Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure transparency of fuel prices at petrol stations.

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

The government is launching Fuel Finder, an open data scheme to increase fuel price transparency, drive up competition, drive down prices, and help drivers find the best deal. This is real action to help tackle the cost of living.

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 5 August 2025 to Question 68971 on General Practitioners: Disclosure of Information, with which stakeholders the impact of information sharing duties on GPs was last discussed; and at what forums this was discussed.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Keeping children safe is a priority for the Government. The new information sharing duty will clarify when a child’s information should be shared, which should ease the overall burden on practitioners. It will be supported by statutory guidance, and we will work closely with multi-agency partners to ensure effective implementation.

To ensure the impact on general practitioners is effectively captured in the information sharing duty, the Department have consulted the following stakeholders:

- Action for Children;

- Barnardo’s;

- British Association of Social Workers;

- Domestic Abuse Commissioner;

- General Medical Council;

- Royal College of General Practitioners;

- Information Commissioner’s Office;

- Nursing and Midwifery Council;

- Operation Encompass;

- Social Work England;

- Teaching Regulation Agency, Teacher Misconduct; and

- over 400 individual practitioners, including those working in health.

All consultations took place in the form of meetings.

We are committed to ongoing engagement with health stakeholders as we plan for the effective implementation of the information sharing duty.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Major NHS update brings menopause into routine health checks, published on 23 October 2025, how many women his Department expects to be questioned through the NHS Health Check; and if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of women who are eligible for a health check that will not be reached.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The recent announcement that menopause will be included in the NHS Health Check will mean that eligible women can access information on menopause more easily, including information on managing symptoms, where to seek support, and treatment options.

Based on the percentage of eligible people who received an NHS Health Check in 2024/25, we expect that approximately 2.1 million women aged 40 to 55 years old could be given this support in the next five years. If all eligible women aged 40 to 55 years old received an NHS Health Check, we would provide information on the menopause to up to five million women every five years.

We know that there is more to do to improve the impact of the NHS Health Check programme and we are currently piloting an online NHS Health Check which we hope will make it easier for people to access this important health check.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his Department's press release entitled Major NHS update brings menopause into routine health checks, published on 23 October 2025, what steps he is taking to identify those who are eligible for but have not undertaken health checks.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The recent announcement that menopause will be included in the NHS Health Check will mean that eligible women can access information on menopause more easily, including information on managing symptoms, where to seek support, and treatment options.

Based on the percentage of eligible people who received an NHS Health Check in 2024/25, we expect that approximately 2.1 million women aged 40 to 55 years old could be given this support in the next five years. If all eligible women aged 40 to 55 years old received an NHS Health Check, we would provide information on the menopause to up to five million women every five years.

We know that there is more to do to improve the impact of the NHS Health Check programme and we are currently piloting an online NHS Health Check which we hope will make it easier for people to access this important health check.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will have discussions with (a) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and (b) NHS England on the applicability of current guidance to assist medical professionals to recognise type 1 diabetes in (i) babies (ii) toddlers (iii) children and (iv) adolescents at the point of care.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

This is a matter for National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as the independent body responsible for providing guidance and quality standards on the treatment and care of diabetes in England. NICE has an established prioritisation process for the identification of priorities for guidance development.

NHS England has published a RightCare toolkit which sets out what good quality diabetes care looks like for children and young adults and includes guidance on timely and accurate diagnosis.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including issues about (a) personal taxation and (b) tax codes in the financial education syllabus arising from the outcomes of the Curriculum Review.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

On 5 November, the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review published its final report which includes recommendations for a refreshed curriculum and assessment system in England.

As part of the response to the Review’s report the government has made a commitment to strengthen pupils’ foundational understanding of financial education in mathematics and citizenship, with digital resources to support teaching. From budgeting to understanding credit, through our revised curriculum all children will learn about the fundamentals of money, ensuring every pupil develops the skills needed to succeed in the modern world.

