theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure consistency in his planning decisions on applications for solar farm with proposed generating capacity above 50 MW. \p Michael Shanks: Decisions on consent applications for ‘nationally significant’ projects are made in accordance with legislation set out in the Planning Act 2008, and the relevant National Policy Statement made in accordance with that Act. For solar, this is the Renewable Energy National Policy Statement, which sets out how nationally significant solar projects should be assessed.

For solar farms with a generating capacity below the ‘nationally significant’ threshold,

planning decisions are made by Local Planning Authorities in line with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The threshold for solar projects is currently 50MW but is increasing to 100MW from 31 December 2025.
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Rosie Duffield:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to end the (a) exploration, (b) extraction, (c) export and (d) import of fossil fuels by the United Kingdom. \p Michael Shanks: The Government has consulted on the implementation of its commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields and will respond in due course. It does not intend to revoke existing licences.

The Government has announced it will introduce new legislation to restrict the future licensing of new coal mines in Great Britain. The last coal fired power station closed in October 2024.

The Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan paves the way to decarbonising the wider economy by 2050 as it pursues the electrification of heat in buildings, transport, and industry.
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John Whitby:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to introduce requirements for car parking companies to install solar canopies on large parking lots. \p Michael Shanks: Outdoor car parks provide potential to deploy solar canopies providing clean electricity, potential for electric vehicle charging and shelter for cars. As such, the government published a Call for Evidence, which closed on the 18th June, to gather robust evidence from stakeholders across industry, local authorities and other relevant sectors to inform a carefully designed, evidence-based approach to increasing uptake. A Government Response will be published this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Elaine Stewart:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much of the onshore wind pipeline in the Eskdalemuir consultation zone his Department plans to see unlocked in the forthcoming solution to onshore wind development around the Seismic Array. \p Michael Shanks: The interference that onshore wind turbines can cause to seismological monitoring stations was a priority area of focus for the Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce. In the recent Onshore Wind Taskforce Strategy my Department committed to working with Scottish Government and the Ministry of Defence to consult on new policy and guidance, aiming to unlock 3-6GW of onshore wind capacity around the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the resilience of energy storage infrastructure co-located with solar energy developments in Buckinghamshire. \p Michael Shanks: The Department has made no specific assessment on this. We have outlined our plans for the deployment of battery storage in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan and will work with industry, NESO and Ofgem to build on those actions through the Low Carbon Flexibility Roadmap announced in the Clean Power Action Plan. This will include actions to enable the deployment of batteries, on their own and co-located with generation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason blue carbon habitats are not currently included in environmental impact assessments for offshore developments. \p Michael Shanks: Where appropriate, the impacts on the natural environment including coastal zones and the marine environment, are considered in environmental impact assessments for offshore developments as required under the relevant regulations.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of EPC requirements for commercial properties on trends in the level of empty office accommodation. \p Sarah Jones: EPC Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards play an important role in reducing bills for businesses, making them more competitive and protecting them from future energy price shocks, as well as encouraging better working places for the health and wellbeing of its occupiers.

The policy has a number of exemptions in place to mitigate against significant costs of compliance. Crucially, buildings will only need to reach the highest EPC band that a cost-effective package of measures can deliver, even if this means that they remain below the minimum standard. Consequently, the costs for building improvements are expected to make up a small proportion of typical commercial rents and are therefore unlikely to distort the office rental market on its own.

We also expect commercial landlords in the office sector will continue to hold valuable assets and evidence suggests cost-effective energy efficiency improvements will help increase the value of those assets
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Connor Naismith:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to (a) abolish and (b) reform the standing charge. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government knows that, for many consumers, too much of the burden of the bill is placed on standing charges. We are committed to lowering the cost of standing charges and have worked constructively with the regulator, Ofgem, on this issue.

Firstly, Ofgem have been working to ensure that domestic consumers can choose tariffs with low or no standing charges Ofgem took a further step towards this goal this week, announcing proposals to require suppliers to offer their customers low or no standing charge tariffs from early 2026.

