Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his department has considered the potential merits of mandating a minimum distance of 1km between new Quarries and residential homes or schools.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The scale and form of quarries, and their potential impacts, can vary significantly. As such, it would be overly restrictive to introduce a blanket presumption against quarry development within 1km of residential homes or schools, particularly as minerals are a finite natural resource which can only be worked where they are found.

Important safeguards are in place when quarrying is proposed. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that in considering proposals for mineral extraction, minerals planning authorities should ensure that there are no unacceptable adverse impacts on the natural and historic environment, human health or aviation safety, and take into account the cumulative effect of multiple impacts from individual sites and/or from a number of sites in a locality. They should also ensure that any unavoidable noise, dust and particle emissions and any blasting vibrations are controlled, mitigated or removed at source, and establish appropriate noise limits for extraction in proximity to noise sensitive properties.

Where issues are identified through the planning process, the imposition of planning conditions can assist in mitigating impacts to acceptable levels.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has undertaken a review of the medical exemption criteria for prescription charges, particularly in relation to solid-organ transplant recipients.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No review of the medical exemption criteria for prescription charges has been undertaken.

There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which recipients of a solid-organ transplant may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme, which provides help based on a comparison between a person’s income and requirements.

People who need to pay and need many prescription items could save money with a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC). PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as needed for a set cost. An annual PPC costs £114.50 and will save money if they need 12 or more items in 12 months. To help spread the cost, people can pay for an annual PPC by 10 monthly direct debits, which works out as just over £2 per week. A three-month PPC for £32.05 is also available.

To further support patients National Health Service prescription charges in England have been frozen for the second successive year, keeping the cost for a single charge at £9.90.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of primary and secondary schools in England that include teaching on organ donation within the Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum; and whether her Department plans to (a) collect and (b) publish further information on that topic.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance sets out that by the end of secondary school, pupils should know about the science relating to blood, organ and stem cell donation.

The department does not routinely collect data on how many schools teach specific topics and has no plans to require schools to report in that detail. It is for individual schools to make sure that they cover the statutory content in RSHE, and they have flexibility to decide how to do so.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which (a) Minister and (b) official demarched the Chinese Ambassador following the verdict on Jimmy Lai.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary confirmed in Parliament in her Oral Statement on 15 December 2025, the Chinese Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.  A senior official condemned the politically motivated prosecution of Jimmy Lai that has resulted in this guilty verdict and urged that Lai be released immediately.

Found: Chinese state threat activities in the UK 19 Commons Library Research Briefing, 10 December 2025 Alicia Kearns