Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment protocols are in place to evaluate the cumulative impact of new hydroelectric installations on water flow, flood risk, and ecological balance.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Any building or structure in the floodplain must ensure that it is resilient to flooding and that it does not increase flood risk for anybody else in the floodplain. Hydroelectric power is governed by a strict regulatory framework managed primarily by the Environment Agency (EA) that ensures that hydroelectric installations are safe and that they do not increase flood risk. The core requirements for any new hydropower installation are:
The EA uses flood modelling to understand the risk of flooding at a local and a national level. Its flood models use a range of information to help make them as reliable as possible, including information about the different types of land use and structures which could influence the way water flows.
In line with Government planning policy, the EA provides advice on planning submissions for new hydroelectric installations, considering impacts on water flow, flood risk and ecological balance. This ensures that planning proposals do not result in unacceptable flood risk or environmental harm.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the long-term costs of post-flood clean-up operations with the potential savings from investing in proactive flood prevention measures, such as enhanced maintenance, equipment procurement, and staffing for flood control infrastructure.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency is delivering the Government’s flood and coastal risk management (FCRM) Investment Programme.
For every £1 spent in the Investment Programme improving protection from flooding and coastal erosion, around £8 of property damages is avoided.
Post flood clean-up costs are considered as part of the wider economic appraisal of flood investment projects.
A new 3-year £4.2 billion FCRM Investment Programme will start in April 2026, where new projects will align with the strategic objectives set out within the Government’s new funding rules announced in October 2025.
The new investment programme will also reduce deterioration and target repairs to flood defence assets, benefitting an additional 14,500 properties in England.
The Environment Agency updated its National Flood Risk Assessment in 2025. This provides the best available evidence to inform the development of flood mitigation strategies.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had any meetings with colleagues at Transport for London to discuss the availability of Network Railcard discounts at railway stations managed by Transport for London.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As transport in London is devolved, fares decisions, including any potential Network Rail discounts, are for the Mayor and Transport for London. Network Railcard discounts can be applied to fares on TfL Rail services. However, they cannot be applied to Oyster cards or other contactless tickets.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
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 help reduce health disparities linked to high vitamin D deficiency rates in at-risk population groups.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Government recommendations for vitamin D are promoted on the National Health Service webpage and through the social marketing campaigns Best Start in Life, Better Health, and Healthier Families.
The Government’s Healthy Start Scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under the age of four years old from very low-income households. Beneficiaries are eligible for free Healthy Start Vitamins which include folic acid and vitamins C and D for pregnant and breast-feeding women and vitamins A, C and D for children.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Public Health Guideline, reference code PH56, gives information on vitamin D supplementation for population groups specifically at risk of deficiency, including how to increase awareness of and access to vitamin D supplements.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
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 (a) swiftly reopen referrals to the Adult ADHD Service at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust once they close on 1 December 2025, and (b) ensure that Adult ADHD Services in Berkshire have sufficient resources to remain open.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that the adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) service is not closing. From 1 December 2025, the trust will temporarily stop accepting new referrals. The trust has taken this short-term measure to protect patient safety and ensure the service can continue providing safe and effective care. Referrals will reopen once the immediate pressures are resolved and the redesign work is complete. This difficult decision was made locally following discussion with the integrated care boards (ICBs), the Frimley ICB and the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB.
The pause has been introduced because demand for ADHD assessments and ongoing support has risen significantly in recent years, both locally and nationally, far beyond the level the service was originally resourced to deliver. This has led to long waits and a substantial number of overdue annual ADHD reviews. Temporarily pausing new referrals will allow Berkshire Healthcare to prioritise the provision of a safe service for existing patients, complete essential reviews, and support a sustainable redesign of the service.
The trust will continue to provide care for people already receiving treatment. Those already referred for assessment or medication will remain on the waiting list, and the transition of care from the children’s ADHD service to adult ADHD services will continue. General practitioners (GPs) continue to be able to refer to Right to Choose providers for assessment and diagnosis of ADHD for adults. Berkshire Healthcare is committed to working closely with system partners to ensure the adult ADHD service is able to deliver sustainable, high-quality care and to enable the reopening of referrals as soon as it is clinically appropriate.
