Graham Brady Portrait

Graham Brady

Conservative - Altrincham and Sale West

First elected: 1st May 1997


Select Committees
Panel of Chairs (since January 2020)
Speaker's Conference (since October 2022)
Panel of Chairs
22nd Jun 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Panel of Chairs
26th May 2010 - 3rd May 2017
Panel of Chairs
13th Oct 2009 - 6th May 2010
Committee on Reform of the House of Commons
20th Jul 2009 - 6th May 2010
Treasury Committee
17th Jul 2007 - 6th May 2010
Shadow Minister (Europe)
15th Jun 2004 - 3rd Jul 2007
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee
5th Jan 2004 - 12th Jul 2005
Urban Affairs Sub-committee
5th Jan 2004 - 12th Jul 2005
Shadow Minister (Education)
18th Sep 2001 - 1st Jul 2003
Shadow Spokesperson (Work and Pensions)
1st Jun 2000 - 1st Jun 2001
Education & Employment
14th Jul 1997 - 11th May 2001
Opposition Whip (Commons)
1st Jan 2000 - 1st Jun 2000


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Graham Brady has voted in 672 divisions, and 18 times against the majority of their Party.

25 Mar 2021 - Coronavirus - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 35 Conservative No votes vs 305 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 484 Noes - 76
10 Feb 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 24 Conservative No votes vs 327 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 526 Noes - 24
27 Jan 2021 - Local Government - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 2 Conservative No votes vs 344 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 553 Noes - 2
6 Jan 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Conservative No votes vs 322 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 524 Noes - 16
30 Dec 2020 - Sittings of the House - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 13 Conservative No votes vs 328 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 335 Noes - 212
1 Dec 2020 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 53 Conservative No votes vs 290 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 291 Noes - 78
4 Nov 2020 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 33 Conservative No votes vs 308 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 516 Noes - 38
21 Oct 2020 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 3 Conservative No votes vs 330 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 332 Noes - 4
13 Oct 2020 - Public Health: Coronavirus Regulations - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 42 Conservative No votes vs 298 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 299 Noes - 82
6 Oct 2020 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Conservative No votes vs 285 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 287 Noes - 17
1 Jul 2020 - Finance Bill - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Conservative Aye votes vs 316 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 254 Noes - 317
10 Mar 2020 - Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 36 Conservative Aye votes vs 301 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 282 Noes - 306
30 Nov 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 19 Conservative No votes vs 268 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 434 Noes - 23
30 Nov 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 32 Conservative No votes vs 259 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 431 Noes - 36
14 Dec 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 38 Conservative No votes vs 271 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 441 Noes - 41
14 Dec 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 97 Conservative No votes vs 224 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 369 Noes - 126
14 Dec 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 60 Conservative No votes vs 258 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 385 Noes - 100
18 Oct 2022 - Public Order Bill - View Vote Context
Graham Brady voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 4 Conservative Aye votes vs 282 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 235 Noes - 302
View All Graham Brady Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Matt Hancock (Independent)
(37 debate interactions)
Boris Johnson (Conservative)
(15 debate interactions)
Sajid Javid (Conservative)
(12 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(56 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(15 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(9 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Finance Act 2020
(1,362 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Graham Brady's debates

Altrincham and Sale West Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

We want the Government to review and increase allowances paid to foster carers, and also tax exemption levels for foster carers, so they reflect the true cost of caring for a child.

Ensure any ban fully includes trans people and all forms of conversion therapy.


Latest EDMs signed by Graham Brady

11th January 2024
Graham Brady signed this EDM on Monday 4th March 2024

Hosting refugees and asylum seekers: Council Tax Single Person Discount

Tabled by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
That this House calls on the Government to amend the Council Tax (Additional Provisions for Discount Disregards) Regulations 1992, so that refugees and asylum seekers with leave to remain being hosted in their home by a person living alone are disregarded for the Council Tax Single Person Discount; and notes …
9 signatures
(Most recent: 18 Mar 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 3
Labour: 3
Alba Party: 1
Independent: 1
Green Party: 1
21st February 2024
Graham Brady signed this EDM on Wednesday 21st February 2024

No confidence in the Speaker

Tabled by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)
That this House has no confidence in Mr Speaker.
91 signatures
(Most recent: 4 Mar 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 45
Scottish National Party: 41
Plaid Cymru: 3
Independent: 2
View All Graham Brady's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Graham Brady, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Graham Brady has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Graham Brady has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Graham Brady has not introduced any legislation before Parliament


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
11th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make a comparative assessment of the ventilation standards in buildings in the UK and (a) the United States, (b) Vietnam and (c) South Korea in the context of the covid-19 pandemic.

