The Department recognises that reliability and punctuality affect passenger benefits, journey times and wider economic outcomes, and these factors are considered when assessing any timetable changes.

Soil moisture deficit (SMD) caused significant and prolonged disruption to Southwestern Railway's West of England Line in 2025. Exceptionally dry conditions led to substantial shrinkage of clay embankments between Salisbury and Exeter, resulting in track movement and the imposition of multiple 40mph speed restrictions across long single-track sections.

Whilst other parts of the UK Rail Network also suffer from these issues, the unique nature of the West of England Line with long single-track sections and limited passing points means that the base timetable is unable to accommodate delays resulting from speed restrictions. Despite mitigation work, further record-breaking dry weather means SMD is again highly likely to affect the route this year.

During Autumn, seasonal conditions prevent trains on the predominantly single line track between Salisbury and Exeter from passing each other at their planned times. The single line track means that even small delays can make the timetable unworkable and lead to wider disruption. Removing some station stops with lower demand reduces the time spent in the single lines sections and reduces delays.

Where timetable changes are necessary, operators are expected to consider the effect on passenger travel times and seek to reduce disruption while ensuring services continue to operate safely and reliably.

The Department works with Network Rail and train operators to consider the impacts of timetable changes on passengers and local communities, including when temporary service alterations are required to maintain a safe and reliable railway.

The Department recognises that reliability and punctuality affect passenger benefits, journey times and wider economic outcomes, and these factors are considered when assessing any timetable changes.

Soil moisture deficit (SMD) caused significant and prolonged disruption to Southwestern Railway's West of England Line in 2025. Exceptionally dry conditions led to substantial shrinkage of clay embankments between Salisbury and Exeter, resulting in track movement and the imposition of multiple 40mph speed restrictions across long single-track sections.

Whilst other parts of the UK Rail Network also suffer from these issues, the unique nature of the West of England Line with long single-track sections and limited passing points means that the base timetable is unable to accommodate delays resulting from speed restrictions. Despite mitigation work, further record-breaking dry weather means SMD is again highly likely to affect the route this year.

During Autumn, seasonal conditions prevent trains on the predominantly single line track between Salisbury and Exeter from passing each other at their planned times. The single line track means that even small delays can make the timetable unworkable and lead to wider disruption. Removing some station stops with lower demand reduces the time spent in the single lines sections and reduces delays.

Where timetable changes are necessary, operators are expected to consider the effect on passenger travel times and seek to reduce disruption while ensuring services continue to operate safely and reliably.

The Department works with Network Rail and train operators to consider the impacts of timetable changes on passengers and local communities, including when temporary service alterations are required to maintain a safe and reliable railway.

The first New Medium Helicopter delivery to the UK Armed Forces is expected to take place in 2030. This is part of the contract awarded to Leonardo Helicopters UK on 23 March 2026 to deliver 23 AW149 helicopters and four training simulators.

Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.

Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.

Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.

Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.

Government is committed to ensuring that children have the best start in life. Preventing social media companies from offering their services to under-16s will help children have a healthier relationship with technology.

We will monitor closely how these new measures work in practice and change children’s online experiences. We will use surveys, media monitoring data, justice and health statistics to understand effects on children’s attitudes, time online, and potential harms they face. Insights from parents, young people, platforms and experts will also be critical to evaluate these policies.

We will also work with Wellcome Trust, who will be funding independent nationwide studies of the impact of the social media ban on youth mental health, with research teams working with tens of thousands of teenagers across the UK.

The Department is working with other Government departments on the Healthy Start Scheme, which helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In April 2026, the value of the weekly payments increased by 10%. Pregnant women and children aged over one and under four years old will each receive £4.65 per week, up from £4.25, and children under one years old will each receive £9.30 per week, up from £8.50.

In May 2026, the Healthy Start Scheme supported over 351,000 people, which included 204 households, or families, in Yeovil.

The Government set out a comprehensive package of measures in April 2025 to tackle long car practical driving test waiting times, aiming to deliver around 10,000 additional tests per month. A key step was reintroducing overtime incentives in June 2025.

