Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of pensioners who are affected by the absence of statutory indexation on pre-1997 contributions in Broxtowe constituency; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential financial impact of this on pensioners in Broxtowe.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Pensions Regulator has published data which shows that as of March 2023, only 17 per cent of members of private sector defined benefit pension schemes do not receive any pre-1997 indexation. This is available at: https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests#f3a5fe60511a445f91112bd7dd8a64ae

The Department and the Pensions Regulator do not hold this information at a constituency level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation limited eligibility for covid-19 booster vaccinations; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including unpaid carers under 75 within the eligibility for those vaccinations.

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

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness (hospitalisations and deaths) arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has therefore moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

On 13 November 2024, JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025. On 26 June 2025, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice that in autumn 2025, a COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to the following groups:

• adults aged 75 years and over;

• residents in care homes for older adults;

• individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book).

The Government has no plans to change eligibility for autumn 2025. It has accepted the JCVI advice for this campaign in full. As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of banning silica.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The merits of banning silica have not been considered as it is a naturally occurring material found in sand, glass, and many rocks and minerals.

Great Britain has a well-established regulatory framework under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 (as amended), which already require employers to prevent exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) to protect workers’ health.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential merits of banning silica.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

There are no plans to discuss the merits of banning silica as it is a naturally occurring material found in sand, glass, and many rocks and minerals.

Great Britain has a well-established regulatory framework under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 (as amended), which already requires employers to prevent exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) to protect workers’ health.

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 support people affected by (a) Fahr's Disease and (b) other genetic, rare and undiagnosed conditions.

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

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Fahr’s Disease. The United Kingdom Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs.

We published the annual England Action Plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities in the preceding year and set out three new actions for the year ahead.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to support the local economy in (a) Broxtowe and (b) Nottinghamshire.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government’s approach to regional growth will drive growth in towns, city regions and communities and make the most of the opportunities in each part of the country, to make everyone better off. There is excellence right across the country and this government is backing it: lifting living standards and putting more money in people’s pockets.

The region will benefit from the £2bn investment for the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), delivering a new mass transit system to connect Derby and Nottingham. We have also recommitted £160m over 10 years for the East Midlands Investment Zone and confirming support for East Midlands Freeport. Local partners expect the East Midlands Investment Zone to generate £383m in private sector investment and deliver 4,200 jobs.

Further, as announced by the Chancellor at the recent Regional Investment Summit, Homes England will soon launch the procurement for a partner for the Broad Marsh regeneration project in Nottingham city centre, supported by the mayor Claire Ward.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the reported massacres in el-Fasher in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the response provided to the Urgent Question on Sudan: Protection of Civilians on 30 October.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support small business owners in Broxtowe constituency.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government’s Plan for Small Businesses, published in July, sets out the measures that Government is taking to support small businesses across the UK. This includes tackling late payments, boosting access to finance, and removing red tape to enable small businesses, including those in Broxtowe constituency, to grow and thrive. SMEs can access DBT’s wealth of business and export support via business.gov.uk.

The Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Growth Hub is where small and medium businesses in the Broxtowe constituency can benefit from specialist business advice and help on how to grow and access new markets.

Found: Conservative; Life peer) Lord Sewell of Sanderstead (Conservative; Life peer) House of Commons Juliet Campbell

Found: Conservative; Life peer) Lord Sewell of Sanderstead (Conservative; Life peer) House of Commons Juliet Campbell

Found: Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench, Life peer) (Chair) (added 5 Sep 2024) 27 of 27 (100.0%) Juliet Campbell

The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on 14 October 2025 and is intended to repeal and replace various aspects of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, as well as to reform and supplement the wider approach of dealing with the legacy of the Troubles. The Joint Committee on Human Rights is scrutinising the Bill’s compatibility with human rights. The Government also laid its draft remedial order concerning Northern Ireland legacy on 14 October 2025 and the Joint Committee on Human Rights is scrutinising that remedial order separately.