Today, I am announcing a meningococcal group B immunisation programme to protect those at highest immediate risk of MenB disease this autumn.

Meningococcal disease is a serious but uncommon illness caused by meningococcal bacteria. It can lead to meningitis—inflammation of the lining of the brain—and sepsis. Meningococcal disease is life-threatening and can result in life-changing disabilities such as amputations, hearing loss, and brain damage. It is fatal in around 10% of cases. There are multiple strains of meningococcal bacteria, including MenA, MenB, MenC, MenW, and MenY. The NHS already offers the MenB vaccine to infants and the MenACWY vaccine to adolescents and young adults.

Earlier this year, we saw the fastest growing and largest MenB outbreak ever seen in the UK in Kent and there have been more MenB clusters than normal this year, some of which have been larger than normal. There is therefore significant uncertainty about the level of risk MenB poses this year, with it being plausible that the bacteria are now more likely to cause disease. I have asked the department to undertake further work to better understand whether the clinical risk has changed.

During the outbreak earlier this year, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which provides expert independent advice on our vaccination programmes, was asked to re-examine eligibility for the MenB vaccination programme. As we await full JCVI assessment, I have decided to offer vaccination as a one-off, targeted programme to the group at highest immediate risk from MenB this autumn. In line with the JCVI’s assessment of the relative priority, I have made this decision now to ensure that vaccination will be available from July to mitigate risk from the start of the new academic year in September.

People currently in the year 13 age group in England and Wales—those born between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008—will be eligible for vaccination. All people within this date of birth range will receive this offer irrespective of their education plans. Comparable approaches will be taken in Northern Ireland and Scotland for their equivalent school years, year 14 and S6 respectively.

People under 25 years of age attending higher education or living at some residential further education settings for the first time in the 2026-2027 academic year will also be eligible for vaccination. Based on the available data, the UK Health Security Agency estimated that the relative risk of invasive MenB disease in first-year university students is substantially greater than in their peers. Postgraduates or those starting a second—or later—year will not be covered by this offer, as we are prioritising those at highest immediate risk this autumn. I am encouraging international students who are coming to the UK to study to have at least a first dose before travelling to the UK to ensure both doses can be received before the expected peak of disease in October and November.

MenB vaccination protects only the recipient. The MenB vaccine is highly effective: vaccine effectiveness is estimated to be between 85% to 95%. MenB outbreaks will still occur, but vaccination will better protect those at the highest immediate risk.

The JCVI is updating its assessment of the appropriate eligibility for routine MenB vaccination, which will be provided to Ministers in due course. I will consider that advice before making any longer-term decisions regarding MenB vaccination.

Two doses of the MenB vaccination are required for protection. Further information on how to access the vaccine will be published in the coming weeks. I strongly encourage eligible people to come forward from late July to receive both doses before the new academic year. The offer will be available across all four UK nations.

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From today, UK police will have access to an EU tool to check vehicle and keeper details to support criminal investigations. This reciprocal data sharing will provide an additional avenue of investigation in tackling cross-border crime as well as serious crimes committed in the UK.

This capability will play a crucial role in assisting police in the UK and across Europe in cracking down on a multitude of crimes including trafficking of illicit substances, sexual offences and serious assaults (including murder). It will also assist the police in monitoring suspicious activity such as minor driving-related offences.

A simple search on a secure web portal will return results in 10 seconds and, in the case of a match, will provide police with the name of the vehicle keeper and important information about the vehicle. The results will also include markers on cars flagged as stolen, which can be used by police forces in helping to tackle the issue of car theft in the UK.

Vehicle registration data exchanges are provided for in the UK-EU trade and co-operation agreement and this step will contribute to our ongoing efforts to deepen the close co-operation between UK law enforcement and their European counterparts.

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I will be updating the House via an oral statement later today.

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I am pleased to inform the House that the Government published the third cycling and walking investment strategy—CWIS3—on Friday 12 June 2026.

Investing in active travel delivers benefits across every aspect of life—improving physical and mental health, boosting economic growth, cleaning up our air, and giving people of all ages real affordable transport choice to cut the cost of living.

The strategy sets out a vision that walking, wheeling and cycling are safe, easy and accessible choices for everyone. This is supported by an ambitious target that by 2035, 55% of all short stages in towns and cities will be walked or cycled.

The strategy includes three new statutory objectives:

Enable more people, particularly the least active, to benefit from physical activity through active travel;

make active travel the easy and integrated choice; and

improve safety for people walking, wheeling and cycling.

Over the five years of the strategy (2025 to 2030), we will focus on enabling millions more children to walk, wheel and cycle to school by providing safe, coherent networks that connect schools, high streets and homes. Alongside this, through the work of Active Travel England, we will establish the basis for a national active travel network by connecting the high-quality local routes already built, funded or planned.

Beyond the CWIS3 period, we are introducing an ambitious target that 60% of children aged five to 16 will usually walk or cycle to school by 2035.

The strategy projects over £4.5 billion of investment in active travel across the CWIS3 period, including £1.1 billion of funding for Active Travel England.

The strategy marks a fundamental shift in how active travel ambition is set, delivered and integrated into local transport networks. It is the first locally-designed national strategy—delivered in line with our ambitious programme of English devolution supported by record multi-year funding.

Alongside the strategy, I am laying before Parliament a report which outlines progress in delivering the previous —second—cycling and walking investment strategy for the period 2021 to 2025.

[HCWS111]

I would like to inform the House that today the Government will place a copy of the International Labour Organisation biological hazards in the working environment convention (No. 192), in the form of an explanatory note, in the Libraries of both Houses. The explanatory note will also include the accompanying biological hazards in the working environment recommendation (No. 209).

Convention No. 192 and recommendation No. 209 were adopted at the 113th session of the International Labour Conference in June 2025. The convention establishes international standards to strengthen the prevention of, and protection against, biological hazards in the workplace, including through arrangements for preparedness and response to accidents and emergencies.

The Government support the aim of the convention and recommendation, which is to strengthen protections for workers against biological hazards through prevention, preparedness and effective enforcement. However, the Government are not in a position to ratify convention No. 192. While UK policy broadly aligns with the objectives of the convention, consultation has identified that some legislative and procedural changes would be required for UK ratification. The specific reasons are set out in the explanatory note. The UK will continue to consider ratification in the future.

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