Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the next steps and expected timetable are for the development, testing and implementation of the fast-track care pathway for people living with motor neurone disease, announced on 5 August 2026.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Following the announcement by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 5 August, the Department is working at pace with local authorities, the National Health Service, voluntary organisations, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and people with lived experience to develop a prototype fast-track pathway for people with motor neurone disease (MND). Over the coming months, we will engage with local authorities, integrated care boards, and other partners to test the deliverability of the proposed pathway, assess system readiness, and refine the model. The announcement is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/patients-with-motor-neurone-disease-set-for-fast-tracked-care

Unpaid carers will be closely involved in this work. By reducing delays in accessing support, improving coordination between health, social care, and housing services, and easing the burden of navigating those services, we expect the new pathway to benefit both people with MND and those who care for them.

To support carers more broadly, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake carer’s assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from them. To help local authorities fulfil their duties, including to unpaid carers, the Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. The Department also published The Unpaid Carers Action Plan in July, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unpaid-carers-action-plan-recognise-refer-reach

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the new MND fast-track care pathway's potential to improve outcomes for unpaid carers as well as patients.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Following the announcement by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 5 August, the Department is working at pace with local authorities, the National Health Service, voluntary organisations, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and people with lived experience to develop a prototype fast-track pathway for people with motor neurone disease (MND). Over the coming months, we will engage with local authorities, integrated care boards, and other partners to test the deliverability of the proposed pathway, assess system readiness, and refine the model. The announcement is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/patients-with-motor-neurone-disease-set-for-fast-tracked-care

Unpaid carers will be closely involved in this work. By reducing delays in accessing support, improving coordination between health, social care, and housing services, and easing the burden of navigating those services, we expect the new pathway to benefit both people with MND and those who care for them.

To support carers more broadly, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake carer’s assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from them. To help local authorities fulfil their duties, including to unpaid carers, the Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. The Department also published The Unpaid Carers Action Plan in July, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unpaid-carers-action-plan-recognise-refer-reach

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what monitoring arrangements are in place to assess whether local authorities are accelerating Disabled Facilities Grant processes for people living with motor neurone disease.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In June 2026, the Government wrote to council leaders, asking them to take immediate steps to improve the timeliness and co-ordination of care and support for people with motor neurone disease and to consider how such approaches might also apply to people with similarly rapidly progressing needs. A number of local authorities have now introduced expedited pathways for people with rapidly progressing palliative conditions such as motor neurone disease. All local authorities have the flexibility to streamline Disabled Facilities Grant processes and provide faster support for people with urgent needs through their housing assistance policies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure unpaid carers of people living with motor neurone disease receive timely carers' assessments and support alongside the new MND fast-track care pathway.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Following the announcement by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 5 August, the Department is working at pace with local authorities, the National Health Service, voluntary organisations, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and people with lived experience to develop a prototype fast-track pathway for people with motor neurone disease (MND). Over the coming months, we will engage with local authorities, integrated care boards, and other partners to test the deliverability of the proposed pathway, assess system readiness, and refine the model. The announcement is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/patients-with-motor-neurone-disease-set-for-fast-tracked-care

Unpaid carers will be closely involved in this work. By reducing delays in accessing support, improving coordination between health, social care, and housing services, and easing the burden of navigating those services, we expect the new pathway to benefit both people with MND and those who care for them.

To support carers more broadly, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake carer’s assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from them. To help local authorities fulfil their duties, including to unpaid carers, the Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. The Department also published The Unpaid Carers Action Plan in July, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unpaid-carers-action-plan-recognise-refer-reach

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the extent of the contribution of air ambulance charities to the delivery of specialist pre-hospital emergency care across the UK.

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

Whilst no specific assessment has made, we recognise that air ambulance charities are a lifeline to communities across the country, and I want to celebrate the extraordinary volunteers who keep these services flying. We are working closely with them across a range of areas to support their work, including taking steps to strengthen safety measures for helipads through the Onshore Landing Sites Group, and I was glad my Hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation, could lend his personal support when attending the Air Ambulance drop-in session in Parliament on 8 September.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to protect vulnerable tenants living in residential dwellings legally classified as commercial lets, where the commercial classification of the tenancy exempts landlords from mandatory upgrades of EPC ratings by October 2030.

