Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that lactation consultants are widely available on the NHS.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s vision, as set out in The Best Start for Life: A Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days, is that every parent and carer has access to high quality infant feeding services. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme, we are investing £50 million to enable 75 participating local authorities to design and deliver a blended offer of infant feeding support. The investment is being used to increase the range of advice and support available, including recruiting and training staff to improve workforce capacity and capability.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. The Government is backing the plan with over £2.4 billion over the next five years to fund additional education and training places.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with the British High Commission in Kampala on the Ugandan elections in 2026.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Electoral Commission of Uganda issued its strategic plan in October 2022 and outlined a roadmap for the 2026 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The UK has not taken any decision on election observation. The UK provides financial support to the African Union via the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa and to the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with the British High Commission in Kampala on democratic reform in Uganda.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK will continue to support inclusive democratic processes in Uganda that deliver for future generations. This can only be achieved through an open civic space and credible and inclusive elections. Ministers are in regular contact on these issues with relevant officials in Uganda and the UK.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Uganda.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK works with the Government of Uganda on a range of shared interests including trade, development and regional security. Our approach is to support Uganda to become more democratic and prosperous, and to continue to play a positive regional role. We engage as a critical friend, and regularly raise concerns about governance and human rights issues, including LGBT+ rights, with the Ugandan Government.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he plans to send an election observer mission to Uganda for the 2026 elections.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Electoral Commission of Uganda issued its strategic plan in October 2022 and outlined a roadmap for the 2026 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The UK has not taken any decision on election observation. The UK provides financial support to the African Union via the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa and to the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the appointment of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba as head of the Ugandan military.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba was appointed as Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces in March 2024. Uganda plays an important role in regional security, including as the largest Troop Contributing Country to the African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). The UK will continue to work with the Ugandan authorities to advance our objectives.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) including additional reconciliation windows until 2027 and (b) other alternative proposals to the proposed Energy Bill Relief Scheme final reconciliation date of May 2024.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department understands the concerns raised by both industry trade bodies and individual energy suppliers, on the potential impact of the proposed reconciliation date for the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. To that end, the Department has been working closely with the concerned parties to develop a reconciliation proposal for the £7.5 billion scheme, that strikes the right balance of addressing suppliers concerns and protecting public funds, including potentially adding additional reconciliation windows.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential (a) merits of introducing a standing charge relief for electric vehicle charge point operators and (b) impact of such a relief on the deployment of electric vehicle charge points in rural areas.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The setting of standing charges associated with tariffs is a commercial matter for suppliers, and suppliers have the flexibility in how they structure their tariffs. Ofgem regulates standing charges, as they do with other elements of billing.
The Government is pleased that Ofgem is considering the issue of standing charges through their recent Call for Input and looks forward to hearing its findings and future proposals. The Government expects bills to be fair and affordable for all consumers (including for electric vehicle charging), that standing charges are kept as low as possible, and that the right costs are recovered.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the deployment of electric vehicle charge points in rural areas.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government wants people across the country to have the opportunity to make the move to electric vehicles wherever they live and work.
Our £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund aims to address regional charging inequality and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers. The data-led allocation model to award funding considers the level of rurality with local authorities in rural areas allocated additional funding compared to urban ones.
In addition, the Workplace Charging Scheme supports businesses including charities, small accommodation businesses, public sector organisations, and state-funded education institutions with grants for chargepoints.