The department will engage with sector experts and young people in working out how best to reflect this in the updated curriculum. There will be public consultation on the updated curriculum programmes of study, to seek views on the content before they are finalised.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will undertake a further consultation on the material for the financial education curriculum in advance of the publishing of the revised curriculum in 2027.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

On 5 November, the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review published its final report which includes recommendations for a refreshed curriculum and assessment system in England.

As part of the response to the Review’s report the government has made a commitment to strengthen pupils’ foundational understanding of financial education in mathematics and citizenship, with digital resources to support teaching. From budgeting to understanding credit, through our revised curriculum all children will learn about the fundamentals of money, ensuring every pupil develops the skills needed to succeed in the modern world.

The department will engage with sector experts and young people in working out how best to reflect this in the updated curriculum. There will be public consultation on the updated curriculum programmes of study, to seek views on the content before they are finalised.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans he has to provide clarity to the trustees of the British Coal staff superannuation scheme on the possibilities of return of the £2.3 billion investment reserve of the British Coal superannuation scheme back to its members.

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

The Department is engaging with HM Treasury with a view to agreeing a way forward on the transfer of the reserve to members.

The Government is aiming to reach agreement on an outcome that can be implemented later this year which will benefit scheme members.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent conversations he has with the Treasury regarding the return of the £2.3 billion investment reserve of the British Coal staff superannuation scheme.

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

The Department is engaging with HM Treasury with a view to agreeing a way forward on the transfer of the reserve to members.

The Government is aiming to reach agreement on an outcome that can be implemented later this year which will benefit scheme members.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent conversations he has had with Treasury about the potential impact of the return of the £2.3 billion investment reserve of the British Coal staff superannuation scheme on the economy.

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

As at 30 October 2024, there were 39,251 members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme. Any transfer of the reserve would be used to enhance member benefits.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she last held discussions with the fruit and vegetable growers sector on the potential impact of the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme on that sector.

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

The Government is steadfastly committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce. Both Defra ministers and officials host regular discussions with a range of farming stakeholders, including growers, to understand the challenges that they face and how we can best support them.

Legislation introduced in July 2023 effectively closed the EU legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in England by preventing submission of new operational programmes and the extension of existing programmes which would end on or after 1 January 2026. The sector has been aware of its closure since that time and there has been extensive engagement with officials. The scheme was designed to help fresh fruit and vegetable growers increase their power in the supply chain, but it was only available to Producer Organisations, with around just over 20% of the sector accessing it and the vast majority not benefitting. Future support for the sector will be considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer.

Moreover, of at least £200 million allocated to The Farming Innovation Programme through to 2030, to date nearly £40 million—representing 26% of total awards—has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Wider Government support that we are providing for horticulture includes: our five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses; as well as extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.

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 carried out a recent impact assessment for the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.

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

The Government is steadfastly committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce. Both Defra ministers and officials host regular discussions with a range of farming stakeholders, including growers, to understand the challenges that they face and how we can best support them.

Legislation introduced in July 2023 effectively closed the EU legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in England by preventing submission of new operational programmes and the extension of existing programmes which would end on or after 1 January 2026. The sector has been aware of its closure since that time and there has been extensive engagement with officials. The scheme was designed to help fresh fruit and vegetable growers increase their power in the supply chain, but it was only available to Producer Organisations, with around just over 20% of the sector accessing it and the vast majority not benefitting. Future support for the sector will be considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer.

Moreover, of at least £200 million allocated to The Farming Innovation Programme through to 2030, to date nearly £40 million—representing 26% of total awards—has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Wider Government support that we are providing for horticulture includes: our five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses; as well as extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.

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 she has made of the adequacy of her Department's progress on improving agricultural grant funding to help support fruit and vegetable growers.

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

The Government is steadfastly committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce. Both Defra ministers and officials host regular discussions with a range of farming stakeholders, including growers, to understand the challenges that they face and how we can best support them.

