Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
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 ensure that public health objectives do not adversely impact the agriculture and food producer sector, in the context of proposed changes to the Nutrient Profiling Model.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink and we are consulting on proposals for applying the new Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) to these policies.
The NPM is used as part of a two-step process to determine ‘less healthy’ food or drink products in scope of the advertising and promotions restrictions. Products must first fall within one of the product categories in the legislation and second, score four or above for food, or one or above for drink in an NPM assessment. Fruit juices without added sugar are not in scope of our current promotions and advertising restrictions.
Our consultation seeks feedback on the impact and challenges associated with the proposal for industry and enforcement authorities and gathers views on what further support is needed to help adapt to the requirements of the new NPM. A consultation-stage impact assessment, setting out the direct costs to businesses for the proposed application of the new NPM to these restrictions, was published alongside the consultation.
We will use evidence from the consultation to inform the final impact assessment and welcome views from the fruit juice, agriculture, and food producer sectors. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the final impact assessment would be published ahead of any changes being made.
Detailed impact assessments for the current advertising and promotions restrictions, which set out the costs to industry, can also be found on the GOV.UK website. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the restrictions and will publish a Post Implementation Review within five years of the restrictions taking legal effect.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
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 classifying the fruit juice category as not healthy in proposed Nutrient Profiling Model reforms on UK businesses.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink and we are consulting on proposals for applying the new Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) to these policies.
The NPM is used as part of a two-step process to determine ‘less healthy’ food or drink products in scope of the advertising and promotions restrictions. Products must first fall within one of the product categories in the legislation and second, score four or above for food, or one or above for drink in an NPM assessment. Fruit juices without added sugar are not in scope of our current promotions and advertising restrictions.
Our consultation seeks feedback on the impact and challenges associated with the proposal for industry and enforcement authorities and gathers views on what further support is needed to help adapt to the requirements of the new NPM. A consultation-stage impact assessment, setting out the direct costs to businesses for the proposed application of the new NPM to these restrictions, was published alongside the consultation.
We will use evidence from the consultation to inform the final impact assessment and welcome views from the fruit juice, agriculture, and food producer sectors. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the final impact assessment would be published ahead of any changes being made.
Detailed impact assessments for the current advertising and promotions restrictions, which set out the costs to industry, can also be found on the GOV.UK website. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the restrictions and will publish a Post Implementation Review within five years of the restrictions taking legal effect.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
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 proposed changes to the Nutrient Profiling Model on (a) businesses and (b) employment within the fruit juice sector.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink and we are consulting on proposals for applying the new Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) to these policies.
The NPM is used as part of a two-step process to determine ‘less healthy’ food or drink products in scope of the advertising and promotions restrictions. Products must first fall within one of the product categories in the legislation and second, score four or above for food, or one or above for drink in an NPM assessment. Fruit juices without added sugar are not in scope of our current promotions and advertising restrictions.
Our consultation seeks feedback on the impact and challenges associated with the proposal for industry and enforcement authorities and gathers views on what further support is needed to help adapt to the requirements of the new NPM. A consultation-stage impact assessment, setting out the direct costs to businesses for the proposed application of the new NPM to these restrictions, was published alongside the consultation.
We will use evidence from the consultation to inform the final impact assessment and welcome views from the fruit juice, agriculture, and food producer sectors. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the final impact assessment would be published ahead of any changes being made.
Detailed impact assessments for the current advertising and promotions restrictions, which set out the costs to industry, can also be found on the GOV.UK website. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the restrictions and will publish a Post Implementation Review within five years of the restrictions taking legal effect.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to implement provisions accommodating elderly patients undergoing long waiting times in accident and emergency departments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the pressures facing urgent and emergency care services and are committed to restoring waiting times to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. The proportion of patients in accident and emergency admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours was 76.9% in April 2026, 2.1 percentage points higher than April 2025.
For patients who experience longer waits, including older and more vulnerable patients, there is clear clinical guidance that their condition should continue to be monitored while they are waiting. This is to ensure patient safety, including the early identification of any deterioration in condition and escalation where required, in line with national clinical standards.
More broadly, the Government and NHS England are taking significant action to reduce waiting times and improve patient flow. The NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework and the Model Emergency Department set out a clear trajectory to improve performance year-on-year, reduce long waits and overcrowding, and ensure patients are seen more quickly and in the most appropriate setting, supported by investment in staff, digital triage and community urgent care.
