Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to address a) low pay, b) a lack of formal training and development pathways, and c) job insecurity and organisational changes, highlighted in the May 2025 Ipsos Drug and Alcohol treatment and recovery workforce survey as key reasons why 54% of those surveyed were either leaving or considering leaving the sector within the next two years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department and NHS England have been working on a drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce transformation programme since 2022. The 10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, published in 2024, sets out actions for the Government, commissioners, and employers between 2024 and 2034.

This work is informed by three national workforce censuses and an Ipsos staff survey to identify where national and local action is most needed. The latest workforce census showed the workforce increased from 11,270 in 2022 to 13,103 in 2024.

Relevant initiatives have been implemented, including to improve the skills mix, and strengthen clinical supervision and governance, enabling training for currently unregulated roles, and increasing access to regulated professional training.

In March 2025, the Department and NHS England published the Capability framework for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, which sets out the skills, knowledge and behaviours required for 15 core roles in the local authority-funded drug and alcohol treatment and recovery sector.

The programme is also supporting workforce planning and pipeline development for regulated professions. This includes work to support psychology training placements in drug and alcohol services, including through a toolkit developed to support Doctorate in Clinical Psychology placements in drug and alcohol services, and the development of an addiction psychiatry credential with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to help increase specialist addiction psychiatry capacity.

The Department has also funded the development of three national training curricula for drug and alcohol workers, children and young people’s drug and alcohol workers, and peer support workers.

The Department has commissioned a detailed scoping exercise, including engaging with relevant stakeholders, to establish if a national Centre for Addiction would be viable and if so, how it could be established and what its remit could be. This work is considering workforce needs, possible functions, delivery models, and risks. The findings will inform a future decision on whether and how to establish a centre.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken in relation to plans announced in the July 2024 Drug and Alcohol Workforce Plan for a national Centre for Addiction.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department and NHS England have been working on a drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce transformation programme since 2022. The 10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, published in 2024, sets out actions for the Government, commissioners, and employers between 2024 and 2034.

This work is informed by three national workforce censuses and an Ipsos staff survey to identify where national and local action is most needed. The latest workforce census showed the workforce increased from 11,270 in 2022 to 13,103 in 2024.

Relevant initiatives have been implemented, including to improve the skills mix, and strengthen clinical supervision and governance, enabling training for currently unregulated roles, and increasing access to regulated professional training.

In March 2025, the Department and NHS England published the Capability framework for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, which sets out the skills, knowledge and behaviours required for 15 core roles in the local authority-funded drug and alcohol treatment and recovery sector.

The programme is also supporting workforce planning and pipeline development for regulated professions. This includes work to support psychology training placements in drug and alcohol services, including through a toolkit developed to support Doctorate in Clinical Psychology placements in drug and alcohol services, and the development of an addiction psychiatry credential with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to help increase specialist addiction psychiatry capacity.

The Department has also funded the development of three national training curricula for drug and alcohol workers, children and young people’s drug and alcohol workers, and peer support workers.

The Department has commissioned a detailed scoping exercise, including engaging with relevant stakeholders, to establish if a national Centre for Addiction would be viable and if so, how it could be established and what its remit could be. This work is considering workforce needs, possible functions, delivery models, and risks. The findings will inform a future decision on whether and how to establish a centre.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to implement the 2024 Drug and Alcohol Workforce Plan.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department and NHS England have been working on a drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce transformation programme since 2022. The 10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, published in 2024, sets out actions for the Government, commissioners, and employers between 2024 and 2034.

This work is informed by three national workforce censuses and an Ipsos staff survey to identify where national and local action is most needed. The latest workforce census showed the workforce increased from 11,270 in 2022 to 13,103 in 2024.

Relevant initiatives have been implemented, including to improve the skills mix, and strengthen clinical supervision and governance, enabling training for currently unregulated roles, and increasing access to regulated professional training.

In March 2025, the Department and NHS England published the Capability framework for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, which sets out the skills, knowledge and behaviours required for 15 core roles in the local authority-funded drug and alcohol treatment and recovery sector.

