Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the revised NHS dental contract to be implemented.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to reforming the dental contract, but we need to take the time to get this right. There are no perfect payment models and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver genuine improvements for patients and the profession. The Government’s ambition is to deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.
As a first step to reforming the dental contract, we are consulting on a package of changes to improve access to, and the quality of, National Health Service dentistry which will deliver better care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. The consultation is accessible at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms
The consultation was launched on 8 July and will close on 19 August.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department holds information on the number of dogs that have been transported from the UK to China for use as meat.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 18 June 2025 to Question 61081
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the total cost to the public purse of quasi-autonomous non governmental organisations sponsored by her Department for (a) the financial years (i) 2023/24 and (ii) 2024/25 and (b) April 2025 to date.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice currently has seven Non-Departmental Public Bodies which have a vital role in the process of national government but are not part of a government department. Their combined expenditure was £303,943 million in the 2023/24 financial year, £318,032 million in 2024/25, and £56.130 million from April – June 2025.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to require local referenda for local government reorganisation proposals in Leicestershire.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As I stated in my answer to Question UIN 38850 on 20 March 2025, we do not have any plans to require local referenda as part of the local government reorganisation process. Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, Parliament set out the statutory process for establishing unitary councils in two-tier areas. As set out in the invitation letter, areas must demonstrate how the local community has been engaged in developing proposals.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed football regulator on the average price of a premiership football game ticket.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The impact assessment for the Football Governance Bill estimates that the cost of regulation for all 5 divisions in scope of the regime will be between £103 million and £149 million, over a ten-year period. The Government does not believe that these costs will justify increases in ticket prices as they will be distributed proportionately across clubs over a significant period of time.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions her Department has had with the International Monetary Fund on the borrowing rates being paid by the UK government.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government does not comment on specific financial market movements. Financial market movements including gilt yields are determined by a wide range of international and domestic factors. Demand for UK debt remains strong, and we continue to monitor developments.
As part of ongoing engagement with many different stakeholders relevant to the conduct of economic and fiscal policy, the Government engages regularly and constructively with the IMF, and values their independent advice.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on youth unemployment.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Employment Rights Bill Impact Assessments were published on October 21 and can be found here. This analysis shows that the Bill is expected to benefit younger workers, typically disproportionately represented in low paid, low quality and insecure jobs.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Transport Department on switching road tax to be on a per mile basis.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers have regular discussions with other government departments on a range of matters.
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) applies to vehicles used or kept on public roads, which does not vary by miles driven. However, fuel duty applies to the petrol or diesel used by motorists driving internal combustion engine vehicles; the greater the miles driven, the more fuel duty incurred.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the operational effectiveness of his Department's (a) water and (b) wastewater services contracted with third party providers.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Project Aquatrine is the collective project name of three Public Private Partnership agreements between strategic water and wastewater suppliers and the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Project Aquatrine established strategic management of water and sewerage services across the MOD estate. The project has clearly defined objectives and Key Performance Indicators to track progress and ensure accountability.
It has been successful in achieving its objectives of improving water and wastewater services across MOD sites in Great Britain. Key successes include reduced leakage, improved water quality, and increased efficiency.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what estimate she has made of the potential savings to the public purse as a result of the scheme of MP's staffing and business costs in the (a) 2024-25 financial year and (b) 2025-26 financial year to date.
Answered by Charlotte Nichols
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) submits its estimate to for the Speaker's Committee for IPSA to review on an annual basis, along with comparisons to prior years indicated . Significant changes are highlighted for discussion by the Committee and any changes to the scheme of MPs' Staffing and Business costs are subject to consultation. These documents are all a matter of public record.