Legislation introduced in July 2023 effectively closed the EU legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in England by preventing submission of new operational programmes and the extension of existing programmes which would end on or after 1 January 2026. The sector has been aware of its closure since that time and there has been extensive engagement with officials. The scheme was designed to help fresh fruit and vegetable growers increase their power in the supply chain, but it was only available to Producer Organisations, with around just over 20% of the sector accessing it and the vast majority not benefitting. Future support for the sector will be considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer.

Moreover, of at least £200 million allocated to The Farming Innovation Programme through to 2030, to date nearly £40 million—representing 26% of total awards—has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Wider Government support that we are providing for horticulture includes: our five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses; as well as extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will undertake a review of the (a) fitting, (b) quality and (c) patient feedback on (i) post-surgery bras and (ii) breast protheses received through the NHS.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Decisions about the funding and provision of health services, including post-surgery bras and breast protheses, are the responsibility of local integrated care boards.

NHS England funded audits into primary and metastatic breast cancer to help identify and reduce inequalities and variations in care. Using routine data collected on patients diagnosed with breast cancer in a National Health Service setting, the audits bring together information to look at what is being done well, where it is being done well, and what needs to be done better. Findings were published in September 2025, and the NHS is acting on the findings.

Patient experience and outcomes remain a key priority for the Department, and we will continue to look for opportunities to improve all aspects of cancer care. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published early in the new year, will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, including people living with and beyond cancer.

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 23 June 2025 to Question 55468 on Gender Dysphoria: Health Services, what his planned timetable is for ensuring the delivery of a gender clinic in each region by 2026.

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

NHS England has established NHS Children and Young People's Gender Services in the North-West, South-West, and London regions, in 2024. A fourth service is planned to open in the East England region in January 2026, following a process of mobilisation over 2025. Work remains ongoing to establish commissioned services that provide a pathway for children and young people with gender incongruence in the other regions by March 2027, on a phased basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Secondary Care of 17 July 2025, Official Report, column 443, when he plans to publish the report.

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

The Department recognises the importance of this report and of giving members of the NHS Pension Scheme certainty about when they will receive their McCloud Remedy.

I wrote to the Hon. Member on 13 October 2025 informing him that I expect to be in a position to provide him and the House with a fuller update on the remedy replan and the review of this in good time before Christmas recess.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Remedial Service Statements remain outstanding for each of the last 12 months.

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

The NHS Business Services Authority confirmed that as of 30 October 2025, 415,307 Remedial Service statements are outstanding.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Remedial Pension Savings Statements remain outstanding for each of the last 12 months.

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

The NHS Business Services Authority confirmed that as of 30 October 2025, 28,374 Remedial Pension Savings Statements are outstanding.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 82927 on Special Educational Needs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the outcomes of the Curriculum and Assessment Review feed into the forthcoming White Paper on SEND provision.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Curriculum and Assessment Review looked closely at how to break down the barriers that hold back children and young people, especially those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We have already accepted the Review’s recommendation to develop new evidence-based resources to support curriculum adaptation for all children and young people.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GPs qualifying in summer 2025 have secured employment in the UK.

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

Doctors complete general practice (GP) training on a rolling basis throughout the year. Over 1,600 doctors completed the GP Specialty Training programme between June and August 2025. As general practices are independent businesses, data on the proportion of these GPs who have secured employment in the National Health Service in England is not available.

To improve understanding of movement of doctors from GP training to the substantive workforce over time, NHS England publishes quarterly analysis of the last time doctors in their final year of GP specialty training can be identified in a general practice placement and the first time they can be identified in a substantive role recorded by a practice or Primary Care Networks in the National Workforce Reporting Service. This information is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/supplementary-information/2025/gpwf_st3_tracking_202509

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 82987 on Jobcentres: Neurodiversity and Young People, what recent discussions she has had with (a) education providers and (b) local authorities on recent trends in the performance of children and young people with SEND across the country.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Over the last year, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and the former Minister for School Standards, alongside expert advisers like Tom Rees and Dame Christine Lenehan, have listened to the voices of parents, teachers and young people to guide policy development and we have made good progress on plans to build a truly inclusive system where high quality support is provided at the earliest opportunity.

