Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with utility companies on investing their profits into sewage spill prevention and improving infrastructure.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State regularly meets with stakeholders including water companies to discuss a range of issues.
£104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and sewage treatment works across the country. This includes over £10 billion to improve over 2,500 storm overflows across England.
As part of the price review process, Ofwat agrees spending plans with water companies and sets stretching targets. This process includes how much water companies can charge customers and how much they can spend on dividends and interest payments.
Funding for infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. When money for investment is not spent, water companies are required to refund customers via lower water bills. Money will never be allowed to be diverted for bonuses, dividends or salary increases.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had recent discussions with Evri on paying their workers the minimum wage.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The passing of the Employment Rights Act, and measures such as the creation of the Fair Work Agency, will create an economy that balances flexibility and security. In doing so, we will ensure an environment where working people and businesses can succeed together. We are committed to strengthening rights and protections to help the self-employed thrive in good quality self-employment.
We have already announced a package of measures to tackle late payments for small businesses and the self-employed, including a new Fair Payment Code. Self-employed individuals are not entitled to the minimum wage and Evri couriers are self-employed. As such, no discussions have taken place with Evri specifically on the issue of the minimum wage.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to provide support to people who claim to have been sacked for trying to unionise whilst working at Rockstar North.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is looking into the matters in relation to Rockstar North. Section 152 of the Trade Union Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 protects employees from dismissal for being or seeking to be a member of a trade union. An employee who considers they were unfairly dismissed can bring a claim to an employment tribunal.
It is a fundamental part of our employment framework that workers have a voice in the workplace and can utilise their right to organise via trade unions. Indeed, the government is strengthening protections for trade union membership and activities through the Employment Rights Act.
The government is always willing to engage with employers, including Rockstar North, to ensure that they comply with their obligations.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure equitable access to funding for IVF surrogacy for people post cancer treatment.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding decisions for fertility services, including cases where a surrogate may be involved, are made by integrated care boards (ICBs), which are responsible for commissioning services based on the clinical needs of their populations. We expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines to support fair and consistent access across England.
NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether its current recommendations for access to National Health Service funded treatment are still appropriate. A consultation on revised guidelines was published on 10 September and closed on 21 October 2025. The outcome of this review will support ICBs in making commissioning decisions that promote equitable access to fertility services, including for those whose fertility has been affected by medical treatment such as cancer.
Work continues between the Department and NHS England to analyse the current understanding and provision of NHS funded fertility services and address longstanding variation in access.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the drug Vorsidenib (Voranigo) to be made available to treat adults and children aged 12 years and over with grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma carrying a susceptible IDH1 or IDH2 mutation.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes evidence-based recommendations on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE is currently evaluating vorasidenib for treating astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma with IDH1 or IDH2 mutations after surgery in people 12 years old and over.
NICE published its draft guidance for consultation on 15 October and was unable to recommend it as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources. The appraisal is still ongoing, and NICE will take the comments received fully into account in developing its final recommendations. The committee reviewed the consultation comments at the committee meeting on 20 November 2025. NICE currently expect to publish final guidance in January 2026.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Evri and other delivery companies on leaving parcels unattended on doorsteps.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It is unacceptable for delivery companies to leave parcels unattended on doorsteps where that has not been requested by a customer.
The government wants to see all operators provide a good level of service, including incorporating customers’ preferences on deliveries. However, Evri and other delivery companies are independent businesses, and the government has no role in their operational decisions.
Ofcom is the independent regulator for the postal sector with the responsibility and powers to regulate postal services.
Ofcom engages regularly with all parcel operators to understand their approach to implementation of, and compliance with, its consumer protection measures.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timeline is for the establishment of the naloxone supply network coordinators.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Naloxone is a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, including highly potent synthetic opioids which are growing in prevalence in the United Kingdom. It is more important than ever to increase access to naloxone products, which will save lives.
Last year, the Department amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to further expand access to naloxone. The legislation enabled more services and professionals to supply this medication, making it easier to access for people at risk, and for their loved ones.
Route 1 of the legislation increased the number of services and professionals specified in regulations who can provide take home naloxone. However, not all services and professions had an agreed statutory definition across the four nations of the UK. As such, route 2 of the legislation set up the legal framework, which includes supply network coordinators, for the creation of a registration service for services and professions who fall outside the definitions listed in route 1 to apply and to be able to provide take home naloxone. These legislative changes were the first step in expanding access to naloxone, which has resulted in naloxone being more readily available to supply in the community. Since these changes came into effect, the Government has worked with the devolved administrations and front-line services to explore the set-up and delivery of this registration service. We have encountered operational difficulties in establishing supply network co-ordinators in England which has delayed implementation. However, we have identified further legislative amendments to increase access to take-home and emergency use naloxone and, as such, we intend to launch a public consultation by the end of this year.
The Department has also published guidance, Supplying take home naloxone without a prescription, that sets out essential practical information such as who can supply naloxone, the products available, how to use naloxone and other basic lifesaving tools, and the training required. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supplying-take-home-naloxone-without-a-prescription
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England's plan entitled Cervical cancer elimination by 2040 – plan for England, published on 28 March 2025, if his Department will set out (a) who is responsible for each of the actions in that plan, (b) when those actions will be delivered by and (c) what the metrics are for success.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving vaccine uptake and access across all immunisation programmes by exploring new and innovative delivery models, including expanding routes such as community pharmacies, as set out in the NHS Vaccination Strategy and the 10-Year Health Plan for England.
In June, the UK National Screening Committee, which advises ministers on all aspects of screening, recommended a human papilloma virus (HPV) self-sampling option to women and people with a cervix who never or rarely attend routine cervical screening appointments. From early in 2026, they will receive home testing kits if they have not responded to a cervical screening invitation for a period of time. This will help tackle deeply entrenched barriers that keep some away from life-saving screening.
The World Health Organisation’s cervical cancer elimination targets will be used as the basis for ongoing monitoring, along with the regular assessment of cervical cancer rates.
NHS England will be monitoring and evaluating the success of all the individual activities included within its elimination plan, as well as new initiatives as they are developed and implemented.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that public contracts are not awarded to companies that blacklist workers.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This Government is committed to ensuring public procurement supports British jobs and industry. Under the exclusion regime in the Procurement Act 2023, contracting authorities may exclude suppliers for blacklisting offences. The exclusion regime came into force in February this year and can be applied, for example, on the grounds of professional misconduct.
Those suppliers may also be added to a central debarment list by the Cabinet Office. This Government will not hesitate to make use of the full range of powers it has where there is evidence of wrongdoing having taken place.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to support women in the workplace with flexible working.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Flexible working can make work more inclusive for those facing barriers to staying in and getting on at work, including women navigating parenthood, caring responsibilities, health conditions, and other personal circumstances.
We are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that flexible working requests are accepted.
Where employers do reject a request, they will be required to explain the basis for their decision.
We also intend to run a public consultation in early 2026 on a new process for employers planning to reject a request to prompt dialogue about what types of flexible working might be feasible.