Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that women with polycystic ovary syndrome receive (a) timely and (b) equitable access to fertility assessment and treatment under NHS pathways.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their population. We expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.
The NICE fertility guideline includes information on what advice and treatment should be offered to women with ovulation disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome.
NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to National Health Service funded treatment are still appropriate. A consultation on revised guidelines was published on 10 September.
NICE is the independent body responsible for translating evidence into authoritative evidence-based guidance for the health and care system on best practice. NICE has been asked to develop a clinical guideline on the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome and is now planning its development. The guideline will cover the assessment and treatment of infertility for people with suspected or confirmed polycystic ovary syndrome, including in vitro fertilisation and in vitro maturation.
The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the NHS in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues between the Department and NHS England to better understand the offer around NHS-funded fertility services. This work will take time to develop, however the Department is keen to ensure there will be stakeholder engagement during this process beginning in the new year.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had recent discussions with the Environment Agency on their process for approving a planning application in the case of new development in Oxfordshire that will be connected to Oxford Sewage Treatment Works.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
MHCLG ministers have had no recent discussions with the Environment Agency (EA) in respect of the matter in question.
The EA has worked with Thames Water to develop a strategic approach to managing wastewater capacity challenges in Oxford. Working with local partners, it is tracking delivery of the improvements to the Oxford Sewage Treatment Works to ensure the delivery of sufficient wastewater capacity in this critical growth area.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to reduce the level of medicine access inequalities in England; and what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on this matter.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England based on an evaluation of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance, which supports consistent access for NHS patients wherever in England they live.
Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, published on 3 July 2025, describes the creation of a single national formulary (SNF) for medicines to supersede the current process by which each local area decides which medicines, in addition to those recommended by NICE, are available to its patients. A SNF is expected to supersede these local processes with a formulary oversight board responsible for sequencing products included in the SNF based on clinical and cost effectiveness, supported by NICE. The intention is to drive rapid and equitable adoption of the most clinically and cost-effective medicines.
Work will now begin on design and delivery planning, and we will work collaboratively with key stakeholders including NICE and industry on the plans.
The devolved administrations are responsible for the arrangements that they put in place to make decisions on access to medicines for NHS patients, however, this Department’s officials engage and meet with them regularly in a spirit of collaboration and mutual learning. At the political level, health ministers from the four nations also meet quarterly.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to ICBs to ensure that patients are informed of local IVF eligibility criteria at the point of referral to fertility services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent data his Department holds on the number of NHS-funded IVF cycles provided in each Integrated Care Board area.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce delays in the property buying process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 6 October 2025, the government published a consultation on proposals to improve to the home buying and selling process. It can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on the potential impact of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 on the right to peaceful protest.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The right to protest is a fundamental part of our democratic society, and people are free to express their views peacefully within the law.
The Home Office continues to engage regularly with policing partners on the application of legislation in the context of public order and freedom of expression.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy (a) of the rules governing utilities companies' use of the highway when carrying out emergency repairs and (b) the level of risk of abuse of those rules by utilities companies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that street works, including emergency repairs by utilities companies, are managed efficiently and with minimal disruption. The current legislative framework provides highway authorities with effective powers to coordinate and oversee such works. We continue to review and strengthen these regulations to ensure charges remain proportionate and effective, and remain committed to working with local authorities, utilities, and stakeholders to deliver a modern and accountable street works regime.
We are also aware of concerns about the potential misuse of emergency permit rules by utilities companies. Available data shows no evidence of widespread abuse, with most immediate permits used for genuine emergencies or urgent repairs. The Department continues to monitor trends and engage with industry and local authorities and will update guidance to provide greater clarity on appropriate use. We remain committed to ensuring the system is effective, proportionate, and minimises disruption to local communities.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to enable Irish passport holders to apply for UK driving licences online.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Customers with an Irish passport can already use GOV.UK to verify their identity to renew an existing photocard licence, replace a lost, stolen, damaged or defaced licence and notify of a change of address.
A further enhancement to the online service is scheduled to be available by March 2026 which will enable customers who hold an Irish passport to also apply for their first provisional licence online.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on (a) the suitability of country-level forecasts of supply needs for medicines up to three years in advance and (b) the steps needed to reduce medicine shortages from unexpected rises in demand including for (i) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and (ii) hormone replacement therapy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Given the inherent global nature of medical supply chains, international collaboration is key to strengthening supply resilience. The United Kingdom is committed to working with international partners to enhance the resilience and security of medical supply chains. We regularly engage with international partners, bilaterally and multilaterally, to exchange information on approaches to strengthen medical supply chains including approaches to manage and reduce shortages.
The Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) both participate in the Drug Shortages Global Regulatory Working Group, an international forum of medicine regulatory authorities from the UK alongside Australia, Canada, Japan, the United States and the European Medicines Agency, with the World Health Organisation as an observer. Information is shared about shortages of medicines with a global impact, including medicines used for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and actions are taken to prevent, monitor and mitigate their impact.
While we cannot always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and mitigate risks to patients. We continue to work closely with suppliers and other stakeholders such as the National Health Service and MHRA to maintain supply of medicines used for ADHD and Hormone Replacement Treatment (HRT) across the UK during any shortages. This includes working to expedite resupply dates of the disrupted products to resolve issues as soon as possible and engaging with new suppliers of medicines to increase supply capacity and resilience, to help fill supply gaps and prevent future shortages. As a result of intensive work, the supply issues affecting medicines used for ADHD and HRT are now largely resolved.