To help us deliver the most effective set of reforms we can, we have taken the decision to have a further period of engagement, with the view of bringing forward a full Schools White Paper early in the new year. Through this period of engagement with parents, educators, experts, local authorities and representative organisations, we will test policy options being considered and seek views through listening sessions in every region of the country, and Ministerial meetings with parent and expert groups.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report by the NAO entitled Home to School Transport, published on 31 October 2025, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities about the increasing demand for home to support transport; and whether she intends to include policies to support home to school transport provision as part of the forthcoming Government White Paper on SEND.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Department officials hold regular forums to which all local authority home-to-school travel teams are invited. These meetings provide the department with valuable information about the challenges local authorities face.

We have committed to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system to enable more children to thrive in local mainstream settings, whilst guaranteeing access to excellent specialist provision where needed. This will mean fewer children will need to travel long distances to access education which will reduce the financial and logistical burden on local authorities and leave the service better able to meet the needs of the children that continue to rely on it. These reforms to the SEND system will be set out in a Schools white paper early in the new year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of foundation pharmacists beginning their training in 2025 have been assigned a Designated Practicing Practitioner.

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

To support the development of Designated Practicing Practitioner (DPP) capacity, NHS England has and continues to engage with training sites and invest in training for independent prescribers, as well as initiatives to support the development and safe practice of DPPs.

From the 20205/26 Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Programme, trainee pharmacists in England start their foundation training in the 2025/26 year in two windows: 14 July 2025 - 4 August 2025 (Summer) and 20 October 2025 - 10 November 2025 (Autumn).

Every foundation trainee pharmacist that has graduated against the 2021 General Pharmaceutical Council Learning Outcomes for the Initial Education and Training of Pharmacists will require a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) during their foundation training period to support supervision and assessment of prescribing training activities.

All prospective training sites for 2025/26 were required to make a declaration that they meet the National Recruitment Scheme (NRS) Terms of Participation at the point that the training sites were entered into the NRS. This includes the declaration that they would provide a DPP for the trainee. Training sites are required to provide details of the DPP to NHS England after the trainee pharmacist commences in post.

NHS England is currently collating details of supervisors. Data will be available for the 2025 cohort by the end of the 2025 calendar year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department issues to general practice staff on triaging (a) online consultation submissions and (b) reports of life-threatening symptoms shortly before the online tool closes each day.

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

The Department updates the General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services regulations that govern general practice. NHS England issues contractual variations and provides supplementary resources to support practices in implementing these changes.

The change to online access requirements was deferred by six months to 1 October 2025 so practices could prepare and get support for this transition if needed. Practices were encouraged to consider what changes they have needed to implement to ensure they were ready to meet this requirement from 1 October 2025. This approach was intended to facilitate a smooth transition and minimise any disruption to patient care. Practices are permitted to display guidance on their websites and premises that states patient should not submit an online consultation request if their issue is urgent and should instead call the practice or attend in person.

There is a range of support on offer for practices including guidance, joint webinars from NHS Confederation and NHS England to showcase best practice and case studies where this is working well.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, How many (a) GP practices and (b) Primary Care Networks providing NHS care are currently registered as Limited Liability Partnerships.

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

The Department does not hold comprehensive data on the types of organisations delivering general practice services.

However, we expect that a large majority of GP practices operate as traditional GP partnerships, rather than Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs). Approximately 95 percent of practices hold General Medical Services or Personal Medical Services contracts, which cannot be held by LLPs.

Alternative Provider Medical Service (APMS) contracts, which offer greater flexibility, can be held by LLPs. However, only around 5 percent of GP practices hold APMS contracts, and not all of these operate as LLPs.

Primary Care Networks do not hold GP contracts in their own right and are not required to form legal entities. Therefore, we expect very few operate as LLPs.

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 15 September to Question 68833 on General Practitioners: Recruitment, where the underspend in the additional roles reimbursement scheme was reallocated.

