The strait of Hormuz should be open to safe, secure and unimpeded transit, in accordance with international law. In the United Kingdom, the Foreign Secretary and I are working closely with international partners to drive diplomatic efforts to restore navigational rights and freedoms. We continue to make it clear to Iran that it must cease its egregious attacks on shipping and on our partners and allies, and it must engage in negotiations to reopen the strait in good faith.

We passed the Bus Services Act last year, to give local leaders greater control over their bus services. Local authorities can choose the model that works best for their area, including franchising.

We are backing that choice with funding, expert advice and practical support. Although decisions on transport are devolved, I’d encourage the Scottish Government to follow in our footsteps to deliver better outcomes for passengers.

Contrary to the implication of the question, through negotiations on the Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD), the UK is the only country to have achieved a 10% tariff for autos within quota, a 0% tariff for pharmaceuticals and a preferential 25% tariff on core steel and aluminium exports.

Furthermore, in April, President Trump announced the removal of tariffs on UK whisky exports, which is worth around £1bn each year.

Discussions on the EPD are ongoing, and the UK continues to engage with the US administration at all levels, working to benefit UK exporters.

By 2030, 11 government buildings will close, including 102 Petty France and 39 Victoria Street, delivering £94m in savings per year from 2032. More departments in London will colocate, enabling greater collaboration on delivering the Government’s Plan for Change.

DBT supports SMEs across the UK, including in Paisley and Renfrewshire North, to expand and trade internationally.

In May 2025, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US, which protects jobs and helps drive economic growth. In April 2026, we achieved the removal of tariffs on UK whisky, exports to the US are worth £1bn each year.

Discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal continue to address tariff barriers, increase digital and services trade, and unlock new commercial opportunities for both nations.

SMEs can access the latest information on trade negotiations and other support via business.gov.uk and through Business Gateway Renfrewshire and Find Business Support Scotland, alongside the Export Support Service and UK Business Academy.

The Building Regulations do not govern material supply chains. They are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare by setting minimum acceptable standards for new building work, including materials and workmanship, when a building is being designed, constructed, or subject to major re-design or alteration. Statutory guidance in Approved Document 7 makes clear that materials must be appropriate for the circumstances in which they’re used and offers a number of ways to assess their suitability. Standards, materials and workmanship are enforced through the Building Control process. The Timber in Construction Roadmap supports use of homegrown timber in construction, which offers a renewable low-carbon resource, a potential to reduce emissions, create jobs and build the homes we need.

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is designed to reduce the risk of carbon leakage for sectors within scope of the policy by ensuring that importers face a comparable carbon price to that paid in the UK by those producing the same goods. As with all taxes, the government will keep CBAM under review.

The Department does not intend to hold discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on these matters.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has concurrent powers with the CMA to enforce the prohibitions in the Competition Act 1998 as they relate to airport operation services and the supply of air traffic services.

In relation to drop-off charges, in 2016, the CAA published a review of market conditions for surface access at UK airports. This concluded that there was insufficient evidence that passengers were not being well-served by the current market structure of surface access charges, where these are decided and managed by the airport operator, to warrant a review.

Although the Government and the CAA do not regulate airport car parking charges, including drop-off charges, the Department expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately and for consumers to be treated fairly. Many UK airports offer free drop-off alternatives either a short walk from the airport or provide free shuttle bus services.

We are delighted by the interest and excitement there has been in the UK Town of Culture competition. The competition has now closed and there has been strong interest from many places right across the UK.

Local authority participation is important as it will be critical for delivery. That is why published criteria stated ‘We expect bids to be from a partnership for your bidding place and include the relevant local authorities.’

Political parties with two or more sitting MPs are entitled to a share of the £2 million policy development grant, which is intended to assist parties in developing the policies that they will present in an election manifesto.

The Commission distributes these funds and checks carefully that the grant is spent on policy development activities. Parties have to report on their use of the funds and have that grant expenditure independently audited. If there is evidence of any misuse, the Commission will take appropriate action to safeguard public money. Any criminal offences are a matter for the police to investigate.

We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts, with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

We have also introduced the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 which delivers the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. We expect that all eligible prioritised applicants for the foundation programme in 2026 will be offered a place.

This act will ensure a sustainable medical workforce that can meet the health needs of the population, and will mean we are less reliant on an unpredictable labour market and can make best use of the substantial taxpayer investment in medical training. It will reduce competition for places and give homegrown talent a path to become the next generation of NHS doctors.

There are no current plans to review the pre-entry qualifications for medical training places in respect of UK based medical graduates who have not achieved the necessary exam marks.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. The Immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, sets out a balanced approach that helps the government achieve our manifesto commitment on reducing net migration while maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness.

The Office for Students (OfS) has identified a reliance on international student fee income as a risk to English providers’ financial sustainability. It has been clear that providers will need to change their business models to protect their financial health as a response to this risk and others. As higher education (HE) providers are independent from government, they are responsible for managing their finances.

To support the English HE sector, the government has increased tuition fee caps in line with inflation and has asked the OfS to focus on financial sustainability. The financial sustainability of providers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved administrations.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Given the inherited fiscal situation, the government is making tough but necessary decisions to protect both taxpayers and students. The government continuously reviews student finance to ensure it remains fair, sustainable, and supportive of students from all backgrounds.

Prospective students have access to a wide range of information across a range of platforms before they submit their loan application. Student loan terms and conditions make clear that the conditions of the loan may change in line with the relevant regulations and students sign these terms and conditions before any money is paid to them. Having access to this information early in the process enables prospective borrowers to seek independent advice if they feel they do not understand aspects of the student loan process, or to better understand the longer-term commitment of a student loan.

Airport operators are primarily in the private sector and therefore responsible for their own capital investment decisions, including those affecting the decarbonisation of their estates and operations. However, we are working closely with the aviation sector to unblock key barriers to reaching net zero carbon emissions, including through the Jet Zero Taskforce.

It is definitely right to say that the FTSE 100 performed strongly in 2025, during which it rose faster than key benchmarks, the United States and the European stock markets, and hit 10,000 points as we entered the new year. The UK is one of the world’s leading global financial hubs, and this Government are committed to the sector’s enduring leadership.

Transport matters in Scotland are devolved to the Scottish Government. This would be a matter for Transport Scotland.

According to the Government’s 2023–24 Government Estate Annual Data publication, the Government occupies around 1.9 million square metres (approximately 20.5 million square feet) of leasehold office space across the central government estate. The Government has assessed the impact of banning upwards only rent reviews and published this in an Impact Assessment for the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

This Government is renewing the nation's contract with those that serve and have served, with over 1.8 million veterans and their families across the UK benefiting from a new network of VALOUR Recognised Centres. These centres, spread across the UK, will fundamentally transform how support is provided to veterans and the wider Armed Forces community, offering the first coordinated national network of support centres as part of the VALOUR programme.

Applications for the first round of development funding for VALOUR Recognised Centres opened on 10 November and closes on 14 January 2026. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust will administer grants on behalf of the Ministry of Defence to existing organisations or consortiums of between £500,000 and £1,000,000 for each centre. There will be no requirement for matched funding from Devolved Governments.

Additional information on criteria and the application process, including capital spend, can be found at the following website https://covenantfund.org.uk/programme/valour-recognised-centres-development-fund/