Written questions by Snowden.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure sustainable urban drainage systems are effectively (a) adopted and (b) maintained.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and we are looking at what additional steps might be taken to support this. Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on this matter will be made in the coming months. We have made some immediate changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to support increased delivery of SuDS. The NPPF now requires all development to utilise SuDS where they could have drainage impacts. These systems should be appropriate to the nature and scale of the proposed development. See paragraphs 181 and 182 of the NPPF. In June this year, the Government introduced new national standards, making clear that SuDS should be designed to cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits in the form of flood prevention and storm overflow reduction, offering reuse opportunities, reducing run off, and helping to improve water quality, amenity, and biodiversity.

What steps he is taking to enhance transparency on the data used in the approval process for weight loss drugs.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care and regulates medicine, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the UK, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.If a drug is assessed to have a positive benefit-risk ratio, it will be approved. Following approval, the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) will be made available, which includes details such as the patient population and conditions the drug is approved for treating. The PIL containing this information in lay language and a patient-friendly format. In addition, a Public Assessment Report will be made available which contains the non-confidential parts of the MHRA's assessment report for that particular marketing authorisation.We continue to review practices to ensure that transparency is delivered as a key priority of the agency.

What recent assessment he has made of waiting times for NHS treatment of plantar fasciitis.

No recent assessment has been made specifically on plantar fasciitis waiting times. However, as set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for fibromatosis care, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029. We provided additional investment in the Autumn Budget that has enabled us to fulfil our pledge to deliver over two million more elective care appointments early. More than double that number, 4.9 million more appointments, have now been delivered.The majority of treatment for plantar fasciitis is done within primary care settings, with only a small fraction of patients requiring treatment at hospitals. Data presenting a more detailed breakdown, specific to plantar fasciitis wait times, is not held by the Department.

What regulations are in place to ensure the accuracy of health claims made in the marketing of protein supplements.

Legislation on Nutrition and Health Claims sets out the legal framework for businesses wanting to make nutrition and/or health claims on their products. A health claim is any claim that states, suggests or implies that health benefits can result from consuming a given food. These require health claims to be authorised on the basis they are supported by evidence and only health claims that are on the Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims (GB NHC) Register of approved health claims can be used. The Register is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/great-britain-nutrition-and-health-claims-nhc-register.Protein supplements are also regulated under Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003, along with equivalent legislation for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as all other applicable food law. The labelling requirements set out in the regulations state that labelling needs to be clear and easy for consumers to understand.

What steps he is taking to (a) inform and (b) educate parents about the new chickenpox vaccine, and to tackle vaccine hesitancy.

On 29 August 2025, the Government announced plans to introduce chickenpox vaccination into the routine childhood immunisation schedule from 1 January 2026, using the MMRV vaccine which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (varicella).The launch of the chicken pox vaccination programme in January 2026 will see a press campaign with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England working together to inform and educate through the use of low and no cost communications. This will continue throughout the year with key bursts of activity on all childhood vaccines.The Department will also launch a national childhood vaccination paid marketing campaign in February 2026 to encourage uptake of all childhood vaccinations for those aged 0-5 years and will include high impact advertising across video on demand, online video, radio, out of home posters and social media. This will be supported by partnerships across a range of sectors including retailers, nursery providers and charities. Activity will be upweighted to key low uptake communities and geographical areas across the country.Ahead of the launch, NHS England is hosting vaccine confidence sessions for health care workers to help them have vaccine conversations and address questions or concerns with parents and carers.Communications toolkits and assets will be issued to primary care teams across all regions to support the launch of the MMRV programme, which includes material for parents and carers on the new vaccination programme.

What discussions she has had with the (a) Law Society and (b) Solicitors Regulation Authority on the consequences of legal advice that may contribute to the suppression of evidence during police interviews.

The legal profession in England and Wales operates independently of government. This framework is set out in the Legal Services Act 2007. Regulation of the sector is carried out by the approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and law firms, while the Law Society represents solicitors in England and Wales. An independent legal services sector is a key pillar of the rule of law, and it is therefore important to maintain this regulatory independence. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate for ministers or their officials to seek to influence how solicitors are regulated. Solicitors advising clients during interviews are bound by professional duties, as set out in the SRA’s Code of Conduct. Where necessary, the SRA has a duty to investigate allegations of professional misconduct by solicitors. It has a range of disciplinary powers available at its disposal, including the ability to impose fines and refer matters to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, which can suspend or strike a solicitor off the roll. Complaints about a solicitor’s conduct can be made directly to the SRA at: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/. The Ministry of Justice will continue to engage with legal regulators to ensure that consumers are protected and public confidence in the justice system is maintained.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of adopting the Welsh model of sustainable urban drainage systems approving bodies in England.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and we are looking at what additional steps might be taken to support this. The Welsh Government adopted Schedule 3 as the delivery model for SuDS in 2019. Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on this matter will be made in the coming months. We have made some immediate changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to support increased delivery of SuDS. The NPPF now requires all development to utilise SuDS where they could have drainage impacts. These systems should be appropriate to the nature and scale of the proposed development. See paragraphs 181 and 182 of the NPPF. In June this year, the Government introduced new national standards, making clear that SuDS should be designed to cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits in the form of flood prevention and storm overflow reduction, offering reuse opportunities, reducing run off, and helping to improve water quality, amenity, and biodiversity.

