First elected: 4th July 2024
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Tessa Munt, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Tessa Munt has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Tessa Munt has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to abolish the T8 exemption from environmental permit requirements regarding disposal of end-of-life tyres; to make provision about including end-of-life tyres as a category of notifiable waste; to make provision about the processing, recovery, and export of end-of-life tyres; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision to require factors other than cost to be considered for schemes for the transmission of high voltage electricity where infrastructure would impact on the visual and other amenity of a landscape; to provide that in certain cases such infrastructure be installed by visually unobtrusive works; to require that public consultation be undertaken and inform the selection of the method and technology for the transmission infrastructures used; and for connected purposes
Neurodivergence (Screening and Teacher Training) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Adam Dance (LD)
Guidance on ministers’, special advisers’, and senior officials’ transparency returns is published on GOV.UK outlining the Cabinet Office's internal feedback process.
Ministers’, Senior Officials’ and Special Advisers’ transparency returns for the period of April to June 2024 were published on 28th November. Data for the period of July to September will be published in due course.
The Government is grateful to the Committee for its report.
The Government will consider the report alongside the development of other proposals to strengthen standards in public life and will update Parliament in due course.
The UK 2024 Criticality Assessment, commissioned by the Department for Business and Trade, recognises aluminium as a critical mineral essential to the UK’s green energy transition.
The Government recognises the importance of scrap metals, including aluminium. As we develop the Circular Economy Growth Plan, we will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed.
ARIA is an independent research body and they are conducting cautious, controlled research aimed at improving understanding of its Climate Cooling Programme’s risks and impacts. This will produce important information for decisions on climate cooling approaches around the world.
The government supports ARIA’s mission to fund transformational research programmes with long-term benefits. A select number of controlled, small-scale projects will explore spraying seawater as a potential way to enhance cloud reflectivity. Another project involves a study on how milligram quantities of mineral dusts age in the stratosphere. The project has specified that none of these materials will be released into the atmosphere in this experiment, and all the materials will be returned to the ground for recovery and analysis by scientists.
Details of all of ARIA’s funded projects within its ‘Climate Cooling Programme’ can be found on their website
We are unable to provide data going back to 2001, as the Department only has reliable data from August 2022. Data ranging from 2014 to 2022 was collated by the previous grant administrator and is less reliable, though work has been undertaken by DCMS to improve its quality. Data prior to 2014 is no longer available.
Systems have been updated to reflect the new constituency boundaries and we are now unable to provide annual data for the Wells Constituency.
Since August of 2022, a total of £391,543.99 worth of funding has been received by listed places of worship in the Wells and Mendip constituency.
From August of 2022 to the end of December 2022 £28,277.74 was received.
From January 2023 to December 2023 £79,368.98 was received.
From January 2024 to December 2024 £36,815.43 was received.
From January 2025 to the end of April 2025, £102,619.69 has been received.
Since 2022, the Department has awarded 50 grants, totaling £173,587.94, to Listed Places of Worship in the constituency of Wells and Mendip Hills. This includes grant funding to Wells Cathedral, Holy Trinity Church and St Mary's Church East Brent.
The Environment Agency (EA) is yet to remove sites from its acknowledged list to prevent them from receiving future consignments. At this point there is no evidence to show that any receiving sites are deliberately not supplying the information needed to exporter which would be grounds for their removal.
The Waste Shipment Regulations put legal duties on the exporter. The EA will therefore focus its regulatory efforts on the exporter rather than the receiving site.
Of the 50 approved receiving sites, the Environment Agency (EA) has post shipment information outstanding beyond the eight-week deadline from 16 sites.
Exporters have informed the EA that shipments are not arriving at the intended destination within eight weeks' notice period which is why the post-shipment information is delayed. Delays at Indian Customs, container handling sites and onwards transport have been cited as reasons. The EA is now considering extending this time period to ensure it is achievable.
It is the responsibility of the exporter rather than the receiving site to provide the required information to the Environment Agency.
