Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46285 on Ethics and Integrity Commission, when he plans to announce the independent Chair of the Ethics and Integrity Commission.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer he was given to PQ UIN 46285 on 28 April 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help encourage peatland restoration on the West Pennine Moors.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands, and in our manifesto, we committed to expanding nature-rich habitats such as peatlands. This will contribute to ensuring nature’s recovery, one of Defra’s five priorities. We have ambitions to restore hundreds of thousands of hectares of peatlands across the country, and we are working to ensure that we have the most effective mechanisms in place to go further than we have before.

Peatland restoration works across England are carried out by local peatland partnerships, such as Lancashire Peat Partnership who are responsible for managing the peatlands in the West Pennine Moors. Peatland restoration is currently funded via the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme, and going forwards will be primarily funded through Environmental Land Management schemes, such as the Landscape Recovery and Countryside Stewardship schemes.

Private finance will also be vital if we are to meet our peatland restoration ambitions. To support peatland restoration, the Government is implementing a range of policies that will mobilise private investment. These include working with the IUCN to attract investment through the Peatland Code.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the National Literacy Trust's findings that one in seven state primary schools do not have a (a) library or (b) dedicated library space.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bolton West to the answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 27959.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the escalation of tensions in the Kashmir region following the attack near Pahalgam on 22 April 2025.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

India and Pakistan are both longstanding, important partners of the UK. The UK Government is taking all the steps we can to ensure that recent developments do not lead to uncontrolled escalation. We encourage all to commit to effective channels of engagement to safeguard stability in the region.  Alongside international partners, the UK will continue to engage in dialogue in pursuit of long-term regional stability. The Foreign Secretary is in regular dialogue with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts to encourage all parties to take a measured approach.  He is also in contact with US Secretary Rubio, French Foreign Minister Barrot, and Gulf Partners to discuss the situation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on levels of patient demand at Leigh walk-in centre.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold the information requested. NHS England publishes official statistics for accident and emergency attendances at a provider, National Health Service trust level. Information for the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2024-25/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on General Practice coverage per population (a) in Leigh, (b) in each region and (c) in England.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the number of full time equivalent (FTE) general practitioners (GPs), direct patient care staff (DPC), and nurses per 10,000 registered patients in Leigh and in each region of England:

Found: Brandreth (Conservative, Chester South and Eddisbury) (added 21 Oct 2024) 23 of 25 (92.0%) Phil Brickell

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Alex Ballinger; Aphra Brandreth; Phil Brickell; Dan Carden; Richard