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

Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) apply to domestic privately rented properties let on assured, regulated, or domestic agricultural tenancies, or standard tenancy in Wales, where an EPC is required. MEES also apply non-domestic properties that are required to have an EPC and are let under a tenancy.

Government is strengthening wider protections for tenants through the Decent Homes Standard including supported housing and temporary homelessness accommodation.

The Warm Homes Plan includes universal grants of up to £9,000 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Government has also taken action to reduce energy bills by removing VAT and other policy costs from electricity bills.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to help ensure that imported eggs and egg products are safe for consumption in the context of the recent salmonella outbreak.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 10 September in response to Question 26962.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the water management grant of up to £15 million, within the drought support package.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government recognises the significant challenges that drought conditions can pose for farmers and growers. As part of the drought support package announced on 14 August 2026, up to £15 million has been made available to support on-farm reservoir construction.

The proposed level of funding has been informed by evaluation evidence from the previous two rounds of the Water Management Grant, where applications are expected to result in around £12.5 million of grant expenditure in total. Given the previous government were unable to spend the full budget allocated to the previous rounds of the Water Management Grant, we won’t repeat that failure and as such will continue to monitor delivery and demand to ensure the grant supports practical investments that strengthen water security and farm resilience to climate change.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the contribution of Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocates (MNISAs).

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

An independent evaluation of the Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocates pilot delivered across 16 integrated care boards was conducted from October 2024 to June 2025 by the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Rapid Service Evaluation Team. It found clear value, including ensuring that families’ concerns contribute to service improvement. It also identified uncertainty regarding scale, delivery model, and cost-effectiveness of the service, alongside the need for better integration in existing maternity and neonatal systems.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is chairing the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to develop a national action plan to reform maternity and neonatal services. It will consider improvements to investigations and reviews, ensuring families get the support they need during these difficult times.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the level of need for additional hospice funding.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 13 July in response to Question 16185, which sets out the steps the Government is taking to support hospices throughout England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to set out a sustainable long-term commissioning model for the hospice sector.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 13 July in response to Question 16185, which sets out the steps the Government is taking to support hospices throughout England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the need for short-term revenue to support hospices, while long-term solutions are developed and put in place.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 13 July in response to Question 16185, which sets out the steps the Government is taking to support hospices throughout England.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of having a civic centre in every market town.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Government recognises that too many neighbourhoods, including in market towns, have been let down by broken promises of renewal, resulting in the loss of valued community assets and the decline of local high streets.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the merits of having a civic centre in every market town. However, through our wider work to regenerate town centres and strengthen communities, we are supporting places to invest in the civic and community assets that best meet local needs. Our Pride in Place programme is empowering local people to shape the future of their neighbourhood. Supported by up to £5.8 billion in funding for 284 places across the country, Neighbourhood Boards are working with residents to deliver improvements that improve public spaces and create thriving communities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her department is taking to support farmers in addressing workforce shortages.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra recognises that its vital farms have the workforce they need to harvest their great British produce and grow their businesses. We set out in the Farming Roadmap that to build clear skills pathways for a modern farming sector we are working across government, including Skills England, industry and with training providers, to strengthen professional routes into and through the sector, providing accessible pathways for people to enter, progress and build long term careers in agriculture that reflect the sector’s diverse and evolving needs.

We have just confirmed the 2027 Seasonal Worker visa allocations for the horticulture and poultry so businesses can plan the year ahead with confidence and are working on Sector Growth Plans for these sectors to explore how our growers can be more profitable, productive and grow whilst also working within key government policy parameters, including migration policy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her department has made of the potential impact of workforce shortages in the agricultural sector on UK food security.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra recognises the importance of the workforce to food security. The Government’s Good Food Cycle publication references the importance of attracting talent and developing a skilled workforce to our nation and food security. The Farming Roadmap also makes clear the link between a strong, skilled and confident workforce in driving rural economic growth and strengthening Britain’s food security, whilst also committing to the Seasonal Worker visa route for the horticulture and poultry sectors until at least 2030. Addressing workforce recruitment and retention will be central to the Sector Growth Plans we have underway with sector experts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to help ensure there are sufficient teaching support staff, including teaching assistants and technicians, to effectively support SEND provision in North Shropshire constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Headteachers are responsible for recruitment and deployment in their schools, as they are best placed to understand the specific needs of their pupils and make staffing decisions accordingly.

