Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure equitable access to NHS-funded IVF treatment in Cornwall; and whether she plans to require Integrated Care Boards to align local IVF funding policies with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance recommending three full cycles of IVF for eligible women.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that access to National Health Service funded fertility services is variable in England and is looking into achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services. This includes understanding the offer made by fertility services across the country with a view to assess the data collected from integrated care boards to evaluate next steps, working to ensure there is equitable access.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the funding model for post-infectious disease research in Germany, specifically its €500 million National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases initiative, and whether she plans to introduce dedicated, ring-fenced funding for biomedical research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Long Covid.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No specific assessment or cost-benefit analysis of the kind described has been carried out, but we routinely monitor innovative approaches and treatments adopted by our counterparts overseas to see what lessons there may be for our own health services.

Regarding ring-fenced funding, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 5 November 2025 in response to Question 86002, and on regional tertiary specialist centres, I refer him to the answers provided on 29 April and 6 July in response to Questions 124134 and 13299.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether cost-benefit analysis has been performed on the potential return on investment of funding ring-fenced biomedical research into ME/CFS to address economic inactivity due to long-term sickness.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No specific assessment or cost-benefit analysis of the kind described has been carried out, but we routinely monitor innovative approaches and treatments adopted by our counterparts overseas to see what lessons there may be for our own health services.

Regarding ring-fenced funding, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 5 November 2025 in response to Question 86002, and on regional tertiary specialist centres, I refer him to the answers provided on 29 April and 6 July in response to Questions 124134 and 13299.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to address the severe impairment in health-related quality of life associated with ME/CFS by establishing regional tertiary specialist centres.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No specific assessment or cost-benefit analysis of the kind described has been carried out, but we routinely monitor innovative approaches and treatments adopted by our counterparts overseas to see what lessons there may be for our own health services.

Regarding ring-fenced funding, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 5 November 2025 in response to Question 86002, and on regional tertiary specialist centres, I refer him to the answers provided on 29 April and 6 July in response to Questions 124134 and 13299.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS Acute Trusts in England have operational specialist inpatient pathways and designated beds equipped for severe and very severe ME/CFS patients requiring enteral or parenteral nutrition and sensory-adapted care.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on 29 April to Question 124134 and on 6 July in response to Question 13299.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what indication she has of the timescale for publishing the Government's response to the consultation on the prohibition of trail hunting in England and Wales; and whether she plans to publish that response before the end of 2026.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

On 18 June, Defra closed its consultation seeking views on how best to deliver an effective and enforceable ban on trail hunting in England and Wales. The consultation received 184,000 responses. Defra plans to publish a summary of responses as soon as possible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle; and whether the forthcoming Mental Health Strategy will make specific provision for people with that condition.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

National data on prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is not held centrally.

The Government is developing a new cross-Government mental health strategy for England, to be published later this year. The strategy will take a broad approach to improving mental wellbeing and supporting people with mental ill-health, including where there is cooccurrence with other physical or neurodevelopmental conditions.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the levels of support for battery manufacturers and recyclers in the UK, the EU, the United States, China and India.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Industrial Strategy sets out the Government’s commitment to building and maintaining UK battery manufacturing capability to meet domestic demand. DRIVE35 provides £4 billion of long-term support for zero-emission vehicle manufacturing, including capital and R&D funding for batteries, gigafactories, and recycling and has supported the AESC battery facility in Sunderland and the Agratas facility at Somerset. Recycling is also supported through the £452m Battery Innovation Programme, the UK’s largest single commitment to battery R&D, with recent funding awarded to projects led by Altilium Metals, Watercycle Technologies and European Metal Recycling.

We continue to monitor EU, US and other international approaches. We are focused on strengthening our domestic capacity and diversifying supply chains to support the UK’s economic resilience and competitiveness.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that innovative battery start-ups are able to scale and remain headquartered in the UK.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to supporting innovative battery businesses to start, scale and invest in the UK. Through the Battery Innovation Programme, we are providing £452 million of support for battery research and development, helping to translate cutting-edge ideas into commercial products and manufacturing opportunities. The programme provides funding to UK battery SMEs, including start-ups, to develop and demonstrate new technologies, strengthen their capabilities and attract further investment. DRIVE35 also provides scale up funding support to Battery businesses and has provided support for key champions such as Integrals Power and Altilium to develop advanced battery materials in the UK.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the environmental impacts of fluorinated compounds arising from battery manufacture, use and recycling.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency regulates battery manufacturing and recycling in England under the environmental permitting regime. It is developing guidance on managing PFAS emissions from permitted installations, including large-scale battery facilities, and reviewing evidence on the presence and environmental risks of PFAS and chemicals linked to battery technologies and waste management.