Brian Mathew Portrait

Brian Mathew

Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes

2,401 (4.7%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024


2 APPG memberships (as of 7 May 2025)
ClimateTech, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Brian Mathew has no previous appointments


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Brian Mathew has voted in 101 divisions, and 2 times against the majority of their Party.

16 May 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Brian Mathew voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 54 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 243 Noes - 279
16 May 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Brian Mathew voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 10 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 55 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 288 Noes - 239
View All Brian Mathew Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Hamish Falconer (Labour)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(4 debate interactions)
Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op))
(3 debate interactions)
Nusrat Ghani (Conservative)
(3 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(7 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(4 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Brian Mathew's debates

Melksham and Devizes Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

I believe joining the EU would boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability & freedom. I believe that Brexit hasn't brought any tangible benefit and there is no future prospect of any, that the UK has changed its mind and that this should be recognised.

We think that changing inheritance tax relief for agricultural land will devastate farms nationwide, forcing families to sell land and assets just to stay on their property. We urge the government to keep the current exemptions for working farms.


Latest EDMs signed by Brian Mathew

14th May 2025
Brian Mathew signed this EDM on Friday 16th May 2025

Political parties at Pride

Tabled by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
That this House regrets the decision taken by organisers of several Pride marches and parades across the UK to not allow political parties to march; further regrets that that decision partly stems from a lack of trust in politicians and Government amongst many in the LGBTQ+ community; notes that many …
41 signatures
(Most recent: 22 May 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 40
Green Party: 1
8th May 2025
Brian Mathew signed this EDM on Thursday 15th May 2025

Gaza occupation proposals

Tabled by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
That this House expresses its outrage at proposals by the Israeli Government to indefinitely occupy Gaza; condemns the plans for the further forced displacement of Palestinians; affirms its belief that, if realised, these would constitute clear breaches of international law; notes with immense concern that these proposals will only make …
64 signatures
(Most recent: 22 May 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 55
Plaid Cymru: 4
Labour: 2
Green Party: 2
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
Independent: 1
View All Brian Mathew's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Brian Mathew, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Brian Mathew has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Brian Mathew has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Brian Mathew has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Brian Mathew has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
4th Feb 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help prevent Russian interference in UK democratic processes.


I refer the honourable member to my previous answer dated 20/01/2025 [UIN 23400].

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
29th Jan 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to negotiate a six-month visa waiver scheme with the EU.

Both the UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens short-term, visa-free travel for up to six months. Meanwhile, the Schengen Borders Code allows for certain third country nationals to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; this is standard for third-country nationals travelling to the EU.  The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the merits of extending eligibility for Warm Home Grants to (a) those with EPC ratings higher than D and (b) people with disabilities.

The Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) scheme is designed to target those in or at risk of fuel poverty. Those with EPC band A-C ratings are out of scope because a household is only considered by Government to be fuel poor if they have a residual income below 60% of median income (after accounting for required fuel cost) and live in a home that has a Fuel Poor Energy Efficiency Rating (FPEER) below Band C.

WH:LG excludes all disability benefits from household income calculations to help households including members with disabilities not to exceed the £36,000 household income eligibility threshold. Additionally, people with health conditions; who are vulnerable to the cold; or who are in receipt of certain disability benefits, can use this as one of their two required criterions to become eligible under ECO LA Flex Route 2.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress he has made on (a) ending and (b) reversing deforestation.

Tackling deforestation is vital to meeting UK goals on climate, nature and growth. If tropical forests are lost, food prices will rise, including for UK consumers. While rates of deforestation are falling in some countries such as Brazil, drivers of forest loss are complex and will require collective global effort.

The UK is driving progress through political leadership and diplomatic engagement, and through our international climate finance, working with partner governments to improve forest governance, sustainable trade and unlocking private finance.

We recognise we must also do our bit domestically. We are working towards our Environment Act targets, including to halt nature’s decline by 2030 and to reach 16.5% tree canopy cover in England by 2050. We have pledged up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration over the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26. Total tree planting and woodland creation reached over 5,500 hectares in England last year [2023/2024].

Kerry McCarthy
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure social media companies are accountable for content on their sites that may be harmful to children.

