Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what protections are available for heat network consumers in respect of back-billing; and whether he plans to introduce or require limits equivalent to the 12-month back-billing protections that apply to domestic gas and electricity customers in cases where the failure to bill is attributable to the supplier.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the newly established heat network market framework, Ofgem Authorisation conditions limit back-billing to 12 months if no accurate bill or statement of account was previously provided.
Where heat charges are ‘bundled’ into leasehold or social housing charges, the Landlord and Tenant Act (1985), takes precedence. Under these rules, landlords have 18 months to notify or demand service charge payments, once costs have been incurred.
Ofgem have issued guidance, setting out their expectation that all heat network suppliers should adhere to the 12 month back-billing limit.
Heat networks consumers can get help and advice from Citizens Advice and Consumer Scotland. In addition, the Energy Ombudsman provides Alternative Dispute Resolution for heat network consumers.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his polices of heat network operators issuing retrospective bills covering multiple years where no prior invoices or statements were provided.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the newly established heat network market framework, Ofgem Authorisation conditions limit back-billing to 12 months if no accurate bill or statement of account was previously provided.
Where heat charges are ‘bundled’ into leasehold or social housing charges, the Landlord and Tenant Act (1985), which caps back-billing at 18 months, takes precedence.
We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities to explore unbundling individual consumption of heat from service charges so that the 12-month back billing rules apply to all heat network consumers.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
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 adequacy of the accessibility of other Sickle Cell Day units in the context of the closure of the Whitechapel unit.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The same day emergency care pilot for sickle cell patients at the Royal London Hospital was commissioned locally, via the NHS North East London Integrated Care Board. The pilot finished in January 2026 as planned. The pilot was testing an alternative route for treating emergency patients with sickle cell disease who were experiencing acute pain. This was alongside the normal route of being treated through accident and emergency, which patients can still access. During the pilot, the trust has gathered internal evaluation data to monitor the impact of the pilot for patients locally, allowing them to plan for the delivery of future sickle cell services. Although NHS England did not commission this pilot, they remain committed to the reducing health inequalities faced by people living with sickle cell and will continue to work in collaboration with system partners to address these inequalities through evidence-based approach.
Sickle cell disease patients still receive specialist care through the Haematology Day Unit at the Royal London Hospital, and this remains open. There has been no change for patients with regards to routine or emergency management of their condition. There are several innovations in the sickle cell service currently being implemented such as the expansion of the red cell exchange transfusion service and the delivery of novel curative gene therapies.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many sickle cell day centres have closed in the last 5 years; and how many sickle cell day centres remain operational.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The same day emergency care pilot for sickle cell patients at the Royal London Hospital was commissioned locally, via the NHS North East London Integrated Care Board. The pilot finished in January 2026 as planned. The pilot was testing an alternative route for treating emergency patients with sickle cell disease who were experiencing acute pain. This was alongside the normal route of being treated through accident and emergency, which patients can still access. During the pilot, the trust has gathered internal evaluation data to monitor the impact of the pilot for patients locally, allowing them to plan for the delivery of future sickle cell services. Although NHS England did not commission this pilot, they remain committed to the reducing health inequalities faced by people living with sickle cell and will continue to work in collaboration with system partners to address these inequalities through evidence-based approach.
Sickle cell disease patients still receive specialist care through the Haematology Day Unit at the Royal London Hospital, and this remains open. There has been no change for patients with regards to routine or emergency management of their condition. There are several innovations in the sickle cell service currently being implemented such as the expansion of the red cell exchange transfusion service and the delivery of novel curative gene therapies.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Sickle Cell day unit in Whitechapel was closed.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The same day emergency care pilot for sickle cell patients at the Royal London Hospital was commissioned locally, via the NHS North East London Integrated Care Board. The pilot finished in January 2026 as planned. The pilot was testing an alternative route for treating emergency patients with sickle cell disease who were experiencing acute pain. This was alongside the normal route of being treated through accident and emergency, which patients can still access. During the pilot, the trust has gathered internal evaluation data to monitor the impact of the pilot for patients locally, allowing them to plan for the delivery of future sickle cell services. Although NHS England did not commission this pilot, they remain committed to the reducing health inequalities faced by people living with sickle cell and will continue to work in collaboration with system partners to address these inequalities through evidence-based approach.
Sickle cell disease patients still receive specialist care through the Haematology Day Unit at the Royal London Hospital, and this remains open. There has been no change for patients with regards to routine or emergency management of their condition. There are several innovations in the sickle cell service currently being implemented such as the expansion of the red cell exchange transfusion service and the delivery of novel curative gene therapies.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of large-scale commercial events held in public parks in London on local communities, biodiversity, and long-term access to green space; and whether he plans to increase protections for such spaces.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We have made no central assessment on the impact of large-scale commercial events held in public parks in London. Whilst we recognise that open and green spaces are an essential part of local social infrastructure and must be protected for future generations, we also recognise that responsibility for funding, managing and maintaining urban parks lies mainly with local authorities. The government is committed to supporting Local Authorities in developing best practice to manage parks and green spaces.
We are consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including policies on areas of high biodiversity value, and a new requirement for local plans to set standards for green infrastructure drawing on the Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework. The consultation on changes to the NPPF will remain open for responses until 10th March 2026.
On protections for these spaces, last year we announced our intention to review existing protections for public recreational green spaces. We will seek to examine and understand the fragmented and outdated nature of current legislative protections, assess how these protections complement those in the planning system, and consider the lack of central records on protected land.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, How many (a) synagogues, (b) Jewish educational establishments and (c) community organisations have applied to the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant; and how many of them have been (i) accepted and (ii) denied.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
To support Jewish communities in the UK, the Community Security Trust (CST) has been allocated £28 million in 2025/26 through the Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant. This includes £10 million in additional emergency funding announced by the Prime Minister on 16 October following the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. This funding enables the CST to deploy enhanced security personnel and physical security measures such as CCTV, alarms and floodlighting-across synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and other community sites.
The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of recipient sites by category, nor does it publish data on applications or their outcomes. The scheme is delivered operationally by CST, and funding allocations are based on assessed security need rather than an application-based model.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans her Department has in place should Thames Water enter special administration.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will always act in the national interest. While the company is stable, we stand ready for all eventualities – including being ready to apply for a Special Administration Regime if necessary.
A Special Administration order is a well-established mechanism to ensure the company continues to operate and customers continue to receive their water and wastewater services. The bar for entering a Special Administration is understandably high.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the completion of Costa Rica's accession to the CPTPP.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I attended a Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) ministerial meeting in Melbourne in November and a more recent virtual meeting, at which we discussed the progress made by Costa Rica to join the agreement. I have also spoken about this with several of my counterparts in bilateral meetings.
The UK looks forward to Costa Rica’s Accession Working Group concluding soon and continuing the expansion of CPTPP.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the New Approach to Africa framework, published on 9 January 2025, how his Department plans to promote UK-Africa trade interests and protect import sensitive products.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Our new approach to Africa will place mutual growth at the centre of our relationships with the region. We have strengthened UK-Africa trade by building on the Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which will simplify trading rules, boost African exports, and support growth. We support the African Continental Free Trade Area through a Regional Cumulation Group which allows producers to source inputs from up to 50 countries. Our Economic Partnership Agreements with 15 African countries support development by providing duty-free access and, boosting imports into the UK from these countries, while allowing African partners to protect sensitive products through tariffs and safeguards.