Every parliamentary written question tabled by Chris Coghlan this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 141–160 of 230 · this parliament
Pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61659 on Research: Investment, if the Economic Secretary to the Treasury will meet with the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley to discuss research and development funding.
R&D funding falls within the portfolio of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Livermore). I have passed on your request, but due to diary constraints Lord Livermore is unable to meet currently.
What discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the provision of military intelligence to Ukrainian forces.
The Defence Secretary regularly speaks with his US counterpart regarding our collective support to Ukraine’s armed forces in response to Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. As the hon. Gentlemen will understand, we do not comment on Intelligence matters. However, we have always been clear that the UK will do everything we can to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position across all aspects of our support, particularly defence and security.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure Trusts uphold their legal obligations under the (a) Equality Act 2010 and (b) duty of care for staff returning from serious illness such as cancer.
We hugely value all National Health Service staff and are committed to improving organisational culture and working conditions, so we can keep staff healthy, motivated, and retain their valuable skills.A cancer diagnosis is regarded as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, which means that employers have a duty of care to consider any reasonable adjustments to help the employee to return to work in a timely and safe way, and with their health needs in mind.NHS trusts are expected to have local policies and procedures in place to support staff who have long-term health conditions, including cancer.The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service handbook sets out interventions that should be considered under the Employment Rights Act 1996 when managing an employee’s return to work. There are tools and resources available to employers to assist their employees returning to work, and this includes NHS England’s NHS Health and Wellbeing framework, and the Sickness Absence toolkit published by NHS Employers. Further information on the NHS Health and Wellbeing framework and the Sickness Absence toolkit is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/health-and-wellbeing-programmes/nhs-health-and-wellbeing-framework/https://www.nhsemployers.org/toolkits/sickness-absence-toolkit
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of issuing research and development bonds of up to £20 billion per year.
Government investment in research and development (R&D) underpins the UK’s excellence in its universities and research institutes and stimulates private sector innovation, driving growth and higher living standards. On average, every £1 of government spending delivers £7 of economic benefits in the long term. At the recent Spending Review, the government therefore prioritised R&D – increasing R&D funding to £22.6 billion per year by 2029-30, an above-inflation increase. Our core gilt programme is the most stable and cost-effective way of raising finance to fund the day-to-day activities of the government, owing to the depth and liquidity of the market. This is, in part, down to the fungibility of the instruments issued to the market. Issuing bonds aimed at financing specific areas of spending risks fragmenting the gilt market, which would not be consistent with the government’s debt management objective of minimising the long-term cost of financing, taking into account risk. The government keeps under regular review the introduction of new debt instruments. The government would however need to be satisfied that any new instrument would meet value-for-money criteria, enjoy strong and sustained demand in the long term, and be consistent with wider fiscal objectives.
What steps she is taking to ensure the timely delivery of Betchwood Vale Academy.
The department is engaging with local authorities and trusts and progressing work on special and alternative provision free schools in line with our vision for the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. Projects are at different stages of development, which means we have been prioritising operational decisions on those that are due to open in the shorter term.Departmental officials are in the process of reviewing all the documentation for Betchwood Vale Academy before submitting a new planning application for the school.
Whether she has considered the merits of expanding the functions of the Public Guardian to include responsibility for appropriate discharge of mental capacity assessments.
The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, which provides a framework for making decisions on behalf of adults who are unable to do so for themselves. The statutory Code of Practice issued under the Act provides guidance to practitioners on the conduct of capacity assessments in keeping with the principles of the MCA.The Public Guardian is the statutory office holder created by the Act whose core functions relate primarily to registering lasting powers of attorney and supervising court appointed deputies. We have no current plans to expand these functions.
What his Department's planned timetable is for its public consultation on the application of mental capacity law.
On 4 June 2025, I wrote to Fiona Laskaris and the Hon. Member for Dorking and Horley, Chris Coghlan MP to confirm my commitment to review the full range of policy and legislative levers in relation to the practical application of mental capacity law. This important work requires careful consideration. The most recent meeting with officials was on 17 June, and we will set out our plans in due course.
With reference to his letter to the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley, dated 4 June 2025, if he will set out the legislative vehicles his Department are considering to address the identified shortcomings in mental capacity law.
On 4 June 2025, I wrote to Fiona Laskaris and the Hon. Member for Dorking and Horley, Chris Coghlan MP to confirm my commitment to review the full range of policy and legislative levers in relation to the practical application of mental capacity law. This important work requires careful consideration. The most recent meeting with officials was on 17 June, and we will set out our plans in due course.
What oversight exists to (a) monitor and (b) audit legal expenditure by NHS Trusts in Employment Tribunal cases.
Neither the Department nor NHS England monitor or audit legal expenditure by National Health Service trusts in Employment tribunal cases. NHS trusts are responsible for overseeing their own Employment Tribunal cases, which would include monitoring and auditing the legal expenditure. Legal expenditure in Employment Tribunal cases may however be subject to financial audit scrutiny by the NHS trusts’ external auditors, subject to local audit materiality.
If he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of not including prostate cancer referral guidance for asymptomatic men in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines on prostate cancer relate to symptomatic patients. Guidance on prostate cancer referral for asymptomatic men can be found in the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prostate-cancer-risk-management-programme-overviewNICE guidelines do not provide guidance on screening of asymptomatic people which is the responsibility of the UK National Screening Committee.