Our priority is the effective implementation of the Online Safety Act so that children benefit from its wide-reaching protections.

The Act requires all services in scope to protect all users, including children, from illegal content and criminal behaviour. Services likely to be accessed by children will also need to provide additional safety measures to protect them from harmful and age-inappropriate content.

Services will need to start complying with their illegal content duties from March and the child safety duties by the summer.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle antisemitism in universities.

The department has confirmed £7 million in funding to address antisemitism in education. Additionally, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will soon be hosting a round table with vice-chancellors to discuss tackling antisemitism on campus.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
1st Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools are able to offer children high quality music education through (a) the national curriculum and (b) in music education hubs.

Music is an essential part of supporting children and young people to develop creativity and find their voice. Music is in the national curriculum and is compulsory in all maintained schools in England from the age of 5 to 14 years. The national curriculum sets out the content of what the department expects schools to cover in each subject. The aims of the national curriculum for music include ensuring that all pupils perform music, learn to sing and to use their voices, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, which is looking at all subjects, including music. Any subject-specific findings and recommendations will be included in the Review’s final report in autumn. The government will consider any changes it wishes to make to the curriculum whilst the Review is conducted and respond to its recommendations when they are published. Following the review, all schools, including academies, will be required to teach the revised national curriculum.

On 18 March 2025, the department announced its intention to launch a National Centre for Arts and Music Education to promote opportunities for children and young people to pursue their artistic and creative interests in school, including through the government’s network of Music Hubs. Our intention is to launch in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement.

To support the delivery of music education, the government has committed £79 million per year for the Music Hubs programme, including the 2024/25 academic year. The 43 Music Hubs partnerships across England offer a range of services, including musical instrument tuition, instrument loaning and whole-class ensemble teaching. To widen access to musical instruments, the government is investing £25 million in capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology from the 2024/25 academic year.

The government is also investing £2 million to support the Music Opportunities Pilot over a 4-year period across the 2024/25 to 2027/28 academic years, backed by a further £3.85 million funding from Arts Council England and Youth Music. This pilot aims to help disadvantaged children and young people, as well as those with special educational needs and disabilities, to learn how to play an instrument of their choice or learn to sing to a high standard.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
29th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the enforcement of guidelines on air quality in schools.

The responsible body, relevant local authority, academy trust or voluntary-aided body, is responsible for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils when in their care including meeting any relevant standards for internal environments.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on indoor air quality in ‘Building Bulletin 101: Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools’ (BB101), which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings.

All new department-delivered schools are designed and constructed to the department’s school building standards. These standards cover ventilation and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employers-requirements-part-b-generic-design-brief.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
29th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the packaging extended producer responsibility scheme on glass producers.

In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector.

The Government has worked closely with industry, including the glass sector, throughout development of pEPR. Feedback from stakeholders was factored into finalising the regulations, including formally consulting stakeholders on a draft of the pEPR regulations in 2023.


We are encouraging the glass industry to seek to reduce the cost impacts of pEPR through a transition to reuse and refill. This is encouraged under pEPR, as producers are only required to report and pay disposal cost fees for household packaging the first time it is placed on the market, and can then offset these fees when they recycle this packaging at the end of its life, thereby avoiding the vast majority of pEPR fees.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
28th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK Forest Risk Commodities regulations on low-income smallholder farmers in the Global South who are selling into in-scope UK supply chains.

We recognise that action to prevent UK consumption of forest risk commodities driving deforestation should minimise the impacts on low-income smallholder farmers in the Global South.

We will set out our approach to addressing deforestation in the UK’s supply chains in due course.

The UK Government works with smallholder farmers to improve sustainable practices and encourage forest-friendly businesses. For example, the Official Development Assistance funded ‘Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use’ programme supports the development of new business models which provide jobs and livelihoods, while protecting and restoring forests.

The UK also funds and co-chairs the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade Dialogue with a specific working group focused on smallholder support, facilitating government to government dialogue to build collaboration to reduce risks of smallholder exclusion from sustainable supply chains.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
7th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a holistic approach to tackling carbon emissions.

