Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the planned timescales are for the action points in the Cross-government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Group Roadmap on addressing levels of fipronil and imidacloprid detected in UK waterways; and how she plans to measure their levels of success.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Cross-government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group Roadmap sets out a phased approach to addressing the presence of fipronil and imidacloprid in UK waterways. It outlines three broad categories of action: immediate efforts focused on communication and education; medium-term actions centred on evidence gathering; and longer-term regulatory interventions.
To ensure the roadmap remains responsive to emerging evidence and evolving priorities, the timelines have been intentionally kept broad. This flexibility is essential to allow the programme to adapt to new challenges or opportunities as they arise. While we have indicative timeframes, i.e. immediate actions are expected to show significant progress within a year, medium-term actions within five years, and longer-term actions will be shaped by the evidence gathered during the medium term, we recognise that agility is key. In particular, the longer-term regulatory actions will require careful consideration of the evidence base as it develops.
Success will be measured through progress against roadmap actions, including delivery of stakeholder engagement, improved guidance, and evidence outputs. In addition, environmental monitoring, led by the relevant UK environment agencies, will track levels of fipronil and imidacloprid in surface waters over time. Collectively, these measures will help assess the effectiveness of stewardship efforts and guide future regulatory decisions.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered requiring pet products containing pesticides that are sold off the shelf to the public to provide explicit (a) advice and (b) warnings of their potential impacts on the environment at the point of sale.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is aware of stakeholder concerns regarding veterinary medicines that can be sold without a prescription and are available from general retailers (AVM-GSL distribution category) for some companion animal flea and tick products. A review of this distribution category for these products remains an option that the VMD is considering in order to assess the requirements for advice and environmental warnings at the point of sale.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating that supply staff (a) are paid according to national pay scales and (b) have access to (i) the Teachers' Pension Scheme and (ii) other relevant pension funds.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
A supply teacher’s pay and pension depends on how the supply teacher is employed.
Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay.
The Teachers’ Pensions Regulations currently provide for supply teachers to participate in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) where they are employed by a scheme employer, including local authorities, academies and further education colleges.
Where supply teachers are self-employed or remain employed by a supply agency and their services are provided under a ‘contract for services’, it is not possible for them to participate in the TPS as there is no organisation to undertake the employer role, including remitting contributions to the scheme. However, eligible supply teachers working via agencies are entitled to workplace pensions.
The department does not have plans at this time to assess the potential benefits of mandating pay or pensions for supply teachers.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of commercial agencies in the supply teaching sector; and whether she plans to provide funding for non-commercial operators in that sector.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Schools and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers and are best placed to make decisions on this.
The supply market in England is large and diverse. It includes supply pools, direct recruitment and commercial agencies. Although the department does not hold data on the precise number of commercial agencies operating, agencies account for the majority of supply provision to schools.
The department is aware of the concern around agency fees and is working with the Crown Commercial Service on their agency supply deal, which supports schools to obtain value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which will be transparent with schools about the rates they charge.
There are currently no plans to provide funding for non-commercial operators in the sector. The department does, however, continue to conduct policy research into the supply market.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of premises have access to gigabit-capable broadband in Cornwall.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
According to the independent website, Thinkbroadband.com, over 71% of premises in Cornwall currently have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Physical Infrastructure Access fees on the rollout of high speed broadband in rural areas.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.
For this reason, while we are engaging with Ofcom on this issue, the Department has not made any formal assessment of the impact of PIA fees on the roll-out of high-speed broadband in rural areas.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support the rollout of high speed broadband in rural areas.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. Our goal is for nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032, ensuring at least 99% of UK premises can access a gigabit-capable connection.
More than £2.4 billion of Project Gigabit contracts have already been signed to connect over one million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband. These premises fall predominantly in rural areas.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of deploying specialist endometriosis nurses in GP surgeries.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for gynaecological conditions including endometriosis.
As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is for general practices to determine how they run their operations, including decisions regarding nursing staff.
The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, has also commissioned a number of studies focused on endometriosis diagnosis, treatment, and patient experience.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has exempted the company Instro Precision UK from applying for arms export licences for the sale of targeting equipment.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The basis on which export licences are required for different military and dual-use goods is set out in the Export Control Order 2008. Export licence applications for all controlled goods are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.
The Export Control Joint Unit does not issue exemptions from requirements for export licences except those specifically prescribed in law. Where individual licence applications include items that are not covered by the 2008 Order, exporters can be informed that no licence is required.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a public awareness campaign on endometriosis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.
In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated their guideline on endometriosis, to make firmer recommendations to healthcare professionals on the referral and investigation for women with a suspected diagnosis, in order to help the estimated one in 10 women with endometriosis receive a diagnosis faster. Alongside the updated guidelines, new treatments have been approved, and we are investing £5.6 million into research and taking action to cut gynaecology waiting lists through our Elective Reform Plan.
On 15 July, the Department for Education published the revised relationships education, relationships and sex education, and health education statutory guidance. This revised guidance emphasises the importance of ensuring that pupils have a comprehensive understanding of women’s health topics, including endometriosis.
We know that women deserve better, which is why we are renewing the Women’s Health Strategy, to assess the progress that has been made so far and to continue progressing delivery while empowering women with information about heavy menstrual bleeding and reproductive health conditions.
The 2022 Women’s Health Strategy identified many important issues which remain valid, so we now need to align the strategy with the 10-Year Health Plan and identify areas where we need to go further.