Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance her Department has issued to general practitioners for treating armed forces veterans; and what assessment she has made of the impact on the formulation of this guidance of NHS England's recent recognition that mefloquine toxicity exists, with particular reference to screening questions investigating whether the antimalarial drug lariam has previously been prescribed.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is developing guidance for clinicians on screening for previous mefloquine use, drawing on relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. Subject to completion of NHS England’s internal governance processes, the guidance will be published on the NHS Armed Forces Training and Education Programme library website. The Royal College of General Practitioners has agreed to include the guidance within the resources available to GPs through the Veteran Friendly GP accreditation scheme.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the United Kingdom's declaration, under Article 298 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to exclude military activities from the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea applies both to (a) the Falkland Islands and (b) Diego Garcia.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
The UK's declarations pursuant to Article 298, paragraph 1, of UNCLOS apply to all the Overseas Territories of the UK to which UNCLOS has been extended, including the Falkland Islands and the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to designate the Houthis as a proscribed terrorist organisation.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
While we keep the list of proscribed organisations under review, it is the Government’s long-standing position not to comment on whether or not a specific organisation is being considered for proscription. Decisions to proscribe are taken only after a rigorous process in close consultation with operational partners, based on the best available intelligence and a careful assessment against the statutory test set out in the Terrorism Act 2000.
The UK continues to work very closely with our international partners to address shared security threats. Each nation operates under its own legal framework, and any UK decision on proscription must be taken independently by the Home Secretary, in accordance with the Terrorism Act 2000.
The UK remains deeply concerned by the renewed escalation in Yemen. We have been clear in condemning Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the renewed fighting in Yemen, while continuing to call for immediate de- escalation and a return to the UN-led political process.
There can ultimately be no military solution to the conflict. The only sustainable way forward is political and diplomatic, and we remain in close contact with Saudi Arabia, the internationally recognised Government of Yemen and other partners as we work to restore stability and protect regional security
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will commission a review by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs of the available evidence upon which psilocybin (a) was originally and (b) is currently classified as a Schedule 1 drug; and if she will task the ACMD with assessing its effectiveness for the treatment of acute clinical depression in comparison with the long-term use of SSRI anti-depressants.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Psilocybin is controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (‘the 1971 Act’) and placed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (‘the 2001 Regulations’). Drugs are typically placed in Schedule 1 when they have no established medical use in the UK. Drugs that have an established medical use are typically placed in another schedule to enable prescribing.
The Government recognises that studies into the potential use of psilocybin as part of the treatment for mental health conditions, including publicly-funded research, have been or are being conducted in the UK. However, medicines based on psilocybin have to date not been assessed on the basis of their safety, quality and efficacy and granted a marketing authorisation (a product licence) by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA).
The MHRA supports the safe and scientifically sound conduct of trials in this area and provides regulatory and scientific advice to companies at all stages of developing medicines. Should a company apply for a marketing authorisation, it will ultimately be a decision for the MHRA whether to license a psilocybin-based medicine as a therapy. Reconsideration of scheduling under the 1971 Act would ordinarily follow such an assessment by the MHRA.
Ministers are under a duty to consider advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) prior to making regulations under the 1971 Act, for example if the Government were minded to reschedule a drug to enable it to be prescribed. The Government has no current plans to commission the ACMD to assess the scheduling of psilocybin in advance of marketing authorisation.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2026 to question 34598, if she will meet with the National Down Syndrome Policy Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Down Syndrome.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no further update to provide the Rt. Hon. Member at this time, but we will ensure that Parliament, and stakeholders such as the National Down Syndrome Policy Group, are informed as soon as the statutory guidance is ready for publication.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2026 to question 34598, whether the final guidance will reflect concerns raised by the National Down Syndrome Policy Group.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no further update to provide the Rt. Hon. Member at this time, but we will ensure that Parliament, and stakeholders such as the National Down Syndrome Policy Group, are informed as soon as the statutory guidance is ready for publication.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2026 to question 34598, what work remains to be done on that statutory guidance prior to publication.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no further update to provide the Rt. Hon. Member at this time, but we will ensure that Parliament, and stakeholders such as the National Down Syndrome Policy Group, are informed as soon as the statutory guidance is ready for publication.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, when the Responsible Business Conduct Review will be published.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Responsible Business Conduct Review has been completed. With the formation of a new government, we are considering the findings with fresh eyes and will set out our position in due course.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the statutory guidance for implementing the provisions of the Down Syndrome Act, 2022, will be published; what work on that guidance remains to be done prior to publication; whether the final guidance will reflect the concerns raised by the National Down Syndrome Policy Group; and if the relevant Health Minister will hold discussions with representatives of the Policy Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Down Syndrome.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 14 July in response to Question 16199.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to maintain the availability of free terrestrial television channels beyond (a) 2029 and (b) 2034; and what assessment she has made of the (i) financial impact on viewers and (b) national security implications in the event of hostile interference with streaming services, following the closure of such channels.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the importance of free-to-air terrestrial television and is considering its longer-term future as viewing increasingly moves online. In particular, Parliament has legislated to secure the future of digital terrestrial television (DTT) until at least 2034. The Media Green Paper, Watch this space, sought views on 2034 and 2044 as possible dates for a managed transition to IPTV, and on how such a transition can be managed in a way that protects audiences and supports a sustainable broadcasting sector. The Government is currently considering the responses it received and will set out its preferred approach in due course. Affordability and national security are key considerations, and the Government is seeking views on how the TV, digital and telecommunications sectors can address these challenges. Commercial broadcasters will also have an important role in determining the future availability of their own free-to-air services on DTT, within the relevant regulatory and policy framework.