The programme is also supporting workforce planning and pipeline development for regulated professions. This includes work to support psychology training placements in drug and alcohol services, including through a toolkit developed to support Doctorate in Clinical Psychology placements in drug and alcohol services, and the development of an addiction psychiatry credential with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to help increase specialist addiction psychiatry capacity.

The Department has also funded the development of three national training curricula for drug and alcohol workers, children and young people’s drug and alcohol workers, and peer support workers.

The Department has commissioned a detailed scoping exercise, including engaging with relevant stakeholders, to establish if a national Centre for Addiction would be viable and if so, how it could be established and what its remit could be. This work is considering workforce needs, possible functions, delivery models, and risks. The findings will inform a future decision on whether and how to establish a centre.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to address unmet treatment needs for dependence on a) alcohol and b) other drugs, in the context of a recent report from the Forward Trust that estimates that 750,000 UK citizens are currently addicted to alcohol and 400,000 are addicted to other drugs.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services as part of their public health responsibilities. As a condition of the Public Health Grant, local authorities are responsible for improving the uptake of, and outcomes from, their drug and alcohol treatment services, based on an assessment of local need and a plan which has been developed with local health and criminal justice partners.

The Government’s estimates of dependence for opioids and crack, and for alcohol, have been used to produce estimates of unmet need, which are added to the Local Outcomes Framework, i.e. national priority outcomes delivered at the local level. Over the next three years, through the Public Health Grant, we will provide local authorities with a minimum of £3.4 billion of ringfenced funding for drug and alcohol prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Key elements of the Addiction Healthcare Goals (AHG) programme are already being rolled out, including the provision of over £10 million for the Addiction Research Leadership Programme to create a UK-wide pipeline of future research leaders, and £20 million for the ‘AHG: Catalysing Innovation Awards’ to accelerate new pharmaceutical, medical technology, and digital solutions. This work will strengthen our evidence base, and generate new treatments and recovery approaches to improve healthcare outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to roll out the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services as part of their public health responsibilities. As a condition of the Public Health Grant, local authorities are responsible for improving the uptake of, and outcomes from, their drug and alcohol treatment services, based on an assessment of local need and a plan which has been developed with local health and criminal justice partners.

The Government’s estimates of dependence for opioids and crack, and for alcohol, have been used to produce estimates of unmet need, which are added to the Local Outcomes Framework, i.e. national priority outcomes delivered at the local level. Over the next three years, through the Public Health Grant, we will provide local authorities with a minimum of £3.4 billion of ringfenced funding for drug and alcohol prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Key elements of the Addiction Healthcare Goals (AHG) programme are already being rolled out, including the provision of over £10 million for the Addiction Research Leadership Programme to create a UK-wide pipeline of future research leaders, and £20 million for the ‘AHG: Catalysing Innovation Awards’ to accelerate new pharmaceutical, medical technology, and digital solutions. This work will strengthen our evidence base, and generate new treatments and recovery approaches to improve healthcare outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department currently estimates the cost of alcohol harm to be in a) England, b) Wales, c) Scotland and d) Northern Ireland.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No such recent estimate has been made, and, as a devolved responsibility, it is not the Department’s role to assess the impact of alcohol harm outside England.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to introduce enhanced screening and background checks for vehicle registration plate suppliers, including criminal record checks where appropriate.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises the impact of number plate crime and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) works closely with police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

As part of its Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026, the Government has sought views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect, altered or false number plate. The consultation closed on 11 May and responses are being considered.

The DVLA is also considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable Register of Number Plate Supplier process, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers and the plates they supply. Options being considered include reviewing fees, scheme structure, resources and funding.

The DVLA uses its social media pages to warn the public of the importance of only buying number plates from a registered supplier and on gov.uk contains information that advises drivers where their nearest suppliers are and what they need to do to purchase new plates.

The Home Office is responsible for police funding. The DVLA offers support and training for police forces on the illegal display and supply of number plates.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has considered increasing penalties available for the manufacture, supply and use of illegal vehicle registration plates.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises the impact of number plate crime and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) works closely with police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

As part of its Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026, the Government has sought views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect, altered or false number plate. The consultation closed on 11 May and responses are being considered.

