Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect watercraft operating on the canal network.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Responsibility for the safety of watercraft operating on the canal network rests with the navigation authorities concerned. Requirements for insurance and compliance with the Boat Safety Scheme standards form part of the conditions set by the navigation authorities for licences to operate on their waterways.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve the structural integrity of the canal network.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Responsibility for ensuring the structural integrity of the canal network rests with the navigation authorities concerned. The largest navigation authority is the Canal and River Trust, with some 2,000 miles of waterways. The Government is currently providing the Trust with an annual grant of £52.6 million to support maintenance of the network infrastructure and has agreed a further £401 million grant for the ten years 2027-2037.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an emergency contingency fund to support (a) waterways-dependent businesses and (b) tourism in the context of the December 2025 canal breach in Whitchurch.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra’s relationship with the inland waterways sector focuses on providing grant support for the two largest navigation authorities, the Canal and River Trust and the EA Navigations, which between them cover around 2,630 miles of waterways. This support contributes to the infrastructure maintenance of their networks, while respecting their operational independence to manage their waterways for the benefit of businesses and tourism.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 has produced a recent risk assessment for the impact of canal embankment breaches on narrowboats.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Responsibility for the safe operation of canals rests with the navigation authorities. In the case of the Canal and River Trust, Defra officials meet the Trust’s senior management team to discuss the Trust’s work and use of the Government grant funding, as well as engaging regularly with the Trust throughout the year on any matters as they arise.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to support educators, supervisors, mentors and trainers in the 10 Year Workforce Plan and work with employers to increase capacity for medical education and training.
Answered by Karin Smyth - 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.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the 10 Year Workforce Plan will expand the number of medical specialty training places to meet population demand, beyond the 1,000 proposed in the 10 Year Health Plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - 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.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 incorporate the National Audit Office recommendations regarding the 2023 Long Term Workforce Plan into the development of the 10 Year Workforce Plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.
To address the National Audit Office’s recommendations regarding the 2023 Long Term Workforce Plan, updated workforce modelling and its underlying assumptions will be set out in and alongside the new plan when published in spring 2026. It will be supported by external independent scrutiny.
We are committed to engagement with external stakeholders. On the 26 September 2025 we launched a formal call for evidence, which provided stakeholders the opportunity to contribute directly to the plan’s development. This closed on 7 November 2025. The submissions to our call for evidence are being analysed to inform the development of the plan.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 National Audit Office recommendations in its analysis of the 2023 Long Term Workforce Plan (a) in general and (b) specifically the recommendation that assumptions should be generated in transparent and systematic consultation with external stakeholders.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.
To address the National Audit Office’s recommendations regarding the 2023 Long Term Workforce Plan, updated workforce modelling and its underlying assumptions will be set out in and alongside the new plan when published in spring 2026. It will be supported by external independent scrutiny.
We are committed to engagement with external stakeholders. On the 26 September 2025 we launched a formal call for evidence, which provided stakeholders the opportunity to contribute directly to the plan’s development. This closed on 7 November 2025. The submissions to our call for evidence are being analysed to inform the development of the plan.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to implement the healthy food standard policy announced as part of the 10-year health plan for England within the current Parliament; and if he will publish a timeline for these legislative or regulatory changes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The plan committed to introducing mandatory healthy food sales reporting for all large companies in the food sector before the end of this Parliament and targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities.
To fulfil this commitment, the Government is working towards a Spring 2026 public consultation on Healthier Food Targets and Reporting. Implementation dates will be determined following consultation. We are engaging with stakeholders on how this policy could reduce health inequalities and will also consider this through consultation.
We are considering the most suitable way to enforce the policy, and any decisions are subject to consultation.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 that the healthy food standard policy will reduce health inequalities and improve access to healthy food for deprived communities.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The plan committed to introducing mandatory healthy food sales reporting for all large companies in the food sector before the end of this Parliament and targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities.
To fulfil this commitment, the Government is working towards a Spring 2026 public consultation on Healthier Food Targets and Reporting. Implementation dates will be determined following consultation. We are engaging with stakeholders on how this policy could reduce health inequalities and will also consider this through consultation.
We are considering the most suitable way to enforce the policy, and any decisions are subject to consultation.