Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the practice of historic NHS dental Penalty Charge Notices.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is responsible for the administration of dental primary care networks (PCNs) in accordance with statutory regulations and national exemption policy. Where a PCN is challenged, NHSBSA undertakes evidence-based reviews, considers exceptional circumstances where appropriate, and may refer appeals to the independent First-tier Tribunal.
No recent assessment has been made of the practice of historic National Health Service dental PCNs or the processes for challenging them.
With respect to the ministerial accountability, operational independence, and financial oversight of NHSBSA, I refer the Hon Member to the published framework agreement between NHSBSA and the Department, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what arrangements are in place to scrutinise the NHS Business Services Authority’s processes for issuing, enforcing, reviewing and refunding NHS dental Penalty Charge Notices.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is responsible for the administration of dental primary care networks (PCNs) in accordance with statutory regulations and national exemption policy. Where a PCN is challenged, NHSBSA undertakes evidence-based reviews, considers exceptional circumstances where appropriate, and may refer appeals to the independent First-tier Tribunal.
No recent assessment has been made of the practice of historic National Health Service dental PCNs or the processes for challenging them.
With respect to the ministerial accountability, operational independence, and financial oversight of NHSBSA, I refer the Hon Member to the published framework agreement between NHSBSA and the Department, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the status of the NHS Business Services Authority as an arm’s-length body of the Ministry means in respect of (a) ministerial accountability, (b) operational independence and (c) financial oversight.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is responsible for the administration of dental primary care networks (PCNs) in accordance with statutory regulations and national exemption policy. Where a PCN is challenged, NHSBSA undertakes evidence-based reviews, considers exceptional circumstances where appropriate, and may refer appeals to the independent First-tier Tribunal.
No recent assessment has been made of the practice of historic National Health Service dental PCNs or the processes for challenging them.
With respect to the ministerial accountability, operational independence, and financial oversight of NHSBSA, I refer the Hon Member to the published framework agreement between NHSBSA and the Department, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the process for challenging historic NHS dental Penalty Charge Notices and refunding penalties is robust and efficient.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is responsible for the administration of dental primary care networks (PCNs) in accordance with statutory regulations and national exemption policy. Where a PCN is challenged, NHSBSA undertakes evidence-based reviews, considers exceptional circumstances where appropriate, and may refer appeals to the independent First-tier Tribunal.
No recent assessment has been made of the practice of historic National Health Service dental PCNs or the processes for challenging them.
With respect to the ministerial accountability, operational independence, and financial oversight of NHSBSA, I refer the Hon Member to the published framework agreement between NHSBSA and the Department, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Ministry is taking to ensure FCA-authorised lenders are accountable for representations made by their introducer networks.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, authorised financial services firms are responsible for representatives they appoint to engage in regulated financial services activities. Authorised firms that use appointed representatives (ARs – of which Introducer ARs are a subset) are known as principal firms. Principal firms are responsible for ensuring their ARs maintain high standards of conduct and comply with all relevant regulatory requirements. This includes introducer ARs.
The government is introducing changes to the AR regime through the Financial Services and Markets Bill 2026. The Bill will enhance the ability of the Financial Conduct Authority to ensure that principal firms have the necessary expertise, resource and control systems to provide robust oversight of appointed representatives. The Bill will also extend the jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) directly to ARs, which means that a consumer who believes they have been treated unfairly by an appointed representative can take their complaint to FOS.
In relation to credit brokers, authorised lenders are in many cases liable for the actions of the brokers they work with as a result of the Consumer Credit Act, regardless of whether or not those brokers are ARs appointed by the lender.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Government of Israel regarding the detention and release of medical personnel in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question 16811.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the cost to the NHS of treating conditions (a) caused and (b) exacerbated by (i) tobacco, (ii) alcohol and (iii) drug use.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The available estimates of the cost to the National Health Service of treating conditions caused and exacerbated by tobacco and alcohol are shown in the following table:
Substance | Estimated NHS cost | Source of Estimate |
Tobacco | £1.8 billion annually | Action on Smoking and Health, 2025 |
Alcohol | £4.9 billion annually | Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2021/22 |
Smoking is estimated to cost society £21.9 billion per year in England.
Estimates for drug use are more limited but based on data from the Office for National Statistics and the independent review of drugs by Professor Dame Carol Black, the harms associated with wholly drug-related hospital admissions are estimated at £37 million. This cost includes admissions for mental and behavioural disorders, overdoses and poisonings, and drug-related neonatal disorders.
Comparisons of costs should not be made between estimates above because of the different methodologies used in their construction.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will consider taking steps to increase protections for private renters during the process of moving between tenancies, including in relation to tenancy references and the requirement to serve notice on an existing tenancy before a new tenancy is secured.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78379 on 16 October 2025.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on private renters of letting agents and landlords declining to provide tenancy references until a tenant has served notice on their existing tenancy.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78379 on 16 October 2025.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of alcohol delivery services on (a) consumption and (b) public health.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of alcohol delivery services on consumption of alcohol or public health.
The delivery of alcohol is regulated under the Licensing Act 2003, responsibility for which rests with the Home Office. The Government recognises that consumer purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in alcohol sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services. I recently convened a roundtable with Minister Jones, the Minister for Policing and Crime, to explore this issue further and discuss potential solutions.