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 assessment he has made of the potential impact of industrial carbon capture projects, such as Peak Cluster, on safeguarding domestic cement production and skilled jobs in Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) is essential for fully decarbonising clinker production within the cement sector, which is critical for producing foundational materials for the UK economy.
40% of the UK’s cement and lime is produced in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The Peak Cluster would therefore significantly contribute to the region’s decarbonisation.
Together, the Peak Cluster and Morecambe Net Zero project stated in a recent study that they could create and safeguard 13,000 jobs. This includes:
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to take ensure that any consultations with pubs include independent publicans.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We recognise the valuable contributions of independent publicans in the pubs consultation process.
Ministers and officials from my Department regularly meet with independent publicans and their trade association representatives at the British Institute of Innkeeping and are represented on the Hospitality Sector Council. Last month, I met with pub landlords at a roundtable organised by the British Institute for Innkeeping, attended by several of their members.
We always encourage them to engage with all consultations such as the recent ones on licensing reforms, market access for local beers, the Pubs Code Adjudicator and on the forthcoming review of the rateable valuation methodology for pubs.
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 assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of current mechanisms supporting small-scale solar generation following the closure of the Feed-in Tariff scheme.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a market-led mechanism that ensures small-scale solar generators receive payment for any electricity exported to the grid.
The Government keeps current market offerings under review to assess whether the market is continuing to deliver effective options. Ofgem also reports annually on the range and uptake
of SEG tariffs offered by suppliers.
The market offers a wide range of SEG tariffs, with registration numbers increasing to over 270,000 installations at the end of March 2025, compared with around 166,000 for the previous year. The latest Ofgem report can be found at Smart Export Guarantee Annual Report - April 2024 to March 2025 | Ofgem
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, whether his Department has plans for new incentives to help encourage businesses to install rooftop solar panels on large industrial and commercial buildings.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is aware of the significant potential that commercial rooftops have in our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower. The Solar Council is monitoring delivery of Roadmap actions to support rooftop solar deployment on commercial and industrial buildings, including through resolving complex stakeholder interactions and improving grid access.
Businesses already benefit from incentives such as the Smart Export Guarantee, capital allowances, and business rates exemptions for qualifying plant and machinery. We continue to work closely with industry to identify further opportunities to enable cost‑effective uptake.
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 coordinate planning, energy policy and building regulations to maximise solar deployment across the built environment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We work closely across Whitehall to ensure alignment between planning policy, energy policy and building regulations. The Government will publish the Future Homes Standard in the coming months, ensuring solar panels are installed on the majority of new build homes once it comes into force. Similarly, the Future Buildings Standard will ensure that solar will, where appropriate, play an important role on new non-domestic buildings.
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 she is taking to help support ex-footballers with neurodegenerative diseases.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
My department is taking important steps to ensure that former football players with neurodegenerative diseases, and their families, receive the support they need.
The Secretary of State and I have met with affected family members and ex-footballers, including individuals associated with the Football Families for Justice organisation, to discuss player safety and welfare for those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.
Our immediate priority is to push the football authorities for greater clarity on the funding available through the Brain Health Fund, and ensure that there is a clear and publicly available articulation of the scope of this funding and process for accessing it. Further to this, we are actively discussing with relevant stakeholders to explore whether funding can be expanded to involve other footballing organisations.
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 progress her Department has made on the rollout of gigabit broadband in Derbyshire Dales constituency.
Answered by Josh Simons
In May 2025, BDUK and Full Fibre mutually agreed to end the Project Gigabit contract for the Peak District, affecting some Derbyshire Dales premises
Since then, BDUK has worked with suppliers on alternatives and is now close to agreeing a replacement contract with Openreach. We know this has taken time, but we are working hard to have the contract in place within the next month
Separately, over 3,200 premises across the constituency are already being reached through two Project Gigabit contracts with Connect Fibre.
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 assessment he has made of the potential impact of not expanding Healthy Babies funding to all local authority areas from April 2026.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda for 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.
From April, the Government is rolling out Best Start Family Hubs to all local authorities, backed by over £500 million to reach up to half a million more children and families. This funding will help embed hubs within a wider support system, including integrated child health services, and will enable proactive identification and support for health issues and early developmental delays.
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to help prevent the detention of children from Gaza and the West Bank by the Israeli military.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply concerned about the detention of Palestinian children by the Israeli military and about allegations of abuse against those children, including sexual violence.
The UK calls for all such reports to be fully investigated. The arrest and detention of children must follow due process, in line with international juvenile justice standards.
We also call on all parties to the conflict to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross immediate and unfettered access.
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, when her Department intends to bring forward legislative proposals to implement the reforms to National Parks governance and purposes announced in December 2024.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to implementing the reforms announced in December 2024 as soon as parliamentary time allows.
As set out in the revised Environment Improvement Plan we will champion Protected Landscapes by refreshing our national vision for these special places, eliminating bureaucratic barriers and ensuring teams have the tools and resources to achieve our ambitions.