Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to explicitly recognise the role of school milk provision within the revised School Food Standards.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and are continuing our work to revise the School Food Standards. We are engaging experts across the sector and are developing our plans to consult on the changes.
We know milk is excellent for children’s growth and development. Regulation 9 of the School Food Standards states that lower fat milk or lactose reduced milk must be available to children who want it for drinking at least once a day during school hours. Under Section 512ZB (3) of the Education Act 1996, it is also a legislative requirement that milk is provided free of charge to pupils who meet the free school meal criteria.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to introduce temporary or emergency exemptions to existing rules preventing pets from travelling on evacuation flights.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All relevant requests for consular assistance are considered on a case by case basis, depending on the circumstances.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what coordination exists between departments including the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs in investigating suspected identity theft involving government digital services.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This government takes identity theft, and the harm it can cause victims, seriously.
It is the responsibility of individual departments as to how they coordinate their policy and operational approaches in relation to identity theft involving government digital services.
The Public Sector Fraud Authority’s (PSFA) remit is to work with departments and public bodies to understand, prevent and reduce the impact of fraud. This is achieved by supporting public bodies to have the basics in place, build counter fraud capability and embed financial targets.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 protect young people in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire from Meningitis B.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but serious disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. The MenACWY vaccine offers good protection against several strains of meningococcal disease and is routinely offered to teenagers in school years 9 and 10. However, it does not protect against all strains. Other strains, such as Meningitis B (MenB), can circulate among young adults. From 2015, the MenB vaccine has been available on the National Health Service as part of routine childhood immunisations, but most students would not be vaccinated.
The importance of raising awareness in parents, teenagers, and other adults about the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia remains key. There are a range of resources developed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), co-branded with the NHS, that set out these key messages and their importance, such as the teenage guide to immunisation. The guide is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immunisations-for-young-people
The UKHSA collaboratively produces a university vaccine communications toolkit. This is shared with the distribution lists of Universities UK and the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education, and is available at the following link:
In addition, United Kingdom guidance on the public health management of meningococcal disease provides clear advice on the management of confirmed and probable cases of invasive meningococcal disease, including MenB, to minimise onward transmission and further associated cases. This guidance is available at the following link:
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will publish the equalities impact assessment on the student loan repayment changes announced in Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.
Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed the threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. As repayments remain income-contingent, if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Outstanding loans, including interest accrued, are cancelled at the end of the loan term, or in case of death or permanent disability, with no detriment to the borrower.
The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the lifetime impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.
The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze, as announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to make payments (a) Morgan McSweeney and (b) Tim Allan beyond their regular salaries.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
It is a longstanding policy not to comment on individuals. The Model Contract for Special Advisers is published online and details the specific circumstances in which payments can be made to special advisers upon termination of employment.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many members of the NHS Pension Scheme who retired since April 2021 are awaiting revised pension calculations or backdated payments as part of the McCloud remedy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the importance of providing NHS Pension Scheme members certainty about when they will receive their McCloud Remediable Service Statements.
The current number of members who have retired since April 2021 and are awaiting a Remediable Service Statement that will show their choice of pension benefits is 209,989.
The current number of members who have received their Remediable Service Statements and have made their choice and are awaiting backdated payments is 116.
An independent review of the NHS Business Service Authority’s revised plans for the delivery of the McCloud remedy for NHS Pension Scheme members is ongoing. The independent review team is expected to assess this revised delivery plan shortly. Subject to the review team's assurance, we intend to issue new deadlines for the administration of remedy statements and update the House in May 2026.
In the meantime, the authority continues to provide Remediable Service Statements to affected members, prioritising those who may be most affected by the discrimination highlighted by the McCloud judgment. Additionally, members who meet specific criteria can request to receive a prioritised Remediable Service Statement. More information is available at the following link:
The Government is committed to ensuring that affected members are not subject to financial disadvantage due to these delays. Pension arrears arising from the McCloud remedy are paid with 8% interest, and a compensation scheme is available for members who have experienced other direct financial losses.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to establish a national clinical pathway for the diagnosis and management of craniocervical instability in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions on the development of clinical pathways, the commissioning of services, and the configuration of specialist diagnostics remain the responsibility of local integrated care boards, which are best placed to assess local population needs and ensure access to appropriate expertise and investigations.
For patients with suspected craniocervical instability (CCI), the National Health Service already supports clinical assessment through neurology, neurosurgery, rheumatology, and specialist pain services, depending on presenting symptoms and co‑existing conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Where clinically appropriate, patients may be referred for imaging through NHS diagnostic pathways, in line with national evidence‑based guidance. Specialist review is arranged based on the judgement of the responsible NHS clinicians.
Access to magnetic resonance imaging and other diagnostic imaging continues to expand through the Government’s wider programme of community diagnostic centres, which is increasing capacity across England and supporting earlier identification of complex conditions, such as CCI, as part of the 10‑Year Health Plan.
For these reasons, the Department has no current plans to establish a national clinical pathway specifically CCI, including in patients with EDS.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on coordinating policy relating to the evacuation of pets during international emergencies.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
During international emergencies Defra officials work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to coordinate policy and manage live operational issues, including in relation to emergency pet movements.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme who retired since 2020 have not yet received the full rectified pension payment owed to them following the McCloud remedy.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Recalculating retired members’ benefits is a complex process. For members retiring, these cases are relatively straightforward as no benefits are already in payment. For retired members, additional complications around tax, interest rules and system functionality required extensive consultation.
Capita, the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme administrator, are processing Remediable Service Statement (RSS) choices, aiming to complete payments as quickly as possible.
Of the members who have retired since 2020 who have received and returned their RSS, 4,176 are awaiting payment as of 17 March 2026.
The issuing and payment of members’ RSS choices is a high priority. The department is continually exploring ways to improve payment times with Capita, which includes recruiting additional staff and automating functions wherever possible. Members’ original pension benefits will continue to be paid until their choice has been implemented.