Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the increase in energy prices and the tariffs on UK steel imports to the United States of America, when will the steel strategy be published.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to supporting the UK steel sector. We are cutting electricity costs for steel producers by reducing network charges via the British Industry Supercharger by 90%, up from 60%, as announced in our Industrial Strategy.

We are also ensuring the long-term viability and competitiveness of the sector through the steel strategy. A robust position on trade is a critical element of this strategy, underpinning our approach to defending against unfair practices and global overcapacity. We are prioritising developing robust measures in light of the UK steel safeguard expiring in June 2026 to protect our domestic sector and secure stable and reliable supply chains, and engaging with our partners. We will therefore publish the steel strategy in early 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of women's oral health in bridging the gap between prison care and community health services; and what part that will play in their renewed women's health strategy.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Women’s oral health matters for pain, nutrition, mental wellbeing, confidence and for safe resettlement. Although no assessment has been made, evidence shows higher unmet dental need in prisons. Prisoners often enter prison with higher rates of dental decay and oral disease than their peers in the community but with lower levels of treatment. This was most recently reviewed in “A survey of prison dental services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 2017 to 2018” published by Public Health England in 2019.

Our approach to tackling inequalities brings together the national prison dental specification, the Women’s Prisons Health and Social Care Review and the Women’s Health Strategy. We will strengthen trauma informed, preventative care in women’s prisons, promote pre-release dental planning wherever possible and use RECONNECT to support GP and dental appointments on release. RECONNECT offers liaison, advocacy and support to engage with community-based health services to help ensure health needs of people leaving prison are met. This helps improve treatment continuity and reduces inequalities between custody and community care.