Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, hen he plans to respond to Question 4447, 10962 and 15024 tabled by the hon. Member for North Shropshire on 29 May, 17 June and 1 July 2026.

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

I refer the hon. Member to:

• the answer my hon. Friend, the former Minister of State for Care, gave on 8 July 2026 to Question 4447;

• the answer my hon. Friend, the former Parliamentary Under-secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety, gave on 12 July 2026 to Question 10962; and

• the answer my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Health, gave on 19 August 2026 to Question 15024.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's Access to Banking Services Review, published on 14 May 2026, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people unable to use digital banking retain reasonable access to face-to-face banking services.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking can continue to access essential services.

That is why the Government commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services, to assess whether changes to access to in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment, the scale of any detriment, and who and where it affects, including in rural, coastal, and market town communities.

Alongside the Review, the Financial Services and Markets Bill includes a power to allow the Government to take action in future to protect access to banking services, should this be necessary. This power ensures the Government can act swiftly and proportionately, including through future regulation, if the evidence from the Review supports intervention.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's Access to Banking Services Review, published on 14 May 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the extent of geographical gaps in face-to-face banking provision.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking can continue to access essential services.

That is why the Government commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services, to assess whether changes to access to in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment, the scale of any detriment, and who and where it affects, including in rural, coastal, and market town communities.

Alongside the Review, the Financial Services and Markets Bill includes a power to allow the Government to take action in future to protect access to banking services, should this be necessary. This power ensures the Government can act swiftly and proportionately, including through future regulation, if the evidence from the Review supports intervention.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of staff are currently working on climate adaptation in the NHS.

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

The requested information is not centrally held by the Department, but this is an increasingly important area of work, as set out by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in her statement on 30 July, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-report-shows-2877-excess-deaths-caused-by-may-and-june-heatwaves

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to pause the expansion of NHS England's advice and guidance policy.

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

Advice and Guidance (A&G) is a longstanding policy which helps primary care clinicians and patients receive quicker access to specialist advice. Since the Government came to office, the A&G model has supported over three million patients to receive care in the right place without having to join elective waiting lists.

Alongside an extra 2,000 general practitioners (GPs) since the Government entered office, A&G is helping more patients to receive timely and appropriate care in primary and community settings. Together, this is one of the reasons that more than three quarters of patients are now reporting a ‘good’ overall experience with their GP.

Nevertheless, under A&G, the clinical threshold for a referral remains unchanged, and GPs should continue to make a clinical decision to refer for specialist care where that is in the patient’s best interest. We will continue to assess the safety of A&G and support providers to implement it effectively. We have commissioned an evaluation to understand the impact of A&G and producing templates for providers to use.

In-person banking services for Ellesmere

Political donations and campaign finance regulation

Support for hospices

Publication of Legal Advice on Local Government Reorganisation

National strategy for fertility

Miscarriage care

Support for post offices

Josh Kerr

Devon maternity services

Cosmetic specifications for fresh produce and national food security

Funding of Jodrell Bank Observatory

2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive

Fire ponds

Local Housing Allowance rates

Hartley Pensions and FCA enforcement action (No. 2)

Found: Helen Morgan (LD) said the party supported clause 15.