Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 18 of the Financial Conduct Authority's publication entitled Regulatory Initiatives Grid - 9th Edition, published on 12 December 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the FCA's commitment to consult on the implementation of Sustainability Reporting Standards disclosure requirements for UK listed companies on (a) alignment with international financial reporting standards and (b) economic growth.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government’s Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy set out how UK can play a leading role in facilitating the financing of the global net zero transition. The UK is already one of the world’s leading sustainable finance centres – the challenge is to evolve and expand. To achieve that challenge, the government is delivering on a small number of targeted initiatives, working closely with the sector to make the biggest impact – boosting investor protection and UK competitiveness.
As part of this, the government consulted last year on the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards, the UK’s implementation of the International Sustainability Standard Board’s global standards. The aim is to provide clear standards which support comparable and decision-useful disclosures for investors, and which align with other jurisdictions. The government will be publishing its consultation response along with the endorsed UK standards in Q1 2026.
The government welcomes the FCA consultation on the implementation of UK Sustainability Reporting Standards for listed companies, which is due to be published later this month, and encourages the sector to engage with that process.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with (a) the Chief Executive of NICE and (b) other NICE officials on them meeting United States Ambassador to the UK.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) Chief Executive of NICE and (b) any other NICE official has had recent discussions with the United States Ambassador.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the total outgoings by the health service on additional medicine spending over the Spending Review period.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of total public outgoings on additional medicine spending over the Spending Review period.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department calculated the cost of additional spending on medicines over the spending review period.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with National Savings and Investments on the provision of Help to Save services by credit unions.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not undertaken any recent engagement with National Savings and Investments on this issue.
HMRC Officials are continuing to take forward work on Help to Save reform, including engagement with a range of financial institutions, such as credit unions. This engagement is focused on exploring options for the future delivery approach of the scheme.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing limited amounts of non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines available for patients with clinical contraindications to mRNA vaccines, including through the importation of products already authorised by trusted international regulators.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.
The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:
As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.
COVID-19 vaccines are procured by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in line with JCVI advice.
UKHSA advise that as with all vaccines there will be an extremely small proportion of people who cannot receive a particular COVID-19 vaccine due to an anaphylactic reaction, this includes mRNA vaccines. Advice published in the UKHSA Green Book recommends that anyone with a prior allergic reaction to COVID-19 vaccines should be seen by an expert allergist and, after a review of the individual’s risks and benefits of vaccination, where it is indicated, they could then be vaccinated in hospital under clinical supervision. Information is not held centrally on how many people seen under this pathway are unable to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine even in a hospital setting. Where an allergist has advised that a vaccine is not suitable, and this is the only type of vaccine available in a particular campaign, the individual should be advised of other mitigations to reduce their risk of becoming infected and be provided with information on access to treatments should they test positive for infection.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 decrease treatment wait times for patients with metastatic ocular melanoma.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department remains committed to ensuring that cancer patients, including those with metastatic ocular melanoma, have timely access to treatment and tailored medical support.
The Government supports Scott Arthur’s Private Members Bill on rare cancers which will make it easier for clinical trials into rare cancers to take place in England by ensuring the patient population can be easily contacted by researchers. This will ensure that the National Health Service will remain at the forefront of medical innovation and is able to provide patients with the newest, most effective treatment options, and ultimately boost survival rates.
The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for patients with cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates. This will benefit all cancer patients, including metastatic ocular melanoma patients.
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, what steps she plans to take to help support UK (a) farmers and (b) fishers where (i) animal welfare standards and (ii) climate and nature policies contribute to higher farming costs, in the context of the cost of imported produce.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has been clear that it will protect farmers in trade deals. The Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards. It will create new export opportunities for our high-quality British produce.
Supporting British farmers and boosting the nation’s food security are key priorities for the Government. The Government allocated £11.8 billion this Parliament to sustainable farming and food production, targeting public money where it delivers most value.
In terms of wider support to the fishing industry, the Government is committed to the industry’s long-term prosperity and sustainability, which is why we launched the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund.