Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of using (a) no-deposit and (b) deposit alternative schemes in the private rented sector on tenants; and what plans she has to ensure tenants are protected from costs associated with those schemes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is aware of the issues raised in 2023 by the Competition and Markets Authority in relation to deposit products.
While my Department has not conducted a detailed assessment of ‘zero-deposit’ or ‘deposit alternative’ products, we continue to monitor their impact on private rented sector tenants.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for the Tenancy Deposit Protection system, managing the six contracts which deliver the government-arranged schemes that protect tenants' deposits.
As part of the upcoming re-procurement of these contracts we are reviewing the current tenancy deposit system and will explore what improvements can be made to ensure the best possible protection for tenants.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the role of the mitigation hierarchy of (a) avoidance, (b) mitigation and (c) compensation in ensuring ecological protections (i) during the planning process and (ii) following the approval of new developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that when determining planning applications, local planning authorities should apply the principle that if significant harm to biodiversity resulting from a development cannot be avoided, adequately mitigated, or, as a last resort, compensated for, then planning permission should be refused.
Any mitigation or compensation would be set out in the planning conditions and obligations associated with the planning permission, enabling local planning authorities to monitor the development's implementation and, if necessary, take enforcement action.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take with the Department for Education to monitor the potential impact of the (a) expansion of free school meal eligibility and (b) changes to School Food Standards on children's health.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Free school meals offer a critical nutritional safety net to those children who require it most. Expanding the eligibility criteria to all families in receipt of universal credit will provide 500,000 more children with access to a nutritious lunchtime meal each school day from September 2026. The Government is now considering how best to monitor the impact of the expansion of free school meal eligibility and the update the School Food Standards on child health.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of eligible families were in receipt of Healthy Start in Southampton Itchen constituency on 9 June 2025.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/
The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start and does not currently hold data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start. The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The table below shows the number of people on the digital scheme in the relevant local authorities as of 23 May 2025:
Local authority | Number of people on the digital scheme |
Blackpool | 1,434 |
City of Bristol | 2,778 |
County of Herefordshire | 736 |
Southampton | 1,677 |
Worthing | 348 |
Brighton and Hove | 1,041 |
East Suffolk | 1,129 |
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will change the ownership arrangements for equipment funded through the Access to Work scheme to allow disabled employees to retain their assistive technology when they change or leave employment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In March 2025, the Department published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, which is consulting on the future of Access to Work. We are also considering the role of employers in creating accessible and inclusive workplaces as well as how we can shape the market for aids, appliances and assistive technology, to reduce their cost and spread their adoption.
We will review all aspects of the Scheme following the conclusion of the consultation on the 30th June and encourage people to have their views and voices heard on how they think the programme and the welfare system could be improved.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of current fee levels under the Licensing Act 2003; and whether she plans to review that Act to ensure that licensing fees reflect the actual costs incurred by local authorities in processing and enforcing those licences.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that alcohol licensing fees, set under Section 55 of the Licensing Act 2003, are fair, proportionate and reflective of the costs incurred by local authorities in administering the licensing system.
A previous consultation by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government explored whether local authorities should have more control over setting statutory fees. The Government is reviewing the consultation’s findings and will assess the wider fee landscape alongside this to inform any potential future changes.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that wheelchair users have reliable access to priority spaces on buses.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) require buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local and scheduled services to incorporate features to support disabled people to travel safely and in reasonable comfort. This includes provision of a wheelchair space and lift or ramp suitable for a passenger using a standard “reference wheelchair”.
We know that wheelchair users are sometimes unable to board a bus because the statutory wheelchair space is already occupied, and we welcome efforts by operators to relieve pressure on it, including through dedicated announcements and signage, the provision of taxi guarantee schemes, and by incorporating a second wheelchair space into vehicle designs.
We want disabled people to be able to travel easily, confidently and with dignity, and the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill includes a comprehensive package of measures aiming to improve local bus network accessibility and safety.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) remove the upper age limit for entry into flying and other officer roles in the armed forces.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Department is assessing current policies and identifying those which obstruct individuals from joining the Armed Forces. It is essential that new entrants to the Armed Forces meet set requirements so that they are capable of successfully tackling the various challenges of Service life and the roles in which they will be expected to deploy. As part of this assessment, regulations concerning eligibility requirements, plus those supporting Armed Forces recruitment processes, will be revised and promulgated once finalised. I hope the Hon. Gentleman will understand that where policies are found to be reasonable they will be kept, and where changes are recommended, they will be enacted.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate availability of Premarin in the NHS; and what steps he is taking to support patients who are unable to access it.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Premarin tablets remain available. However, the supplier of Premarin has debranded this product, which means the product's brand name, Premarin, has been removed and it is now available and known under its generic name, which is conjugated oestrogens tablets.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to update NHS commissioning policy to include funding for Selective Internal Radiation Therapy for patients with neuroendocrine tumours with liver metastases.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the need to offer patients the most suitable treatment, including the use of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT).
NHS England is currently in the early stages of policy development for SIRT as an additional treatment option for patients with neuroendocrine tumours with liver metastases. NHS England, through its specialised commissioning function, is responsible for setting national service standards, and for the development of clinical commissioning policies for prescribed specialised services. Should NHS England’s Clinical Panel consider that the evidence is robust enough to warrant making the treatment routinely available across the National Health Service in England, it will require further consideration through relative prioritisation and investment.