Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for NHS-funded weight loss programmes.

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

The National Health Service provides a range of weight management services, and we recognise that waiting times for some programmes can be long. NHS England is taking steps to improve access.

Access to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme is being doubled over the next three years, enabling an additional 125,000 people to begin behavioural weight‑loss support without referral delays.

The recent rollout of tirzepatide prescribing in primary care, supported by national guidance and behavioural support, provides another route to access obesity medicines, outside of specialist weight management services, where waiting times can be long. Due to the significant number of people who are potentially eligible for these medicines, the NHS is prioritising access to those with the highest clinical need first.

NHS England continues to work with local systems to improve capacity and test new models of care for obesity prescribing that may help manage demand and reduce waiting lists.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has considered the potential merits of using timber to a) build new and b) repair old military homes.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Housing Strategy published on 3 November 2025, sets out a vision for the future transformation of military homes through a record £9 billion investment over a decade. The Department is in the early stages of the renovation programme.

As we look to apply modern methods of construction to sustain and renew the Service Family Accommodation estate, timber may be considered, where it is determined to be the most cost effective and sustainable solution. This approach will be underpinned by thorough planning and stringent quality control to ensure it effectively supports military capability.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of using timber materials in a) constructing and b) maintaining school buildings.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government recognises that timber offers a solution as a renewable, low-carbon resource. It offers potential to reduce emissions and create jobs, as set out in the Timber in Construction Roadmap: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timber-in-construction-roadmap-2025/timber-in-construction-roadmap-2025.

The department has piloted a number of projects which explore the use of timber in school construction, including three prototypes using UK timber.

Our construction specification requires that new buildings meet an embodied carbon requirement, and that designs use natural materials to create a healthy learning environment. These specifications encourage the use of timber and other natural materials to meet the needs of our low carbon future.

Timber is a commonly used material in maintaining school buildings. School responsible bodies must ensure that the correct materials are used for any works to maintain fire, safety and other critical requirements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support schools to help tackle climate change.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Education Estates Strategy sets out plans for an education estate that supports opportunity for all, with an education estate that is safe, suitable, sustainable and appropriately sufficiently sized. It is backed by a ten-year plan to deliver a decade of renewal to transform schools and colleges.

The department expects all settings to have a climate action plan to ensure that the education estate becomes more climate resilient.

We will support all settings to develop climate action plans and appoint a sustainability lead through the Sustainability Support Programme until at least 2030. More than 10,000 education settings are already accessing this free support.

The Sustainability Support for Education online service signposts settings to relevant actions and trusted guidance and tools.

Climate Ambassadors, working with Ashden’s ‘Let’s Go Zero’ campaign, provide on the ground support and facilitate peer learning.

All settings have the flexibility to develop a plan that reflects their specific context, priorities and needs.

Found: Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain; Great Yarmouth) Catherine McKinnell

Found: Q270 Catherine McKinnell: Okay.

Found: Dorset) Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe (Independent; Great Yarmouth) Catherine McKinnell

Found: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Rachel Gilmour; Sarah Green; Chris Kane; Catherine McKinnell

Found: Q15 Catherine McKinnell: That is helpful to understand—thank you.

Found: Q15 Catherine McKinnell: That is helpful to understand—thank you.

Found: Members present: Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Anna Dixon; Rupert Lowe; Catherine McKinnell

Found: Dorset) Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe (Independent; Great Yarmouth) Catherine McKinnell