Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the process for restoring planning decision-making powers to local planning authorities designated for poor performance; whether his Department has an indicative timetable or performance criteria for the return of those powers; and whether changes in political administration and improvements in planning performance are taken into account when considering whether to revoke a designation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The process and criteria for de-designation are set out in the government's Improving Planning Performance: Criteria for Designation, which can be found on gov.uk here.
The Secretary of State normally considers whether any designations should be lifted once each year, at around the same time as decisions on new designations. Exceptionally, de-designations may also be made at other times.
In assessing whether a local planning authority should be de-designated, the Secretary of State will consider whether the local planning authority has demonstrated sufficient improvement in its planning performance and meets the criteria for de-designation. The Secretary of State may also take account of relevant exceptional circumstances where appropriate.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
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 adequacy of NHS capacity to deliver timely breast cancer treatment for patients diagnosed through the NHS Breast Screening Programme; and whether any assessment has been made of the potential impact of proposals to expand breast screening eligibility on waiting times for diagnosis and treatment where breast cancer operations have been postponed or cancelled.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The latest available data, May 2026, showed 78.1% of suspected breast cancer referrals which were identified through the national screening programme in England were diagnosed within 28 days. The National Cancer Plan sets a clear ambition to meet all cancer waiting time standards by the end of this Parliament, ensuring patients get faster diagnosis and treatment, including those with breast cancer. We will achieve this through a modernised, more productive cancer pathway, expanding diagnostic capacity, harnessing technology, and giving the most challenged trusts intensive support to deliver the improvements patients rightly expect. Which indicates that the capacity of the system to provide timely patient diagnosis from screening is adequate.
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) makes recommendations regarding all screening programmes. Although there is a working group considering breast screening risk stratification, the committee have not made any recent recommendations regarding the expansion of the breast screening programme. Therefore, no assessment of impact on waiting times for diagnosis or treatment has been undertaken. If such a recommendation was made, the feasibility of implementation, in relation to capacity and impact on treatment times, would be considered as part of the advice that went to ministers before the Ministers made a decision on whether to accept the UK NSC advice.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information the Health and Safety Executive holds on the number of HGV and LGV drivers found deceased in their vehicles whilst undertaking statutory rest periods in each of the last five years; and whether the Department has made an assessment of whether existing reporting and investigation procedures adequately capture any workplace factors which may have contributed to such deaths.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Only deaths arising out of or in connection with work activities are RIDDOR reportable. Therefore, Incidents where HGV or LGV drivers are found deceased in their vehicles due to natural causes, or where no work-related causative factor is identified, are not reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). Similarly, deaths resulting from the movement of a vehicle on a road are excluded; for example, if a driver dies while on a rest break in a stationary vehicle that is subsequently struck by another vehicle.
HSE keeps its investigation procedures under regular review to ensure they remain proportionate and aligned with its enforcement principles. In line with its policy, investigations are designed to gather information, establish the facts, and identify both immediate and underlying causes of incidents, including any workplace factors that may have contributed to a death. Through evaluation and refinement of these procedures, HSE seeks to maintain consistency and thoroughness in its approach, ensuring that organisational, managerial and environmental influences are properly considered, lessons are identified, and appropriate action can be taken to prevent recurrence and secure compliance with health and safety law.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent French seafarer employment legislation on British seafarers working on cross-Channel ferry services, including on workforce recruitment, retention, morale and work-life balance; and whether her Department has held discussions with the French Government regarding the potential effect of these measures on UK-based maritime workers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to strengthening workers’ rights at sea. On 5 June my Department launched a consultation on proposals to use new powers in the Employment Rights Act 2025 to strengthen protections for seafarers on frequent UK-France and UK-Channel Islands routes. The proposals complement the measures enacted by France in 2024. The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-seafarer-protections-on-uk-france-routes/ and closes on 17 July.
My officials have regular engagement with their French counterparts.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that renewable energy developments are subject to appropriate oversight, transparency and accountability before planning applications are approved.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State makes planning decisions for renewable energy projects that are Nationally Significant, as defined by the Planning Act 2008.
Planning cases are judged on the need case for the infrastructure, weighed against local impacts, local and national planning policy. The Energy National Policy Statements, approved by Parliament, set the need case for this infrastructure and all the considerations that must be applied when deciding applications. We updated relevant National Policy Statements in 2025 and legislated through the Planning and Infrastructure Act to ensure they are updated at least every five years.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on taxpayers of discrepancies between savings interest data reported to HM Revenue and Customs by financial institutions and the information provided by those institutions directly to account holders; and what steps HM Revenue and Customs is taking to ensure that taxpayers acting in good faith are not penalised where such discrepancies arise.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
HMRC works closely with financial institutions and their representative body, UK Finance, to make the best possible use of the savings interest data they provide and correctly assess the impact of those savings on the account holders’ overall tax position.HMRC are not aware of any discrepancy between the data institutions provide to HMRC and that provided to their customers. However, there are some challenges in matching data between financial institutions and HMRC systems, which can result in a small number of mismatches.
Operational data suggests that data matching rates have improved, rising from around 70% to around 85%. Working with the institutions and their representative bodies, HMRC expect this to increase further this year, with additional improvements to also come in subsequent years.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish all communications from her Department in relation to the Police training Contracts in Lebanon awarded to Siren Associates Ltd; and whether other companies applied for that contract.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the letter that I sent him on 8 January in response to his letter of 4 November.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) UK Police officers travelled to Lebanon to train Police and (b) Lebanese Police officers were trained as part of the contract with Siren Associates Ltd.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the letter that I sent him on 8 January in response to his letter of 4 November.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what evaluation her Department undertook before commissioning the contract to train Police in Lebanon awarded to Siren Associates Ltd.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the letter that I sent him on 8 January in response to his letter of 4 November.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether a cost benefit analysis was conducted on the contracts awarded to Siren Associates Ltd to train Police in Lebanon.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the letter that I sent him on 8 January in response to his letter of 4 November.