theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) condition and (b) ecological quality of woodlands in Fylde constituency. \p Mary Creagh: This Government recognises the importance of woodland management to improve the condition and ecological quality of woodlands. We are helping owners manage their woodlands by providing Countryside Stewardship woodland management planning grants, infrastructure grants, and woodland improvement as well as supplements for deer and grey squirrel impact management.

Through the Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Funds, grant funding has been made available to stimulate the development and testing of new ideas that can help improve the ecological condition of woodlands.

Grants are demand led, and we do not measure uptake at constituency level.
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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce the (a) number and (b) duration of sewage discharges into waterways in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency. \p Emma Hardy: For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.

The Government remains committed to reducing both the frequency and duration of storm overflow spills, in line with the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan (SODRP). The SODRP will eliminate ecological harm from all storm sewage discharges by 2050.

The Water (Special Measures) Act is introducing independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish real-time data for all emergency overflows. Discharges will have to be reported within an hour of the initial spill. This will match the pre-existing duty for storm overflows. This will meet the Government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.

Furthermore, the Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will recommend reforms to reset the water sector. The Independent Water Commission: interim report was released on 03 June 2025. Final recommendations will be published this summer and presented to both the UK and Welsh Governments.

As part of Price Review 2024 (2025-30), Northumbrian Water is investing £1.1 billion to reduce storm overflow spills by 28% by investing in 159 spill reduction schemes. As part of this cycle, 23 investigations and asset improvements are planned across the Newcastle upon Tyne and Wallsend constituency.
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Claire Hughes:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to help protect communities vulnerable to flooding. \p Emma Hardy: This Government knows and understands how devastating the impact of flooding is to communities and so we are committed to protecting homes and businesses around the country.

Just this week, we announced the largest flooding programme in history. As part of our landmark Infrastructure Strategy, we have committed a record £7.9 billion over ten years to protect hundreds of thousands of homes, small businesses, and vital infrastructure from the growing threat of flooding.
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Danny Kruger:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect rare bird breeds from avian influenza in the Salisbury Plain Special Protection Area. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government has implemented outbreak structures to control and eradicate avian influenza, which will reduce impacts on wildlife.

We have also decided not to issue a general licence for gamebird releases on Special Protection Areas such as Salisbury Plain, to help protect our internationally important bird populations from avian influenza.
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Tracy Gilbert:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase food security. \p Daniel Zeichner: We are investing over £2.7 billion a year in farming and nature recovery, cutting EU export costs for food producers, and ensuring farmers are well-placed to bid for a fair share of public sector food contracts.

We will make reforms to ensure farmers receive fair payment for food production and have appointed former National Farmers Union president and cross-bench peer Baroness Minette Batters to review barriers to farming profitability.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether his Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p Ian Murray: We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of the train line between Aberystwyth and Birmingham International in the last 12 months; and whether she plans to allocate funding to improve (a) services and (b) rolling stock on that line in the next 12 months. \p Simon Lightwood: Services and rolling stock on this line are the responsibility of Transport for Wales. My officials meet regularly with TfW to agree performance improvement actions on this cross-border route.

