Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients who have experienced disruption to repeat prescriptions as a result of postal delays.

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

The Department does not collect data on the number of patients who have experienced a delay in receiving a prescription.

Pharmacy contractors in England are required by the NHS Terms of Service to dispense medicines and appliances ordered on National Health Service prescriptions with reasonable promptness. Reasonable promptness is not defined by a fixed number of days or hours but requires pharmacies to consider clinical needs of a patient and what is operationally feasible. Where a delivery company is involved as a third party, it remains the responsibility of the NHS pharmacy contractor to ensure they continue meeting their NHS Terms of Service.

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 mitigate patient safety risks arising from delayed delivery of NHS clinical correspondence through the postal system.

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

The Government recognises the importance of timely delivery of National Health Service clinical correspondence and the risks to patient safety because of delayed or lost correspondence.

The monitoring of patient correspondence is the responsibility of individual NHS providers and integrated care boards (ICBs).

Recognising the need to embrace digital solutions, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS is transitioning to a digital-first model for patient communications, with the NHS App becoming the primary channel for messaging. This will improve accessibility, efficiency, and overall patient experience. The 10-Year Health Plan is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-term-plan/#

In the last year, over 88 million messages were read in the NHS App. By the end of March 2026, NHS England are aiming to send over 270 million messages digitally-first via the NHS App.

Digital-first does not mean digital-only. Letters will continue to be sent to patients who need them. All providers of NHS funded care or adult social care must have regard to the accessible information standard. It means they should ensure that disabled people and people with impairments or sensory loss can access and understand information about NHS and social care services, and receive the communication support they need to use those services.

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 postal delays on patients who rely on written communication from the NHS, including (a) older people, (b) disabled people and (c) patients without access to digital services.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on patients who rely on written communication from the National Health Service, including older people, disabled people, and patients without access to digital services.

The NHS is shifting patient communications to a digital‑first model, with the NHS App becoming the primary channel for patient messaging. This modernised approach aims to reach patients quickly and conveniently, putting messages in a single place, and helping to reduce reliance on traditional posted letters.

However, the digital‑first model does not mean digital‑only, as accessible formats like braille, easy read, and traditional letters will continue where appropriate to meet individual patient needs. Where patients are to continue receiving written communication, it remains important that these are received in a timely manner.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he has issued to (a) NHS trusts and (b) GP practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays; and what assessment he has made of its effectiveness.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.

The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of repeat appointments, replacement sample kits and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.

The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patient samples sent via Royal Mail have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.

The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

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 postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.

The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.

The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

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 routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post on the NHS.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.

The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of UK's protection against simultaneous events such as extreme weather, cyber‑attack and global supply chain disruption.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government assesses the UK’s resilience through the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA). Both the NSRA and the publicly available version, the National Risk Register (NRR), are kept under continual review to reflect the changing risk landscape. During every update, policy makers are encouraged to identify both linked risks and compounding risks to ensure preparedness for simultaneous challenges. Risk owners must also evidence how chronic risks — as set out in the Chronic Risks Analysis, including risks such as climate change and reliance on global supply chains — interact with and exacerbate acute events.

This approach ensures resilience planning moves beyond risks in isolation, allowing the Government to develop flexible, generic capabilities that manage the common consequences of multiple, concurrent events.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect domestic agriculture from climate‑related risks including flooding, heat stress and soil degradation.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is targeting public money where it delivers most value, supporting farmers and land managers to help restore nature and boost farm productivity, which in turn protects food security and builds resilience to climate change.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for 2026 will be more focussed, more transparent and fairer, so as many farmers as possible can benefit from agreements.

Defra’s Capital Grants offer, opening later this year, will offer funding for a wide range of items, including natural flood management measures.

Landscape Recovery projects awarded development funding in rounds one and two continue to progress towards the delivery phase. Three projects are now in their implementation phase. This includes Evenlode Project, which will allow the river to reconnect with its floodplain, reducing flooding and improving habitats for wildlife.

Defra has increased the Internal Drainage Board (IDB) Fund to £91m, benefitting over 400,000 hectares of farmland and over 200,000 properties.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the UK’s overall level of food self‑sufficiency, and what steps are being taken to increase domestic production of key staples.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

UK self-sufficiency has remained broadly stable for several decades. In 2024, the UK was 65% self-sufficient for all food; 77% for food that can be produced here. In most scenarios, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes ensures a supply of food is maintained and can withstand disruptive events. The picture is nuanced, and moving to a higher level of self-sufficiency does not automatically make the UK more food secure.

In December 2025, the Secretary of State announced the Farming & Food Partnership Board in response to the independent Farming Profitability Review led by Baroness Minette Batters. The Board will bring together farming, food, retail, finance and Government to take a strategic farm‑to‑fork approach to improving farming profitability and strengthening UK food production. It will oversee sector plans aimed at boosting productivity, reducing costs and opening new markets in ways that support health and environmental goals.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evaluation her Department has made of levels of reliance on climate‑vulnerable food imports and the risks posed by extreme weather events overseas.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK has a resilient food system producing around 65% of all the food eaten in the country. Through international trade, the UK has access to food products that cannot be produced here, which supplements domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather do not affect the UK's overall security of supply.