Secondly, Ofgem have been reviewing how ‘fixed’ costs, which tend to be funded through standing charges, should be recovered in the future energy system. This includes whether those fixed costs could be recovered in more progressive ways, and we are working closely with the regulator on this.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the ratio between revenue raised by the Building Safety Levy, and building remediation expenditure, in rural areas. \p Alex Norris: The building safety levy has built in measures to minimise impact on housing while balancing the need to raise the revenue required to make homes safe. Measures to achieve this include:

The Building Safety Levy is an industry contribution towards building safety remediation. Revenue is raised from new, non-exempt, residential development which principally occurs in and around urban areas. Expenditure is directed at buildings over 11m in height which are principally located in urban areas.
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a coastal strategy which includes the Cornish language. \p Alex Norris: The government is committed to promoting economic growth in all parts of the country including coastal communities. It has introduced a new, targeted approach to support regional growth, tackle deprivation, and restore pride to communities. These new programmes are just one component of the government’s strategy, which also includes the publishing of the Industrial Strategy; and the expansion of devolution.

MHCLG Area Teams will continue to work with local stakeholders to understand challenges and opportunities from across all communities, reflecting these into the relevant government departments and policy teams.

On 19 May, Defra launched the “Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund” that will invest £360 million over the next 12 years to help support the UK fishing industry and revitalise coastal communities. Defra will be engaging with stakeholders to understand how to target this funding where it matters most.

MHCLG will continue to work with Cornwall Council and its partners to encourage the further development of Cornish culture and heritage. This will follow up work including the funding of £500,000 for Cornish language and culture as part of Cornwall’s Devolution Deal in 2023.
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Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with (a) Hertfordshire County Council and (b) the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service on safety at Traveller sites in the context of the fire at Redbourn’s Ver Meadows Travellers site on 12 July 2025. \p Alex Norris: The government continues to be updated on the recovery plan following the incident via the Recovery Coordinating Group (RCG) which includes representatives from Hertfordshire County Council, St Albans District Council and the fire and rescue service.

An independent fire investigation, requested by Hertfordshire County Council, will be shared in due course, and we will carefully consider any findings.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to publish regular reports on the outcomes of the fast track process of the Building Safety Regulator. \p Alex Norris: The new Fast Track process established within the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) will launch on 4 August and will initially focus on new-build applications before being broadened to include other application categories once the effectiveness of the process has been proven.

The Fast Track process will expedite the building control process by bringing in expertise in-house, whilst still assuring the delivery of safe, high-quality buildings. BSR has increased the level of feedback and two-way discussion with applicants and is also approving applications with requirements in appropriate circumstances thereby enabling work to commence whilst still ensuring building regulations compliance will be demonstrated.

BSR is now publishing regular data which sets out application volumes and processing times. These datasets can be found here: Building Safety Regulator building control approval application data October 2023 to March 2025 - GOV.UK.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 64088 on Civil Servants: London Allowance, what her Department's policy is on paying London weighting to staff living in Hertfordshire. \p Alex Norris: MHCLG has separate National pay ranges and London pay ranges. Whether an individual is paid via the National or London pay range is based on the office they are formally assigned to. The MHCLG London pay range is only applicable to colleagues formally assigned to 2 Marsham St and MHCLG’s Hemel Hempstead office.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued recent guidance to local authorities on public right of access to privately-owned public spaces that are owned by (a) private companies and (b) local authorities through a private company. \p Matthew Pennycook: My Department has not issued guidance in relation to this matter.
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Rosie Duffield:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether it is her Department's policy that all planning decisions should adhere to the Mitigation and Conservation Hierarchy. \p Matthew Pennycook: The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that when determining planning applications, local planning authorities should apply the principle that if significant harm to biodiversity resulting from a development cannot be avoided, adequately mitigated, or, as a last resort, compensated for, then planning permission should be refused.

Any mitigation or compensation would be set out in planning conditions and obligations associated with the relevant planning permission, enabling local planning authorities to monitor the development's implementation and, if necessary, take enforcement action.

More widely, the government is clear that the current approach to discharging environmental obligations is too often delaying and deterring development and placing unnecessary burdens on housebuilders and local authorities. It requires housebuilders to pay for localised and often costly mitigation measures, only to maintain the environmental status quo. By not taking a holistic view across larger geographies, mitigation measures often fail to secure the best outcomes for the environment.

The Nature Restoration Fund provided for by Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will end this sub-optimal arrangement. By facilitating a more strategic approach to the discharge of environmental obligations, in order to address the impact of development and improve the conservation status of the relevant environmental feature, it will streamline the delivery of new homes and infrastructure and result in improved environmental outcomes being delivered more efficiently.

