Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question HL7182 on Cabinet Office: Zero Hour Contracts, what is the annual cost of staff on zero-hours contract; and in what business units do they work.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.
The Cabinet Office uses zero hours contracts to selectively manage temporary demand. To end exploitative zero hours contracts, under the government’s plans to Make Work Pay legislation will be brought in to give workers on zero hours contracts and workers with a ‘low’ number of guaranteed hours, who regularly work more than these hours, the ability to move to guaranteed hours contracts which reflect the hours they regularly work over a 12-week reference period.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to bring forward reforms to improve NHS efficiency.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The merger of NHS England and the Department will lead to a smaller, leaner and more agile department. Alongside this, the restructuring of integrated care systems and commissioning support units is set to reduce running costs and NHS England is also tackling corporate cost growth in providers. These ongoing reforms will transform the way the centre and the National Health service works, prioritise resources for the front line and deliver significant efficiency savings. NHS efficiencies also include more effective use of medicines, commercial levers, automation, shared corporate services and reduced use of agency staff.
Looking forward, the funding provided at the recent Spending Review will enable the NHS to achieve 2% productivity growth each year, and we will shortly be publishing the 10-Year Health Plan that will set out the wider reform agenda.
Asked by: Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 12 March (HL Deb col 700), what consideration they have given to reviewing the priorities of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and its role with digital clinics.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Digital clinics do not currently fall within the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act and therefore are out outside of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s (HFEA) remit at present.
The HFEA published Modernising Fertility Law in November 2023, which made a number of recommendations for legislative change, including around its regulatory powers.
Ministers have met with the HFEA Chair and discussed the emerging regulatory challenges. The Government is considering the HFEA’s priorities for changing the law and will decide how to take this forward at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to procure a land cruise missile.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review signifies a landmark shift in our deterrence and defence: moving to warfighting readiness to deter threats and strengthen security in the Euro-Atlantic. Through the Strategic Defence Review, the UK’s defence and deterrence is being bolstered with 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons and a new £1.5 billion Government investment in munitions and energetics factories.
Complex weapons, of which cruise missiles are one option, are a necessary part of our warfighting and deterrence. The exact laydown of our complex weapons capability mix is confidential, and it would be inappropriate to comment outside of information that will be included in the Defence Investment Plan.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to include the (a) Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and (b) Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy in its planned review of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is actively engaging with key stakeholders to review opportunities for reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act. It’s really important that we do this together to have the best opportunity of delivering the best reform for the future of the whole of the veterinary profession. Defra is grateful for the engagement of lots of different representatives of Allied Veterinary Professionals in this process, and plan to continue engaging a diverse group of stakeholders.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on the refit of HMS Dragon.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
HMS Dragon has completed her Power Improvement Project (PIP) upkeep, which includes installation of three new diesel generators, an additional high voltage switchboard and broader control system dependencies.
HMS Dragon has returned to the Fleet having achieved Materiel Assessment Inspection on 1 May 2025.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the general practice extraction service data for pandemic planning and research is being used for any direct care decisions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The General Practice Extraction Service Data for Pandemic Planning and Research is not being used for direct care decisions.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support high street businesses whose shipping imports from Asia have to be re-routed around Africa.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
For businesses to invest and thrive they need confidence in their supply chains. This government is committed to assessing where supply chains critical to the United Kingdom's economic security and growth could be vulnerable to disruption, including those in the growth driving sectors outlined in the industrial strategy.
The Business Secretary has announced a new Business Growth Service which will make it easier and quicker for businesses across the United Kingdom, including those on the high street, to receive advice and support to help them grow and thrive. The Business Growth Service will bring together under one single, trusted banner a range of existing core services as well as new and improved elements of the business support offer that will be delivered both centrally and locally.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 20 May (HL7198), whether they have carried out an impact assessment of reducing staff costs by 50 per cent for NHS England, including on the regional impacts; and if not, when an impact assessment will be carried out and published.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work is progressing at pace to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, and to plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions, and responsibilities
It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. These ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.
The Government is committed to transparency and will consider how best to ensure that the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of transferring surplus warrior infantry fighting vehicles (a) awaiting disposal or (b) due to be decommissioned by 2030 to Ukraine.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) are key platforms for the British Army to meet Defence Commitments.
Although small numbers are scheduled for disposal, these will have been selected in line with serviceability and suitability for role. As such, without substantial investment, they are not likely to offer significant capability to Ukraine and providing such small numbers would only increase the diversity of Ukraine’s armoured vehicle fleet – increasing their logistic and training burdens.
The UK will continue to work with Ukraine to identify how best to help them to resist Russian aggression.