Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to negotiate a longer-term pet passport arrangement with the European Union.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the response given on 26 June 2026 to the hon. Member for Clapham and Brixton Hill for PQ UIN 11733.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting a pharmacy-led gluten free service in England, with annual health checks and collaboration between pharmacies, GPs and dieticians, in the context of (a) support for coeliac patients and (b) similar arrangements in Scotland.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
We are aware of the Scottish Gluten-free Food Service, under which eligible patients can obtain gluten-free foods through community pharmacy and adults are offered an annual pharmacist health check. While health services are devolved and arrangements in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Government, we continue to consider evidence and experiences from across the United Kingdom as part of wider policy development.
Community pharmacy in England is already playing an increasing clinical role, but any proposal for a new national pharmacy-led service would require careful assessment of clinical benefit, workforce implications, affordability, and interaction with existing care pathways. The Department will continue to keep relevant evidence and service models under review.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to facilitate the transferring of funds to Ukrainian charities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The UK remains one of Ukraine's leading humanitarian donors, having committed up to £577 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the wider region since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Through trusted humanitarian partners, UK support helps protect vulnerable people affected by the conflict, promote respect for International Humanitarian Law, and provide lifesaving assistance to those most affected by Russia's continued attacks.
The Charity Commission for England and Wales also published guidance for charities and trustees responding to the crisis in Ukraine in March 2022.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to (a) provide guidance to veterinary practices on the pricing of Animal Health Certificates and (b) introduce regulations on the price levels for Animal Health Certificates set by veterinary practices.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All fees set by veterinary surgeons or veterinary practices are a private matter between individual practices and their clients. Neither the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the UK regulator of the veterinary profession, nor Defra intervene in the level of fees that are charged.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will establish provisions for people with stomas in public toilets within NHS establishments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service organisations make decisions locally on the provision of toilets within their facilities, including provisions in toilets for people with stomas.
National guidance is provided to the NHS on designing sanitary spaces in healthcare settings, including toilets for patients, visitors, and staff. Health Building Note (HBN) 00-02: Sanitary Spaces details layouts for independent wheelchair/semi ambulant toilets which incorporate a shelf adjacent to the toilet for the emptying of urine bottles/colostomy bags.
Over this Spending Review period, we are backing local NHS organisations with £21 billion in operation capital funding, which they can allocate to their priorities, such as ensuring the provision of appropriate public toilets.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to introduce a requirement for buyers of park homes to be provided with independent legal advice during the buying process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has no current plans to require prospective buyers of park homes to be provided with independent legal advice.
Buyers of park homes can contact the government funded Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), for free independent advice about the sales process and finding a solicitor. A factsheet on buying park homes is also available on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to expand the rollout of the Acquisitive Crime Project to areas of England not included in initial pilot areas, including Dorset.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Acquisitive Crime Pilot has been running since April 2021. Currently, 19 Police Force Areas are participating. It mandates the use of GPS electronic monitoring of individuals convicted of acquisitive crime offences.
An impact evaluation has shown that reoffending rates dropped seven percentage points, from 33.2% to 26.2% (a 20 percent reduction) for those on the pilot.
We will be making the service available to the remainder of the 43 forces, including Dorset, commencing roll out from mid 2027. We will be engaging with police forces to finalise roll-out plans.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a minimum child maintenance payment for all paying parents on the Child Maintenance Service regardless of income.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) believes that all parents have an obligation to support their children regardless of their financial situation. Concurrently, the CMS believes it is important that child maintenance liabilities remain affordable and reflect a paying parent's ability to pay.
The CMS calculates maintenance using the paying parent's gross weekly income up to £3,000, ensuring contributions are fair and lower earners are protected through a £7 flat rate payment for most paying parents on lower incomes and for many of those in receipt of prescribed benefits, while a nil rate may apply in limited circumstances; the main categories of nil assessed parents are:
In the case of prisoners and some other parents who declare nil income, if they have significant assets or earnings from sources that are not part of the main child maintenance calculation, these can be considered via a variation.
Recently, the Department reviewed the child maintenance calculation to ensure it strikes the right balance between both parents and supports compliance, helping to secure more maintenance for children. Following the review, we plan to reduce the income tolerance from 25% to 15%, meaning changes in a paying parent's income will be reflected more quickly and maintenance assessments will remain fairer for both parents.
We think the current system strikes the right balance between requiring parents to support their children where they can, while taking account of circumstances that make this very difficult or unfair. For these reasons, we do not believe it would be in the interests of children or taxpayers to consider the introduction of a minimum child maintenance payment for all paying parents, as maintenance liabilities should continue to reflect a paying parent’s financial circumstances and ability to pay.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on side zebra crossings of the (a) use of side zebra crossings in London, (b) use of side zebra crossings in Wales and (c) research conducted into side zebra crossings in Manchester.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government's national transport strategy, Better Connected, published on 2 April 2026, committed to updating the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions. The proposed changes include the introduction of side road zebra crossings in England, supporting safer, more accessible and convenient crossing facilities for people walking and wheeling.
In developing these changes the Department will be considering all relevant evidence.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the (a) number of children between 5 and 10 admitted to hospital for dental procedures in each of the last five years and (b) average cost of such instances from admission to discharge.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.