What steps he plans to take to improve access to information for (a) healthcare professionals and (b) patients on the risks and benefits of weight loss drugs.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) works hard to ensure that patients and healthcare professionals are provided with accurate and up to date information which allows them to make informed decisions about weight loss treatments.Information about the benefits and efficacy of weight loss medicines such as GLP-1 receptor agonists are made available within the Public Assessment Reports (PARs) for each product on the Products section of the MHRA website. Information on how a medicine works, how to use it, as well as all known side effects, are made publicly available through the product information. These documents are issued at the time of licensing and are updated as any new side effects are identified. This includes the Summary of Product Characteristics, which is intended for healthcare professionals, and the Patient Information Leaflet, which is provided to patients with the medicine. These documents are also published on the Products section of the MHRA website, which is available at the following link: https://products.mhra.gov.uk/.In addition, members of the public and healthcare professionals can access anonymised data on suspected side effects reported to the Yellow Card scheme via the interactive Drug Analysis Profiles (iDAP) platform. This ensures full transparency and enables anyone to view the types and numbers of suspected adverse reactions reported for a particular medicine.In addition to this, if new information becomes available about a risk of treatment, we communicate this to healthcare professionals and patients using a Drug Safety Update (DSU), which can be found on GOV.UK and are also flagged to key stakeholders or patient groups. These communicate what the risk is, how it can be minimised, and what healthcare professionals and patients should do if a patient suffers the side- effect. DSUs and other safety communications are also published in a monthly newsletter, the MHRA Safety Roundup, to which readers can subscribe to receive e-mail alerts when a new MHRA Safety Roundup is published. Users can use the search function to find Safety Roundup’s relevant to weight loss medications, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts?alert_type%5B%5D=mhra-safety-round-up.Due to the public interest and increasing use of GLP-1 receptor agonists in particular, in order to improve access to key information about these medicines, we have published public guidance online designed to raise awareness among patients about key safety considerations, including how to safely acquire and use GLP-1s, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and when to seek medical advice. This is a live document, which we update as necessary when there is safety information that we would like to highlight or if there is an area of public interest for which we can provide guidance.The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know.Reach of our safety messages has been strengthened by MHRA’s Head of Enforcement, Andy Morning, who has spoken publicly about how to gain safe access to GLP-1s across a number of media platforms including radio interviews and television appearances, to raise awareness of the risks associated with unlawful supply of weight loss medicines.The MHRA works closely with other organisations such as the General Pharmaceutical Council, who regulate pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), who produce guidance for the NHS and wider health and care system, and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), who regulate advertising, to collaborate on communicating with the public and sharing links to guidance and information within those communications.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria are used to determine which (a) individuals and (b) companies involved in people smuggling should be recommended for sanctions.

The new regime has been established by this government to prevent and disrupt the operations of criminal gangs who smuggle people along dangerous migrant routes to attempt the channel crossing into the UK. This new regime boosts our ability to prevent, combat, deter, and disrupt irregular migration and hold smugglers and their enablers accountable.The Government has set out the following factors relevant to the consideration of designations under the Global Irregular Migration regime in a policy note here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-irregular-migration-sanctions-consideration-of-designations/global-irregular-migration-sanctions-consideration-of-designations#interaction-with-law-enforcement-activities. These include wider government irregular migration policy priorities and the scale, nature and impact of the activity. Sanctions are a foreign policy and national security tool under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 and the exercise of sanctions functions under that Act is a matter for the Foreign Secretary.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of regulations to prevent pavement cycling.

Cycling on the pavement and on footpaths is an offence under Section 72 of the Highways Act 1835, other than in designated areas such as on bridleways and shared use paths. There are no plans to review the adequacy of this legislation and enforcement of cycling offences is a matter for the police.

How many recorded breaches of the 36 hour custody limit under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 occurred in the last three years; and what (a) disciplinary and (b) legal consequences resulted from those breaches.