The Department has no plans to make a comparative assessment of the ventilation standards in buildings in the UK and other countries.

15th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support the Government plans to provide to the events sector during autumn and winter 2020.

DCMS appreciates the important role that the events sector plays in the UK’s economy, and that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to many businesses operating in these sectors.

The Secretary of State provided a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors. This support package will benefit cultural sector services by providing support to cultural venues and many other organisations in the Creative Industries that host live events, to stay open and continue operating.

From 15th August, and as part of the Government’s 5 stage roadmap to get performing arts and live entertainment sectors back up and running as soon as possible, organisations can now put on live indoor performances in front of a socially-distanced audience. This is in addition to the earlier announcement that from 11 July we can all enjoy performances outdoors with social distancing.

We are committed to continuing to work with the events sector to understand the difficulties they face and help them access support through these challenging times and through recovery. We recognise that the events industry and its supply chain has been severely impacted by Covid-19.

We are continuing to meet with stakeholders, including through the Events & Entertainment and Visitor Economy working groups and the Events Industry Senior Leaders Advisory Panel, to discuss the specific issues facing the sector.

19th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Muslim students unable to access the traditional student finance system are able to access an alternative, faith-compliant method; and what his planned timetable is for such a system becoming fully operable.

I refer my hon. Friend, the member for Altrincham and Sale West, to the answer I gave in response to question 129057.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
4th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will take steps to encourage the (a) take-up and (b) provision of apprenticeships in the childcare sector in response to the shortfall in recruitment during the covid-19 outbreak.

We have introduced a broad range of flexibilities to ensure that apprentices can continue with their learning, as far as possible, and to encourage the take up of apprenticeships. These include encouraging the remote delivery of training, allowing changes to be made to end-point assessment, and removal of the requirement that level 2 apprentices should work towards or sit their level 2 English and maths GCSE or functional skills exams this academic year.

Apprenticeships will have an important role to play in creating employment opportunities, particularly for young people, and supporting employers in all sectors to access the skilled workforce they need to recover and grow post-COVID-19. We are looking to support employers of all sizes, and particularly smaller businesses such as childcare providers, to take on new apprentices this year. We will set out further details in due course. We will also ensure that there is sufficient funding to support small businesses wanting to take on an apprentice this year.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
28th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Scottish Government has submitted a request for a United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 exemption to implement a deposit return scheme in Scotland.

At the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (IMG EFRA) on 6 March, UK Government ministers received a formal request setting out the scope and rationale for a UKIM exemption for the Scottish Government's deposit return scheme. It will now be considered by Ministers at the relevant Whitehall departments.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
4th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will hold discussions with Girlguiding on their research on young people's views on deposit return schemes.

Defra officials have met Girlguiding to discuss their research on deposit return schemes. We will continue to engage with a large range of stakeholders, including young people, to ensure everyone has their say.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
24th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department made of business case for the Golborne Link section of the Phase 2b portion of HS2 as part of the Integrated Rail Plan.

The Integrated Rail Plan noted that there is a strong case for a connection to the West Coast Mainline (WCML) north of Crewe and that the Union Connectivity Review (UCR) was considering this further. The UCR, undertaken by Sir Peter Hendy, has considered whether any alternatives to the Golborne Link could further improve connectivity to Scotland. Evidence from the Review suggests that alternative connections to the WCML could slightly reduce journey times further compared to the ‘Golborne Link’. However, Sir Peter states that it is clear that further work is required to better understand the case for and against any such options; and has recommended the Government review options for alternative connections north of Crewe between HS2 and the WCML. The government will respond to Sir Peter’s recommendations in due course.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department made of the potential merits of removing the Golborne Link section of the Phase 2b portion of HS2 as part of the Integrated Rail Plan.

The Integrated Rail Plan noted that there is a strong case for a connection to the West Coast Mainline (WCML) north of Crewe and that the Union Connectivity Review (UCR) was considering this further. The UCR, undertaken by Sir Peter Hendy, has considered whether any alternatives to the Golborne Link could further improve connectivity to Scotland. Evidence from the Review suggests that alternative connections to the WCML could slightly reduce journey times further compared to the ‘Golborne Link’. However, Sir Peter states that it is clear that further work is required to better understand the case for and against any such options; and has recommended the Government review options for alternative connections north of Crewe between HS2 and the WCML. The government will respond to Sir Peter’s recommendations in due course.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for publication of the final report of the union connectivity review.

