Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any evidence reviews, research studies, behavioural analyses and international evaluations were disregarded while developing the proposals contained in the consultation entitled Tobacco and vapes: packaging, appearance and display.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The people of Scotland deserve governments that are focused on delivering for them. This Government does not support independence or another referendum. We are focused on protecting and respecting devolution and delivering better outcomes, including through the offer of joint work on further decentralisation within Scotland that the Prime Minister made to the First Minister on 16 October.
The UK Government strongly believes in the need to uphold the reputation and impartiality of the civil service in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s Permanent Secretary, who is a UK home Civil Servant, is the Accountable Officer for the Scottish Government, and responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Civil Service Code are met, including on the use of Civil Service time.
More widely, the Civil Service code also states that civil servants have an obligation to make sure public money and other resources are used properly and efficiently, and so any spending by the Scottish Government would need to be approached in that context.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Treasury has made an assessment of the potential impact of an increase in the rate of Machine Games Duty on receipts from (a) National Insurance contributions and (b) business rates.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Treasury has modelled at what rate increasing Machine Games Duty would lead to a reduction in overall receipts from that duty.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration HM Treasury has given to the impact of recent increases in gambling taxes in the Netherlands on (a) tax receipts and (b) the illegal gambling market.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
HMRC reviewed relevant international evidence when estimating the Exchequer impact of changes to Remote Gaming Duty and Remote Betting Duty announced at Budget 2025. More details can be found in the policy costing note published at Budget 2025.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mechanisms NHS England will use to hold commissioned renal providers accountable for delivering its ambition for at least 20 per cent of dialysis patients to receive treatment at home; and whether provider-level performance against that ambition will be published annually.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Renal Services Transformation Programme sets out high-impact changes which include increasing home dialysis towards the Getting It Right First Time programme ambition of 20%. Kidney networks are working with commissioners and providers to implement these changes and increase provision across their populations. Data on home dialysis is collected by the UK Renal Registry and available through the National Home Therapies Dashboard at the following link:
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 6 July 2026 to Question HL1306, when NHS England plans to publish the updated Renal Service Specification.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The specification is being worked on by NHS England in line with its national service specification methods process, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/methods-national-service-specifications
NHS England will set out the expected date of publication as soon as this is available.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence her Department has considered on the role of product differentiation, branding and consumer information in supporting switching from combustible tobacco products to vaping products among adult smokers.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Members to the Government's consultations, and accompanying consultation stage impact assessments, on smoke-free, heated tobacco-free, and vape-free places, and on the packaging, device appearance, and display of tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. The Government will carefully consider the responses before taking decisions on future regulations.
I refer the Hon. Members to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill House of Lords debate on 24 February 2026 in relation to filters. Evidence is still developing and there are no current plans to consult on plain packaging and promotions restrictions. No assessment has been taken on filters being used to circumvent the current flavours ban.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the Department's most recent assessment is of the cost of tackling the condition defects at Berwick Academy; and if she will publish that assessment.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and sixth form college buildings across England. Schools and sixth-form colleges in the worst condition are prioritised in areas where places are needed now and in the future.
The department may include cases where severe and urgent need for rebuilding is identified outside the main prioritisation rounds. This was the case for Churchill Community College. Decisions on individual schools are taken on their own merits and do not determine the outcome for other schools.
Berwick Academy has been nominated for the current round of the SRP and will be considered alongside other eligible schools as part of the national prioritisation process. The department has been clear that that the route for funding investment in rebuilding is through the SRP and the school will need to be assessed through that process. We have no plans to provide separate rebuilding funding outside of that process. Decisions on the additional 250 schools due to join the SRP are expected by early 2027.
The department is aware of concerns regarding the condition of Berwick Academy's buildings. While the department does not hold a recent assessment of the full cost of addressing all condition issues at the school, information provided locally has informed discussions regarding its future capital needs and its nomination to the SRP.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will consider the potential merits of providing part-funding to Northumberland County Council for the rebuilding of Berwick Academy, following the Council's commitment of £37 million of local funding to deliver the project.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and sixth form college buildings across England. Schools and sixth-form colleges in the worst condition are prioritised in areas where places are needed now and in the future.
The department may include cases where severe and urgent need for rebuilding is identified outside the main prioritisation rounds. This was the case for Churchill Community College. Decisions on individual schools are taken on their own merits and do not determine the outcome for other schools.
Berwick Academy has been nominated for the current round of the SRP and will be considered alongside other eligible schools as part of the national prioritisation process. The department has been clear that that the route for funding investment in rebuilding is through the SRP and the school will need to be assessed through that process. We have no plans to provide separate rebuilding funding outside of that process. Decisions on the additional 250 schools due to join the SRP are expected by early 2027.
The department is aware of concerns regarding the condition of Berwick Academy's buildings. While the department does not hold a recent assessment of the full cost of addressing all condition issues at the school, information provided locally has informed discussions regarding its future capital needs and its nomination to the SRP.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria her Department used to prioritise the rebuilding of Churchill Community College in North Tyneside through the School Rebuilding Programme; and if she will take steps to prioritise Berwick Academy.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and sixth form college buildings across England. Schools and sixth-form colleges in the worst condition are prioritised in areas where places are needed now and in the future.
The department may include cases where severe and urgent need for rebuilding is identified outside the main prioritisation rounds. This was the case for Churchill Community College. Decisions on individual schools are taken on their own merits and do not determine the outcome for other schools.
Berwick Academy has been nominated for the current round of the SRP and will be considered alongside other eligible schools as part of the national prioritisation process. The department has been clear that that the route for funding investment in rebuilding is through the SRP and the school will need to be assessed through that process. We have no plans to provide separate rebuilding funding outside of that process. Decisions on the additional 250 schools due to join the SRP are expected by early 2027.
The department is aware of concerns regarding the condition of Berwick Academy's buildings. While the department does not hold a recent assessment of the full cost of addressing all condition issues at the school, information provided locally has informed discussions regarding its future capital needs and its nomination to the SRP.