While DESNZ leads across Government on net zero, Defra is responsible for reducing emissions from agriculture, land use (including peat), F-gases and waste (including wastewater), whilst simultaneously increasing England's carbon saving potential through our forestry policies.

Defra already takes a holistic approach to tackling carbon emissions, aligning emissions reduction with nature recovery and economic growth.

Without nature’s recovery we can’t achieve our ambitions to drive down emissions, and that is why we are charting a new course to save nature, achieve net zero and grow our economy.

We are working at pace to help farmers transition to greener practices, establish a taskforce to plant millions of trees to help remove carbon from the air and move towards a circular economy to reduce our demand for raw materials that destroy the environment.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
1st Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Consortium for Labelling for the Environment, Animal Welfare and Regenerative Farming on tackling carbon emissions.

Defra officials working on carbon emissions data policy regularly meet with CLEAR and we welcome their contributions, including the recent methodological review of UK eco-labels.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
3rd Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect chalk streams.

Cleaning up our waters, including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top government priority. That is why on 23 October 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of an independent commission to fundamentally transform how our water system works.

Fixing the systemic issues in the water system is essential to address the multiple pressures facing chalk streams, namely over abstraction, phosphorous pollution and physical modifications of habitats. Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is part of our holistic programme of reforms for the water sector.

Alongside this, we are continuing to direct investment to projects that will improve chalk streams. In 2024/2025, there are over 45 chalk stream projects receiving funding from the Government's Water Environment Improvement Fund, each leveraging private investment.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
17th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) recycling, (b) composting organic waste and (c) chemically recycling film plastic; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of levying a charge on producers of film plastic to fund its recycling.

The Government has confirmed its commitment to delivering the Collection and Packaging Reforms to the announced timelines, subject to spending review. The reforms will mean that people across England will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school. This will include a weekly food waste collection for every household and, from March 2027, kerbside collections of plastic film packaging. Separately, packaging Extended Producer Responsibility will place a charge on all household packaging that is placed on the market, including plastic film, to cover the local authority costs of its collection, treatment and disposal.

Together with mechanical recycling, chemical recycling technologies play a role in enabling the transition towards a circular economy. The government is aware that some stakeholders with an interest in chemically recycling plastic film are keen that a mass balance approach is used to calculate chemically recycled content in plastic packaging for the purposes of the Plastic Packaging Tax. His Majesty’s Treasury consulted on the incorporating of mass balance into the Plastic Packaging Tax in October 2023 and are preparing to publish their response before the end of the year.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
8th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of levels of car use on (a) congestion and (b) road noise.

The Department periodically publishes the national road traffic projections. The most recent being the National Road Traffic Projections 2022. This includes a measure of congestion expressed as lost time per mile, per vehicle in seconds. This is split by vehicle type, road type and region. While no specific assessment on levels of car use and road noise has been undertaken, the Government’s methods for the Calculation of Road Traffic Noise (CRTN), however, provides a standardised approach to calculate noise impacts from existing or proposed road networks to assess and manage the noise impacts on nearby communities.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
8th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of minimum service standards for cross county bus services.

Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) already often work closely together when tendering routes that cross shared boundaries and in delivering their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP). There are also requirements set out in the Transport Act 2000 for LTAs to take account of the effect of an Enhanced Partnership on neighbouring areas and for bus policies on bus services in neighbouring LTA areas to be considered when developing their franchising arrangements.

The government has updated its bus franchising guidance to LTAs to make clear that they should consider cross-boundary services during any franchising assessment process, including in the commercial case where they should set out how they intend to facilitate cross-boundary services to deliver relevant BSIP outcomes and targets in both authorities’ areas.

The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December which puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders, and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including services that cross local authority boundaries.

The Bill would give franchising authorities greater scope to grant service permits to operators wishing to provide non-franchised services which enter a franchising area from another area. Franchising authorities will be able to take account of these proposed cross-boundary services’ benefits in all the areas where the service would run, not just the franchising area as before. This will enable franchising authorities to better harness the additionality the market can provide in delivering these important services and take a more holistic approach to cross-boundary bus provision.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
2nd May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact unrepaired potholes on (a) cyclists and (b) pedestrians.