Building on the recent UK Government funded upgrade of the line’s signalling system to support the intended introduction of new trains, and the investment plans detailed in the recent Spending Review, we will continue to work collaboratively with the Welsh Government to further develop services on routes across Wales and the Borders
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49771 on Parking: Fines, if she will publish the (a) correspondence and (b) research. \p Lilian Greenwood: The research into the effectiveness of current civil parking penalty charge levels was carried out by the Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London organisation in concert with the British Parking Association, and with the support of the Local Government Association. Dissemination of this research, which was not commissioned by the Department for Transport, and associated correspondence with the Department, is a matter for those organisations.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) local councils and (b) other local government bodies on using existing powers to (i) restrict and (ii) enforce restrictions on pavement parking. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Secretary of State has not had discussions with local councils or other local government bodies on the issue of pavement parking. The Department held a consultation in 2020 and has been considering the responses to the consultation and working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. In so doing, the Department has been seeking to find an optimal solution to this complex issue which is consistent with the Government’s wider aims and objectives. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response shortly.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, and pursuant to the Answers of 12 December 2024 and 26 March 2025 to Questions 18360 and 38989 on Transport: Infrastructure and A12: Repairs and Maintenance, if she will make funding available for the (a) A12 widening scheme and (b) A120 dualling scheme. \p Lilian Greenwood: As the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 11 June 2025, this Government will deliver notable improvements to people’s everyday travel by providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve roads across the country. We will provide updates on specific schemes in due course.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will list the policies she has adopted from the previous Government's document entitled Plan for Drivers, published 2 October 2023. \p Lilian Greenwood: “The Plan for Drivers” was published by the previous government; the Department is focused on actions that will make a positive difference for drivers in the light of this Government’s priorities. These include providing £1.6bn enabling councils to fill 7 million potholes and collaborating with the British Parking Association to make paying for parking easier.

In addition, we are delivering those measures in the Plan that help ensure smoother journeys, including incentivising roadworks to be finished promptly by extending overrun charges to weekends, and supporting the transition to electric vehicles by streamlining the approval process for works to install public chargepoints.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a record of all full deck replacements of s-joint bridges in England. \p Lilian Greenwood: National Highways have advised that the below half-joint structures are planned to have a full deck replacement: (this is assuming that the reference to a s-joint structure is similar to that of National Highways definition of half-joint structure)

A47 Great Ouse - Kings Lynn

M67 St Annes Road

M53 Upton Road

M53 Clatterbridge North

M53 Clatterbridge South

M53 Raby Hall Road

M6 Tebay

M6 Castle Howe

M6 Roundthwaite

M6 Jeffreys

M6/A685 Lawtland House Rly

M6 Borrowbeck Viaduct

M6 High Gill North

M6 High Gill South

M6 Galloper Well

A27 Pook Lane

A21 Old Cock footbridge
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Kevin Bonavia:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to reduce the backlog of driving tests. \p Lilian Greenwood: On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

Since this announcement DVSA has:

Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made on rural bus accessibility to identify communities underserved by public transport in North Shropshire constituency. \p Simon Lightwood: The government recognises the importance of accessible, frequent and affordable bus services in keeping communities connected. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including in North Shropshire.

In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Shropshire Council has been allocated £4.4 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming around £900 million each year from 26/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services.
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Saqib Bhatti: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. \p Simon Lightwood: 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.
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Leigh Ingham:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what correspondence her Department has had with Fenland District Council on their decision not to permit the passage of the Terra Marique barge on the River Nene between Sutton Bridge and Wisbech. \p Mike Kane: The Department sought clarification from Fenland District Council of its decision not to permit passage, and the Council confirmed that its decision had been made on the basis of a risk assessment by qualified advisers. The Department remains committed to its ‘water-preferred’ abnormal load movement policy.
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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the Mayor of London on proposed costs for upgrades to the Central Line's fleet of trains. \p Simon Lightwood: Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and TfL, and decisions on capital spend and investment are for him to make, including the almost £2.2bn of funding awarded for TfL through the Government’s Spending Review. My Department and I have regular discussions about transport interests in London.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to publish amended guidance on the enforcement of moving traffic offences. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department for Transport has no current plans to update its statutory guidance on moving traffic enforcement outside London.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 34050 on Railway Stations: Alconbury Weald, whether Network Rail plan to proceed with the proposed new East Coast Mainline Station at Alconbury Weald. \p Simon Lightwood: The outcomes from the Spending Review for East Coast Main Line investment are still being finalised but will be communicated shortly as part of the government’s commitment to set out its overall infrastructure strategy.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the merits of policy in (a) Denmark, (b) Germany and (c) other countries in increasing community energy. \p Michael Shanks: My Department regularly looks to good practice from other countries and will continue to build on those experiences and lessons learned as we jointly develop the Local Power Plan with Great British Energy.
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Uma Kumaran:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to protect leaseholders from paying for heat network remediation costs. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The rules of the Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) are still under development. They are designed to be proportionate, deliver better quality of service and to reduce consumer costs in the longer term. We plan to publish a consultation on HNTAS this summer. We are exploring options to support the sector, including leaseholders. Recognising that the availability of support will have a significant bearing on the sector’s ability to fund and achieve proposed HNTAS requirements, we encourage stakeholders to respond to the consultation once published.
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Uma Kumaran:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the (a) total and (b) per dwelling building remediation costs associated with the proposed Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The rules of the Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) are still under development, and it would be inappropriate to pre-emptively set out potential costs ahead of publishing our technical standards consultation and options assessment this summer.