In establishing an alternative to the existing system, the Nature Restoration Fund intentionally provides flexibility to diverge from a restrictive application of the mitigation hierarchy. We believe this flexibility should apply where, in Natural England's expert judgement, this would be appropriate and in line with the overarching objective of delivering better outcomes for the relevant environmental feature over the course of the EDP - including conservative measures being delivered at a different site to where the development impacts are being felt.

There will be a continued role for the mitigation hierarchy in the design of Environmental Delivery Plans, ensuring that local conservation measures are preferred unless there is a clearly articulated environmental basis to look further afield.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice,what the backlog in County Court cases is in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, and what steps her Department is taking to tackle it. \p Sarah Sackman: It is not possible to measure ‘backlog’ within the County Courts due to the nature of Civil claims with many claims settling between parties. The pace of such cases is very often determined by the choices and behaviour of the parties.

Our focus across Hertfordshire is to progress the cases in as timely a way as possible whilst balancing the individual circumstances and needs of each case. The Designated Family Judge and Designated Civil Judge along with HM Courts & Tribunals Service, have implemented robust listing and case progression initiatives. Cases are reviewed so that court hearing time is maximised, waiting times are reduced and matters that are suitable for the hearing to be brought forward are prioritised. This is achieved by utilising courtroom capacity that becomes available from other cases resolving.
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Dr Kieran Mullan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason she has increased legal aid for immigration cases. \p Sarah Sackman: Legal aid for immigration cases is important to maintaining an effective immigration and asylum system. Legal aid can play a vital role in ensuring the smooth running of the courts, by providing timely advice to the individuals concerned, reducing the likelihood of delays and adjournments and helping to tackle court backlogs. Hourly rates for immigration work have not been uplifted since 1996, but, following the Review of Civil Legal Aid, and a consultation on increasing fees for those working in the housing and debt and immigration and asylum sectors, we are taking action to uplift those fees given the particularly acute pressures facing these sectors.

This investment will help the Government deliver commitments to reduce the asylum backlog, end hotel use, increase returns and ensure the most vulnerable – such as victims of modern slavery and human trafficking - can navigate a complex legal system and access justice.
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Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 36526 on Legal Ombudsman, what steps her Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) resolve complaint cases awaiting investigation for more than four years; and whether the Legal Ombudsman has a procedure for prioritising those cases where delay may cause further harm to the complainant. \p Sarah Sackman: The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operate independently of government. The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) is the independent body responsible for administering the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) Scheme and the Legal Services Board (LSB), in its role as oversight regulator, has statutory duties in relation to monitoring the OLC.

My officials have engaged with the LeO, which has advised that, at present, it has no complaints that have been waiting four or more years for allocation for investigation. There are two cases where initial contact with the LeO occurred over four years ago, but where enquiries were either premature (not previously responded to by the legal provider, as required by legislation) or lacked sufficient information to proceed.

The LeO has also advised it operates a policy for prioritising cases where a continued delay is likely to have an adverse impact on the complainant, such as cases involving vulnerability, significant medical issues or a required reasonable adjustment.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the civil justice system for litigants in person. \p Sarah Sackman: This Government is committed to ensuring access to justice for all, whether people have legal representation or not. The Ministry of Justice is providing over £6 million of grant funding in 2025-26 to 60 organisations to improve access to free legal support and information, both in-person and online. This includes support for Litigants in Person (LiPs) to help them navigate the justice system effectively, including preparation for court and support at court.

Judges have a duty to ensure a fair trial by giving LiPs assistance, helping to ensure that LiPs are treated equally before the law. Guidance and rules sets out how the judiciary engage with LiPs, including the Equal Treatment Bench Book and Practice Direction 1A of the Civil Procedure Rules. LiPs can request supportive measures including reasonable adjustments, and interpreters at court. They can request to bring their own supporter such as a friend/family member. New digital services built under the Reform programme have been designed to be simple, accessible, and easy to use for LiPs.