The DVLA is also considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable Register of Number Plate Supplier process, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers and the plates they supply. Options being considered include reviewing fees, scheme structure, resources and funding.

The DVLA uses its social media pages to warn the public of the importance of only buying number plates from a registered supplier and on gov.uk contains information that advises drivers where their nearest suppliers are and what they need to do to purchase new plates.

The Home Office is responsible for police funding. The DVLA offers support and training for police forces on the illegal display and supply of number plates.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will introduce mandatory vehicle registration plate compliance checks as part of the MOT testing regime.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Vehicle registration plate compliance checks are already included within the MOT test. Registration plates are inspected to ensure they are legible, correctly displayed and comply with legal requirements, and non-compliant plates can result in an MOT failure.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to raise public awareness of the risks associated with purchasing vehicle registration plates from unauthorised and non-compliant suppliers.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises the impact of number plate crime and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) works closely with police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

As part of its Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026, the Government has sought views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect, altered or false number plate. The consultation closed on 11 May and responses are being considered.

The DVLA is also considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable Register of Number Plate Supplier process, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers and the plates they supply. Options being considered include reviewing fees, scheme structure, resources and funding.

The DVLA uses its social media pages to warn the public of the importance of only buying number plates from a registered supplier and on gov.uk contains information that advises drivers where their nearest suppliers are and what they need to do to purchase new plates.

The Home Office is responsible for police funding. The DVLA offers support and training for police forces on the illegal display and supply of number plates.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to fund police technology, capability and training to assist police forces in detecting and enforcing offences relating to illegal vehicle registration plates.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises the impact of number plate crime and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) works closely with police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

As part of its Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026, the Government has sought views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect, altered or false number plate. The consultation closed on 11 May and responses are being considered.

The DVLA is also considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable Register of Number Plate Supplier process, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers and the plates they supply. Options being considered include reviewing fees, scheme structure, resources and funding.

The DVLA uses its social media pages to warn the public of the importance of only buying number plates from a registered supplier and on gov.uk contains information that advises drivers where their nearest suppliers are and what they need to do to purchase new plates.

The Home Office is responsible for police funding. The DVLA offers support and training for police forces on the illegal display and supply of number plates.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to ensure that lower-income families are not priced out of decarbonisation.

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

The Government's Warm Homes Plan, published earlier this year, represents the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history, rolling out cost-effective, clean energy technologies that reduce bills including solar, batteries, and heat pumps.

Low-income households can access fully-funded grant support through the Warm Homes: Local Grant, delivered through local authorities, and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, delivered through social housing providers.

Additionally, universal grants of up to £9,000 are available for heat pump installations through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and the Warm Homes Plan also committed to brand-new scheme offering low interest, government-backed consumer loans supported with £2 billion of public funding, providing further help with upfront costs.

More widely, the Government’s recent Clean Energy public campaign showed a range of low carbon technologies including the likes of electric vehicles increasingly represent the more affordable and practical choice for all consumers, offering significant financial advantages over their fossil fuel counterparts.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she will commit to providing a £7,500 grant for heat batteries.

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

The Government response to last year’s public consultation on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme set out that the scheme will begin to provide grants of £2,500 to support the installation of heat batteries once appropriate product and installation standards are in place. There are no plans to alter the grant level at this time.

However, as with all technologies eligible for support under the scheme, the Government continually reviews whether the level of financial support available to consumers remains sufficient, appropriate and aligned with our wider heat decarbonisation objectives.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to strengthen enforcement and prosecution powers available to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency against suppliers who fail to comply with vehicle registration plate regulations.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable Register of Number Plate Supplier process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers and the plates they supply. Options being considered include reviewing fees, scheme structure, resources and funding.

As part of its review of motoring offences, the Department for Transport has also sought views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect, altered or false number plate. The consultation closed on 11 May and responses are being considered.

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