Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is the Government taking to ensure that pharmacies are sustainably funded for the increasing costs and staff time involved in sourcing medicines during supply shortages.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has recently increased funding for the community pharmacy sector by £340 million in 2026/27, a 10% cash uplift that supports pharmacies across England and patients' access to medicines. This builds on the 19% uplift to the community pharmacy budget across 2024/25 and 2025/26. The Government recognises the financial and operational pressures facing community pharmacy, including those associated with medicines supply issues, and remains committed to working with the sector to support a sustainable pharmacy network.
Access to community pharmacy remains strong, with over 80% of the population living within one mile of a pharmacy, alongside more than 400 distance-selling pharmacies which provide medicines directly to patients' homes. Local authorities' Health and Wellbeing Boards regularly assess pharmaceutical need through Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments, which inform integrated care board commissioning decisions and help ensure patients continue to have access to pharmaceutical services where they are needed.
Medicines supply issues are primarily driven by global manufacturing, commercial, and distribution factors. While we cannot always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of established tools to manage them and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of closures of community pharmacies on the level of medication supplies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has recently increased funding for the community pharmacy sector by £340 million in 2026/27, a 10% cash uplift that supports pharmacies across England and patients' access to medicines. This builds on the 19% uplift to the community pharmacy budget across 2024/25 and 2025/26. The Government recognises the financial and operational pressures facing community pharmacy, including those associated with medicines supply issues, and remains committed to working with the sector to support a sustainable pharmacy network.
Access to community pharmacy remains strong, with over 80% of the population living within one mile of a pharmacy, alongside more than 400 distance-selling pharmacies which provide medicines directly to patients' homes. Local authorities' Health and Wellbeing Boards regularly assess pharmaceutical need through Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments, which inform integrated care board commissioning decisions and help ensure patients continue to have access to pharmaceutical services where they are needed.
Medicines supply issues are primarily driven by global manufacturing, commercial, and distribution factors. While we cannot always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of established tools to manage them and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
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 prevent the closure of community pharmacies facing sustained financial pressures and medication supply issues.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has recently increased funding for the community pharmacy sector by £340 million in 2026/27, a 10% cash uplift that supports pharmacies across England and patients' access to medicines. This builds on the 19% uplift to the community pharmacy budget across 2024/25 and 2025/26. The Government recognises the financial and operational pressures facing community pharmacy, including those associated with medicines supply issues, and remains committed to working with the sector to support a sustainable pharmacy network.
Access to community pharmacy remains strong, with over 80% of the population living within one mile of a pharmacy, alongside more than 400 distance-selling pharmacies which provide medicines directly to patients' homes. Local authorities' Health and Wellbeing Boards regularly assess pharmaceutical need through Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments, which inform integrated care board commissioning decisions and help ensure patients continue to have access to pharmaceutical services where they are needed.
Medicines supply issues are primarily driven by global manufacturing, commercial, and distribution factors. While we cannot always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of established tools to manage them and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
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 staff being unable to secure indefinite leave to remain due to salary thresholds on the workforce in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - 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.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS workers have salaries within £500 of the salary threshold required for indefinite leave to remain.
Answered by Karin Smyth - 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.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of NHS staff whose current salaries fall below the threshold required for indefinite leave to remain.
Answered by Karin Smyth - 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.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her department plans to make an assessment of the number of hours of education lost due to high temperatures in the week beginning 22nd June 2026.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not specifically collect data on school days lost due to high temperatures.
It is for individual settings and responsible bodies to determine their approach to closure based on their own risk assessment. Closures should be considered a last resort, and the imperative is for settings to remain open where it is safe to do so.
Schools play an important safeguarding role and access to education remains a priority for pupils’ wellbeing and safety. Settings should seek to remain open and manage high temperatures through practical adjustments, with closure considered only where it is not reasonable or safe for pupils and staff.
Where settings are temporarily closed, they should provide remote education for the duration of the closure, in line with departmental guidance. Where possible, pupils should receive regular teaching and interaction with teachers, including live or structured input alongside independent work.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration his department has given to reducing the 6-month grace period that utility companies have to undertake full repairs to paving in town centres.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Statutory guidance already makes clear that permanent reinstatements should be completed by utility companies as soon as reasonably practicable and that, where an interim reinstatement is used, it should normally be made permanent within six months.
The Department considers this period to be proportionate, balancing the need for timely, high‑quality permanent repairs with practical considerations such as the availability of appropriate materials and the safe coordination of works.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of NHS workers ineligible for indefinite leave to remain due to salary threshold changes introduced since 2023.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The government recognises the valuable role of those who work in the NHS. The ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ Command Paper set out that there should be a shorter pathway for those working in certain public service roles. The government’s proposals for which occupations should qualify for this treatment will be set out in its formal response to the consultation.
The final model for the earned settlement system will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is considering exemptions for NHS workers who fall marginally below the salary threshold requirement for indefinite leave to remain.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The government recognises the valuable role of those who work in the NHS. The ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ Command Paper set out that there should be a shorter pathway for those working in certain public service roles. The government’s proposals for which occupations should qualify for this treatment will be set out in its formal response to the consultation.
The final model for the earned settlement system will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.