The Government will continue to take steps to understand and improve LiPs’ experience of the civil justice system through Public User engagement Groups, research and feedback surveys.
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John Lamont:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to introduce mandatory reporting on overseas funding used for third-party litigation. \p Sarah Sackman: The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council review of litigation funding, which will help inform the approach to potential reforms. We are carefully considering the recommendations made in the review and will outline next steps in due course.
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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of cases awaiting trial at Truro Crown Court in the last 12 months. \p Sarah Sackman: This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. We have funded a record-high allocation of Crown Court sitting days – 110,000 days this financial year, 4,000 more than the previous Government – to tackle the outstanding caseload.

However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days alone can achieve.

This is why we commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to undertake an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts to consider the merits of longer-term reform and the efficiency of processes in the criminal courts. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals in more detail before setting out the Government’s full response to the report in the autumn.

At the end of March 2025 there were 373 open cases at Truro Crown Court. 328 of these were "for trial" cases, up from 191 the previous year.

Truro continues to maximise the use of Crown Court estate to increase the number of cases sat. In June 2025 Crown Court appeals were heard at Truro magistrates’ court to reduce the appeal backlog, whilst also maintaining trials at Truro Crown Court.

Further information regarding caseload trends can be found in the published statistics which can be found here: Criminal court statistics quarterly: January to March 2025 - GOV.UK
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Dr Kieran Mullan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of legal aid was spent on foreign nationals appealing deportation decisions in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 so far. \p Sarah Sackman: This information requested is not held centrally.
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Dr Kieran Mullan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her policy to utilise all court sitting days made available by the Lady Chief Justice in the (a) 2026–27, (b) 2027–28 and (c) 2028–29 financial years. \p Sarah Sackman: The Lord Chancellor will begin the Concordat process with the judiciary in due course, and this is how sitting days will be allocated. The Lord Chancellor has been clear she is committed to tackling the outstanding caseload, but the number of sitting days allocated is just one factor in achieving this. The Lord Chancellor must be mindful of managing the wider system capacity—the availability not just of judges to sit in the Crown court but of the lawyers, prosecutors, legal aid and defence barristers that underpin the rest of the system.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many physical attacks there have been on judges in the last five years. \p Sarah Sackman: The Secretary of State for Justice regards Judicial Office Holders’ safety with great importance. There are robust security and safety systems at court/tribunals to protect all court users and the department works with the Police and Judicial Office to deliver effective judicial security outside of court and online.

Physical attacks on Judicial Office holders are incredibly rare. There have been two instances in the past five years. When serious incidents such as these do occur, they are subject to robust investigations to ensure lessons are learnt to prevent recurrence and ensure all security and safety risks are managed to as low a level as reasonably practicable. Over £20m in additional funding in 25/26 has been allocated to a programme of works to further strengthen existing physical and online security arrangements.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that dynamic alignment with EU law does not undermine UK judicial independence. \p Sarah Sackman: As outlined in the Common Understanding from the UK-EU Summit, the UK will have a joint role in shaping any new rules governing our relationship with the EU. In specific areas this will mean aligning our shared obligations to facilitate better trade and increased security. However, no rules will apply in the UK without Parliament’s agreement and any disputes will be done by international arbitration.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will only have a role with regards the interpretation of EU law, in the same way that UK judges remain the independent interpreters of UK law. The Government remains unequivocally committed to the independence of the judiciary. We will continually work to ensure that any cooperation with the EU, including alignment where appropriate, respects the UK’s constitutional framework and preserves the independence of our judiciary.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using nano needles to detect cancers. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department looks at opportunities to utilise technology to improve diagnostic performance and bring down cancer waiting times. We are committed to backing an innovative clinical research ecosystem in the United Kingdom so that patients can be among the first to benefit as we make the National Health Service fit for the future.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has not currently made a specific assessment of the potential merits of using nanoneedles to detect cancers.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of long-term exposure to PFAS in drinking water on public health. \p Ashley Dalton: An evaluation of the evidence on polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) toxicity is ongoing through the Committee on Toxicity.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has contributed to an expert advisory group recommendation to the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) on the introduction of a regulatory limit of 0.1 micrograms per litre for the sum of 48 individual PFAS to protect public health. The Advisory Group Recommendations are available at the following link:

https://dwi-production-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/28110805/Recommendations-and-full-report-of-the-advisory-group-Dec-2024.pdf

This is in line with the recent DWI March 2025 Guidance. This will limit exposures through drinking water, and thus any potential impact. The Guidance is available at the following link:

https://dwi-production-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/24141825/DWI_PFAS-Guidance_Mar_2025.pdf
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS 10 Year Plan, published on 3 July 2025, whether (a) parents will be able to access the NHS App on behalf of their (i) children and (ii) young people and( b) data collected through the NHS App will be shared with third parties. \p Karin Smyth: General practice (GP) surgeries can give someone secure access to another patient's GP services via the NHS App, so that they can help them manage their health and care. This is done through a proxy linked account.

