Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with Independent Sector Providers on ensuring that staff (a) who deliver NHS services and (b) whose contracts do not include automatic pay uplifts receive any agreed pay uplifts as soon as possible.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not held any discussions with independent providers on this topic.

Independent organisations, such as social enterprises and general practices, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment. This includes the pay scales that they use, the extent to which pay awards are made, and when those awards are paid.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure that the Community Pharmacy Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme and independent prescribing generally will continue to be supported to maximise direct prescribing capability in England.

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

The NHS England Pathfinder programme is running across England with the aim of developing a commissioning framework for community pharmacy clinical services with independent prescribing (IP) for National Health Service patients. We are working with integrated care boards and pathfinder sites, community pharmacies, to understand the key enablers for IP to be incorporated into community pharmacy. The programme learning will be across five key domains: clinical; digital; governance and safety; people; and funding and contracts. We hope to complete our evaluation by Autumn 2025, and to use this to inform planning for the incorporation of prescribing into community pharmacy clinical services. Further information on the NHS England Pathfinder programme is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/pharmacy-integration-fund/independent-prescribing/

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his counterpart in Nicaragua on the suppression of (a) human rights and (b) religious freedoms in that country.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We share widespread international concern about the relentless suppression of democratic, religious, and other freedoms in Nicaragua. We continue to urge the Nicaraguan authorities to re-establish democratic freedoms in our engagements with the Nicaraguan Embassy and in Managua, as well as through our public statements in international fora. Most recently, on 28 February at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, we raised our grave human rights concerns, including relating to freedom of religion and belief, and arbitrary detentions. Nicaragua's declaration on 27 February that it is leaving the UN Human Rights Council does not change the need to hold the authorities accountable for the suppression of human rights in Nicaragua.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to support steps to help tackle malnutrition at the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris in March 2025; and whether he plans to maintain funding for such programmes in the official development assistance budget from 2027.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.

The UK worked in close partnership with France to make the recent Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit in Paris a success. The Minister for International Development led the UK delegation. Alongside the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and other partners, the Minister launched the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration.

Partners have welcomed the Compact as a new initiative to drive change, and a positive signal of the UK's continued leadership on development. We will continue to support new approaches like this as we modernise our approach to international development.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that sugar beet growers receive an adequate price for their product.

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

The Government recognises the importance of sugar beet farmers who are vital to UK sugar production. Also, that sugar beet itself, used in crop rotations, is beneficial to soil and crop health and allows arable farms a season of “rest” from cereal production.

We are committed to promoting fairness across the food supply chain. That includes seeing a price agreed for sugar beet that benefits both growers and processors, in the context of the global market. There is a well-established process in place to agree the sugar beet price; designed to be independent between both parties. An Inter Professional Agreement is agreed each year between both parties and sets out the process for negotiating and agreeing price, terms and conditions for the upcoming crop year, as well as any dispute resolution process.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to update the Disabled Facilities Grant allocations formula; whether the large and growing older persons populations in rural areas will be carefully considered as part of this; when she expects any update to take place; and whether a consultation will be completed as part of this process.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government recognises how important home adaptations are in enabling disabled people to live as independently as possible in a safe and suitable environment. This is why the government has awarded an £86 million in-year uplift to the DFG for 2024-25, bringing the total funding for 2024-25 to £711 million.

The government has also confirmed £711 million for 2025-26. As set out in the Better Care Fund Policy Framework published on 30th January, government is reviewing the allocations formula for the Disabled Facilities Grant. The review is taking into account demographic and economic changes since the current approach was established in 2011. We will consult on a new formula during 2025 with the aim to adopt a new approach as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has considered limiting the sale of oil and gas from the North Sea to domestic markets.

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

The UK government does not own the oil and gas infrastructure in the North Sea and does not dictate where the commodities are sold or the price. Oil and gas are traded on international markets, therefore domestically produced oil and gas does not mean cheaper prices.

The UK's diverse gas supplies allow exports to continental Europe while meeting domestic demand. This enables reciprocal imports when needed, supporting European allies in reducing dependence on Russian gas and undermining Putin's influence.

As long as consumers remain exposed to international energy markets through dependency on oil and gas, wherever it is produced, they will be vulnerable to shocks impacting energy costs which drove the cost-of-living crisis.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help full-time carers return to work after a prolonged period of absence.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our Get Britain Working plan aims to reduce economic inactivity levels and take the first steps to delivering our long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate. We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunities they need to achieve and thrive, to succeed and flourish. This includes unpaid carers, too many of whom are excluded from the labour market because of their caring responsibilities.

Support includes identifying skills gaps and referral to skills training, careers advice, job search support, volunteering opportunities and access to the Flexible Support Fund to aid job entry. Unemployed customers who require more intensive employment support can also be referred to the Restart programme.

Customers providing care for fewer than 35 hours a week receive personalised support through their Jobcentre Plus work coach to help them find work and their work expectation is tailored to fit caring responsibilities. Full-time carers who also want to work who are eligible for additional financial support through the Carers Allowance will benefit from a 30 % increase to the earnings limit to 16 hours at National Living Wage from this month, allowing them to earn up to £196 per week.

DWP also provides information to help carers and potential unpaid carers make informed decisions about combining work and care through their JobHelp Care choices site.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to promote the Advance into Justice scheme; and whether she plans to take steps to establish continuity of service between the armed forces and civil service pension schemes.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

‘Advance into Justice’ is a Ministry of Justice recruitment initiative aimed at providing a direct recruitment channel for Armed Forces Service Leavers, Veterans and Veterans Spouses into key operational roles across HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

The Ministry of Justice recognises that Armed forces personnel have a wide range of transferable skills that are aligned with many HMPPS roles, allowing them to form a second career whilst continuing to protect the public.

Ahead of the launch of the next Advance into Justice campaign in May 2025, the Ministry of Justice is working on a marketing and communication strategy to promote the scheme externally using various media approaches.

The Ministry of Justice attends regular Armed Forces Recruitment events across the country managed by the Career Transition Partnership, the official resettlement provider for the Ministry of Defence and British Forces Resettlement Services.

The Department does not hold information on any plans to establish continuity of service between the armed forces and the Civil Service pension schemes as this is the remit of Cabinet Office.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has in place to ensure that urgent biosecurity information reaches farmers quickly.

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

Biosecurity is a priority for this government. Urgent biosecurity information, such as alerts about animal and plant health disease incidents, any geographic restrictions in place as a result, and signposting to information on what farmers should do to maintain good biosecurity measures – are shared frequently across the sector.

During the current bluetongue virus outbreak, text messages and email alerts are regularly sent to those registered via livestock keeper databases so that they are aware of their responsibilities. We have made bird registration mandatory for those with poultry or other captive birds, so that we can inform them of the biosecurity risks, for example from Avian Influenza.

We maintain continued communications through our industry partners, on gov.uk, social media and, where possible, through the national and trade press, to increase awareness and action to help protect the UK from biosecurity risks.

Found: ; Melksham and Devizes) David Mundell (Conservative; Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) James Naish

Found: Democrat; Melksham and Devizes) David Mundell (Conservative; Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) James Naish

Submit Evidence (by 16 May 2025)

Energy lies at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Yet, the international community remains largely off track in meeting these commitments. According to the International Energy Agency, around 750 million people lack access to electricity, and more than 2 billion people lack access to clean cooking fuels, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa.