Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a dual-tier NHS Right to Choose Tariff for ADHD and autism assessments that distinguishes between straightforward and complex cases.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The 2026/27 NHS Payment Scheme was published on 26 March 2026 and came into effect from 1 April 2026. The scheme governs transactions between providers and commissioners of secondary healthcare. The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism payment guidance has also been updated and sets out national expectations for ADHD and autism services. This guidance is primarily intended for finance, costing, and data teams working in ADHD and autism assessment services, and integrated care boards (ICBs) with commissioning responsibilities for these services. The purpose is to support commissioners and providers to build consistent, transparent, and equitable ADHD and autism diagnostic pathways, with clear data requirements and a shared understanding of what good looks like.
Guide prices for ADHD and autism assessments were published as part of the 2026/27 NHS Payment Scheme. NHS England is engaging on the use of these prices and how they could be developed further, including whether to differentiate between straightforward and complex cases. The current prices already include a separate price for patients receiving a combined assessment for ADHD and autism which is often provided to more complex patients.
NHS England is continuing work on pricing arrangements for autism and ADHD assessment services through the NHS Payment Scheme. This aims to support a more equitable and consistent approach to commissioning and service delivery.
The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at service design and how services might respond more effectively to rising need, including the role of earlier intervention, community-based provision, and more integrated pathways across health, education, and other public services. The review will also look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether urban forces created as a result of the merging of police forces under proposed policing reforms will provide the same level of expertise on rural crime as current rural police forces.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Reform White Paper set out the Government’s commitment to introduce a new model for policing that is fit for the modern world, with the right policing in the right places.
Responsive local policing will be guaranteed through the creation of Local Policing Areas (LPAs), led by Local Policing Commanders, with a clear focus on the needs and priorities of the local communities they serve. We are also introducing a Local Policing Guarantee so the public knows they can expect the same level of service no matter where they live. The Independent Review of Police Force Structures, launched on 17 March 2026, will make recommendations on the number and configuration of police forces in England and Wales, including how the delivery of local policing can be optimised through LPAs. The Review will report its recommendations to the Home Secretary in the summer.
Community Safety Partnerships have played an important role in the local crime prevention landscape. As we review the future of local prevention work, we will seek to build on their strengths while creating a system that works more effectively as a whole. Partnership working at the local level remains central to our reforms and we are working across government to ensure policing and police governance bodies remain embedded within local systems.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure democratic oversight of policing under the Government's proposed reforms to merge police forces.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Reform White Paper set out the Government’s commitment to introduce a new model for policing that is fit for the modern world, with the right policing in the right places.
Responsive local policing will be guaranteed through the creation of Local Policing Areas (LPAs), led by Local Policing Commanders, with a clear focus on the needs and priorities of the local communities they serve. We are also introducing a Local Policing Guarantee so the public knows they can expect the same level of service no matter where they live. The Independent Review of Police Force Structures, launched on 17 March 2026, will make recommendations on the number and configuration of police forces in England and Wales, including how the delivery of local policing can be optimised through LPAs. The Review will report its recommendations to the Home Secretary in the summer.
Community Safety Partnerships have played an important role in the local crime prevention landscape. As we review the future of local prevention work, we will seek to build on their strengths while creating a system that works more effectively as a whole. Partnership working at the local level remains central to our reforms and we are working across government to ensure policing and police governance bodies remain embedded within local systems.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that policing resources are not diverted from rural to metropolitan areas as a result of the merging of police forces as part of the Government's proposed policing reforms.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Reform White Paper set out the Government’s commitment to introduce a new model for policing that is fit for the modern world, with the right policing in the right places.
Responsive local policing will be guaranteed through the creation of Local Policing Areas (LPAs), led by Local Policing Commanders, with a clear focus on the needs and priorities of the local communities they serve. We are also introducing a Local Policing Guarantee so the public knows they can expect the same level of service no matter where they live. The Independent Review of Police Force Structures, launched on 17 March 2026, will make recommendations on the number and configuration of police forces in England and Wales, including how the delivery of local policing can be optimised through LPAs. The Review will report its recommendations to the Home Secretary in the summer.
Community Safety Partnerships have played an important role in the local crime prevention landscape. As we review the future of local prevention work, we will seek to build on their strengths while creating a system that works more effectively as a whole. Partnership working at the local level remains central to our reforms and we are working across government to ensure policing and police governance bodies remain embedded within local systems.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that local community partnerships are not lost as a result of the merging of police forces as part of the Government's proposed policing reforms.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Reform White Paper set out the Government’s commitment to introduce a new model for policing that is fit for the modern world, with the right policing in the right places.
Responsive local policing will be guaranteed through the creation of Local Policing Areas (LPAs), led by Local Policing Commanders, with a clear focus on the needs and priorities of the local communities they serve. We are also introducing a Local Policing Guarantee so the public knows they can expect the same level of service no matter where they live. The Independent Review of Police Force Structures, launched on 17 March 2026, will make recommendations on the number and configuration of police forces in England and Wales, including how the delivery of local policing can be optimised through LPAs. The Review will report its recommendations to the Home Secretary in the summer.
Community Safety Partnerships have played an important role in the local crime prevention landscape. As we review the future of local prevention work, we will seek to build on their strengths while creating a system that works more effectively as a whole. Partnership working at the local level remains central to our reforms and we are working across government to ensure policing and police governance bodies remain embedded within local systems.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the merging of police forces as part of the Government's proposed policing reforms on maintaining local community partnerships.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Reform White Paper set out the Government’s commitment to introduce a new model for policing that is fit for the modern world, with the right policing in the right places.