Sir Peter has published his Union Connectivity Review as of Friday the 26th of November, the Government thanks Sir Peter for his work and will respond to his recommendations in due course.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
14th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average length of time taken by his Department was from an application being received to issuing driving licenses to applicants arriving from Hong Kong with British national overseas status.

Holders of a full Hong Kong car or motorcycle driving licence can exchange this for a GB equivalent without the need to apply for a provisional licence or take a driving test. Information on the average time taken to issue a driving licence to applicants from Hong Kong is not available.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has been working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government about the potential number of applicants who may arrive from Hong Kong with British national overseas status over the next five years. The DVLA is confident that these applications can be absorbed within its existing processes and there are no plans to introduce a dedicated channel.

14th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will establish a dedicated channel for people arriving from Hong Kong with British national overseas status to obtain driving licences.

Holders of a full Hong Kong car or motorcycle driving licence can exchange this for a GB equivalent without the need to apply for a provisional licence or take a driving test. Information on the average time taken to issue a driving licence to applicants from Hong Kong is not available.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has been working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government about the potential number of applicants who may arrive from Hong Kong with British national overseas status over the next five years. The DVLA is confident that these applications can be absorbed within its existing processes and there are no plans to introduce a dedicated channel.

14th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support research into (a) improving aircraft efficiency and (b) new technologies to enable electric and hybrid powered flight.

The focus of our policy development and analysis to date has been on ways to meet our 2050 net zero carbon commitment. We have not specifically made an assessment of the savings that could be made if the focus were the next five or ten years, but we continue to develop policies to reduce emissions over both the short term and the medium term.

The Transport Secretary recently announced the Jet Zero Council, which will provide leadership and strategic direction to cut aviation emissions. The Council will focus on developing UK capabilities to deliver zero emission flight.

Through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, Government and industry are committing a total of £3.9bn in funding for mid-stage aerospace research and development between 2013 and 2026.

DfT’s Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition makes £20 million of capital funding available for projects that will produce low carbon waste-based fuels for use in aircraft and heavy goods vehicles. This government funding will be matched by the private sector, and is expected to support construction of first-of-a-kind plants by 2021. The sustainable aviation fuel produced in these plants is expected to have emissions savings of at least 70% when compared to traditional jet fuel.

14th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has for airspace modernisation.

Airspace modernisation is vital to the future of aviation, to delivering net zero and, now, to supporting the aviation sector’s recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a critical infrastructure programme of national importance.

However, in light of the pandemic, we recognise that the timescales in which airspace modernisation will take place will change. We are working with the CAA to review the Airspace Modernisation Strategy, to consider the recommendations from ACOG’s recent report ‘Remobilising the Airspace Change Programme’, and will advise stakeholders of our preferred approach in the early Autumn.

14th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the carbon emissions reductions that could be achieved in the next (a) five and (b) 10 years from (i) more sustainable aviation fuels, (ii) more efficient aircraft, (iii) hybrid and electric flight and (iv) airspace modernisation.

The focus of our policy development and analysis to date has been on ways to meet our 2050 net zero carbon commitment. We have not specifically made an assessment of the savings that could be made if the focus were the next five or ten years, but we continue to develop policies to reduce emissions over both the short term and the medium term.

The Transport Secretary recently announced the Jet Zero Council, which will provide leadership and strategic direction to cut aviation emissions. The Council will focus on developing UK capabilities to deliver zero emission flight.

Through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, Government and industry are committing a total of £3.9bn in funding for mid-stage aerospace research and development between 2013 and 2026.

DfT’s Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition makes £20 million of capital funding available for projects that will produce low carbon waste-based fuels for use in aircraft and heavy goods vehicles. This government funding will be matched by the private sector, and is expected to support construction of first-of-a-kind plants by 2021. The sustainable aviation fuel produced in these plants is expected to have emissions savings of at least 70% when compared to traditional jet fuel.

14th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel in the UK.

To help overcome barriers to the production of sustainable fuels for aviation on a commercial scale, the Department’s Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition (F4C) makes capital funding available. As part of the competition we are currently supporting two projects to build plants capable of supplying advanced fuels for use in aviation.

