Written questions by Stafford.

What assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of refusal to grant temporary visas to overseas sheep shearers on rural farming communities and animal welfare.

Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements DEFRA and the sector was informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.In addition, those in the UK on visas which allow general work rights, such as dependants or Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders, are free to take up work as a sheep shearer subject to the relevant visa restrictions.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of discontinuing the practice of sending letters to pensioners notifying them of small uprating increases, including increases of 25 pence.

The Department keeps communications with customers under constant review. We notify individuals of decisions about their benefit, which ensures that they know how much they are entitled to and when and how payment will be made. Letters also inform claimants about their legal responsibilities, such as having to report relevant changes and their legal rights, such as the right of appeal. Individuals' circumstances do change and not everybody receives the same rate of payment every year.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of adding cystic fibrosis to the list of medical conditions that qualify for exemption from NHS prescription charges.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Yeovil on 27 January 2026 to Question 107568.The last review of the prescription charge exemptions for people with long term conditions was conducted in 2009, by Professor Ian Gilmore, the then President of the Royal College of Physicians. His report was published in 2010 and is available on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prescription-charges-review-the-gilmore-report

When the list of medical conditions eligible for exemption from NHS prescription charges was last reviewed; and whether he plans to conduct a further review of that list.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Yeovil on 27 January 2026 to Question 107568.The last review of the prescription charge exemptions for people with long term conditions was conducted in 2009, by Professor Ian Gilmore, the then President of the Royal College of Physicians. His report was published in 2010 and is available on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prescription-charges-review-the-gilmore-report

For what reason dual British-Australian nationals, including children of such nationals who were born in Australia, will be required to hold a UK passport or a Certificate of Entitlement to enter the UK from 26 February 2026; what steps her Department is taking to support such people; and for what reason such requirements do not apply to dual British-Irish nationals.

Under UK immigration legislation, a dual British Citizen is not eligible for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Dual British citizens should prove their permission to travel and enter the UK border with a valid British passport or a passport containing a Certificate of Entitlement (CoE) to the right of abode. Without either of these documents, they risk being refused boarding when travelling to the UK from 25 February 2026. We have delivered a comprehensive range of communications and engaged with an extensive network of stakeholders, including global carriers and operators. We have sent emails to those impacted and have included information for dual citizens in our ETA communications campaign which has been running since 2023.Irish citizens, including dual citizens, are also exempt from the ETA requirement.

Innovation and Technology, whether the consultation on children’s use of social media will include the option of requiring social media platforms to provide personal user controls over algorithmic content delivery.

The consultation, published 2nd March, on children’s use of technology, considers a range of further measures to give children a good life online, ensuring they have the childhood they deserve and are prepared for the future.This includes exploring the option of banning social media below for children below a certain age, as well as restricting access to risky functionalities and “addictive” features – including content recommendation algorithms.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Department is taking to help ensure that UK sheep farmers have sufficient access to skilled seasonal shearers for the 2026 shearing season.

With a national flock of around 30m sheep, Defra recognises the importance that shearing sheep plays in managing the health and welfare of the UK flock. We acknowledge that industry faces continued challenges each year in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained and highly proficient shearers, particularly when individuals can often only utilise these skills for a few months of the year during the short early summer shearing period. The department is also aware of the role that shearers and sheep farmers from countries such as Australia and New Zealand have provided in sharing skills and expertise with UK sheep farmers as well as in supporting the health and welfare of the UK flock. Defra continues to work closely with the industry in addressing the challenges they face and to encourage the continued promotion, take up, and delivery of British Wool’s programme to deliver training for domestic sheep shearers. In each of the last five years (2021-2025) British Wool has invested an average of £134,000 net costs in providing shearing training for between 798 and 898 people at skill levels ranging from beginners through to highly proficient commercial shearers.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending business rates relief to community pharmacies.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.In the Autumn Budget 2025, the Government took the hard choices to protect the NHS in England and continue to prioritise reducing waiting times. We have also stepped in to cap bills and help businesses, as part of a £4.3 billion support package.This year, we have also increased funding to community pharmacies to almost £3.1 billion, the largest uplift in funding for any part of the NHS across 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Any consideration of reimbursement of business rates for pharmacy contractors would be considered as part of this consultation, as with other providers.The Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27 shortly.

What steps his Department has taken to negotiate a data sharing agreement with the EU to access doctor malpractice data held on the Internal Market Information system.

Government officials recently met with the United Kingdom professional regulator of doctors, the General Medical Council (GMC), to discuss what more could be done to strengthen and improve the exchange of information between the GMC and other UK healthcare professional regulators, and their European Union counterparts. We are committed to a constructive relationship with Europe and will continue to identify areas where closer collaboration is mutually beneficial, including improving information sharing and strengthening health security. The UK has not had recent discussions on the Internal Market Information system with the EU, although the Department is exploring options to further support UK healthcare professional regulators to unblock data sharing barriers.

Whether he will publish any correspondence sent to EU officials proposing a data sharing agreement to access doctor malpractice data from the IMI system.