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew their local highway networks effectively. The Department’s highway maintenance funding is to enable local highway authorities to look after all parts of their highway networks, including cycle lanes and footways. It is up to individual local highway authorities to assess the impacts of their highway maintenance programmes on all road users, and to satisfy themselves that they are complying with their responsibilities under the Highways Act 1980.

Local highway authorities should consider the needs of all road users, especially vulnerable groups such as cyclists and pedestrians, when planning their highway maintenance programmes. Potholes, and poorly maintained pavements, have particular impacts on cyclists and pedestrians. The consequences of hitting a pothole can be far worse for a cyclist than for a driver, for example, and poorly maintained pavements can result in trips and falls as well as putting some people off walking altogether.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
2nd May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with local authorities to provide sustainable road surfacing.

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew their local highway networks effectively. Decisions on road surfacing materials used in highway maintenance activities are a matter for each local authority based on local needs and priorities.

The Department encourages and supports innovation and best practice in road surface repairs in various ways. It has started the task of updating the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure, which will include new advice on matters such as surface treatments. The Department is also providing £30 million to the ADEPT ‘Live Labs’ research programme, enabling local authority-led consortia to trial innovative low-carbon ways of looking after their networks. One of the projects within the Live Labs programme is enabling novel resurfacing materials to be tested and evaluated through the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads, led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
2nd May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to encourage active travel in rural areas.

We have recently announced £222.5 million to local authorities outside London for the delivery of active travel schemes and £30 million for upgrading the National Cycle Network. Much of this investment will go to rural areas. Active Travel England (ATE) also provides training for local authority staff to enable delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development.

Additionally, ATE has worked with the ten National Parks in England to help them develop better links to rural towns and villages. ATE is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas and expects to publish this shortly.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
29th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with local authorities to ensure the reliability of bus services.

The Government is committed to seeing better, more reliable bus services delivered right across England. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England. Bill measures aim to enable public access to a new database of information about local services. This will help ensure transparency in LTA and operator service delivery.

In addition, the Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce improvements to services and infrastructure to help improve reliability. Wiltshire Council have been allocated over £6.7 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services across the area, including Melksham and Devizes.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to reduce the backlog of drivers waiting for a driving test.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country.

Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s 7-point plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on her Department's Motorcycles in bus lanes consultation outcome, updated on 21 November 2024.

The consultation responses did not provide sufficient evidence to move away from a position of local authority choice to one in which allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes is the default.

The government response included a commitment to update Traffic Advisory Leaflet 1/24: Motorcyclists using bus lanes. No timetable has been set for publication. The Department will also consider how best to work with combined authorities and Transport for London, to encourage a more joined up approach to motorcycle access in these areas, through discussions around the Government’s devolution agenda.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to prevent reduction in access to ticket offices on the Great Western Railway network.

Officials regularly discuss ticket offices with Great Western Railway, including those in Wiltshire, on behalf of the Secretary of State. Any changes to ticket offices in relation to regulated stations covered by Schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement must be made following the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement process and Secretary of State guidance.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve bus transport for people with hidden disabilities.

The Government is committed to improving bus services right across the country, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity, including people with hidden disabilities. On 1st October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 came into force, meaning that newer vehicles providing local services must provide accessible audible and visible information on stops, destinations and diversions. The majority of services will need to comply by October 2026.

On 17th December, the government introduced a new Bus Services Bill that will give local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including for disabled people. The Bill includes measures to make the design of bus and coach stations and stops safer and more accessible, and sets requirements for training for staff on disability-assistance and disability awareness to ensure bus drivers and staff dealing directly with the travelling public are better informed of the rights and needs of disabled passengers.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
13th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will have discussions with Network Rail on the potential merits of a Devizes Parkway railway station.

Future rail infrastructure investment will be considered as part of the current Spending Review, which will conclude in June 2025.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
13th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the reliability of train services (a) in Wiltshire and (b) from Melksham station.

We are working closely with all operators to improve performance as it is the key focus for the Secretary of State. The Department is also working with Great Western Railway to provide a more robust service for Wiltshire and Melksham through improved rolling stock reliability and train crew availability. Performance in the last couple of periods has improved since carrying out significant improvement works around Westbury and driver related cancellations on Sundays have also reduced.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the cost of the proposed local Thames Crossing funded as a private finance initiative.

