Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
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 ban alcohol advertising.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 3 July 2025, the Department published Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, which outlines plans to introduce mandatory alcohol labelling, to increase awareness of harms and enable people to make healthier choices. It also commits to exploring expanding the ban on sales of alcohol products to children under 18 years old to include alcohol- free products, to protect young people. It further commits to continued expansion of Individual Placement and Support schemes for people with alcohol addiction to find good work. The Plan is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future
The Government is committed to building a National Health Service fit for the future, with a greater emphasis on the prevention of avoidable health harms, supporting people to live well for longer. We will continue to work across Government reduce the negative impact excessive alcohol consumption is having on health, crime and the economy.
The Government has no plans to introduce a ban on alcohol advertising.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to respond to correspondence of 1 July 2025 from the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East on the Midlands Rail Hub, reference MC2025-14224.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Rail Minister is replying to the hon. member's letter and if he has not received a response already, he will do so in coming days.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) Akrotiri and (b) Dhekelia Sovereign Base Areas on regional stability in the Middle East.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.
Ministers and officials however regularly engage with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus regarding activities at the bases and regional security. For example, following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Foreign Secretary and I have regularly spoken to our counterparts about regional stability, including the important contribution the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) make to the security of the region.
I also speak directly to the SBAs Administrator on a range of issues. The FCDO supports cooperation between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, including on shared challenges such as forest fires, protecting the environment, crime and immigration. The FCDO also supports discussions on the implementation of the Protocol relating to the SBAs agreed between the UK and the EU, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekalia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.
Ministers and officials however regularly engage with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus regarding activities at the bases and regional security. For example, following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Foreign Secretary and I have regularly spoken to our counterparts about regional stability, including the important contribution the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) make to the security of the region.
I also speak directly to the SBAs Administrator on a range of issues. The FCDO supports cooperation between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, including on shared challenges such as forest fires, protecting the environment, crime and immigration. The FCDO also supports discussions on the implementation of the Protocol relating to the SBAs agreed between the UK and the EU, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Cypriot counterparts on the status of the Sovereign Base Areas in (a) Akrotiri and (b) Dhekelia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.
Ministers and officials however regularly engage with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus regarding activities at the bases and regional security. For example, following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Foreign Secretary and I have regularly spoken to our counterparts about regional stability, including the important contribution the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) make to the security of the region.
I also speak directly to the SBAs Administrator on a range of issues. The FCDO supports cooperation between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, including on shared challenges such as forest fires, protecting the environment, crime and immigration. The FCDO also supports discussions on the implementation of the Protocol relating to the SBAs agreed between the UK and the EU, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for the publication of the final report of the Review of the NHS adult gender dysphoria clinics in England; and if he will make an oral statement upon receipt.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Review of Adult Gender Services is aiming to publish its report later this summer. NHS England and the Government will need time to consider the findings, advice, and recommendations before issuing their response.
The review has examined records, including patient case notes, and conducted site visits at each of the nine adult gender dysphoria clinics in order to develop a detailed understanding of the operation and delivery of services within each clinic. Further information about how evidence was gathered is detailed in the published key lines of enquiry, at the following link:
The review conducted focus groups with patients of the services, and detailed surveys for patients of the service, their friends and family, and for the clinicians delivering these services.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has undertaken a (a) call for evidence and (b) consultation to support the review of NHS adult gender dysphoria clinics in England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Review of Adult Gender Services is aiming to publish its report later this summer. NHS England and the Government will need time to consider the findings, advice, and recommendations before issuing their response.
The review has examined records, including patient case notes, and conducted site visits at each of the nine adult gender dysphoria clinics in order to develop a detailed understanding of the operation and delivery of services within each clinic. Further information about how evidence was gathered is detailed in the published key lines of enquiry, at the following link:
The review conducted focus groups with patients of the services, and detailed surveys for patients of the service, their friends and family, and for the clinicians delivering these services.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultation (a) her Department and (b) the Valuation Office Agency undertook with the (i) flexible workspace sector and (ii) representatives of small businesses prior to concluding that most serviced offices should be assessed as a single property for business rates purposes.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Following developments in case law and legal advice, the VOA has reviewed its approach and concluded that most serviced offices will need to be assessed as a single property. The VOA has engaged with the sector and rating agents to discuss the approach to assessing serviced offices.
In line with legal obligations, the VOA is working through outstanding Checks and Challenges on serviced offices. For serviced offices that are new to the Rating List or subject to Checks and Challenges, the starting position is to treat them as a single assessment, unless there is clear evidence to support separate assessments. The VOA will apply the law to the facts on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment (a) her Department and (b) the Valuation Office Agency has made of the potential impact of changing the business rates valuation methodology for serviced offices from multiple hereditaments to a single hereditament model on (i) small businesses and (ii) flexible workspace operators.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Following developments in case law and legal advice, the VOA has reviewed its approach and concluded that most serviced offices will need to be assessed as a single property. The VOA has engaged with the sector and rating agents to discuss the approach to assessing serviced offices.
In line with legal obligations, the VOA is working through outstanding Checks and Challenges on serviced offices. For serviced offices that are new to the Rating List or subject to Checks and Challenges, the starting position is to treat them as a single assessment, unless there is clear evidence to support separate assessments. The VOA will apply the law to the facts on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department plans to allocate to the Midlands Rail Hub, in the context of the Spending Review 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Chancellor’s commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West in the 2025 Spending Review follows the release of £123 million last year to design the first phase, which could be delivered by the early 2030s.