theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for research into treatments for Huntington’s disease in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department of Health and Social Care delivers research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

In January 2024, the NIHR invested £6 million over three years into two Dementia and Neurodegeneration Policy Research Units to conduct research that informs policymaking in the Department and its health system partners. The units’ work programmes span multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s disease.

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 forming the NIHR infrastructure.

For example, research supported by the NIHR’s UCLH Biomedical Research Centre and Research Delivery Network has shown that AMT-130 gene therapy led to a 75% slowing in disease progression after 36 months in people with Huntington’s disease who also demonstrated slower motor and cognitive function degeneration, offering long-awaited hope to individuals and families impacted by the disease..

The NIHR continues to welcome high-quality funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including Huntington’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.
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when NICE plans to review (a) guideline NG17 for Type 1 diabetes in adults and (b) guideline NG18 for Diabetes (type 1 and type 2) in children and young people; and what the timelines are for the next updates. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for translating evidence into authoritative evidence-based guidance for the health and care system on best practice, in order to drive improved outcomes for patients.

NICE currently has no plans to update guidelines NG17 and NG18. NICE takes a proactive approach to surveillance, monitoring for changes in the evidence base that may impact on its recommendations. Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process. Decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by an integrated, cross-organisational prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer.
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Rebecca Paul:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Independent Monitoring Board's report entitled Annual report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Downview, published on 3 September 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure acutely mentally unwell prisoners are swiftly (a) identified and (b) given care in an appropriate facility at (a) HMP/YOI Downview, (b) other prisons and (c) other young offenders institutions. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: NHS England commissions prison health care services for HMP/YOI Downview and every other prison and young offenders institution in England. Every prison has onsite health care services including primary care, mental health, dentistry, and substance misuse teams.

The National Service Specification for integrated mental health sets out how patients within secure settings, who require support for their mental wellbeing, should receive the same level of healthcare as people in the community, both in terms of the range of interventions available to them, in order to meet their needs, and the quality and standards of those interventions.

This includes access to crisis intervention and crisis prevention for those at high risk of self-harm and suicide, where such behaviours relate to poor emotional wellbeing and/or minor psychiatric morbidity.

Access to mental health provision is available to every person in prison at any stage of their sentence, beginning at the point of entry. NHS England commissions first night reception screening to have a registered nurse/practitioner review patients’ medical history to address any immediate health needs and risks and to ensure medication is made available as soon as possible and that onward referrals to onsite healthcare teams, including mental health services, for both urgent face to face appointments, within 24 hours, and routine face to face appointments, within five working days, are made.

Outside of reception screening, people in prison can be referred or can self-refer to mental health services, within those timeframes.

When someone is acutely unwell, they can be transferred from prisons and other places of detention to hospital for treatment, under the Mental Health Act, within the target transfer period of 28 days. The Mental Health Bill, currently going through Parliament, introduces a statutory 28-day time limit within which agencies must seek to ensure individuals who meet the criteria for detention under the act are transferred to hospital for treatment. NHS England’s South East Health and Justice team is funding a transfer and remissions co-ordinator from January 2025, to improve, where possible, safe, effective, and efficient transfers to hospital level treatment and interventions.

NHS England is reviewing the National Integrated Prison Service Specification to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the prison population.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's news story entitled, Update on Gaza medical evacuation scheme, published on 22 August 2025, what estimate he has made with Cabinet colleagues on the number of Gazan (a) children and (b) immediate family members that will be accepted for evacuation and treatment in the UK. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Statement HCWS899 made to the House on 1 September 2025 by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

The safety, privacy, and wellbeing of these severely ill and vulnerable patients and their families remains our absolute priority. We will not be providing further operational details on the numbers who have arrived at this stage.
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the role of mayoral authorities will be within Regional Health Innovation Zones. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Collaboration between health systems and local government, including mayoral authorities, is fundamental to the design and delivery of the Regional Health Innovation Zones, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan. The Government is committed to ensuring that local government leaders feel a sense of shared ownership in these plans.

