Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many people in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy constituency have received compensation through the Post Office Horizon redress schemes.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As of 31 March 2025, the total amount of redress paid has increased by more than three and a half times since the beginning of July 2024, with £892 million having now been paid to over 6,200 claimants.

We do not provide information about redress recipients at this geographic level due to confidentiality. Releasing this type of information risks the identification of vulnerable individuals if combined with other information that may become available via other means outside of our control.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to bring guidance on the sale of (a) paracetamol and (c) ibuprofen into law.

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

Paracetamol and ibuprofen are well-known medicines for pain, which, when taken in line with the recommended posology, have well-established safety profiles. The vast majority of patients use paracetamol responsibly, as an effective pain-reliever. However, if taken in excess, it can cause serious physical harm.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) monitors the safety of medicines, including the sale of paracetamol and ibuprofen without a prescription. Paracetamol and ibuprofen may be obtained without a prescription, under the supervision of a pharmacist, or through general sales outlets. The Human Medicines Regulations 2012, Schedule 15, states that the maximum pack size for both paracetamol and ibuprofen that may be sold through general sales is 16 tablets. Larger packs, up to a maximum of 100 tablets, may be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist, where it becomes a prescription item.

The MHRA has recently updated the voluntary best practice guidance on the general sale of medicines for pain, to further highlight the risks of overdose, to address public concerns, and to recognise current sales techniques. Further risk mitigation measures are also being considered.

The update to the best practice guidance forms part of the suicide prevention strategy that is currently being developed, Suicide prevention strategy for England: 2023 to 2028, which includes a reference to paracetamol, and which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/suicide-prevention-strategy-for-england-2023-to-2028

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 regulation of counsellors and psychotherapists.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not made a formal assessment of the adequacy of the regulation of counsellors and psychotherapists. The Government is clear that the level of regulatory oversight must be proportionate to the risks to the public, and that statutory regulation of healthcare professionals should only be used where the risks to public and patient protection cannot be addressed in other ways, such as through employer oversight or accredited voluntary registration.

The Government believes that anyone using counselling or psychotherapy services deserves to have confidence and trust in their healthcare professionals, which is why we urge the use of qualified practitioners holding voluntary registration accredited by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory minimum expiry dates on gift vouchers.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department asked the Law Commission to examine the protection given to consumer prepayments, including gift cards and vouchers, and consider whether such protections should be strengthened. The Law Commission concluded that that there was no need to introduce additional measures for gift cards and vouchers including in relation to expiry dates.

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