Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the UK leaving the European Court of Human Rights.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government will not withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights and not, therefore, from the European Court of Human Rights. The protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law both domestically and internationally is a key way to ensure security and stability for the British people and our interests globally.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a vaccination programme for primary school children against Group A Streptococcal infection.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England, with expert advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, to design, implement, and deliver vaccination programmes offering high levels of long-term protection.
There is currently no licensed vaccine for the Group A Streptococcus (GAS) bacterium in the world. In the absence of a vaccine, UKHSA has been actively involved in several projects to increase our understanding of the transmission of GAS infections and identification of key risk factors. These have formed the basis of national public health guidelines to control the spread of infection and protect those most at risk.
NHS England also provides public guidance on how parents can protect themselves and their children against GAS, including recognising the symptoms and getting treatment. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/strep-a/
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of free speech provisions in higher-education.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, confirmed to Parliament on 15 January the government’s plans for future of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which will create a more proportionate, balanced and less burdensome approach to protecting academic freedom and freedom of speech.
While reviewing the Act, prior to the announcement, departmental officials and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, conducted a period of stakeholder engagement on the future of the Act with over 60 individuals, discussing freedom of speech policies, practices and challenges within higher education (HE). Amongst the individuals they met were academics with concerns about constraints on freedom of speech, sector representative groups like Universities UK and Guild HE, and mission groups such as the Russell Group, University Alliance and Independent HE, vice-chancellors, university administrators, unions and representatives of minority groups. This engagement informed decisions on the future of the Act.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent progress his Department has made on negotiating a free-trade agreement with the US.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK-US trading relationship is already worth around £300 billion, supporting over a million jobs and representing 17% of total UK trade. This government's priority is economic growth and increasing trade with international partners is a major part of that. The Prime Minister had a warm call with President Trump on 26 January where they discussed trade and the economy and agreed to meet soon for further discussions.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of american tariffs on steel on future trends in the level of UK steel imports.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tariffs on US steel imports have not yet been implemented, and this Government will engage with the US administration to seek a solution that benefits both nations. On 12 February I met with UK Steel, trade unions and our six steel producers to discuss the matter.
My Department will continue to engage with UK industries impacted, including the UK steel industry, to conduct a thorough assessment of any potential impacts. The UK's steel safeguard measure remains an essential tool to shield industry from surges in imports, and this Government is backing our steel industry with up to £2.5 billion of Government investment to help build a bright future.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on councils.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Additional funding for employer NICs has been determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff. The grant distribution methodology has been published in an explanatory note on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-explanatory-note-on-the-employer-national-insurance-contribution-grant-2025-to-2026.
We recognise the challenges that local authorities are facing as demand increases for critical services. That is why the government is providing an additional £2 billion of grant funding through the Settlement, which includes £502 million of additional grant funding to manage the impact of employer National Insurance Contributions changes on council budgets, and £13 million for combined authorities, totalling £515 million. The final Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to improve the education of (a) frontline healthcare staff and (b) the public on the (i) symptoms and (ii) signs of sepsis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test, and the signs and symptoms can vary, making it challenging to identify and diagnose.
The Government and its Arm’s Length Bodies are focused on improving the clinical awareness and recognition of sepsis by healthcare professionals, so that unwell and deteriorating patients are identified promptly and started on life-saving treatment. NHS England has launched several training programmes aimed at improving the diagnosis and early management of sepsis. These programmes are regularly reviewed and revised with support from subject matter experts as updated national sepsis guidance is implemented. Individual National Health Service trusts may also choose to implement additional initiatives on sepsis locally.
The UK Health Security Agency provides public facing campaigns and resources for professionals’ focus on various aspects of infection. These include resources on infection prevention and control, antibiotic stewardship, managing common infections, diagnostic decision making, and patient information leaflets, including safety advice on sepsis.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his department has made of the level of population growth in the Mid Leicestershire constituency over the next five years.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Question of 11th February is attached.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of small businesses in Mid Leicestershire constituency in (a) July 2024 and (b) February 2025.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th February is attached.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households in the UK have been in receipt of Government grants for spray foam insulation.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government does not hold details on the specific products used, however a breakdown of measures installed under the various government grant schemes in recent years can be found in their respective evaluation reports and official statistics on gov.uk.
All measures fitted under government schemes must be fitted to the highest standards with issues promptly and properly rectified.
The government recognises that the system of quality assurance and consumer redress that we inherited needs reform and we will set out plans for root and branch reform as part of the Warm Homes Plan.