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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to Questions 112298 and 112296, what steps her Department is taking with the British sheep industry to help address workforce availability of sheep shearers.

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

With a national flock of around 30m sheep, Defra recognises the importance that shearing sheep plays in managing the health and welfare of the UK flock. We acknowledge that industry faces continued challenges each year in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained and highly proficient shearers, particularly when individuals can often only utilise these skills for a few months of the year during the short early summer shearing period.

The department is also aware of the role that shearers and sheep farmers from countries such as Australia and New Zealand have provided in sharing skills and expertise with UK sheep farmers as well as in supporting the health and welfare of the UK flock.

Defra continues to work closely with the industry in addressing the challenges they face and to encourage the continued promotion, take up, and delivery of British Wool’s programme to deliver training for domestic sheep shearers. In each of the last five years (2021-2025) British Wool has invested an average of £134,000 net costs in providing shearing training for between 798 and 898 people at skill levels ranging from beginners through to highly proficient commercial shearers.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what conversations she has had with the British wool industry about addressing challenges in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained shearers each year.

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

With a national flock of around 30m sheep, Defra recognises the importance that shearing sheep plays in managing the health and welfare of the UK flock. We acknowledge that industry faces continued challenges each year in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained and highly proficient shearers, particularly when individuals can often only utilise these skills for a few months of the year during the short early summer shearing period.

The department is also aware of the role that shearers and sheep farmers from countries such as Australia and New Zealand have provided in sharing skills and expertise with UK sheep farmers as well as in supporting the health and welfare of the UK flock.

Defra continues to work closely with the industry in addressing the challenges they face and to encourage the continued promotion, take up, and delivery of British Wool’s programme to deliver training for domestic sheep shearers. In each of the last five years (2021-2025) British Wool has invested an average of £134,000 net costs in providing shearing training for between 798 and 898 people at skill levels ranging from beginners through to highly proficient commercial shearers.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the report from Liverpool and Sheffield Hallam Universities on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission, published in June 2022.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the impact of the commission charge on the sale of park homes on park home owners.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of moving data controller responsibilities from GPs to (a) NHS and (b) government bodies.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, we will build on our programme of national public engagement on the use of health data and work with the system, including clinical staff, to move towards national and regional models of decision making for access to all National Health Service data for secondary uses, for instance data used for purposes beyond an individual’s care, for example planning NHS services and research. We will use a combination of policy and legislative change to implement this and speed up secure access to this data. This may result in changes to data controllership responsibilities for secondary uses of data.

General practices (GPs) would remain data controllers for data in GP records for an individual’s care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to (a) GP practices (b) integrated care boards and (c) NHS trusts of participating in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve co-ordination between court staff, prison staff and policing staff.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the importance of different Departments working collaboratively. The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice chairs the Criminal Justice Board to facilitate collaboration between all criminal justice system partners, including the police, HM Courts & Tribunals Service and HM Prison & Probation Service.

The Ministry of Justice also provides guidance to and opportunities for engagement between Local Criminal Justice Boards.

In tandem, the Government is considering the recommendations in Part II of Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts relating to the co-ordination between CJS partners and will respond to them in the coming months.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress has been made on the implementation of the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Government remains committed to implementing the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 as soon as possible. On 15 December 2025, we published the response to the technical consultation on regulations commencing sections 61 – 64 of the Act and laid the regulations implementing these provisions on the same date. These regulations will come into force on 7 April 2026.

The remaining provisions are complex and technical, and we are working closely with other departments and Ofcom on implementing these as soon as possible

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 (a) minimise disruption caused by delays to the supply of bone cement and (b) ensure the availability of adequate supplies of bone cement in the future.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is working closely with NHS England, professional bodies and industry partners and have implemented a range of measures to resolve the shortage of bone cement.

The National Health Service has secured stock of an alternative bone cement product, which is now in the United Kingdom for onward distribution. There is sufficient supply to confidently resume elective procedures, and further deliveries are planned in the coming weeks.

The NHS also issued immediate guidance to hospitals to ensure that trauma and urgent care could continue safely.

We will keep our horizon-scanning processes under review and work specifically to identify future potential risks and safeguard continuity of future bone cement supplies.

The Department has held regular discussions with NHS England on the supply position, operational impact, and plans to secure alternative products, including through established incident coordination structures.

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 NHS England on delays to the supply of Heraeus bone cement.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is working closely with NHS England, professional bodies and industry partners and have implemented a range of measures to resolve the shortage of bone cement.

The National Health Service has secured stock of an alternative bone cement product, which is now in the United Kingdom for onward distribution. There is sufficient supply to confidently resume elective procedures, and further deliveries are planned in the coming weeks.

