Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
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 resilience of the kerosene supply chain in the UK.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department continues to monitor the UK kerosene supply chain as part of its wider monitoring of the security of supply of fuels. The UK benefits from a diverse supply base, including domestic production and imports which are complimented by well‑established distribution networks.
While global market conditions can affect prices, the Government currently has no concerns with the supply of heating oil, and continues to monitor risks closely and engage with industry to ensure the continuity of supply is maintained. Airports maintain stocks of bunkered aviation fuel to support their resilience. We are continuing to monitor the situation with industry.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
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 effectiveness of fetal growth monitoring practices across NHS Trusts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To support the consistent delivery of evidence based best practice in regards to fetal growth monitoring, NHS England published the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle Version 3.2 in April 2025.
The bundle covers six areas of clinical care, one of which is fetal growth monitoring. This includes early and ongoing fetal growth restriction risk assessment, risk-based surveillance, competent measurement and interpretation, and timely escalation through clear assessment and decision-making pathways, in line with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Green-top Guideline No. 31.
Implementation of the clinical standards within the bundle is supported through NHS Resolution’s Maternity Incentive Scheme, which provides a strong financial mechanism to encourage adoption and consistency.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has she made of a) the cybersecurity vulnerabilities and b) risk of data manipulation, of the Government Consultation, Growing up in the online world: a national consultation.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This consultation is being run in line with Government standard practice. The surveys ask for some non-identifying personal information, such the types of individuals and groups participating, for analytical purposes. We will process any personal data in accordance with all applicable data protection laws and in accordance with the departmental Privacy Policy.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, the steps he is taking to help protect a) park home residents and b) heating oil users from spikes in energy prices.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy bills. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely over coming days and weeks. In an uncertain world, we will keep driving for energy sovereignty and abundance with clean homegrown power. We have shown a determination to act to help families, and businesses, and will continue to do so.
The Government also recognises and takes into consideration the more complex energy arrangements used in park homes. We are looking at this issue and recognise its importance. It is also worth noting that customers who pay non-domestic intermediaries do not pay costs related to ECO.
The Government understands that many households, particularly in rural and off‑gas‑grid areas, rely on heating oil as their primary source of heat. We continue to monitor heating‑oil supply chains ensuring households can access fuel when needed. We are frequently engaging with industry to ensure supply and pricing remains resilient to demand. Fuel markets are governed by competition and consumer protection law, overseen by the Competition Market Authority.
Households using heating oil benefit from wider cost‑of‑living support, including electricity bill reductions announced in the Autumn Budget, and the Warm Home Discount, which provides eligible households with £150 off energy bills until 2030/31.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mechanisms of accountability of Local Resilience Forum Chairs to Members of Parliament.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, statutory duties for emergency planning rest with individual Category 1 responders, who fulfil these duties collaboratively through Local Resilience Forums (LRFs). LRFs are not statutory bodies and therefore hold no independent legal responsibilities.
Each Category 1 responder remains accountable through its own governance arrangements—for example, local authority leadership or Police and Crime Commissioners.
LRF Chairs are drawn from Category 1 organisations and serve in a coordinating and facilitative role, bringing partners together to plan for emergencies.
Guidance encourages LRF Chairs to maintain constructive relationships with elected members and MPs to support awareness, communication, and public confidence. This government recognises the valuable role MPs play in emergencies, strengthening community preparedness and supporting local response efforts.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for publication of interim and final findings from the independent maternity services investigation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On the 26 February Baroness Amos published her interim report on the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, and the final report and recommendations will follow in Spring 2026.
The Government is also setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The taskforce will address the recommendations of the investigation by developing a new national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the differences in shipping tax between Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Wight under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Reforms to the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) are agreed jointly by Ministers in all four nations who have equal decision-making power. We have consulted extensively on this since March 2022. Obligations under the scheme apply uniformly to all nations in the UK.
A 50% deduction has been applied for voyages in either direction between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. This will ensure parity and prevent distortions with routes between the island of Ireland and Great Britain, which are included under the EU ETS.
A limited exemption applies for ferries serving Scotland's islands and peninsulas given legal duties under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the cost of travel for all families of children with health conditions requiring repeated attendance at specialist centres.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The Government has committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and recognises the challenges families of children needing regular specialist care can face. On 3 February 2026, Government announced a £10 million financial support package for families of children and young people with cancer to cover travel costs to and from appointments.
In addition to this support package, there are two established National Health Service funded travel schemes for patients, or their parents/guardians.
The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme is part of the NHS Low Income Scheme. It provides financial support to all patients, or their parents/guardians, that meet the established means-tested criteria. This includes children with health conditions requiring repeated attendance at specialist centres. Further information on the means-tested criteria is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/
The NHS also provides funded transport to eligible patients under the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) scheme. Patients, including children, with health conditions requiring repeated attendance at specialist centres may be eligible for NEPTS provision under these criteria. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of North Sea oil and gas on the Scottish economy.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Government is committed to managing existing oil and gas fields responsibly for the entirety of their full lifespan. Oil and gas will remain an important part of the UK’s energy mix for decades to come.
We are also investing in our country's green energy future, and the likes of Scottish Power are creating up to 1400 jobs in Scotland through a £12 billion investment.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Answer of Question 108286 on Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust: ADHD and Autism, what steps he is taking to help support Surrey and Borders to meet their diagnostic targets for the assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services. This guidance intends to help the National Health Service improve autism assessment services and improve the experience for those referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance also set out what support should be available before an assessment and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism.
Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation and how they might overcome these.
NHS England established an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support. The final report was published on 6 November 2025, and we are carefully considering its recommendations.
Building on the work of the Independent ADHD Taskforce, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on the 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The review will inform our approach so that people with ADHD and autistic people have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.