Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle backlogs in the courts.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Sir Brian’s report set out a blueprint for pragmatic structural reform in our criminal courts and made clear that action across the process is essential.
The Courts and Tribunals Bill is the first step to putting that blueprint into law. Coupled with record investment in sitting days and criminal legal aid and modernisation of listing practices and use of case coordinators and blitz courts to boost efficiencies, we are taking a neglected service and bringing it, finally, into the 21st century.
Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the vape excise tax will be evaluated to ensure that it reduces youth vaping, maintains smoker switching and reduces the illicit market.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
From 1 October 2026, the government will introduce a Vaping Products Duty of £2.20 per 10ml, alongside a one‑off increase in Tobacco Duty to maintain the incentive for smokers to switch from tobacco to vaping.
To minimise the risk of switching to the illicit market, the government has provided a £10 million funding boost to Trading Standards, up to £10 million from HMRC for Border Force to enhance operational information gathering capabilities between 2026-27 and over 300 new HMRC compliance officers to strengthen enforcement.
Consideration will be given to evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the Vaping Products Duty once sufficient data has been collected, particularly among young people and non-smokers. This will be in line with policy objectives and wider government aims of creating a smokefree generation.
Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans her Department has to review taxes across the tobacco and nicotine category in the context of regulation changes to the tobacco and nicotine market via the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and the planned revision of the EU Tobacco Products Directive.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the annual Budget process and will continue to monitor the progress of the EU Tobacco Products Directive as it goes through the EU legislative process.
Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people experiencing suicidality or who have attempted suicide receive sustained, trauma-informed and long-term support beyond crisis intervention, including through better integration of NHS services with community-led organisations such as Body & Soul, particularly for people from marginalised communities.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (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: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the number of people screened for drink-driving with a breath alcohol content of (i) 9–21, (ii) 22–34 and (iii) higher than 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Data on screening test results in England and Wales, including the concentrations of alcohol detected in drivers’ breath in roadside breath tests, are published in table RAS2042. The table has not been updated for 2023, so the latest data currently available are for 2022.
The table is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain#ras20
The Home Office publishes annual statistics on roadside breath tests for alcohol in England and Wales in its Police powers and procedures: Roads policing release.
Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to research from the University of Manchester article entitled The right to play: making play a policy and practice priority, published on 29 September 2025, how his Department will ensure that planning for new developments includes access to green spaces for schools, children and young people.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 113540 on 2 March 2026, and UIN 111684 on 24 February 2026.
Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the average individual cost of an evidential drink-driving test for (a) blood and (b) urine alcohol content.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s Road Safety Strategy launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.
The Home Office does not hold information on the annual and individual costs of evidential drink-driving tests for the police.
Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up, to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.
Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the annual cost of evidential drink-driving testing to the police budget from (a) blood and (b) urine tests.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s Road Safety Strategy launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.
The Home Office does not hold information on the annual and individual costs of evidential drink-driving tests for the police.
Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up, to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.
Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to respond to the letter from Target Ovarian Cancer and 33 hon. Members of 18 November 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - 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: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve the transparency of sentencing.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Government is committed to transparency in our courts and tribunals, and I know the judiciary are too.
Last month we announced that we are expanding free access to sentencing remarks to all victims whose case is sentenced in the Crown Court.
This is a landmark moment for transparency and open justice, and a meaningful improvement for victims across the country.