In Shropshire, the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) school support staff increased slightly from 2,537 in 2024/25 to 2,553 in 2025/26. This includes an increase in FTE teaching assistant numbers from 1,470 in 2024/25 to 1,517 in 2025/26. There has also been a slight decrease in FTE technicians from 48 in 2024/25 to 45 in 2025/26.

The government is committed to ensuring that school support staff are recognised and rewarded for the crucial work they do. That is why we are establishing the School Support Staff Negotiating Body to negotiate new statutory minimum levels for pay and conditions and advise on training and career progression for school support staff in England.

We are investing in schools to deliver the changes to support mainstream inclusion. From 2026 to 2027 we will provide £1.6 billion for the Inclusive Mainstream Fund for schools, colleges and early years settings to deliver an improved inclusion offer, as well as £1.8 billion for Experts at Hand.

The department is also investing £200 million in a new special educational needs and disabilities training offer to upskill school, college and nursery staff, including teaching assistants.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made on the level of teaching staff retention in North Shropshire; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the level of teaching staff in that area on schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Teacher numbers in the Shropshire local authority increased slightly year on year. The department’s latest data reported that there were 2,137 teachers in 2025/26 compared to 2,131 in 2024/25.

Nationally, we have achieved over 71% of our 6,500 additional teachers target. There are 4,654 more teachers in 2025/26 compared with 2024/25, including 3,008 more teachers in secondary and special schools and 1,646 more teachers in further education.

The latest School Workforce Census also reported the lowest leaver rate (8.5%) outside the pandemic and a record number of teachers (17,740) returning to the classroom.

By September 2027, school teachers will have seen an increase in their pay of 17% since this government took power, and we are taking action to tackle poor pupil behaviour, reduce high workload and improve wellbeing to encourage even more teachers to stay in the profession.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of timely housing adaptations on unpaid carers.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

By supporting people to live more independently, home adaptations can reduce the extent of informal care that people require. This can have a positive impact on unpaid carers through improving their health and wellbeing, and reducing the amount of time they spend caring.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in relation to the Government's review of the School Food Standards, what assessment the Department has made of the importance of eggs as a source of healthy protein in school meals.

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

Eggs are named in the protein food group of both the existing School Food Standards and the updated version proposed in the Department for Education’s recent consultation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has taken steps to ensure restrictive planning policies do not impact 24/7 access to hospital helipads.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in August 2026, gives substantial weight to the benefits of providing new or improved public service infrastructure, including healthcare facilities.

The NPPF is clear that existing community facilities and public services should not have unreasonable restrictions placed on their current or permitted operation as a result of development being approved after they were established. This means that development proposals should be capable of being integrated effectively with existing public service activities and infrastructure in their vicinity including blue light services.

Where the operation of an existing activity could have a significant adverse effect on a proposed new development in its vicinity, development proposals should identify the nature of the potential impacts and be able to demonstrate that suitable mitigation can be provided before the development has begun.

The new NPPF and the government’s response to the consultation are available on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department’s policies of the report by the NAO entitled Resilience of the food supply chain to disruptions, published on 4 September 2026.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The NAO's report shows risks to food supplies are becoming more complex, which is exactly why we are working with farmers and the food and drink industry to strengthen the UK’s food security and resilience.

The Government will carefully consider the report’s findings and recommendations as part of our ongoing work to build a more resilient, productive and sustainable food system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the context of the recent salmonella outbreak, whether steps are being taken to support British egg farmers to reduce levels of reliance on imported eggs.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK is around 90% self-sufficient in eggs for human consumption and has been for the past ten years, demonstrating clear demand for high-quality, domestically produced eggs. In the 12 months to June 2026, UK imports of eggs and associated products decreased by 6% compared to the previous 12 months. In addition, the Poultry Sector Growth Plan is being developed by industry, supported by Government, to identify opportunities to strengthen our national food security whilst balancing broader environmental, animal welfare and trade objectives. This Government always considers the impact of overseas goods on UK producers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to establish a national policy to protect 24/7 access to on-site hospital helipads.

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

I refer the Hon. Members to the answers provided on 16 July in response to Question 16317, and on 1 June in response to Question 2208.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to publish constituency level data from the Agricultural Land Use in England survey from June 2025.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra publishes the data from the June Survey of Agriculture annually. Constituency level data for that dataset is only published on years where a full census is run (which is once every ten years, with the most recent census being carried out in 2021). It would not be statistically robust to publish constituency level data from June 2025 or June 2026, although the data for those years is presented at other geographical breakdowns (e.g. region, county/unitary authority and local authority).

