Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential risk that targeted wholesale discounts by Openreach could reduce incentives for alternative network providers to invest in full-fibre infrastructure.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Ofcom regulates the UK’s wholesale telecoms market and can impose pricing remedies on Openreach to promote competition and protect consumers. The government’s Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP) steers Ofcom to closely monitor Openreach’s commercial terms, with Ofcom reporting annually on the actions it has taken in response.
In September 2026, following consultation on new Openreach wholesale offers, Ofcom required the ‘Incremental New to Openreach’ Customer Offer be withdrawn because of potential harm to network competition, but found the remaining offers posed no plausible risk to competition and decided not to intervene.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on the delivery of strategic priorities for the telecoms sector, the promotion of investment and infrastructure competition, and recent Openreach pricing behaviour.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Ofcom regulates the UK’s wholesale telecoms market and can impose pricing remedies on Openreach to promote competition and protect consumers. The government’s Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP) steers Ofcom to closely monitor Openreach’s commercial terms, with Ofcom reporting annually on the actions it has taken in response.
In September 2026, following consultation on new Openreach wholesale offers, Ofcom required the ‘Incremental New to Openreach’ Customer Offer be withdrawn because of potential harm to network competition, but found the remaining offers posed no plausible risk to competition and decided not to intervene.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to ban the use of Electric Bikes and E-Scooters on pavements by those over 10 years of age.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Under current legislation, private e-scooters are illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements. Rental e-scooters can be used but only as part of Government trials and cannot be ridden on the pavement.
It is against the law for cyclists to ride on pavements and this is made clear at Rule 64 of The Highway Code. The only exception to this is on pavements that are designated as shared use routes, where the Highway Code says that cyclists should always take care when passing pedestrians, especially children, older or disabled people, and should allow them plenty of room.
The Government has no plans to allow pavement riding in the future and enforcement is a matter for the police.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to regulate E-bike ownership to ensure all E-bikes are insured and registered to an individual.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
E-bikes which comply with the requirements of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC) Regulations 1983 are treated in the same way as ordinary pedal cycles. The Government therefore has no plans to regulate their ownership.
Faster and more powerful e-bikes which do not comply with the EAPC regulations are motor vehicles and must be registered, insured and taxed to be legally used on the road. The rider must also wear a safety helmet and hold a driving licence.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is considering the potential merits of taking steps to ensure that users of e-scooters wear protective helmets and introducing a legal requirement of maximum one rider per scooter.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has committed to delivering a permanent legislative framework for micromobility vehicles, including e-scooters, when parliamentary time allows.
The Government will be using the findings of the e-scooter trials to ensure that when the time comes, we understand how best to regulate e-scooters, including on helmet-use; no decisions have yet been made.
In the e-scooter rental trials, only one rider is permitted on each e-scooter, and the Government has no intention of changing this.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that Applications for Refugee Reunion are receiving a decision within 12 months.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government recognises the importance of family unity but we also have a responsibility to ensure that family migration is fair, controlled and sustainable.
Appendix Family Reunion remained open to applications until 15:00 on 4 September 2025, at which point the suspension took effect. Thereafter, applicants had 240 days to attend a Visa Application Centre to enrol their biometrics and complete their applications for consideration. Accordingly, applications under the route continued to be received for consideration until 2 May 2026.
GOV.UK notes that applications should be decided within 12 months, although this timescale will have commenced from whenever biometrics were enrolled.
Consideration of outstanding applications, including those subject to appeal, will continue in accordance with the rules in force prior to the suspension taking effect. Priority for consideration is accorded to all Appendix Family Reunion applications submitted by unaccompanied children under the age of 18.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to ensure that the NHS funds early-access pathways for innovative medical devices.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the contribution of online advertising to digital harms.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Government recognises the significant economic value that the advertising sector brings to the UK, as outlined in our Creative Industries Sector Plan. However, to maintain trust in advertising and ensure its sustainability, it is essential that any associated harms are addressed.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent body responsible for regulating advertising in the UK, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The CAP Code applies to paid-for online advertising content and includes specific rules intended to protect consumers from harm and offence. We are also working with industry through the Online Advertising Taskforce to drive work on specific issues such as fraudulent advertising, the impact of AI, and influencer marketing.
As stated in Protecting What Matters: Towards a more confident, cohesive, and resilient United Kingdom, we also recognise that bad actors can exploit and profit from the advertising-based business models that some social media platforms are designed on. For example, they produce highly engaging but divisive content which can be unknowingly monetised by advertisers. We are working with the advertising industry and others to develop options for addressing this issue, and the Government has already convened cross-sector roundtables.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has been made of the number of number of children with dental disease over the last five years.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On research and innovation, I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 20 July to Question 17992.
In the North East, and across the rest of England, we are committed to increasing access to dental treatment for those in greatest need, including children, as set out in the reform programme published last December, and available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-boost-for-millions-of-nhs-dental-patients
The latest NHS Dental Statistics show continued improvement across a range of key measures. Just under three million additional National Health Service dental treatments were delivered in 2025/26 compared to the year before the 2024 election. Approximately half of those additional treatments benefited children, with access for children now above pre-pandemic levels. These statistics, which include statistics for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, are available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202526
The National Dental Epidemiology Programme publishes data on the oral health of five year old schoolchildren every two years. The latest data, for 2023/24, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/oral-health-survey-of-5-year-old-schoolchildren-2024
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in what way she is using research and innovation to improve dental health care and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On research and innovation, I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 20 July to Question 17992.
In the North East, and across the rest of England, we are committed to increasing access to dental treatment for those in greatest need, including children, as set out in the reform programme published last December, and available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-boost-for-millions-of-nhs-dental-patients
The latest NHS Dental Statistics show continued improvement across a range of key measures. Just under three million additional National Health Service dental treatments were delivered in 2025/26 compared to the year before the 2024 election. Approximately half of those additional treatments benefited children, with access for children now above pre-pandemic levels. These statistics, which include statistics for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, are available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202526
The National Dental Epidemiology Programme publishes data on the oral health of five year old schoolchildren every two years. The latest data, for 2023/24, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/oral-health-survey-of-5-year-old-schoolchildren-2024