To support the sector with remediation costs arising due to HNTAS, the Heat Networks Efficiency Scheme will deploy up to £75 million of capital grants and £2 million of revenue grants between 2023 and 2028.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to publish a national strategy on community energy. \p Michael Shanks: The Government recognises the importance of communities being at the heart of the energy transition and the benefits of communities owning energy infrastructure in their own community. Great British Energy will take forward the Local Power Plan and working alongside DESNZ to unlock regulatory changes will drive forward an expanded community energy sector across the UK. We will say more about the Local Power Plan in due course.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) the fishing sector is consulted and (b) the views of that sector are reflected in the (i) planning and (ii) approval process for offshore wind developments. \p Michael Shanks: The energy National Policy Statements (NPS) set out the consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). Developers are required by the Planning Act 2008 to conduct consultation with interested parties on their proposals. The NPS for renewable energy infrastructure (EN-3) provides specific guidance regarding offshore wind developments and consultation with the fishing sector, requiring applicants to undertake dialogue with the fishing industry during the planning and design of individual offshore wind farm and associated transmission proposals. Applicants are directed to guidance on best practice for fisheries liaison, which has been jointly agreed by the renewables industry and fishing community.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to publish clear guidance on the definition of community energy; what steps he is taking to tackle (a) capacity and (b) skills shortages in its development; and what steps he is taking to ensure that funding can be (i) accessed and (ii) utilised at local level. \p Michael Shanks: The Government recognises the role community energy plays in ensuring that the public benefits directly from the energy transition and, in partnership with Great British Energy (GBE), is taking steps to maximise that role, including exploring a definition for community energy which could provide clarity to a number of relevant stakeholders when engaging with community energy organisations.

GBE will supercharge existing support to local and community energy projects. To support stakeholders in accessing and deploying funding, GBE will also provide commercial, technical and project planning assistance, increasing capacity and capability to build a pipeline of successful projects in local areas.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing statutory Locally Determined Contributions; and what assessment he has made of the resources that would be required by local authorities to deliver them effectively. \p Kerry McCarthy: The Government recognises the important role of local places in driving action to help realise our national net zero targets. Local government has autonomy and flexibility in how they choose to deliver net zero, according to the varying needs and opportunities of each local area.

Government provides a range of support for local government to deliver net zero; for example, Great British Energy, our new publicly-owned energy company, will support local energy generation by partnering with local government to increase the roll-out of renewable energy projects. Government also funds the Local Net Zero Hubs which support local authorities across England to develop net zero projects and attract commercial investment, including through information and knowledge-sharing.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to improve the resilience of the electricity distribution network in (a) rural areas and (b) Kilham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. \p Michael Shanks: Energy resilience is important, including in rural areas. We work with the energy industry, regulators and other stakeholders to continually improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure. Great Britain has a highly resilient energy network, although disruptions can still occur. Network investments are funded by customers through network charges on their energy bills. Ofgem determine this funding through price controls accounting for a wide variety of factors.

We are working with Ofgem to provide funding to Distribution Network Operators to improve the service experienced by those customers who receive the poorest levels of performance.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 29262 on Insulation: Housing, if he will offer support for homes with faulty spray foam installed. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: There is no government financial assistance available to have insulation removed. Any measures fitted under government schemes must be fitted to the highest standards with issues promptly and properly rectified. In any instance where insulation is installed improperly under a government-backed scheme, consumers are entitled to remediation by their installer or, failing that, the insurance-backed guarantee at no cost to the consumer.

