Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including (a) clear and (b) deliverable objectives to combat child (i) sexual abuse and (ii) exploitation in the updated Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

This Government recognises the devastating impact of child sexual abuse and exploitation and is committed to tackling these crimes.

The new VAWG Strategy will set the direction for the next decade, driving forward the Government’s bold ambition to halve VAWG within ten years. This is a landmark commitment that demands a truly transformational approach. It’s vital we get it right. We’re working towards publication of the Strategy as soon as possible and I will continue to keep the House updated on its development and forthcoming publication.

Tackling child sexual abuse and exploitation will be clearly reflected in the VAWG Strategy. But we also recognise that tackling these horrendous crimes requires a targeted and child-centred approach. Which is why we are taking forward an ambitious programme of work across Government, including through our response to the Casey Audit and IICSA recommendations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available to GP practices operating from newly built premises that subsequently experience (a) building and (b) maintenance problems not identified at the (i) planning and (ii) construction stage.

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

The provision and maintenance of premises are typically the responsibility of general practice (GP) partners, who are either owner-occupiers or tenants of their surgery buildings. This includes addressing any building or maintenance issues identified after the planning and construction phases. The National Health Service reimburses partners for the recurring costs of operating in the property, for instance rent, notional rent, or mortgage costs, and funds services in the GP Contract.

GP owner-occupiers are responsible for all maintenance and repair of their property. For GPs that rent their premises, their lease agreement sets out who is responsible for maintenance. A Full Repairing and Insuring lease requires the practice to handle all repairs, while a Tenant's Internal Repairing lease means the landlord covers external and structural issues.

Commissioners may award improvement grants to GPs to fund extensions, improvements, and enhanced physical access. This can be up to 100% of a project’s value, subject to discretion and the integrated care boards available budget, under provisions of the NHS (General Medical Services) Premises Costs Directions 2024.

The £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund, announced at the 2024 Autumn Budget, is upgrading more than a thousand GP surgeries across England by April 2026.

Where facilities are an issue, it is imperative that GPs work with the local commissioner. There may be capital or revenue solutions to GP premises and facilities’ needs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing the lower threshold of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy on (a) business investment decisions in the food and drink manufacturing sector, (b) the growth of that sector and (c) (i) investment and (ii) growth by food and drink manufacturing companies in the South West.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The proposed changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy were subject to the ‘Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy’ consultation, which was open from 28 April to 21 July 2025. An assessment of economic and other impacts is included as part of this consultation document. This is available at

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-the-soft-drinks-industry-levy.

The Government is considering the consultation responses, including those providing evidence of the potential impacts on growth and investment, prior to making a decision at Budget. If the Government decides to make changes to the levy, it will publish an updated assessment of the confirmed policy’s impacts.

Found: Slaughter (Labour; Hammersmith and Chiswick) (Chair) Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat; Eastbourne) Matt Bishop

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Andy Slaughter (Chair); Matt Bishop; Pam Cox; Linsey Farnsworth;

Found: Slaughter (Labour; Hammersmith and Chiswick) (Chair) Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat; Eastbourne) Matt Bishop

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Andy Slaughter (Chair); Josh Babarinde; Matt Bishop; Pam Cox; Linsey

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Andy Slaughter (Chair); Josh Babarinde; Matt Bishop; Pam Cox; Linsey

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Andy Slaughter (Chair); Josh Babarinde; Matt Bishop; Pam Cox; Linsey

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Andy Slaughter (Chair); Josh Babarinde; Matt Bishop; Pam Cox; Linsey