Officials and National Highways are exploring all funding options for the Lower Thames Crossing, including private finance. As with all capital projects, spending decisions will be subject to the upcoming spending review. The assured cost estimate in line with the 2023 baseline for publicly funding the project is £8.95bn, but it is important to recognise that there is a normal level of uncertainty at this early stage of the development of a project of the size and complexity of the Lower Thames Crossing.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
29th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase funding for Parkinson's nurses.

There are 25 specialised neurological treatment centres across the National Health Service in England, which provide access to neurological multidisciplinary teams to ensure that patients with Parkinson’s can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

We do, however, acknowledge significant neurology workforce challenges, including a need for more neurologists and specialist nurses, and we are taking significant steps to address NHS workforce challenges.

This summer, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver a transformed health service over the next decade and treat patients, including those with Parkinson’s disease, on time again. We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

We have also launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and improve care for people with long-term conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to make it more accessible, proactive and tailored for patients.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) access to training and (b) the integration of Ukrainian doctors into the NHS.

There are various local schemes to support refugee health and care staff into National Health Service employment. The training and integration of refugee doctors into the NHS, including those from Ukraine, is managed at a local level by NHS employers according to local requirements.

It is our ambition that all Ukrainian refugees who are healthcare professionals in their home country and who meet the standards required in the United Kingdom are able to achieve registration efficiently and use their skills within our NHS.

A page has been published on the GOV.UK website specifically for Ukrainian refugees which aims to provide an overview of the processes required by specific healthcare professional regulators, and which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-in-healthcare-in-the-uk-homes-for-ukraine

The General Medical Council (GMC) is the independent regulator of all medical doctors in the UK. The GMC has introduced a number of measures to support applications from refugees. Information about these measures is available at the following link:

https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/before-you-apply/help-for-refugee-doctors

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to require standardised information about the inclusion of genetically engineered food ingredients to be clearly marked on food packaging for consumers.

Existing labelling rules for genetically modified organisms (GMO) stipulate that foods sold in Britain that contain GMO ingredients must be labelled with this information. This labelling gives consumers the choice on whether to consume such foods containing, or consisting of, GMO ingredients, and the choice to avoid such foods, should they wish to do so. In the case of food sold loose, or where food has been cooked in a GMO product, for instance cooking oil, this information must appear on a notice, menu, ticket, or label which can be easily read by customers.

Information about any characteristic or property which renders a food consisting of or containing genetic modifications different from its conventional counterpart, such as its composition, nutritional value, the intended use of the food or feed, or any health implications for certain sections of the population, must also be included.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of ear wax removals in primary care settings in Melksham and Devizes constituency.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes the arrangement of services for ear wax removal. When ICBs exercise their functions, including commissioning healthcare services such as ear wax removal, they have a duty to reduce inequalities between persons with respect to their ability to access health services, and to reduce inequalities between patients with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.

Manual ear syringing is no longer advised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) due to the risks associated with it, such as trauma to their ear drum or infection, so general practitioners (GPs) will often recommend home treatment remedies to alleviate ear wax build-up.

However, in line with the NICE’s guidance, a person may require ear wax removal treatment if the build-up of earwax is linked with hearing loss. A GP could then consider referring the patient into audiology services, which ICBs are responsible for commissioning.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to prioritise (a) lung and (b) respiratory health in the NHS Long Term Plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the county.

More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help people manage their conditions, prevent deterioration and improve survival rates.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will allow UK oncologists to test for genetic weaknesses by carrying out Whole Genomic Sequencing.

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases and over 200 clinical indications of cancer. Testing can be delivered using a range of technologies, including whole genome sequencing (WGS) or Next Generation Sequencing technology, large cancer gene panels, to ensure that a patient receives the most appropriate genomic testing depending on their individual circumstances.

The National Genomic Test Directory sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing as well as the genomic targets to be tested and the method that should be used. For most cancers, the National Genomic Test Directory outlines that large gene panels inclusive of targets for treatments should be offered as the first line option. WGS can then be offered to any cancer patient that requires it to determine their next stage of treatment.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential of targeted mutation treatments through genetic treatment for rare cancers.

