Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
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 regional variation in access to NICE-approved medicines across Integrated Care Systems.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on adoption of innovative medicines in local formularies states that once a NICE technology appraisal recommends a medicine, it must be included in a local formulary within 90 days, providing it is clinically appropriate and relevant to the services provided by the organisation, or 30 days for Early Access to Medicines Scheme medicines. This NICE guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mpg1/chapter/Recommendations#local-formulary-scope
Local formularies exist at various levels of the health service, but most frequently appear at integrated care board (ICB) level. It is the responsibility of local medicines optimisation teams and formulary committees to ensure they are meeting these targets.
At a national level, the Innovation Scorecard and Estimates Report is a publication which reports on the use of medicines and medicine groupings in the National Health Service in England, which have been positively appraised by NICE. It can be used by local NHS organisations to monitor progress in implementing NICE Technology Appraisal recommendations. Further information on the Innovation Scorecard and Estimates Report is available at the following link:
In line with commitments made in 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access, and Growth, NHS England, NICE, and the NHS Business Services Authority are further developing the Innovation Scorecard and Estimates Report to better track variation in the uptake of NICE recommended medicines between ICBs.
The 10-Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan set out a commitment to move to a Single National Formulary for medicines within the next two years. The overall aim of the Single National Formulary will be to drive rapid and equitable adoption of clinically- and cost-effective innovations.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NICE technology appraisals have been terminated in each year since 2019; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for these terminations.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The follow table shows the proportion of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisals that have been terminated in each year since 2019:
Year | Terminations as a percentage of each year |
2019/20 | 17.54% |
2020/21 | 20.00% |
2021/22 | 19.39% |
2022/23 | 22.77% |
2023/24 | 18.47% |
2024/25 | 18.18% |
Source: NICE.
NICE is an independent body and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has made no assessment of the reasons for the terminations of technology appraisals.
NICE strives to get the best care to patients fast, and to ensure value for the taxpayer. The aligned NICE and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency pathway, set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, will allow us to bring medicines to patients three to six months sooner. NICE continues to support and work with companies to identify the best time to submit appraisals and to ensure they have a clear understanding of NICE’s methods and processes, to try to avoid terminations.
Sometimes companies withdraw from the NICE appraisal process which means NICE cannot continue to evaluate the treatment. Companies can choose to do this for different reasons, including the treatment not being put forward at a cost-effective price, supply issues and incomplete evidence.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the level of independence of the complaint review process within the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The legal powers underpinning the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s investigations are invested in the Ombudsman themselves and they have personal authority in the investigation of complaints. I therefore have no remit to interfere with the Ombudsman’s investigatory work.
This independence rightly keeps central government at arm’s length from the service that the Ombudsman provides to members of the public; a service which is an important element of the overarching local government accountability system.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the decision to prioritise continuation funding for the existing 75 Start for Life local authority areas aligns with the commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan for England to expand Start for Life services across all communities.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to how we will improve the nation’s health by creating a new model of care that is fit for the future.
We recognise that local authorities are ambitious, seeking to deliver universal support to families and prevent escalating need. We are committed to delivering the 10-Year Health Plan ambition to match Healthy Babies, formerly Start for Life, to Best Start Family Hubs over the next decade.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government intends to provide Start for Life funding to new local authority areas.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to how we will improve the nation’s health by creating a new model of care that is fit for the future.
We recognise that local authorities are ambitious, seeking to deliver universal support to families and prevent escalating need. We are committed to delivering the 10-Year Health Plan ambition to match Healthy Babies, formerly Start for Life, to Best Start Family Hubs over the next decade.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time was for driving licence applications in December 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The tables below show the average number of working days taken to process driving licence applications made both online and not online
in December 2025 for both group 1 (cars and motorcycle) and group 2 (lorry and bus) applications.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | ||
Date | Online applications | Non- online applications | Online applications | Non-online applications |
Dec-25 | 1.31 | 3.42 | 1.00 | 2.72 |
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help mitigate the impact of higher business rates bills on grassroots music venues arising from changes to business rates multipliers.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are no current plans to extend the 40% film studio relief to grassroots music venues.
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.
To support with bill increases, the Government has introduced a generous support package worth £4.3 billion over the next 3 years, including support to help ratepayers to transition to their new bill.
As a result, over half of all ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.
Grassroot music venues with rateable values below £500,000 will also benefit from the permanently lower business rates tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that are being introduce in April 2026. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties in England.
The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the number of grassroots music venues affected by the withdrawal of the 40% business rates relief.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are no current plans to extend the 40% film studio relief to grassroots music venues.
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.
To support with bill increases, the Government has introduced a generous support package worth £4.3 billion over the next 3 years, including support to help ratepayers to transition to their new bill.
As a result, over half of all ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.
Grassroot music venues with rateable values below £500,000 will also benefit from the permanently lower business rates tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that are being introduce in April 2026. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties in England.
The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of extending the 40% rate tax relief for film studios to grassroots music venues.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are no current plans to extend the 40% film studio relief to grassroots music venues.
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.
To support with bill increases, the Government has introduced a generous support package worth £4.3 billion over the next 3 years, including support to help ratepayers to transition to their new bill.
As a result, over half of all ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.
Grassroot music venues with rateable values below £500,000 will also benefit from the permanently lower business rates tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that are being introduce in April 2026. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties in England.
The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of equity of access to to Start for Life services, including infant feeding, perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support across England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - 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.