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

In 2019/20, commissioners were asked to reinvest underspend in wider general practice services. In 2020/21, underspend was invested in supporting the delivery of the COVID vaccination programme. In 2021/22, underspend was reinvested in providing allocations for the Winter Access Fund. In 2022/23, underspend was reinvested in Acute Respiratory Infection Hubs and Pharmacy First.

In 2023/24 and 2024/25, where underspends occurred in national programmes for general practice such as this, any funding that couldn’t be reinvested in general practice contributed to supporting the overall National Health Service financial position.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to manage industrial disputes within the rail sector following the proposed transfer of all rail franchises into full public ownership.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to resetting industrial relations. A first of its kind joint industry and trade union Rail Engagement Group recently held its inaugural meeting to discuss shared ambitions for GBR. The Government plans to use this group to foster productive relationships with rail workers and their trade unions, where they are valued and respected partners in delivering the positive change we need to see on the network.

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 his Department's requirement to keep online consultation tools open from 8am to 6:30pm from Monday to Friday on (a) patient safety and (b) GP surgeries' workload.

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

The change regarding online access means parity for walk-in, phone and online access. Implementation was deferred by six months to 1 October 2025 so practices could prepare and get support for this transition if needed. The requirement builds on policies that have been in place for several years to encourage the shift to modern general practice. Practices that consistently use online access report improvements in services for both patients and staff. We agreed that safeguards would be in place for patient safety. Practices are permitted to display guidance on their websites and premises advising patients not to submit an online consultation request if their issue is urgent, and to instead call the practice directly or attend in person.

Further, in 2024/25, 85% of primary care networks said all of their practices already had online consultations available for patients to make administrative and clinical requests at least for the duration of core hours, with no patient safety issues raised, and claimed incentive funding for this. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are working to identify practices who are struggling with the requirements, so that they can offer more focussed support.

Last summer, we took action to address general practitioner (GP) unemployment. By investing £160 million in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme in the last year, we have recruited over 2,500 GPs into general practice since October 2024. This will help patients access appointments.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has with supported accommodation providers on the (a) role and (b) needs of those providers in the development of local homelessness strategies.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Homelessness Code of Guidance sets out that housing authorities will need work with partners when drafting their homelessness strategies and have regard for supported housing provision to help prevent and resolve homelessness for people with support needs. You can read the Code of Guidance on gov.uk here.

I regularly meet with stakeholders, including supported housing providers and representatives, to discuss a broad range of homelessness policy issues.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the extent of consumer knowledge about rights to leave a contract without penalty following a mid-contract price rise.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom’s CEO on 31st October to ask for Ofcom’s assessment of telecoms consumer protections and what could be done further and faster on transparent and fair pricing.

It is imperative that people feel empowered when interacting with the telecoms market and that they can be confident they are getting a fair deal. This includes prominent and transparent information in consumer contracts on any in-contract price rises and a consumer’s right to leave within 30 days of notification of an increase beyond that outlined in the contract.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofcom on in-contract mobile phone bill increases.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom’s CEO on 31st October to ask for Ofcom’s assessment of telecoms consumer protections and what could be done further and faster on transparent and fair pricing.

It is imperative that people feel empowered when interacting with the telecoms market and that they can be confident they are getting a fair deal. This includes prominent and transparent information in consumer contracts on any in-contract price rises and a consumer’s right to leave within 30 days of notification of an increase beyond that outlined in the contract.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of businesses closing and vanishing from high streets on councils seeking payment of business rate liabilities.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Business rates are an important source of funding for services local Government provides. A fair business rates system is one in which everyone pays their share

As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026/27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that eligible RHL properties benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

Ahead of the new multipliers being introduced, the Government prevented RHL business rates relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Major NHS update brings menopause into routine health checks, published on 23 October 2025, what questions will be added to the NHS Health Check.

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

We will be working with experts, including general practitioners, over the coming months to co-design the menopause content for the NHS Health Check.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pwith reference to his Department's press release entitled Major NHS update brings menopause into routine health checks, published on 23 October 2025, what the pathway is for people who are found to be peri-menopausal.