Installations of any insulation under current Government schemes must be installed in accordance with the PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 standards. The TrustMark website contains further guidance on how consumers can complain if things go wrong and the dispute resolution process: https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowners/if-things-go-wrong.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the update was of the Warm Home Discount Scheme in 2024 in each region. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The most recent uptake data for the Warm Home Discount is available in the publication: Warm Home Discount statistics, 2023 to 2024- gov.uk. The scheme for winter 2024/25 closed on 31 March 2025 and is expected to have supported over 3 million households. The Department will publish the official statistics for winter 2024/25 on 26 June 2025.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 29262 on Insulation: Housing, if he will take legislative steps to ensure access to mortgage facilities for people purchasing homes with spray foam insulation. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The insulation, lending, and surveying communities published protocols in March 2023 to support surveyors to assess spray foam, provide reassurance to lenders, and inform consumers. We understand from lenders that in general they follow the advice of surveyors and that most no longer have blanket policies.

The government cannot comment on the decisions made by individual lenders. However, the presence of spray foam should not automatically prevent lending, and decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis following a survey. Whilst one lender may be unable to offer a mortgage to a customer, this does not prevent them from being offered credit elsewhere.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 29262 on Insulation: Housing, if he will publish data on the number of homes using the warm homes grant to date. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Department publishes Household Energy Efficiency Statistics. The detailed annual reports provide breakdowns of measures installed under various government support schemes. These date back to 2015 and are available at GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/household-energy-efficiency-national-statistics).

Warm Homes: Local Grant and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund schemes began in April 2025. Statistics on the delivery of these schemes will be published in due course.
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Andrew Bowie:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of heat networks on infrastructure-led economic growth. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The deployment of heat networks is predicted to have a positive impact on economic growth in the UK, however a full assessment of the scale of growth has not yet been undertaken. We will set out our long-term plans for heat networks in the Warm Homes Plan later this year, including the important role that they will play in achieving net zero, and in promoting economic growth.
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Andrew Bowie:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of heat networks in achieving the UK’s net zero targets as part of the 10-year Infrastructure Strategy. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government recognises that to achieve net-zero we will need to ensure all technologies including heat networks are able to meet their potential. The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy will reduce uncertainty by bringing together a long-term plan for the social, economic and housing infrastructure across the UK. This will include clean energy sectors, which include heat networks. We will set out our long-term plans for heat networks in the Warm Homes Plan later this year, including the important role that they will play in achieving net zero, and in promoting local economic growth.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that rural and off-grid communities are fully integrated into the UK’s grid transition. \p Michael Shanks: Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) are upgrading local electricity distribution networks to enable the decarbonisation of households and businesses across Great Britain, including in rural areas. For the current electricity distribution price control (2023-2028), Ofgem have allowed £22.2bn of upfront investment, including £3.1bn for network upgrades for low-carbon technologies. Regional Energy Strategic Plans will consider local area energy requirements and will inform DNO investment plans for the next electricity distribution price control (2028-2033), ensuring timely reinforcement of local electricity networks for rural communities.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to introduce additional regulatory mechanisms to ensure the financial viability of community energy schemes under the Great British Energy Bill. \p Michael Shanks: The Government recognises the role community groups play in our efforts to tackle climate change. In March, we published a response to a consultation, started by the previous government, on the barriers to community energy. We will learn from the responses to the consultation to inform our future work on community energy.

