Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reducing VAT rates to levels more closely aligned with those in other European countries.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

The Government is aware some European countries apply different VAT rates to certain goods and services, reflecting different tax systems, policy choices and wider fiscal contexts.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services in the UK. Reduced rates of VAT come at a significant cost to the Exchequer, reduce the revenue available for vital public services, and must represent value for money for the taxpayer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England is taking to ensure integrated care boards commission high-quality audiology services for deaf children across England, in line with the 2019 guidance produced jointly with the National Deaf Children's Society.

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

Further to the answer of 4 March in response to Question 114118, the Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme has had a particular focus on improving the quality, outcomes and governance of paediatric audiology services, working alongside National Health Service regions and integrated care boards. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/paediatric-hearing-services-improvement-programme-operational-guidance/

As a result, NHS England is refreshing commissioning guidance to ensure it supports safe, effective and high-quality services for deaf children and their families.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of Draught Relief on (a) pubs, (b) brewers and (c) consumers in Rushcliffe.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

An assessment of the impacts of decisions taken by the Chancellor at the Budget is published within the relevant Tax Impact and Information Note (TIIN). The TIINs for the inflation-linked uprating to alcohol duty announced at Autumn Budget 2024 and 2025 are available here:

Alcohol Duty uprating - GOV.UK

Alcohol Duty uprating - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of beer duty rates on (a) pubs, (b) brewers and (c) consumers in Rushcliffe.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

An assessment of the impacts of decisions taken by the Chancellor at the Budget is published within the relevant Tax Impact and Information Note (TIIN). The TIINs for the inflation-linked uprating to alcohol duty announced at Autumn Budget 2024 and 2025 are available here:

Alcohol Duty uprating - GOV.UK

Alcohol Duty uprating - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of VAT rates on (a) pubs, (b) brewers and (c) consumers in Rushcliffe.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Exceptions to the standard rate are limited and must be balanced against their impact on the public finances.

HMRC estimates that the cost of changing the 20 per cent Standard Rate of VAT on all accommodation and food and beverage services to the Reduced Rate of 5 per cent would be around £17 billion in 2026-27, rising to £19.5 billion in 2030-31.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support youth organisations, such as YMCA England and Wales, to develop and deliver affordable and supported housing for young people.

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

We have invested over £1 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year, which can be used flexibly to address a range of local needs, including support for young people. The Spending Review protects this record level of investment to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping for the next three years.

For young people ready to live independently, we are delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, backed by the £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme. We are also reforming the private rented sector to give more security to tenants, bringing an end to rental bidding, outlawing discrimination against prospective tenants with children or those who receive social security benefits; and preventing landlords from demanding large amounts of rent in advance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to prioritise access to special treatment for patients with rare cancers such as lymphoma and expand access to specialist expertise.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 July 2026 in response to Question 18279.

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 packaging costs on (a) breweries, (b) pubs and (c) hospitality businesses in Rushcliffe.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government published an updated assessment in October 2024 of the impact of introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) on packaging producers as a whole. The assessment did not provide separate estimates for breweries, pubs or hospitality businesses, or disaggregate impacts at a local level.

The Government is aware of concerns about the classification of packaging that is disposed of through commercial waste streams, including in hospitality settings. Defra continues to work on this issue and that includes working closely with the brewing, hospitality and wider packaging sectors.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress her Department is making on measuring and reporting progress against commitments with regard to people with rare and less common cancers.

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

Improving outcomes for cancer patients is a priority for the Government. The National Cancer Plan sets out a clear ambition to improve early diagnosis and survival across all cancer types, including leukaemia and other blood cancers.

The National Cancer Plan recognises that blood cancers are harder to measure through traditional early diagnosis metrics because they cannot be staged in the same way as other cancers. As a result, NHS England will publish regular data on cancers diagnosed through emergency presentations as a proxy measure for late diagnosis. This will help identify variation and encourage systems to focus on earlier diagnosis of blood cancers, including leukaemia, and other rarer cancers.

In addition, the Department and NHS England are supporting development of a suspected haematological cancer timed diagnostic pathway being led by Leukaemia UK, Lymphoma Action, and Myeloma UK. This guidance is intended to support National Health Service organisations to reduce diagnostic delays, improve consistency of care, and help more patients receive a diagnosis within 28 days of referral under the Faster Diagnosis Standard. Publication is expected later this year.

Progress against the National Cancer Plan's commitments for rare and less common cancers will be overseen through the National Cancer Board, which is responsible for tracking delivery and monitoring impact. To strengthen accountability, the Government will appoint a National Clinical Lead for Rare Cancers who will provide independent clinical advice and support monitoring of progress against the plan's commitments. The Department will continue to publish cancer performance and outcomes data, and ministers will provide regular updates on delivery of the plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that blood cancers, including lymphoma, are prioritised along with other rare and less common cancers.

