Written questions by McDonald.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Dental patients to benefit from 700,000 extra urgent appointments, published on 21 February 2025, how many additional urgent dental appointments will be delivered in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency in (a) 2025–26 and (b) 2026-27.

We have asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.Appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, which includes the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency, is expected to deliver 57,559 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.Data on delivery of urgent dental care, including additional delivery, will be published annually as part of the NHS Dental Statistics England Official Statistics series. These statistics are released each August and are the primary source of data on the delivery of NHS dental care. 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

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of geothermal storage of energy from wind turbines on the mitigation of curtailment fees.

Clean Power will require greater levels of energy storage. Geothermal storage is relatively nascent but holds promise – particularly when there is demand for that heat nearby. We set out our ambition to unlock more flexibility from thermal storage in the Clean Flexibility Roadmap earlier this year and will set out our strategy for heat networks in the Warm Homes Plan.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Crime and Policing Bill on the right to protest.

The right to peaceful protest is an important part of our democratic society. Measures in the Crime and Policing Bill strengthen the police's ability to manage disruptive and dangerous protests and prevent criminality.They will help prevent intimidation near places of worship, and protect communities affected by repeated disruption, without imposing a blanket restriction on protests.

What consultation her Department has undertaken with (a) police forces and (b) Police and Crime Commissioners on the proposal to extend police powers to consider the cumulative impact of protests.

The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.

With reference to her statement of 13 October 2025 on Manchester Terrorism Attack, whether she plans to amend sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill.

The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.

With reference to her statement of 13 October 2025 on Manchester Terrorism Attack, Official Report, col 27, what discussions she has had with police forces on how they would take cumulative impact into account when determining restrictions on protest locations.

The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.

Whether her Department holds data on the subject matter of protests at which sections (a) 12 and (b) 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 have been used in the last three years.

The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.

With reference to her oral contribution on 13 October 2025 during the statement on the Manchester Terrorism Attack, Official Report, column 29, what definition her Department plans to use for the term 'cumulative impact' in relation to protest activity under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.

The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.

With reference to her statement of 13 October 2025 on Manchester Terrorism Attack, Official Report, col 27, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.

The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.

With reference to her statement of 13 October 2025 on Manchester Terrorism Attack, Official Report, col 27, whether trade union picket lines outside workplaces would be considered within the scope of the cumulative impact, in the context of her proposed amendments to sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.

The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.

If she will publish the number of times police forces in England and Wales have exercised powers under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 in each of the last three years.

The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.

With reference to his statement of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, col 377, when he plans to update the House on the outcome of his officials’ engagement with Integrated Care Boards and the General Pharmaceutical Council on regulatory action against Jhoots Pharmacy.

On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what estimate he has made of the number of locum pharmacists who have lost earned income as a result of the closure of Jhoots Pharmacies; and what guidance his Department has issued to ensure those pharmacists receive such payments.

On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what estimate his Department has made of how many people have been left without local pharmacy access as a result of Jhoots’s actions; and what steps he is taking to tackle that lack of access.

On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what steps he is taking to ensure continued patient access to medicines in areas where Jhoots Pharmacy branches have reduced opening hours or closed; and when he expects Integrated Care Boards to have implemented full contingency arrangements.

On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what progress his officials have made in exploring options to strengthen the regulatory framework for pharmacies that breach their NHS terms of service.

On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what mechanisms his Department has put in place to monitor the performance of (a) Jhoots Pharmacy and (b) other large pharmacy chains; and how he plans to report to Parliament on progress on that monitoring.

On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of including housing costs in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation on benefit areas with higher housing values.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (IoD25) on Thursday 30th October 2025. All resources can be accessed online here - English indices of deprivation 2025 - GOV.UK As part of the IoD25 release, the Department updated its measures of deprivation in line with recommendations from its 2022 user consultation - Indices Futures: Updating the English Indices of Deprivation (IoD) - consultation - GOV.UK - and broader stakeholder engagement. This includes accounting for housing costs within specific domains. Full detail on the Indices methodology can be found in the IoD25 Technical Report online here - English indices of deprivation 2025: technical report - GOV.UK. Further analysis and interpretation of the data is available in our Research Report online here - English indices of deprivation 2025: research report - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of including housing costs in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation on areas with lower housing costs but higher levels of deprivation.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (IoD25) on Thursday 30th October 2025. All resources can be accessed online here - English indices of deprivation 2025 - GOV.UK As part of the IoD25 release, the Department updated its measures of deprivation in line with recommendations from its 2022 user consultation - Indices Futures: Updating the English Indices of Deprivation (IoD) - consultation - GOV.UK - and broader stakeholder engagement. This includes accounting for housing costs within specific domains. Full detail on the Indices methodology can be found in the IoD25 Technical Report online here - English indices of deprivation 2025: technical report - GOV.UK. Further analysis and interpretation of the data is available in our Research Report online here - English indices of deprivation 2025: research report - GOV.UK.

How his Department expects the Fair Work Agency to coordinate with (a) HMRC, (b) the Insolvency Service and (c) other existing enforcement bodies to ensure workers receive unpaid awards.

Workers should receive the payments they are entitled to. As part of the Plan for Change we will look at ways of strengthening enforcement options, including the Employment Tribunal Penalty scheme which will move to the Fair Work Agency (FWA) once established.The proposed powers of the FWA are set out in the Employment Rights Bill and we are committed to ensuring that it has the appropriate resources to discharge its responsibilities. The FWA will work closely with HMRC, Insolvency Service and other relevant enforcement bodies to do this as effectively as possible. This will include considering how to use existing powers to tackle misuse of phoenix companies.