Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review financial relief for pharmacies on PFI estates, including rent-subsidy schemes and a statutory cap on PFI rents for NHS pharmacy contractors.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.
Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.
Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider NHS funding adjustments for pharmacies to offset increases in National Minimum Wage and employer National Insurance.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.
Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.
Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 help support the sustainability of NHS pharmacies operating on PFI sites.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.
Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.
Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will conduct a review of local planning and healthcare infrastructure for villages and local hub–type plans, including PFI estates.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Planning regulation and approval is a matter for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The National Health Service operates in accordance with published planning guidance.
However, we recognise delivering high-quality NHS healthcare services requires the right infrastructure in the right places. Integrated care boards have developed infrastructure strategies to create a long-term plan for future healthcare estate requirements and investment for each local area and its needs.
These strategies help take the existing and future general practice and primary care estate into account when considering how best to deliver local services, including the development of a Neighbourhood Health Service.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 help ensure that new buildings include (a) insulation, (b) green roofs, (c) passive cooling and (d) other climate-related features through his Department's (i) planning policies and (ii) building regulations.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Through the Building Regulations, the Department sets minimum performance standards for new homes and buildings. In 2021, these standards were strengthened to ensure new homes and buildings are highly energy-efficient, with high-quality insulation and effective ventilation. These changes came into force in June 2022. A new overheating requirement was also introduced, requiring residential buildings to be designed to mitigate overheating, with passive cooling encouraged. We intend to introduce further changes to the Building Regulations through the Future Homes and Buildings Standards in the next few months. These new standards will ensure new homes and buildings are extremely energy-efficient and use low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps.
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that the planning system should take full account of all climate impacts and help to shape places in a way that minimises vulnerability and improves resilience to the effects of climate change through suitable adaptation measures, including through incorporating green infrastructure and sustainable drainage systems. It is also clear that opportunities to improve biodiversity in and around developments should be integrated as part of their design. The National Design Guide and National Model Design Code highlight the importance of conserving natural resources and measures that support energy efficiency and integrating green infrastructure into development incorporating features such as green roofs.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to assess the potential impact of climate-related risks to (a) health, (b) infrastructure and (c) the economy on the Government's (i) policies and (ii) spending plans.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is the Government’s statutory duty to assess climate risks to the UK every five years under the Climate Change Act, a process known as the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA), followed by a National Adaptation Programme (NAP), setting out actions to address the risks identified in the CCRA.
The Government published CCRA3 in January 2022, identifying 61 climate risks and opportunities, including infrastructure, health and the wider economy. NAP 3 brings together policies and actions to address these uncertainties.
Government spending is subject to clear requirements through the Green Book to consider climate change impacts. At SR 2025 HMT set a requirement for capital bids to be assessed according to their climate and environmental impact, including their resilience to the effects of climate change.
The forthcoming publication of the Government’s response to the CCC’s latest adaptation progress report will set out the Government’s approach to managing climate risks.
CCRA4 is due to be laid in Parliament by the UK Government in January 2027. The CCC are coordinating the Independent Assessment (CCRA4-IA) that will be published in 2026 and will form the basis of CCRA4.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations of the report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hospice and End of Life Care entitled Inquiry into the financial impact of a terminal diagnosis, published on 9 September 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life. These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods, and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.
The Universal Credit Act 2025, ensures that all Special Rules for End of Life claimants will receive the higher LCWRA rate, no matter when they make their claim.
The Department values the insights and perspectives provided by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hospice and End of Life Care and has noted the recommendations made in the report.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the effectiveness of the Special Rules for End of Life fast-tracking benefits system.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The primary way the Department supports people nearing the end of life is through special benefit rules which are known as the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.
The system is kept under review to ensure it is meeting its objectives.
The Government is committed to ensuring that the fast-tracked access to benefits via SREL is maintained, while actively exploring how we can continue to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of the current system.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help improve the financial security of people at the end of life.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it.
The primary way the Department supports people nearing the end of life is through special benefit rules which are known as the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These enable people who have 12 months or less to live to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods and, in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to expand the scope of the terms of reference for the Pensions Commission to enable it to consider the potential merits of allowing people of working age with a terminal illness to access the State Pension.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Terms of Reference for the Pensions Commission, which set out the scope for the Commission, were published on the 21st July. As set out in their Terms of Reference, the Commissioners will consider what is required in the long term to deliver financial security in retirement through a pensions framework that is stronger, fairer and more sustainable. The Commissioners will engage with a wide range of issues relevant to their terms of reference and will publish their findings in due course.