Responsive local policing will be guaranteed through the creation of Local Policing Areas (LPAs), led by Local Policing Commanders, with a clear focus on the needs and priorities of the local communities they serve. We are also introducing a Local Policing Guarantee so the public knows they can expect the same level of service no matter where they live. The Independent Review of Police Force Structures, launched on 17 March 2026, will make recommendations on the number and configuration of police forces in England and Wales, including how the delivery of local policing can be optimised through LPAs. The Review will report its recommendations to the Home Secretary in the summer.
Community Safety Partnerships have played an important role in the local crime prevention landscape. As we review the future of local prevention work, we will seek to build on their strengths while creating a system that works more effectively as a whole. Partnership working at the local level remains central to our reforms and we are working across government to ensure policing and police governance bodies remain embedded within local systems.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to what extent rural expertise will be retained as a result of the merging of police forces under proposed policing reforms.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Reform White Paper set out the Government’s commitment to introduce a new model for policing that is fit for the modern world, with the right policing in the right places.
Responsive local policing will be guaranteed through the creation of Local Policing Areas (LPAs), led by Local Policing Commanders, with a clear focus on the needs and priorities of the local communities they serve. We are also introducing a Local Policing Guarantee so the public knows they can expect the same level of service no matter where they live. The Independent Review of Police Force Structures, launched on 17 March 2026, will make recommendations on the number and configuration of police forces in England and Wales, including how the delivery of local policing can be optimised through LPAs. The Review will report its recommendations to the Home Secretary in the summer.
Community Safety Partnerships have played an important role in the local crime prevention landscape. As we review the future of local prevention work, we will seek to build on their strengths while creating a system that works more effectively as a whole. Partnership working at the local level remains central to our reforms and we are working across government to ensure policing and police governance bodies remain embedded within local systems.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to develop top-level police leadership.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is essential that every member of the police workforce has the consistent support and skills they need to become leaders who can thrive and continue to deliver for the public.
As part of our police reform programme, we will strengthen police leadership by mandating national leadership standards and reforming the process for appointing Chief Constables.
The College of Policing is the professional body for policing, responsible for setting standards, promoting good practice and supporting everyone working in policing to cut crime and keep the public safe. The Home Office provides funding to the College to support its functions including developing the National Centre for Police Leadership, and there are plans to deliver greater consistency and development in police leadership across forces while respecting operational independence.
The Police Leadership Commission’s report published on 6 July will inform our wider reform programme, helping us to understand how leadership is developed and supported across policing, where barriers to progress remain and what more can be done to strengthen leadership for the future.
We intend to publish a full Government response in the autumn.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of higher rateable values being applied to pubs that play an active role in their local communities on the sustainability of rural pubs, including those designated as assets of community value.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Government has introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills.
In addition, the Government has introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly £1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties.
On top of this, pubs and live music venues also benefit from 15% off their new business rates bills this year. Bills will then be frozen in real terms for a further two years.
Three-quarters of pubs will see bills flat or falling in April. The new relief is worth £1,650 for the average pub this year. As a sector pubs will pay 8% less in business rates in 2029 than they did in 2025/2026.
Pubs in rural areas may also benefit from either Rural Rate Relief or Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR). Rural Rate Relief aims to ensure that key amenities are available and community assets are protected in rural areas. It provides 100% rate relief for properties that are based in eligible rural areas with populations below 3,000. Around a third of properties in England pay no business rates because of SBRR.
The Government has also committed to review the methodologies by which pubs are valued for business rates.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in light of the success of previous UK voluntary salt reduction programmes in reducing blood pressure and cardiovascular deaths, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing similar programmes in the near future.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
Since the setting of the Public Health England voluntary salt reduction targets, regulations to limit the promotion and marketing of ‘less healthy’ or high salt, saturated fat, and salt (HFSS) food and drink products have been introduced.
This includes the location promotions restrictions which came into effect in October 2022, and which prohibit the placement of ‘less healthy’ food and drink products in key selling locations in supermarkets, for instance around checkouts. Emerging evidence suggests a positive reduction in HFSS purchasing from retail with two million fewer in-scope ‘less healthy’ products being sold each day.
Restrictions on the use by retailers of volume price promotions offers, for instance buy two for three, came into force on 1 October 2025. The restrictions aim to reduce the disproportionate promotion of ‘less healthy’ products to consumers which are widespread and effective at influencing food preferences and purchases, particularly for families.
Regulations to restrict the advertising of ‘less healthy” food and drink products targeted at children on television and online came into effect in January 2026, although many advertisers and broadcasters started to voluntarily comply with the restrictions from 1 October 2025. There has been a noticeable change in the type of adverts show on television and online since then.
The Healthier Food Targets and Reporting policy is intended to improve the healthiness of food sales. We will consult soon on the design of the measures, a key aspect of which is what metrics to use and what elements of food and drink those metrics should cover such as, but not limited to, levels of salt.
There are currently no United Kingdom taxes that cover the salt content of food and drink. The Government keeps all taxes under regular review. Decisions about the future development of taxes are made by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in line with the Government’s tax policy-making framework.
Monitoring of the overall purchasing of food and drink shows that in 2023, compared to 2022, purchases of salt increased by 1.4%. Further monitoring of purchasing, for 2024 and 2025, is currently underway and will be published later this year.
The National Diet and Nutrition Survey will shortly begin fieldwork for a urinary sodium survey, providing objective, updated population salt intakes to inform future targeted policy action.
The Government has set an ambition to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next 10 years. To accelerate progress on this ambition and tackle unwarranted variation across the country, the Cardiovascular Modern Service Framework was published on 7 July 2026. A delivery plan will follow later in the year to support systems to implement the framework.