Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) increase the availability of aspirin and (b) normalise aspirin supply chains.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is aware of a recent disruption to the supply of aspirin dispersible tablets and are working with suppliers to understand the causes and aid a return to normal supply as soon as possible. Supply issues have been addressed, and stock is regularly being made available for pharmacies to order.
We are working with all partners in the supply chain, including manufacturers and United Kingdom distributors, to ensure maximum accessibility to pharmacies and hospitals irrespective of where they are in the country.
The Department will continue to monitor the situation and expects supplies to return to normal over the coming weeks.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will update the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Prime Minister values the independent and robust oversight which the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) provides. Following discussions with the Committee, the Cabinet Office is conducting a review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Prime Minister and the Committee. Any changes made to the MOU would need to be agreed by both the Prime Minister and the ISC.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to support the prosecution of (a) individuals who post comments online about defendants prior to trial which could prejudice legal proceedings, and (b) the tech platforms on which those comments are published.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Contempt of Court Act 1981 is clear that publishing information that creates a substantial risk of serious prejudice or impediment to any active proceedings can be contempt of court. These rules and restrictions are in place to ensure that trials are fair and justice is delivered.
The Government recognises that social media is putting these long-established rules under strain especially in cases where partial or inaccurate information appears online. This is why we asked the Law Commission to expedite part of their review on contempt of court. In November 2025, the Law Commission published part 1 of their report setting out recommendations for a new framework of contempt liability. The Government is considering their recommendations.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what advice and support his Department is providing to people in Shropshire who claim they have contracted, or might develop, serious illnesses as a result of using Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Individuals in Shropshire who believe they may have been affected by use of talcum products should seek medical advice from their general practitioner. They may also wish to consider contacting specialist organisations for support and information on legal action.
The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe. Additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.
The MHRA is aware of general concerns in relation to the presence of asbestos in commercial talcum powder. However, pharmaceutical grade talcum powder has strict controls on the presence of asbestos. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for Purified Talc states that “Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not suitable for pharmaceutical use”. Furthermore, testing is required to confirm the absence of asbestos.
Oversight of commercial talc powder, including advice and support, falls within the remit of the Department for Business and Trade and specifically the Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). The OPSS is the regulator of product safety and seeks to ensure that manufacturers, importers, and all those in the supply chain take steps to ensure that consumer products are safe, and they take any reports of negative health outcomes related to products incredibly seriously. Any serious undesirable effects related to cosmetic products should be directly reported to OPSS, to ensure that they can take the correct action. If a consumer wishes to report a serious undesirable effect, OPSS recommend contacting Trading Standards who can support with the process.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is able to take to encourage Ofcom to sanction Royal Mail if it fails to fulfil its Universal Service Obligation.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.
In October last year, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its quality of service targets and has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and implement a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement. This is the third consecutive fine issued by the regulator after Royal Mail failed to meet service levels in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish the number of UK Ambassadors and High Commissioners appointed in May, June and July 2024.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All appointments of Ambassadors and High Commissioners made by His Majesty The King are routinely announced on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the political situation in Georgia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Democracy in Georgia is under threat, and we are working closely with our European allies to respond to that concern.
Last October, I reiterated my concerns to Georgian Foreign Minister Botchorishvili over democratic backsliding, opposition arrests and attacks on allied Ambassadors.
We urge Georgia’s leadership to reverse repressive legislation, release political prisoners, and return the country to a democratic path.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to allow community energy schemes to sell their power directly to households and businesses in nearby communities.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the role of community energy in delivering net zero and is working with Ofgem to address regulatory barriers, including routes to market. Through developing the Local Power Plan we are working with Great British Energy to explore measures to make it easier for community energy groups to participate in local energy markets.
The department, Ofgem and wider energy industry has also been working to make changes to industry rules to support the local trade of energy, including standardising the classification of local energy sites to provide a regulatory footing that will clarify the rules of setting them up, P441. Further updates and outcomes from this work will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to help support people affected by the poor performance of specialist conveyancing businesses which are not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The regulation of legal services in England and Wales operates independently of government and is underpinned by the Legal Services Act (LSA) 2007. The Act establishes a framework under which certain activities, known as reserved legal activities, may only be carried out by authorised persons regulated by an approved regulator (or persons otherwise exempt from authorisations). Conveyancing is a reserved legal activity when it involves legal tasks such as preparing instruments like transfer deeds, charges, and applications for land registration.
Reserved conveyancing services are regulated by approved regulators under the LSA 2007, for example the Solicitors Regulation Authority where they are provided by solicitors or solicitor-led firms, and by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) where they are provided by licensed conveyancers or CLC-authorised firms. In both cases, authorised providers are subject to professional standards for entry to the profession, ongoing regulatory oversight which includes ensuring adherence to a wide range of published codes of conduct, mandatory Professional Indemnity Insurance, and clear and transparent complaints arrangements. Consumers may pursue redress through internal complaints procedures and then through the Legal Ombudsman if the response from the provider is not satisfactory.
The Government recognises the impact that poor performance by conveyancing providers can have on consumers. The home buying and selling process is currently being reviewed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government who recently consulted on proposals to drive improvements. This has involved extensive engagement with the wider industry, including conveyancing regulators, to ensure it takes maximum advantage of the opportunities of technology to improve the functioning of the housing market in the consumer and public interest, and support growth. The Ministry of Justice keeps the overall framework for legal services regulation and associated consumer protections under review to ensure it remains proportionate and effective, but has no current plans to introduce additional measures.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on improving neurodevelopmental training for GPs on ADHD and autism across all ages.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.
All United Kingdom-registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners and must meet the standards set by the GMC.
The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a statutory requirement that all providers registered with the Care Quality Commission must ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role, including GPs. To support this, a Code of Practice (Code) was published and finalised on 6 September 2025 setting out the Government’s expectations on training content and delivery. The Government is rolling out the recommended package, the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, to health and adult social care staff.
NHS England is in the process of awarding a tender to pilot a Neurodevelopmental Credential for Doctors regardless of their field of practice and this will be available to GPs. The aim is to provide a training option pre- and post-Certification of Completion of Training, so that eligible doctors can gain the necessary specialist skills to enable them to work effectively in the growing number of specialist services for people with neurodevelopmental conditions, as well as in settings where people with neurodevelopmental conditions are part of a complex clinical picture.