Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 on rent revenues earned by NHS properties hosting mobile infrastructure.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold the data of national-level assessment specific to this request. National Health Service property owners are responsible for ensuing they comply with all relevant commercial requirements and legislation.
Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions his Department has had with (a) landowners (b) Wireless Infrastructure Providers and (c) Mobile Network Operators on the implementation of sections 61-64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
A technical consultation on draft regulations to commence Sections 61 – 64 of the Act, dealing with certain Renewal agreements, was published on 7 May 2025 and closed on 2 July 2025. The department received submissions from a range of stakeholders in response to the consultation, including landowners, Wireless Infrastructure Providers and Mobile Network Operators.
Officials have kept these stakeholders updated on progress to implement outstanding provisions of the PSTI Act, including sections 61 – 64. This has been done through group sessions, which site providers, operators and infrastructure providers have all been invited to attend. Officials have also shared these updates and listened to feedback as part of their routine engagement with stakeholders. This engagement has included regular and ad hoc meetings with specific organisations and representative groups.
Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to delay implementation of Sections 61-64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act until the Government’s review of the mobile market is complete.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
No, there are no plans to delay implementation. The Government is undertaking its Mobile Market Review to assess the technological and financial developments occurring across the sector and how these impact investment in mobile networks over the long-term. The review will help us understand what more Government can do to support the market to invest in widespread high-quality connectivity.
The Government’s work on the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 is separate. The technical consultation on draft regulations to commence Sections 61 – 64 of the Act closed on 2 July 2025. Subject to considering the consultation responses, we intend to finalise sections 61 – 64 of the Act by the end of the year.
Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of applying VAT to unredeemed deposits in the Deposit Return Scheme on levels of private investment into the scheme’s (a) infrastructure and (b) delivery.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government remains committed to successful implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme, which is a critical step in moving towards a circular economy that delivers sustainable growth and produces less waste, rubbish, and litter.
The Government is keen to ensure that VAT is not a barrier to effective operation of the Deposit Return Scheme. The Government is considering how best to achieve this while maintaining the integrity of the tax, and this work is being supported by engagement with industry representatives, including the British Soft Drinks Association.
Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the National Jobs and Careers Service will complement the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. Our new service will move away from the current one size fits all approach, recognising people are individuals with different support needs and will provide better tailored support. The new service will be universal and must work for everyone, including disabled people and those with health conditions.
We are committed to working with users of the new service, and organisations representing their needs, throughout the design process to ensure the new service is inclusive, accessible, and works for everyone. We are taking a test and learn approach to develop and launch the new service. We will ensure the design of the new service supports the delivery of the Pathways to Work guaranteed support offer as we develop it.
The new Jobs and Careers Service is part of the reforms outlined in the Get Britian Working White Paper, which in total, is backed by £240m for 2025/26. The reforms set out within this are on top of other areas of support we are already progressing including:
Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Get Britain Working White Paper, published on 26 November 2024, what progress her Department has made on the planned pilot of the National Jobs and Careers Service.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Get Britain Working White Paper set out our vision to reform Jobcentre Plus and create a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers.
We are taking a test and learn approach to develop the new service ensuring that we develop a service that is locally tailored and embedded, designed to meet the different needs of local labour markets, local people and local employers. We are in the early stages of designing the new service and more details will be shared in due course.
Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how her Department plans to allocate the additional funding for supporting young people into work outlined in her Department's Green Paper entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, published on 18 March 2025.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper we set out plans to invest £1 billion a year by the end of the decade in new employment, health and skills support – one of the biggest packages of new employment support for sick and disabled people ever – including new tailored support conversations for people on health and disability benefits to break down barriers and unlock work, and more intensive programmes of support with health and work.
For 18–21-year-olds specifically we set out proposals at point 256 in the Pathways to Work Green Paper to: “[Delay] access to the UC health element [to 22, in order to] remove any potential disincentive to work during this time. Proceeding with this change would be on the basis that resources could be better spent on improving the quality and range of opportunities available to young people through the [Youth] guarantee, so they can sign up to work or training rather than long-term benefits.” Such a change could support the establishment of a distinct and active transition phase for young people, based on learning or earning for all.
We are consulting on the design options for a work, health and skills support package. The government will actively engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, including young people with health conditions and disabilities. This consultation is now open and will close on 30th June.
Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools are delivering two hours of PE a week.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
I refer my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield to the answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 34199.
Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the obligation on (a) sellers, (b) estate agents and (c) solicitors to ensure that property is transferred to buyers in home sales in a clean and tidy state.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
The government has published consumer guidance on how to sell a home which sets out that sellers should leave their property in the condition they wish to find their next home.
We know that the overall process of buying and selling a home is far too time consuming and costly for consumers. On 9 February we announced action to help modernise the way our home buying and selling system works. We want to see consumers at the heart of a system that is faster, more certain and less stressful, resulting in significant savings to consumers and industry.
Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of standardising the process by which ICBs commission palliative care, in the context of administrative pressures on hospices.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services to meet the needs of their local populations.
Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.
Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.
Due to the way the hospice movement organically grew, hospice locations were largely not planned with a view to providing even access across the country or to prioritise areas of greatest need based on demographics.
We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.
We are pleased to confirm that the Government has released the first £25 million tranche of the £100 million of capital funding, with Hospice UK allocating and distributing the money to hospices throughout England.