Every parliamentary written question tabled by Joe Robertson this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 641–660 of 1,017 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 26631 on WRAP, if he will publish the contract or memorandum of understanding between his Department and WRAP that provides the basis for his Department funding WRAP.
Details of the WRAP grant agreement are published on the Grants register held on GOV.UK. The WRAP grant agreement details the purpose and objectives of the grant, standard terms and conditions, performance monitoring and financial assurance.
What discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on health technology assessment methods for evaluating novel therapies for Alzheimer's disease.
Department officials have regular discussions with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of topics, including its health technology assessment methods.The NICE develops its guidance independently on the basis of an assessment of the available evidence, in line with its published health technology evaluation manual. The NICE keeps its methods and processes under review to ensure that they are appropriate to emerging new treatments and aligned with best practice.The NICE has established a Health Technology Assessment Innovation Laboratory (HTA Lab) that aims to address the challenges that may arise in the assessment of innovative health technologies.The NICE’s HTA Lab carried out a project to identify the key issues that are likely to emerge during the evaluation of the disease modifying treatments for dementia, including those licensed for Alzheimer’s disease. The project concluded that the NICE’s current approach and methods are appropriate for evaluating these treatments. The report is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/about/what-we-do/our-research-work/hta-lab-projects#dmdts
Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28295 on Wood-burning Stoves: Health Hazards, what the (a) terms of reference and (b) timetable is of his Department’s review of options for reducing emissions from domestic burning.
The Government is committed to taking action to clean up our air and protecting the public from the harm of pollution. Domestic solid fuel burning accounted for 20% of PM2.5 emissions in 2023, with indoor wood burning accounting for 11% of total PM2.5. The Government concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) and published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025. Later in 2025 we will publish a revised Environmental Improvement Plan, to protect and restore our natural environment. It will be a clearer, prioritised plan for achieving environmental outcomes, including improving air quality through action on PM2.5.
What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Innovative Medicines Fund in providing access to non-cancer medicines.
The Innovative Medicines Fund was launched in June 2022, building on the successful Cancer Drugs Fund and supporting patient access to the most promising new medicines while further evidence is collected on their use to address clinical uncertainty.Since the fund’s establishment in June 2022, over 1,050 patients have been registered to receive treatment with 16 products treating 16 different conditions. NHS England has made interim funding available via the fund for 14 products, and two products have been recommended for managed access across three indications in the fund.A high proportion of topics assessed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as having potential for managed access have gone on to secure a positive recommendation for routine commissioning, bypassing the need for further data collection and reappraisal through the fund. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s overall approval rate for non-cancer medicines is very high, with 88% of all of medicines it has evaluated recommended for National Health Service funding for some of or all the eligible patient population.
How many non-cancer medicines have been approved for use by the Innovative Medicines Fund in each year since June 2022.
The following table shows the number of non-cancer medicines that have been approved for use by the Innovative Medicines Fund, broken down by those available via managed access agreements and interim funding agreements:YearManaged accessInterim funding2022/23--2023/24-42024/25310Source: NHS England.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s overall approval rate for non-cancer medicines is very high, with 88% of all of medicines it has evaluated recommended for National Health Service funding for some or all of the eligible patient population.
Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 32576 on Fires: Air Pollution, whether WRAP has made an assessment of the potential impact of the burning of household rubbish in the gardens of residential properties on air pollution.
WRAP has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the burning of household rubbish in the gardens of residential properties on air pollution. However, the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) includes estimates of existing emissions from burning household waste and garden waste outdoors.
Pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 40054, what the total staff time spent on the redesign of the Great British Energy logo was.
As per my answer to Question 40054, Great British Energy’s logo was created in-house and with government resources. However, since the staff involved were not recruited specifically to design the logo a detailed breakdown of the time and costs involved is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. I can however assure the hon Member that the Government is committed to ensuring that staff resources are used efficiently and effectively.
Which coroner jurisdictions have the longest inquest wait times; and what steps she is taking to bring them in line with national averages.
The requested information is available in, or can be extrapolated from, the Coroner Statistics 2023 which are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023. Statistics for 2024 will be published on 08 May 2025.The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, Local Authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.
What the average waiting times are for coroner inquests in each region.
The requested information is available in, or can be extrapolated from, the Coroner Statistics 2023 which are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023. Statistics for 2024 will be published on 08 May 2025.The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, Local Authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.
Pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 40054, what the total salary cost was for the staff engaged in the redesign of the Great British Energy logo from commission to delivery.
As per my answer to Question 40054, Great British Energy’s logo was created in-house and with government resources. However, since the staff involved were not recruited specifically to design the logo a detailed breakdown of the time and costs involved is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. I can however assure the hon Member that the Government is committed to ensuring that staff resources are used efficiently and effectively.
Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40570 on Ministers: Aviation and to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36276 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, which (a) Ministers and (b) Departments are eligible to procure official helicopter travel under the provisions of the Central Cabinet Office Corporate Travel Agency Contract other than the Ministry of Defence.
The Central Cabinet Office Corporate Travel Agency Contract contains provisions for the booking of aviation assets for any government department or minister, in accordance with the Ministerial Code. This contract has not been utilised for helicopter travel by this government.
