Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport regarding employer deductions from seafarers’ wages for accommodation costs.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) continues to consider the recommendations from the Low Pay Commission (LPC)'s report on the accommodation offset, including the recommendation about its application to seafarers. As part of this work we are engaging with the Department for Transport. We anticipate responding to the LPC's recommendations regarding the accommodation offset in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will provide a response to the recommendation in the National Minimum Wage: Low Pay Commission Report 2022 CP 758 that seafarers be exempted from the Accommodation Offset.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) continues to consider the recommendations from the Low Pay Commission (LPC)'s report on the accommodation offset, including the recommendation about its application to seafarers. As part of this work we are engaging with the Department for Transport. We anticipate responding to the LPC's recommendations regarding the accommodation offset in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the cumulative number of years of experience held by prison officers in each year since 2010.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The cumulative length of service, in years, held by public sector band 3-5 prison officers is given in the following table. Figures are given as at 31 December each year.

Table 1 – Cumulative length of service¹ of public sector band 3-5 prison officers² in England and Wales, as at 31 December each year from 2010 to 2025³

Notes:

1. The length of service in HMPPS is calculated from most recent hire date. Where staff have transferred in from another Government Department or have transferred in through HMPPS taking over a function, length of service is calculated from entry to HMPPS

2. Band 3-5 Officers includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officers (incl. specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officers, and Band 5 / Custodial Managers

3. The dates reflect the Full Time Equivalent and cumulative years of service at that particular point of the year.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential for former coal mining communities to benefit from the estimated £86.5 billion in electricity system savings from heat networks as identified in the ADE: Heat Network's report, Electricity System Benefits of Heat Networks.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We welcome the research by ADE: Heat Networks, and agree that appropriate deployment of heat networks has the potential to reduce future electricity system costs by billions as we accelerate to net zero. We set out our long-term strategy for heat networks in the Warm Homes Plan, and our plan to increase flexible capacity on the grid through the Clean Flexibility Roadmap. Avoided electricity system investment will benefit all consumers through their electricity bill. Our focus is to explore all options to enable low-carbon heat networks, including in former coal mining communities, to compete fairly with their gas equivalent to boost energy security and lower consumer bills

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using heat networks with thermal storage to provide cheaper flexibility for the electricity system in comparison with lithium battery storage, in the context of the ADE: Heat Network's report “Electricity System Benefits of Heat Networks”.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We welcome the research by ADE: Heat Networks, and agree that appropriate deployment of heat networks has the potential to reduce future electricity system costs by billions as we accelerate to net zero. We set out our long-term strategy for heat networks in the Warm Homes Plan, and our plan to increase flexible capacity on the grid through the Clean Flexibility Roadmap. Thermal storage in heat networks is location-specific whereas lithium battery storage can be deployed across a range of locations so both technologies will be needed and can offer benefits for the electricity system.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will direct the National Energy System Operator to account for the reduced need for offshore wind and solar capacity resulting from heat network expansion in its future strategic planning scenarios, in light of the findings of the ADE: Heat Networks report Electricity System Benefits of Heat Networks.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I have met ADE to discuss their research. We welcome the research by ADE: Heat Networks, and agree that appropriate deployment of heat networks has the potential to reduce future electricity system costs by billions as we accelerate to net zero. We set out our long-term strategy for heat networks in the Warm Homes Plan in January, and the Department is already working with the National Energy System Operator to ensure its scenarios align with the latest Government policy.

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 address the shortage of and the level of prices paid for basic medicines by community pharmacies.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We already have two arrangements in place to reduce community pharmacies dispensing at a loss and to ensure that overall, they are paid enough as part of their Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) funding. These are the medicine margin arrangements and concessionary prices.

Regarding the medicine margin arrangements, the medicine margin is the difference between the reimbursement price and the price the pharmacy was charged by the supplier. Community pharmacy reimbursement arrangements include an amount of medicines margin that pharmacies are allowed to retain as part of CPCF funding. The Department assesses the medicine margin through a quarterly medicine margin survey, which ensures that in totality, pharmacies are paid the allowed medicine margin above what it cost them to purchase medicines overall.

