Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report from the Royal College of Anaesthetists entitled Anaesthetic Workforce Census 2025: Key Interim Findings, published on 29 October 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made. Officials have noted the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ report. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take to maintain animal welfare standards in the context of negotiations with the EU on a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The EU has accepted there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. It is too soon to discuss the details of the SPS agreement, which is subject to negotiation. We have been clear with the EU about the importance of establishing arrangements which enable us to maintain high animal welfare standards.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Aarhus Convention’s Compliance Committee finding that the UK is non-compliant with the Convention on the Government’s environmental targets.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The United Kingdom Government recognises the important role played by the Compliance Committee in making recommendations to promote compliance with the Aarhus Convention. The UK is considering the Committee's recommendations in the run up to the Aarhus Convention Meeting of the Parties in November.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her department intends to respond to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee's report to the Eighth Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention on Decision VII/8s, published on 3 October 2025.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The United Kingdom Government recognises the important role played by the Compliance Committee in making recommendations to promote compliance with the Aarhus Convention. The UK is considering the Committee's recommendations in the run up to the Aarhus Convention Meeting of the Parties in November.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Waveney Valley of 21 July 2025, Official Report, col 579, on what evidential basis his Department has estimated the cost of bringing water companies into public ownership.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has estimated that nationalising the water industry would cost approximately £100 billion. This is based on the sector’s Regulatory Capital Value (RCV), which was £99.3 billion in 2024 and £106.7 billion in 2025. It reflects the cost of purchasing equity in all water companies as well as the cost of assuming their existing debt liabilities. For more information on the approach taken by Defra to reach its estimate, please see: Nationalising the water sector: how we assessed the cost - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the change in the number of dental appointments available in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board area in 2025-26 compared to 2024-25.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not held centrally. Activity within the National Health Service dental contract is measured through Courses of Treatment delivered, rather than the number of appointments.
The NHS Business Services Authority publishes Dental Statistics – England, which is an annual publication providing information on dental activity and dental workforce data for NHS dental treatments in England. This includes information on the number of patients seen by an NHS dentist and NHS dental activity at dental contract level. The latest publication for 2024/25 is available from the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Climate Change Committee's letter to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, entitled advice on the UK’s adaptation objectives, published on 15 October 2025, whether her Department plans to put in additional adaptation before the release of the next National Adaptation Plan in 2028.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is taking forward action on climate adaptation including developing stronger adaptation objectives, improving governance through the cross Government senior officials forum, the Climate Resilience Steering Board, enhancing monitoring and evaluation, and launching a fifth round of reporting under the Adaptation Reporting Power covering key infrastructure. The Department is also supporting research through the £15 million Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change programme. These initiatives aim to improve preparedness and resilience across Government and society.
Defra recognises the urgency of preparing for climate change impacts and is committed to strengthening adaptation efforts. The Department is actively implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which includes activity across twelve departments and measures to improve resilience across sectors. Defra is also working to develop stronger adaptation objectives and delivery plans with these departments ahead of the fourth National Adaptation Programme (NAP4) in 2028 These efforts aim to reduce the risks posed by extreme weather events associated with a 2°C rise in global temperatures. Defra will respond to the advice from the Climate Change Committee letter on 15 October in due course.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Climate Change Committee's letter to the Minister for Water and Flooding, dated 15 October 2025, if she will make it her policy to introduce measures before the release of the next National Adaptation Plan to help reduce the impact of weather extremes should global warming levels reach 2 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels by 2050.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is taking forward action on climate adaptation including developing stronger adaptation objectives, improving governance through the cross Government senior officials forum, the Climate Resilience Steering Board, enhancing monitoring and evaluation, and launching a fifth round of reporting under the Adaptation Reporting Power covering key infrastructure. The Department is also supporting research through the £15 million Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change programme. These initiatives aim to improve preparedness and resilience across Government and society.
Defra recognises the urgency of preparing for climate change impacts and is committed to strengthening adaptation efforts. The Department is actively implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which includes activity across twelve departments and measures to improve resilience across sectors. Defra is also working to develop stronger adaptation objectives and delivery plans with these departments ahead of the fourth National Adaptation Programme (NAP4) in 2028 These efforts aim to reduce the risks posed by extreme weather events associated with a 2°C rise in global temperatures. Defra will respond to the advice from the Climate Change Committee letter on 15 October in due course.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many golden hellos for new dentists have been allocated to Waveney Valley constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello Scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
We do not hold Golden Hello data at a constituency level but, as of 22 September in England, 97 dentists are in post. A further eight dentists have been recruited but are yet to start in post under this scheme. A further 224 posts are currently being advertised.
ICBs continue to work with practices in their area to support recruitment to these posts.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether nuclear waste is due to be offloaded at Devonport.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Yes. The offload of radioactive materials at Devonport predominantly occurs through the maintenance, upkeep or refit work on our in-service submarines or the removal of radioactive materials from decommissioned submarines stored at Devonport.
All such materials are safely handled, stored and managed to final disposal in accordance with relevant statute, regulated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency as appropriate.
Recommencing the Defuel programme of our decommissioned nuclear-powered submarines in Devonport means that used nuclear fuel will be removed. This used fuel will be transported to the Sellafield site for safe storage pending potential re-processing / re-use.