Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many attributable deaths there were from fine particulate matter, PM2.5, were there in (a) East Midlands, (b) East of England, (c) Greater London, (d) North East, (e) North West, (f) South East, (g) South West, (h) West Midlands, (i) Yorkshire and the Humber, and (j) England in each year since 2018 using COMEAP's latest methodology.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The number of deaths attributable to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) is not annually calculated for each region. The current estimate of attributable deaths in the United Kingdom for 2019 was 29,000 to 43,000 deaths for adults aged 30 years old and over.
The fraction of mortality attributable to particulate air pollution is annually calculated for each region and represents the percentage of annual deaths from all causes in those aged 30 years old and over, attributed to PM2.5. This indicator is calculated using the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants’ updated concentration-response-function, and figures for the years 2018 to 2023 are available at the following link:
Estimates for 2024 will be available later in 2026.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the adequacy of water infrastructure investment in each of the last five years.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There has been historic underinvestment in the water industry. Investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population, and climate change.
We have already announced that we will create a powerful new regulator – abolishing Ofwat and bringing together the relevant functions from the other existing regulators (the DWI, Environment Agency and Natural England) into one new body. This will ensure better join-up between infrastructure planning, investment, and delivery.
These reforms will build on the step change in investment that will be delivered through Price Review 2024, which will see a £104 billion upgrade in the water sector. This investment will accelerate improvements in infrastructure to meet the challenges of the future, secure our water supply, and to meet new environmental requirements.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether National Highways undertook a detailed assessment of the potential to construct temporary slip roads to allow Junction 38 of the M6 (northbound and southbound) to remain open for the duration of the Lune Gorge bridge replacement works; and whether that assessment was completed before the current construction programme was designed and approved.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways first assessed the potential for temporary slip roads during the project’s optioneering stage in 2019. Further consideration took place during early design development, and the option was not taken forward at that time due to spatial constraints, value for money considerations, the need for significant lane and speed restrictions, and the likelihood of a costly extension to the overall construction period. The construction programme and design was then taken forward on that basis.
In 2025, following engagement with local stakeholders, National Highways committed to revisit this option, with a feasibility exercise carried out in August 2025. This re-considered the option of temporary slip roads. The exercise supported the conclusions during the early design phase; specifically, that temporary slip roads were unsuitable due to the space needed to construct the bridge decks, as well as representing poor value for money. During 2025, the programme assessed a wide range of options to improve connectivity, and resulted in the decision to defer work on Lawtland House bridge to a future date, improving local connectivity during the construction period.
When National Highways presented their findings from the feasibility exercise, a revised construction methodology was submitted by BWB Consulting on behalf of local stakeholders in October 2025. National Highways has committed to review this proposal from BWB consulting to see if it has presented an alternative viable solution. The review will conclude in January 2026.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when any assessment by National Highways of temporary slip roads at Junction 38 of the M6 was undertaken; and whether the findings of that assessment informed the current construction programme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways first assessed the potential for temporary slip roads during the project’s optioneering stage in 2019. Further consideration took place during early design development, and the option was not taken forward at that time due to spatial constraints, value for money considerations, the need for significant lane and speed restrictions, and the likelihood of a costly extension to the overall construction period.
In 2025, following engagement with local stakeholders, National Highways committed to revisit this option, with a feasibility exercise carried out in August 2025. This re-considered the option of temporary slip roads. The exercise supported the conclusions during the early design phase; specifically, that temporary slip roads were unsuitable due to the space needed to construct the bridge decks, as well as representing poor value for money. During 2025, the programme has also assessed a wide range of options to improve connectivity, and this resulted in the decision to defer work on Lawtland House bridge to a future date, improving local connectivity during the construction period.
When National Highways presented their findings from the feasibility exercise, a revised construction methodology was submitted by BWB Consulting on behalf of local stakeholders in October 2025. National Highways has committed to review this proposal from BWB consulting to see if it has presented an alternative viable solution. The review will conclude in January 2026.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to allow NHS professionals to view the health records of ex-military patients from their time in military service.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Defence Medical Services (DMS) provide primary healthcare for serving personnel. All serving personnel will have a Defence Health Record which records their healthcare through their military service, whether provided by DMS or the National Health Service.
Serving personnel are provided with a medical care summary and a patient’s full Defence Health Record are transferred on request from their NHS general practitioner (GP). These are then available to be used and viewed as part of the individual’s medical records. These would also form part of digital records available via the NHS App and held by the respective veteran patient.
To improve the transfer of healthcare information, DMS is working towards a greater interoperability with NHS systems and the electronic transfer of medical records from DMS to NHS GPs.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of closing Junction 38 of the M6 during the Lune Gorge bridge replacement works on local businesses.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government, working in close partnership with National Highways, is fully committed to this project being delivered in a way that minimises disruption to road users, businesses and local communities. National Highways has undertaken assessments to understand the impact this work will have on the region including an assessment of the impact on traffic flows of the proposed traffic management arrangements. National Highways is also reviewing a detailed feasibility report of proposals for Junction 38 which was provided last year. The review is expected to conclude in January 2026.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he will instruct National Highways to meet with BWB Consulting and Kier in an engineer-to-engineer review of proposals for temporary slip roads at Junction 38 of the M6.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways has facilitated discussions between BWB Consulting and Kier engineers, including a meeting held on 17 December 2025 to review proposals for temporary slip roads at Junction 38. A further update on temporary slip roads will be provided at the Stakeholder Engagement Group meeting at the end of January 2026.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the costs to the exchequer of reducing VAT for hospitality businesses to (a) 15%, (b) 10%, (c) 5% and (d) 0%.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC estimates that the cost of reducing the 20 per cent Standard Rate of VAT on all accommodation and food and beverage services would be as follows in 2026-27: (a) to 15%: £5 billion, (b) to 10%: £10.5 billion, (c) to 5%: £17 billion, (d) to 0%: £23.5 billion.
The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people died from smoking in England in each year since 2021.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The latest estimates for smoking-attributable mortality in England are for the period 2017 to 2019. The Smoking Profile, produced by the Department, reports 191,903 smoking-attributable deaths of people aged 35 years old and over in the period 2017 to 2019 in England, which is just under 64,000 deaths each year. Further information on the Smoking Profile is available at the following link:
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will update the Health and Technical Memorandum 03-01 for the latest technical standards.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Published guidance on ventilation in healthcare settings includes the Health Technical Memorandum 03-01: Specialised ventilation for healthcare premises. It gives comprehensive advice and guidance on the legal requirements, design implications, maintenance, and operation of specialised ventilation in healthcare premises providing acute care. Further information is avaiable at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-ventilation-for-healthcare-buildings/
NHS England will update Health Technical Memorandums, including HTM 03-01, when necessary.