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

Improving outcomes for cancer patients is a priority for the Government. The National Cancer Plan sets out a clear ambition to improve early diagnosis and survival across all cancer types, including leukaemia and other blood cancers.

The National Cancer Plan recognises that blood cancers are harder to measure through traditional early diagnosis metrics because they cannot be staged in the same way as other cancers. As a result, NHS England will publish regular data on cancers diagnosed through emergency presentations as a proxy measure for late diagnosis. This will help identify variation and encourage systems to focus on earlier diagnosis of blood cancers, including leukaemia, and other rarer cancers.

In addition, the Department and NHS England are supporting development of a suspected haematological cancer timed diagnostic pathway being led by Leukaemia UK, Lymphoma Action, and Myeloma UK. This guidance is intended to support National Health Service organisations to reduce diagnostic delays, improve consistency of care, and help more patients receive a diagnosis within 28 days of referral under the Faster Diagnosis Standard. Publication is expected later this year.

Progress against the National Cancer Plan's commitments for rare and less common cancers will be overseen through the National Cancer Board, which is responsible for tracking delivery and monitoring impact. To strengthen accountability, the Government will appoint a National Clinical Lead for Rare Cancers who will provide independent clinical advice and support monitoring of progress against the plan's commitments. The Department will continue to publish cancer performance and outcomes data, and ministers will provide regular updates on delivery of the plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to improve existing arrangements, or to develop new policy and funding mechanisms, to support the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

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

The Department will invest approximately £1.8 billion in 2026/27 through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which funds and supports high-quality health, public health, and social care research across the National Health Service, academia, and industry through open, competitive funding and independent expert review.

The Department is continuing to strengthen the NIHR’s contribution to the Government’s Health and Growth Missions, the 10-Year Health Plan, and the Life Sciences Sector Plan by supporting research into prevention and long-term conditions, accelerating innovation adoption, improving commercial clinical trial delivery, and strengthening research delivery capacity across the health and care system.

Recent developments include the introduction of the NIHR Innovation Catalyst, a new national Research Delivery Network funding model, and the establishment of the NIHR Council to provide independent advice and assurance. The Department also continues to oversee the NIHR’s performance, delivery, and value for money through established governance and contractual arrangements, while the OneNIHR agenda is improving coordination, consistency, and efficiency across the organisation to ensure it remains well placed to deliver against Government priorities.

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 compatibility of IT systems used by primary care providers with the NHS App and systems used in secondary care; and what steps his Department is taking to improve interoperability between these systems.

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

The NHS App is able to integrate with all general practice core clinical systems, most online consultation solutions, and the majority of patient messaging platforms. It is also integrated with all but two acute trusts, all specialist trusts, and several mental health and community trust solutions for appointment management. As part of delivering the 10-Year Health Plan, NHS England is reviewing the standards and capabilities required across primary and secondary care digital solutions to support more joined-up care through the NHS App as a single point of access.

NHS England has launched a Digital Pathways Registry, which will raise the baseline standards expected of digital solutions in primary care. This includes strengthened requirements for interoperability, common data standards, and integration with national services such as the NHS App, supporting a more consistent and connected digital experience for patients and professionals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has considered tailored mental health support for small business owners.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 2 September in response to Question 19504.

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 that NICE's recognition of post-exertional malaise as a core diagnostic feature of ME/CFS is reflected consistently in (a) clinical training and (b) NHS service provision.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for Skipton and Ripon on 16 July 2026 to Question 16893.

Additionally, the Department, together with NHS England, have developed a template service specification for mild, moderate, and severe myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The template, once published, will be circulated to integrated care boards to support the commissioning of services for ME/CFS. This includes recognition of post-exertional malaise.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase investment in specialist services for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for Skipton and Ripon on 16 July 2026 to Question 16893.

Additionally, the Department, together with NHS England, have developed a template service specification for mild, moderate, and severe myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The template, once published, will be circulated to integrated care boards to support the commissioning of services for ME/CFS. This includes recognition of post-exertional malaise.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to require technology companies to implement device-level controls preventing children from taking, sending or receiving nude images within three months.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

This Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from online sexual abuse. The previous Prime Minister announced on 8 June 2026 that the UK would become the first country in the world where it is impossible for children to take, share or view nude images on their devices. Government has engaged collaboratively with tech companies over the past three months, to explore how they can expand implement technical solutions on smartphones and tablets to detect and block nude images for children.

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport today (8 September) reiterated this commitment in an oral statement to the House. Since June, officials from the Home Office and DCMS have overseen an unprecedented work programme with Apple and Google, working with senior leaders and engineers to explore new ways of preventing child sexual abuse and strengthening protections for children online.

These proposals are a step in the right direction, but do not meet the scale of this government’s ambition. This government is therefore now preparing primary legislation to require companies to build in device operating system-level protections for children. In the meantime, we are also pursing secondary legislation to require any apps that children use to prevent them from accessing or sharing nudity.

