Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2026 to WPQ 103427 about fly tipping, whether the recommendations of the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group will impact fly-tipping policy.

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

Defra officials chair regular meetings of the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group and whilst various aspects of fly-tipping are discussed at these meetings, the group does not develop formal recommendations to Defra. The aim of the group, whose members include various local councils, the Environment Agency, National Police Chiefs Council and others, is to promote and disseminate good practice with regards to preventing fly-tipping. The work of the group informs our evidence base.

The group has developed various practical tools including guides on how councils and others can present robust cases to court, set up and run effective local partnerships to tackle fly-tipping and raise awareness of the household and business waste duty of care. These are available at: https://nftpg.com/.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make a comparative assessment of the potential impact of levels of [a] standard and [b] hospitality VAT on the sustainability of the hospitality industry in [i] France, [ii] Germany, [iii] Italy and [iv] the Republic of Ireland.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Providing further VAT relief or introducing new reduced rates would reduce tax revenue and add further complexity to the tax system.

Furthermore, HMRC estimates that the cost of a 5 per cent reduced rate for accommodation, hospitality and tourist attractions would be around £17bn in 2026-27. This would reduce VAT revenue, which pays for public services, by almost 10%.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to quality assure information on the Fuel Finder Website.

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

Under the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) regulations 2025, the appointed aggregator is responsible for managing the registration information and providing real-time fuel price information. The Department also requires the aggregator to implement data quality assurance processes to ensure all information published through the Fuel Finder service meets agreed standards. This includes validating price submissions at the point of entry and implementing continuous data quality monitoring to maintain accuracy and reliability.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to monitor the take up of the Fuel Finder Website by motorists.

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

Motorists will primarily access Fuel Finder data indirectly through third-party navigation apps and price comparison websites. Fuel Finder will track who is accessing the data as an indicator of overall usage.

The service will also undergo a statutory evaluation which will as a minimum assess the likely effects for existing and future customers.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department plans to publish the Fuel Finder Website.

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

The Fuel Finder scheme is now live, with registration open to petrol stations. From 2 February, petrol stations will be required to report their fuel prices within 30 minutes of a change. This data will be made freely available on the Fuel Finder website and integrated into mapping software and price comparison apps, enabling consumers to compare prices easily and make informed decisions on where to buy their fuel.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to publicise the Fuel Finder Website to motorists.

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

Fuel Finder data will be made freely available and third party services such as navigation apps and price comparison websites who will integrate the data into their consumer-facing tools, meaning drivers can access accurate, up-to-date fuel prices without needing to visit the website directly.

The Government will publicise Fuel Finder through its usual communications channels to raise awareness of the new system.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to WPQ 103428 answered on 19 January 2026 on Speed Limit: Fines, what National Highways' planned timescale is for the implementation of the solution to the speed camera anomaly.

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

As set out in response to WPQ 103428 on 19 January, a Home Office approved solution to this issue has been agreed, and National Highways and the police are continuing to work together to implement this as a priority.

In the meantime, National Highways has put in place measures including increased Traffic Patrol Officers, alongside the existing tactics that the police use to enforce speed limits on the Strategic Road Network including mobile camera deployments, roads policing patrols and average speed sites.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 96945 on Ophthalmic Services, what steps his Department is taking to share best practice between Integrated Care Boards in order to reduce regional inequalities in access to eye care services.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are encouraged to share best practice to help reduce regional inequalities in access to eye care services via the NHS Future Platform

The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme also has best practice guidance for ophthalmology. More information is available at the following link:

https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/surgical_specialties/ophthalmology/

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 (a) effectiveness of the Pharmacy First Model in Scotland and (b) potential merits of expanding a similar service in England.

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

Pharmacy First in England was launched on 31 January 2024. This incorporated existing elements under the former Community Pharmacist Consultation Service and introduced a new clinical pathways element. The new clinical pathways element allows patients to receive treatment for seven common health conditions without the need for a general practitioner (GP) appointment.

As health is a devolved matter, the Pharmacy First service in Scotland is commissioned separately to the one in England. The conditions covered by the English and Scottish schemes do differ slightly, but the services operate in a similar manner. Both operate a consultation service under which pharmacists can provide some prescription only medicines without the need to see a prescriber. In addition, Scotland commissions the expanded Pharmacy First Plus service, which has a broader scope and can be provided by pharmacists with a prescribing qualification. In line with the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to giving pharmacists in England more ability to prescribe and to manage a range of health conditions.

The Department has not formally assessed the Scottish scheme, but the Pharmacy First service design was informed by best practice from similar locally commissioned services and services commissioned by the devolved governments. NHS England will keep the clinical scope of the service under review.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to ensure that pensioners are not required to file self-assessment tax returns for small amounts after the new state pension exceeds the tax-free allowance in 2027.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Pensioners whose sole income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not pay income tax in 2026-27.

