Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the inheritance tax exemption for payments made by infected blood compensation schemes to cover payments received by the surviving spouse of a deceased recipient.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The suffering endured by all those impacted by infected blood is profound, and we remain committed to ensuring that justice is not only delivered but reflected in the way compensation is treated.
We recognise that this is a sensitive issue. We are considering whether further steps are needed in relation to IHT relief. However, it is important that we take the time to consider all aspects thoroughly to ensure any solution is both fair and effective.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology what discussions he has had with Ofcom on ensuring that (a) (i) broadband and (ii) telephone customers who do not move suppliers at the end of their contract are not charged more; and (b) providers automatically apply the best available tariff without requiring customers to renegotiate.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ordinary people need to feel empowered when interacting with the telecoms market so they can be confident that they are getting a fair deal, and shop around and change provider if they need to. DSIT’s Secretary of State, the Rt Honourable Liz Kendall, wrote to Ofcom’s CEO on 31st October to ask for its assessment of telecoms consumer protections and what further action should be taken.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of offering additional resources to neighbourhood teams to provide targeted interventions enabling equitable access to (a) HPV vaccination and (b) cervical screening.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, we have recently launched the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, to support systems with the roll-out of neighbourhood health services which will bring together teams of professionals, including pharmacists, to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community.
The Department is working with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency to encourage high uptake of all immunisation and screening programmes, including in areas where coverage has historically been low, by exploring new, accessible, and innovative delivery models.
The Department is also working with partners to develop options for human papillomavirus (HPV) catch-up vaccination through community pharmacies from 2026, with the ambition to increase the accessibility and uptake of HPV vaccinations among younger adults who have left school, supporting our aim to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.
For cervical screening, primary care networks collaborate across their local neighbourhoods to offer additional appointments to improve access and convenience. Regional commissioners and providers also undertake targeted outreach campaigns. For example, the Living Well initiative in Cheshire and Merseyside offers mobile cervical screening to eligible individuals. The service can reach more individuals by being closer to where people live, work, and shop.
NHS England has also increased the provision of cervical screening sample taking services in integrated sexual health settings, which in turn has helped to improve access for people eligible for screening, especially individuals who would not access general practice or are not registered with a general practice.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the economic impact of improving access to childcare out of school hours.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government has introduced free breakfast clubs in all primary schools which are 30 minutes before the school day. So far, the department has delivered 2.6 million breakfasts and offered places to almost 180,000 pupils across the country.
Following the success of the early adopters, as the first phase of national rollout, we are investing a further £80 million into the programme to fund around 2,000 additional schools between April 2026 and March 2027. This will benefit around 500,000 more children. Parents will gain up to 95 hours back over the academic year, saving up to £450 per year.
Parents can also receive support with costs for childcare, if eligible, through Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit childcare, which are UK-wide schemes. The Flexible Support Fund also helps individuals overcome financial barriers to employment and can provide support costs such as childcare, enabling claimants to access opportunities that improve their chances of finding or starting work.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether HPV self-sampling will be less frequently than clinician screening, in the context of uncertainties in relation to the accuracy of the self-sampling test.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The frequency of human papilloma virus (HPV) self-sampling will be the same as the frequency of clinician-led cervical screening. The home kits will only be offered to people who have missed their cervical screening appointment by six months or more. The next stage in the pathway for anyone who tests positive for HPV via self-sampling would be an appointment for a clinician-taken test.
Following the announcement to introduce HPV self-sampling in the National Health Service cervical screening programme for the under-screened population, the NHS has begun planning an in-service evaluation (ISE) of HPV self-sampling in the wider population.
The purpose of the ISE is to ensure that the self-sampling test is acceptable, accurate, and feasible compared with a clinician collected specimen, and to evaluate its impact on cervical screening uptake. The findings of the ISE will inform any future UK National Screening Committee recommendation to ministers to offer self-sampling across the whole population, alongside clinician-led screening.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that companies implementing (a) age-verification and (b) safety requirements use (i) secure and (ii) adequately regulated third-party vendors for data processing.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act requires providers to give particular regard to the protection of users’ privacy rights when complying with their new safety duties, including when using age assurance measures. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has a range of criminal and civil enforcement tools at its disposal, including prosecution and substantial monetary penalties for serious breaches of data protection legislation.
Third party vendors must have appropriate technical and security measures in place to protect personal data. Where Ofcom has concerns that providers have not complied with their obligations under data protection law, it may refer the matter to the ICO.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will consider allowing Palestinian students starting studies at UK universities in 2025 to apply to bring dependent children to the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 27 October, the Government updated our guidance on scholarships for students from Gaza to confirm that it was now also seeking to support the departure of the dependents of those students who are eligible under immigration rules. Full details can be found here (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-students-travelling-to-the-uk-from-gaza/scholarships-for-students-from-gaza).
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to encourage smaller snack sizes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no one specific government policy to encourage the availability of smaller snack sizes, but through the 10-Year Health Plan the government is taking a whole diet approach and focussing on the key drivers that encourage overconsumption of less healthy food and drink, as part of its mission to tackle obesity.
The Department is taking several actions to improve diets and reduce the consumption of calories and other ingredients of concern, such as saturated fat, salt and sugar. This includes the introduction of mandatory healthy sales reporting for large food businesses by the end of this Parliament; and the setting of new targets to increase the healthiness of sales for the largest food businesses. This will set full transparency and accountability around the food and drink that businesses are selling and should encourage an increase in sales of healthier products. Businesses will have the freedom to decide how they achieve the target, with reformulation of existing products and the introduction of new healthy products forming options for businesses to make healthier options accessible for all.
In addition, the Volume Price Promotions regulations came into force on 1 October 2025, restricting volume promotions such as “buy one get one free” and “3 for £10” on less healthy food and drink. Mandatory restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink on TV and online are due to come into force on 5 January 2026. However, since 1 October 2025, advertisers and broadcasters have been voluntarily complying with the restrictions ahead of them taking legal effect next year. We are already seeing a change in the type of adverts shown on TV and online. These policies are in addition to the locations promotions legislation which came into effect in 2022 and prevent less healthy products being placed in certain locations in supermarkets that lead to uplifts in purchasing.
All these policies are designed to encourage the food industry to make the products they sell healthier. Information is also available to help people make better choices. Better Health Families uses personalised email programmes, digital and social media to help families with primary school aged children to eat healthier snacks including suggestions on fruit, vegetable and homemade snacks and choosing healthier snacks while shopping.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 16 September to Question 75570 on Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling, when he plans to consult with stakeholders on the best ways to communicate the necessary information on the health risks to consumers through alcohol labels.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government committed to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages. The Plan is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future
Departmental officials are currently formulating plans for stakeholder engagement and a formal consultation. The timeline will be confirmed in due course. Stakeholder insights will help shape the policy to ensure the labelling requirements are most effective.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered introducing national guidance on the potential physical health risks of excessive screen time for children and young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2019, the UK Chief Medical Officers published a commentary on the findings of a systematic review on screen-based activities and children’s mental health. This commentary included advice for parents and carers on agreeing boundaries with children and young people on time spent using screens outside of school and educational use. The commentary is available at the following link:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c5b1510e5274a316cee5be8/UK_CMO_commentary_on_screentime_and_social_media_map_of_reviews.pdf
Further research examining the causal relationship between screentime and children’s physical and mental health and how it might be mediated is welcomed. The Department has no plans to publish additional guidance on screentime and children’s health at this time, but departmental policies will remain agile to emerging and future research.