The policy is currently in development. It is being designed with flexibility at its core, to ensure it accommodates the diversity of local government structures across the country. The relevant policy teams are already beginning to engage with regional leaders, in health systems and local government, to codesign the approach and to provide more clarity to regions.
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Jessica Toale:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is available to clinicians for patients with a family history of diethylstilbestrol exposure. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Government encourages all women, including those exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) in utero, to attend regular cervical screenings which test for human papillomavirus, the cause of most cervical cancers. Women who believe or know that they were exposed to DES in utero may also need regular colposcopy which falls outside the routine screening programme. We recommend that they should speak to their general practitioner about this as local arrangements should be made for the follow up of women who display evidence of DES exposure. Further information regarding individuals exposed to DES is contained within the cervical screening guidance for the National Health Service, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-programme-and-colposcopy-management/5-screening-and-management-of-immunosuppressed-individuals

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked NHS England to work with local cancer alliances to ensure that providers are aware of this existing screening and follow up guidance for individuals exposed to DES, and that those who could benefit from additional screening have access to this.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the national body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the NHS on best practice in the care and treatment of patients with defined conditions. NICE has not issued any guidance on the diagnosis and management of patients potentially exposed to DES and it currently has no plans to do so. Decisions on the development of new topics for NICE guidance are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by its Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Care if he will bring forward proposals for reducing hospital waiting lists in Cumbria. \p Karin Smyth: As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. The Government is clear that reforming elective care must be done equitably and inclusively for all adults, children, and young people across all regions, including Cumbria.

Work to reduce waiting lists in Cumbria is already underway, with the National Health Service implementing the Elective Reform Plan to increase capacity and improve patient access as quickly as possible.

The region of Cumbria is covered by two integrated care boards (ICBs). The NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB is reducing waiting times in the Cumbria region through a dedicated programme on referral and demand management. It is also transforming care pathways to ensure patients receive high-quality treatment in the most appropriate setting, prioritising community and neighbourhood care to reduce hospital pressures.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB is also implementing a range of demand management strategies to reduce waiting lists in Cumbria. These include redesigning outpatient pathways with community-based services, virtual clinics, straight-to-test models, and focusing on one-stop clinics. It is also prioritising workforce training to improve referral quality, and meeting regularly with the trust to monitor progress towards meeting the constitutional standard.

As of August 2025, 18-week Referral-to-Treatment performance for the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB was 60.7% and for the NHS North East And North Cumbria ICB was 70.2%.
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Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists's report entitled A work in progress: evaluating the women’s health strategy, published in July 2025, whether he plans to update his Department's Women's health strategy for England to align it with the 10 Year Health Plan. \p Karin Smyth: The 2022 Women's Health Strategy identified many important issues which remain valid, and we have already made excellent progress turning the commitments in the strategy into tangible action. This includes delivering 5.2 million extra appointments, tackling gynaecology waiting lists using the private sector, and we will shortly make emergency hormonal contraception free in pharmacies. We now need to update the Women’s Health Strategy to align with the 10-Year Health Plan and identify areas where we need to go further.
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John Whitby:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the national maternity investigation will also look into cases of twin and triplet deaths as part of its investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services. \p Karin Smyth: The Government acknowledges that pregnancies for twins and multiples are associated with significantly higher risks for stillbirth, neonatal death and preterm birth.

Cases of twin and triplet deaths will be looked at as part of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation where they fall within the scope of the terms of reference. These terms are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-maternity-and-neonatal-investigation-terms-of-reference/national-maternity-and-neonatal-investigation-terms-of-reference

The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation will produce an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025. The Investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in Spring 2026.
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Claire Coutinho:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times Ministers in his Department have met with representatives of the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the last 12 months. \p Karin Smyth: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The NMC is independent of Government, directly accountable to Parliament and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties. The UK's model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care oversees the bodies that regulate health and care professionals in the UK, which includes the NMC. As the Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care), I monitor the NMC’s performance and meet with the organisation regularly. In line with the Ministerial Code, details of all ministerial meetings, including those with the NMC, are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on how many occasions his Department has withheld information due to the risk of prejudicing private commercial interest under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in this Parliament. \p Karin Smyth: Since 5 July 2024 the Department has withheld information under section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on 120 occasions. We do not differentiate in our reporting whether information has been withheld specifically under section 43(1), 43(2), or 43(3) of the act, nor is it detailed whose commercial interests the exemption relates to. Statistics on the number of times specific Freedom of Information exemptions are used by the Department are published by Cabinet Office on a quarterly and annual basis, and are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS neonatal units have parental accommodation available. \p Karin Smyth: Not all maternity hospitals are currently able to offer adequate accommodation for families. This is due to the historic undercapitalisation across the National Health Service, as highlighted by the Darzi Report.

