Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
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 reduce the gap in healthy life expectancy between Bristol Central and the rest of the UK.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Healthy life expectancy at birth in the City of Bristol is currently 60.1 years for both males and females. This compares to the England average of 60.9 years for males and 61.3 years for females, and the United Kingdom average of 60.7 years for males and 60.9 years for females.
The Government has set out an ambitious commitment to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions. We know that reducing the gap will require action on challenges that are more prevalent in areas with lower healthy life expectancy, with a shift from treatment to prevention as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.
Work is already underway to address this. We are taking action to tackle the obesity crisis and have delivered the Tobacco and Vapes Act which will create our first smoke-free generation.
The Government recognises that reducing the gap is not just a health challenge, which is why we are also taking a range of cross-Government action to tackle health inequalities. This includes the introduction of Awaab’s Law, ensuring landlords will have to fix significant damp and mould hazards; and the introduction of a new statutory health and health inequalities duty for Strategic Authorities.
The population health priorities in the South West focus on improving population health outcomes and reducing health inequalities and health disparities of inclusion health groups such as those who are socially excluded and typically experience multiple overlapping risk factors for poor health, including poverty, trauma, stigma and barriers to accessing services.
This includes increasing the detection and treatment of people with hypertension, improving the uptake of health checks, increasing the number of people supported to stop smoking and increasing the number of people affected by long term sickness who are supported back into employment.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the national review of care-leaver deaths announced on 16 April 2026, whether the review will examine deaths of unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people who have left care.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to reviewing and addressing the number of early deaths amongst care experienced young people. We recognise that unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and care leavers can be some of the most vulnerable people in our society because of the circumstances they have faced. The review, announced in April, will use the information received by the department through the Serious Incident Notifications process during 2025, which includes data relating to the deaths of young people who were unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, to select a smaller subset of the notifications for in-depth exploration, with the aim of being representative of the circumstances most frequently identified across notifications received. The insights will be shared later this year and will inform how we improve the support that care experienced young people receive across all aspects of their lives, including those who were unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to commitment 48 in the Environmental Improvement Plan published on 1 December 2025, if she will outline the timescale and process for determining measures to drive the reduction and near-elimination of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill from 2028.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Reducing the amount of biodegradable waste being sent to landfill has a key part to play in tackling climate change. In February 2025, Defra published a summary of responses to the call for evidence on the near elimination of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill from 2028. We are planning next steps for the future of the landfill sector, including near elimination of biodegradable waste.
The Government’s introduction of Simpler Recycling reforms will also help to reduce biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill. From 31 March 2025, workplaces in England with 10 or more employees must separate food waste for recycling or composting. Households followed from 31 March 2026, with micro-firms included from 31 March 2027. Collecting food waste separately from residual waste allows us to send it for anaerobic digestion or composting. This reduces the amount of food waste going to landfill, where it releases harmful greenhouse gases, helping to achieve our Net Zero strategy target to eliminate biodegradable waste sent to landfill from 2028.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on (a) trends in the level of suicide among young asylum seekers in the last five years and (b) the adequacy of cross-departmental working on safeguarding for these young people.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Secretary engages regularly with ministerial colleagues across government on a range of issues relating to asylum, including safeguarding and the welfare of vulnerable individuals.
The Home Office works closely with the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care, and other partners at both ministerial and official level to support effective safeguarding arrangements and share information on risks affecting asylum seekers.
Where an individual is in the care of a local authority as a looked after child under its statutory duties in the Children Act 1989, that authority is responsible for considering and addressing all relevant matters linked to those duties, including risk assessment and safeguarding.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the risk of overheating in social housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All social homes should meet at least a minimum standard of thermal comfort.
My Department made an assessment of subjective overheating through the English Housing Survey, which found that in 2024 10.6% of social housing households reported at least one part of their home got uncomfortably hot. The English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025: headline findings on housing quality and energy efficiency can be found on gov.uk here.
Awaab’s Law came into force in the social rented sector on 27 October 2025. As a result, all social landlords must repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours and fix dangerous damp and mould within fixed timescales. The next phase of Awaab’s Law will consider the application of requirements to a further set of Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) hazards, including excess heat and excess cold.
My Department has also laid new statutory guidance on the operation and enforcement of the Health and Housing Safety Rating System (HHSRS) before Parliament. This will come into force in June and will provide councils with a more intuitive means of assessing hazards in rented homes, including excess heat.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the existing cap on fines for offshore oil and gas companies for breaches of environmental regulations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government expects offshore oil and gas operators to meet the highest environmental standards and supports appropriate enforcement action where non-compliance occurs. A range of enforcement powers is already available in respect of breaches of offshore environmental requirements, including civil sanctions and, where appropriate, prosecution. The Government keeps the operation of the regulatory regime under review to ensure that it remains effective, proportionate and capable of protecting the marine environment. The priority is to ensure that the existing regime operates as an effective deterrent and secures compliance with relevant offshore environmental obligations.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support the adoption of electrification across foundation industries.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to supporting electrification across industry by addressing key barriers and enabling investment. This is a crucial aspect of delivering clean power by 2030, decarbonising UK industry and securing its long- term competitiveness.
We are continuing to develop policies to bring down electricity costs relative to gas for the industrial sector and intend to consult on options to reduce costs and make low carbon heat the economically rational choice for a wider range of businesses. Stakeholders will have a voice in shaping future electrification policy.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential emissions reductions achievable by transitioning the Scunthorpe steelworks to electric arc furnace production.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No recent assessment has been made of the potential emissions reductions achievable from transitioning the Scunthorpe steelworks to electric arc furnace production. However, British Steel stated in December 2023 that moving to electric arc furnaces could reduce the carbon intensity of its steelmaking operations by around 75 per cent. More broadly, as set out in the Steel Strategy, the Government sees electric arc furnaces as the most viable form of production as traditional blast furnaces reach the end of their operational life, and we continue towards our net zero ambitions.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when will a Bill be brought forward to update the remit of the National Wealth Fund.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The National Wealth Fund already has the remit it needs to invest in a wide range of projects, businesses, and assets to drive growth across the UK.
HMG has provided NWF with a total capitalisation of £27.8bn and has invested £5.8bn since its launch in 2024.
The NWF’s recently published strategic plan will support 200,000 jobs and unlock over £100 billion of investment into the UK, without requiring new legislation.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the National Wealth Fund's updated Financial Framework will be published.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury, the National Wealth Fund (NWF) and UKGI have developed a Framework Document, which will set out the NWF’s governance, accountability and operating arrangements. This document will be published in due course.
NWF’s Financial Framework is an internal governance document which sets out the financial relationship and controls agreed between HM Treasury and the NWF and is not published.