Chris Ward

Last year, the Government launched a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan, to revise our plan for significantly improving the environment, including for air quality. We plan to develop a new, statutory plan to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery information to help meet each of our ambitious Environment Act targets.

We are considering the World Health Organization's guidelines as part of an evidence-led process for considering future targets, however we are clear that these guidelines are not ready-made targets for direct adoption as they do not consider achievability or individual countries’ circumstances.

The Government does not currently have plans for a new Clean Air Act and is instead focusing on developing a series of interventions to ensure everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced.

The evidence shows that Clean Air Zones are effective in reducing air pollution and Defra publish ‘Evaluation of Local NO2 Plans’ annual reports which cover this in detail. Other measures can also be effective, and Local authorities are best placed to determine the best route for reducing nitrogen dioxide in their cities. The Government is committed to working with them as they deliver legally binding obligations to improve the air we breathe. There are no plans to extend clean air zones to other cities.

The proposed A259 South Coast Road Corridor scheme, promoted by East Sussex County Council (ESCC), is part of the Department’s Major Road Network/Large Local Majors (MRN/LLM) Programme and is currently at Strategic Outline Case (SOC) stage.

The Department is currently waiting for further work on the SOC to be completed by ESCC, and for further funding details. Officials are in regular contact with ESCC and continue to support them with the development of the SOC for this scheme.

The Department for Transport does not hold this information.

It is widely accepted that taxis and private hire vehicles have always been permitted to carry pre-booked fares outside the area in which they are licensed. This allows the sector to work more flexibly to meet the needs of their passengers.

Licensing authorities in England are required by law to share safeguarding or road safety concerns about taxi and private hire vehicle drivers licensed in other areas with the authority that issued the licence. The authority that issued the licence must then consider whether to suspend or revoke the driver’s licence.

The Department for Transport has issued guidance to licensing authorities which includes ways that authorities can, if needed, seek increased compliance and enforcement powers. Licensing authorities can jointly authorise each other's officers or can seek additional powers over all licensed vehicles and drivers through the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme. Licensing authorities can also undertake joint enforcement operations.

The Government recognises concerns around out-of-area working and is considering options to strengthen the regulation of the sector.

It is widely accepted that taxis and private hire vehicles have always been permitted to carry pre-booked fares outside the area in which they are licensed. This allows the sector to work more flexibly to meet the needs of their passengers.

Licensing authorities in England are required by law to share safeguarding or road safety concerns about taxi and private hire vehicle drivers licensed in other areas with the authority that issued the licence. The authority that issued the licence must then consider whether to suspend or revoke the driver’s licence.

The Department for Transport has issued guidance to licensing authorities which includes ways that authorities can, if needed, seek increased compliance and enforcement powers. Licensing authorities can jointly authorise each other's officers or can seek additional powers over all licensed vehicles and drivers through the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme. Licensing authorities can also undertake joint enforcement operations.

The Government recognises concerns around out-of-area working and is considering options to strengthen the regulation of the sector.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 14 July to Question 17076.

While no assessment has been made, NHS England has published commissioning guidance for post-Covid services which sets out the principles of care for people with long COVID.

There is also specific advice for healthcare professionals to manage long COVID. Patients should be managed according to current clinical guidance, such as that published and updated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and the Royal College of General Practitioners. Whilst NICE guidelines are not mandatory, the Government does expect clinicians and healthcare commissioners to take them fully into account.

Commissioning, service provision and staffing for both myalgic encephalomyelitis services and long COVID services are the responsibility of local integrated care boards.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.

The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. To support contractors in delivering a quality NHS service, NHS England is providing fully funded national training opportunities.

We are working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible. We will announce the outcome in the normal manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.

We are committed to a professional, well supported social care workforce. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, providers must provide enough suitably qualified, competent, skilled, and experienced staff to meet the needs of the people using the service. Staff must receive the support, training, professional development, supervision, and appraisals that are necessary for them to carry out their role.

The required training needs are set out in the Dementia Training Standards Framework, which was commissioned and funded by the Department and developed in collaboration with the sector. It sets out the essential knowledge and skills and expected learning outcomes applicable across the health and care spectrum.

We now have a national career framework for adult social care, the Care Workforce Pathway, which is linked to several existing competency frameworks, including the dementia training standards framework.