At Budget 2025, the Government announced that it will ease the administrative burden for pensioners whose sole income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments so that they do not have to pay small amounts of tax via Simple Assessment from 2027-28.

The Government will set out more detail in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Pursuant to WPQ 103428 answered on 19 January 2026 on Speed Limit: Fines, what body is coordinating the independent investigation on the anomaly; and when that body will report.

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

The terms of reference were published on Monday 19 January 2026 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-on-the-national-highways-nh-speeding-enforcement-issue-terms-of-reference/independent-review-on-the-national-highways-nh-speeding-enforcement-issue-terms-of-reference.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the 2024 Slaughter Sector Survey, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the number of [a] pigs, [b] chickens [c] cows and [d] sheep that were not stunned before slaughter compared to the last five reported survey years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Regulations require that animals must be stunned prior to slaughter so that they are unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception to the requirement to stun is where animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites. The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter, but we respect the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.

For sheep and goats, the Government supports an industry-led initiative called the Demonstration of Life Protocol, which provides assurance for Muslim consumers that the stunning of these animals is compatible with halal slaughter requirements, while protecting the welfare of the animals involved and supporting opportunities for trade.

All pigs are stunned before slaughter, in accordance with legislation. As set out in the government’s animal welfare strategy, we will consult on banning the use of carbon dioxide gas as a method of stunning pigs.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the 2024 Slaughter Sector Survey, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the number of [a] pigs, [b] chickens [c] cows and [d] sheep that were stunned before slaughter compared to the last five reported survey years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Regulations require that animals must be stunned prior to slaughter so that they are unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception to the requirement to stun is where animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites. The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter, but we respect the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.

For sheep and goats, the Government supports an industry-led initiative called the Demonstration of Life Protocol, which provides assurance for Muslim consumers that the stunning of these animals is compatible with halal slaughter requirements, while protecting the welfare of the animals involved and supporting opportunities for trade.

All pigs are stunned before slaughter, in accordance with legislation. As set out in the government’s animal welfare strategy, we will consult on banning the use of carbon dioxide gas as a method of stunning pigs.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with motorsport manufacturers and related bodies on growing the sector in the UK.

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

The UK’s globally recognised motorsport cluster continues to play a vital role in driving engineering excellence and supporting investment across the automotive sector. DBT Ministers have engaged on issues affecting the UK motorsports sector, including a cross‑Whitehall F1 Ministerial Roundtable on 15 January 2024, where Ministers discussed industry priorities with F1 and government partners. The Department engages regularly with the Motorsports Industry Association (MIA) and motorsport manufacturers as part of our wider work to support the UK’s world leading high performance engineering sector. These discussions cover support for innovation, supply chain competitiveness and opportunities for growth through export support and technology‑focused trade missions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will undertake a review of (a) current levels of on-call firefighters and (b) the challenges faced by fire and rescue services to recruit on-call firefighters.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Fire and Rescue Authorities are responsible for resourcing their services.

To support the future of the on-call system, the Government funded the National Fire Chiefs Council to undertake detailed research into the sustainability of the retained duty system. This work- the National On-Call Research Study was published in November 2025 and has been shared with Fire and Rescue Authorities to inform future planning, improvement activity, and local workforce strategies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of newly qualified physiotherapists that have secured work within 12 months of qualifying.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The requested data is not held.

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 adequacy of the number of job places available for newly qualified physiotherapists.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The requested data is not held.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the most recent competition ratio is for newly qualified physiotherapists.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The requested data is not held.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the NHS's refusal rate in paying pharmacies for carrying out Pharmacy First Services.

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

Pharmacy First is an essential approach to make greater use of pharmacy professionals and shift more care from hospital into the community. The service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions, enabling patients to receive a complete episode of care in the pharmacy setting, reducing pressure on general practitioners and the wider healthcare system. This shift is significant and represents a new way of working for the National Health Service that will offer patients greater choice and improve access to the care they need.

As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three to one month. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments. This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England (CPE). Advanced notice of the change was provided to contractors by letter and in an article published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

The Department sets out the terms for remuneration for pharmacy and appliance contractors in England in the Drug Tariff, which the NHSBSA is required to follow. The Drug Tariff outlines that contractors must submit claims for payment for Pharmacy First consultations within the permitted grace period. We would expect contractors to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure claims are submitted promptly. The Department does not hold data on the number of Pharmacy First claims which were not submitted in accordance with the Drug Tariff. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring pharmacy contractors are paid promptly and we are committed to making improvements where possible. That is why we have recently moved more service payments to the early advance payment to assist with contractors cashflow.

The Department will continue to work with the NHSBSA and CPE recognising where improvement can be made to get the best outcomes for patients, pharmacies and the NHS.

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 shortening the Pharmacy First Service claim window in June 2025 on pharmacies carrying out that service.

