British Council
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the work of the British Council is aligned with the UK's security, trade, and soft power strategies.
Special Educational Needs
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Every child achieving and thriving, updated on 27 April 2026, if she will set out how the proposed targeted layer of support for children with SEND will d
Carbon Emissions: Data Centres
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government plans to take steps to balance its updated emissions estimates of data centres with the decarbonisation required in the fifth carbon budget.
Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pensions
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how long on average it takes for applications to be completed for a) the War Pension Scheme and b) the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes annual statistics for the War Pension Scheme (WPS) and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) on the GOV.UK website. The following tables show the average and median clearance times for applications/appeals to be c...
China: Defence Equipment
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential risks of the level of dependence on Chinese companies for consumable equipment in the defence supply chain.
Devolution
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take legislative steps to bring into force section 63 and schedule 30 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS65) made on 21 May 2026.
Work Capability Assessment: Medical Examinations
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase the capacity of the Health Assessment Advisory Service to carry out Work Capability reassessments; and what service level agreements are in place to ensure that Serco
We have increased the recruitment and training of additional healthcare professionals across all suppliers, alongside improvements to workforce planning to better match resources to demand. Assessments are delivered through a multi-channel approach ensuri...
Probation Service: Staff
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the length of time taken to complete security vetting for Probation Service staff.
The checks that HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) undertake are required to assess individuals against a range of legislative requirements and security related factors that are pertinent to anyone working within a HMPPS environment. We are aware o...
Universal Credit: Arrears
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that staff who process Universal Credit advances take into consideration arrears owed to claimants by his Department.
Data Centres: Public Consultation
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when the National Policy Statement on data centres will be published for consultation.
Prison Officers: Conditions of Employment and Health
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) wellbeing and (b) working conditions for prison officers.
Staff Wellbeing Support – Prisons The Department recognises the unique challenges faced by prison staff and is improving wellbeing through a structured support framework that enables timely access to support, early intervention, and effective wellbeing m...
Food Supply and Rural Areas: Weather
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a super El Niño event on UK food security and the rural economy.
Prison Officers: Labour Turnover
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of prison officers.
His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) continues to recruit across all prisons where vacancies exist or are anticipated, including those undergoing expansion.Recruitment processes are being strengthened to ensure candidates have the skills and...
Visitor Levy
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Overnight Visitors Levy on domestic tourism.
Prisons: Drugs and Violence
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) violence and (b) drug use in prisons.
The Government is committed to improving prison safety and we are working hard to make prisons as safe as possible for those who live and work in them. Reducing violence is a key priority and we are continuing our efforts on a range of measures, including...
British Students Abroad: USA
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding will be available to support students undertaking study placements in the US under mobility schemes in the (a) 2026–27 and 2027–28 academic year.
British Students Abroad
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of students undertaking overseas study placements following the UK’s withdrawal from the Erasmus Programme.
Cabinet Office: Freedom of Information
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the Cabinet Office Freedom of Information Act response, Reference: FOI2026/04977, of 10 April 2026.
I will deposit the referenced FOI in the Commons Library.
Prisons: Overcrowding
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of overcrowding in prisons on (a) prisoner violence and (b) attacks on prison staff.
We recognise that crowding can make it harder to deliver safe, stable regimes and places additional pressure on staff. Analysis published by the department shows that prisoners in crowded cells are more likely to be involved in assaults than those not in ...
Prison Accommodation
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to increase prison capacity.
We recognise that crowding can make it harder to deliver safe, stable regimes and places additional pressure on staff. Analysis published by the department shows that prisoners in crowded cells are more likely to be involved in assaults than those not in ...
Prisons: Overcrowding
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle overcrowding in prisons.
We recognise that crowding can make it harder to deliver safe, stable regimes and places additional pressure on staff. Analysis published by the department shows that prisoners in crowded cells are more likely to be involved in assaults than those not in ...
Visitor Levy
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish assessments her Department has made of the potential impacts of the proposed Overnight Visitors Levy on (a) small and medium-sized businesses operating in the hospitality and tourism sectors and
Visitor Levy
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Treasury has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Overnight Visitors Levy on visitor numbers in coastal and seaside communities.
Police: Safety
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to ensure police officers are safe in the workplace.
The Government recognises the vital role that police officers play in keeping our communities safe and is committed to supporting their safety and wellbeing in the workplace.Through the measures set out in the Government’s Police Reform White Paper, we ar...
Schools: Artificial Intelligence
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence usage in schools on safeguarding.