Government officials recently met with the United Kingdom professional regulator of doctors, the General Medical Council (GMC), to discuss what more could be done to strengthen and improve the exchange of information between the GMC and other UK healthcare professional regulators, and their European Union counterparts. We are committed to a constructive relationship with Europe and will continue to identify areas where closer collaboration is mutually beneficial, including improving information sharing and strengthening health security. The UK has not had recent discussions on the Internal Market Information system with the EU, although the Department is exploring options to further support UK healthcare professional regulators to unblock data sharing barriers.

What discussions his Department has had with the EU regarding access to doctor malpractice data through the Internal Market Information system.

Government officials recently met with the United Kingdom professional regulator of doctors, the General Medical Council (GMC), to discuss what more could be done to strengthen and improve the exchange of information between the GMC and other UK healthcare professional regulators, and their European Union counterparts. We are committed to a constructive relationship with Europe and will continue to identify areas where closer collaboration is mutually beneficial, including improving information sharing and strengthening health security. The UK has not had recent discussions on the Internal Market Information system with the EU, although the Department is exploring options to further support UK healthcare professional regulators to unblock data sharing barriers.

What steps his Department is taking to encourage community organisations, schools, and workplaces in Farnham and Bordon to register their Automated External Defibrillators on the Circuit Defibrillator Network.

In order to increase survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest NHS England has worked in partnership with St John’s Ambulance and others to increase access to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. Local ambulance trusts, charities, including St John’s Ambulance and the British Heart Foundation, and private providers deliver CPR training and training on the use of defibrillators both in the community and in schools, under the Restart a Heart programme.The Government’s position is that local communities, including in Farnham and Bordon, are best placed to make decisions about procuring, locating, and maintaining automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Over 110,000 defibrillators are registered in the United Kingdom on The Circuit, the independent AED database. Over 30,000 of these have been added in the past two years, many as a result of local community led action.It is not uncommon for charities supplying defibrillators through a fund to require those defibrillators to be registered on The Circuit. Defibrillator charities also promote The Circuit on their website.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) increase survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and (b) increase the availability of defibrillators in Farnham and Bordon.

In order to increase survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest NHS England has worked in partnership with St John’s Ambulance and others to increase access to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. Local ambulance trusts, charities, including St John’s Ambulance and the British Heart Foundation, and private providers deliver CPR training and training on the use of defibrillators both in the community and in schools, under the Restart a Heart programme.The Government’s position is that local communities, including in Farnham and Bordon, are best placed to make decisions about procuring, locating, and maintaining automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Over 110,000 defibrillators are registered in the United Kingdom on The Circuit, the independent AED database. Over 30,000 of these have been added in the past two years, many as a result of local community led action.It is not uncommon for charities supplying defibrillators through a fund to require those defibrillators to be registered on The Circuit. Defibrillator charities also promote The Circuit on their website.

What guidance and support are provided to schools to meet basic first aid requirements in the curriculum, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator awareness.

I refer the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon to the answer provided on 26 February 2026 to Question 111782.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential risk to public safety arising from the publication of sensitive information relating to the physical security of properties on local authority planning registers.

My Department has made no such assessment.

What plans his Department has to develop a definition of health warning for the purposes of alcohol labelling reforms.

The recently published National Cancer Plan reiterated the commitment made in Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.Department officials are currently exploring and assessing the potential options for and impacts of delivering this policy commitment, which includes reviewing all available and emerging evidence, and considering stakeholder feedback, having just completed a round of stakeholder engagement.The Department is working towards opening a consultation in late 2026, setting out the options under consideration, for the public and business to respond to.

Whether mandatory alcohol labelling requirements will apply to both on‑trade and off‑trade settings.

The recently published National Cancer Plan reiterated the commitment made in Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.Department officials are currently exploring and assessing the potential options for and impacts of delivering this policy commitment, which includes reviewing all available and emerging evidence, and considering stakeholder feedback, having just completed a round of stakeholder engagement.The Department is working towards opening a consultation in late 2026, setting out the options under consideration, for the public and business to respond to.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed mandatory alcohol labelling reforms on producers, small businesses, supply chains and exporters.

The recently published National Cancer Plan reiterated the commitment made in Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.Department officials are currently exploring and assessing the potential options for and impacts of delivering this policy commitment, which includes reviewing all available and emerging evidence, and considering stakeholder feedback, having just completed a round of stakeholder engagement.The Department is working towards opening a consultation in late 2026, setting out the options under consideration, for the public and business to respond to.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care when he plans to publish draft designs for mandatory alcohol health warnings; and what his planned timetable is for (a) consultation on and (b) the implementation of those warnings.

In Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to strengthening and expanding existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages. The plan can be accessed online at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-futureThe Department is working towards opening a consultation in late 2026, setting out the options under consideration, for the public and businesses to respond to. The consultation will be prepared in line with guidance on seeking collective agreement across Government departments.

Including for long‑lifecycle products such as wine.

The recently published National Cancer Plan reiterated the commitment made in Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.Department officials are currently exploring and assessing the potential options for and impacts of delivering this policy commitment, which includes reviewing all available and emerging evidence, and considering stakeholder feedback, having just completed a round of stakeholder engagement.The Department is working towards opening a consultation in late 2026, setting out the options under consideration, for the public and business to respond to.