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 help ensure that Councils have effective supply chains in place to enable them to provide a weekly food waste collection service to all households by 31 March 2026.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are aware of concerns about delivery timelines and pressure on supply chains for vehicles and containers. We are engaging with key stakeholders across the sector and welcome input to help us understand the challenges and ensure successful delivery.

Defra is working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) to scope interventions to address bottlenecks in supply chains. For instance, WRAP recently published procurement guidance for food waste: Weekly food waste implementation supplementary procurement guidance | WRAP.

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 the sustainable bioethnol production sector.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government has been in negotiations with the bioethanol sector to understand what support could be delivered to ensure its long-term sustainable future.

The Department for Transport confirmed their intention to consult on amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, including options for increased targets. DfT also confirmed plans to convene an expert working group to explore whether ethanol blending in petrol can be increased beyond the current E10 blend.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of local government reorganisation in Leicestershire on local service provision.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local Government Reorganisation creates a huge opportunity to establish modern, responsive public services for citizens.

We have asked all councils to tell us how their proposals for unitarisation will improve service provision, and to ensure high standards are maintained during the transition

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timeline is for introducing a twice-weekly sitting timetable for the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme Appeal Board.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Government recognises the profound impact that historic criminal and Service law had on LGBT veterans and is fully committed to ensuring that all veterans affected by the ban receive the recognition they deserve. The LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) received a large volume of applications when it opened, and those applicants who are terminally ill, over 80, or in significant financial distress were prioritised. The first payments were issued as planned within 15 weeks of the Scheme going live to these prioritised groups.

Applications are now being processed in date order, and we are recruiting additional staff, to speed up the process. As of 8 September 2025, the FRS had made payments of £8.9 million to 237 applicants.

Due to the low number of appeals received to date (eight in total), there are currently no plans for the FRS Appeal Board to sit twice weekly. Defence will continue to monitor the number of appeals received and will reassess this approach if required, as was done for the Independent Panel which, due to the volume of applications, now sits twice weekly.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage the (a) development of sporting facilities and (b) maintenance of playing fields through National Planning Policy Guidance.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that access to high-quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity is important for the health and well-being of communities.

The Framework sets out that planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision, which plans should then seek to accommodate.

It also includes strong protections for existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, setting out that they should not be built on unless they are no longer needed, equivalent or better alternatives are provided, or the development is for alternative sports or recreational provision which offers greater benefits.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the statutory role of Sports England consultee in planning decisions on the (a) development of sporting facilities and (b) maintenance of playing fields.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to reviewing the existing statutory consultee arrangements to ensure they align with the government’s ambitions for growth. As per the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510), we intend to consult on removing a limited number of statutory consultees, including Sports England. We also intend to review the range and type of planning applications on which statutory consultees are required to be consulted and consider whether some types of application could be removed, or addressed by alternative means of engagement and provision of expert advice. Further details will be set out in due course.

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 effectiveness of the medicines margin and clawback system in accounting for local variations in prescribing habits.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In reaching a settlement for the 2025/26 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF), detailed discussions were had with Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the representative body of pharmacy contractors, which included the medicine margin arrangements and the long-term financial sustainability of community pharmacies.

The CPCF settlement for 2025/26, which was agreed with CPE, increased the allowed medicine margin to £900 million and included writing off £193 million of historic over delivered medicine margin. It was also agreed that should there continue to be further over delivery of medicine margin, requiring downward adjustments to reimbursement, consideration will be given to further strategies to stabilise category M.

No assessment has been made specifically on the effectiveness of the medicine margin and clawback system in accounting for local variation in prescribing habits. However, as part of the CPCF settlement for 2025/26, we committed to pursuing a number of reimbursement arrangement developments to support fairer access to medicine margin regardless of local prescribing habits.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with Community Pharmacy representatives on the (a) effectiveness of the medicines margin and clawback system and (b) potential impact of the medicines margin and clawback system on the long-term financial sustainability of community pharmacies.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In reaching a settlement for the 2025/26 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF), detailed discussions were had with Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the representative body of pharmacy contractors, which included the medicine margin arrangements and the long-term financial sustainability of community pharmacies.

The CPCF settlement for 2025/26, which was agreed with CPE, increased the allowed medicine margin to £900 million and included writing off £193 million of historic over delivered medicine margin. It was also agreed that should there continue to be further over delivery of medicine margin, requiring downward adjustments to reimbursement, consideration will be given to further strategies to stabilise category M.

No assessment has been made specifically on the effectiveness of the medicine margin and clawback system in accounting for local variation in prescribing habits. However, as part of the CPCF settlement for 2025/26, we committed to pursuing a number of reimbursement arrangement developments to support fairer access to medicine margin regardless of local prescribing habits.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much of the funding allocated to the Pharmacy First scheme has not been claimed by pharmacies because they did not reach the threshold since July 2024; and whether this money been reallocated.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of raising the threshold for Pharmacy First payments on the (a) number of pharmacies claiming payment for Pharmacy First consultations and (b) the total number of pharmacy first consultations undertaken.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) RMT and (b) Cross Country Trains to seek a resolution to avoid strike action and no service on the (i) Birmingham, (ii) Leicester, (iii) Cambridge and (iv) Stansted Airport line through Hinckley station on (A) Saturday 18 October and (B) Saturday 1 November 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

It is for CrossCountry, as the employer, to negotiate terms and conditions with their staff. Officials have been kept advised of the situation with the dispute.

On Thursday 16^th, sufficient progress had been made and RMT suspended strike action on Saturday 18th October, but unfortunately too late for many services to re-instated in a meaningful way. We understand CrossCountry talks continue with RMT on the remaining issues to resolve the dispute without further strikes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the threshold for Pharmacy First payments has increased since July 2024.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

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 change the Pharmacy First payment threshold.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.