The NHS also issued immediate guidance to hospitals to ensure that trauma and urgent care could continue safely.

We will keep our horizon-scanning processes under review and work specifically to identify future potential risks and safeguard continuity of future bone cement supplies.

The Department has held regular discussions with NHS England on the supply position, operational impact, and plans to secure alternative products, including through established incident coordination structures.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what dedicated funding he is providing to (a) primary care networks and (b) integrated care boards for the development of integrated neighbourhood teams.

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

Both integrated care boards (ICBs) and local health systems will design Neighbourhood Health Services that reflect the needs of their local populations as part of their wider responsibilities within their funding allocations. Nationally, we are developing guidance to provide greater clarity and consistency for systems in developing and scaling Neighbourhood Health.

Funding for primary care networks and integrated neighbourhood teams is included within ICBs overall allocations. Additional funding has also been provided to support the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, which was launched in 2025 in 43 places. Work is underway to consider the future direction of the programme, informed by the learning and feedback from wave 1.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme will be continuing beyond March 2026.

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

Both integrated care boards (ICBs) and local health systems will design Neighbourhood Health Services that reflect the needs of their local populations as part of their wider responsibilities within their funding allocations. Nationally, we are developing guidance to provide greater clarity and consistency for systems in developing and scaling Neighbourhood Health.

Funding for primary care networks and integrated neighbourhood teams is included within ICBs overall allocations. Additional funding has also been provided to support the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, which was launched in 2025 in 43 places. Work is underway to consider the future direction of the programme, informed by the learning and feedback from wave 1.

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 help facilitate compliant data sharing between organisations involved in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme.

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

In September 2025, we launched the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) in 43 places across England.

The NNHIP is a large-scale change programme for all partners involved in delivering neighbourhood health: the National Health Service; local government; social care providers; other statutory and non-statutory organisations; and the voluntary sector.

We are working closely with the relevant transformation teams to strengthen data‑sharing arrangements across the programme. Sites are already exchanging learning on effective local approaches, and we are jointly developing practical guidance to support safe and consistent data sharing while wider national solutions are progressed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has provided to community pharmacies through retained margin in the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework in real terms accounting for inflation in each year since 2016.

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

The following table shows the nominal and real terms funding through retained margin as part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) each year since 2015/16:

Notes:

1. for 2022/23 and 2023/24, an additional £50 million in funding was provided via writing off over-delivery; and
2. for 2025/26, an additional £193 million in funding was provided via writing off over-delivery.

The Department, along with Community Pharmacy England, assess the medicines margin retained through a quarterly ‘medicines margin survey’. Where the medicine margin survey shows under or over delivery against the funding provided, then adjustments are made to reimbursement prices to bring it line with the allowed medicine margin as per CPCF.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he has issued to (a) public (b) private and (c) voluntary organisations involved in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme on best practice data sharing.

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

In September 2025, we launched the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) in 43 places across England.

The NNHIP is a large-scale change programme for all partners involved in delivering neighbourhood health: the National Health Service; local government; social care providers; other statutory and non-statutory organisations; and the voluntary sector.

We are working closely with the relevant transformation teams to strengthen data‑sharing arrangements across the programme. Sites are already exchanging learning on effective local approaches, and we are jointly developing practical guidance to support safe and consistent data sharing while wider national solutions are progressed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the National Police Chiefs’ Council guidance on abnormal loads on the haulage sector.

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

We continue to monitor the impact of the guidance issued in June 2025 by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), aimed at improving coordination, transparency, and efficiency for both law enforcement and the transport industry. NPCC have set a review date for the document of 1 May 2027.

We are working with industry, including the Heavy Transport Association and agencies, such as National Highways, to ensure the appropriate balance between efficient movement of abnormal loads, whilst ensuring road safety and minimised disruption to other road users.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of care for people who have received dementia diagnoses, in the context of the contribution of (a) continued activity and (b) social engagement for slowing the progression of dementia.

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

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). Therefore no central assessment has been made of the adequacy of care for people who have received dementia diagnoses in the context of the contribution of continued activity and social engagement for slowing the progression of dementia. We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, and oversee the quality of the services they commission.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

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 adequacy of Dementia Assessment Services in Shropshire.

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

No central assessment has been made of the adequacy of Dementia Assessment Services in Shropshire. The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards and ensuring they are responsive to the needs of local communities.

However, NHS England does collect and publish data about people with dementia at each general practice (GP) in England, including those in Shropshire, to enable National Health Service GPs and commissioners to make informed choices about how to plan their dementia services around patients’ needs.

