Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
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 effectiveness of Newborn Behavioural Observations and the Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale within NHS maternity, health visiting and perinatal mental health services.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale (NBAS) and Newborn Behavioural Observations (NBO) are tools used to observe newborn behaviour. The NBAS is a more detailed assessment, while the NBO is more commonly used to support parent-infant relationships by helping parents understand their baby’s cues, communication, and capabilities.
The evidence base is small and of limited quality, although it suggests potential benefits for parental confidence, responsiveness, and early bonding. A Cochrane review concluded that further research is needed before wider recommendation.
It is for individual National Health Service trusts to decide whether staff should use and be trained in these tools, therefore no assessment has been made of their use within the NHS.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department periodically reviews the eligibility criteria for Medical Exemption Certificates granting free NHS prescriptions; and on what basis those criteria are chosen.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We keep all policies under regular review. This Government is also continuing to take action to make prescriptions more affordable for everyone, including freezing prescription charges for the 2026/27 financial year, both for single prescriptions and the three month and annual prescription prepayment certificates commonly used for long-term conditions.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
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 implement the findings of the December 2024 Court of Appeal ruling on animal welfare practices that breach the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The judicial review challenge relating to the legality of keeping fast-growing breeds of meat chickens was unanimously dismissed by the Court of Appeal. The Court made no declaration that the keeping of fast-growing breeds of meat chickens was unlawful and did not find Defra's policies or enforcement approach to be unlawful. The Government continues to keep animal welfare legislation and its implementation under review and remains committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare standards.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what technical or planning criteria he will consider before granting a hyperscale data centre project a Development Consent Order via the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Any decision to grant a Development Consent Order will take into account matters raised at Examination, and the recommendation report of the Examining Authority.
As a business and commercial project, a data centre would first need to be directed into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime by the Secretary of State under section 35 of the Planning Act 2008 which sets out the legal tests which must be met in order for the Secretary of State to make such a direction. An application for a direction to be made under section 35 must demonstrate the proposed development complies with the criteria set out in the (then DCLG) Policy Statement of 4 November 2013, which can be found on here.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will shortly issue a new National Policy Statement for data centres. This will set out the national policy for this sector and the policy framework for decision-making in respect of data centres.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of an automatic release process for unclaimed Child Trust Funds traced by National Insurance number.
Answered by Rachel Blake
The Government agrees it is vital to step up efforts to reunite young people with their unclaimed matured Child Trust Funds (CTFs). Around three million accounts have now matured, of which over three quarters of a million remain unclaimed. Recognising the scale of the challenge and building on existing steps, Government has now put in place three new initiatives.
Firstly, HMRC is carrying out social research to better understand the barriers that may prevent young people from engaging with their CTF. This work is intended to improve our understanding of how young people respond to communications about their accounts, and how Government and industry can encourage more account holders to act.
Secondly, HMRC is writing directly to 21 year olds whose matured CTFs remain unclaimed. These letters will make young people aware that they have a CTF and encourage them to take steps to claim it.
Thirdly, Government has launched a dedicated CTF Taskforce, bringing together Government and CTF providers to improve tracing approaches and identify more effective ways to engage young people.
The Government is aware of proposals for the automatic release of funds in unclaimed matured CTF accounts. These savings belong to individual account holders and are held by private sector providers, meaning decisions about the funds rest with the account holder. The Government does not have the authority to access or transfer these funds and neither the Government nor providers hold information on bank accounts belonging to CTF account owners which could accept transferred funds.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to trace the owners of unclaimed Child Trust Funds.
Answered by Rachel Blake
The Government agrees it is vital to step up efforts to reunite young people with their unclaimed matured Child Trust Funds (CTFs). Around three million accounts have now matured, of which over three quarters of a million remain unclaimed. Recognising the scale of the challenge and building on existing steps, Government has now put in place three new initiatives.
Firstly, HMRC is carrying out social research to better understand the barriers that may prevent young people from engaging with their CTF. This work is intended to improve our understanding of how young people respond to communications about their accounts, and how Government and industry can encourage more account holders to act.
Secondly, HMRC is writing directly to 21 year olds whose matured CTFs remain unclaimed. These letters will make young people aware that they have a CTF and encourage them to take steps to claim it.
Thirdly, Government has launched a dedicated CTF Taskforce, bringing together Government and CTF providers to improve tracing approaches and identify more effective ways to engage young people.
The Government is aware of proposals for the automatic release of funds in unclaimed matured CTF accounts. These savings belong to individual account holders and are held by private sector providers, meaning decisions about the funds rest with the account holder. The Government does not have the authority to access or transfer these funds and neither the Government nor providers hold information on bank accounts belonging to CTF account owners which could accept transferred funds.