Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Commonwealth Secretariat on publication of the independent report of the Commonwealth Observer Group on Zimbabwe's elections in 2023.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK greatly values the Commonwealth Secretariat's work on observation missions. The full report of the Commonwealth Observer Group to the 2023 Zimbabwe Harmonised elections was published on 6 November. We note some of the findings in the report and support the recommendations.

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 the weekly personal expense allowance for those living in care homes is increased by the rate of inflation each financial year.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The social care allowance rates, which include the Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA), are reviewed each year. The PEA rates have been uprated in line with inflation every year since 2022, and the rates for the 2025/26 financial year will be published in early 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including local online news publications in the definition of local newspapers for the advertisement of planning notices.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 15985 on 3 December 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to issue statutory guidance on the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence products.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no plans to issue statutory guidance on the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence, as there is already existing guidance to which the National Health Service must have regard.

NHS England published Excellence in Continence Care on 23 July 2018, bringing together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for commissioners, providers, and health and social care staff, and which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/excellence-in-continence-care/

NHS England will consider next steps on Excellence in Continence Care through its National Bladder and Bowel Health Project, which aims to improve continence care across the whole public health and care system.

In addition, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the management of faecal incontinence in adults, which healthcare professionals and commissioners are expected to take fully into account when delivering services for people with bowel incontinence.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2024 to Question 403 on Health Professions: Regulation, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of expediting the removal of the five-year rule in relation to regulators being able to consider fitness to practise concerns where these involve allegations of historic sexual abuse.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has been considering its priorities for professional regulation and will be setting these out shortly.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reclaiming any portion of the subsidies provided to Drax Power Limited, in the context of the finding by Ofgem that Drax had misreported data in relation to their annual profiling submission between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, published on 29 August 2024.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Ofgem did not find any evidence to suggest that Drax had been issued with subsidies incorrectly. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made representations to Drax on the increase in whistleblower reports recorded by the organisation between 2022 and 2023.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government takes reports of complaints very seriously. Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has received representations from the Solicitor Regulation Authority on the adequacy of the level of financial penalties for those solicitors found to be in breach of money laundering regulations.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The legal profession in England and Wales operates independently of government. The responsibility for regulating the sector sits with the approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors, as well as most law firms in England and Wales. The SRA’s role involves protecting clients and the public, which means they have powers to issue fines and prevent solicitors in breach of their standards and regulations from practising. While the Government does not generally play a direct role in setting fining powers, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) facilitated the introduction of measures to increase the SRA’s fining capabilities in relation to economic crime. However, the responsibility to consult and propose new fining levels for economic crime related matters still sits with the SRA.

The LSB is currently reviewing regulators' enforcement powers as part of its wider efforts to improve the legal services sector. This review focuses on assessing whether the enforcement powers of the regulators are sufficient, effective, and proportionate. Any changes to regulator fining powers are made by an application (under s69 of the Legal Services Act 2007) from the Legal Services Board to the Lord Chancellor. The Government has not received an application for such a change.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on Zimbabwe's application to re-join the Commonwealth.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The criteria for membership include commitment to the Commonwealth values and principles as set out in the Commonwealth Charter. The UK has always been clear that we would like to see Zimbabwe return to the Commonwealth. Whilst we recognise there has been progress, we believe further steps are needed on democracy, governance and human rights before Zimbabwe makes a formal application to re-join the Commonwealth. We note some of the findings in the Commonwealth Election Observation Report and support the recommendations. We would encourage a further Commonwealth assessment mission to Zimbabwe in 2025 to follow up on these areas. The UK strongly values our partnership with Zimbabwe and stands ready to support further reforms in this regard, through the Commonwealth and other fora.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the private medical insurance industry's coverage of treatment for patients with rare cancers.

Answered by Tulip Siddiq

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is an independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the conduct of the financial services industry, including firms that provide private medical insurance.

The Government is determined that all insurers should treat consumers fairly and provide products that offer fair value, and firms are required to do so under FCA rules. Fair value means that the price a consumer pays for a product or service must be reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive. The FCA has robust powers to act against firms that fail to comply with its rules.

Consumers who do not feel they have been treated fairly may be able to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, an independent body set up to provide arbitration in such cases.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department’s cancer strategy will include (a) a prostate cancer screening programme and (b) alternative measures to improve prostate cancer diagnosis for people at higher risk.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those living with prostate cancer. The Plan will aim to speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world. Updates will be provided in due course.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not recommend screening for prostate cancer, because the current best test is inaccurate, offering insufficient benefits in relation to harms caused by misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis, such as invasive investigative procedures and unnecessary treatment. The UK NSC is now undertaking an evidence review into prostate cancer screening which is due to be completed this year.

The Department is also investing £16 million into the Prostate Cancer UK led Transform screening trial, which seeks to find better ways to detect prostate cancer. This trial will compare the most promising tests that look for prostate cancer in men that do not have symptoms and aims to address disparities in detection rates across different groups.

St Albans Interfaith League and support for inter-faith initiatives

Penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium

Bowel Cancer UK report into NHS services

Review into breast cancer screening

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