Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the commissioning, oversight and consistency of access to weight management services across England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service and local government provide a range of weight management services. This includes behaviour change support such as the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme, intensive treatments like very low-calorie diets, pharmaceutical treatments, and bariatric surgery. NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for arranging the provision of health services, such as specialist weight management services, within their area, in line with local population need, and taking account of relevant guidance.
NHS England will continue to carry out its existing responsibilities and statutory functions during the transition period following the Government’s decision to abolish the organisation. This includes commissioning the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme, oversight of NHS weight management services, and providing guidance, clinical leadership, and performance oversight of ICBs, while the Government brings forward legislation to amend the Department’s responsibilities.
Work is progressing at pace to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, and to plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions, and responsibilities. It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. These ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.
Until the transfer of its functions, NHS England will continue to work with ICBs and providers to support the continuity of multidisciplinary provision and workforce capacity, and access to services across England.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, where responsibility for national leadership and accountability for obesity and weight management services will sit following the abolition of NHS England; and what steps he is taking to prevent regional variation in access to those services.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service and local government provide a range of weight management services. This includes behaviour change support such as the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme, intensive treatments like very low-calorie diets, pharmaceutical treatments, and bariatric surgery. NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for arranging the provision of health services, such as specialist weight management services, within their area, in line with local population need, and taking account of relevant guidance.
NHS England will continue to carry out its existing responsibilities and statutory functions during the transition period following the Government’s decision to abolish the organisation. This includes commissioning the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme, oversight of NHS weight management services, and providing guidance, clinical leadership, and performance oversight of ICBs, while the Government brings forward legislation to amend the Department’s responsibilities.
Work is progressing at pace to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, and to plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions, and responsibilities. It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. These ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.
Until the transfer of its functions, NHS England will continue to work with ICBs and providers to support the continuity of multidisciplinary provision and workforce capacity, and access to services across England.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure continuity of specialist weight management services, including workforce capacity and multidisciplinary provision, during the transition following the abolition of NHS England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service and local government provide a range of weight management services. This includes behaviour change support such as the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme, intensive treatments like very low-calorie diets, pharmaceutical treatments, and bariatric surgery. NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for arranging the provision of health services, such as specialist weight management services, within their area, in line with local population need, and taking account of relevant guidance.
NHS England will continue to carry out its existing responsibilities and statutory functions during the transition period following the Government’s decision to abolish the organisation. This includes commissioning the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme, oversight of NHS weight management services, and providing guidance, clinical leadership, and performance oversight of ICBs, while the Government brings forward legislation to amend the Department’s responsibilities.
Work is progressing at pace to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, and to plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions, and responsibilities. It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. These ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.
Until the transfer of its functions, NHS England will continue to work with ICBs and providers to support the continuity of multidisciplinary provision and workforce capacity, and access to services across England.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress she has made on establishing a programme to guarantee a library space in every primary school.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We have allocated £12.5 million from the Dormant Assets Scheme to ensure every primary school has a library space by the end of this Parliament. The National Lottery Community Fund is working to develop more of the programme details, including which schools will receive funding.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the reports that Israeli Defences Forces have moved the Yellow Line deeper into Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK urges all parties to meet the commitments they have made under the 20-point peace plan, and we continue to monitor the situation on the ground in Gaza closely.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's guidance entitled Budget 2025: Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Factsheet, published on 28 November 2025, for what reason licensed betting offices are classified as financial services for business rates purposes.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026.
Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted.
The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the equity of eligibility for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief of licensed betting offices and other gambling leisure premises, including adult gaming centres and bingo halls.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026.
Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted.
The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Autumn Budget 2025 on licensed betting offices; and whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the classification of betting shops for business rates purposes, including their eligibility for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026.
Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted.
The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of amending the business rates framework to allow licensed betting offices to qualify for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief on the same basis as other gambling leisure premises.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026.
Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted.
The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the exclusion of licensed betting offices from Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief, including the consistency with other gambling leisure premises.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026.
Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted.
The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.