Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry in South Shropshire constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population. For the South Shropshire constituency, this is the NHS Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin ICB.

The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, ICBs have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. 1.8 million additional courses of NHS dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April 2024 to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to the general election.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December, we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help support hairdressing businesses.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The hair and beauty sector play an important role in supporting jobs, high streets and local economies. We’ve introduced permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties and have provided £4.3bn to shield ratepayers from bill increases.

We continue to back employers who take on apprentices, by providing £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged 16-19; employers are not required to pay National Insurance Contributions for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year). Additionally, the government pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care, when their employer has fewer than 50 employees.

I will continue to engage closely with the sector, including through the Personal Care Roundtables, to ensure the industry’s long-term growth. This includes working with hair and beauty businesses as we bring forward a new High Streets Strategy later this year.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps her Department is taking to help increase productivity.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Since the General Election, productivity has risen by more than twice as much as it did in the whole of the last Parliament. The Government has increased capital spending by an additional £120 billion - the highest level in four decades – delivering major new investment in transport, housing, energy and R&D. Departments are set to deliver nearly £14 billion of efficiency savings by 2028-29.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is in place for those facing increases to the price of heating oil.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of instability in the Middle East. We recognise that wholesale oil price volatility is placing pressure on domestic heating oil costs.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing. Ministers have also spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority, who are considering their options available if there is evidence of unfair practices or anti-competitive behaviour.

We are keeping under review whether any further support or action is needed to protect consumers.

Found: Stuart Anderson: That is a good question.