Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of extreme weather events on critical infrastructure assets in the next five years.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The government is committed to working closely with Critical National Infrastructure operators to ensure resilience and preparedness.

Extreme weather events pose a serious risk to UK resilience, reflected in their inclusion in the National Risk Register. They are included in the Third National Adaptation Programme, which sets out government action to respond to impacts arising from climate change. These products consider risks over a 2-5 year timeframe and enable relevant bodies to undertake proportionate planning.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to publish the 10-year National Infrastructure Strategy; and whether she plans to adopt the recommendations of the National Infrastructure Commission’s National Infrastructure Assessment, published on 18 October 2023.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The government will publish a 10-year infrastructure strategy next spring alongside the 2025 Spending Review. This will set out the government’s long-term plans for infrastructure and address the recommendations of the National Infrastructure Commission’s Second National Infrastructure Assessment.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what her planned timetable is for the creation of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The government will introduce the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), which will combine the functions of the NIC and IPA and bring oversight of strategy and delivery under one roof. NISTA will be operational by spring 2025 and will implement the government’s 10-year infrastructure strategy in conjunction with industry, while driving more effective delivery of infrastructure across the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has taken steps to reduce the number of pregnancies terminated beyond 24 weeks.

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

No steps have been taken to reduce the number of pregnancies terminated beyond 24 weeks gestation.

Abortion in England and Wales is governed by the Abortion Act 1967, which defines the criteria under which terminations can take place. Under the act, termination of pregnancies beyond 24 weeks is only permitted in limited circumstances. Before a termination can proceed, there is a legal requirement for two doctors to certify that in their opinion, which must be formed in good faith, at least one of the grounds for abortion as set out in the act are met, and these must be the same grounds.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reversing whether the decision to allow women to take (a) mifepristone and (b) misoprostol at home to terminate a pregnancy.

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

The Government has no plans to assess the potential merits of reversing the decision to allow women to take mifepristone and misoprostol at home to terminate a pregnancy. Abortion in England and Wales is governed by the Abortion Act 1967, which defines the criteria under which terminations can take place. Under the act, women have access to regulated and National Health Service funded abortion services, which now includes taking both abortion pills at home, up to a 10-week gestation.

As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance. It would be for Parliament to decide whether to make any changes to the law on abortion.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commission an inquiry into the safety of taking (a) mifepristone and (b) misoprostol at home to terminate a pregnancy.

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

The Government has no plans to commission an inquiry into the safety of taking mifepristone and misoprostol at home to terminate a pregnancy. Abortion is a safe procedure for which major complications are rare, at all pregnancy gestations. Data does not show an increase in abortion complications following the introduction of home use of mifepristone and misoprostol for early medical abortion.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Institution of Civil Engineers’ policy position statement on evolving the UK strategic infrastructure planning system, published on 12 July 2021, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the ICE's recommendations on publishing a national policy statement for infrastructure.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to improving National Policy Statements and in the July speech, the Chancellor announced an immediate 12-month review of National Policy Statements. To build on the review, we will legislate, through the Planning Infrastructure Bill, to mandate the updating of National Policy Statements every five years.

Longer term, Government is developing a 10-year Infrastructure Strategy and establishing the National Infrastructure Strategy and Transformation Agency, which will play a crucial role in shaping the future of national infrastructure.

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 reduce barriers to accessing drug treatment faced by women.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is focused on supporting local areas to deliver high quality drug and alcohol treatment services, including better meeting the needs of women and vulnerable groups. Current work in relation to women and vulnerable groups includes: providing targeted support to local areas; enhancing data tools to better inform local needs assessments; supporting workforce development; and implementation of the Commissioning Quality Standard and the sharing of good practice. The quality standard provides guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services in their areas and includes a requirement that local authority commissioning partnerships include services that reflect their local populations and work with underrepresented groups, as identified in their local needs assessment, such as people from minority ethnic groups and women. Further information on the Commissioning Quality Standard is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-services

In addition to the Public Health Grant, the Department allocated local authorities £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. An additional £105 million from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is improving treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use. This funding will help improve women’s access to treatment, removing barriers they face and ensuring the care they receive is tailored to their needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will announce future funding for drug treatment services beyond 2025.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We understand the importance of funding certainty for informing local system’s operational decision making and future planning. We are engaging with commissioners and providers on this. Future funding for drug treatment services beyond 2025 will be announced very shortly. The Department of Health and Social Care will write directly to each local authority soon to set out indicative allocations for 2025/26, which will still be subject to Departmental and HM Treasury’s approvals, and so final allocations could vary.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has also made clear that the Government will conclude a multi-year Spending Review in spring 2025. In future, we anticipate that Spending Reviews will be set every two years to cover a three-year period, including a one-year overlap with the previous Spending Review, helping build in greater certainty and stability over public finances.

In addition to the Public Health Grant, the Department allocated local authorities £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. An additional £105 million from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is improving treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use.