Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending business rates reimbursements to community pharmacies.

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

In the 2025 Autumn Budget, the Government took the hard choices to protect the National Health Service in England and to continue to prioritise reducing waiting times. We have also stepped in to cap bills and help businesses, as part of a £4.3 billion support package.

This year, we have also increased funding to community pharmacies to almost £3.1 billion, the largest uplift in funding for any part of the NHS across 2024/25 and 2025/26.

The Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27 shortly.

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 prepare for potential flu outbreaks in winter 2025-26.

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

We have done more than ever to prepare for winter this year with the development and better testing of winter plans. This includes surge capacity and escalation plans for urgent and emergency care.

The flu vaccination programme began on 1 September 2025 for children and pregnant women. Adults aged over 65 years old, those with long term health conditions, and frontline health and social care workers will start from 1 October 2025.

Further details of the plans for this year, including actions to reduce the effects of flu on demand for services, are set out in the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/

On 16 September, the Secretary of State addressed a gathering of Chief Executives and undertook a joint visit with the NHS England Chief Executive to set out how winter preparations were being strengthened. A further meeting with Chief Executives on 3 November also focused on winter planning.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help ensure that investors in the Feed-in Tariff scheme continue to receive payments in line with their original contracts.

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

The Feed-in Tariffs scheme continues to operate within the statutory framework established by the Feed-in Tariffs Order 2012. Recent confirmed changes to inflation indexation of the scheme will apply to existing generators. Generators will continue to receive inflation-indexed payments for the full duration of their support period.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with Ofgem on (a) reducing delays in the processing time for payments made under the Feed-in Tariff scheme and (b) improving the confidence of private investors for that scheme.

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

Under the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) scheme suppliers are required to make FIT payments no less than quarterly. The Government engages regularly with Ofgem, as administrator of the scheme, to keep its operation under review and ensure it continues to function effectively.

The Government recognises that regulatory stability is essential to maintaining an attractive investment environment. The Government also considers it appropriate to undertake periodic reviews of schemes to ensure they continue to provide value for money for the households and businesses that fund this support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on his Department's modelling of workforce numbers in the 10 Year Workforce Plan.

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

The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026. This plan will set out action to create a National Health Service workforce which is able to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. It is important we do this in a robust and joined up way. We are therefore engaging extensively with partners to ensure this plan delivers for staff and patients.

That engagement began well before the call for evidence was closed. In early November, ministers hosted an event with nearly one hundred representatives of partner organisations to hear views from across the health system.

Engagement is now continuing while we analyse the submissions to our call for evidence, including a roundtable with medical royal colleges on 14 January, which I chaired.

We have committed to publishing regular workforce planning. This will start with the 10-Year Workforce Plan, which will include updated workforce modelling and its underlying assumptions when published in spring 2026. The updated workforce modelling will be subject to independent scrutiny by our appointed external scrutiny panel.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has considered the potential impact of alternative rooftop land uses, including solar panels and energy infrastructure, on the (a) valuation of properties hosting telecommunications equipment and (b) landowners’ willingness to continue hosting mobile network infrastructure.

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

No assessment has been made.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has assessed the potential impact of the removal, relocation and temporary decommissioning of rooftop telecommunications equipment as part of programmes to install rooftop solar panels, heat pumps and other energy infrastructure on mobile network coverage, including 5G.

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

No assessment has been made.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2026 to Question 106884, whether the requirement for local planning authorities to maintain published plans and drawings of residential development on planning registers applies indefinitely after that development has been completed.

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

It is important that there is a publicly available record of what has been granted planning permission, as this may be used for a range of purposes. For example, these may be used to identify breaches in planning control, or for conveyancing purposes.

However, legislation does not specify how long published plans and drawings of residential development should be retained on planning registers.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Waverley Borough Council and (b) East Hampshire District Council on the provision of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces and housing delivery.

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

Local planning authorities must ensure that development does not adversely affect the integrity of sites protected under the Habitats Regulations (including through mitigation measures where appropriate).

Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) is one type of mitigation for the recreational pressures that new housing can place on protected habitats like Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). It provides an attractive alternative green space for new residents, drawing visitors away from sensitive habitats.

Local planning authorities are responsible for ensuring that developers deliver SANGs where they are needed, following an Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Regulations of a relevant development. It is therefore for local planning authorities to monitor local capacity of SANGs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the availability of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace capacity within local planning authorities covering the (a) Thames Basin Heaths, (b) Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons, and (c) Wealden Heaths Phase II Special Protection Areas.

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

Local planning authorities must ensure that development does not adversely affect the integrity of sites protected under the Habitats Regulations (including through mitigation measures where appropriate).

Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) is one type of mitigation for the recreational pressures that new housing can place on protected habitats like Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). It provides an attractive alternative green space for new residents, drawing visitors away from sensitive habitats.

Local planning authorities are responsible for ensuring that developers deliver SANGs where they are needed, following an Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Regulations of a relevant development. It is therefore for local planning authorities to monitor local capacity of SANGs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department collects or holds data on the number of residential planning permissions that cannot be implemented due to a lack of available Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace capacity.

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

Local planning authorities must ensure that development does not adversely affect the integrity of sites protected under the Habitats Regulations (including through mitigation measures where appropriate).

Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) is one type of mitigation for the recreational pressures that new housing can place on protected habitats like Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). It provides an attractive alternative green space for new residents, drawing visitors away from sensitive habitats.

Local planning authorities are responsible for ensuring that developers deliver SANGs where they are needed, following an Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Regulations of a relevant development. It is therefore for local planning authorities to monitor local capacity of SANGs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the risk to public safety from the publication of sensitive information relating to the physical security of properties on local authority planning registers.

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

My Department has made no such assessment.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 106884 on 27 January 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a respiratory modern service framework on winter pressures on the NHS.

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

Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia.

The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks, including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.

NHS England, working with the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and other partners, is taking action to reduce the impact of respiratory conditions on the National Health Service this winter. Further details of the actions being taken to reduce demand on acute services during winter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/

Found: Gregory Stafford made representations.

Found: Beccy Cooper; Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Alex McIntyre; Gregory Stafford

Found: Beccy Cooper; Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Alex McIntyre; Gregory Stafford