Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is his Department taking to increase awareness about the risks of skin cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on reducing the risk of skin cancer. This advice is available publicly on the NHS website, at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/melanoma-skin-cancer/
NHS England run Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that tenant farmers are protected from eviction when landowners choose not to renew existing tenancies.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to ensuring agricultural tenancies are fair and collaborative. Agricultural tenancy agreements grant tenant farmers statutory protections. In cases of a tenancy ending all parties are encouraged to employ the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice, which sets out expected standards for constructive tenancy negotiations.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help speed up the roll out of digital infrastructure in national parks.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The rollout of broadband infrastructure in national parks is led by commercial suppliers, in discussion with the relevant National Park Authority.
Reforms to the Electronic Communications Code in 2017, alongside the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, have created a framework which encourages network deployment.
We will continue to work with the industry to improve 4G coverage in areas of natural beauty and national parks via the Shared Rural Network (SRN). On 28 May we announced that over 50 existing mobile masts had been upgraded for the SRN, with over half of them providing new coverage to areas of outstanding natural beauty or national parks.
Alongside the SRN, our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. We are committed to having the right policy and regulatory framework to support this and we continue to work with industry to deliver this.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) farmers and (b) rural communities have access to improved (i) broadband and (ii) mobile signal.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. This includes farms and other types of premises in rural communities.
We will also continue to work with mobile network operators to deliver the Shared Rural Network to boost 4G mobile coverage to rural communities, including farms, enabling them to thrive.
Our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. We are committed to having the right policy and regulatory framework to support this. We continue to work with industry to deliver this.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to promote (a) shorter and (b) more sustainable food supply networks in rural areas.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural business and communities. The United Kingdom Food Security Report 2024 shows that people living in rural areas are more likely to have to travel further to access facilities such as food stores.
The food strategy will articulate the outcomes we want from the food system, enabling government, civil society, and the food supply chain to work towards a healthier, fairer, more sustainable and more resilient 21st century food system. We will be considering the role of place-based initiatives, including Local Food Partnerships, as we develop the food strategy.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage more (a) domestic and (b) inbound tourists to visit National Parks.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
National Parks are vital assets for tourism, attracting millions of domestic and international visitors each year and supporting local economies through recreation, hospitality, and cultural heritage. To encourage more visitors, the Government has led a once-in-a-generation reform of regional and local destination management: 41 Local Visitor Economy Partnerships have now been accredited across England, creating a high-performing network across the Visitor Economy working with local authorities and businesses at a local level - encouraging new levels of collaboration between regions and empowering domestic tourism for places of tourist interest such as National Parks.
DCMS continues to work with VisitBritain to champion visits to the British countryside to a worldwide audience. VisitBritain’s new GREAT-funded international marketing campaign, ‘Starring GREAT Britain’, uses the hook of Britain’s rich film and television history to encourage more international visitors to explore across Britain, including many rural destinations, landmarks and National Parks.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
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 reduce waiting times for NHS dentist placements in rural areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural and coastal areas, and we are already taking action through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment initiative will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in the rural and coastal areas that need them most for three years.
Looking to the longer-term, a central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the National Health Service needs to care for patients across our communities.
Tackling the geographical disparities in access to NHS dentistry is vital. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need, when they need it.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44820 on Electricity Generation, what progress the industry working group has made on evaluating the P441 modification to the Balancing and Settlement Code.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem next convenes a working group on 11 June where Elexon will present cost and benefit analysis of the proposed solution. Subsequent timelines depend on whether any Alternative Modifications (solutions) are raised by industry, before a Final Modification Report (FMR) is submitted for Ofgem’s consideration and decision. Ofgem expects to receive the FMR by end of Q3 2025.
The Department is continuing to examine how to remove barriers for community and local energy project’s route to market. This includes working with Ofgem, GBE and relevant stakeholders to find solutions that work in the best interests of local generators and consumers.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people in rural areas retain access to functioning energy meters following the Radio Teleswitch Service switch-off.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Customers will not unexpectedly lose access to their heating and hot water after 30th June, and we will not allow widespread disconnection.
Suppliers must fulfil all of their legal obligations to their customers, and that any future, localised phase-out of RTS meters after 30th Junemust be controlled, planned, and communicated properly to all customers in order to proceed.
The government will do everything it can to ensure that all customers are protected, and will work with Ofgem to hold suppliers to account if required. We expect energy suppliers to be taking measures, such as deploying roaming teams of installers including in rural areas, to ensure consumers receive replacement meters in a timely manner.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make Integrated Care Boards statutory consultees for planning applications for care homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 22103 on 13 January 2025 and to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).