Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of creating a Minister for Coastal Communities to oversee a coastal strategy.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

There are no current plans to create a Minister for Coastal Communities.

As Minister for Local Growth, I am responsible for regional growth nationwide and recognise that coastal communities can make a contribution to growth.

The Plan for Neighbourhoods will support regeneration across the country including in many of our cherished coastal communities.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how he plans to update industry stakeholders on the progress of the expert working groups on (a) transparency, (b) licensing and (c) other technical standards mandated by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has committed to establishing expert stakeholder working groups to inform the development of policy on copyright and AI.

The Government is currently finalising plans for the stakeholder working groups and will publish information relating to this group on GOV.UK, which will include further details and a list of working group members.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how he plans to update hon. Members on the progress of the expert working groups on (a) transparency, (b) licensing and (c) other technical standards mandated by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has committed to establishing expert stakeholder working groups to inform the development of policy on copyright and AI.

The Secretaries of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are convening the first meeting of these stakeholder working groups on 16^th July. Information relating to this group will be published on GOV.UK, which will include further details and a list of working group members.

The Government has also committed to set up a Parliamentary working group for members to engage with and feed views into this process.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress his Department has made on the expert working groups on (a) transparency, (b) licensing and (c) other technical standards mandated by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has committed to establishing expert stakeholder working groups to inform the development of policy on copyright and AI.

In line with debates in Parliament on the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, the Secretaries of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are convening the first meeting of these stakeholder working groups on 16^th July. The Government will publish details and a list of working group members in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the National Institute for Health and Care Research Delivery Network’s new national funding model on reducing the variation in regional funding.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In 2026/27, the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Research Delivery Network will adopt a new national funding model. Historically, each Regional Research Delivery Network has a different model for how delivery organisations receive their funding, agreed through regional governance arrangements. This has led to geographic variation and inconsistency. The ambition for April 2026 is to remove variation in how regional funding is awarded. This will be achieved via a nationally agreed, consistent funding distribution model across England, where funding is allocated in a more transparent, fair, and predictable system that supports the Government’s aims and the needs of the whole health and care system, including underserved areas and settings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS hospitals can access electronic versions of medical reference books.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to enabling National Health Service hospitals to access high-quality electronic knowledge resources, including medical reference books, so that the right knowledge and evidence can be used to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.

The Knowledge for Healthcare 2021-26 strategic framework for NHS funded knowledge and library services in England was launched in January 2021 by Health Education England, now part of NHS England.

Individual NHS trusts should ensure that their staff have access to the resources they need to undertake their jobs, including where necessary electronic reference books.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to help support libraries to purchase e-books.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires all local authorities to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.

It is for each local authority to determine its stock management policy, including which books, audiobooks, e-books, e-audiobooks and other materials, are made available for the benefit of its residents. We expect library collections to be provided in a variety of formats.

The Government welcomes continued developments from the public library sector on e-licensing and e-book lending. Arts Council England funded Libraries Connected to deliver a pilot project to explore mutual benefits of increasing the affordability and availability of ebooks in public libraries. A project summary report was published in February 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support (a) Danes Dyke surgery in Scarborough and (b) other GP practices with (a) population growth and (b) capacity constraints.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there is sufficient general practice (GP) provision in each local area, taking into account of population growth and demographic changes.

At a national level, the Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that all new and existing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure for the community.

The Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) advise that in North Scarborough, a total of £339,766 of Section 106 funding has been secured from housing developments to support Scarborough Medical Group and Hackness Road Surgery. Of this funding, £138,298 is currently available, and formal plans for its use are still in development. The remaining funding will become available within the next two to four years.

A Project Initiation Document, to better understand a new build proposal and the associated financial implications, has been shared by the proposed landlord with Danes Dyke Surgery. The ICB expects to receive a copy in due course. In the meantime, the GP partners, as the legal owners of Dane’s Dyke Surgery’s current premises, have undertaken some remedial works to help extend the building’s usability in the short term. Responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of the existing premises lies with the GP partners, in accordance with their legal obligations.

Danes Dyke Surgery is responsible for maintaining an up-to-date business continuity plan and for minimising any disruption to patient care. The ICB will support the practice with their communication of this plan. The Humber and North Yorkshire ICB is continuing to work closely with all stakeholders and is doing everything within its remit to support progress and explore viable options for the future.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jonathan Davies; Mary Glindon; Alison Hume;