Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of an increase in the SCAPE discount rate on police officers in the 1987 Police Pension Scheme.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In line with the existing methodology, the Government announced on 19 May 2026 that the SCAPE discount rate is 2%+CPI.
HM Treasury is not the responsible authority for individual Public Service Pension Schemes. Regulation B7 of the Police Pension Scheme Regulations 1987 provides for commutation of pension to purchase lump sum and specifies that the rate is that set out by the Scheme Actuary. The factors were updated on 21 May 2026 to reflect the change to the SCAPE discount rate.
Asked by: Josh Dean (Labour - Hertford and Stortford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the new initial teacher training and early career framework includes content related to (a) identifying children’s social and emotional developmental needs and (b) supporting children with their identified social and emotional developmental needs.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Early Career Framework covers the first three years or more of a teacher’s career. It sets out a minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers and, following a review, now contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
This includes content on how teaching and modelling a range of social and emotional skills, including how to recognise and understand feelings, manage emotions, and sustain positive relationships, can support pupils’ social and emotional development.
ITT providers must also ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards, to be recommended for qualified teacher status. The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, which includes those with speech and language challenges.
We are investing over £200 million to improve SEND training for all staff across education settings, and developing national inclusion standards to help teachers identify needs and put evidence-based support in place. From September 2026, all staff will have access to new government-backed training, with further courses from 2027.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Reeves to use Parliament to drive through power plants and infrastructure, published on 20 May 2026, what safeguards will remain in place for local communities affected by projects designated as being of Critical National Importance.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
On 20 May, the Chancellor announced a package of infrastructure planning reforms to accelerate delivery of the most important clean energy projects, strengthen the UK’s energy security and support economic growth.
Under these reforms, projects designated as being of Critical National Importance would still be required to proceed through the normal Development Consent Order process, and existing arrangements for considering impacts and hearing from affected communities would remain in place. This route would apply only to energy projects that the Energy Secretary designates as of Critical National Importance, and any such designation would also require explicit parliamentary approval
HM Treasury is working closely with relevant departments on the detailed policy and legislative framework for these reforms. Further detail will be set out in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Reeves to use Parliament to drive through power plants and infrastructure, published on 20 May 2026, if she will set out what role hon. Members will have in approving or scrutinising projects designated as being of Critical National Importance under the proposals.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
On 20 May, the Chancellor announced a package of infrastructure planning reforms to accelerate delivery of the most important clean energy projects, strengthen the UK’s energy security and support economic growth.
These proposals include a new route for Parliament to approve projects designated as Critical National Importance, providing greater certainty where the national interest is clearest. The route would apply only to energy projects identified by the Energy Secretary as Critical National Importance, and any such designation would require explicit parliamentary approval.
HM Treasury is working closely with relevant departments on the detailed policy and legislative framework for these reforms. Further detail will be set out in due course.
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, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, how many meetings with businesses his department had during the drafting of the consultation.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers and officials have engaged extensively with business, trade unions and representative organisations on the zero hours measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025, informing the development of the consultation.
We have held over 17 meetings with businesses on these measures and over 11 meetings with trade unions, alongside wider engagement on Make Work Pay, and continue to meet regularly with business representative organisations and trade unions.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK businesses do not benefit from child labour in Bangladesh.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to ending child labour globally, including in Bangladesh, and to ensuring UK businesses do not benefit from it.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works with partners to engage businesses and investors to raise awareness of child labour risks in supply chains. This year, we have supported the Child Rights Action Hub in Bangladesh to reduce risks in informal, lower-tier supply chains. The Hub has trained 35 Child Rights Focal Points to identify child labour risks and strengthen community-based referral pathways. It has also engaged major textile industry associations to increase visibility of child labour risks in ready-made garment supply chains and promote sector-led action.
The FCDO's Asia Regional Child Labour Programme, our largest programme on child labour, supported interventions to reduce the vulnerability of children to exploitation across South Asia, including Bangladesh.
We will continue to work with international partners to accelerate progress towards ending child labour in line with Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of support available to unreleased prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Government remains determined to support the rehabilitation of IPP prisoners, through the IPP Action Plan, which we published on 17 July 2025. The Plan sets out actions and associated targets, to ensure that those serving IPP sentences, including those who have never been released, have robust and effective sentence plans and that they are held in a prison most appropriate to their needs. These measures offer the most effective and responsible way to support the safe and sustainable release of those serving the sentence.
Progress against the IPP Action Plan is reported in the HMPPS annual report on the IPP sentence, most recently published on 17 July 2025. This report includes a focus on specific cohorts of individuals serving IPP sentences, including those who have never been released, in recognition of the particular needs of such prisoners. The next HMPPS annual report is due to be published in Summer 2026, this will set out in detail the progress made on supporting IPP prisoners.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the interventions available to unreleased prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection differ from those available to other prisoners serving such sentences.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
There are a range of interventions aimed at reducing reoffending and aiding resettlement into the community. These are allocated on an individual basis. Those working with prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) will identify what interventions or services will be most suitable, based on the presenting need.
A small number of initiatives are designed specifically, or primarily, for IPP prisoners. These are not necessarily formal interventions, but they provide holistic, therapeutic services and unit-based approaches, aimed at increasing hope and reducing feelings of dejection, in order to increase insight, and improve relationships and engagement. Examples include the progression regimes currently in four prisons across the estate, and the Midlands Therapeutic Service.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Road Safety Strategy, what steps she has taken to implement the Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment pilot trials in new regions.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department for Transport has supported all local authorities that have asked for help with Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment (PRIME) trials. The Department remains open to further involvement and will continue to consider applications on a rolling basis, assessing each request as it is received and working with Local Authorities to determine how best to provide appropriate support.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what consideration she has given to rejoining Creative Europe.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We recognise the UK’s creative and cultural sectors provide a unique and valuable contribution to Europe’s rich culture. We also understand the value of UK–EU cooperation through EU programmes – this is why we have associated to Horizon Europe, Copernicus and Erasmus+.
However, we have no intention to rejoin Creative Europe at this time.