GPs also provide a count of patients up to the end of the reporting period who have received an assessment for dementia and who have received or declined an initial memory assessment, a referral to a memory clinic, a care plan, a care plan review, and/or a medication review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to encourage police forces to apply the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s revised guidance on abnormal loads.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

NPCC guidance for forces on managing abnormal loads was updated in May 2025. This seeks to promote greater national alignment across forces, where possible, noting the need for variations.

Police Chiefs are responsible for decisions on escorting abnormal loads and for how guidance should be implemented in their areas. Local variation in the management of abnormal loads may be necessary to account for factors such as geography and road infrastructure.

The NPCC has committed to review this guidance twelve months after publication to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help improve collaboration between landowners, telecoms infrastructure providers and mobile operator companies.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is keen that landowners, infrastructure providers and operators work as collaboratively as possible.

We therefore endorse the work of the National Connectivity Alliance, an alliance of telecommunications providers, infrastructure providers, landowners and their professional advisers who are brought together to collaborate on areas of mutual interest.

We are committed to implementing the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, including section 70 relating to the handling of complaints, as soon as possible.

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 the timely delivery of cataract surgery for patients in Shropshire.

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

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and modernisation efforts needed to reach the 92% standard by March 2029. We have set a national ambition that by March 2026, 65% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum five percentage point improvement on current performance over that period.

In December 2025, 70.2% of patients on the elective waiting list nationally, and 79% of patients in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board, were waiting under 18 weeks for ophthalmology services. Since the Government came into office, the elective waiting list in England has now been cut by 330,417. This is despite 31.7 million referrals onto the waiting list.

We know further progress is needed to return to the constitutional standard. In September 2025, we announced an “online hospital”, via NHS Online, which will give people on certain pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has issued guidance to integrated care boards regarding the management of waiting lists for private providers of NHS procedures.

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

The Department has not issued specific guidance to integrated care boards regarding the management of waiting lists for private providers of National Health Service procedures. The Department has published rules on referral to treatment consultant-led pathways which applies to all providers of NHS care, and which can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-start-consultant-led-treatment-within-18-weeks/referral-to-treatment-consultant-led-waiting-times-rules-suite-october-2022

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish data relating to the number of surgeries affected by delays to the supply of Heraeus bone cement.

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

Joined up working between the Department and the National Health Service has successfully secured an alternative bone cement product for the coming weeks following the issues with Heraeus Medical’s production process. During this period, NHS providers were supported to prioritise remaining stock based on clinical guidance.

The Department has not collected data on the specific number of procedures delayed due to this supply issue centrally. Due to the speed by which alternative products have been identified the number of procedures postponed has been limited and where this has happened, trusts are seeking to reschedule affected procedures quickly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve the availability of CCTV coverage in train carriages.

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

Most new train procurements since 1996 have included provision of CCTV. National Rail Contracts and Service Agreements between the Government and train operators impose obligations that where CCTV is installed or upgraded, operators are contractually required to comply with relevant CCTV guidance and industry standards.

Where CCTV is provided, train operators are expected to follow the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) Rail Industry Standard for On-Train Camera Monitoring Systems. This standard sets out requirements for camera placement, image quality, secure data storage and integration with passenger alarms.

The RSSB Key Train Requirements also emphasise the importance of internal CCTV as an element of passenger security, including good coverage, reliable performance and proper maintenance over the life of the train. The Key Train Requirements document assists rolling stock procurers, specifiers, manufacturers, and system suppliers to compile procurement specifications for new and refurbished trains.

As we move towards public ownership we will be working with train operators to ensure equipment is working and retention periods are adhered to.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many planned cataract surgeries have been delayed in each of the past 12 months due to integrated care boards not having enough money in their financial-year budget to pay the private providers delivering the procedures.

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

The Department does not hold this data.

Integrated care boards have existing contractual powers to manage activity by providers, which were enhanced in 2025/26 with central support for setting and managing activity. Commissioners’ use of these powers support systems to live within their means and deploy better financial discipline than previous years where systems have overspent. As these powers are exercised by local systems, no national assessment has been made.

We expect the use of activity management provisions by local systems to support efforts achieving the goal of at least 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks for treatment by March 2026 whilst living within financial budgets set for 2025/26.

Association of Colleges Award for Derwen College

Conduct of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Student finance system reform

State visits to the US

Leasehold reform (No. 3)

Endometriosis Awareness Month 2026

Funding for rural fire and rescue services

Right to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly

Energy prices for households and businesses

Heating oil prices

Royal Mail delivery standards

Royal Mail postal delivery services

NHS dentistry

Covid Day of Reflection 2026

Curlew populations

Dolphin hunting in the Faroe Islands

Cardiac risk in the young