Whether she plans to create national guidelines for preventing adult grooming.
The Government is taking a range of actions to prevent the grooming and exploitation of vulnerable adults.To tackle criminal exploitation, we are introducing a new cuckooing offence in the Crime and Policing Bill to target criminals who groom and exploit vulnerable people in order to take over their homes for criminal purposes. We are also introducing a new offence of coerced internal concealment to address the appalling practice whereby criminals exploit children and vulnerable adults to cause them to internally conceal items such as drugs for criminal purposes. Both offences will be supported by statutory guidance for police as well as non-statutory multi-agency guidance which will include information on preventative action to protect those at risk of these terrible forms of adult grooming and exploitation.In terms of adult grooming for sexual exploitation, we are working closely with police and others to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through law enforcement operational intensifications aimed at tackling modern slavery threats and targeting prolific perpetrators.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the Circular Economy Taskforce helps to encourage people to repair and reuse.
This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened the Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The strategy will be accompanied by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis. Defra recognises that repair and reuse are fundamental tenets of any circular economy, and a successful transition aims to eliminate waste and promote sustainability through reuse and resource efficiency. The Circular Economy Taskforce will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy throughout the development of the Strategy.
If she will make it her policy to publish her Department's assessment of the potential impact of the expansion of Gatwick Airport on the area within a 50 mile radius before a decision on whether to expand that airport is made.
As this is live planning application that is yet to be decided, unfortunately I cannot comment in detail at this time. The Secretary of State will assess all evidence provided to her by the applicant, the Examining Authority, and any parties who chose to make written representations regarding relevant Government policy, and once the decision is made, the decision letter will set out the full rationale.
What estimate she has made of the potential impact of airspace modernisation on the number of people experiencing noise above (a) the lowest observed adverse effect level and (b) the significant adverse observed effect level.
One of the key benefits of Airspace Modernisation is the potential to reduce the overall noise experienced by individuals and communities, through the introduction of new airspace structures and procedures which are more efficient and more environmentally friendly. The precise level of noise experienced by individuals and communities will always depend on the specific airspace change proposals for each airport. The Civil Aviation Authority’s airspace change process (CAP1616) sets out the detailed process airport sponsors must follow in relation to noise implications, including the requirement to consult with communities who could be directly affected by any change.
If she will create standardised national aviation noise metrics for use in planning processes.
The Government expects airports to explain their noise impacts through the use of appropriate metrics. Average noise exposure contours for day and night are the most established measure which show noise impacts around airports. The Government also encourages airport operators to use alternative measures which better reflect how aircraft noise is experienced in different localities.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Gatwick airport expansion on local house prices.
MHCLG Ministers cannot comment on live planning applications due to their quasi-judicial role in the planning system.All information provided to the Secretary of State for Transport by the applicant, the Examining Authority, and any parties who chose to make written representations in relation to the application in question is available on the Planning Inspectorate website.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) collating and (b) publishing NHS tribunal data.
This information is not held centrally by the Department or NHS England. There are currently no plans for an analysis of the potential merits of collating and publishing National Health Service tribunal data.
What his planned timetable is for completion of the TRANSFORM trial into prostate cancer screening.
The TRANSFORM study, funded in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, will look at new ways of screening for prostate cancer, and will include a national randomised control trial that will provide the definitive data for policymakers to decide on whether screening for prostate cancer should be recommended. The study is broken down into three phases: Phase 1, between 2025 and 2027; Phase 2, between 2028 and 2033; and Phase 3, between 2034 and 2043.Phase 1 is focusing on making the trial run smoothly, testing a number of different possible screening approaches, and also determining the best way to engage men in the community to take part in the study. Critically, it is also determining the best form of randomisation to carry out. Recruitment for phase one is currently open.Phase 2 will take forward the most robust randomisation strategy and the most promising screening approach or approaches with tens of thousands of consenting participants, in order to prove that these new screening strategies are beneficial.Phase 3 will involve monitoring the trial participants over the following 10 years to determine the long-term impact of screening on rates of disease progression and survival.
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) establishing an NHS information campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer referral routes for GPs and (b) issuing specific guidance to GPs on informing patients about the (i) NICE and (ii) PCRMP referral routes.
The Government takes the management of the risk of prostate cancer seriously. Too many men are waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment, and this must change. We have asked the UK National Screening Committee to look at the evidence for screening for prostate cancer and we will await their findings before making an evidence-based decision.A public awareness campaign at this stage would not be appropriate. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance relates to symptomatic patients, while the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme is guidance for general practitioners (GPs) on how to counsel non-symptomatic men about the risks associated with using the current best test for prostate cancer, because of its lack of accuracy. Before we direct asymptomatic individuals to GPs, we need a better test, and that is why the Government has invested £16 million into the TRANSFORM trial, which is looking for more effective ways of accurately detecting prostate cancer.
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of producing a national strategy to help improve (a) access to and (b) the quality of eating disorder services.
NHS England is currently refreshing guidance on children and young people's eating disorders. The refreshed guidance will highlight the importance of awareness and early recognition of eating disorders within schools, colleges, primary care, and broader children and young peoples’ mental health services.The Government is currently developing the 10-Year Health Plan, which will consider the views of a wide range of stakeholders, including those with lived experience of eating disorders. The consultation process has provided invaluable feedback, and we are in the process of exploring how we best take this forward.