In addition, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), a certificate trading scheme, promotes a market for low carbon fuels. Sustainable aviation fuels are eligible for support under the RTFO and are categorised as a development fuel, so potentially benefit from a higher tradeable certificate value.

On 12 June the Department announced the Jet Zero Council to create a partnership between industry and Government and bring together Ministers and CEO-level stakeholders to drive high ambition in the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions. The Council will be jointly chaired by the Secretary of State for Transport and the Secretary of State for BEIS.

11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what scientific or medical advice he based the decision to include passengers arriving from countries which have the same or lower levels of covid-19 infection as the UK in the 14-day quarantine policy.

The Home Office will be introducing new health protection measures at the border, and details will be published soon. Further queries should be directed to the Home Office.

12th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the announcement of 4 February 2020 by the Sustainable Aviation Group on ensuring UK aviation meets a net zero target by 2050, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to a wider range of production methods.

As acknowledged and welcomed in the “Sustainable Aviation Fuels Road-Map”, announced by the Sustainable Aviation coalition on 4 February, the Government is encouraging the production and use of sustainable alternative aviation fuels in the UK by making these eligible for reward under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO).

The Department is considering the aviation industry’s request to extend the scope of the RTFO to include Recycled Carbon Fuels (RCFs), which is repeated in the “Sustainable Aviation Fuels Road-Map”. RCFs are fuels produced from fossil wastes that cannot be reused, recycled or avoided.

The Department has commissioned two independent research reports to examine the potential greenhouse gas savings that RCFs could achieve. These are “Low carbon fossil fuels sustainability risks and accounting methodology” published in January 2018 and “Work Package 1-743 Waste Disposal Outcomes and Diversion Impacts” published in August 2019. Further to this research, the Department is developing a greenhouse gas assessment methodology for RCFs and have engaged on this with industry representatives. The Department hopes to consult later this year on legislative proposals.

Grant Shapps
Secretary of State for Defence
12th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the (a) business case and (b) estimated cost for the Golborne Spur section of phase 2b of High Speed Two.

The Department for Transport published the Business Case for HS2 Phase 2 on 17 July 2017, which includes a connection to the West Coast Mainline near Golborne https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-phase-two-economic-case.

We will continue to update periodically cost estimates and business cases for delivery of HS2 in line with the Government’s protocol for developing major projects. Our latest estimates indicate that the HS2 network will cost between £72-£98 billion with Phase 2b in the region of between £33-£46 billion. The expenditure on Golborne falls within this remit.

As part of the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands we will assess the Golborne Junction to consider the benefits, costs and the best way to serve the North West and Scotland.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
14th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time taken by her Department was from an application being received to issuing National Insurance numbers to those people arriving from Hong Kong with British national overseas status.

Demand for the National Insurance Number (NINo) service is currently high with the average time taken to process applications around 13 weeks. This is for all employment inspired applications including people arriving from Hong Kong with British National Overseas status.

The Department is currently recruiting and training additional staff to reduce these waiting times.

The Department expedites NINo applications for those who require one in order to receive Social Security Benefits.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
11th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to update the guidance on ventilation for businesses in the hospitality sector in the context of the covid-19 outbreak.

HSE recently updated web guidance on Ventilation and air conditioning during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which is aimed at most businesses, including the hospitality sector.

The guidance provides businesses with simple ways to identify areas in a workplace that may be poorly ventilated and measures they can take to improve ventilation in those areas. It also addresses the issue of balancing good ventilation with thermal comfort (keeping a comfortable workplace temperature).

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
11th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's 27 November 2020 policy document Transmission Risk in the Hospitality Sector, what proportion of hospitality businesses have been determined to have poor ventilation.

Although the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the national policy lead for occupational health and safety standards in the hospitality and catering industry, Local Authorities (LAs) are responsible for enforcing health and safety law at individual premises.

HSE is unable to provide data showing what proportion of hospitality businesses have been determined to have poor ventilation as this data is not collected from LAs.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
10th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has issued for businesses in the hospitality sector that wish to improve ventilation within their properties in order to expedite covid-safe reopening.

HSE recently updated web guidance on Ventilation and air conditioning during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which is aimed at most businesses, including the hospitality sector.

The guidance provides businesses with simple ways to identify areas in a workplace that may be poorly ventilated and measures they can take to improve ventilation in those areas. It also addresses the issue of balancing good ventilation with thermal comfort (keeping a comfortable workplace temperature).

