Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to launch the study to sequence the genomes of 150,000 adults.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan for England committed to launching a large-scale study, led by Genomics England, to sequence 150,000 adult genomes and assess how genomics can support routine preventive care. Work is now underway to design the study, develop scientific and clinical methodologies, and establish governance in line with major programme standards. Genomics England has commissioned a structured literature review and launched the Genomics, Healthcare and You engagement programme to understand diverse public and professional perspectives on pre-emptive, preventative population healthcare, while building trust and transparency. This engagement will run through 2025/26, with interim findings shaping study design and recruitment strategies which will be developed in 2026/27. Subject to ethics approval, the recruitment and sequencing of participants is expected to begin from 2027.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure her Department's consultations comply fully with the Gunning Principles in the future.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to recover the 6120 missing responses from the Railways Bill consultation; and what steps she is taking to ensure the integrity of the consultation process for future consultations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his planned timeline is for rolling out the Connections Accelerator Service.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy, the Connections Accelerator Service will be operational by the end of 2025.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of progress against the commitment in the NHS 10 Year Plan for Health to launch a new large-scale study to sequence the genomes of 150,000 adults and assess how genomics can be used in routine preventive care.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan for England committed to launching a large-scale study, led by Genomics England, to sequence 150,000 adult genomes and assess how genomics can support routine preventive care. Work is now underway to design the study, develop scientific and clinical methodologies, and establish governance in line with major programme standards. Genomics England has commissioned a structured literature review and launched the Genomics, Healthcare and You engagement programme to understand the diverse public and professional perspectives on pre-emptive, preventative population healthcare, while building trust and transparency. This engagement will run through 2025/26, with interim findings shaping study design and recruitment strategies which will be developed in 2026/27. Subject to ethics approval, the recruitment and sequencing of participants is expected to begin from 2027.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she made of the potential impact of the proposals in the consultation on Earned Settlement on victims of domestic violence before its publication; and what steps she will take to ensure that protections for those victims, including the Domestic Violence Concession and Indefinite Leave to Remain routes, continue under any future settlement framework.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We are committed to reducing Violence against Women and Girls.
The Immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, committed to retain safeguards to protect the vulnerable, including settlement rights for victims of domestic violence and abuse.
The current public consultation on the proposed earned settlement scheme seeks views on the proposal that vulnerable groups, including victims of domestic violence and abuse, should retain their ability to settle without being subject to a minimum qualifying period.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a publicly searchable register of individuals convicted of sexual offences.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
There are no plans to create a public sex offender registry. The current system allows for targeted disclosures where necessary to manage risk and protect individuals.
Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing a range of legislative changes to strengthen the management of registered sex offenders. This gives the Home Secretary a power to publish statutory guidance for police on disclosing information to prevent sexual harm. By putting sexual harm disclosure schemes on a statutory footing, their implementation will be more consistent nationally, ensuring a uniform approach to protecting the public.
Making information publicly available would undermine this approach, risk exposing victims, and make it harder for offenders to be monitored by the police and other agencies. Existing legal frameworks already provide effective safeguards and disclosure mechanisms where appropriate.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 91533 on Brownfield Sites: Biodiversity, whether she plans to consult further on the definition of (a) small and (b) medium sites before final decisions on the future of Biodiversity Net Gain.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government response to the ‘Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development’ consultation and the impact assessment will be published in due course.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published in May a working paper on site thresholds for planning purposes, including a potential new category of medium development. They are assessing the response to this working paper.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 91533 on Brownfield Sites: Biodiversity, if she will ensure adequate Parliamentary scrutiny of that impact assessment before final decisions on the future of Biodiversity Net Gain.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government response to the ‘Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development’ consultation and the impact assessment will be published in due course.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published in May a working paper on site thresholds for planning purposes, including a potential new category of medium development. They are assessing the response to this working paper.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 91533 on Brownfield Sites: Biodiversity, whether the full impact assessment will be published prior to her response to the consultation.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government response to the ‘Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development’ consultation and the impact assessment will be published in due course.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published in May a working paper on site thresholds for planning purposes, including a potential new category of medium development. They are assessing the response to this working paper.