All trust boards should review their estate data and seek assurance that all healthcare premises from which they are delivering maternity services are of appropriate standard. This should include a review of community-based maternity services, which were not in the scope of the estate survey. In instances where the estate is not of appropriate standard, trust boards should ensure mitigating action is being taken accordingly.

As a first step towards improving our maternity and neonatal estate, we are investing over £100 million through the 2025/26 estates safety fund to address critical safety risks on the maternity estate, enabling better care for mothers and their newborns.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve maternity safety in hospitals. \p Karin Smyth: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced a rapid, national, independent Investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services, chaired by Baroness Amos, to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care.

The Investigation will look into maternity and neonatal services in 14 NHS trusts alongside reviewing the maternity and neonatal system, bringing together the findings of past reviews into one clear national set of actions.

The Government is also establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce. The Taskforce will be chaired by the Secretary of State and will take forward the recommendations of the Investigation, forming them into a national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.

Alongside this, the Government is taking immediate action to boost accountability and safety as part of its mission to build an NHS fit for the future – including measures to hold the system to account, a system to better identify safety concerns, rolling out a programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, and new best practice standards in maternal mortality.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider reviewing the geographical areas within which resident doctors are expected to relocate during specialty training. \p Karin Smyth: We recognise the importance of location stability for doctors in training and the impact that frequent relocations can have on wellbeing, retention, and workforce planning.

A review into postgraduate medical training is already underway. The first phase of the review has now concluded, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/the-medical-training-review-phase-1-diagnostic-report/

The next phase of the review will involve working with a wide range of stakeholders across the system to design a package of reform.

Alongside this review, a review of rotational training is currently in progress and is being led by the Department, along with NHS England and the British Medical Association.

NHS England’s 10 Point Plan to improve resident doctors’ working lives, published on 29 August, contains a commitment to reduce the impact of rotations upon resident doctors’ lives while maintaining service delivery. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/10-point-plan-to-improve-resident-doctors-working-lives/
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Lizzi Collinge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to (a) gender identity and (b) trans healthcare services. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England has established NHS Children and Young People's Gender Services in London, the North-West, and the South-West in 2024. A fourth service is planned to open in the East England region in January 2026. Work remains ongoing to establish commissioned services that provide a pathway for children and young people with gender incongruence in the other regions, by March 2027, on a phased basis.

NHS England has increased the number of adult Gender Dysphoria Clinics in England from seven to 12, with the rollout of five new adult gender pilot clinics since July 2020. The rollout of these clinics is helping to tackle long waiting times.

NHS England is currently carrying out a review of adult gender services, with the aim of producing an updated service specification. The review, which is chaired by Dr David Levy, will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the number of people (a) with a respiratory disease, (b) who were hospitalised during winter 2024-25 and (c) who are not eligible to receive the covid-19 vaccination. \p Karin Smyth: From November 2024 to March 2025 inclusive, 483,876 patients were admitted to hospital in England where the primary diagnosis was a respiratory disease. Data on COVID-19 vaccine eligibility is not linked to hospital admissions data.

The UK Health Security Agency published further data on the prevalence of respiratory viruses in the population, and this data is available at the following link:

https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/respiratory-viruses
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for neurology outpatient appointments; and what plans are in place to ensure timely access to neurological care for all patients. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to delivering the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029. This includes patients waiting for neurology care.

As of August 2025, the neurology waiting list stands at 226,432, a reduction of 4.3% since August 2024. Since coming into office we have delivered 5.2 million additional appointments, including for neurology care, in part by rolling out reforms outlined in the Elective Reform Plan (ERP). These reforms include broadening access to outpatient care, through virtual and group consultations, and minimising missed appointments.

We have also expanded the Advice and Guidance scheme, which helps to ensure that patients get care in the right place and only see a specialist if it’s really necessary, freeing up capacity in secondary care for those who need it, including certain patients with neurology conditions or symptoms. The latest data, which is subject to change, shows this has resulted in 589,336 requests being “diverted” since April 2025, a 4.3% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The 10-Year Health Plan builds on the ERP with a more sustainable vision for elective care where two-thirds of outpatient care is moved to community settings or delivered remotely, rather than in hospitals. Patients' access to specialists, including neurologists, will be improved by providing this specialist care in the community where possible and increasing digital access to specialists through the NHS app where it’s more convenient for patients. The recently published Medium Term Planning Framework outlines targets for the NHS from 2026/27 to 2028/29 to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan’s ambitions, including giving patients more control over their follow up care to reduce unnecessary appointments and expanding Advice and Guidance, thereby freeing up appointments and reducing long waits, including for neurology care.
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Sir Alec Shelbrooke:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish (a) the long list of NHS trusts considered by the Chair for inclusion in the Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation and (b) the selection criteria used by the Investigation team to assess those trusts. \p Karin Smyth: The 14 NHS trusts to be looked at as part of the independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation were announced on 15 September 2025. There are no plans to publish the long list of NHS trusts considered by the chair for inclusion in the investigation.