The Government also recognises requests to take steps to better enable local energy markets. The Secretary of State previously commissioned Ofgem to explore the policy and regulatory barriers and solutions for the community energy sector. The energy industry has also been working to make changes to industry rules to support local trade of energy, including modification P442 of the Balancing and Settlement Code, which came into effect in February 2025. The Department is working closely with Ofgem and other key stakeholders to develop this work further.
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Brian Leishman:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the oil and gas industry on the effectiveness of the industry's processes for developing safety standards for offshore oil and gas workers. \p Michael Shanks: Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of adopting a spatial energy planning approach to better align land use planning with net zero objectives. \p Michael Shanks: In October 2024, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, jointly commissioned the National Energy System Operator to develop a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP): the first ever spatial energy plan for Great Britain, to support a more actively planned approach to energy infrastructure across both land and sea. The SSEP will help bring about an efficient and net zero consistent energy system and provide greater clarity to industry, investors, consumers and the public. The plan’s methodology was published in May 2025, with the SSEP due to be published in 2026.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p Hilary Benn: We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_327
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_327

Esther McVey:To ask the Solicitor General, whether her Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p Lucy Rigby: We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_328
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_328

Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether her Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p Jo Stevens: We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_329
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_329

Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on plans for cross-border healthcare. \p Jo Stevens: I meet with the First Minister of Wales regularly to discuss a range of issues, including health. We are working in a spirit of genuine collaboration to do everything possible to cut waiting lists and build an NHS fit for the future.

A good example of our two Governments working together on health is the Interministerial Group (IMG) for Health and Social Care, which met on 30 April, chaired by the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. The IMG brought together Ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Devolved Governments to discuss shared priorities across health in the UK.

I welcome the news that waiting lists, including long waits, have fallen in recent months. These improvements come after we provided the Welsh Government with an additional £1.7 billion to invest in public services like the NHS at the Autumn Budget. An extra £600 million in funding has now been announced by the Welsh Government for health and social care in their Budget for 2025/26. Furthermore at the Spending Review last week, we announced a record £22.4 billion per year on average for the Welsh Government between 2026-27 and 2028-29, to invest in public services and drive down waiting lists. This is the largest budget settlement in the history of devolution.
wrans/answers2025-08-07 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-07 conversation_1

Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Israeli counterpart on the fuel blockade on Gaza; and if he will take diplomatic steps to ensure the entry of fuel into Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. Not enough aid is getting in and vital services such as water supplies, ambulances and hospitals are at risk of shutting down due to fuel shortages. On 12 July, the UN stated that fuel shortages in Gaza had reached a critical level. The small amounts that have been allowed to enter in recent days are nowhere near enough. We continue to call on Israel to allow for a full and unhindered resurgence in the flow of aid into Gaza and to allow the UN and humanitarian partners to operate in line with humanitarian principles. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 July, where he reiterated our concerns about the situation on the ground and pressed for a return to a ceasefire.
wrans/answers2025-08-07 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-07 conversation_2

Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has cooperated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation; whether his Department plans to cooperate with this organisation; and whether it is his policy that UK humanitarian aid support for Palestine should be delivered solely by (a) the UN and (b) established humanitarian partners. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK has not cooperated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and we will not cooperate with any aid delivery mechanism that does not fully respect humanitarian principles.

Since its inception, we have highlighted repeatedly our concerns that Israel's new mechanisms for aid delivery in Gaza places beneficiaries and aid workers at risk, undermines the role and independence of the UN and our trusted partners, and links humanitarian aid to political and military objectives. We continue to call on Israel to enable the UN and humanitarian non-governmental organisations to do their work safely and effectively, in line with the humanitarian principles.
wrans/answers2025-08-07 conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-07 conversation_3

Iqbal Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has cooperated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation; whether his Department plans to cooperate with this organisation; and whether it is his policy that UK humanitarian aid support for Palestine should be delivered solely by (a) the UN and (b) established humanitarian partners. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK has not cooperated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. We have been clear that we will not cooperate with any aid delivery mechanism that does not fully respect humanitarian principles. In a joint statement on 19 May with 26 partners, we highlighted our concerns that Israel's new mechanisms for aid delivery in Gaza place beneficiaries and aid workers at risk, undermine the role and independence of the UN and our trusted partners, and link humanitarian aid to political and military objectives. We continue to call on Israel to enable the UN and humanitarian non-governmental organisations to do their work safely and effectively, in line with the humanitarian principles.
wrans/answers2025-08-07 conversation_4
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-07 conversation_4

