Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, following the conclusion of the public inquiry into the Port of London Authority Harbour Revision Order, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Port of London Authority is operating in a fair and transparent manner in relation to the charging of river works licences for balconies overhanging the River Thames.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Following the conclusion of the inquiry, the Port of London Authority (PLA) has told the Department how it intends to resolve residents’ concerns. Although the Department has no relevant powers that can be used to assist in this situation, it is currently satisfied with the PLA’s proposed course of action but will keep the matter under review.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she is taking steps to ensure that private lenders who arranged to provide money to countries under UK legislation are (a) prevented from suing those countries when they are in debt distress and (b) encouraged to participate in debt relief negotiations for lower-income countries.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK, alongside the G20 and Paris Club, expects private creditors to participate in international debt restructurings on comparable terms.
At this stage, the government is not pursuing a legislative approach that would force private sector participation in restructurings. Overall, we have seen private creditors’ willingness to engage and provide debt treatments where needed, including for Zambia and Ghana – though we keep this under review
The government is focused on enhancing a market-based (contractual) approach to private sector participation The Economic Secretary is co-chairing the 'London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt', launched in June 2025 to work with private creditors on sovereign debt issues. The Coalition promotes the uptake of UK-led contractual innovations, such as Climate Resilient Debt Clauses.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees sections of her Department's Environmental Improvement Plan, published on 1 December 2025, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on maintaining the level of planning protections for protected landscapes in the forthcoming review of the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has engaged with MHCLG on the forthcoming review of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This government is committed to the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 which includes an action to maintain current protections in the NPPF for ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees and improve the implementation of the policy. The government is currently consulting on changes to the NPPF and the proposed wording, which maintains current protections for ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees, is available to view here National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system - GOV.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Recommendations 6 and 7 of Module 1 of the UK Covid 19 Inquiry, what steps he is taking to (1) gather and (2) publish findings, lessons and recommendations within the recommended 3 month window; and whether he will publish an action plan based on the findings from Exercise Pegasus.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Live participation in Exercise PEGASUS has now concluded, although a fourth phase, centred around recovery, is planned to be exercised in 2026. A published post-exercise report will include learning and findings from this and all preceding phases and this will be delivered in due course following detailed evaluation. The United Kingdom uses a Lead Government Department model to cover all phases of emergency planning, response, recovery, and risk assessment. Ministers within the Department, as the Lead Government Department for a pandemic response, will continue to actively consider the implementation of the findings from Exercise PEGASUS.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to amend the Protected Landscapes Duty.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Whilst the Government does not intend to repeal the duty, we acknowledge that decision makers may need support in applying the duty appropriately. The department has already published guidance on the Protected Landscapes duty to ensure public bodies operating in these areas deliver better environmental outcomes working together with Protected Landscape organisations and will consider what further support we can offer to ensure the duty is appropriately applied.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UK Resilience Academy's Exercising Best Practice Guidance, whether external expert observers and evaluators have been involved in Exercise Pegasus; and what steps he is taking to incorporate independent assessments by expert observers and evaluators into the UK's pandemic preparedness plans.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Trained observers and evaluators participated throughout Exercise PEGASUS, the largest simulation of a pandemic in United Kingdom history. These observers and evaluators provided an external view on the decisions and actions taken by participants, supported by other evaluation methods, including focus groups to ‘red team’ or challenge participant decisions, surveys, and structured ‘debriefs’ with participants themselves.
The Department aims to have flexible, adaptable, and scalable capabilities that can respond to any infectious disease or other threat, along all routes of transmission rather than relying on plans for specific threats.
Our health and care sector plans and our overall pandemic preparedness approach will continue to evolve in response to new scientific and clinical advice, as well as lessons learned, including learning from the UK COVID-19 Inquiry and Exercise PEGASUS. Exercise PEGASUS used a variety of mechanisms to provide challenges to current arrangements for pandemic response. Exercise PEGASUS has provided valuable experience which is being used to inform the pandemic preparedness strategy and response plans.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the 2022 South Wales Trunk Road Agent review finding on the M48 central safety barrier; and what steps her Department is taking to help reduce delays to safety repairs where a risk has been identified.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Whilst the 2022 review by South Wales Trunk Road Agent (SWTRA) into the M48 central safety barrier focuses on the Welsh section of the M48 only, safety remains the number one priority for the Department and National Highways across the strategic road network.
National Highways is monitored against a range of performance measures, including for asset maintenance, renewals and safety, and have ongoing work to improve safety across the strategic road network. National Highways also continue to engage regularly with SWTRA, Monmouthshire County Council and Welsh Government to discuss operational matters in and around the Severn Crossings.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure complaints in his Department exceeded the required 50-working-day timeframe for issuing an outcome in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Between 1 January and 31 October 2025, a total of 86 Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDRP) complaints were processed. Of these, 71 (83%) were resolved within the 50-working-day timeframe, while 15 (17%) exceeded this timeframe.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the symptom lists used in disability and capability assessments for people with fibromyalgia; and whether his Department plans to update that guidance.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment and the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) are functional assessments. They do not evaluate claimants based on their medical diagnosis or health condition alone and claimants are not assessed against a set symptom list for a condition when attending an assessment. Instead, the assessment focuses on how a claimant’s condition affects their mobility and ability to carry out everyday activities.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to ensuring that individuals with Fibromyalgia and other health conditions receive high-quality, accurate assessments. All health professionals (HPs) undergo comprehensive training in disability analysis. Their focus is on understanding the functional impact of a claimant’s condition, rather than its clinical diagnosis.
To support this, DWP provides suppliers with core training and guidance materials on Fibromyalgia. These resources include detailed clinical and functional information relevant to the condition to assist HPs in delivering informed and accurate assessments.
Additionally, all training and guidance materials are currently undergoing a comprehensive review and update. A dedicated team is leading this work to ensure that all materials are aligned with national best practice standards. Independent clinical experts are being engaged to provide external quality assurance, helping to ensure the content remains accurate, relevant, and consistent.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
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 publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.
Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.
We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via integrated care boards. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.