Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to extend business rates relief to independent gyms and fitness centres.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Pubs rents in business rates valuations are analysed differently to some other sectors. While most hospitality and leisure properties are valued by comparing the size of the property, pubs are valued by comparing their turnover potential. Industry bodies have highlighted concerns with how costs are accounted for in this methodology, particularly during periods of high inflation. The Government agrees this needs to be looked at and is therefore launching a review which will explore how pubs are valued for business rates. In the meantime, pubs are being provided with additional support.

Independent gyms and fitness centres will continue to benefit from the wider £4.3 billion support package announced at Budget, which protects against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills.

The Government has also introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly £1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties, including gyms and fitness centres.

As a result, over half of ratepayers see no bill increases this year, including 23 per cent whose bills go down. Most properties seeing increases have them capped at 15 per cent or less this year, or £800 for the smallest properties.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to launch a consultation on phasing out the use of carbon dioxide to slaughter pigs.

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

As set out in this Government’s animal welfare strategy, Defra will consult on banning carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs and on possible timescales for phasing out this method. Further details will be set out later this year.

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 ensure that patients with suspected craniocervical instability in the context of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are not (a) misdiagnosed and (b) inappropriately managed.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the challenges faced by patients with hypermobile Ehlers‑Danlos syndromes (hEDS) and associated conditions, including suspected craniocervical instability (CCI), which can be complex to diagnose and manage.

In England, decisions about diagnosis, investigation, and treatment are made by clinicians based on individual clinical need and the best available evidence. In doing so they can access consensus-backed guidelines from the Ehlers-Danlos Society and Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, which can help differentiate benign joint hypermobility from true neurological instability, minimising misdiagnosis and ensuring safe, conservative management.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their populations, including access to appropriate specialist services. Where clinically appropriate, patients can be referred across specialties, including neurology, rheumatology, pain management, and neurosurgery, to support a multidisciplinary approach to care.

We will continue to work with NHS England and stakeholders to improve awareness, coordination of care, and clinical understanding of complex multi‑system conditions such as hEDS and CCI.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government will publish its response to the Women and Equalities Committee’s report on the health impacts of breast implants and other cosmetic procedures.

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

The Government recognises the important work of the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) and remains committed to addressing longstanding concerns around safety in the cosmetic sector.

We will issue the Government’s response to the WEC report on cosmetic procedures once the Department’s consultation on our proposed approach to introducing legal safeguards for high-risk cosmetic procedures is published. We intend to publish the consultation in the coming weeks.

Found: Thornberry (Labour, Islington South and Finsbury) (Chair) (added 11 Sep 2024) 69 of 75 (92.0%) Fleur Anderson

Found: Current membership Emily Thornberry (Labour; Islington South and Finsbury) (Chair) Fleur Anderson (Labour

Found: Q368 Fleur Anderson: Who did you write the email to?

Found: Q368 Fleur Anderson: Who did you write the email to?

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Emily Thornberry (Chair); Fleur Anderson; Alex Ballinger; Aphra Brandreth

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Emily Thornberry (Chair); Fleur Anderson; Alex Ballinger; Aphra Brandreth