The 14 NHS trusts were selected by the independent investigation based on a variety of factors, including results from the Care Quality Commission’s Maternity Patient Survey and Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK’s perinatal mortality rates, in addition to variation in case mix, trust type, geographic coverage, provision of care to individuals from diverse backgrounds, and family feedback.

Three of the trusts have been included due to their inclusion in previous investigations or reviews, these three trusts being the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, and the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 10 Year Health Plan on the roles of mayoral authorities in delivering health and social care services. \p Karin Smyth: As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making mayors, or their representatives, members of integrated care boards (ICBs), harnessing the opportunities of joined-up strategic planning between ICBs and strategic authorities, and supporting delivery of a “health in all policies” approach. Subject to the passage of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, mayors will be supported by a new health improvement and health inequalities duty, which empowers and supports strategic authorities to exercise their functions in ways that improve health and reduce health inequalities between people living in their area.
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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to address delays by NHS Pensions in contacting retired NHS staff with letters detailing settlements; and what new deadlines are being set for letters to be sent to each cohort. \p Karin Smyth: The Department recognises the importance of giving members of the NHS Pension Scheme certainty about when they will receive their McCloud Remedy.

I have commissioned the independent Chair of the NHS Pension Scheme Pension Board to lead a review of the NHS Business Services Authority’s (NHS BSA) revised plans for the delivery of the McCloud remedy for NHS Pension Scheme members. This review is well underway. It will provide an additional level of scrutiny and assurance of the NHS BSA’s delivery plan for the remaining statements.

I expect to be in a position to provide the House with a fuller update on the remedy replan and the review of this in good time before Christmas recess.
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Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will hypothecate funding saved from hotel closures for legal aid to reduce the backlog of asylum claims. \p Alex Norris: As per the Spending Review the Government has committed to delivering savings of £1.1bn by 28/29 from exiting hotels and these savings have been factored into the Home Office budget. The Spending Review settlement includes transformation funding to accelerate the transformation of the asylum system and end the costly use of asylum hotels in this Parliament by clearing the asylum backlog, increasing appeals capacity and continuing to return those with no right to be here. This will deliver the Plan for Change commitment to restore order to the asylum system.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her article in The Sun on 22 October 2025, on what evidential basis she said that the UK was the destination of choice for refugees. \p Alex Norris: When this Government came to office, we inherited an immigration system in chaos. Organised criminal gangs wreaked havoc on our borders and we are still living with the consequences.

Migrants come to the UK as they believe this country is more generous compared to other safe European countries – they continue their journey looking for the best place to become a refugee.

Under the previous government, migrants were entitled to generous benefits including automatic family reunion rights, hotel accommodation and false promises that they will be able to work and earn a living, making the UK a more attractive place to seek refuge.

We have taken rapid action to address that chaos by introducing a fundamental change to the rights provided to those granted asylum in the UK, looking to end automatic family reunion rights and altering the requirements for long-term settlement in the UK. This approach balances protection against persecution with control of our borders. It makes the system fairer, in line with our European allies, and reduces incentives for asylum seekers to travel illegally to the UK.

We will also end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation and explore replacing them with more appropriate sites like military bases. In the summer of 2023 over 400 asylum hotels were open, costing almost £9 million a day; we have taken action to close hotels, with less than 210 now open, saving £1 billion in hotel costs last year.

We have invested £5 million into Immigration Enforcement, to target, arrest, detain and return illegal workers in takeaways, fast food drivers, beauty salons and car washes. The number of arrests for illegal working has risen by 63% since October 2024 and as part of this crackdown we have expanded right to work checks to the gig economy, removing the incentive for people attempting to enter the UK illegally.

We are taking on the hard graft to remove the pull factors and have introduced tougher language requirements to support migrant integration. We recently introduced a new law in Parliament where migrants will be required to pass tough English language requirements and must meet an A level equivalent standard in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

We have removed more than 35,000 people who were here illegally and struck a historic deal with the French meaning those who arrive by small boat are now being sent back.