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
22nd Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many approvals of open market rent for new GP surgeries have been issued by District Valuers in each of the last five years for which information is available.

We believe this question relates to ‘current market rent’ assessments of general practice (GP) properties undertaken by the District Valuer Service, which are provided to primary care organisations and integrated care boards under the Premises Cost Directions 2013. This helps to ensure agreed rent levels for these properties are in line with market conditions and provide value for money. It is then for integrated care boards, as part of their commissioning responsibilities for primary care, to consider applications for any new general practice surgeries, taking account of current market rent assessments.

While the Department does not hold this information on how many current market rent assessments for new GP surgeries the District Valuer Service has completed centrally, the Department does engage with NHS England and the District Valuer Service to ensure policy around rent reimbursements for GP surgeries is fit for purpose.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
2nd May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve access to technology to treat type 1 diabetes for local diabetes services in Greater Manchester.

NHS Greater Manchester is currently considering the adoption of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance in relation to access to glucose monitoring technology. Working with the Greater Manchester Medicines Management Group and provider trusts, NHS Greater Manchester is seeking to review commissioning procedures and bring forward plans for adoption of NICE guidance


NHS Greater Manchester is currently reviewing NICE guidance on making available Technology Appraisals on Hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes available.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
2nd May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase equality of access to medical technologies for people with type one diabetes.

NHS England have achieved their Long-Term Plan objective of 20% of all Type 1 diabetes patients in receipt of Flash Glucose Monitoring by April 21. Performance was 50% at June 2021 with an even distribution of access across all deprivation quintiles.

The ratio of prescribing Flash glucose monitoring between the most and least affluent areas has been reviewed and has reduced in every English region. When the programme started Flash was twice more likely to be prescribed to patients living in the most affluent areas, but current ratios show virtual parity between the most and least deprived patient groups across England.

2nd May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Greater Manchester Health and Care Partnership, (b) Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System and (c) Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership on plans to collaboratively support people with type one diabetes to access timely and localised care.

The Department has held no discussions with the Greater Manchester Health and Care Partnership, Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System or Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership on plans to collaboratively support people with type one diabetes to access timely and localised care

The NHS Long Term plan sets out how NHS will enhance its support offer for those people living with type one diabetes, including further expanding the provision of structured education and digital self-management support tools.


The Major Conditions Strategy will set out how we intend to tackle conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England which includes diabetes.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
2nd May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with Greater Manchester Health and Care Partnership on the release of the NICE technology appraisal on Hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes; and if he will make a statement.

NHS Greater Manchester is currently considering the adoption of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance in relation to access to glucose monitoring technology. Working with the Greater Manchester Medicines Management Group and provider trusts, NHS Greater Manchester is seeking to review commissioning procedures and bring forward plans for adoption of NICE guidance


NHS Greater Manchester is currently reviewing NICE guidance on making available Technology Appraisals on Hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes available.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
1st Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) average and (b) longest time taken by MHRA to evaluate a clinical trial was in each of the last five years for which data is available.

For the financial year 2018/19, the average time taken by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to assess a clinical trial was 23.29 days. The longest time taken was 56 days. For the financial year 2019/20, the average time taken by the MHRA to assess a clinical trial was 23.47 days. The longest time taken was 56 days. For the financial year 2020/21, the average time taken by the MHRA to assess a clinical trial was 21.43 days. The longest time taken was 49 days. For the financial year 2021/22, the average time taken by the MHRA to assess a clinical trial was 27.58 days. The longest time taken was 68 days. For the financial year 2022/23 (April 2022 – February 2023 inclusive), the average time taken by the MHRA to assess a clinical trial was 42.78 days. The longest time taken was 146 days.

1st Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the standard time is for a coordinated response by MHRA for clinical trails; and what the performance has been against that standard in the last 12 months.

The standard time for the initial coordinated response from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is 30 days from the date of receipt of a valid request for authorisation of a clinical trial. The average coordinated performance against the standard for the last 12 months between February 2022 to February 2023 inclusive was 43.96 days.

1st Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the overall effectiveness of the MHRA in supporting and evaluating clinical trials in the UK; and what assessment he has made of the potential future risks to that effectiveness.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recently underwent a programme organisational reform and transformation, supported by independent advisors, to deliver an agency able to modernise medicines and medical device regulation in the United Kingdom and take advantage of its new sovereign regulator status. This process and the ongoing implementation of the changes is under constant review by MHRA itself and departmental officials, including any impact on delivery and effectiveness. As part of that and the normal business planning cycles, the two teams will continue to work together to support the Agency to continue to protect the health of the UK population including ensuring the safety of clinical trials.

