Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to consider the potential merits of a statutory code of conduct for local government councillors.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78274 on 20 October 2025. The government consulted on reforms to the local government standards regime earlier this year and the response will be issued in due course.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, whether he has taken steps to implement the suggested initial priorities outlined in the Memorandum to the Modernisation Committee, published on 12 February 2025.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Memorandum to the Modernisation Committee, published on 13 February 2025, set out the Committee’s next steps, following the consultation exercise it held between October and December 2024. The Memorandum stated that the Committee intended to pursue three broad packages of work. These were: improving accessibility for MPs, staff and the public; effective use of the Commons; and creating more certainty about the timing and nature of parliamentary business.
So far, the Committee has prioritised work on the first of these three themes. It launched an inquiry into Access to the House of Commons and its Procedures on 20 March 2025. Between April and July, it held seven oral evidence sessions, hearing from disabled MPs and former MPs, staff, and peers, and from academics and senior House of Commons staff, including the Clerk of the House and the Director General. Transcripts of all the sessions are available on the Committee’s website. The inquiry has also drawn on submissions to the consultation exercise, questionnaire responses, written evidence, and one-to-one interviews.
A report with recommendations to the House authorities and others is currently in preparation. A letter from the Director General to the then Chair of the Modernisation Committee, dated 28 May 2025, outlines some of the measures that have already been taken as a result of the Committee’s inquiry. This letter is also available on the Committee’s website.
The other two themes mentioned in the Memorandum remain areas of interest and ongoing work for the Committee, but have not yet been the subject of an inquiry. The Modernisation Committee made it clear in its Memorandum that it wants to work with other committees and it awaits with interest the outcome of the Procedure Committee’s inquiries into call lists, and electronic voting, the Standards Committee’s inquiry into outside employment and interests, and the Administration Committee’s inquiry into health and wellbeing.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots boxing.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government believes that too many sports, whether that is boxing or rugby league, have been overlooked for far too long, and we are determined to bring them back into focus. Boxing brings joy to millions of people, and it ought to be celebrated.
The Government will continue to champion grassroots boxing. I have met with the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Boxing, and recently met with both Southend Amateur Boxing and recently opened the South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using the full value of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Addressing Ukraine’s financing needs is vital for ensuring Ukraine can continue to defend itself against Russian aggression. On 1 October, the Chancellor alongside her G7 Finance Minister counterparts committed to developing options for using the full value of Russian sovereign assets immobilised in G7 jurisdictions.
On 10 October the Prime Minister confirmed that the UK, France and Germany were ready to progress towards using immobilised Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine’s armed forces and thus bring Russia to the negotiation table. The UK is determined to make progress on this issue at pace and will continue to work with G7 partners to develop options that are in line with international law.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the age profile of CT and MRI scanners in use across NHS trusts; what steps he has taken to develop guidelines on optimal scanner replacement cycles; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of modernising the imaging fleet with newer technologies on (a) scanner capacity, (b) diagnostic throughput and (c) patient outcomes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to ensuring that imaging services are supported to be as resilient and effective as possible, including reviewing the standards of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners.
In recognising the risks that outdated scanners present to service delivery, resilience, quality of care, and equity of access, NHS England has published guidance referencing the optimal cycle for CT and MRI scanner replacement as 10 years. The Diagnostic Imaging Network Capital Equipment Planning Guide (2021) was developed alongside the Royal College of Radiologists, Society of Radiographers, and Institute of Physics and Engineering, and outlines the expectation for timely and planned equipment replacement.
NHS England monitors the number, age, and distribution of imaging assets across England via its annual, retrospective National Imaging Data Collection. The latest publication from March 2024 focuses on the assets reported within the collection, and is available at the following link:
Whilst National Health Service providers maintain their own capital budgets for replacing imaging equipment that has reached its expected end of life, over the last five years approximately £260 million of national capital investment has been deployed to support replacement of failing and antiquated CT and MRI systems. This supported a reduction in the proportion of CT and MRI scanners over 10 years old in recent years to 17%, as of March 2024. NHS England has also developed national recommendations for equipment specification which are regularly reviewed. The standardisation of scanner specifications for imaging departments and the inclusion of new technologies ensures appropriate standards for purchase. An example of this is the addition of MRI acceleration software to national specifications ensuring that replacement MRI scanners can deliver a 30% reduction in some scan times, increasing throughput, environmental efficiency, and service resilience simultaneously.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a common sanitary and phytosanitary area with the EU on rules on the processing of waste from flights to the UK originating within the EU.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We will agree a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers. Details of the agreement remain subject to negotiation.
However, we expect that under the Agreement, catering waste from flights originating within the EU will no longer be classified as ‘international catering waste’, and therefore will be subject to a lesser degree of regulation in the future under the SPS Agreement.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the reasons for which the National Archives has amended its policies on the disclosure of public records.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The National Archives has not amended its policies regarding either the disclosure or reclosure of public records.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of releasing withheld historic documents relating to (a) Mark Thatcher and the Omanis, (b) Request by Electronic Data Systems to employ Mark Thatcher, (c) proceedings of the Profumo inquiry and (d) the Peter Wright Spycatcher case.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
No. These records are subject to regular review in line with the requirements of the Public Records Act 1958.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will consider facilitating the supply of (a) medical equipment and (b) drugs due to expire to Ukraine.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As a world leader in military rehabilitation, the UK is contributing to the NATO funded Project RENOVATOR, which includes the provision of medical equipment to help deal with the thousands of injured Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel.
Since July 2024 Project RENOVATOR has procured and delivered over 5,000 individual items to a value of £1.244 million, with £4.8 million of further deliveries planned. Items include specialist rehabilitation equipment, gym equipment to aid rehabilitation and medical equipment.
Project RENOVATOR is only one aspect of the UK military medical support to Ukraine. The medical equipment the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has provided to Ukrainian personnel includes over 110,000 individual medical first aid kits, with an additional 114,000 tourniquets, 57,000 first field dressings, 9,000 chest seals and 8,000 chest decompression devices
On the supply of medication, the MOD follow the World Health Organisation guidance. Thus, medicines are not to be gifted unless they can be used before expiry and are already licenced or available as a treatment option in that country. The MOD does not gift expired products; if the medication is not suitable for use in the UK, it is not suitable for use by others.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will consider transferring Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles awaiting disposal to Ukraine.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) are key platforms for the British Army to meet Defence Commitments.
Although small numbers are scheduled for disposal, these will have been selected in line with serviceability and suitability for role. As such, without substantial investment, they are not likely to offer significant capability to Ukraine. Providing such small numbers would only increase the diversity of Ukraine’s armoured vehicle fleet, increasing their logistic and training burdens.
The UK will continue to work with Ukraine to identify how best to help them to resist Russian aggression.