The EA has issued 14 warnings on exporters who have failed to provide the required information
The Environment Agency (EA) is yet to suspend or issue a prohibition (stop) notice on any exporters or brokers who have failed to provide post shipment information.
It has issued 14 warnings on exporters who have failed to provide the required information and is closely monitoring the returns.
The EA is assessing the feasibility of responding within 8-weeks as evidence from exporters is highlighting delays beyond their control.
Of the 1,891 pre-shipment Annex VII forms referenced, 1,370 were not returned with the arrival information within the eight-week deadline.
Exporters have reported delays arising from customs processes, onward collection from ports and transport issues following arrival in India. The Environment Agency is actively pursuing the remaining returns of the outstanding Annex VII and those who are non-compliant. Further actions may include prohibiting further shipments and/or enforcement.
Of the 3442 annex VII documents referenced (now revised to 3281 following further data assurance) 1,891 have reached the eight-week deadline. Annex VII forms submitted after the 15 December 2025 are not yet due.
Of these 1891, 1,370 have not been returned with the post-shipment information required, including geotagged photographs.
521 Annex VII forms were returned. 458 met the requirements, including geotagged photos, 63 did not. The Environment Agency (EA) is actively pursuing the remaining returns of the outstanding Annex VII and those who are non-compliant. Further actions may include prohibiting further shipments and/or enforcement.
The EA is continuing to assure the data that is received so there may be further amendments in the final figures.
Defra does not maintain a list of businesses that export waste from the UK. Any exporter that is not the original waste producer must be registered as a waste broker or dealer. Details of registered brokers and dealers in England can be found on the public register, available at: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers
Information on the destination of waste exported from the UK is publicly available here: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/
The Environment Agency has received a total of 3,442 annex VII documents between 28 October to 2 February 2026 relating to the movement of waste tyres from England. 241 of these were considered late as they were received less than the required 3 days before the waste movement. The Environment Agency is now undertaking follow up activities and considering the use of stop notices for non-compliant companies.
The export of waste tyres is subject to controls set out in existing UK legislation. The Environment Agency (EA) has recently completed a review into its approach for regulating the export of waste tyres. As a result of this, the EA has launched enhanced verification checks for all waste tyres exported to India to ensure they are handled in an environmentally sound manner. The EA intends to publish a further update on their work, including further information relating to the enhanced verification checks, in early 2026. Defra officials will continue to keep the situation under review.
The Environment Agency will publish further information on the enhanced verification checks in Spring 2026.
Of the 1,891 Annex VII documents received by the Environment Agency regarding the export of waste tyres between 28 October and 15 December 2025, 605 are from sites that have a T8 exemption.
The Environment Agency (EA) takes appropriate action to bring businesses within the waste sector back into compliance and to prevent and disrupt criminal activity. This includes providing advice and guidance for businesses trying to do the right thing, issuing enforcement notices where necessary, and, when required, pursuing prosecution as a last resort.
If exporters fail to provide geotagged photographs showing that consignments have reached their destination, the EA will carry out further checks, including reviewing any alternative evidence that the waste was managed appropriately. Where the destination cannot be verified, the EA may prohibit future shipments from a specific operator or to a particular destination. It will also consider taking enforcement action for failing to comply with the notice.
Removal of the T8 waste exemption for mechanically treating end-of-life tyres is part of a package of reforms to the waste exemption regime. These reforms encompass the removal of two other exemptions, substantial amendments to seven exemptions and the introduction of a number of other controls.
Regulations will be made under section 2 of Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 and subject to the affirmative resolution procedure. The work preparing these regulations is underway and will be laid at a date subject to Parliamentary time.
The Environment Agency (EA) received two “change of destination” requests for shipments within the enhanced verification process.
One request was submitted while the shipment was already at sea, and the other before it left the UK. Both were sent by email and recorded by the operational team.
