Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) he or (b) any members of his Department met or corresponded with Lord Mandelson on Palantir.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Neither my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, nor any members of the Department have met or corresponded with Lord Mandelson on Palantir Technologies.
We utilise a range of international suppliers based on operational requirements, value for money, and compliance with our security and legal obligations, with all suppliers subject to rigorous due diligence.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to UIN 89500, if she will publish a list of water companies which confirmed the use biobeads.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As Water Minister I have written to water companies to reiterate how unacceptable the pollution incident at Camber Sands is. Letters of response are currently being analysed and will be used for development of our understanding of bio-bead usage across the industry.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to UIN 107393, where the Minister responded that "there was not a formal working group for the White Paper", to clarify whether her Department intends to issue a correction to the White Paper, which states on page 16 that working groups were set up to inform the development of the White Paper.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s water White Paper states that we established ‘numerous working groups’ for the purpose of developing the policies behind our extensive reforms, as opposed to a single formal working group for the White Paper. We have clarified this is our response to PQ UIN 107393.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether (a) she or (b) any members of her Department met or corresponded with Lord Mandelson on Palantir.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We utilise a range of international suppliers based on operational requirements, value for money, and compliance with our security and legal obligations, with all suppliers subject to rigorous due diligence.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of research by Morgan Stanley for Bloomberg published on 26 January 2026 showing that the UK has experienced 8% net job losses from AI; and whether he plans to re-evaluate the AI Opportunities Action Plan as a result of those findings.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government notes the Morgan Stanley research. Whilst it is clear that AI will impact the labour market, DSIT’s recently published assessment shows that there is significant uncertainty over the nature and extent of this impact. The new AI and the Future of Work Unit has been established to develop rigorous research and improved data, so that we can monitor these impacts. This will allow us to ensure Government is front footed in developing the right policy response.
The single best way to protect jobs in this country, and to create new ones, is for businesses in the UK to be competitive. AI creates enormous opportunities for British businesses to stay ahead of their competitors in other countries. That is why it is so important that the UK both wins the AI adoption race and continues to build a strong domestic AI sector. AI sector jobs are already growing rapidly, increasing by 33% between 2023 and 2024, to a total of 86,000.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
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 the policy paper entitled A new vision for water: white paper, published on 20 January 2026, how members of the working groups were selected; which (a) people and (b) organisations participated in the working groups; and if she will publish the minutes of the working groups.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A wide range of stakeholders were consulted on reforms through the Independent Water Commission’s Call for Evidence, which received over 50,000 responses.
While there was not a formal working group for the White Paper, ahead of publication the Government also engaged with stakeholders across the water system, including investors, water companies, consumer groups, regulators and environmental groups.
The Government will continue to work constructively with interested parties on reforms and consult on specific measures as needed.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the Spending Review budget allocations for his Department to be finalised and an allocation made to future ringfenced spending on NHS dentistry.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has now published the Medium-Term Planning Framework and allocations for 2026/27 to 2027/28. The framework and allocations are avaiable, respectively, at the following two links:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/allocation-of-resources-2026-27-to-2027-28/
National Health Service organisations are now in the process of developing their operational plans that will detail how they will meet the standards set out in the Medium-Term Planning Framework.
A separate schedule has been issued setting out the 2026/27 to 2027/28 integrated care boards (ICBs) primary, optometry, and dentistry (POD) allocations, which is avaiable at the following link:
The utilisation of ICB POD allocations is subject to a ringfence on budgets for dental services.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes for 1950s-born women living in Norwich South constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age.
Estimates can be made using ONS 2021 Census Data on how many women born in the 1950s resided in each constituency in that year.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will consider putting proposals relating to the next BBC Charter to a vote in Parliament.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Parliament will have an opportunity to debate the new draft Charter following the consultation and publication of the White Paper. As required by the current Charter, a new draft Charter must be laid before and debated by both Houses of Parliament before a recommendation can be made to His Majesty in Council to grant the Charter.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the Water Sector Reform White Paper.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The White Paper will be published early this year.