028.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps is she taking to help tackle the gender gap in sports participation for young people in Woking.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that as many women and girls as possible have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, whose work includes providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.

Sport England supports the work of the local Active Partnership which covers Woking, Active ​S​urrey, who champion physical activity with local leaders to develop interventions tailored to communities. Alongside this, Sport England invested £47,286 into sports-related projects in the constituency of Woking in 2024/25.

In addition, Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign has also inspired millions of women and girls across the country to get active. 1.6 million more women are expected to be active as a result of the campaign by 2028.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her department is taking to ensure that British citizens with families in Kashmir are able to maintain contact with loved ones.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 June in response to Question 7530.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that British nationals in Kashmir are safe and able to return to the United Kingdom.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 June in response to Question 7530.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an estimate of the number of businesses which have stopped trading due to the extended producer responsibility scheme.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of businesses that have stopped trading due to the extended producer responsibility scheme. The Department for Business and Trade is committed to supporting businesses to start, invest, grow and export through a range of measures, including improving access to finance, reducing barriers to trade, promoting investment, and providing practical support through the Business Growth Service and UK Export Finance.

The scheme is led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and is designed to ensure that producers bear the full net costs of managing household packaging waste, thereby supporting increased recycling and a more circular economy.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Hikvision cameras being used a) in the UK and b) by local authorities on data protection and security.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The first duty of Government is National Security and so we treat all potential threats with the utmost seriousness.

In November 2022, the previous government instructed all government departments to cease deployment of surveillance equipment on their sensitive sites where it is manufactured by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China. As the previous Security Minister said in a debate on this topic on Tuesday 18 November 2025, all sensitive Government sites which were identified as having such equipment had finished their replacement work.

More broadly, the National Cyber Security Centre and National Protective Security Agency provide extensive support to local authorities to mitigate threats to national security – including guidance on surveillance equipment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate the Department has made of how many drink and drug driving cases have been thrown out on technicalities, and whether the Department is reviewing this.

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

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and related outcomes for a variety of offences, including drink and drug driving, in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

Figures relating to where prosecutions were discontinued or discharged are included in published tools but further details about why a case was discontinued and whether it was “thrown out on technicalities” are not held centrally. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the financial impact of Extended Producer Responsibility fees on the hospitality sector; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating a proportion of that funding to support commercial glass recycling infrastructure for businesses.

Answered by Mary Creagh

The Government published an updated assessment in October 2024 of the impact of introducing packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) on packaging producers as a whole. That assessment did not provide a separate assessment of impacts on the hospitality sector.

We are aware of concerns about packaging that is disposed of through commercial waste streams and continue to work with stakeholders on this issue.

pEPR payments are intended to support and fund the efficient and effective management of household packaging waste by local authorities. Commercial waste collection and recycling arrangements sit outside the purpose of those payments.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the forthcoming amendment to the pEPR statutory instrument on businesses.

Answered by Mary Creagh

Defra is assessing the potential impact of forthcoming amendments to the packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) regulations.

The amendments are intended to improve the operation of the scheme, including by clarifying aspects of producer obligations, and strengthening transparency and oversight in the Packaging Waste Recycling Note and Packaging Waste Export Recycling Note systems.

The Government will set out the relevant assessment when the regulations are brought forward. The Department will also continue to monitor implementation and outcomes through the wider Collection and Packaging Reforms evaluation programme.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of EPR on the ability of businesses to meet recycling targets or to exceed them.

Answered by Mary Creagh

Packaging waste recycling targets, met by businesses through their recycling obligations, were set whilst taking account of the expected effects of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) alongside other recycling reforms, including Simpler Recycling.

These reforms are intended to improve the quality and quantity of material collected for recycling. Businesses remain responsible for meeting their packaging recycling obligations, and Defra will continue to monitor evidence from scheme delivery.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the accuracy of the impact assessment of EPR conducted 17 October 2024 in its assessment of the impact on businesses.

Answered by Mary Creagh

The October 2024 impact assessment remains the Government’s published assessment of the impacts of introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) and was independently scrutinised by the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC), which rated it ‘Green’ and fit-for-purpose.

As the scheme is implemented, Defra and PackUK continue to monitor evidence from scheme delivery, producer reporting, local authority costs, and stakeholder engagement.

Essential energy guarantee

Merchant Navy Day

Military housing

Defence Investment Plan

Local Housing Allowance rates

Sam Neill

Russian sanctions

International Court of Justice's July 2024 Advisory Opinion on the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Hampshire Day 2026

100th anniversary of the Campaign to Protect Rural England

Infrastructure Planning

Commencement of section 106 of the Equality Act 2010

Found: present Florence Eshalomi, in the chair Lewis Cocking Chris Curtis Mr Lee Dillon Maya Ellis Mr Will Forster

Found: Florence Eshalomi (Chair); Mr Jonathan Brash; Lewis Cocking; Chris Curtis; Mr Lee Dillon; Mr Will Forster

Found: Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 29 Commons Library Research Briefing, 15 July 2026 Asked by: Mr Will Forster