Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of rescheduling psylocibin to allow for research into its potential merits in the treatment of mental health issues.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Psilocybin is controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (‘the 1971 Act’) and placed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (‘the 2001 Regulations’). Drugs are typically placed in Schedule 1 when there is no established medical use in the UK. Drugs that have an established medical use are typically placed in another schedule to enable prescribing.
The Government recognises that studies into the potential use of psilocybin as part of the treatment for mental health conditions have been or are being conducted in the UK. However, medicines based on psilocybin have to date not been assessed on the basis of their safety, quality and efficacy and granted a marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA).
The MHRA supports the safe and scientifically sound conduct of trials in this area and provides regulatory and scientific advice to companies at all stages of developing medicines. Should a company apply for a marketing authorisation (a product licence), it will ultimately be a decision for the MHRA whether to license a psilocybin-based medicine as a therapy. Reconsideration of scheduling under the 1971 Act would ordinarily follow such an assessment by the MHRA.
Research into Schedule 1 drugs, including psilocybin, proceeds in the UK under Home Office licence. On 16 July, the Government responded to recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) on how best to reduce barriers to research with Schedule 1 drugs. The Government intends to trial an approach whereby a domestic controlled drug licence is not required in universities, university colleges and hospitals, nor for clinical studies with relevant approval from the Health Research Authority or MHRA. These measures will support the Government’s aim of facilitating access to Schedule 1 controlled drugs for legitimate research into potential uses in healthcare, while minimising the risk of harm, diversion and misuse.
Ministers are under a duty to consider advice from the ACMD prior to making regulations under the Misuse of the 1971 Act, for example if the Government were minded to reschedule a drug to enable it to be prescribed. The Government has no current plans to commission the ACMD to assess the scheduling of psilocybin.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
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 potential merits of (a) strengthening, (b) publicising and (c) enforcing the Code of Practice on Conservation, Access and Recreation.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Code of Practice on Conservation, Access and Recreation issued in May 2000 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20030731231207/http://www.defra.gov.uk:80/environment/water/industry/copcar/chapter1.htm) sets clear expectations of how water and sewerage companies are expected to comply with statutory duties under sections 3-5 of the Water Industry Act 1991, covering concerns such as conservation and public access. The Environment Agency must have regard to this Code of Practice.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for the abolition of Ofwat.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will publish a White Paper and introduce a new water reform bill, early this parliament, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment, and restore trust and accountability. As part of this reform the Government has committed to create a single powerful regulator responsible for the entire water sector. Ofwat will be abolished, and the new regulator will take responsibility of water functions across Ofwat, Environment Agency, Natural England and Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward a Water Reform Bill.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will publish a White Paper and introduce a new water reform bill, early this parliament, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment, and restore trust and accountability. As part of this reform the Government has committed to create a single powerful regulator responsible for the entire water sector. Ofwat will be abolished, and the new regulator will take responsibility of water functions across Ofwat, Environment Agency, Natural England and Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish a water reform white paper.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will publish a White Paper and introduce a new water reform bill, early this parliament, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment, and restore trust and accountability. As part of this reform the Government has committed to create a single powerful regulator responsible for the entire water sector. Ofwat will be abolished, and the new regulator will take responsibility of water functions across Ofwat, Environment Agency, Natural England and Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on banning foie gras imports.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Foie gras production using force feeding has been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years as it is not compatible with our animal welfare legislation.
Defra is continuing to consider the evidence and options in relation to foie gras.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
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 potential merits of expanding access rights for (a) swimming and (b) non-motorised craft on inland waterways.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The government recognises the importance of providing access to nature and is considering the approach to improving that, including access onto unregulated inland waterways. We are committed to working with stakeholders as this develops, and a further update will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to provide (a) urgent aid and (b) longer-term climate adaptation support to Pakistan following recent floods.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK was among the first countries to respond to the floods in Pakistan, approving £2.53 million in emergency funding to date across the seven most affected districts reaching over 400,000 people with search and rescue, emergency medical care, food, water, hygiene, and household items. Additionally, the UK has contributed to the Start Ready Disaster Risk Financing system in Pakistan. £500,000 has been released, reaching 20,000 people across Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to anticipate and mitigate humanitarian impacts from future flooding.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to equip local authorities to (a) identify and (b) appropriately respond to (i) United Front activity and (ii) transnational repression.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government works closely with law enforcement and other partners to continue to strengthen our understanding of reporting trends and methodologies of transnational repression to ensure sufficient safeguards and mitigations are in place to prevent, detect and counter the threat. Attempts by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrating country.
I refer the hon Member to Written Statement HCWS632 made on 14 May 2025 by the Security Minister signalling the conclusion of the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s Transnational Repression Review.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the (a) number and (b) differing typologies of incidents of transnational repression in the last five years.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
This Government is committed to addressing foreign state directed threats, including those actions which amount to transnational repression (TNR). We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and a key focus of the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s Review of transnational repression was to understand the scale and nature of TNR in the UK. I set out the findings of the Review and Government’s response in my statement to the House on 14 May.
This Government works closely with law enforcement and other partners to continue to strengthen our understanding of reporting trends and methodologies of TNR to ensure sufficient safeguards and mitigations are in place to prevent, detect and counter the threat. Attempts by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrating country.