Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered adjusting prescription charges for partial emergency supplies of medication.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to adjust the prescription charge for emergency supplies of medicines. Under the Urgent Medicine Supply (UMS) element of the National Health Service Pharmacy First Service, NHS 111 can refer patients to a pharmacy to obtain an emergency supply of a medicine they regularly receive. Patients who receive an urgent supply under the UMS will be charged their usual prescription fee if they are not exempt. Where an emergency supply is made outside of the UMS, it is for the pharmacy to charge as they think is appropriate given that they will not be reimbursed by the NHS, as the medicine was not dispensed against an NHS prescription.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has considered introducing a statutory time limit for executors to apply for probate following a person’s death.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
There is currently no maximum time limit within which a personal representative must obtain a grant of probate, but there are penalties laid down for administering an estate without a grant of representation, and there are time limits for paying tax for which an estate is liable prior to applying for a grant.
There are also mechanisms for beneficiaries and other interested parties to hold personal representatives to account for failure to act in applying for probate, and if necessary to seek their removal.
The existing legal framework offers flexibility, accepting the probate process is a complex one at an emotional time for many personal representatives and there are no plans at present to reform the law.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish guidance on the (a) timeline and (b) requirements for private rented homes to achieve an EPC rating of C; and what support will be made available for landlords with older properties.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. We received a significant number of responses and we will use this feedback to inform the government response, which will be published in due course.
Support is currently available to landlords improve their properties. An eligibility tool is available at the Government webpage ‘Find Ways to Save Energy in your Home’ (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency), which provides tailored recommendations for home improvements to increase energy efficiency and clean heat.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to help reduce noise pollution caused by traffic.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes the impact of excessive noise on health, wellbeing and the natural environment seriously. Strict noise regulations for cars and motorcycles are harmonised at an international level and require vehicles to demonstrate compliance before being placed on the market. Replacement silencers that are to be used on the road must also meet strict noise limits that are aligned with those of the original vehicle.
The Department for Transport conducted roadside trials of noise camera technology between October 2022 and February 2023. Reports of these trials, including detailed assessment of the technology’s performance and potential merits, were published on 17 March 2024. Overall, the trials demonstrated that noise cameras currently have the potential to be used for enforcement, but only when accompanied by human review of the recorded evidence, which is likely to lower the cost effectiveness of deploying the technology in many circumstances.
It is ultimately for local authorities and the police to consider what the most appropriate enforcement routes may be for addressing issues with excessive vehicle noise within their area. The use of noise camera technology has already been taken forward by some local authorities.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prepare for the implementation of the Global Ocean Treaty.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement is an important step toward coordinated global action to tackle the climate and nature crisis. The UK Government introduced legislation on 10 September to enable the UK to implement its obligations under the BBNJ Agreement and move towards ratification. We anticipate that a Statutory Instrument (SI) is required to implement changes to domestic legislation to implement BBNJ provisions relating to Environmental Impact Assessments before the UK can ratify. This SI is being developed by Defra and will be laid before Parliament after the BBNJ Bill receives Royal Assent. Defra will consult stakeholders on the proposed approach to the SI in Autumn 2025. As part of this, Defra is working closely with both the Marine Management Organisation and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science to understand any practical aspects of implementation of the BBNJ Agreement.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of requiring academy trusts to incorporate the National Conditions of Service for Teachers in England and Wales 2023 into the contracts of employment of teachers; and if she will bring forward legislation to make such incorporation mandatory.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The National Conditions of Service for Teachers in England and Wales is a national agreement between local authority school employers and teaching and headteacher unions. The government has no input into the agreement or its implementation. As it has no statutory force, while maintained schools are expected to incorporate its provisions into teachers’ contracts, there is no legal obligation for them to do so. Academies will, following the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, be required to “have regard” to the entirety of the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his planned implementation date is for the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government is delivering several important reforms in the field of employment rights, and in other areas to support the mission of growing the UK's economy.
This means that the volume of legislation before Parliament is very high and, subsequently, the Government no longer intends to bring the draft Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill forward for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny in this session of Parliament.
It will bring forward its planned legislation when Parliamentary time allows.