Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of reforms to food labelling to reflect production method.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government's animal welfare strategy was published on 22 December 2025 and is available here on GOV.UK.
As set out in the strategy, we are committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, we will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assurances his Department can provide that NHS letters will continue to be prioritised for delivery by the Royal Mail over Christmas period.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government recognises the importance of timely delivery of NHS letters. Royal Mail has introduced an NHS barcode to assist NHS units that continue to rely on post to communicate with patients. In addition, NHS England and NHS Providers have produced guidance for NHS organisations, including a case study, to increase awareness and uptake of the variety of Royal Mail services for the timely delivery of letters.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of business rates revaluation and changes to the level of rates relief on high street pubs, bars and restaurants in Bolton West.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.
Without our support, the pub sector as a whole would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. Because of the support we’ve put in place, this has fallen to just 4%.
The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.
The National Insurance Contributions (NICs) Employment Allowance has been more than doubled to £10,500, ensuring that over half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities, including those in the hospitality sector, will either gain or see no change this year. A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside changes to employer NICs.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help promote sustainable palm oil labelling.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK maintains high standards on information provided on food labels and packaging so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy and is committed to supporting the sustainable production, trade, and use of palm oil.
Palm oil sustainability labelling is voluntary but when provided it must be accurate and not mislead. Third party assurance schemes help to provide UK consumers and businesses with information about the food they buy such as food provenance and sustainability, including certification schemes linked to information on sustainable palm oil origin.
Whilst these operate independently of Government, we continue to support their activities toward delivering shared policy goals. The Food Standards Agency maintains close contact with these organisations and monitors whether communications and claims made by them are accurate.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to publish the 2025 Joint Ministerial Council Communiqué.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The communique from the 2025 Joint Ministerial Council has been published on gov.uk. The link is at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2025-communique.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that businesses in Georgia are not used for third-country evasion of sanctions against Russia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 27 June 2025, the Government issued new UK sanctions guidance for non-UK businesses in several countries, including Georgia, to support compliance with UK sanctions and raise awareness of relevant national laws. This built on the extensive diplomatic engagement and technical assistance we have provided in priority jurisdictions to address circumvention risks.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.
Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.
We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via integrated care boards. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
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 ensure adequate (a) supply and (b) distribution of the flu vaccine this winter.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is in regular contact with the vaccine manufacturers to discuss the available supply and can confirm that stock is still available for community pharmacies and general practices to order. Sufficient volumes of flu vaccine have been delivered to be able to vaccinate all eligible groups of people.
Initial orders are placed well before the start of the campaign, but supplies continue to be available throughout the season to be ordered as required. Manufacturers have confirmed that they have flu vaccine available and in stock, should sites want to order additional stock.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total value of fines imposed by anti-money laundering supervisors in response to money laundering breaches that were (a) retained by supervisors and (b) remitted to the Exchequer for financial years 2023-2024 and 2024-25.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Anti-money laundering supervisors retain a portion of the fines they issue to cover their enforcement costs, with the remainder being remitted to the consolidated fund. Information on the total value of fines remitted to the consolidated fund, including those by anti-money laundering supervisors, can be found in HM Treasury’s annual report and accounts.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-treasury-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025
Information on the total value of fines issued by anti-money laundering supervisors for 2023-24 can be found in HM Treasury’s annual supervision report.
The 2024-25 version of this report is due to be published later this year.
Each anti-money laundering supervisor also publishes an annual report on their accounts, including a breakdown of the fines they have issued.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much accrued to the Exchequer from money recovered by public bodies using powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 through unspent asset recovery incentivisation scheme receipts in financial year 2024-25.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Individual public bodies participating in the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme are responsible for record-keeping of any unspent funds returned to the Consolidated Fund. As such, HM Treasury does not collate this information.