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Written Question
School Meals: Standards
Wednesday 25th June 2025

Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department plans to update the School Food Standards.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department announced a review of the School Food Standards on Thursday 5 June.


Written Question
Electronic Cigarettes: Children
Monday 23rd June 2025

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 prohibit the free distribution of nicotine vapes to children.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will end the current loophole which allows free samples of vaping and nicotine products to be given away to anyone of any age. This will come into force six months after Royal Assent of the bill.


Written Question
Electronic Cigarettes: Children
Monday 23rd June 2025

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, with reference to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, what his Department's planned timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals to introduce new regulations to help reduce the appeal of vapes to children.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children, to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

The bill includes a range of new regulation-making powers for the Government. Proposed regulations will be consulted on and subsequently laid. They will be implemented as soon as possible after the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has received Royal Assent.

The new age of sale restrictions for nicotine pouches will come into force six months after Royal Assent.


Written Question
Nicotine: Products
Monday 23rd June 2025

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 age of sale restrictions will be brought into force for nicotine pouches.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children, to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

The bill includes a range of new regulation-making powers for the Government. Proposed regulations will be consulted on and subsequently laid. They will be implemented as soon as possible after the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has received Royal Assent.

The new age of sale restrictions for nicotine pouches will come into force six months after Royal Assent.


Written Question
Water Charges: Dartford
Friday 20th June 2025

Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on the number of households whose water billing is decided by the Assessed Household Charge in Dartford.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is an independent body that represents water consumers and can provide advice and support on water-related issues, including assessed charges.


Written Question
Pharmacy: Health Services
Monday 9th June 2025

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, whether his Department plans to widen the number of conditions for which pharmacies can assess and treat patients for without the need for a (a) GP appointment and (b) prescription.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are currently focused on optimising the implementation of the current clinical pathways that allow for the supply of prescription only medicines, and which cover seven common health conditions, including: sinusitis; sore throat; earache; impetigo; shingles; infected insect bites; and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged 16 to 64 years old. NHS England is keeping the clinical scope of the service under review.


Written Question
Smoking: Health Services
Tuesday 29th April 2025

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 guidance his Department has issued to (i) integrated care boards and (ii) NHS Trusts on including opt-out smoking cessation interventions in routine hospital care.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to ensuring that all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has prioritised and put new funding out to integrated care boards (ICBs) for the rollout of tobacco dependence services in hospital settings. Future funding decisions are subject to the Spending Review process.

Local authorities work with ICBs to provide a range of interventions recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training, based on the needs of their local populations.


Written Question
Smoking: Health Services
Tuesday 29th April 2025

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 his Department's planned timetable is for all hospitals to integrate opt-out smoking cessation interventions in routine care.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to ensuring that all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has prioritised and put new funding out to integrated care boards (ICBs) for the rollout of tobacco dependence services in hospital settings. Future funding decisions are subject to the Spending Review process.

Local authorities work with ICBs to provide a range of interventions recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training, based on the needs of their local populations.


Written Question
Mental Health Services: Administration of Justice
Friday 14th March 2025

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, how many (a) volunteer and (b) paid peer support worker positions were created in the NHS England (i) liaison and diversion and (ii) RECONNECT service since peer support was first included in the liaison and diversion national service specification.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested is not collected centrally by NHS England. The national service specifications set an expectation that the workforce composition will include volunteer and paid peer-support roles within each liaison and diversion and RECONNECT service. However, the service specification does not stipulate the number or ratio of volunteer or peer support roles per service. It is a matter for the provider to satisfy the regional commissioner that the overall workforce plan is appropriate to meet the needs of the patient population.


Written Question
Transport: Carbon Emissions
Wednesday 8th January 2025

Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Integrated National Transport Strategy will include measures to support the(a) efficiency and (b) decarbonisation of the logistics sector.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Strategy will set the high-level direction for how transport should change to better serve people and is currently in early development. Government recognises the importance of the logistics sector in delivering its missions and transport priorities, including driving economic growth and achieving net zero. We are committed to working with the sector to achieve this and will set out next steps in due course.