Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to increase the number of inspections of intensive farms made by the Environment Agency; and whether her Department has plans to strengthen the importance of the animal health and welfare priorities during these inspections.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is doubling funding for the Environment Agency’s (EA) farm inspections and regulatory enforcement team over the three years to 2029, enabling them to work with farmers to raise standards.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) undertakes a substantial programme of on-farm inspections, monitors compliance with welfare legislation, and provides specialist veterinary and technical expertise. APHA supports Local Authorities by supplying evidence from national farm inspections, monitors compliance with welfare legislation.
EA officers will notify APHA if they have concerns about animal health or welfare when undertaking a farm inspection.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training G4S staff receive before handling Carer’s Allowance calls.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Before answering Carer’s Allowance customer calls, all G4S colleagues complete a comprehensive learning journey comprising around 60 hours of facilitator-led training. The programme is designed to ensure colleagues have the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to support customers effectively. It covers role responsibilities, Carer’s Allowance eligibility criteria, understanding and responding to customers with a range of needs, and skills required to manage customer interactions accurately, professionally and sensitively.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect and preserve police officer rest days and prevent cancelled annual leave to prevent burnout amongst officers.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Decisions on the allocation of resources are the responsibility of Chief Constables according to local operational needs. We would expect that impact on officer health and wellbeing is considered when making any such decisions, in accordance with the statutory duties that all employers have to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workforce.
This Government remains firmly committed to supporting the wellbeing of police officers and staff. We have committed to strengthening the Police Covenant through legislation to ensure that officers have access to appropriate support in key areas such as mental health, physical protection, and support for their families.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will set out the Department’s rationale for requiring 40 per cent of new homes to be built to M4(2) standards under the National Planning Policy Framework, in the context of the requirement that all new homes should be at this standard that was consulted upon previously.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the government response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, which was published on 17 August and can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what ongoing (a) training and (b) supervision G4S staff receive while handling Carer’s Allowance calls.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
All Outsourced agents receive DWP designed/approved initial training and consolidation for the services they deliver including Carer’s Allowance. They also have subject matter experts and quality assurance teams which monitor the quality of those calls. DWP also validates this quality through its contract management functions. Any changes to the policy or processes for services such as Carer’s Allowance are updated within our outsourced services and their agents to ensure clients receive the best possible customer service.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the evidential basis for the Interim Clinical Commissioning Urgent Policy Statement in August 2026 regarding Pectus surgery for pectus excavatum deformities; and whether this new guidance has changed the eligibility criteria for surgery on the NHS.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is still waiting for results of the National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded RESTORE trial, which is evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of surgery for severe pectus excavatum. The results will inform future consideration of NHS England’s substantive commissioning policy.
The updates to the existing Interim clinical commissioning urgent policy statement clarified the criteria to reflect the evidential and clinical basis of the original approval. The update justified intervention for a very small cohort of patients with severe pectus excavatum and potentially life-threatening physiological complications of the greatest severity, pending further evidence.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to review the criteria for Pectus Excavatum corrective surgery on the NHS following the initial RESTORE trial results to ensure patients with substantial physiological impairment can access appropriate treatment.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is still waiting for results of the National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded RESTORE trial, which is evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of surgery for severe pectus excavatum. The results will inform future consideration of NHS England’s substantive commissioning policy.
The updates to the existing Interim clinical commissioning urgent policy statement clarified the criteria to reflect the evidential and clinical basis of the original approval. The update justified intervention for a very small cohort of patients with severe pectus excavatum and potentially life-threatening physiological complications of the greatest severity, pending further evidence.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what quality control measures are in place to monitor the accuracy and appropriateness of the advice given by G4S staff while handling Carer’s Allowance calls.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
DWP has arrangements in place to assure the quality of services delivered on its behalf, including the handling of Carer’s Allowance calls. G4S advisers receive DWP-designed and approved training, along with support appropriate to the services they deliver.
Subject matter experts and quality assurance teams monitor the quality of calls, with DWP providing further assurance through its contract management arrangements. Where quality issues are identified, appropriate action is taken.