Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 help improve autism (a) awareness and (b) understanding among the adult population.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to creating a more inclusive society where autistic people are supported to thrive.
The Department is taking action to increase awareness and understanding of autism within health and adult social care services. From 1 July 2022, service providers registered with the Care Quality Commission are required to ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role, as set out in the Health and Care Act 2022. To support this, we are rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism. Over two million people have now completed the e-learning module, which is the first part of the training.
The Government has also committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity, including autism, in the workplace. An independent panel made of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity, including autism, has been launched to advise the Government on fostering more inclusive workplaces. This will build on the recommendations outlined in the Buckland Review of Autism Employment, which related solely to autism.
The panel will advise employers and ministers on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work, including for autistic people. The panel will consider mechanisms for change, making recommendations in the summer.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what criteria he will use to assess the need for a border poll in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The responsibility for a referendum sits solely with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, as set out in the Good Friday Agreement.
In accordance with that Agreement and the principle of consent, Northern Ireland will remain part of the United Kingdom for as long as its people wish for it to be.
In 2020, the Northern Ireland High Court ruled that there is no legal requirement or public interest in setting out a policy detailing fixed criteria on the holding of a referendum.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of remodelling Manchester Oxford Road railway station on rail capacity.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving rail capacity and performance are key aims of the Government’s investment programme for Manchester, hence the prioritisation of improvements to Oxford Road station which is a key constraint on the network. As the Oxford Road project develops over the next couple of years, further timetable and station capacity studies will be made.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by their Department since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
No phones, laptops, or other electronic devices have been reported lost in the Scotland Office since 5 July 2024.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding she plans to provide for school infrastructure in (a) South Holland district and (b) South Kesteven district in each of the next three financial years.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
School buildings are integral to high and rising standards and need to be fit for the future. The department has announced, for the 2025/26 financial year, capital funding allocations for school condition and for funding high needs capacity.
Mainstream basic need allocations have been published for the 2025/26 to 2027/28 financial years. Other funding plans for 2026/27 and beyond will be confirmed following the multi-year spending review.
We are increasing capital funding to improve the condition of school buildings to £2.1 billion for the 2025/26 financial year, up from £1.8 billion for 2024/25. As part of this, Lincolnshire County Council, which includes South Holland and South Kesteven districts, has been provisionally allocated a school condition allocation (SCA) of £5,873,159 to invest across its maintained schools. Maintained schools in Lincolnshire have also been provisionally allocated a total of £913,014 in devolved formula capital (DFC) to spend on their own capital priorities.
Large multi-academy trusts and large voluntary aided school bodies have also been provisionally allocated SCA, but allocations typically span across district and local authority boundaries. Smaller multi-academy and single academy trusts and sixth form colleges were instead eligible to apply to the Condition Improvement Fund, with outcomes due to be published later in the spring. Eligible non-maintained schools in Lincolnshire have also been provisionally allocated DFC. Final allocations will follow later in the spring.
In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme is rebuilding or significantly refurbishing buildings at over 500 schools, including Tulip Academy and University Academy Long Sutton in South Holland.
The department has published £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA) for the 2025/26 financial year, to support local authorities to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings. Of this, Lincolnshire County Council has been allocated £10.3 million.
Lincolnshire County Council has also been allocated just over £39 million of basic need capital grant over the current and next two financial years, to support it to create the mainstream school places needed by September 2028.
The department has recently announced 300 successful applicants for the school-based nursery capital grant, including two within the South Holland and the Deepings Parliamentary constituency.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a separate criminal offence of desecration of a corpse.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government understands the concerns of bereaved families who are pressing for a review of the legislative framework around the desecration of corpses. While there is no specific offence of desecrating a corpse in England and Wales, other related offences can apply, such as preventing the lawful burial of a body. When the concealment or desecration of a body is linked to a homicide (to avoid detection, for example), the current sentencing framework treats this as an aggravating factor, ensuring robust sentences. The Government recognises that desecration could include a range of behaviours and is keeping the law under review.
The Government is also taking action to expand the offence of sexual penetration of a corpse under section 70 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The Crime and Policing Bill will replace this offence with a broader offence of sexual activity with a corpse. This will ensure that all intentional sexual touching of a corpse is criminal, not just penetration as is currently the case. Non-penetrative sexual touching will attract a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. The Bill will increase the maximum penalty for sexual penetration from 2 years’ imprisonment to 7 years.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights' publication Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 12 March 2025, whether he will make it his policy to adopt the Committee's recommendations on expediting the adoption of a comprehensive national strategy for the (a) protection and (b) promotion of the right to adequate food.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has committed to develop an ambitious food strategy will set and deliver clear long-term outcomes that create a healthier, fairer, and more resilient food system. The strategy will work to improve the food system to provide more easily accessible healthy food to tackle diet-related ill health, helping to give children the best start in life and help adults live longer healthier lives. It will also maintain our food security – which is national security – by building resilience in the face of climate shocks and geopolitical changes, strengthening the supply chain which operates so effectively to keep us fed.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of (a) taxi and (b) private hire vehicles that use number plates that do not conform with regulations.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of illegal number plates as well as number plates with raised characters, commonly known as ‘4D plates’. Some 4D plates can also be described as ‘ghost’ plates where the characters are constructed from materials that are unable to be read by infrared Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems. Work is currently ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates that may be in circulation, which would include on taxis and private hire vehicles.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidential basis was used to underpin his Department's policy on Moorland grazing densities (grazing livestock units per hectare).
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environmental Land Management scheme actions were designed and appraised using a variety of qualitative and quantitative data. Geomorphology, climate and historic management practices all combine to make each moorland unique. The offer therefore includes a range of actions that can be selected based on the needs of each moorland. This includes an annual moorland assessment to assess the habitats on each moorland and their condition to inform the choice of grazing actions.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Hongkongers who (a) arrived in the UK on British National (Overseas) visas and (b) have subsequently become UK citizens receive consular protection in (i) Hong Kong and (ii) mainland China.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) provides consular assistance to British nationals abroad. This includes BN(O)s who, under the Memoranda to the Joint Declaration, are eligible for consular assistance in third countries, but not in Hong Kong, Macao or mainland China. If individuals have formally renounced Chinese citizenship, it's advised that they carry clear evidence they have done so. We advise seeking legal advice where appropriate for individual cases. Individuals should also familiarise themselves with the FCDO's Travel Advice.