Asked by: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support the provision of new Integrated Retirement Communities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 87630 on 11 November 2025.
Asked by: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to monitor the provision of emergency hormonal contraception under Patient Group Directive as part of the Pharmacy Contraception and Pharmacy First Services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS), under which community pharmacists can initiate and manage the supply of oral contraception, was due to expand to allow the supply of emergency hormonal contraception on 29 October 2025.
The number of pharmacies registered to provide PCS and actively delivering the service has increased since service launch in April 2023. The latest available data for registrations and activity shows that in September, 9,932 pharmacies were registered to provide the PCS, and in June 7,160 pharmacies delivered at least one contraception consultation. 15 pharmacies have deregistered from the PCS since March 2025.
NHS England will keep the clinical scope of this service under review, and the NHS Business Services Authority will publish activity data in line with the approach for other clinical services in community pharmacy.
Asked by: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many pharmacies in each Integrated Care Board area in England have registered to provide free Emergency Hormonal Contraception; what proportion of those pharmacies are providing that service; and how many pharmacies have deregistered from providing that service since 30 March 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS), under which community pharmacists can initiate and manage the supply of oral contraception, was due to expand to allow the supply of emergency hormonal contraception on 29 October 2025.
The number of pharmacies registered to provide PCS and actively delivering the service has increased since service launch in April 2023. The latest available data for registrations and activity shows that in September, 9,932 pharmacies were registered to provide the PCS, and in June 7,160 pharmacies delivered at least one contraception consultation. 15 pharmacies have deregistered from the PCS since March 2025.
NHS England will keep the clinical scope of this service under review, and the NHS Business Services Authority will publish activity data in line with the approach for other clinical services in community pharmacy.
Asked by: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the application of consumer law to charitable membership subscriptions under the Digital Markets, Consumer and Competition Act 2024 on the finances of those organisations.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Charities are not excluded from existing core consumer law on the basis of their charitable status. The government is engaging closely with the sector in relation to the subscriptions regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024.
The impact assessment for the subscriptions chapter in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act can be found here: Subscription traps: annex 2 impact assessment. Together the subscription measures are anticipated to provide £400m of consumer benefits per year and the estimated net direct cost to businesses is £171m per year. Sector-specific analysis has not been conducted.
Asked by: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to implement an animal welfare labelling scheme to support British farmers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On 12 June 2025, we published the summary of responses and the Government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year by the previous government. The response is available here on GOV.UK.
We will consider the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare strategy.
Asked by: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to renew the Young Farmers Grant; and when a decision on that funding will be confirmed.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra works closely with the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC). Defra provides funding of up to £30,000 per year for specific project-based activity which supports skills development and training.
My officials continue to work very closely with the NFYFC to deliver the 2025-26 grant to ensure value for money. An assessment of future years funding remains part of future spending decisions.
Asked by: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Action 28 (i) of the Life Sciences Sector Plan, published on 16 July 2025, what criteria his Department plans to use to identify (a) low affordability risk and (b) strong long-term outcome data, in the context of identifying eligibility for the proportionate approach to indication-specific pricing agreements.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The criteria will be developed alongside the new proportionate approach to indication-specific pricing arrangements.
Asked by: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Action 28 (i) of the Life Sciences Sector Plan, published on 16 July 2025, what criteria his Department plans to use to identify which medicines have a large number of indications, in the context of identifying eligibility for the proportionate approach to indication-specific pricing agreements.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The criteria will be developed alongside the new proportionate approach to indication-specific pricing arrangements.
Asked by: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 54542 on Drug Prices, how many of the commercial arrangements involving indications-specific pricing were for indications for (a) rare and (b) ultra-rare cancers.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Between January 2020 and March 2025, NHS England entered into 62 commercial agreements involving indication-specific pricing for cancer indications. Of these:
NHS England determines whether a cancer indication is considered rare or ultra-rare based on the incidence of the eligible patient population for a given National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Technology Appraisal, rather than the overall incidence of the broader cancer type. The following definitions have been applied:
Asked by: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to include (a) financial and (b) other citizenship education in the school syllabus.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The national curriculum for citizenship equips pupils to manage their money effectively and provides a framework to explore a range of important concepts to prepare pupils for adulthood, such as democracy, human rights, justice, media literacy, the law, and the need for mutual respect.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. During their public consultation, the Review Group heard consistently from parents and children that they want more focus on the applied knowledge and skills that will equip them for later life and work, such as financial education. The Review is considering whether there is sufficient coverage of these skills within subjects, and how content can remain relevant and support young people to thrive in a fast-changing world.