Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce delays to employment tribunal hearings.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We are working to reduce delays to employment tribunal hearings by investing in tribunal productivity through the recruitment of additional judges, the deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems and the use of remote hearing technology. This has delivered over 1,500 additional sitting days. As a result, the Lord Chancellor was able to announce on 5 March 2025 a sitting day allocation of 33,900 for the Employment Tribunals in the financial year 2025/26, the maximum allocation they are able to sit.
Following judicial recruitment, in 2024 we added 21 more salaried judges in the Employment Tribunals than in 2023, and recruitment for up to a further 36 salaried Employment Judges commenced in March 2025. 50 fee-paid employment judges were appointed in 2024, and recruitment will commence for another 50 judges in early 2026. Additionally, recruitment for 150 non-legal tribunal members will commence this year.
We recognise that there remain significant challenges for the performance of the Employment Tribunals. We are therefore continuing to monitor demand on the Employment Tribunals and will continue to work closely with the judiciary, HMCTS and the Department for Business and Trade on any further actions needed to alleviate pressures on the Employment Tribunals, improve efficiency and reduce waiting times in order to ensure timely access to justice for claimants and respondents.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of military promotion processes.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
As recommended by the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), we are working towards supporting a ‘One Defence’ mindset through career management structures that reward behaviour and action accordingly. Unified Career Management (UCM) is currently in place within specialised cohorts which provides a joint approach to career management and promotion boards. Lessons learnt from UCM will provide an opportunity to refine the roll out to additional cohorts.
We will also consider the more radical options recommended by the SDR to break down single Service siloes, such as joint promotion boards and central career management.
Defence is taking seriously the SDR's call to invest in foundational leadership, financial, commercial, and technology skills across the civilian and military workforce, including the flexibility to reward the development of expertise in specialist areas, including through pay and promotion freedoms; and developing a two-way secondment programme with a focus on short-term, informal schemes that are effective and can be delivered quickly. We are working at pace on a plan for delivery.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Major £5 billion technology investment accelerates UK defence innovation in a European first, published on 2 June 2025, how much of the funding for autonomous systems will be spent on drones for use by the armed forces in this financial year.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government press release entitled Major £5 billion technology investment accelerates UK defence innovation in a European first, published on 2 June 2025, how the £4 billion for autonomous systems will be spent in each financial year until 2028-29.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Major £5 billion technology investment accelerates UK defence innovation in a European first, published on 2 June 2025, how much of the £4 billion for autonomous systems will be spent in this financial year.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.
Asked by: Kevin Bonavia (Labour - Stevenage)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase levels of research into Parkinson's disease.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Government responsibility for delivering Parkinson’s disease research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation.
Between the financial years 2019/20 and 2023/24, the Government spent a total of £79.1 million on research into Parkinson’s disease. Research spend is calculated retrospectively, with a time lag due to annual reporting lapses, and so 2023/24 is the most recent financial year we have data for.
As well as funding research itself, the NIHR invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations to support and deliver research in England. Collectively, this forms NIHR infrastructure. NIHR infrastructure enables the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality translational, clinical, and applied research into Parkinson’s disease. For example, in financial year 2022/23, the NIHR Clinical Research Network enabled 114 studies related to Parkinson’s disease to be conducted in the National Health Service.
The Government is continuing to invest in Parkinson’s disease research. For example, the UK Dementia Research Institute, primarily funded by the Government, is partnering with Parkinson’s UK to establish a new £10 million research centre dedicated to better understanding the causes of Parkinson’s and finding new treatments.
The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including Parkinson’s disease. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
Welcoming applications on Parkinson's disease to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle cold calls; and whether he plans to introduce financial penalties on people conducting cold calls.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Unsolicited direct marketing calls are regulated by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), which are enforced by the Information Commissioner. The Commissioner has a range of investigatory and enforcement powers, including the ability to issue financial penalties. Details of enforcement actions are published at: https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/
Reforms introduced through the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 will give the Commissioner new powers, including the ability to impose higher maximum fines for infringements. The Commissioner will also be able to take enforcement action based on the volume of unsolicited direct marketing calls made—regardless of whether those calls are answered by the intended recipient —reflecting the potential risk of harm to consumers.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has allocated for the provision of insulin pumps for local services in the (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27 financial years.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Insulin pumps were recommended for certain groups of the type 1 diabetes population in 2008 via the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) Technology Appraisal TA151.
The National Health Service is legally obliged to fund and resource medicines and other treatments recommended by NICE’s Technology Appraisals, and commissioners are required to meet the costs. Local integrated care board leaders should already have plans in place, and budgets identified, to meet the needs of their populations who meet the recommended eligibility criteria of TA151, in accordance with the NHS Constitution.
A national contribution is available to meet 75% of the additional costs of the requirements of NICE TA943 on hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems, as a funding variation was agreed with NICE. Insulin pumps are one of the components of HCL systems.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to provide financial support for (a) connection costs and (b) internal heat interface units for consumers connecting to low-carbon heat networks.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants to encourage property owners to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon heating systems. Heat pumps are the primary supported technology under the scheme. It does not provide financial support for the connection costs for connecting to heat networks or internal heat interface units.
Significant funding to develop new and existing low carbon heat networks across England is provided through the Green Heat Network Fund, which has announced over £506 million in grant awards to date. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will provide further detail on the support available to help property owners transition to cleaner, low carbon heating.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of poor digital access on levels of financial exclusion among women living in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government published its Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February 2025, which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK, including rural areas. We recognise the financial impact digital exclusion can have on many different groups including women and men living in rural areas.
These will be targeted at local initiatives for boosting digital skills and confidence, widening access to devices and connectivity, and getting support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology.
More widely, HM Treasury is developing a Financial Inclusion Strategy to address the barriers consumers can face in accessing the products they need. This includes a focus on digital inclusion and access to banking and the Digital Inclusion and Skills Unit in DSIT is working closely with HM Treasury to ensure appropriate coordination.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring everyone has access to the banking services they need and is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK which will provide cash access and a range of face-to-face banking services.