For concessionary prices, the Department relies on competition and efficient purchasing by community pharmacies to keep prices of medicines down. This has led to some of the lowest prices in Europe and allows prices to react to the market. In an international market this ensures that when demand is high and supply is low, prices in the United Kingdom can increase to help secure the availability of medicines for UK patients. When the market price of a medicine suddenly increases, concessionary prices can be granted in that month, increasing the reimbursement price above the Drug Tariff price, with the aim of mitigating pharmacy contractors dispensing at a loss. In addition, there is a ‘retrospective top-up payment for concessionary prices’, which provides an additional payment to contractors when the margin survey indicates that despite a concessionary price, there was an under payment for a specific product.

More broadly, medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated. There are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the UK and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.

While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, and use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product and expediting regulatory procedures. In addition, we utilise sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

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 reform NHS Drug Tariff reimbursement to ensure community pharmacies are not required to dispense medicines at a loss.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We already have two arrangements in place to reduce community pharmacies dispensing at a loss and to ensure that overall, they are paid enough as part of their Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) funding. These are the medicine margin arrangements and concessionary prices.

Regarding the medicine margin arrangements, the medicine margin is the difference between the reimbursement price and the price the pharmacy was charged by the supplier. Community pharmacy reimbursement arrangements include an amount of medicines margin that pharmacies are allowed to retain as part of CPCF funding. The Department assesses the medicine margin through a quarterly medicine margin survey, which ensures that in totality, pharmacies are paid the allowed medicine margin above what it cost them to purchase medicines overall.

For concessionary prices, the Department relies on competition and efficient purchasing by community pharmacies to keep prices of medicines down. This has led to some of the lowest prices in Europe and allows prices to react to the market. In an international market this ensures that when demand is high and supply is low, prices in the United Kingdom can increase to help secure the availability of medicines for UK patients. When the market price of a medicine suddenly increases, concessionary prices can be granted in that month, increasing the reimbursement price above the Drug Tariff price, with the aim of mitigating pharmacy contractors dispensing at a loss. In addition, there is a ‘retrospective top-up payment for concessionary prices’, which provides an additional payment to contractors when the margin survey indicates that despite a concessionary price, there was an under payment for a specific product.

More broadly, medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated. There are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the UK and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.

While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, and use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product and expediting regulatory procedures. In addition, we utilise sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide additional support to rural community pharmacies to mitigate the potential impact of increases in costs, including for (a) wages, (b) energy, (c) business rates and (d) medicines.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In 2025/26 funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This included funding for the Pharmacy Access Scheme, which provides additional funding to more isolated pharmacies to support patient access.

As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. The new lower tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery, including rural pharmacies, and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments.

The Department is currently consulting with Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27. As part of this we will consider financial pressures on the sector.

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 potential impact of (a) increases in the levels of wages and (b) the level of staff shortages on community pharmacies' ability to deliver additional NHS services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In 2025/26 funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This included funding for the Pharmacy Access Scheme, which provides additional funding to more isolated pharmacies to support patient access.

As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. The new lower tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery, including rural pharmacies, and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments.

The Department is currently consulting with Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27. As part of this we will consider financial pressures on the sector.

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 potential impact of Pharmacy First payment thresholds on smaller rural community pharmacies.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In 2025/26 funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This included funding for the Pharmacy Access Scheme, which provides additional funding to more isolated pharmacies to support patient access.

As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. The new lower tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery, including rural pharmacies, and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments.

The Department is currently consulting with Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27. As part of this we will consider financial pressures on the sector.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any UK military personnel were onboard the USS Charlotte (SSN-766) on 4 March 2026 and, if so, how many personnel were onboard.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

We do not comment on the details of either submarine operations, or the details of individual assignments of UK Service personnel.

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Payment of employment tribunal awards