This work will prevent predators from being able to exploit and abuse victims through their devices, as well as stopping children from being able to access pornography. Adults will still be able to take, share or view nude content through an age verification process. This will deliver on the commitment we made in the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy – Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy - GOV.UK.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to attract more international visitors to the UK.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to attracting more international visitors to the UK and works closely with VisitBritain, the national tourist board, to showcase Britain as a premier holiday destination.

To capitalise on the growing trend of screen tourism and drive inbound visits, VisitBritain launched its global "Starring Great Britain" campaign in January 2025. This initiative leverages the UK’s rich film and television heritage to inspire travelers to explore diverse locations across the UK, from the Houses of Parliament and Lyme Park to the Lake District and the Highlands. The launch was supported by a wider advertising campaign across the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets including Australia, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, France, Germany and the USA.

The Government is committed to supporting the sector through the forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy, which will set out a long term plan to attract more international visitors to the UK, boost value, and deliver sustainable growth across regional visitor economies.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential risks posed by Emergency Alerts to victims of domestic abuse who rely on concealed secondary mobile phones for their safety; and what measures are in place to mitigate those risks.

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

Protecting victims of domestic abuse is always our priority. Both national tests of the Emergency Alerting capability were accompanied by a proactive public communications campaign. This included extensive engagement with charities and groups representing vulnerable communities, such as Refuge. Advice on how to opt-out of emergency alerts is available at all times of GOV.uk/alerts, and is included in the websites of a number of charities and organisations that support victims of domestic abuse.

As far as possible, the Cabinet Office engages with the media ahead of the transmission of an Alert to provide notice to the public. In a ‘live’ activation scenario, pre-planned public communications are difficult to ensure but will always be considered where possible. Please be assured that we are learning from each activation to ensure that the capability is being used in the most effective way.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the government is taking to increase the delivery of osteoporosis clinics within the East Midlands.

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

In Lincolnshire, investment has been made to increase access to osteoporosis diagnosis and secondary fracture prevention. There are three dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanners serving the county, and an additional scanner at Grantham, operational since March 2024, which has helped to reduce waiting times across the county by supporting patients to typically be seen within two to three weeks.

Alongside increased diagnostic capacity, the local service plans to provide bone mineral density scanning, bone health advice, therapy-compliance support, and bone health and falls assessments. With ongoing service development, the fracture liaison element aims to support patients by telephone or through outpatient clinics, with the aim of identifying people at risk following a fragility fracture and reducing the likelihood of further fractures.

At the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB), osteoporosis care is provided through the Osteoporosis and Fracture Liaison Service. The service is delivered by a multidisciplinary team comprising four consultant specialists and 3.9 whole-time equivalent clinical nurse specialists, who run both consultant-led and nurse-led clinics. Referrals are accepted from general practices, hospital specialties, and orthopaedic fracture clinics, ensuring patients can access specialist assessment following a fracture or where osteoporosis is suspected. Dedicated clinics are provided across the trust, including a monthly clinic at Queen's Hospital Burton.

The service offers comprehensive diagnostic and treatment pathways, with DEXA bone density scanners available at multiple sites to support timely diagnosis. Once diagnosed, patients can access osteoporosis treatments through medical day case units at both hospital sites. When staffing allows, the team also delivers patient education sessions in community settings to help people better understand their condition and reduce their risk of future fractures.

UHDB has recently strengthened its diagnostic capability through the Department’s funding for a new state-of-the-art DEXA scanner for Queen's Hospital Burton. The trust has recently strengthened diagnostic capacity through the installation of a new DEXA scanner as part of the community diagnostic centre (CDC) phase 2 programme at Walton Hospital. This additional capacity is helping to improve access to diagnostic testing and support earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Performance data for July 2026 showed that 89% of patients received their DEXA scan within six weeks, helping ensure timely assessment and reducing waiting times for patients requiring investigation of osteoporosis and bone health conditions.

There is a hospital service for Mid-Nottinghamshire provided by Sherwood Forest Hospitals. This provides the diagnosis and initial treatment following fragility fracture and the more complex ongoing treatment, with primary care providing less complex ongoing treatment. In the city and south, Nottingham University Hospitals provide the initial diagnosis following a fragility fracture, and the more complex treatment is provided by Nottingham CityCare in the community, with primary care providing a service for less complex care.

Found: ; Melksham and Devizes) David Mundell (Conservative; Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) James Naish

Found: Democrat; Melksham and Devizes) David Mundell (Conservative; Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) James Naish

Found: Democrat; Melksham and Devizes) David Mundell (Conservative; Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) James Naish

Found: ; Melksham and Devizes) David Mundell (Conservative; Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) James Naish

Found: present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Brian Mathew; James Naish