Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department is taking steps to ensure that the potential impact of transport-related air pollution on people with cystic fibrosis and other respiratory conditions is considered in decisions on major transport infrastructure, including airport expansion and local traffic flows.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Air pollution contributes to a range of serious health conditions. Addressing this is an important part of creating cleaner, healthier places to live and work. That is why the Government is committed to reducing harmful transport emissions and improving air quality, particularly in communities that are disproportionately affected.

The transition to electric vehicles is expected to reduce air pollution from road transport, because they generate zero tailpipe emissions and lower brake wear emissions due to regenerative braking. The Government has also provided £582 million to support local authorities to improve air quality in areas of nitrogen dioxide exceedances and continues to work with local authorities to achieve compliance with legal nitrogen dioxide limits.

The Government requires nationally significant infrastructure proposals (such as airport expansion) to meet strict environmental requirements on air quality. The Government carefully considers any application in line with relevant national planning processes and policies, including the relevant policy statements which include sections on air quality and health.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Department is taking to help ensure that local air quality action plans identify pollution hotspots and include measures to protect people who are vulnerable to poor air quality, including people with cystic fibrosis.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Local authorities should consider the local public health benefits of addressing air pollution in their action plans, including through the input of Directors of Public Health.

Defra supports local authority action through appraising action plans and reviewing progress annually to ensure measures remain effective. As set out in the Environment Improvement Plan 2025, we are also refreshing guidance, webinars, and materials for local air quality officers.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations her Department has made to the Sudanese Armed Forces on the opening of a humanitarian corridor into El Obeid to allow the delivery of aid and assistance to civilians.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

There is widespread concern that a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) assault on El Obeid may lead to further atrocities. The UK has helped to stand-up an international response intended to deter a repeat of such atrocities, through the UK-founded Coalition for Atrocity Prevention, with G7 partners, with E4+ partners and at the Human Rights Council (HRC) and the UN Security Council. On 3 July, the UK convened an Urgent Debate at the UN Human Rights Council on El Obeid, and on 6 July, a UK-penned HRC resolution was adopted by consensus, condemning atrocities, urging the warring parties to agree an immediate ceasefire and comply with international law, and calling for an urgent inquiry by the UN Fact-Finding Mission. These messages, and calls for unimpeded humanitarian access, have been repeatedly reiterated directly to the warring parties, including the Sudanese Armed Forces, by the UK's Special Representative to Sudan. The UK has also introduced five rounds of sanctions since the conflict began, including on RSF commanders suspected of committing atrocities in El Fasher.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take during the rainy season to help prevent future atrocities in El Obeid.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

There is widespread concern that a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) assault on El Obeid may lead to further atrocities. The UK has helped to stand-up an international response intended to deter a repeat of such atrocities, through the UK-founded Coalition for Atrocity Prevention, with G7 partners, with E4+ partners and at the Human Rights Council (HRC) and the UN Security Council. On 3 July, the UK convened an Urgent Debate at the UN Human Rights Council on El Obeid, and on 6 July, a UK-penned HRC resolution was adopted by consensus, condemning atrocities, urging the warring parties to agree an immediate ceasefire and comply with international law, and calling for an urgent inquiry by the UN Fact-Finding Mission. These messages, and calls for unimpeded humanitarian access, have been repeatedly reiterated directly to the warring parties, including the Sudanese Armed Forces, by the UK's Special Representative to Sudan. The UK has also introduced five rounds of sanctions since the conflict began, including on RSF commanders suspected of committing atrocities in El Fasher.

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 provide acknowledgement and redress to people who had faces damaged and developed serious side effects after retraction-extraction orthodontics during childhood.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is unable to intervene in or comment on individual cases. However, information for patients who have concerns or complaints about the treatments they have received on how to raise those issues with the relevant bodies is available at the following links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/feedback-and-complaints/complaint/

https://www.gdc-uk.org/raising-concerns/how-to-get-a-refund-or-make-a-complaint

According to orthodontic experts, dental extractions are undertaken to provide space when it is felt that attempting to correct a malocclusion would lead to harm. This is either to address crowding or correct anteroposterior, lateral, or vertical mal-relationships of the teeth or jaws. A recent systematic review published in the European Journal of Orthodontics suggests that extraction of premolars in orthodontic treatment does not negatively affect upper airway volume and minimum cross-sectional area. The review is available at the following link:

https://academic.oup.com/ejo/article/47/2/cjaf012/8068404

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason extraction-based orthodontic treatment is the predominant model of care within NHS orthodontic services, in the context of airway-focused and growth-guidance approaches.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is unable to intervene in or comment on individual cases. However, information for patients who have concerns or complaints about the treatments they have received on how to raise those issues with the relevant bodies is available at the following links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/feedback-and-complaints/complaint/

https://www.gdc-uk.org/raising-concerns/how-to-get-a-refund-or-make-a-complaint

According to orthodontic experts, dental extractions are undertaken to provide space when it is felt that attempting to correct a malocclusion would lead to harm. This is either to address crowding or correct anteroposterior, lateral, or vertical mal-relationships of the teeth or jaws. A recent systematic review published in the European Journal of Orthodontics suggests that extraction of premolars in orthodontic treatment does not negatively affect upper airway volume and minimum cross-sectional area. The review is available at the following link:

https://academic.oup.com/ejo/article/47/2/cjaf012/8068404

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that records from the UK National Breast Implant Registry for 1993 to 2006 are retained and preserved.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Breast Implant Registry was a series of Microsoft Access Databases which were consolidated into one spreadsheet by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after the closure of the registry. The data was transferred to the MHRA in 2006 upon closure of the registry and consolidated into one spreadsheet over time.

The MHRA intends to retain this dataset for as long as the information is needed to support legal cases, in line with the recommendations of the 2020 Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review. The dataset is confidential, access within the MHRA is limited, and data will only be released through Subject Access Requests.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her department’s timeline is for deciding on the second wave of Modern Service Frameworks, and whether respiratory conditions will be considered.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 17 July in response to Question 17694.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Fleur Anderson; Alex Ballinger; Dan Carden; Abtisam Mohamed; Edward

Found: Q22 Fleur Anderson: Thank you so much for seeing us today.

Found: Q22 Fleur Anderson: Thank you so much for seeing us today.

Found: Q22 Fleur Anderson: Thank you so much for seeing us today.