Sam Carling:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, how many rites of deliverances have been carried under Church of England deliverance ministry guidance in each of the last 10 years; and how many of these were children. \p Marsha De Cordova: This is not a matter for the National Church Institutions and no data or records on numbers or type of deliverance ministry cases are held centrally. The House of Bishops determines Guidelines for Deliverance Ministry and oversees resources and training for this ministry, but how deliverance ministry teams operate within dioceses is the responsibility of each individual diocesan bishop. The Church of England has published the following information on its website about best practice in this area, regarding safeguarding, which includes children, vulnerable adults or where an individual is thought to be suffering from a mental disorder. https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/safeguarding-e-manual/safeguarding-children-young-people-and-vulnerable-adults/section-41-deliverance-ministry
wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_1

Kevin Bonavia:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that victims of cardiac arrest are immediately referred to the cardiac rehabilitation programme. \p Ashley Dalton: In December 2024, to support local systems to commission high quality cardiac rehabilitation, NHS England published the document, Commissioning standards for cardiac rehabilitation. This document is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/commissioning-standards-for-cardiovascular-rehabilitation/

These standards of care complement the British Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation’s Standards and Core Components document, published in 2023, to support the delivery of high-quality care and adherence to evidenced-based practice. More information is available at the following link:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/66cc563eecc7a22020c7da6c/t/66ffa8f20aef5d0b272c6b0e/1728030962905/BACPR+Standards+and+Core+Components+2023.pdf

Patients who survive cardiac arrest and their families are supported through referral to local services within the National Health Service; this will include rehabilitation such as cardiac and neurological rehabilitation and mental health services for psychological support.

There are different pathways for cardiac arrest survivors, depending on the severity of the damage caused by the cardiac arrest. For people being discharged from secondary care and those with ischemic heart disease, namely myocardial infarction, cardiac rehabilitation services are available in every region. For this reason, the Government does not currently have plans to bring forward legislative proposals on this issue.
wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_2

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 53118 on NHS: Workplace Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing NHS Professionals under the direct control of his Department to allow bank employees access to the NHS Pension Scheme. \p Karin Smyth: NHS Professionals is constituted as a company that competes for business in a commercial market. The terms and conditions that it offers its employees, including access to pension schemes, are the equivalent to those of its market competitors. If access to the NHS Pension Scheme was provided, the company would be required to fully pass on any additional associated costs to its National Health Service customers. This would be counter to the Government’s ambition to eliminate agency use and reduce bank spend in the NHS.
wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_3

Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p Karin Smyth: We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_4
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_4

James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his oral statement of 13 March 2025 on NHS England Update, Official Report, column 1300, what recent steps he has taken to streamline the business case approvals process for the New Hospitals Programme. \p Karin Smyth: The New Hospital Programme is transforming the way that hospital infrastructure is constructed by using a national standardised approach, called Hospital 2.0. The average lifespan of new hospitals is expected to be in excess of 50 years, and is being designed in line with Hospital 2.0 principles, which will comply with regulatory building standards. This is the minimum expected lifespan, where some elements, such as the structure, will have a longer life expectancy, and other elements, such as internal doors, fixtures, and flooring, may need to be replaced after approximately 15 years. The lifespan of each individual hospital can vary based on external factors such as environmental conditions, maintenance, and usage.

The existing process for approving business cases has been agreed with the Department, NHS England, and HM Treasury, with the explicit purpose of clarifying roles and responsibilities, and where appropriate, delegating authority for faster approvals and for reducing duplication.
wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_5
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_5

Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Sikhs are employed in his Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group. \p Karin Smyth: In line with Office for National Statistics’ guidelines for collecting data on ethnic group, religion, and nationality, the Department records Sikhs as a religious group.

Employees of the Department are asked to self-declare diversity data, including on their religious group. Of these, 40 have declared as Sikh.