Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Navy vessels are operationally ready to be deployed.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer we gave on 19 March 2026 to Question 120766 to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr Rosindell):
The Royal Navy maintains a high state of operational readiness across its core capabilities, including the Continuous At Sea Deterrent, Carrier Strike, frigates, destroyers, submarines, aviation, the Royal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The Fleet is deployed globally to protect the UK’s security and interests, working alongside allies and partners.
It is important to understand readiness as a constant cycle with ships moving regularly through maintenance, training, deployment and recovery phases. For reasons of operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not give detailed information on past or current levels of readiness for individual Royal Navy warships.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to protect the Jewish community from antisemitic attacks.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
This Government is committed to tackling antisemitism and protecting Jewish communities. We are clear that all communities should feel safe to practise their faith and participate in public life free from intimidation or fear.
In July 2026, we announced a £251.1 million package over three years to strengthen policing and security arrangements for Jewish communities. The package provides additional police officers in areas with significant Jewish populations, funds surge capacity in Jewish communities around key events and Jewish holidays, supports antisemitism training for officers across England and Wales, strengthens national policing capabilities, and improves the response to online hate crime.
The nine forces receiving dedicated funding under the package have produced delivery plans setting out how they will deliver a sustained uplift in policing presence within communities, and are implementing those plans, including through the deployment of additional officers in neighbourhoods. Increased police support was provided over the recent Jewish High Holy Days to reassure communities.
This builds on the £25 million of immediate funding announced in April 2026 following the terrorist attack in Golders Green to strengthen policing, enhance protective security measures, and provide reassurance to Jewish communities. This included an additional £4 million for the Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant, taking the total available for the scheme in 2026/27 to £32.4 million. The grant funds protective security measures including security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and other communal locations.
Together, these measures represent a significant commitment to the safety and security of Jewish communities.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to tackle health inequalities across England.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to tackling the social determinants of health, improving healthy life expectancy for everyone, and halving the gap between the richest and poorest regions. By bringing together departments across the Government, we are ensuring that action on health is embedded in policies that shape people’s daily lives. Recent cross-Government action includes the Warm Homes Plan, the Keep Britain Working Review, and the Homelessness Strategy.
The NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for commissioning National Health Services to meet the needs of people in Ashfield. The Nottinghamshire ICB works with local NHS trusts and providers to strengthen prevention, improve population health, and reduce health inequalities, particularly in communities experiencing the poorest outcomes. ICBs have a duty to reduce inequalities between persons both in terms of their ability to access health services and with respect to the outcomes achieved for them.
The NHS’s CORE20PLUS5 approach targets action to reduce health inequalities in the most deprived 20% of the population and improve outcomes for groups that experience the worst access, experience, and outcomes within the NHS. The approach focuses on improving the five clinical areas at most need of accelerated improvement, namely cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory, maternity and mental health outcomes, in the poorest 20 percent of the population, along with other disadvantaged population groups identified at a local level.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps his Department has taken to support pubs in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with businesses across sectors, and the Government recognises the value pubs and breweries bring and the challenges they face across the country, including in Ashfield.
The Government has announced a 20% cut to business rates bills for pubs from April 2027. This is in addition to the 15% relief off 2025/2026 bills, with bills frozen in real terms for a further two years. When taken together, these packages are worth nearly £250 million next year and will benefit around 32,000 pubs, social clubs and live music venues.
Separately, on 24 August 2026, the Government announced a review of pub and hotel business rates valuations to build a fairer system for the future. This review calls for the views of landlords, hoteliers and business owners.
We are also supporting breweries. Draught Relief enables products served on draught below 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) to pay less duty. This relief benefits pubs and other venues, as well as the producers that supply eligible products. Small Producer Relief (SPR) was introduced to replace and extend the previous Small Brewers Relief. SPR provides vital support to SMEs and market entrants by allowing brewers and smaller producers who make 4,500 hectolitres or less of alcohol per year to pay reduced duty rates on all products below 8.5% ABV.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) delayed and (b) cancelled trains on the Robin Hood Line in the last 6 periods.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The long-term performance on the Robin Hood Line has improved significantly in recent years, with the May 2022 timetable change transforming the route from one of East Midlands Railways’ lowest-performing routes to one of its strongest. Current Moving Annual Average performance is 84.5 per cent, outperforming the industry average of 84.0 per cent.
Recent performance has been impacted by prolonged periods of hot and dry weather across the network, despite this, between 81 per cent and 87 per cent of services have continued to arrive within three minutes of schedule.
A range of improvement initiatives are being delivered to support further reliability growth, including refurbishment of the Class 158 and 170 trains that run on the line, platform zoning at Nottingham to improve dispatch and dwell-time compliance, and a programme of vegetation clearance to strengthen autumn and seasonal resilience.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure patients with pulmonary fibrosis receive equal levels of care across England.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 20 January in response to Question 104957.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the diagnosis time for patients with pulmonary fibrosis.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 20 January in response to Question 104957.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase support for patients with pulmonary fibrosis.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 20 January in response to Question 104957.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her department is taking to support motorists with rising (a) maintenance, (b) insurance and (c) fuel costs.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are many factors that contribute to the cost of spare parts and vehicle repair. The government is aware of the need to maintain fair competition in the vehicle repair sector and appropriate enforcement action may be considered where this is not the case.
In October 2024, we formed the cross-government taskforce on motor insurance, to fulfil the government’s commitment to tackle the soaring cost of motor insurance in the UK. The government values the continued engagement of industry stakeholders throughout the motor insurance taskforce’s work and following the publication of the final report, we remain committed to close collaboration with insurers to support a fair, competitive, and sustainable motor insurance market. We welcome ongoing dialogue to address any concerns and to support the sector in adapting to the changes ahead.
As the government announced in May, as part of a £600 million package to support with fuel prices, there will be no rise in fuel duty this year. This means the temporary 5p cut will be extended until the end of the year, providing certainty to motorists. In total, the decisions taken since the 2024 general election to freeze Fuel Duty save motorists 11p per litre or £120 per year for the average car, compared to plans inherited from the previous parliament.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential financial impact of rising fuel costs on households in England.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that families and businesses will be worried about the impact of conflict in the Middle East here at home and that increases in fuel prices can put strain on household budgets, particularly those that rely heavily on road transport and heating oil.
The Government monitors road fuel and heating oil prices and considers their impact on household budgets, using published fuel price data and wider evidence on household affordability.
The burden of higher fuel costs falls disproportionately on lower-income households, with those in the lowest income decile spending the highest proportion of their disposable income on fuel.
As of 12th October, the average cost to fill a 50-litre car with diesel is £100, £29 higher than pre-conflict, while for petrol it is £88, £22 higher.[1]
As of June, 38% of those who use oil as the main heating source in their home said they have difficultly affording heating oil.[2]
[1] Weekly road fuel prices (DESNZ, 2026)
[2] Public opinions and social trends, Great Britain: personal experiences of shortages of goods - Office for National Statistics (ONS, June 2026)