Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department has spent on external consulting since July 2024.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Expenditure on external consulting is routinely reported in the Department’s annual reports and accounts, which are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dhsc-annual-reports-and-accounts
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with his Scottish counterpart on the potential impact of the UK-US Pharmaceutical Trade Deal on Scotland’s health budget in each of the next five years.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such discussion has taken place. Engagement on the impact of the United Kingdom and United States’ Pharmaceuticals arrangement continues at official level as appropriate.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the challenges preventing people over State Pension age from claiming means-tested social security entitlements, including Pension Credit and Housing Benefit.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Research suggests that there are a range of reasons why some pensioners don’t claim Pension Credit. These include lack of awareness and uncertainty about eligibility. Some pensioners assume that they will not be entitled because they own their own home or have modest savings or other retirement income. Some may be put off by the mistaken belief that the claim process is complex or lengthy or be hesitant to provide personal or financial information. Pensioners in rural areas may face added barriers such as having limited access to local support services, social isolation or poor digital connectivity.
Maximising Pension Credit take-up is a key Government priority. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign across Great Britain to encourage pensioners and their families to check their eligibility, dispelling some of the myths that can stop people from claiming. We are building on this with the launch of our autumn campaign and a Pension Credit week of action from 12 October. The campaign includes new advertising across television, radio, print and social media, supported by media partnerships and social media influencers. We are also distributing some 660,000 leaflets to selected households across Great Britain and we continue to work closely with partners and Local Authorities to help support the campaign. And the Department’s work bringing together the administration of pensioner Housing Benefit and Pension Credit, aims to deliver a more joined-up service and improve access to financial support, helping to ensure more pensioners receive all the benefits to which they are entitled.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, since 2019 how many price concessions were offered to pharmacists who were not able to secure products at the price set out in the NHS list for repaying them, year-on-year.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The number of price concessions granted to pharmacy contractors in England from 2019 to 2025 is listed in the table below. Figures for the current year will follow in due course.
Year | Number of price concessions granted |
2019 | 746 |
2020 | 641 |
2021 | 546 |
2022 | 1496 |
2023 | 1796 |
2024 | 1700 |
2025 | 1243 |
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Pharmaceutical Trade Deal on the Scottish Medicines Consortium's assessments of the cost effectiveness of new medicines.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The changes to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cost-effectiveness threshold and value set which were agreed in the United Kingdom and United States’ pharmaceuticals arrangement do not apply in Scotland, and there is no direct impact on the work of the Scottish Medicines Consortium.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will publish impact assessments, modelling and further detail on the UK-US pharmaceutical trade deal.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer he received on 20 January in response to Question 106237.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if he will make it his policy to review the eligibility criteria of the British Industry Supercharger Scheme to include the food and drink industry.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade officials intend to review the eligibility criteria for the British Industry Supercharger this year. I encourage relevant businesses, including in the food and drink industry, to engage with this review when the opportunity arises.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether Project Gigabit is on track for 99% of UK premises to have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2032; and whether Government-funded elements of the Shared Rural Network are on track to complete by January 2027.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Yes, we are on track to achieve this target.
As of January 2026, 88% of UK premises could access gigabit-capable broadband, while more than 1.46 million premises in hard-to-reach areas have been upgraded through government-funded programmes.
Delivery of the Government-funded elements of the Shared Rural Network remains on track for January 2027. This includes the upgrade and activation of the remaining 30 Home Office masts across Great Britain, alongside delivery of the 0.2% coverage obligation from new Total Not Spot (TNS) masts in Scotland.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the migration of the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network to digital Voice over Internet Protocol is on track to be completed by January 2027.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Through a combination of commercial market and government subsidised delivery, including via Project Gigabit, the Government is ensuring 99% of UK premises will have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2032.
According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations Spring 2026 report, as of January 2026, 88% of UK premises can access gigabit-capable broadband.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure Ofcom enforces the Universal Service Obligation.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government sets the legislative framework for universal service, and Ofcom as the independent regulator is responsible for implementing and enforcing the relevant regulatory obligations.
The Government can review and amend the statutory framework and where legislation provides for it, direct Ofcom to undertake reviews. We are currently working closely with Ofcom to commence a review of the Broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) shortly.
Through the Strategic Statement of Priorities for telecoms, spectrum and post, designated in April 2026, the Government outlined priorities for Ofcom relating to both the Postal and Broadband USOs.