Whether his Department has produced an impact assessment on the potential impact of reducing the proportion of the NHS budget allocated to mental health services.
For 2025/26, mental health spending is forecast to amount to £15.6 billion. This represents a significant spending uplift of £320 million in real terms on mental health compared to the previous financial year.In addition, integrated care boards are forecast to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard over the 2025/26 financial year, meaning that local health services will invest a greater share of their budgets into frontline mental health services.No formal impact assessment has been made, as mental health spending is forecast to be almost exactly the same as it was for 2024/25, with a small reduction of just 0.07% in the share of recurrent National Health Service spending for 2025/26. This change is driven by additional investment in the NHS to support elective recovery, and by investment to improve general practice and pharmacy services and meet the rising costs of new medicines and medical devices.
Whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment on energy payments to gas fired electricity generators during the winter period December 2024 to February 2025.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has not conducted a formal impact assessment on energy payments to gas fired electricity generators during the winter period December 2024 to February 2025. The Government is working closely with Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator to ensure the Balancing Mechanism, a tool that ensures electricity supply meets demand in real-time, remains competitive and transparent. The Government continues to monitor the Capacity Market - the main tool for ensuring continued security of electricity supply - making improvements where necessary to ensure it remains fit for purpose.
How frequently his Department reviews initial compliance cost estimates in impact assessments.
Sections 28–31 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 set the legislative requirements for the inclusion of statutory review provisions in secondary legislation, including that a report of the first review must be published within five years of the relevant legislation's commencement date and subsequent reports published at intervals not exceeding five years. In the absence of a review provision, the post-implementation review statutory guidance made under section 31 of the act states that policies should still be subject to proportionate monitoring, evaluation and non-statutory review, where appropriate.
What methodology his Department uses to identify potentially unnecessary regulations.
The government is reforming the regulatory landscape because it is not functioning as effectively as it should. Officials in the Department for Business and Trade are working with colleagues across government and have undertaken extensive engagement with businesses, think tanks and other key stakeholders to identify regulatory barriers to economic growth across the Industrial Strategy growth-driving sectors. In particular, this work is being informed by responses to the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, so we are hearing directly from as many stakeholders as possible. These reforms will be published in due course as part of the Industrial Strategy.
What discussions he has had with representatives from the community equipment sector on the potential impact of costs on service availability and patient access.
At the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over financial years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 will be set through phase two of the Spending Review, which will conclude and be published in June 2025.The rise in employer National Insurance contributions (ENIC) will be implemented from April 2025, and NHS England has published planning guidance setting out the funding available to integrated care boards and the overall approach to funding for National Health Service providers in the next financial year, which takes account of a variety of pay and non-pay factors and pressures on providers of secondary healthcare. The NHS Payment Scheme is equally applicable to NHS and non-NHS providers of secondary healthcare, and published national prices include an estimate of ENIC costs.Local NHS procuring authorities, whether integrated care boards or NHS providers, are responsible for discussing and agreeing contracts with community equipment providers, which will take into account the resources available to them. Economic growth is the Government’s number one mission, and the Government supports businesses to invest, grow, and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. To support the growth mission, the Government is driving forward work to implement a modern Industrial Strategy, to reset trade relations, to support small business, and to deliver a new deal for working people.
What estimate she has made of the total value of the (a) VAT zero-rating and (b) Insurance Premium Tax concession applied to vehicles (i) purchased or (ii) leased as part of the Motability Scheme from the most recent data available.
HMRC’s published tax relief statistics provide an estimate of the cost of the Zero Rate of VAT for Vehicles and other supplies to disabled people (vehicles only) of £1,210 million in 2023-24, see Non-structural tax reliefs - GOV.UK. Most of this cost represents vehicles in the Motability scheme, but it also includes other sales of adapted vehicles to disabled people.
Whether his Department has identified international trade compliance obligations for (a) simplification and (b) removal.
This Government's central mission is economic growth, with trade being a core part of that Mission. The Trade Strategy sets out a clear plan to maximise trade opportunities now and in the future. The Trade Strategy is grounded in the realities of the context in which we are operating and provides practical tools to support businesses to trade and drive growth both in the current context and in the future. It will primarily focus on the ways that trade is changing and how the UK can take a forward-facing approach to upcoming challenges.
Whether his Department plans to require routine independent assessments of regulatory costs.
Assessments of regulatory costs that departments produce as part of the options assessments for major regulatory provisions within the scope of the Better Regulation Framework are subject to independent scrutiny by the Regulatory Policy Committee. On 13 March, the Prime Minister issued a new target for the government to cut the costs of regulation to business. This target for government departments and regulators will lead to less red tape and greater economic growth. The government will bring forward its plans to meet the target and its method for assessing progress towards it later this year.
What accountability measures exist for civil servants producing regulatory impact assessments.
When producing regulatory impact assessments, the government expects all civil servants to adhere to published guidance including the Better Regulation Framework and HM Treasury Green Book. All civil servants involved in the production of impact assessments are subject to the standards of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality set out in the Civil Service Code and are held to account principally through their relevant performance management framework.