Whilst there is no legal requirement for exporters to inform the EA about a change of destination under the Waste Shipment Regulations, the EA monitors such changes to ensure waste is not diverted to an unsuitable destination.
The Environment Agency (EA) has issued 44 Information Notices, and in return received 1,891 Annex VII documents relating to outward shipments from the UK since 28 October 2025 when the new procedures were introduced.
The EA’s enhanced verification procedure requires completed annex VII documents to be submitted 8 weeks after shipment to confirm it has arrived at its destination.
The deadline for the first completed document was 28 December. The EA has since received 112 Annex VII documents from the receiving sites- this number will increase as more shipments reach the 8-week deadline.
The EA continues to request completed Annex VIIs and is actively following up the outstanding returns.
The Environment Agency has received 79 completed annex VII documents since 28 December 2025 with attached geotagged photographs. Any photos submitted without the required geotagging are considered non-compliant and further action is taken.
The UK has strict controls on the export of waste to ensure that the waste is treated in an environmentally sound manner. These controls are established in UK legislation and enforced by the UK’s waste shipment competent authorities.
Defra and the Environment Agency are engaging with the Indian authorities including the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change who have confirmed that the import of waste tyres for pyrolysis is prohibited under Indian law.
Removal of the T8 waste exemption is one measure among a package of possible reforms to the waste exemptions regime. This Government is currently considering priorities for waste and resources and reform of the waste exemptions regime including related to used tyres.
The UK has strict controls on the export of waste to ensure that the waste is treated in an environmentally sound manner. These controls are established in UK legislation and enforced by the UK’s waste shipment competent authorities.
Defra and the Environment Agency are engaging with the Indian authorities including the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change who have confirmed that the import of waste tyres for pyrolysis is prohibited under Indian law.
The UK has strict controls on the export of waste to ensure that the waste is treated in an environmentally sound manner. These controls are established in UK legislation and enforced by the UK’s waste shipment competent authorities.
Defra and the Environment Agency are engaging with the Indian authorities including the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change who have confirmed that the import of waste tyres for pyrolysis is prohibited under Indian law.
This data is publicly available on the HMRC’s trade database which is available at https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data.
Since 09 September 2024, the educational material for all Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS) Health Professionals (HPs) has been provided by DWP. In reviewing the material ahead of that date, we considered practice in the NHS, and have now implemented the Oliver McGowan training as part of the mandatory training requirements for every HP.
Following the completion of core training to undertake the role, HPs will engage in an annual training programme, and HAAS has been provided with materials (such as Continual Professional Development modules) to support the development of HPs where learning needs are identified. This approach ensures that both service wide and individual training needs are met and will be of benefit to those with neurodiversity.
Since the publication of the Hughes Report on 7 February 2024, ministers and Departmental officials have met with the Patient Safety Commissioner on several occasions to discuss the recommendations of the Hughes report.
Departmental officials and ministers have met with the Patient Safety Commissioner on several occasions, and we are happy to continue to engage with the Patient Safety Commissioner on this matter.
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report in due course.
The Department does not hold this information. However, a proportion of the machines will be capable of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy.
The £70 million investment into 28 radiotherapy machines that was announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget is part of the overall financial settlement for the 2025/26 financial year.
The £70 million fund will replace older radiotherapy machines with new, more efficient radiotherapy machines, which will in turn increase treatment capacity and allow more patients to be treated.
All future spending commitments beyond 2025/26, including the replacement of radiotherapy equipment, will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process, which will conclude in June.
We do not currently hold this information, but we are seeking advice from NHS England on whether any engagement took place between NHS England and the medical companies listed.
The Government does not routinely publish correspondence between NHS England and medical companies. We have various communication channels to keep the public and stakeholders updated on our work to improve cancer care.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is actively engaging with Astra Zeneca for any applications in flight. We recognise the importance of the rapid assessment of the medicines mentioned and we are ensuring the decisions made appropriately assess quality, safety, and efficacy.
