Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in relation to his Department’s review of Responsible Business Conduct, if he will (i) set out the process and timeline for completion and (ii) whether he plans to publish the review.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The review has been completed and Government is considering its findings. We will publish the review and set out our plans soon.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department was informed that staff of Palantir Technologies UK Limited and external consultants had been granted administrative roles providing unrestricted access to identifiable patient data within the National Data Integration Tenant of the NHS Federated Data Platform prior to pseudonymisation prior to 11 May 2026; and if he will release any documents or communications relating to the disclosure of this access arrangement to Ministers or Parliament.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients.
The NHS FDP is delivering for the NHS, helping people get the care they need quicker and more efficiently. Since March 2024, more than 100,000 additional patients have been supported to undergo procedures in theatres partly by increasing theatre utilisation. Nearly 94,000 people have been supported on their cancer journey, with 7% seeing a reduction in the time it took to diagnose their cancer. There has been a 14% decrease in delays discharging patients staying in hospital for more than seven days, freeing up beds for those who need them most. NHS England publishes quarterly information on benefits realised from the FDP, which is available at the following link:
To date, 24 integrated care board clusters and 168 NHS trusts have signed up to the NHS FDP, including Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
The Department was not informed of routine access arrangements operating in the National Data Integration Tenant of the NHS Federated Data Platform before May 2026. NHS England is reviewing information governance documents and will publish updates in due course.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
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 adequacy of healthcare provision for prisoners with neuromuscular and other progressive conditions at HMP Wormwood Scrubs; and what steps he is taking to ensure that such prisoners receive specialist care.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Whilst no specific assessment has been made, individuals with neuromuscular or progressive conditions are assessed on a case-by-case basis as there is significant variation with regard to how they may present and this is somewhat of an umbrella term.
Typically, they would be seen first by a nurse in reception and then examined by a doctor and on the basis of this initial meeting further healthcare staff may become involved. They will usually be referred to the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meeting where multiple healthcare professionals can converge and come up with the best and safest plan for the patient. This typically involves: a nurse doing a full assessment on how they are coping in their cell and whether extra support is needed with such tasks as washing, dressing, or grooming; the physiotherapist assessing their muscle strength and mobility; the dietician if any dietary input is needed; and the doctor if any referrals need to be made to the local hospital for secondary care input, for example, neurology, or if any medications are required.
High-risk patients who require extra support are usually either in a cell compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act or the inpatient unit where there is around-the-clock nursing support. These patients are typically reviewed regularly by healthcare regularly and any signs of deterioration they may be re-discussed in the MDT meeting to decide on any further course of action or escalation.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with trade unions on the proposed new water regulator for England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Minister Hardy met with Defra Group Trade Unions on the 16 April to discuss how the Department will continue to engage with Trade Unions on the programme of water reforms.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether steps are being taken to provide staff transferring to a new water regulator in England with (a) a single set of terms and conditions, (b) access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme, (c) access to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, (d) job security and (e) protection and support for those with disabilities and other needs.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department will follow all Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) legislation or Cabinet Office Statement of Practice regulations as the details regarding the creation of the new regulator are finalised.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring a nationwide presence of offices for the new water regulator in England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is working with stakeholders, including existing water regulators, on the strategic design of the new regulator to ensure it is able to support delivery of the Government’s vision set out in the Water White Paper. A range of options for its operating model are being considered. Decisions on the location and distribution of offices will be taken in due course.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether there were (a) formal minutes and (b) formal agendas for the meetings held between Ministers and Water company CEOs for the last three months of 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers meet regularly with a range of stakeholders, including Water Company CEOs. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
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 (a) support the recruitment and training of midwives and (b) increase the availability of employment opportunities for newly qualified midwives.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are working with NHS England and the Nursing and Midwifery Council to ensure that midwifery training consistently delivers modern maternity care that respects a woman’s choice and individual circumstances. We are also introducing a new set of professional standards for modern employment in spring 2026, to deliver our ambition to make the National Health Service the best place to work.
The Graduate Guarantee in 2025, backed by £8 million, delivered more than 850 additional roles for newly qualified midwives. NHS England is working closely with universities and employers to align graduate numbers with vacancies through improved workforce planning, enhanced support for students, and coordinated local recruitment.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with the Institute of Physics and Royal Astronomical Society on the planned changes to the budget of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next four years, including £38.6 billion allocated to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is maintaining its budget from £835 million in 2025/26 to £842 million in 2029/30, and is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). The impacts of different modelled scenarios across the broad and diverse range of STFC-funded facilities and programmes will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.
DSIT maintains regular engagement with a broad range of sector organisations, and has engaged with the Institute of Physics and the Royal Astronomical Society on this particular issue. DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its specific investment decisions are informed by meaningful engagement with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability, research institutions and international standing.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Department has conducted an impact assessment on changes in the level of funding by the Science and Technology Facilities Council on trends in the level of (a) economic development and (b) STEM training, research and development.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next four years, including £38.6 billion allocated to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is maintaining its budget from £835 million in 2025/26 to £842 million in 2029/30, and is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). The impacts of different modelled scenarios across the broad and diverse range of STFC-funded facilities and programmes will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.
DSIT maintains regular engagement with a broad range of sector organisations, and has engaged with the Institute of Physics and the Royal Astronomical Society on this particular issue. DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its specific investment decisions are informed by meaningful engagement with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability, research institutions and international standing.