1st Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many phase one inspectors were employed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in each January since 2019.

The following table shows the number of Good Clinical Practice inspectors who are trained to perform the inspections of phase I clinical trial units, who are members of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Phase I Accreditation Scheme of this type during each January from 2019 to 2023

Year

Number of inspectors

January 2023

5 (plus 1 inspector in training)

January 2022

6

January 2021

7

January 2020

6

January 2019

6

22nd Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the cost of each quality-adjusted life year added to 5 to 11 year old children as a result of offering that cohort a covid-19 vaccination.

On 22 December 2021, the Government accepted the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to children aged five to 11 years old who are in a clinical risk group, or who are household contacts of the immunosuppressed. On 16 February 2022, the Government subsequently accepted the JCVI’s advice to offer vaccination of children aged five to 11 years old not in a clinical risk group. However, the size and characteristics of a potential future wave were uncertain at the time of the JCVI’s advice, therefore it was not possible to determine the cost per quality adjusted life years gained.

31st Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2021 to Question 38143 on Coronavirus: Research, what his timetable is for publication of the research funded by the National Institute for Health Research.

Four of the eight projects have published at least one paper on their findings. We anticipate papers from the remaining four studies although we do not have a confirmed timetable for their publication.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
4th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the relative benefits of administering covid-19 vaccinations via aspiration compared to intravenous injection.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not made this assessment. The UKHSA provides guidance on immunisation techniques in Chapter Four of the Green Book, which follows available evidence and international recommendations for the administration of vaccines. This is reviewed and updated regularly by the UKHSA and states that it is not necessary to aspirate the syringe after the needle is introduced into the muscle because there are no large blood vessels at the recommended injection sites.

In addition, the only licensed route of administration for COVID-19 vaccines is via intra-muscular injection into the preferred site, the deltoid muscle. No assessment has therefore been made for intravenous injection. Vaccinations are not administered into the vein as this would be potentially harmful.

2nd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with Trading Standards on tackling non-compliant disposable e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are regulated under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR). Local Trading Standards are responsible for the enforcement of these regulations. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities provides central funding to local authorities for local trading standards activity. It is for local decision making how this is allocated across services.

To support local enforcement of TRPR, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are currently reviewing evidence and assisting in the identification of e-cigarette device seizures across the United Kingdom. It is working with various trading standards organisations, to correctly identify grey, black market and counterfeit devices entering illegally from foreign markets to UK distributors.

2nd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to provide additional funding for Trading Standards to help remove from the market disposable e-cigarettes that breach provisions of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.

E-cigarettes are regulated under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR). Local Trading Standards are responsible for the enforcement of these regulations. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities provides central funding to local authorities for local trading standards activity. It is for local decision making how this is allocated across services.

To support local enforcement of TRPR, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are currently reviewing evidence and assisting in the identification of e-cigarette device seizures across the United Kingdom. It is working with various trading standards organisations, to correctly identify grey, black market and counterfeit devices entering illegally from foreign markets to UK distributors.

22nd Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2021 to Question 154773, if he will take steps to ensure the immediate publication of findings from any of the eight projects jointly awarded by the National Institute for Health Research and UK Research and Innovation looking into the routes of transmission of covid-19 in different environments or groups of people, in the event that they report during the Parliamentary summer recess.

These studies will now be completing between August 2021 and January 2022. Additionally, the National Institute for Health Research funded researchers are expected to publish their main study findings in peer-reviewed open access journals.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
8th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of (a) hospital admissions with covid-19 and (b) intensive care admissions of patients with covid-19 had previously been diagnosed with asthma in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Many cases of asthma will be diagnosed and managed in a primary care setting. Primary care data is not currently linked to the data collected by the National Health Service for hospital admissions.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
8th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of inhaled budesonide in reducing (a) admissions to hospital with covid-19 and (b) the progression of covid-19 from a mild to severe disease.

