Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the CMA9 banks on the potential impact of reported employment practices at Open Banking Limited on public and industry confidence in the Open Banking and Open Finance framework.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for ensuring that the obligations under Part 2 of the Retail Banking Market Investigation Order (the Order), and the accompanying Agreed Arrangements, are satisfied. The Government is aware that Open Banking Limited (OBL) has recently conducted a review of its settlement agreements and sought external legal advice to ensure that these are legally compliant.
For the future, the Government has committed to establish a long-term regulatory framework to support the growth of UK Open Banking. This will provide the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with powers to regulate Open Banking – including FCA oversight of a so-called ‘Future Entity’ which will take on the functions currently carried out by OBL under the Order.
Treasury officials are engaging with the CMA to inform the design of this future framework.
In due course, the Government will consult on its legislative approach, including the powers it intends to provide the FCA to ensure it can effectively oversee the Open Banking ecosystem and its participants.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has held discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on the adequacy of Open Banking Limited's governance and accountability arrangements in the context of its role in open banking or the open finance framework.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for ensuring that the obligations under Part 2 of the Retail Banking Market Investigation Order (the Order), and the accompanying Agreed Arrangements, are satisfied. The Government is aware that Open Banking Limited (OBL) has recently conducted a review of its settlement agreements and sought external legal advice to ensure that these are legally compliant.
For the future, the Government has committed to establish a long-term regulatory framework to support the growth of UK Open Banking. This will provide the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with powers to regulate Open Banking – including FCA oversight of a so-called ‘Future Entity’ which will take on the functions currently carried out by OBL under the Order.
Treasury officials are engaging with the CMA to inform the design of this future framework.
In due course, the Government will consult on its legislative approach, including the powers it intends to provide the FCA to ensure it can effectively oversee the Open Banking ecosystem and its participants.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what role her Department has in (a) monitoring and (b) supporting the governance and accountability of bodies established following Competition and Markets Authority remedies, where those bodies are funded by regulated firms including the CMA9 banks.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for ensuring that the obligations under Part 2 of the Retail Banking Market Investigation Order (the Order), and the accompanying Agreed Arrangements, are satisfied. The Government is aware that Open Banking Limited (OBL) has recently conducted a review of its settlement agreements and sought external legal advice to ensure that these are legally compliant.
For the future, the Government has committed to establish a long-term regulatory framework to support the growth of UK Open Banking. This will provide the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with powers to regulate Open Banking – including FCA oversight of a so-called ‘Future Entity’ which will take on the functions currently carried out by OBL under the Order.
Treasury officials are engaging with the CMA to inform the design of this future framework.
In due course, the Government will consult on its legislative approach, including the powers it intends to provide the FCA to ensure it can effectively oversee the Open Banking ecosystem and its participants.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that decisions relating to the future regulatory framework for Open Banking and Open Finance reflect high standards of governance, transparency, and employment protections.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for ensuring that the obligations under Part 2 of the Retail Banking Market Investigation Order (the Order), and the accompanying Agreed Arrangements, are satisfied. The Government is aware that Open Banking Limited (OBL) has recently conducted a review of its settlement agreements and sought external legal advice to ensure that these are legally compliant.
For the future, the Government has committed to establish a long-term regulatory framework to support the growth of UK Open Banking. This will provide the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with powers to regulate Open Banking – including FCA oversight of a so-called ‘Future Entity’ which will take on the functions currently carried out by OBL under the Order.
Treasury officials are engaging with the CMA to inform the design of this future framework.
In due course, the Government will consult on its legislative approach, including the powers it intends to provide the FCA to ensure it can effectively oversee the Open Banking ecosystem and its participants.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to develop a modern service framework for neurological conditions; and what steps he is taking to attract, train and retain specialist healthcare professionals for Parkinson’s.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The first wave of modern service frameworks will include cardiovascular disease, sepsis, mental health, palliative care and end-of-life care, and dementia and frailty. The Government will consider other conditions with significant health and economic impacts for future waves of modern service frameworks in due course.
The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.
NHS staff told us through the 10-Year Health Plan engagement that they are crying out for change. This workforce plan will set out how we will deliver that change by making sure that staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future.
We have set up a United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, facilitating formal, twice-yearly meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations, and health services and Neurological Alliances of all four nations. The new forum brings key stakeholders together to share learnings across the system and discuss challenges, best practice examples, and potential solutions for improving the care of people with neurological conditions. The forum has identified areas for initial focus, including workforce, which featured as a key item on the agenda at the third meeting of the forum on 18 March.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what work the Government is undertaking with regulators and professional bodies to strengthen expectations around endometriosis education and diagnosis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.
The Government also acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.
The General Medical Council (GMC) has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health, including endometriosis.
Women's health is included the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) curriculum for trainee general practitioners (GPs), including gynaecology, sexual health, and breast health. The curriculum also covers the healthcare needs of women across all diseases seen in primary care as it is important women are treated holistically. This ensures that all future GPs receive education on women’s health.
The RCGP has also published a Women’s Health Library which brings together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health from the RCGP, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. This resource is continually updated to ensure GPs and other primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date advice to provide the best care for their patients.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a women’s and reproductive health topic suite, and updated guidelines on endometriosis in 2024 to make firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. These clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to provide care for women with endometriosis.
Generally, employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 in protecting children from harm on online gaming platforms, including Roblox; and whether she plans to undertake a review of the Act’s application to such platforms.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Gaming platforms that allow users to post or interact, such as Roblox, are in scope of the Online Safety Act. They are required to protect children from illegal and harmful content on their service, including using highly effective age assurance to prevent children encountering the most harmful types of content.
Ofcom is the regulator of the Act and has powers to take robust enforcement action. Ofcom has already used these powers, effectively enforcing against non-compliant services.
We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the Act, and on 20 January, the government announced a short, swift consultation on further measures to enhance children's wellbeing and ensuring they have a healthy relationship with social media accompanied by a national conversation.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his planned timeframe is for consulting on national planning policy related to decision-making, including policies on flood risk and sustainable drainage systems.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making.
The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is his Department taking to improve the home conveyancing and residential property transaction process, in the context of the average length of time between a house sale being agreed and the exchange of contracts being more than four months.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 6 October 2025, the government published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here. We are now analysing the responses to both consultations.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to introduce transitional arrangements for landfill gas electricity generation following the closure of the Renewables Obligation in 2027; and what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of methane capture from landfill sites.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government is aware that Renewables Obligation (RO) support for existing landfill gas generators will begin to end in 2027, and that this could affect their commercial viability. We have also considered the implications that the end of RO support will have on methane emissions.
That is why, as set out in the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, Government is exploring the implementation of a long-term methane capture scheme, with suitable transitional arrangements.
We will provide an update in due course.