Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the gap between breast cancer outcomes in the most and least deprived areas.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

Reducing inequalities in cancer outcomes is a key priority for the Government. Through the National Cancer Plan for England, we are taking action to narrow the gap in breast cancer outcomes between the most and least deprived communities by improving earlier diagnosis, expanding access to diagnostic services, reducing unwarranted variation in care, and ensuring people receive personalised support throughout their cancer journey.

The plan includes targeted and risk-stratified approaches to screening and diagnosis, measures to improve uptake among underserved groups, and support for the use of artificial intelligence in breast screening to help detect cancers earlier. It also expands access to diagnostic services through investment in community diagnostic centres and diagnostic infrastructure.

To reduce unwarranted variation in care, NHS England has published guidance on implementing a timed breast cancer diagnostic pathway to support faster and more consistent diagnosis, improve patient experience, and support delivery of the faster diagnosis standard. NHS England has also commissioned national clinical audits for primary and metastatic breast cancer to improve the consistency and quality of care. In addition, the plan strengthens the use of data to identify and tackle inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes, helping to ensure that all patients receive high-quality care regardless of where they live.

Together, these measures will help ensure that all patients have the best possible chance of timely diagnosis, effective treatment, and improved outcomes, regardless of where they live.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that advertisements by oil and gas companies are not political advertising under Section 321 of the Communications Act 2003.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

Political advertising on television and radio is prohibited under the Communications Act 2003.

Section 321(2) of the Act provides that an advertisement contravenes the prohibition on political advertising under section 319(2)(g) if it:

• is placed by, or on behalf of, a body whose purposes are wholly or mainly political;
• is directed towards a political end; or
• is connected with an industrial dispute.

The meanings of objects of a political nature and political end are defined in section 321(3) of the Act.

Ofcom is responsible for enforcing this ban and determining whether a particular advertisement falls within the statutory prohibition. Any assessment is made against the statutory criteria on the facts of each case.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to prevent oil and gas companies promoting the use of fossil fuels through advertising.

Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government is committed to reducing emissions from high carbon products and will continue to bring forward proposals to do so. For example, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is assessing the potential for voluntary ecolabels. Ecolabels provide information on the carbon intensity and environmental impact of products and services, to help inform consumers’ purchasing decisions. The Committees of Advertising Practice and Advertising Standards Authority regulate the content and targeting of advertising in the UK, and the advertising codes include rules on environmental claims.

The ASA system operates independently of the government. The government does not currently have any plans to restrict fossil fuel advertising. The Government has not issued any guidance to the ASA regarding fossil fuel advertising.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what guidance his Department has issued to the Advertising Standards Authority on a fossil fuel advertising ban.

Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government is committed to reducing emissions from high carbon products and will continue to bring forward proposals to do so. For example, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is assessing the potential for voluntary ecolabels. Ecolabels provide information on the carbon intensity and environmental impact of products and services, to help inform consumers’ purchasing decisions. The Committees of Advertising Practice and Advertising Standards Authority regulate the content and targeting of advertising in the UK, and the advertising codes include rules on environmental claims.

The ASA system operates independently of the government. The government does not currently have any plans to restrict fossil fuel advertising. The Government has not issued any guidance to the ASA regarding fossil fuel advertising.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using any of the savings from abolishing Police and Crime Commissioners to help fund Community Safety Partnerships.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Abolishing Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) is expected to save the taxpayer around £100m in this Parliament. Savings from cancelling future PCC elections will be retained by the Exchequer with the remainder reinvested back into policing.

Funding for Community Safety Partnerships (CSP) is provided locally by partners. We are working closely with other government departments to consider how existing partnership arrangements, including CSPs, should operate within the new police governance system.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the total monetary value of taxpayer-funded COVID-19 support payments, specifically the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, that were deducted by insurance companies from business interruption insurance payouts.

Answered by Rachel Blake

The Government has not made an assessment of the total monetary value of insurance company deductions from business interruption insurance payouts.

The Supreme Court published its final judgment in the FCA’s Business Interruption Insurance test case in 2021. At the time of the judgment, the FCA set out its expectation that insurers should communicate to all impacted policyholders what the judgment meant for their claim and should move quickly to resolve claims as determined by the judgment.