Inhaled budesonide was trialled as part of the PRINCIPLE trial platform in the United Kingdom as a treatment for COVID-19 in non-hospitalised patients who are 65 years old and over or 50 years old and over with an underlying health condition. On 12 April, interim analysis from the PRINCIPLE trial revealed that inhaled budesonide reduced the time to self-reported recovery by a median of three days. However, the full analysis is currently underway to understand the full benefit of this treatment. Clinical guidance has been issued for clinicians to consider prescribing inhaled budesonide on a case-by-case basis, but inhaled budesonide is not currently recommended as the standard of care in the UK. The Department will continue to monitor the results as more detailed data and analysis from the trial becomes available and stand ready to adjust guidance should this be appropriate.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
19th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of removing the requirement to quarantine following international travel for people who have received both doses of a vaccination on the transmission of covid-19.

The quarantine system is a risk based one, based on medical evidence. International travel, particularly to ‘red list’ countries, where there is a high risk of transmission of new variants of COVID-19, presents a danger to the public. This continues to be the case even when vaccinated. The Government is prioritising the prevention of new variants entering the country and the possibility of these being spread in the wider community. Individuals who have been vaccinated might nonetheless contract another variant, particularly while in ‘red list’ countries and spread it even if quarantining at home. This means it is vital to continue to follow the public health guidance and rules including the necessity of quarantining in hotels.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
19th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the rate of positive swab tests for covid-19 among people who have received both doses of a vaccination.

Data on effectiveness of two doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be published in due course, once larger numbers of the population have been vaccinated with two doses and sufficient time has elapsed for an effect to be monitored.

19th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what account his Department is taking of the prevalence of false positive results when assessing the efficacy of covid-19 vaccines.

Public Health England (PHE) is considering the impact of false positives on vaccine efficacy estimates, as part of its vaccine monitoring work. Several vaccine effectiveness studies, including PHE’s, use both repeat virology swabs and antibody testing to help exclude false positives.

13th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of ivermectin as a (a) prophylactic and (b) treatment for covid-19.

The Department continues to monitor evidence on the use of ivermectin both as a prophylactic and treatment for COVID-19. A recent collection of small studies shows some positive indications that ivermectin may act as a treatment for COVID-19. However, further high quality, larger-scale studies are still needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of this treatment. The Therapeutics Taskforce will keep the position on ivermectin under review as more data becomes available.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
19th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2020 to Question 75983, on Coronavirus: Shops, if he will publish (a) the studies and (b) other research reports that his Department holds on the presence of viable covid-19 virus in the air in (i) supermarkets, (ii) other large retail settings and (iii) other non-clinical settings.

The National Institute for Health Research and UK Research and Innovation jointly awarded over £5.3million for a programme of research of eight projects to understand the routes of transmission of COVID-19 in different environments and groups of people. These projects are 12-15 months in duration and are expected to report findings in the summer of 2021.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the Oxford University study on the efficacy of inhaled Budesonide in preventing the development of severe covid-19 symptoms; and to what extent the use of inhaled steroids could be effective in treating all variants of covid-19.

We are aware of the STOIC study on the efficacy of inhaled Budesonide. STOIC is a Phase II trial with 146 participants. Phase II trials can indicate whether a treatment has potential to benefit patients, and positive results are normally followed by larger scale Phase III trials.

The Phase III PRINCIPLE trial, which currently has over 4,200 patients enrolled to date, is also trialling inhaled budesonide as a trial arm, the results for which are imminent. This will help us to assess whether this drug provides an effective way of treating COVID-19 in community settings.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
20th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of ivermectin as a (a) prophylactic and (b) treatment for covid-19.

The Therapeutics Taskforce is continuing to monitor any new, high quality evidence on COVID-19 therapeutics and has been following recent findings on ivermectin.

The Department has monitored a collection of small studies which have now completed and provided some positive signals on the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19. However, larger scale studies are still needed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of this treatment. The Therapeutics Taskforce is aware that several more studies into ivermectin are set to conclude in the next few months and will continue to monitor these ongoing trials to assess the evidence available on whether ivermectin can prevent and/or reduce the severity of COVID-19.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
11th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 20 October to Question 102756, what proportion of businesses within the hospitality sector meet SAGE standards for ventilation; and how many of those are in areas currently under Tier 3 restrictions.

Enforcement of the regulations is a matter for local authorities. Ministers and officials have regular discussions on a wide range of issues including ventilation for businesses within the hospitality sector.

11th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with businesses within the hospitality sector on ventilation in venues in the last six months.

Enforcement of the regulations is a matter for local authorities. Ministers and officials have regular discussions on a wide range of issues including ventilation for businesses within the hospitality sector.