Since then, at Yeovil driving test centre (DTC), 819 additional overtime tests were delivered between June 2025 and May 2026 when compared to the previous year.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is also continuing with recruitment campaigns for Yeovil DTC and surrounding areas, to provide as many tests as possible.

DVSA has a key performance indicator (KPI) to provide theory test candidates with a test appointment within 28 days of their preferred date which is measured as a regional average. Despite unprecedented levels of demand for theory tests this KPI is consistently met, including for candidates in Yeovil.

The government has committed to clarifying the law in relation to fully virtual Annual General Meetings (AGMs). Officials are engaging with investors and business across the country on the practicalities of this and a full assessment will be undertaken as part of our Modernising Corporate Reporting programme. This will include consulting on the shareholder safeguards that should accompany the change, including consideration of digital access. This will ensure that fully virtual meetings only take place where shareholders agree, preserving the option for physical or hybrid attendance where it is shareholders’ preferred format.

The department’s consultation ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ has now closed after a 12-week consultation period including over 200 engagement events, meetings and roundtables. We are carefully reviewing and taking into account all responses submitted to the consultation and continuing to engage widely on our proposals

Under the proposals, we would place a duty on settings to produce an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for any child or young person receiving support within the proposed targeted, targeted plus or specialist support layers. The ISP will be developed by settings together with parents and young people, giving every child or young person receiving targeted or specialist support a clear and consistent record of their needs and the help they receive, so that support is joined‑up, timely and genuinely centred on what will help them to thrive

Support in settings will be underpinned by National Inclusion Standards which will set out what ordinarily available provision should be in every setting across the 0 to 25 system, as well as the evidence-based tools, strategies and approaches for educators to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

The national inclusion standards and specialist provision packages will set out what the evidence base tells us about what good provision looks like including where teaching assistant support is an effective way to support a child or young person in mainstream or special schools

We are investing to support the mainstream system to be more inclusive. This includes investing over the next three years:

• £1.6 billion in an Inclusive Mainstream Fund to support settings to improve their inclusion offer, and
• £1.8 billion for local area partnerships, including local authorities and Integrated Care Boards, to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer designed to strengthen the capability of mainstream education settings by providing access to support from key services and health and specialist education practitioners.

The department recognises the important role that short breaks provision outside of term time play in supporting children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families.

In February 2026, the department published the lessons learned report from the short breaks innovation programme, a three-year programme which explored approaches to improving the efficiency, effectiveness and accessibility of short breaks provision. The report highlights innovative practice and key learning from participating local authorities and is publicly available on GOV.UK to support local authorities in developing and improving their own offer.

The department is also carefully considering the recommendations made by the Law Commission in its 2025 report on disabled children's social care. The Commission highlighted the importance of short breaks as a key form of support for disabled children and their families and made recommendations relating to their provision. Ministers are considering the recommendations and will publish a response later this year.

The Government recognises the importance of visible neighbourhood policing in deterring crime including shoplifting. That is why we are strengthening neighbourhood policing so officers can focus on local priorities including retail crime.

We will deliver 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this Parliament. By February 2026 we had delivered more than 3,100 additional police officers and PCSOs into neighbourhood roles. The first-year growth target was first exceeded in January 2026, two months ahead of schedule.

We are also giving the police the powers they need and have strengthened the law through the Crime and Policing Act, introducing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker and removing the £200 threshold for shop theft.

We are providing £7 million over a three-year period covering 2025 to 2028, to support the police tackle retail crime, including continuing to fund a specialist policing team – in partnership with the retail sector - to better understand the tactics used by organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders.

I Chair the Retail Crime Forum which brings together the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement agencies to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration, share best practice and to work collectively to tackle the serious issue of retail crime. This includes the implementation of a new strategy to tackle shop theft published by policing, retail sector representatives and industry as part of collective efforts to combat shop theft.

The strategy builds on previous progress made by police and retailers but provides a more comprehensive and intelligence-led approach to tackle all perpetrators of shop theft – not just organised criminal gangs.