Our Border Security Asylum and Immigration Bill will tackle pull factors that bring people to the UK illegally, equipping officers with the necessary powers to tackle organised immigration crime and those who attempt to enter the UK illegally.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish all the written evidence submitted by the Government to the court on the Epping Forest Bell Hotel hearings. \p Alex Norris: No, the Secretary of State will not publish written evidence submitted by the Government in the hearing relating to the Bell Inn Hotel, Epping. The Secretary of State’s evidence was presented to the court during the trial. After the trial, non-parties may apply to the court for permission to obtain copies of the witness evidence.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-crime hate incidents have been recorded in (a) England, (b) Greater London, and (c) Romford constituency since 2023. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office does not collect data on non-crime hate incidents.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken with relevant stakeholders to help tackle illegal car sales. \p Simon Lightwood: While the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has no powers to govern how cars are bought and sold, it does play a key role in maintaining accurate records of vehicles and their registered keepers to support wider efforts to tackle vehicle-related crime. It is a legal requirement to notify the DVLA when a vehicle is bought or sold.

The latest available data shows that more than 93 per cent of vehicle keepers are contactable and traceable from the information held on the DVLA’s records. Of the remainder, around six per cent are in the motor trade where a vehicle may legitimately have no registered keeper.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84798 on Driving Licences, how many code 70s were issued in each of the last ten years. \p Simon Lightwood: The number of GB driving licences issued in exchange for a licence issued in a non-UK country (which will have code 70 shown on the licence) in each of the last ten years is shown in the table below:

Calendar Year

Number of non-GB licences exchanged for a GB one

2016

175,055

2017

170,477

2018

150,431

2019

161,653

2020

123,690

2021

117,525

2022

146,672

2023

137,662

2024

117,721

2025 (to 30 Sept)

67,056

To be eligible to exchange a foreign licence for a GB equivalent, the applicant would have to have passed their test in a European Union/European Economic Area country or a country designated for driving licence exchange.
wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_136
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_136

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 84695 on Bus Services: Fares, when her Department expects to complete its evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap scheme; and whether she plans to publish that evaluation in full once it is finalised. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport is currently undertaking an evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts, with the full report expected to be published next year.
wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_137
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_137

Claire Hazelgrove:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to expand eligibility of the England National Concessionary Travel Scheme to (a) carers and (b) companions of (i) older and (ii) disabled people. \p Simon Lightwood: The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually, and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as expanding eligibility, would need careful consideration for the scheme’s financial sustainability

Local authorities in England have the power to use local resources to fund further concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, offering companion passes or lowering the age of eligibility.

The government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Gloucestershire County Council has been allocated £8 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish, including enhancing the concessionary travel offering in the local area.
wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_138
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_138

Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many performance reviews were undertaken for staff in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; in how many cases performance was rated as unsatisfactory or below; how many staff left as a result of such a rating; and what proportion of full-time equivalent staff this represented. \p Simon Lightwood: We have provided a response based on the number of submitted reviews over the entirety of a complete performance year (April 1 to March 31), for performance years 2024/25, 2023/24, 2022/23, 2021/22, 2020/21. This has been split, where possible, between Department for Transport (DfT) core and its agencies (Active Travel England (ATE), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)). In addition, data has been split by Senior Civil Servants (SCS) and delegated grades (Grade 6 and below), as performance is managed differently.

The information provided does not include employees that have been marked as out of scope for review, and where figures within each business unit are below 5, these have been withheld for identification protection under S40(2) of the FOIA.

TOTAL REVIEWS CONDUCTED

Year

DfTc

DVLA

DVSA

MCA

VCA

ATE

SCS

2024/25

10760

70181

14372

4005

666

209

281

2023/24

6815

69824

12669

4228

585

N/A

284

2022/23

10364

70408

17430

4169

634

N/A

271

2021/22

10915

62607

N/A

4261

737

N/A

243

2020/21

9587

65827

N/A

4409

515

N/A

232

NUMBER OF UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE RATINGS

Year

DfTc

DVLA

DVSA

MCA

VCA

ATE

SCS

2024/25

92

605

72

30

<5

<5

13

2023/24

55

462

67

43

<5

N/A

9

2022/23

106

379

115

50

<5

N/A

11

2021/22

118

148

N/A

51

<5

N/A

11

2020/21

86

148

N/A

69

7

N/A

12

NUMBER OF DIMISSALS AS A RESULT OF PERFORMANCE AND FTE PROPORTION

Year

DfTc

DVLA

DVSA

MCA

VCA

ATE

SCS

TOTAL (FTE proportion for whole group)