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

We will be working with experts, including general practitioners, over the coming months to co-design the menopause content for the NHS Health Check.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a new (a) strategy and (b) framework to replace the UK Rare Diseases Framework.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Rare Diseases Framework was published following the National Conversation on Rare Diseases, which received nearly 6,300 responses. This helped identify the four priorities of the framework in tackling rare diseases, which are: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatment, and drugs.

The Government remains committed to improving the lives of those living with rare conditions and will be publishing the next England Rare Diseases Action Plan for rare disease day in 2026, as in previous years. We recognise that despite the progress that has been made there remains considerable unmet need for people living with rare conditions. We are carefully considering the future of the UK Rare Disease Framework and will be announcing our intentions at a later date.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department holds data on the number of (a) starts, (b) completions and (c) licences obtained from the HGV providers (i) System Group and (ii) Qube.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government carries out assurance and financial reconciliation exercises of Skills Bootcamps across all sectors, including the HGV sector.

The department publishes data on Skills Bootcamps starts, completions and outcomes by sector. This can be found here; Skills bootcamps starts, completions and outcomes, Financial year 2023-24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. The department does not publish this information by provider.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has conducted a formal audit of funding for the HGV driving bootcamp.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government carries out assurance and financial reconciliation exercises of Skills Bootcamps across all sectors, including the HGV sector.

The department publishes data on Skills Bootcamps starts, completions and outcomes by sector. This can be found here; Skills bootcamps starts, completions and outcomes, Financial year 2023-24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. The department does not publish this information by provider.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress the National Crime Agency has made on tackling cash-only businesses engaged in money laundering.

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

Addressing cash-based money laundering is one of the strategic priorities of the National Economic Crime Centre, which sits within the National Crime Agency. In March 2025, the NECC led a three-week intensification campaign (Operation MACHINIZE) against barbershops and other cash intensive businesses which saw 380 premises visited, 84 warrants, 35 arrests, and the seizure of illicit goods.

This was followed by a second phase of activity (Operation MACHINIZE 2) throughout October which involved every UK police force and Regional Organised Crime Unit, Home Office Immigration Enforcement, Trading Standards, HM Revenue & Customs and Companies House. The operation saw: 2734 premises visited and raided, 924 individuals arrested, over £10.7m of suspected criminal proceeds seized and over £2.7m worth of illicit commodities destroyed.

The Home Office is working closely with partners to use the learning from this operation to build on and develop long-term solutions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to implement the recommendations of the report by Care England entitled The Current State of Dementia Diagnosis & Care in England, published on 31 July 2025.

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

The report highlights systemic challenges in dementia care. Our health system has often struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. This is why, under the 10-Year Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

The report recommends that a national standardised diagnostic pathway must be established, as well as a nationally mandated standard of care across every stage of the dementia care pathway.

The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

In developing the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia. As part of this exercise, we are considering all options, including reviewing metrics and targets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Billions to be redirected back into patient care with NHS reform, published on 11 November, if he will publish the upfront costs of these reforms.

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

The reforms announced on 11 November will involve some upfront costs associated with organisational change, including the reintegration of NHS England and the restructuring of integrated care boards.

The Government is committed to ensuring that Parliament and the public are appropriately informed of these costs. Information will be published at the appropriate time, in line with established reporting mechanisms, to ensure transparency and accountability. The Department will continue to provide updates as the reforms progress.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Further to his Department’s press release entitled Billions to be redirected back into patient care with NHS reform, published on 11 November, if he will publish the calculations for the stated £1bn a year saving.

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

The reintegration of NHS England and the restructuring of integrated care boards will deliver efficiencies that are expected to save £1 billion a year by the end of this Parliament. These savings will be achieved through streamlining functions, reducing duplication, and redirecting resources towards frontline patient care.

The Government is committed to transparency in how these figures are calculated. The methodology underpinning the £1 billion saving estimate will be set out through established mechanisms, including publication of supporting documentation where appropriate. This will ensure that both Parliament and the public are able to scrutinise the basis of the savings. Further detail will be brought forward in due course, in line with our commitment to provide clear and timely information.