Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will formally include air ambulance charities within national fuel resilience and prioritisation planning.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK benefits from a diverse and resilient fuel supply chain and remains well supplied across all fuel types. The Government regularly reviews which organisations provide essential services within the context of the National Emergency Plan for Fuel. This includes consideration of air ambulance charities, recognising the vital role they play in emergency response and patient care.
A summary of the National Emergency Plan for Fuel is published on gov.uk and sets out measures to respond to fuel supply and distribution disruption. In the unlikely event of a sustained disruption, these arrangements enable fuel to be prioritised for essential services and critical supply chains.
The Government does not assess that the current situation warrants, or is approaching, the threshold for the use of emergency powers.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to make a decision on whether the Federated Data Platform and Associated Services contract with Palantir Technologies will be extended; and what contingency plans his Department has in place to ensure ongoing provision of the programme if that contract is ended.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We continually assess performance against the contract, and performance of the programme as a whole, and publish data on uptake and benefits each quarter. The National Health Service Federated Data Platform (FDP) programme is significantly exceeding its benefits forecast and has exceeded every target since it’s ‘go live’ in March 2024. It is also assessed regularly by the Government's National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, on behalf of HM Treasury. The NHS FDP is one of only 14% of Government major programmes to receive a ‘Green’ rating in July 2025, indicating that the FDP is on track.
In line with Government commercial function standards and contract management best practice, we shall be reviewing the FDP and Associated Services (FDP-AS) contract with a decision anticipated to be made this year on extension.
As part of ongoing and regular contract reviews of the FDP-AS, due consideration is given as to how benefits and outcomes are protected, and whether there is an extension or not. In the event of the contract ending, there are clear Exit Management provisions which would take effect. As with any change programme, there are many aspects that require planning and resource, including delivery of associated procurement activity, mobilising the replacement solutions, managing business change, in particularly supporting users, and managing the exit from existing contracts, the latter inclusive of service continuity during change activity.
The contract has a number of measures built in to facilitate exit and transition, including clear intellectual property rights in NHS build products or components.