The Department has also launched a new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification which links to the outcomes in the Care Workforce Pathway. This contains the baseline knowledge required to provide quality care and will make sure that those who are starting out their careers have an informed awareness of dementia.

The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has invested £6 million in two Dementia & Neurodegeneration Policy Research Units to increase evidence and inform policymaking in the Department and its health system partners. One of the units is undertaking a project which seeks to gather current evidence on how dementia training is best delivered to social care workers and explore stakeholder views on how this evidence could inform future policies and practice.

Clinicians decide when a patient is medically ready for discharge, based on a set of criteria. The Hospital discharge and community support guidance sets out that multidisciplinary teams working across health and social care should plan and include information about post-discharge care and should ensure that general practice and other primary care providers are linked into all discharge planning. The Hospital discharge and community support guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance

Diagnosis and detection are key, and health staff are trained to spot the early warning signs of malnutrition so effective individual treatment can be put in place. Tools and guidance are available through a range of organisations for health and social care professionals to identify and treat malnutrition and access appropriate training.

All National Health Services are recommended to adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guideline, Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition, code CG32, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32

This sets out the recommendations, based on the best available evidence, for the organisation, screening, and delivery of nutritional support in hospitals and the community. This includes screening for malnutrition and risk of malnutrition. The NICE guidelines recommend that all hospital inpatients on admission and all outpatients at their first clinic appointment should be screened for malnutrition. Screening should be repeated weekly for inpatients and when there is clinical concern for outpatients. People in care homes should be screened on admission and when there is clinical concern.

NHS England’s Nursing Directorate is leading on a review and refresh of the National Nutrition and Hydration guidance, which builds on the NHS England’s previous Commissioning Excellent Nutrition and Hydration guidance 2015-2018, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nut-hyd-guid.pdf

The Government is committed to returning to spending 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA) as soon as fiscal circumstances allow.

While Pakistan's judicial processes are a domestic matter, we are clear that the Pakistani authorities need to respect fundamental freedoms, including the right to a fair trial, due process, humane detention and access to appropriate medical treatment. This applies to Imran Khan as it does to all Pakistan's citizens. I met Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar on 27 August to discuss a range of issues, including matters relating to Imran Khan.

The Foreign Secretary met with President Tshisekedi in Kinshasa and President Kagame in Kigali on 21 and 22 February, where he was clear that there can be no military solution to the conflict. There must be an immediate cessation of hostilities.

The Foreign Secretary urged both leaders to engage meaningfully with African led peace processes to find a lasting political solution and avoid regional escalation. The UK will continue to discuss with partners, including in the region, what more it can do to support these efforts.

On 25 February the Foreign Secretary announced a package of measures which aim to bring about a ceasefire, avoid regional escalation and bring Rwanda back to the negotiating table.

The Government recognises the value pubs and hospitality venues bring and the challenges they face. As such, the Government has announced a 20% cut to business rates bills for pubs from April 2027. This is in addition to the 15% relief off 2025/2026 bills, with bills frozen in real terms for a further two years. When taken together, these packages are worth nearly £250 million next year and will benefit around 32,000 pubs, social clubs and live music venues.

Separately, on 24 August 2026, the Government announced a review of pub and hotel business rates valuations to build a fairer system for the future.

As of 1 September 2026, the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme had received 1,716 applications and paid out more than £58 million. With fewer than 100 days remaining before the Scheme closes, Defence has intensified its awareness campaign to reach as many veterans affected by the Ban as possible. This includes the launch of a new campaign website, refreshed Ally Pack and promotional materials, and continued engagement with local authorities, the NHS, veterans’ organisations, employers, regimental associations and charities to maximise awareness and encourage applications. We encourage organisations and individuals to help raise awareness of the Scheme by downloading and sharing the Ally Pack available at www.gov.uk/affected-by-the-ban.

The LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) launched in December of 2024, and as of 9 June 2025, 44 applicants have received payment. We have been prioritising payment to the elderly and those with serious health conditions to ensure they receive support as quickly as possible, with the first payments issued as planned within 15 weeks of the scheme going live to these prioritised groups. Some cases are more complex and require additional time due to the unique and individual circumstances involved. We envisage the scheme speeding up once the most complex cases are delt with.