The ICB is leading an adult ADHD service transformation programme which has been shaped by experts by experience, clinicians, and managers from the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. It is expected that the implementation of the new service model will start in 2026/27. An increase in resources has already been agreed to support GPs in participating in shared care, and work is underway to prioritise investment in the new service model for 2026/27.
The Government has recognised that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England will make the National Health Service fit for the future, recognising the need for early intervention and support.
It is the responsibility of ICBs in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
NHS England established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing timely and equitable access to services and support. We are pleased that the taskforce's final report was published in November, and we are carefully considering its recommendations.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, how many people in the UK have been prosecuted for committing cyber security attacks on individuals and businesses.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This Government is taking significant action to counter the cyber threat posed to UK nationals and businesses.
The Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) response to cybercrime is delivered at a local, national and international level, with increasing levels of expertise targeted at the most complex cases.
Cybercrime is complex – often involving transnational elements and led by highly skilled organised crime groups. The CPS takes this form of offending extremely seriously and will prosecute cases referred to them by law enforcement wherever its legal test is met.
The CPS handles both cyber enabled and cyber dependent crime. Most cyber dependent crime is prosecuted under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. While the CPS does not hold data showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation, I can confirm that between April 2020 and March 2025, 992 offences under the Act reached a first hearing in the magistrates’ court. This is set out by year below. Please note that this data relates to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants.
Financial Year | Offences |
2020-2021 | 185 |
2021-2022 | 232 |
2022-2023 | 179 |
2023-2024 | 199 |
2024-2025 | 197 |
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help ensure universal mobile data coverage for for residents in Finchampstead, Wokingham.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In their Connected Nations Spring update, published 8 May 2025, Ofcom reports that 4G geographic coverage is already available across 99% of the Wokingham constituency from all four mobile operators. 5G (combined standalone and non-standalone 5G) is available outside 91% of premises in the constituency from at least one mobile operator, but this falls to 10% from all four operators.
Our ambition is for all populated areas, including the Wokingham constituency, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. While mobile network operator's rollout of 5G is a commercial decision, we continue to work closely with network operators to remove barriers to network deployment to achieve our ambition, to support investment into mobile networks and, drive competition in the market.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure universal mobile data coverage for passengers on the railway network.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. In the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy (June 2025), the Government committed to work with Ofcom and other regulators to assess the telecommunications needs of the transport sector by December 2026. My officials are undertaking this assessment alongside the Department for Transport and the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.
The Department for Transport also recently secured funding to introduce low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains, which will significantly improve both the availability and internet data connection speeds for Wi-Fi connected passengers.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle road freight crime.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government understands the significant and damaging impact freight crime has on businesses and drivers and we are aware of worrying increases in its frequency.
There are strong links between freight crime and serious, organised crime, which is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK and estimated to cost the economy at least £47 billion annually.
This Government is committed to tackling serious and organised crime in all its forms, and we are continuing to work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, which has multiple thematic desks, including a vehicle crime intelligence desk which covers freight crime.
We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and invested stakeholders to change the unacceptable perception that freight crime is low risk and high reward and find solutions which will tackle it. I also recently met with Rachel Taylor MP, and Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads at the Department for Transport (DfT) to discuss this very matter.
The DfT also hosts the Freight Council; this group regularly discusses crime against freight companies, and the Home Office works closely with DfT to engage with the sector on this issue through the Freight Council.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that the National Genomic Test Directory for Cancer is expanded to include known biomarkers for rare forms of cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Genomic Test Directory includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases and over 200 cancer clinical indications, and includes both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing. It is updated annually, following a robust and evidence-based process, with a fast-track scheme in place to make in-year changes.
The NHS Genomic Medicine Service has implemented next generation sequencing pan-cancer panels for solid tumours and haematological malignancies, including for rare cancers, as well as WGS for cancer patients. This has enabled testing for a larger number of genetic variations, the identification of known biomarkers to target treatment, and improved eligibility for clinical trials.
In April 2025, NHS England and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a genomic testing pathway to support the rapid, safe adoption of innovation in genomics, including, for example, new testing for known biomarkers, into the National Health Service. Further information on the NICE genomic testing pathway is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-england-nice-genomic-testing-pathway/