Whilst the UK has a high degree of food self-sufficiency, the UK Food Security Report 2024 shows that food security cannot be taken for granted. Climate and geopolitical volatility have weakened aspects of food supply stability since 2021, although food availability or the quantity of food available to the UK has been maintained thanks to continued resilience in food production.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support controlled‑environment agriculture, regenerative farming and other sustainable methods.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has allocated a record £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. Defra is targeting public money where it delivers most value, supporting farmers and land managers to help restore nature and boost farm productivity. Support includes the Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for 2026, which will be more focussed, more transparent and fairer, so that as many farmers as possible can benefit from agreements. It will open in two windows, the initial window from June 2026 being for small farms and farms without existing Environmental Land Management revenue agreements.

Defra will reopen the Capital Grants offer in July. This new round will make £225 million available to farmers to buy equipment or services that help them make farming and environmental improvements across England.

Defra has also announced £120 million will be available in farming grants for 2026 to boost productivity and innovation across the agricultural sector.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing food mile targets in food networks.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

An assessment of the potential merits of food mile targets has not been made. The Good Food Cycle highlighted the importance of strong and resilient local food systems.

It is important to note that ‘food miles’ alone are not a reliable measure of a product’s total environmental impact. For most foods, the production stage represents the largest share of emissions rather than transport.

Through the Food Data Transparency Partnership, the Government is working to improve the consistency, accuracy and accessibility of environmental impact data across the food sector. This includes the standardisation of scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions reporting, covering emissions generated across supply chains, including those associated with transport.

The Government is also working to strengthen local food systems and support integration of local business into supply chains, particularly for public procurement.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps are being taken to develop domestic processing and recycling of critical minerals.

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

The Government’s 2025 Critical Minerals Strategy sets out clear steps to expand domestic processing and recycling. We are harnessing UK strengths in midstream processing and advanced recycling, supported by strong research institutions and government-backed financing such as DRIVE35, the National Wealth Fund and UK Export Finance.

The Strategy also includes an ambition for 20% of UK demand to be met through recycling by 2035. Government intends to publish the Circular Economy Growth Plan soon to further strengthen circularity and recovery.

New funding of up to £50 million will be made available later this year to support critical mineral projects, including projects in midstream processing and recycling. Further detail will be announced later this year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support (a) SMEs and (b) strategic industries in the context of reducing dependence on global supply chains.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We are establishing a new Supply Chain Centre within the Department for Business and Trade which will lead the government's efforts to strengthen the resilience of supply chains critical to the UK's security and prosperity. The Supply Chain Centre will collaborate with industry to ensure the UK is prepared for future disruptions.

The Department has also brought its SME support into the Business Growth Service, providing UK businesses with the tools they need to start, scale and compete globally through business.gov.uk.

Our Industrial Strategy focuses on boosting investment, driving economic growth and supporting high quality jobs, while enhancing economic security through stronger capability, diversified suppliers and strategic international partnerships.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help increase domestic manufacturing capacity in (a) grid components, (b) pharmaceuticals, (c) advanced materials and (d) other essential sectors.

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

Last year this government published our 10-year Modern Industrial Strategy, setting out our long-term approach to strengthening domestic capability across strategically important sectors. Alongside it we published several sector plans. The Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, sets out our support for six ‘frontier’ manufacturing industries, including advanced materials. It also outlines cross-cutting measures aimed at boosting manufacturing overall, including for component manufacturers and foundational industries.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out support for the pharmaceuticals industry, while the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan shares our priorities for the UK’s clean energy economy, including how we’re tackling and improving grid connections.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what analysis his Department has undertaken of the UK’s level of reliance on imported critical minerals essential for battery production, semiconductors and renewable energy technologies.

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

The 2025 Critical Minerals Strategy sets out the UK’s vision for securing the critical minerals that are essential for our advanced manufacturing, clean energy, defence, and digital and technology sectors. In 2025, the UK imported £13.4 billion of critical minerals and their derivatives from the rest of the world. The Department is assessing the UK’s reliance on other countries, and working with international partners and industry to address this.

Restructuring at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Redundancies of skilled rail workers at Balfour Beatty

Non-League Day

Ketamine

New United Nations Convention on the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals

Industrial relations at Carlisle Support Services

Trade union de-recognition at GB Railfreight

PANS+ Scotland

Surveillance and political intimidation of journalists

Transition of rail workers into Great British Railways

Industrial action and the cost of living

Escalation of conflict with Iran

Royal Mail postal delivery services

Steve Cram CBE

World Social Work Day 2026