Expanding care outside hospital is also central to reducing pressure on emergency departments, improving outcomes, particularly for older and frail patients. Urgent community response services, including urgent community response teams and virtual wards, provide rapid care at home, helping to avoid unnecessary attendances and admissions and supporting independence.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce accident and emergency department waiting times for older patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the pressures facing urgent and emergency care services and are committed to restoring waiting times to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. The proportion of patients in accident and emergency admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours was 76.9% in April 2026, 2.1 percentage points higher than April 2025.
For patients who experience longer waits, including older and more vulnerable patients, there is clear clinical guidance that their condition should continue to be monitored while they are waiting. This is to ensure patient safety, including the early identification of any deterioration in condition and escalation where required, in line with national clinical standards.
More broadly, the Government and NHS England are taking significant action to reduce waiting times and improve patient flow. The NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework and the Model Emergency Department set out a clear trajectory to improve performance year-on-year, reduce long waits and overcrowding, and ensure patients are seen more quickly and in the most appropriate setting, supported by investment in staff, digital triage and community urgent care.
Expanding care outside hospital is also central to reducing pressure on emergency departments, improving outcomes, particularly for older and frail patients. Urgent community response services, including urgent community response teams and virtual wards, provide rapid care at home, helping to avoid unnecessary attendances and admissions and supporting independence.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the service standard waiting times are for accident and emergency at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; and whether the Trust has been meeting those targets.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government monitors accident and emergency (A&E) waiting time performance against several standards. Performance data is published monthly by NHS England as part of the “A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions” statistics, which are available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/
Nationally, the NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework sets out a trajectory to improve urgent and emergency care performance year-on-year, supported by the Model Emergency Department guidance, which outlines core principles for high‑performing emergency departments and improved patient flow.
NHS England’s regional teams provide an additional layer of oversight by scrutinising performance and supporting local systems, alongside targeted national improvement support for the most challenged areas.
At a local level, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust has redesigned its clinical operating model and expanded same day emergency care services to improve patient flow and reduce avoidable admissions.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
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 reduce accident and emergency department waiting times at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government monitors accident and emergency (A&E) waiting time performance against several standards. Performance data is published monthly by NHS England as part of the “A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions” statistics, which are available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/
Nationally, the NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework sets out a trajectory to improve urgent and emergency care performance year-on-year, supported by the Model Emergency Department guidance, which outlines core principles for high‑performing emergency departments and improved patient flow.
NHS England’s regional teams provide an additional layer of oversight by scrutinising performance and supporting local systems, alongside targeted national improvement support for the most challenged areas.
At a local level, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust has redesigned its clinical operating model and expanded same day emergency care services to improve patient flow and reduce avoidable admissions.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with (a) local police forces and (b) Trading Standards authorities on enforcement action against independent shops suspected of supplying counterfeit goods.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Intellectual Property Office funds the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit or PIPCU. PIPCU and Trading Standards work in concert with the Intellectual Property Office to undertake multi-agency efforts to disrupt counterfeiting activity. We continue to advocate for IP Crime as a high-harm, high-impact crime that requires a system response rather than a fragmented approach.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether, in agreeing new subsidies for Drax for 2027 to 2031, his Department sought assurances from the company that the letter it wrote to the Department on 10 October 2022 about the forests its wood comes from was accurate and complete.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In the letter Drax was responding to questions posed by DESNZ regarding its sourcing of biomass from Canada. DESNZ subsequently consulted Canadian officials and forestry experts on the issues and developed enhanced sustainability criteria, audit and assurance requirements which have been implemented within the new Low-Carbon Dispatchable Contract for Difference with Drax.
Ofgem independently investigated Drax’s annual profiling submission for compliance period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 which concluded Drax had misreported data. In response, Drax made a voluntary redress payment of £25m and Forvis Mazars has been appointed to independently audit Drax’s annual profiling data and reporting. This audit is currently ongoing.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has asked his new permanent secretary i) if he has read the December 2022 report by the Drax company secretary on whisteblowing allegations ii) if he concluded that there was a cover up and iii) if he is satisfied the company can be trusted to be the largest recipient of the department’s £20 billion biomass subsidy programme.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State has not asked the Permanent Secretary to reach conclusions on matters that are subject to Ofgem’s independent regulatory processes.
Ofgem has confirmed that whistleblower accounts formed part of its extensive 2023-4 investigation into Drax’s compliance with reporting requirements. Its investigation did not find any evidence that Drax had been issued with subsidies incorrectly. Shortcomings were identified in Drax’s data governance and controls related to annual profiling data which are not used for subsidy calculation under the Renewables Obligation. Drax has subsequently made a significant payment of £25m to the Voluntary Redress Fund and improved its policies and procedures around reporting data.