2024/25

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

2 (0.01%)

2023/24

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

0

2022/23

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

7 (0.05%)

2021/22

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

0

2020/21

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

N/A

<5

2 (0.01%)
wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_139
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_139

Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Engineering Recommendation G100: Technical Requirements for Customers’ Export and Import Limitation Schemes, published in July 2016, what steps she is taking to encourage District Network Operators to accept new EV charging technologies. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to enabling innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging technologies, including smart charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2G), to reduce energy bills and support the decarbonisation of our energy system.

Engineering Recommendation G100 is the responsibility of the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs). It is regularly updated to facilitate connections, while ensuring they do not adversely impact on customers or the local electricity network.

As set out in the Clean Flexibility Roadmap published in July 2025, Ofgem and DESNZ are considering with industry how to improve grid connection processes and technical interoperability for V2G to ensure they are fit for purpose. This includes working with DNOs in relation to the grid codes which set out the technical requirements for connecting V2G systems.

More widely, Ofgem is working to improve the connections experience for all customers in its end to end review of connections.
wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_140
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_140

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of updating section 8.1.1 of her Department's guidance entitled MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles, updated on 11 August 2025, to make it mandatory for MOT test centres to assess for exhaust noise. \p Simon Lightwood: Excessive vehicle noise can be a serious disruption to people’s lives. This is why it is included in the MOT as an inspection of exhaust silencers and noise deafening material as well as a subjective assessment of excessive noise upon revving the vehicle. The MOT tester will fail the vehicle if they deem the exhaust noise is unreasonably above the level expected from a similar vehicle in average condition.

The Department and the DVSA included a question about noise testing using decibel meters in a 2023 call for evidence about updating the MOT. Responses highlighted both the benefits of identifying excessively noisy vehicles and the difficulty of testing with decibel meters in a noisy garage environment.
wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_141
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_141

Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in her Department (a) did not retain employment following completion of their probationary period and (b) had their probationary period extended in each of the last five years. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport’s probation policy and guidance advises managers on the steps to take to assess a new employee’s suitability for the post and to provide support to enable them to succeed. It also advises on the steps to take where performance, attendance or conduct are not satisfactory. This can include exiting the employee or extending their probation to provide further evidence for a final decision on their suitability. The table below shows how many employees of the central Department for Transport (DfTc) did not retain employment following completion of their probationary period or had their probationary period extended.

As requested this information is provided for the last five 5 years, noting that 2025 data covers 1 January to 24 October 2025.

Dismissal - Probation Failure

Extended Probation

2021

5

<5

2022

<5

<5

2023

7

0

2024

8

<5

2025 (to 24 Oct 2025)

6

<5
wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_142
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_142

Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in her Department are recorded as having a (a) mental health condition and (b) physical disability, broken down by grade. \p Simon Lightwood: Following a thorough search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by this Department. This is because it is not a requirement of the department to hold reasons for disability.

The Department invites employees to self-declare their disability status using pre-defined criteria, including ‘prefer not to say’. Of the employees who have chosen to complete their data as of the 30th of September 2025, 238 individuals have recorded their status as disabled in the central Department for Transport.
wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_143
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_143

Andrew George:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a ban on farrowing crates on pig production capacity. \p Dame Angela Eagle: We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The use of farrowing crates for pigs is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully, including impacts on the pig industry.
wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_144
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_144

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will allocate additional funding to (a) support farmers and (b) strengthen UK food security. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Government’s commitment to farming and food security is steadfast. Supporting British farmers and boosting the nation’s food security are key priorities for the Government. Following the spending review, Defra has allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.
wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_145
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-06 conversation_145

Andrew George:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with counterparts in (a) Austria, (b) Sweden, (c) Switzerland, (d) Norway, (e) Germany, and (f) New Zealand on their (i) banning and (ii) phasing out of farrowing crates for pigs; and what assessment she has made of the outcomes of those bans on (A) sow welfare, (B) piglet mortality, (C) farming sector viability, (D) farm-level adaptation, and (E) regulatory enforcement. \p Dame Angela Eagle: We have regular engagement with counterparts in other countries on farmed animal welfare issues, including on cages and other close confinement systems.