Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the current regulatory framework for news publishers in (a) raising press standards and (b) addressing (i) discrimination and (ii) other abuses.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

As a government we are closely following trends in media consumption and are carefully considering the best route forward to safeguard public trust in our news media.

In the UK, there is a self-regulatory system for the press, which is independent from government. An independent press is important for press freedom and to ensure the public has access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different sources. However, with this freedom comes responsibility. We expect all publishers, both local and national, to operate within the bounds of the law and adhere to high ethical and professional standards, as well as ensure appropriate routes to redress if these standards are not met.

The majority of traditional publishers are members of IPSO. Some publishers have joined Impress, while others, including the Financial Times and the Guardian, have chosen to stay outside either regulator with their own detailed self-regulatory arrangements. These regulators enforce codes of conduct, for both print and online news publications, which provide guidelines on a range of areas including discrimination. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections.

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 ensure that NHS weight management services support long-term weight maintenance.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

Supporting people to achieve and maintain weight loss over the long term is a core principle of National Health Service weight management services. National, integrated care board, and local authority commissioned services combine behavioural support, healthier eating, physical activity, and relapse prevention to help people sustain weight loss and improve their long-term health.

Nationally commissioned services, such as the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme and the suite of Healthier You programmes, such as the NHS Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing, the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, and the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission, all place a strong emphasis on supporting long term weight maintenance. These services are designed not only to help people achieve and sustain weight loss and a healthy weight, but also to prevent, improve, or manage obesity related long-term conditions, including reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and supporting remission for those already living with the condition.

The NHS continues to evaluate and develop its weight management services to ensure they reflect the latest clinical evidence and support people to achieve sustainable improvements in their health and reduce future demand on NHS services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish data on the performance of local obesity services, including service coverage, waiting times, and patient outcomes split by age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

NHS England has established the National Obesity Audit (NOA) to improve understanding of weight management services across England. The audit analyses data collected from hospitals, community settings, and general practices on weight management services and interventions commissioned, or funded, by local authorities and the National Health Service. The NOA currently publishes information on specialist weight management services and bariatric surgery and is continuing to work towards a comprehensive picture of obesity care, including service access, outcomes, and inequalities, to support service improvement and development.

Found: Llanelli) Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat; Edinburgh West) Kim Leadbeater (Labour; Spen Valley) Kevin McKenna

Found: Llanelli) Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat; Edinburgh West) Kim Leadbeater (Labour; Spen Valley) Kevin McKenna

Found: Owen (Chair); Alex Brewer; Rosie Duffield; Dame Nia Griffith; Christine Jardine; Kim Leadbeater; Kevin McKenna

Found: 2026 Members present: Sarah Owen, in the Chair Alex Brewer Nia Griffith Christine Jardine Kevin McKenna

Found: meeting Members present: Sarah Owen (Chair); Dame Nia Griffith; Christine Jardine; Kim Leadbeater; Kevin McKenna