Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has undertaken work to identify which additional public services could be delivered face to face through the Post Office network; and whether he has discussed the potential expansion of such services with other departments.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As set out in the Government’s Green Paper, the role of Post Office is changing, fuelled by significant changes in Post Office’s markets. Government will continue facilitating discussions around the future of cash and banking services, as demonstrated by the recent joint discussions held between the Post Office and the banking sector. The Department for Business and Trade will also work across government to explore opportunities to improve and enhance the delivery of in-person government services, and we have established a cross-government working group for this purpose. However, Post Office’s services are ultimately a commercial matter for the organisation and its partners.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has considered the potential merits of the Post Office network hosting community banking representatives to provide in-person access to more complex banking services.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As set out in the Government’s Green Paper, the role of Post Office is changing, fuelled by significant changes in Post Office’s markets. Government will continue facilitating discussions around the future of cash and banking services, as demonstrated by the recent joint discussions held between the Post Office and the banking sector. The Department for Business and Trade will also work across government to explore opportunities to improve and enhance the delivery of in-person government services, and we have established a cross-government working group for this purpose. However, Post Office’s services are ultimately a commercial matter for the organisation and its partners.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
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 coordinate planning, energy policy and building regulations to maximise solar deployment across the built environment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We work closely across Whitehall to ensure alignment between planning policy, energy policy and building regulations. The Government will publish the Future Homes Standard in the coming months, ensuring solar panels are installed on the majority of new build homes once it comes into force. Similarly, the Future Buildings Standard will ensure that solar will, where appropriate, play an important role on new non-domestic buildings.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what lessons they have learned from the introduction of self-driving cars in the United States, particularly in relation to safety.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (AV Act) sets out a comprehensive legal framework with safety at its core. The ongoing Call for Evidence, “Developing the Automated Vehicles Regulatory Framework”, aims to gather information from a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that future development of this work is thoroughly grounded in expertise from across the sector.
Throughout this work we will continue to utilise the experience and best practice of international partners. In particular, ongoing deployments of automated vehicles in the United States will enable practical lessons to be learned from interactions with a wide range of road users and the general public.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February to Question 108700 on Strategic Defence Review, how much of the £270 billion to be spent on Defence in this Parliament will be spent on the procurement of uncrewed systems for the British armed forces.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including the procurement of uncrewed systems, will be prioritised appropriately against the threat as part of the future Integrated Force and set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help support public awareness of the Don’t Swerve a Sight Test campaign.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We appreciate the work that the Association of Optometrists is doing to highlight the importance of good vision for driving.
On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all road users. Alongside the strategy, we launched a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.
All drivers, regardless of age, have a legal responsibility to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a medical condition that may affect their ability to drive.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to increase public awareness of the changes to the Highway Code introduced in 2022.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users.
That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.
Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the Department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes.
Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations.
However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.
As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the Government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the Government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.
Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor the impact of the ban on mixed-product promotional offers and the cap on bonus wagering requirements on high-risk gambling behaviour.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to strengthening protections for those at risk of gambling harm. We continue to monitor the best available evidence that assesses the impact of consumer protection measures when making future policy decisions.
Alongside monitoring the best available evidence, we have commissioned a robust evaluation of a subset of the measures introduced through the Gambling Act Review, including socially responsible incentives. We expect the findings of that evaluation to be published by the end of this year. This work will be supported by the statutory gambling levy, which directs 20% of its funding toward independent research to fill critical gaps in the evidence base. This will also include a proportion of funding for the Gambling Commission to direct further research in line with the licensing objectives.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2025 to question 71975 on RAF Akrotiri: Military Aircraft, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of current pan space capacity.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
British Forces Cyprus continue to work closely with all relevant stakeholders to assess the capacity of the RAF Akrotiri Airfield Operating Surfaces, ensuring an appropriate understanding of current requirements and the ability to support Defence activity as needed. RAF Akrotiri currently has adequate pan space capacity for both current and planned operations, with future operational demands kept under regular review.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of AI on trends in the level of employment in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government’s recognise that AI is transforming workplaces, demanding new skills and augmenting existing roles, however the future scale of change remains uncertain.
We are planning against a range of plausible outcomes to ensure workers continue to have access to good, meaningful employment.
To support this, we have established the AI and the Future of Work Unit, which will provide robust analysis and evidence on the impact of AI on the labour market. The Unit will coordinate action across government, ensuring our principles are delivered through practical help and support for workers and employers.
As is the case with all new technologies, AI also presents significant opportunities for the labour market. For example, our AI Growth Zones are creating over 15,000 jobs. We are also providing free AI training for all and will provide 10 million workers with essential AI skills by 2030, with the aim to make the UK the fastest adopting AI country in the G7.
Through these initiatives and others, we will drive economic opportunity and support workers to adapt and thrive in workplaces across the UK, including Surrey and Surrey Heath.