Asked by: Sarah Russell (Labour - Congleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government expects to publish guidance for Integrated Care Boards on the implementation of Women's Integrated Neighbourhood Services.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how many (a) offers were made, (b) places were accepted and (c) students enrolled in the first cohort of Spärck AI Scholarships; at which universities; and what was the total cost of each cohort.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The first cohort of Spärck AI Scholars were recruited and selected directly by participating universities. The Department therefore does not hold a consolidated figure for the number of scholarship offers made. However, we can confirm that 79 scholarship places were accepted and 79 scholars subsequently enrolled across the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford, Southampton, Imperial College London and University College London. For the 2026/27 cohort, UK Research and Innovation, through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, made grant funding of £3.23M available across the nine participating universities to support scholars’ tuition fees and living-cost stipends.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what methodology underlies the estimate that the UK AI assurance market could be worth £6.5 billion by 2035; and how many of the 524 firms counted in the 2024 market study are specialised assurance providers.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The £6.5 billion figure comes from the 2024 Frontier Economics study of the AI assurance market, commissioned by DSIT. It projects gross value added to 2035 by assuming supply keeps growing at the rate seen over the past five years, with current market barriers persisting. Growth in the number of firms and in average employment is modelled separately for each supplier type, starting from a 2024 baseline of £1.01 billion. This gives £6.53 billion by 2035. The study stresses that this is illustrative rather than a precise forecast.
Of the 524 firms identified, 84 are specialised assurance providers.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2026, to Question 26939, on Elections: Reform, whether it is the Prime Minister’s policy position that the United Kingdom could re-join the European Union’s (a) customs union, (b) single market or (c) single currency without a referendum.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Prime Minister confirmed to the House on 12 October, the Government's red lines for this Parliament regarding a return to the EU Single Market and Customs Union remain in place. However, around the time of the next UK-EU Summit, the Prime Minister will lay out to the country the different options for Britain's long-term relationship with our European partners.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Prime Minister’s policy is on holding a referendum on re-integration with the European Union.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Prime Minister confirmed to the House on 12 October, the Government's red lines for this Parliament regarding a return to the EU Single Market and Customs Union remain in place. However, around the time of the next UK-EU Summit, the Prime Minister will lay out to the country the different options for Britain's long-term relationship with our European partners.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what service standards apply to (a) the initial assessment of complaints submitted to the Insolvency Service’s Complaints Gateway and (b) subsequent investigations by recognised professional bodies; and what proportion met those standards in each of the last three years.
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 Insolvency Service’s Complaints Gateway service standard is to assess 85% of complaints within 15 working days. Within that time, a complaint will either be rejected as being out of scope or referred to the relevant Recognised Professional Body (RPB) for further investigation, and the complainant informed of the outcome.
The Insolvency Service does not publish performance data relating to the Complaints Gateway. Internal management information indicates:
Year | Performance against target |
2025 | 91% |
2024 | 97% |
2023 | 91% |
The RPBs are responsible for investigating complaints about the insolvency practitioners they authorise and for managing the timescales of those investigations.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to diversify and support aviation reliant economies.
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 Government recognises the importance of aviation and aerospace to local economies across the UK. Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we are supporting investment, innovation and high-skilled employment in sectors including advanced manufacturing and clean aviation. At the last Spending Review, the Government committed up to £2.3 billion over 10 years to the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme, supporting innovative research and development, strengthening UK aerospace supply chains and encouraging industrial investment. We are also working across government and with local partners to attract investment and support sustainable economic growth in communities with significant aviation and aerospace activity.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if his Department will publish guidance setting out the respective responsibilities of the Insolvency Service, insolvency practitioners’ regulators and the courts when an individual raises concerns about both practitioner misconduct and continuing litigation costs.
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 Insolvency Service has published guidance on Gov.uk explaining the role of the Insolvency Practitioner Complaints Gateway and the types of complaint it can consider. Commercial or legal disputes arising from insolvency proceedings are generally matters for the court. The Recognised Professional Bodies, which regulate insolvency practitioners, also publish information on their complaints and disciplinary processes.
The Department considers that existing published guidance and regulatory information provides clarity on these respective responsibilities.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what consultations have been held with the UK defence manufacturing sector regarding the implementation of the National Security Strategy 2025.
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 Government engages regularly with the UK defence manufacturing sector on the delivery of its national security and defence priorities. This engagement has informed the Defence Industrial Strategy, which sets out how Government and industry will work together to strengthen the UK’s defence industrial base, support UK-based businesses, accelerate innovation and build greater industrial resilience. This supports the National Security Strategy 2025 commitment to rebuild the UK’s defence industrial base and increase sovereign capabilities.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what guidance applies to the sharing of relevant information between the Insolvency Service, recognised professional bodies and liquidators where director conduct investigations and civil recovery proceedings concern the same company.
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)
Information may be shared between the Insolvency Service, recognised professional bodies and insolvency office-holders where there is a lawful basis to do so and sharing is necessary and proportionate.
Any information sharing is subject to applicable statutory disclosure gateways, data-protection requirements, legal professional privilege and restrictions protecting confidential investigative material.