Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether changes have taken place within the last twelve months that place additional restrictions on registered sex offender's ability to change their names.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government has introduced a series of measures to strengthen the management of registered sex offenders (RSOs) and prevent them from evading monitoring by changing their identities in the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently at Committee stage in the House of Lords.
The new legislation will enable police to serve a notice on RSOs requiring them to seek the police’s authorisation before applying to change their name on a specified identity document (namely, a UK passport, driving licence or immigration document). It also requires RSOs to notify the police of an intended change of name at least seven days in advance of using it, or, if that is not reasonably practicable, as far in advance of their using it as it reasonably practicable.
These measures close previous loopholes to enable the police to monitor registered sex offenders more closely and better protect the public.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 merits of using closed mineral extraction sites to aid flood alleviation, rather than infilling with waste.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires that planning authorities should provide for restoration and aftercare of mineral sites at the earliest opportunity to be carried out to high environmental standards. This should include, through provision of a landscape strategy, restoration conditions and aftercare schemes as appropriate.
Responsibility for the restoration and aftercare of mineral sites, including financial responsibility, lies with the mineral site operator and, in the case of default, with the landowner.
A revised NPPF was published in December 2024. The government will consider whether further changes are necessary to manage flood risk when we consult on planning reform, including national policy related to decision making.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on the banning of cigarette filters, in the context of the upcoming eleventh Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are confident that the best way to tackle tobacco litter and to protect people’s health is to reduce the prevalence of smoking. That is why we are taking decisive action through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a smoke-free generation alongside continuing with evidence-based approaches to supporting smokers to quit. We therefore have no current plans to ban cigarette filters.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
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 International Olympic Committee on the inclusion of netball in the Olympic Games.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I have not had discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) about the inclusion of netball, or any other sport, in the Olympic Games.
The Olympic sports programme is determined by the IOC. The British Olympic Association, as the National Organising Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is the domestic representative to the IOC and does so operating independently of the Government.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 offshore wind on marine life.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The National Policy Statements for energy set out that each offshore wind planning application must satisfy a number of grounds before it can go ahead. These include how the developer is avoiding, mitigating and compensating for impacts on the natural environment, as well as how any mitigation and compensation will be delivered. Information on individual planning applications can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.
The Government has committed to delivering the Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package, which will help accelerate offshore wind delivery while continuing to protect the marine environment.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to ensure that diesel vehicle manufacturers responsible for illegal emissions practices contribute to environmental remediation or compensation schemes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes illegal emissions practices extremely seriously. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Department's Answer to Question 89843 on Flood Control, answered on 19 November 2025, if the report mentioned has been taken into consideration when planning for flood risk this winter.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government continues to prioritise improving flood resilience to protect communities.
In developing policy, we consider the findings of research from key external partners, and this includes those in the Building Future Communities report.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the current Noise Regulations in protecting (a) animals, (b) veterans and (c) other vulnerable people from harm.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Protections are in place to avoid significant noise impacts through our planning system, environmental permitting regulations, vehicle and product standards, and noise abatement legislation.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his department is making on its target to reduce the time taken for cancer diagnoses.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is supporting the National Health Service to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), for 75% of patients to be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days of being referred urgently by their general practitioner for suspected cancer. NHS England collects and publishes monthly FDS performance data nationally and for individual cancer groups.
To achieve the FDS, NHS England rolled out public awareness campaigns of cancer signs and symptoms, streamlined referral routes for different cancer types, and is increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres.
NHS England has also achieved full roll out of non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with vague and non-site-specific symptoms which do not clearly align to a tumour type.
Between October 2024 and September 2025, approximately 193,000 more patients got a cancer diagnosis or the all-clear on time than in the year from July 2023 to June 2024.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people have been employed by (a) the Water Services Regulation Authority and (b) the Forestry Commission in each year since 2005.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) publishes figures on staff numbers and budget in its annual report and accounts. These can be found listed on GOV.UK or among Ofwat’s other publications on its website. The sharp rise in both budget and staffing from 2023 reflects Ofwat’s expanded regulatory role, including oversight of water companies’ commitments for 2025-2030.
The Forestry Commission publishes figures on staff numbers and budget in its annual report and accounts. These are publicly available on GOV.UK. Forestry England, an agency of the Forestry Commission, self-generates a significant proportion of its income.