Improvements in genomic capabilities have accelerated the development of new precision medicines which can target genomic mutations, including for rare cancers. To help make precision medicines available to patients, the National Health Service has supported access to clinical trials, where the eligibility is based on genomic variants. They also support the adoption and spread of innovative medicines through an innovative genomic testing service and commercial medicines framework.

In October 2022, NHS England published the first NHS Genomics Strategy, Accelerating Genomic Medicine in the NHS, which outlines the vision for embedding genomics in the NHS over the next five years. The strategy includes a commitment to work with partners, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, to identify and prepare for the rapid introduction of companion diagnostic genomic testing. This is critical to ensuring easy access to innovative precision medicines and technologies. Further information on Accelerating Genomic Medicine in the NHS is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/B1627-Accelerating-Genomic-Medicine-October-2022.pdf

Additionally, the National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, including genetic treatments.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle shortages of ADHD medication.

The resilience of the United Kingdom’s supply chains is a key priority, and we are committed to helping build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. The Department works in partnership with industry, the National Health Service, and the wider health system to help ensure the continuity of the supply of medical products, including for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines. These issues are often global in nature. We monitor and manage medicine supply issues at a national level, so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand, and therefore there are no specific measures for the West Midlands.

As a result of intensive work, some issues with ADHD medicines have been resolved. All strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, atomoxetine oral solution, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.

However, whilst the supply of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets has improved, issues still persist. We are continuing to work to resolve these remaining issues by engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support the continued growth in demand for the short and long-term. The Department is also working with new suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to improve supply and resiliency for the UK market.

We are supporting an ADHD taskforce that NHS England has established to examine ADHD service provision. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand. In collaboration with NHS England’s national ADHD data improvement plan, we plan to combine modelling for future growth forecasts, which will be shared with industry to improve demand forecasting for ADHD medicines.

The Department has worked with NHS specialists to develop advice on prescribing alternative ADHD medications. We expect that ADHD service providers should follow this guidance and offer rapid responses for urgent advice, especially for high-risk patients. To aid decision-making at the point of the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medicines, we continue to update a list of available ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve child and adolescent mental health services and (b) increase the speed of diagnosis for (i) ADHD and (ii) autism.

Too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that. We will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across children and adult services to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England and introduce open access Young Futures hubs in every community.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people and adults referred to an autism assessment service. In 2024/25, £4.3 million is available nationally to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD including timely access to services and support.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England is carrying out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape and capture examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Ministerial roundtable on water security, 13 March 2025: outcome statement, published on 14 March 2025, what steps his Department is taking to fulfil those outcomes in the next 12 months.

On 13 March 2025, the Minister for Development chaired a high-level roundtable, bringing together international Ministers and senior representatives from countries and multilateral institutions to discuss how to drive progress tackling the global water security crisis.

The UK is active in this sector, driving systems transformation to protect freshwater ecosystems and global water supplies, and build resilience for the most vulnerable. Through our Just Transitions for Water Security programme, we are bringing governments, private sector, and civil society together to shape policy, strengthen governance and accountability mechanisms, and shift markets to leverage critically needed investments in water. The UK is also working with international partners to ensure climate-resilient and sustainable Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in up to 10 countries.

Alongside this we are working to strengthen the integration of water across the three Rio Conventions on climate, biodiversity, and desertification, as well as within G7, G20 and the UN system.

Stephen Doughty
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
21st Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, who has been appointed as Special Representatives for Nature and Climate; what their qualifications for these posts were; what their budget is; what their (a) aims and (b) objectives are; and whether any of these have been achieved.

Rachel Kyte CMG and Ruth Davis OBE were appointed as the UK's Special Representatives for Climate and for Nature, respectively, on 21 October and 15 November.

Their biographies and objectives are set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/people/rachel-kyte and https://www.gov.uk/government/people/ruth-davis.

These roles are covered by wider Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) budgets. The Special Representatives have agreed priorities with departments, which are being implemented.

Catherine West
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
10th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) simplify the process and (b) support people making applications for visa extensions for Ukrainian refugees.