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

Pharmacy First is an essential approach to make greater use of pharmacy professionals and shift more care from hospital into the community. The service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions, enabling patients to receive a complete episode of care in the pharmacy setting, reducing pressure on general practitioners and the wider healthcare system. This shift is significant and represents a new way of working for the National Health Service that will offer patients greater choice and improve access to the care they need.

As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three to one month. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments. This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England (CPE). Advanced notice of the change was provided to contractors by letter and in an article published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

The Department sets out the terms for remuneration for pharmacy and appliance contractors in England in the Drug Tariff, which the NHSBSA is required to follow. The Drug Tariff outlines that contractors must submit claims for payment for Pharmacy First consultations within the permitted grace period. We would expect contractors to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure claims are submitted promptly. The Department does not hold data on the number of Pharmacy First claims which were not submitted in accordance with the Drug Tariff. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring pharmacy contractors are paid promptly and we are committed to making improvements where possible. That is why we have recently moved more service payments to the early advance payment to assist with contractors cashflow.

The Department will continue to work with the NHSBSA and CPE recognising where improvement can be made to get the best outcomes for patients, pharmacies and the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of pharmacies who have not been paid for carrying out Pharmacy First Consultations due to a shortening in the claim window in June 2025.

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

Pharmacy First is an essential approach to make greater use of pharmacy professionals and shift more care from hospital into the community. The service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions, enabling patients to receive a complete episode of care in the pharmacy setting, reducing pressure on general practitioners and the wider healthcare system. This shift is significant and represents a new way of working for the National Health Service that will offer patients greater choice and improve access to the care they need.

As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three to one month. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments. This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England (CPE). Advanced notice of the change was provided to contractors by letter and in an article published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

The Department sets out the terms for remuneration for pharmacy and appliance contractors in England in the Drug Tariff, which the NHSBSA is required to follow. The Drug Tariff outlines that contractors must submit claims for payment for Pharmacy First consultations within the permitted grace period. We would expect contractors to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure claims are submitted promptly. The Department does not hold data on the number of Pharmacy First claims which were not submitted in accordance with the Drug Tariff. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring pharmacy contractors are paid promptly and we are committed to making improvements where possible. That is why we have recently moved more service payments to the early advance payment to assist with contractors cashflow.

The Department will continue to work with the NHSBSA and CPE recognising where improvement can be made to get the best outcomes for patients, pharmacies and the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of pharmacy contractors who are due outstanding payments from the NHSBSA for Pharmacy First Services and (b) total value of outstanding payments.

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

Pharmacy First is an essential approach to make greater use of pharmacy professionals and shift more care from hospital into the community. The service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions, enabling patients to receive a complete episode of care in the pharmacy setting, reducing pressure on general practitioners and the wider healthcare system. This shift is significant and represents a new way of working for the National Health Service that will offer patients greater choice and improve access to the care they need.

As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three to one month. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments. This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England (CPE). Advanced notice of the change was provided to contractors by letter and in an article published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

The Department sets out the terms for remuneration for pharmacy and appliance contractors in England in the Drug Tariff, which the NHSBSA is required to follow. The Drug Tariff outlines that contractors must submit claims for payment for Pharmacy First consultations within the permitted grace period. We would expect contractors to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure claims are submitted promptly. The Department does not hold data on the number of Pharmacy First claims which were not submitted in accordance with the Drug Tariff. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring pharmacy contractors are paid promptly and we are committed to making improvements where possible. That is why we have recently moved more service payments to the early advance payment to assist with contractors cashflow.

The Department will continue to work with the NHSBSA and CPE recognising where improvement can be made to get the best outcomes for patients, pharmacies and the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHSBSA provide timely payments to pharmacists carrying out Pharmacy First consultations.

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

Pharmacy First is an essential approach to make greater use of pharmacy professionals and shift more care from hospital into the community. The service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions, enabling patients to receive a complete episode of care in the pharmacy setting, reducing pressure on general practitioners and the wider healthcare system. This shift is significant and represents a new way of working for the National Health Service that will offer patients greater choice and improve access to the care they need.

As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three to one month. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments. This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England (CPE). Advanced notice of the change was provided to contractors by letter and in an article published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

The Department sets out the terms for remuneration for pharmacy and appliance contractors in England in the Drug Tariff, which the NHSBSA is required to follow. The Drug Tariff outlines that contractors must submit claims for payment for Pharmacy First consultations within the permitted grace period. We would expect contractors to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure claims are submitted promptly. The Department does not hold data on the number of Pharmacy First claims which were not submitted in accordance with the Drug Tariff. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring pharmacy contractors are paid promptly and we are committed to making improvements where possible. That is why we have recently moved more service payments to the early advance payment to assist with contractors cashflow.

The Department will continue to work with the NHSBSA and CPE recognising where improvement can be made to get the best outcomes for patients, pharmacies and the NHS.