Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of agricultural machinery accidents on the rural economy; and if she will consider including AI-driven safety equipment within the scope of future Farming Equipment and Technology Fund grants.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government recognises the importance of reducing agricultural machinery accidents, no specific assessment has been made on its impact on the rural economy. As announced, FETF 2026 is intended to be the final round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund. The Government wishes to build on what has worked well across all its grant schemes with the aim of bringing the strongest elements together from 2027. As part of this work, it will look at the specific types of equipment and technology that could be included, including consideration of the role of AI-driven safety equipment.

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 is taking to encourage the adoption of (a) advanced safety technology and (b) Human Form Recognition systems on agricultural machinery to reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities involving (i) farm workers and (ii) members of the public.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Through the Farming Innovation Programme, the Government is providing £50 million as part the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) fund to support on farm trials and adoption of the latest agricultural equipment. This can support farmer-led, smaller-scale innovation grants to trial and test new equipment and methods such as new advanced safety technologies aimed at reducing on-farm accidents.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made on the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023; and what steps she is taking to support rural businesses in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England in deploying (i) advanced Human Form Recognition systems and (ii) AI-enhanced security systems to combat the theft of (A) high-value agricultural machinery and (B) fuel.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which will introduce measures to make it harder for criminals to steal and re‑sell high‑value machinery and equipment. The Home Office has completed a Call for Evidence to inform delivery and is working closely with industry, policing and other partners to develop the necessary secondary legislation, which will be introduced in Parliament as time allows.

To support rural businesses the Government is strengthening the policing response to acquisitive crime through improved neighbourhood policing, specialist national capability and legislative tools to support enforcement. This includes continuing to fund the National Rural Crime Unit and National Wildlife Crime Unit, which work with forces to tackle organised machinery and fuel theft.

The deployment of specific security technologies is an operational matter for policing and business. Police reforms and wider crime prevention measures are intended to ensure that forces have the capability and flexibility to work with rural communities and businesses to tackle theft, such as agricultural machinery and fuel, that affect rural locations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of dietitians required to adequately support obesity, diabetes and malnutrition services in community healthcare settings in England.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the 10 Year Workforce Plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups. The plan will be published in spring 2026.

As of January 2026, there are 5,624 full time equivalent (FTE) dietitians in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England. This is 220 (4.1%) more than last year, 1,040 (22.7%) than 2021, and 2,321 (70.3%) more than in 2010.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a national safety standard for Human Form Recognition AI technology used on (a) mobile plant and (b) heavy machinery to ensure (i) a minimum threshold for accuracy and (ii) the reduction of false-positive alerts.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

AI can bring significant benefits to the workplace, workers and the wider economy. However, it is important that AI systems are developed and deployed safely and responsibly. That’s why the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is taking action to build an AI assurance ecosystem that underpins safe, trustworthy and responsible AI systems.

This includes establishing the Centre for AI Measurement at the National Physical Laboratory. This will provide targeted support to industry through delivery of the AI Assurance Innovation Fund and create a collaborative environment for conducting research focused on the development of new and innovative AI assurance techniques.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which professional groups are currently included in NHS clinical pathways for patients prescribed weight loss medications; and what guidance his Department has issued on clinical oversight for those pathways.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Weight loss medicines are available through National Health Service specialist weight management services and, from June 2025 tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, is being made available in primary care through a phased approach.

In specialist services, patients receive wraparound care from a multidisciplinary team providing nutritional, psychological, and medical support, tailored to individual need. In primary care, clinical oversight is provided by general practitioners and other prescribing healthcare professionals, with behavioural support delivered through locally commissioned services or via the national Healthier You: NHS Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing service.

NHS England does not routinely hold information on the specific professional groups included in local clinical pathways. National guidance to support prescribing and clinical oversight includes:

• the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal 1026 Tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity;
• NICE’s Practical guide to using medicines to manage overweight and obesity; and
• NHS England’s interim commissioning guidance.

Integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring robust clinical governance of these pathways.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will consult with industry leaders in the safety-tech sector to develop a unified data standard for the reporting of safety near-misses captured by Human Form Recognition AI-enabled systems on industrial sites.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) provides the established statutory framework for reporting work-related fatalities, injuries, occupational diseases, and certain dangerous occurrences, including near misses. RIDDOR ensures that significant work-related incidents are reported to the relevant enforcing authority so risks can be identified, trends monitored and appropriate regulatory action taken where necessary to improve health and safety standards in Great Britain.

RIDDOR applies regardless of how an incident is identified or recorded by duty-holders. Employers and others with duties under RIDDOR are responsible for reporting incidents that meet the legal criteria, and there is already a standardised national reporting process in place.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a public consultation on 7 April 2026 seeking views on possible amendments to RIDDOR. This consultation includes proposals based on recommendations from its second postimplementation review, such as updates to occupational disease definitions and potential opportunities to streamline aspects of the reporting process. Stakeholders are invited to provide views on additional areas they believe should be considered, and we would encourage anyone interested in work-place incident reporting to engage with the consultation over the next 12 weeks.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the effectiveness of artificial intelligence-led safety systems in reducing workplace fatalities in the (a) construction and (b) logistics sectors; and if he will make a statement on the development of industry protocols for these systems.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has undertaken research into how businesses are adopting AI and its implications for workplace health and safety. This research has examined the use of AI in developing health and safety provisions across a wide range of sectors, including construction and logistics.

HSE is working with industry partners to develop benchmarks that enable best use of AI in workplaces. It is also contributing toward the development of international standards for AI interaction with machinery and functional safety.

Found: Eshalomi (Labour; Vauxhall and Camberwell Green) (Chair) Lewis Cocking (Conservative; Broxbourne) Andrew Cooper

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Florence Eshalomi (Chair); Lewis Cocking; Andrew Cooper; Mr Lee Dillon

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Florence Eshalomi (Chair); Andrew Cooper; Chris Curtis; Mr Lee Dillon