Patients’ health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning. However, patients can view or change their national data opt-out choice at any time.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of drug treatment services have fewer than 24 months of secured funding. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for greater certainty regarding funding and the ability to set clear budgets.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet these needs. It is also the responsibility of local authorities to set the length of the contracts with services.

To better support upper tier and unitary local authorities’ vital public health work, from 2026/27 we will bring together over £4 billion of public health funding for local government, by consolidating service specific grants into the Public Health Grant. It is our intention to publish indicative Public Health Grant funding alongside the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year, with final multi-year local authority Public Health Grant allocations published early in the new year. This will give local authorities more advanced notice of their total funding allocations, further empowering them to plan more effectively and better manage their services.

Alongside the funding allocations, the Department and NHS England have also published a 10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, from 2024 to 2034, which is the first national workforce plan for this specialist part of the health workforce in England and outlines key milestones to grow, train, and develop staff.
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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to increase the amount of money available to people using the Healthy Start scheme, in the context of increases in the cost of (a) fruit, (b) vegetables, (c) infant formula and (d) other essential items. \p Ashley Dalton: Healthy Start is a demand-led, statutory scheme and aims to support those in greatest need. We recently announced in Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan that we will uplift the value of weekly payments by 10%, boosting the ability to buy healthy food for those families who need it most. From April 2026, pregnant women and children aged over one years old and under four years old will each receive £4.65 per week, up from £4.25, and children under one years old will receive £9.30 per week, up from £8.50.
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Uma Kumaran:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Cancer Plan will include measures to ensure earlier diagnosis. \p Ashley Dalton: Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

The National Cancer Plan, due to be published later this year, will build on the shifts in care set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to diagnose cancers earlier. Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it easier for people to access cancer screening, diagnostics, and treatment in patients’ local areas, backed by the latest technology. We will increase participation in screening programmes through taking innovative approaches like self-sampling for cervical screening and digital booking.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including 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.
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Jack Rankin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representatives his Department plans to send to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Eleventh Session of the Conference of Parties by (a) job title and (b) name. \p Ashley Dalton: The World Health Organization Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control will take place in Geneva from Monday 17 to Saturday 22 November.

The United Kingdom’s delegation will consist of officials from the Department of Health and Social Care, as is usual practice for this conference.

A decision on who will attend is yet to be made. However, it is departmental policy not to name officials below Senior Civil Service grades who attend these events.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Healthy food revolution to tackle obesity epidemic, published on 29 June 2025, whether he has had discussions with the hospitality sector on mandatory food reporting. \p Ashley Dalton: As we set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.

Businesses, including in the restaurant sector, have told us that they need the Government to help create a level playing field to make healthier choices more commercially viable. We will continue to work closely with industry, including the hospitality sector, and the Food Strategy Advisory Board, and will set out next steps shortly.

With measures like mandatory business targets, we are moving to a more strategic, outcomes-based approach focussing on reducing unhealthy food consumption whilst giving businesses freedom in how to achieve this.  This is consistent with our approach towards growth, while also helping us create a health service fit for the future through our Plan for Change.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Jack Rankin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to promote the UK’s Swap to Stop scheme at the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Eleventh Session of the Conference of Parties. \p Ashley Dalton: The health advice is clear, that whilst vapes can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and non-smokers should never vape. The Swap to Stop scheme is a national smoking cessation programme through which the Department provides adult smokers access to free vape start kits alongside behavioural support to help them quit.

The Government has regularly set out our position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will do so at the next conference in Geneva in November 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_83

Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the 10 Year Health Plan supports people with (a) arthritis and (b) other long-term conditions. \p Ashley Dalton: The three shifts outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with arthritis, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.

In addition, by 2028/29, neighbourhood health teams will be organised around the needs of their patients. The plan will create joined-up working across hospitals and into community settings with multi-disciplinary teams who can provide wrap-around support services.