The National Health Service’s capital settlement for 2024/25 underspend figure is not yet available, although it should be included in the NHS’s annual accounts, which will be published later this year.
£15 million was allocated from capital underspend to replace ageing radiotherapy equipment, as per the answer I gave on 7 April 2025 to Question 41044. Any other spending on radiotherapy equipment was allocated at local level, and we do not hold details on this spend.
£70 million of central capital funding was announced as part of the Autumn Budget in 2024, which will be used to replace 28 machines during 2025/26.
Providers were awarded a total of £15 million to replace ageing radiotherapy equipment from an underspend in the National Health Service’s capital settlement for 2024/25. The providers who were allocated money, and the amount they were allocated, are as follows:
The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust received funding for two machines.
31 trusts submitted applications for funding to replace a total of 40 machines, with some trusts having applied to replace two machines. This became 30 trusts after the North Middlesex University Hospital Trust joined the Royal Free London Group on 1 January 2025, during the application process. Each trust had submitted a separate request.
Of the 30 trusts that submitted applications, two withdrew their applications, namely the Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, having received funding for a replacement machine from National Health Service capital underspend. University Hospitals Birmingham did receive a contribution from this funding towards the refurbishment of its radiotherapy bunker infrastructure.
The 28 trusts that submitted applications, and who have been awarded funding to replace one machine, are as follows:
The Department does not hold the data in this format. Data on cancer waiting times for specific treatments can be found on NHS England’s website, which is available at the following link:
No specific guidance has been provided to the National Health Service, however we expect that radiotherapy treatment centres will use all appropriate technology for treating patients, to ensure that they receive the best possible care. This includes the use of artificial intelligence where available.
Only radiotherapy machines purchased with Government funds are eligible for replacement through Government funding. There are no plans to change this position.
Trusts were given a range of potential machines to purchase, and the use of these machines is the responsibility of the trust which houses the machine. Providers of National Health Service-funded radiotherapy services are required to submit a monthly return on their delivery of radiotherapy treatments, and this data is held in the Radiotherapy Data Set.
The National Equipment Tracking and Inventory System highlights radiotherapy cancer treatment machines within the NHS, as well as their associated ages.
NHS England will be writing to those trusts which have been allocated funding for a replacement machine soon. The allocation criteria focused on the age of the machine being replaced, the proportion of older machines in use within the trust, and the trust’s performance on radiotherapy. A small amount of the £70 million of funding has been made available to support refurbishment costs.
NHS England invited the trusts which deliver radiotherapy services to submit an expression of interest for funding for a replacement machine. NHS England then reviewed the responses, and used allocation criteria to determine which trusts would be allocated funding for a replacement machine. These criteria focused on the age of the machine being replaced, the proportion of older machines in use within the trust, and the trust’s performance on radiotherapy. Funding decisions for the purchasing of equipment do not usually include wider consultation.
The Government is committed to improving the treatment of cancer patients and reducing waiting times for those undergoing treatment. Further details of how we will do this will be set out in the National Cancer Plan.
We have launched a call for evidence, seeking contributions from individuals and organisations to help shape this plan, including ideas on how to improve treatment for those cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.
The call for evidence is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan
The working groups include members with a wide range of experience and expertise across and beyond the health and care system. We have ensured that groups have a range of lived experience, organisational views, and technical expertise, as well as diversity of characteristics and geography. We are keen that these groups should be able to provide constructive challenges to articulate how we make the National Health Service fit for the future.
The criteria developed by NHS England excludes the replacement of radiotherapy machines purchased by charities. These machines fall outside the scope of National Health Service capital replacement funding, as they are not originally procured through NHS-funded budgets.
The costs of artificial intelligence products are not typically covered under NHS capital radiotherapy equipment replacement programmes.
The £70 million of funding for new radiotherapy machines will be allocated to trusts using criteria that NHS England has developed. Officials from the Department have been engaged with NHS England officials in discussions about how the funding will be allocated.