The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme opened to applications on 4 February 2025, which enables Ukrainians in the UK under the Ukraine visa schemes to apply for a further 18 months’ temporary permission to remain in the UK.  Further information on eligibility and application processes is available at Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme - GOV.UK.

Applicants who still have their BRP may be able to reuse previously submitted biometrics (fingerprint and photograph) and may not need to attend a UK Visas and Citizenship Application (UKVCAS) service point. Applicants that apply before their current permission expires will retain the conditions of their current visa whilst their application is under consideration, and these conditions are demonstrated on an applicant’s eVisa.

Seema Malhotra
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will supply Ukraine with additional Challenger 2 tanks.

At present there are no plans to supply additional Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine.

The UK's decision to send a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks to Ukraine in 2023 delivered a coherent and combat effective capability and spearheaded the provision of dozens of additional Western Main Battle Tanks from international partners.

We recently announced we will be providing Ukraine with more than 50 armoured and protected vehicles, including modernised T-72 tanks, by the end of spring, building on over 1,000 armoured, protected and logistics vehicles the UK has previously delivered to Ukraine.

We continue to work closely with the Ukrainian Government to ensure the capabilities we provide meet the priorities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Luke Pollard
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
30th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of asking Avon Protection to produce a further 200,000 gas masks for soldiers in Ukraine.

Russia has publicly admitted to the use of Riot Control Agents on the battlefield against Ukraine, and there are multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin. In December last year, a Technical Report confirming the use of Riot Control Agents in Ukraine was published by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The UK has been at the forefront of international support and assistance to Ukraine. In the first few months of Russia's illegal invasion, UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) provided respirators and decontamination kits to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as other protective measures to enhance Ukraine's protective capabilities against chemical weapons.

In December 2024, following a direct request for UK Assistance by Ukraine, the MOD announced further funding for the procurement of respirators and other equipment to protect Ukraine's forces. This is being procured jointly with international partners through the G7 led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Our commitment to Ukraine is unwavering and we continue to work closely with our international partners, both bilaterally and in multilateral forums, to coordinate counter-CBRN support and assistance to Ukraine.

Luke Pollard
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
2nd May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to improve funding for local councils.

The government is committed to fixing the foundations of local government. In 2025-26 we targeted additional funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement to places with the greatest need and demand for services and less ability to raise income locally, through a new Recovery Grant

From 2026-27, we will update and improve the approach to funding allocations within the Local Government Finance Settlement by allocating funding to ensure that it reflects an up-to-date assessment of need and local resources. We will deliver the first multi-year settlement since 2016, enabling local government to focus on its priorities – delivering for residents and providing vital front-line services that people rely on every day. We will also simplify the local funding landscape, reducing the number of grants and consolidating them into the Local Government Finance Settlement so local authorities can plan more effectively. We will be consulting on more detailed proposals following the Spending Review.

Jim McMahon
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
2nd May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase the amount of social housing in Melksham and Devizes constituency.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41721 on 3 April 2025.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will include the potential impact of new developments on air pollution in planning decisions in the National Planning Policy Framework.

The National Planning Policy Framework already makes clear that planning policies and decisions should prevent new and existing development from contributing to, being put at unacceptable risk from, or being adversely affected by, unacceptable levels of air pollution.

Planning policies and decisions should also sustain and contribute towards compliance with relevant limit values or national objectives for pollutants, taking into account the presence of Air Quality Management Areas and Clean Air Zones, and the cumulative impacts from individual sites in local areas.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
20th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has plans to introduce a private parking code of practice.

The Government recognises the need for high standards in the private parking industry and is committed to delivering a Code of Practice, in accordance with The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.

Our code will contain guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities.

We are currently reviewing all options and will announce our plans for the code in due course.

Alex Norris
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
17th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what impact neighbourhood plans will have on planning decisions following reforms to the national planning process.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 is clear as to the important role that neighbourhood plans play in the planning system and includes important protections for neighbourhood plans from speculative development.

Once passed at referendum, neighbourhood plans form part of the development plan, which is the starting point in making planning decisions.

The revised NPPF is clear that where a planning application conflicts with policies in an up-to-date local plan or neighbourhood plan, the application should not usually be granted.

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