Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in considering options for future welfare reform, what steps they are taking to ensure that their policies on welfare, employment support and health services are aligned.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

At the heart of our reforms is the principle that those who can work should work. If you need help into work the government should support you and those who can’t work should be supported to live with dignity.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out reforms to both benefits and employment support. Underpinning the changes to benefits, such as rebalancing Universal Credit rates, is our new guarantee of Pathways to Work employment, health and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions. This brings our total investment for this group to £3.8 billion over this Parliament.

We understand that welfare, employment and health are connected – and that is why we are taking a cross-government approach as we deliver and develop our Plan for Change.

The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care have worked together on the 10 Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Health Plan will ensure a better health service for everyone, by setting out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for disabled people. Furthermore, it outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

We will continue to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, alongside other departments, as we develop our package of reforms in further detail and to ensure policies are aligned.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to ensure transparency in the use of facial recognition technology by the police.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government wants to ensure that facial recognition operates on a firm footing, providing maximum confidence to both the public and the police on the use of these tools. To that end, the Government has been listening carefully to stakeholders and partners and have held a series of roundtables with policing, civil society groups, regulators and others. Formal evaluation work on the impact of the technology is also underway, and we intend to set out our plans in the coming months.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to classify onshore wind farms as critical infrastructure to combat the theft of copper cabling from wind turbines.

Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

On 9 June 2025, the Government made legislation to reintroduce onshore wind into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime. Government has concluded that low carbon infrastructure entering the NSIP regime, including renewables such as onshore wind, should be deemed as critical national priority infrastructure. Security arrangements for onshore wind farms are a matter for individual developers.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to require cigarette manufacturers to switch to producing biodegradable butts.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Whilst the plastic component of filters is of concern, the chemicals, toxins and heavy metals contained within a littered cigarette butt also pose a danger to the environment. For this reason, Defra does not support a move to plastic-free or biodegradable filters which would likely contain the same pollutants and have not been shown to break down quicker if littered in the environment.

Tobacco litter remains a concern for Defra, with cigarette filters consistently scoring as the most littered item in surveys. Local authorities already have powers to punish those who litter them including through prosecution. They can also create smoke free areas through the use of Public Space Protection Orders.

Defra believes the best way to tackle littering of filters is through reductions in smoking rates. We therefore continue to support all initiatives designed to encourage people to quit smoking or prevent them from starting smoking. Indeed, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government is committed to creating a smoke-free generation, gradually ending the sale of tobacco products across the country and breaking the cycle of addiction and disadvantage.

We will continue to monitor the available evidence on the prevalence of littered cigarette filters before considering further action.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the National Cancer Plan will include measures to widen access to cancer screening programmes in deprived areas.

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

Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan, which 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, to drive up this country’s cancer survival rates. We will increase participation in screening programmes by taking innovative approaches like self-sampling for cervical screening and digital booking.

The National Cancer Plan, to be published later this year, will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis, as well as how we will prioritise screening programmes and improve participation, including participation from people in deprived areas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the expansion of prehabilitation and rehabilitation services in cancer care could (1) contribute to cost saving in the NHS, and (2) improve patient outcomes.

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

The Department and NHS England are taking a number of steps to support systems to deliver cost-effective, lifesaving prehabilitation and rehabilitation services. Local planning for prehabilitation and rehabilitation services is devolved to National Health Service trusts and Cancer Alliances in their locality.

NHS England has highlighted the positive impact of efficient prehabilitation and rehabilitation on cancer outcomes and the potential to lead to cost savings. The PRosPer Cancer Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation learning programme, launched in partnership between NHS England and Macmillan Cancer support, aims to support allied health professionals and the wider healthcare workforce in developing their skills in providing personalised care, prehabilitation, and rehabilitation in the cancer pathway.

The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will look at how we can improve patient outcomes, and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, including prehabilitation and rehabilitation services where appropriate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to implement automatic enrolment into smoking cessation programmes when people register for other NHS services or check-in to appointments.

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

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are committed to ensuring that all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has prioritised and put new funding out to integrated care boards for the rollout of tobacco dependence services in hospital settings, including acute and mental health inpatient settings and maternity services. Future funding decisions are subject to the Spending Review process.