By 2030, one million patients with long-term conditions will be offered Personal Health Budgets, which will enable them to use National Health Service resources and determine the care that best suits their needs.

Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through the My Specialist section on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support. The NHS App will provide access to advice, guidance, self-care support, and appointment management. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access to and preference over the services they need.

As part of the NHS App, My Medicines will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and My Health will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_84

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 54908 on Fast Food, whether sandwiches for consumption off the premises are deemed to be fast food. \p Ashley Dalton: In February 2025, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities published data on fast food outlets per 100,000 population. In this analysis, fast food was described as “food that is energy dense and available quickly, usually via a counter service, and for consumption on or off the premises”. This definition covers a range of outlets selling foods, including, but not limited to:

It is for local planning authorities, when receiving a planning application, to consider whether, given the type of food and service to be provided at the location proposed, they consider the outlet to be either a hot food takeaway or a fast food outlet.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_85

Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data (a) his Department and (b) NHS England hold on the number of (i) Sikh and (ii) Jewish people with late stage cancer diagnoses. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England, as the national cancer registry, collects and analyses diagnosis and treatment data on cancer patients in England. The religion of patients is not collected or stored by the NDRS. Further information on the NDRS is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Public Health England guidance entitled Use of e-cigarettes in public places and workplaces, published in July 2016, whether it remains his policy to treat vaping differently from cigarette smoking when determining policies on (a) outdoor and (b) indoor consumption. \p Ashley Dalton: Our health advice is clear that whilst vapes can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and adult non-smokers should never vape. The evidence on second-hand vaping is still developing and whilst the harm will be lower than smoking, the degree of harm is unlikely to be zero.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill gives the Government powers to make most public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free. Many places have already done this voluntarily. Exactly which settings should become vape-free will be a matter for secondary legislation and will be subject to a full consultation.

For the future regulations, we are considering including indoor settings which are currently subject to existing smoke-free legislation, such as pubs and restaurants, and outdoor spaces where high numbers of children and young people are present, for example, children’s playgrounds and schools. We are not specifically looking at banning vaping at outdoor bus stops and we have not conducted any assessments on this at this current moment in time.

We will follow the evidence and want to hear the views of the public, public health stakeholders, and businesses as part of our consultation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that highly specialised national services for patients with (a) rare diseases and (b) complex surgical needs will continue to be (i) commissioned and (ii) managed at a national level following the abolition of NHS England. \p Ashley Dalton: Working under the ‘UK Rare Diseases Framework’, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases.

Ministers and senior DHSC officials are working with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead the formation of a new joint centre. Whilst this transformation takes place, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds and will work collaboratively to put plans in place to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support research into antimicrobial resistance in relation to sepsis treatment. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Over the past five years, the NIHR has allocated over £6 million in programme funding to support research into antimicrobial resistance in relation to sepsis treatment. The funded research studies multiple aspects of sepsis treatment, including optimising treatment for sepsis and investigating the impact of antibiotics in patients with sepsis.

The Department also funds sepsis research through investment in NIHR infrastructure. For example, NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) support translational research, to move scientific discoveries toward patient benefit. The NIHR Sheffield BRC is conducting research to better understand how different blood components contribute to the development of sepsis, to improve patient outcomes and identify potential targets for new sepsis treatments.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including into antimicrobial resistance in relation to sepsis treatment. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. The NIHR supports translational and applied research, working closely with the life sciences industry, medical research charities, and UK Research and Innovation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_89

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of babies born with rare diseases in the first half of (a) 2025 and (b) 2024. \p Ashley Dalton: Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases. Digital data and technology are an underpinning theme of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) is part of NHS England and manages two disease registration services, including the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS). The NCARDRS records those people with congenital abnormalities and rare diseases across the whole of England. Further information on the NDRS and the NCARDRS is available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrs

Currently, there is no single rare disease registry. The NDRS can access information from the Newborn screening programme, which enables early identification, referral, and treatment of babies with nine rare but serious conditions. The NDRS also approaches services for access to patient data for other rare conditions, but this is not blanket coverage at this stage. There are a number of rare diseases registries, some funded via NHS England, and some via industry or charities. Due to this, NDRS records would not be a full picture of everyone born with a rare disease.