The FCA court case did not cover all potential issues with business interruption policies. The FCA has been clear that, in the event of further court rulings, insurers will need to consider carefully how the rulings impact claims they have already decided.

The FCA is continuing to supervise firms to ensure they are meeting their expectations and has robust powers to take action where necessary.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the regulatory consistency of allowing insurers to deduct Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme payments from business interruption claims, whilst prohibiting the deduction of Local Authority Grants.

Answered by Rachel Blake

The Government has not made an assessment of the total monetary value of insurance company deductions from business interruption insurance payouts.

The Supreme Court published its final judgment in the FCA’s Business Interruption Insurance test case in 2021. At the time of the judgment, the FCA set out its expectation that insurers should communicate to all impacted policyholders what the judgment meant for their claim and should move quickly to resolve claims as determined by the judgment.

The FCA court case did not cover all potential issues with business interruption policies. The FCA has been clear that, in the event of further court rulings, insurers will need to consider carefully how the rulings impact claims they have already decided.

The FCA is continuing to supervise firms to ensure they are meeting their expectations and has robust powers to take action where necessary.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what conversations her department has had with delivery companies to reduce harm from rapid alcohol deliveries.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. It is already an offence under the Act to knowingly sell or attempt to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk or underage.

Consumer alcohol purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services. The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services to ensure these are effective.

This includes seeking the views of experts, those with lived experience and other stakeholders and evaluating emerging evidence on the impact this may be having on people’s health and the upholding of the licensing objectives. I chaired a roundtable last month on this issue, jointly with the Minister for Public Health and Prevention, and we are now determining our next steps, including engagement with delivery companies.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department will be taking to protect vulnerable people from rapid alcohol deliveries, and if she can provide a timeline for these steps.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. It is already an offence under the Act to knowingly sell or attempt to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk or underage.

Consumer alcohol purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services. The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services to ensure these are effective.

This includes seeking the views of experts, those with lived experience and other stakeholders and evaluating emerging evidence on the impact this may be having on people’s health and the upholding of the licensing objectives. I chaired a roundtable last month on this issue, jointly with the Minister for Public Health and Prevention, and we are now determining our next steps, including engagement with delivery companies.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made considerations to the establishment of Nightingale style Courts to deal with the courts backlogs, in property and Tier One tribunals.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and HM Courts and Tribunals Service to ensure that the courts and tribunals have the resources and capacity they need to handle the additional workload housing reforms will generate. This includes developing a new Digital Possession Service.

No consideration has been given to the establishment of Nightingale style courts. There is no national backlog for possession cases at this time. Possession cases are dealt with in the County Court. The Civil Procedure Rules state that standard possession claims should have their first hearing between four and eight weeks from issue of the claim. The most recent quarterly data (January to March 2026) from Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics - Mortgage and landlord possession statistics - GOV.UK show that the national median timeliness from possession claim to order is eight weeks.

In relation to the First tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which deals with most residential property matters outside of possession, the Government has recruited additional administrative staff, established a centralised operational hub and updated operational processes to improve efficiency. We have also ensured the availability of suitable estates capacity for hearings and enhanced technology systems. The most recent publication of Tribunal Statistics Quarterly provides statistics on outcomes in the Property Chamber and covers the period up to March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to expand property courts.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and HM Courts and Tribunals Service to ensure that the courts and tribunals have the resources and capacity they need to handle the additional workload housing reforms will generate. This includes developing a new Digital Possession Service.

No consideration has been given to the establishment of Nightingale style courts. There is no national backlog for possession cases at this time. Possession cases are dealt with in the County Court. The Civil Procedure Rules state that standard possession claims should have their first hearing between four and eight weeks from issue of the claim. The most recent quarterly data (January to March 2026) from Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics - Mortgage and landlord possession statistics - GOV.UK show that the national median timeliness from possession claim to order is eight weeks.

In relation to the First tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which deals with most residential property matters outside of possession, the Government has recruited additional administrative staff, established a centralised operational hub and updated operational processes to improve efficiency. We have also ensured the availability of suitable estates capacity for hearings and enhanced technology systems. The most recent publication of Tribunal Statistics Quarterly provides statistics on outcomes in the Property Chamber and covers the period up to March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if the government will expand access to the Private Sector Rental Database and allow trusted partner status for estate agents to sync and share information.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 13906 on 20 July 2026.