The constituency level data for 2021 can be found here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the focus on increased funding for Environmental Land Management schemes as part of the new drought support package on the ability of farmers to (a) produce food and (b) support UK food security amid severe climate challenges.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government recognises the significant impact that exceptionally dry conditions have had on many farm businesses. The measures Government has taken will provide practical support to help farmers manage the immediate impact of drought, but will also invest in long term business resilience so that farmers can handle extreme weather better in the future.

Defra is using established channels like SFI to ensure funding has the biggest impact and reach, as many farmers are already using SFI.

The increased funding for SFI (an additional £50m for Window 2, making a total of at least £290m for new agreements available this financial year) will give more farmers affected by low yields and rising costs the chance to access a reliable income stream which will support more drought-resilient, sustainable farming practices.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her assessment is of the extent and quality of the geographical coverage of the Emergency Services Network.

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

The Emergency Services Network (ESN) will enable fast, safe and secure voice, video and data across a 4G/5G network, giving first responders immediate access to life-saving data, images and information in live situations and emergencies on the frontline.

ESN uses the BT/EE mobile network infrastructure supplemented by government-built masts in remote areas through the Extended Area Service programme. The construction of ESN masts is largely finished, improving connectivity in areas that previously had limited or no coverage and supporting more than 1,300 additional 999 calls each month.

Work continues to provide coverage in locations with specific requirements, such as densely populated communities, sports venues and shopping centres. ESN will also provide coverage up to 10,000 feet in the air and 12 nautical miles from Britain's coastline.

As of April 2026, ESN coverage extends to approximately 86% of Great Britain's landmass, compared with around 82% coverage provided by the current Airwave network. This increased coverage will help ensure that emergency responders can remain connected and access critical information wherever it is needed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people living in phone signal black spots can receive emergency alerts.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

The government understands that individuals may be worried if they did not receive the recent Emergency Alert on 14th August and wants to reassure the public that if they are unable to receive Emergency Alerts due to handset incompatibility or living in a signal black spot, they will still be alerted by other existing mechanisms. For example, by text or phone messages, social and broadcast media. The Emergency Alerts capability is intended to complement rather than supersede other tools available to responders to communicate with the public in emergency situations.

Each region across the UK also has a group in place, whose role it is to warn, inform and advise the public in the event of an emergency. These are called Local Resilience Forums in England and Wales, Regional Resilience Partnerships in Scotland, and Emergency Preparedness Groups in Northern Ireland. These forums are made up of local authorities, the emergency services, the NHS & health bodies and environment-related government agencies.

The government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This includes rural areas. The Government continues to work closely with the industry to ensure this is delivered, including through the identification and removal of barriers to deployment. Alongside the commercial rollout of mobile networks, the Government is delivering the Shared Rural Network, which is bringing new 4G coverage to rural and hard to reach communities across the UK through the upgrade of existing infrastructure and the delivery of new sites.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment has been made of the impact of being unable to receive emergency alerts due to lack of phone signal.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

Whilst the Emergency Alerts capability is an important tool for warning and informing the public, the system is intended to complement rather than supersede other tools available to responders to communicate with the public in emergency situations. Those unable to be notified by this new capability will therefore be alerted by other existing mechanisms, for example, by text or phone messages, social and broadcast media.

Furthermore, each region across the UK also has a group in place, whose role it is to warn, inform and advise the public in the event of an emergency. These are called Local Resilience Forums in England and Wales, Regional Resilience Partnerships in Scotland, and Emergency Preparedness Groups in Northern Ireland. These forums are made up of local authorities, the emergency services, the NHS & health bodies and environment-related government agencies.

The Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This includes rural areas. The Government continues to work closely with the industry to ensure this is delivered, including through the identification and removal of barriers to deployment. Alongside the commercial rollout of mobile networks, the Government is delivering the Shared Rural Network, which is bringing new 4G coverage to rural and hard to reach communities across the UK through the upgrade of existing infrastructure and the delivery of new sites.

Cancer treatment in rural areas

Administration of PAPYRUS

Political donations and campaign finance regulation

Support for hospices

Publication of Legal Advice on Local Government Reorganisation

Found: sooner than 2028. 54 This concern was also raised by the Liberal Democrat’s Health Spokesperson, Helen Morgan