When the police interview a suspect they must explain that they do not have to answer questions but there could be consequences if they do not by reading to them the police caution:“You do not have to say anything. But, it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”If the suspect does not understand the caution because they cannot understand English, the custody officer must arrange for the assistance of an interpreter, and if they are considered to be vulnerable then they must be supported throughout the interview by an appropriate adult. Whilst in police custody or undergoing a voluntary interview the suspect has the continuing right to free legal advice.We keep the operation of police powers, including the police caution, under regular review through engagement with policing stakeholders. We are not aware of any concerns about the effectiveness of the police caution in preventing defendants from withholding information.The Home Office collects and publishes data on detentions for over 36 hours without warrant of further detention where the person was subsequently released without charge, as part of the annual ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Custody and pre-charge bail’ statistical bulletin. The data is available here: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK

What steps he is taking to help improve access to (a) podiatry and (b) physiotherapy services for patients with plantar fasciitis.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local populations, which includes the provision of physiotherapy and podiatry services for the management of plantar fasciitis.NHS England does not hold condition-specific data that would allow identification of access issues for patients with plantar fasciitis. However, aggregate data on community health services, including physiotherapy and podiatry, is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/community-health-services-waiting-lists/It is important to note that this data set does not include services delivered by acute providers. For information on waiting times for specific conditions, individual providers would need to be approached directly, although such data is unlikely to be routinely collected or reported at that level of detail.The Getting It Right First Time Musculoskeletal (MSK) Community Delivery Programme is funded by the Joint Department for Work and Pensions and Department of Health and Social Care Work and Health Directorate with a key objective being the reduction of waiting times for community MSK services. The programme is using a six-point plan, a handbook with case studies, and regular meetings with senior ICB officials to support 17 systems in the reduction of their waiting times. This programme is currently being evaluated with the aim of sharing lessons across the National Health Service.

Whether the UK Emergency Alert System has been (a) tested and (b) integrated with military contingency planning for civil emergencies.

Contingency plans for civil emergencies are cohered by the Cabinet Office on behalf of the Government. Defence support is integrated into those plans where required through the Military Aid to Civilian Authorities (MACA) process. Emergency Alerts are integrated within those plans by the Cabinet Office. The alert system has been tested, with the last test having taken place on 7 September 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 62750 on Sharing Economy: Data Protection, what guidance is issued to forces investigating this crime.

As facilitation of Illegal working is a criminal offence, any investigation will be compliant with guidance, legislation and relevant codes of practice in place for investigators and prosecutors.

What discussions she has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the adequacy of fire safety infrastructure at airports.

UK aviation operates in the private sector. It is therefore the responsibility of industry to ensure appropriate contingency plans are in place to ensure safety and minimise potential disruption. My officials will continue to regularly engage with the CAA and industry to ensure the aviation sector remains safe and resilient.’

What steps he is taking to promote the replacement of inefficient radiator systems in homes.

The Government’s ‘Energy Efficiency Home’ campaign looks to inform consumers about actions they can take to improve the energy efficiency of their home. This includes smart energy tips for radiator systems; energy-efficient-home.campaign.gov.uk/smart-energy-tips/#turndownradiators. Consumer can also use the Government's home retrofit tool on GOV.UK, ‘Find ways to save energy in your home’ (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency), which allows users to get tailored recommendations for home improvements that could make their property cheaper to heat and keep warm. Consumers can also call the home retrofit phoneline service on 0800 098 7950.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of commemoration the contribution of British famers to national security (a) through their service in the Home Guard and (b) supervision of prisoners of war during the Second World War.

The Ministry of Defence has made no such assessment. Farmers played an important role in the national effort to defeat Nazism, including through their service in the Home Guard and the supervision of prisoners of war. Farmers who undertook actual military service during the Second World War would have had their eligibility for appropriate military honours and awards considered in the immediate post-war period, alongside all other military personnel. However, any commemoration of the contribution made by farmers to national security during the Second World War would be a matter for consideration by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Home Office.

Whether her Department has considered the potential merits of implementing mandatory infrastructure audits for airports to prevent service disruption due to (a) fires and (b) other infrastructure incidents.

UK aviation operates in the private sector. It is therefore the responsibility of industry to ensure appropriate contingency plans are in place to ensure safety and minimise potential disruption. My officials will continue to regularly engage with the CAA and industry to ensure the aviation sector remains safe and resilient.’

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the safety requirements for mobility scooters operating on public highways.

The Department is committed to ensuring that users of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters remain safe, mobile and independent. That is why on the 21st July we announced a review of the law covering powered mobility devices which we will consult on in due course. The safety of all users who rely on a powered mobility device, pedestrians and other road users will be a key consideration in the review.

What assessment his Department has made of the energy efficiency of (a) standard domestic radiator systems, (b) under floor heating, (c) infrared panels and (d) other low-temperature heating solutions.

The energy efficiency of these products is covered within two ecodesign regulations, for ‘hydronic’ and ‘local’ space heating products. Work is ongoing to review the policy in respect of both regulations including assessing efficiency through market research and engagement with industry stakeholders. Preliminary research has identified significant potential for energy efficiency improvements across these product types. We intend to consult on proposals to reform local space heating regulations in due course. We consulted on proposals to increase the efficiency of hydronic space and combination heaters earlier this year and will publish a government response soon.