The Scheme continues to make progress with applications, with process capacity expected to increase in the coming months. The FRS is continually looking for opportunities to automate processes where possible, to streamline processing and to work as efficiently as possible processing applications, taking account of the complexity and need for careful consideration.

Payments made by the FRS are not compensation payments and do not seek to compensate for any pecuniary losses or attempt to place personnel in a financial position they could have been in, had the ban not existed.

There is no predetermined target for the number of claims that will be assessed at each sitting of the Independent Panel for the FRS. The volume of claims reviewed at each sitting will vary depending on the length and complexity of individual cases, so it is not possible to confirm in advance how many cases will be considered in any given meeting. The Department expects to increase the frequency of Independent Panel sittings, with the aim of holding up to two sittings per week.

No formal assessment has been made of trends in waiting times for the assessment of claims under the Scheme. However, the Department is currently working on how we can simplify the process to update applicants. Applicants can contact the Restorative Action Team at the following email address: [email protected]

The Department will continue to keep resourcing under close review to ensure the FRS is fully supported. This includes assessing whether additional staff are required to manage demand and maintain the timely assessment of claims. The Department continues to monitor the overall progress of claims and remains committed to ensuring the scheme is delivered as efficiently and fairly as possible.

The Government is providing £47 million through the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, the largest multi-year commitment to the voluntary, community and faith sector on homelessness. The fund is helping organisations strengthen community-based support, transform day services, help people live independently and prevent homelessness and rough sleeping.

The fund operated through a competitive grant application process which closed on 31 March 2026. A total of 712 applications were received and, following assessment and moderation, 11.52% of applicants (82 organisations in total) were awarded funding through the programme.

The level of funding made available through the Fund reflects the Government's commitment to supporting voluntary, community and faith sector organisations to play a central role in preventing and addressing homelessness and rough sleeping.

The Government is providing £47 million through the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, the largest multi-year commitment to the voluntary, community and faith sector on homelessness. The fund is helping organisations strengthen community-based support, transform day services, help people live independently and prevent homelessness and rough sleeping.

The fund operated through a competitive grant application process which closed on 31 March 2026. A total of 712 applications were received and, following assessment and moderation, 11.52% of applicants (82 organisations in total) were awarded funding through the programme.

The level of funding made available through the Fund reflects the Government's commitment to supporting voluntary, community and faith sector organisations to play a central role in preventing and addressing homelessness and rough sleeping.

The handling of hazardous materials is strictly regulated to prevent and limit the consequences of major accidents and to ensure that communities and the environment are protected. Hazardous substances consent is required for the presence of hazardous substances at or above specified limits set out in regulations. Planning Practice Guidance on Hazardous Substances provides advice on this matter. The Health and Safety Executive is a statutory consultee on hazardous substance consent applications and provides expert advice to local planning authorities on any risks to inform their decision making.

There are strong existing protections in national planning policy to safeguard people from unacceptable risks from air pollution and site decontamination. These will be material considerations for a local council when determining a planning application, as will the planning concerns of the local community.

The handling of hazardous materials is strictly regulated to prevent and limit the consequences of major accidents and to ensure that communities and the environment are protected. Hazardous substances consent is required for the presence of hazardous substances at or above specified limits set out in regulations. Planning Practice Guidance on Hazardous Substances provides advice on this matter. The Health and Safety Executive is a statutory consultee on hazardous substance consent applications and provides expert advice to local planning authorities on any risks to inform their decision making.

There are strong existing protections in national planning policy to safeguard people from unacceptable risks from air pollution and site decontamination. These will be material considerations for a local council when determining a planning application, as will the planning concerns of the local community.

The handling of hazardous materials is strictly regulated to prevent and limit the consequences of major accidents and to ensure that communities and the environment are protected. Hazardous substances consent is required for the presence of hazardous substances at or above specified limits set out in regulations. Planning Practice Guidance on Hazardous Substances provides advice on this matter. The Health and Safety Executive is a statutory consultee on hazardous substance consent applications and provides expert advice to local planning authorities on any risks to inform their decision making.

There are strong existing protections in national planning policy to safeguard people from unacceptable risks from air pollution and site decontamination. These will be material considerations for a local council when determining a planning application, as will the planning concerns of the local community.