Every parliamentary written question tabled by Joshua Reynolds this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 161–180 of 410 · this parliament
How many times NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group Prioritisation meeting happens each year; and when the next meeting will be.
NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) meets monthly to consider policy and service specifications that are categorised as cost saving or cost neutral. CPAG prioritisation meetings are held annually. The next prioritisation meeting is planned for spring 2026.
Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish its response to the consultation entitled Amending the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown schedule, published on 5 November 2025.
Information submitted through the consultation, which closed on 17 December 2024, is being used to inform our consideration of next steps. A response and an outline of next steps will be published on GOV.UK in due course. Other regulatory changes may be considered in the future in relation to fluorinated gases (which include hydrofluorocarbons). The UK Government, in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Governments, is committed to further exploring areas for reform considered out of scope of last year’s consultation. This includes assessing the situation regarding training on alternatives to fluorinated gases.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to review the proposed timelines to implement the safety measures required for the transition to alternative refrigerants with flammability or toxicity characteristics in the consultation entitled Amending the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown schedule, published on 5 November 2025.
Information submitted through the consultation, which closed on 17 December 2024, is being used to inform our consideration of next steps. A response and an outline of next steps will be published on GOV.UK in due course. Other regulatory changes may be considered in the future in relation to fluorinated gases (which include hydrofluorocarbons). The UK Government, in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Governments, is committed to further exploring areas for reform considered out of scope of last year’s consultation. This includes assessing the situation regarding training on alternatives to fluorinated gases.
What support his Department is providing to small and medium-sized exporters to maintain tariff relief secured under the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.
It was this government that got the first trade deal with the US, protecting British jobs and saving people money. We remain the only country to have secured a 10% tariff on cars within quota, agreed a 0% tariff on pharmaceutical exports to the US, and avoided the 50% global steel and aluminium tariff.The Department for Business and Trade has integrated its support for SMEs in a single, accessible place – the Business Growth Service – designed to help businesses across the UK start, scale, and succeed globally. UK businesses can access guidance on exporting, including to the US, via business.gov.uk.
If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the UK-US Pharmaceuticals Deal concluded in December 2025 on (a) NHS procurement costs and (b) consumer access to affordable medicines before any provisions of that Deal take effect.
There are no current plans to publish an impact assessment or modelling on the United Kingdom and United States’ pharmaceutical trade deal. Further detail on the deal will be shared in due course.Tens of thousands of National Health Service patients will benefit from this deal, which will secure and expand access to vital drugs, and thereby safeguard our medicines supply chain.Costs will start smaller but will increase over time as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approves more life improving and lifesaving medicines. Total costs over the Spending Review period are expected to be approximately £1 billion. The final costs will depend on which medicines NICE recommends and the actual uptake of these.This deal is a vital investment that builds on the strength of our NHS and world leading life sciences sector, without taking essential funding from our frontline NHS services.
What plans he has to provide Parliament with the opportunity to scrutinise the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal before its provisions take effect.
Any final agreement will be scrutinised by Parliament in line with established procedures. Any primary or secondary legislation required to implement an agreement will also be subject to standard legislative procedures.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of trade negotiations with the United States under the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal on UK food safety standards of agriculture provision.
On 8 May 2025, the UK Government announced a landmark economic deal with the US that included new reciprocal market access on beef – giving UK farmers a guaranteed quota for 13,000 metric tonnes of beef exports. All food imports into the UK, including those agreed with the US, must comply with all of the UK’s import requirements, including sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules. Decisions on food safety standards are always made in the interest of protecting human, animal or plant life or health in the UK.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in English language requirements to B2 level on Hong Kong families using the British National (Overseas) visa route where household members have varying levels of educational attainment.
The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. An impact assessment will be developed alongside the finalised policy and published in due course.In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply, including the current B1 English language requirement.
Whether her Department is taking steps to introduce a national awareness campaign as part of the new Road Safety Strategy.
Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Government’s THINK! road safety campaign delivers paid advertising to change attitudes and behaviours among those at most risk on the road, currently focused on the priority issues of speed, drink driving and drug driving. THINK! campaigns will play a key role in encouraging safer road user behaviours to support delivery of the strategy. This will include paid campaign activity to raise awareness of any potential significant changes to road safety legislation, with the introduction of these potential changes also supported by wider communications including via DfT social channels and GOV.UK, media engagement and partner and stakeholder networks. As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the Government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the Government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.
If she will take steps to ensure that community gyms and fitness facilities are not excluded from business rates relief schemes designed to support retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.
The Government is introducing new permanently lower business rates tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000.On 16 October 2025, the Government published legislation and accompanying guidance detailing the eligibility criteria for the new multipliers. To ensure the new tax rates are appropriately targeted, only properties that are wholly or mainly used for providing RHL activity (as defined in legislation) to visiting members of the public are eligible for the new multipliers.This includes community gyms and fitness facilities with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. Further details on what is meant by “visiting members of the public” can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.
What the process is for evaluating new medical devices for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain conditions for use in the NHS.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusions on the market in the United Kingdom are safe, effective, and manufactured to the highest standards of quality. The Medical Devices Regulations 2002 (MDR 2002) established the statutory framework that medical devices must meet in order to comply with these standards. All medical devices, including those used for treatment of chronic neuropathic pain conditions, must comply with the MDR 2002, which include bearing the UKCA or CE marking on the packaging or labelling of the device. Manufacturers or their United Kingdom based representatives must monitor use of these devices when used in the UK. The MHRA does not grant clearance or approval for medical devices, outside of exceptional circumstances. The manufacturer holds the legal responsibility for obtaining the necessary certification and registering their medical devices with MHRA, the UK competent authority. Higher risk medical devices are assessed and approved by Approved Bodies in the UK or Notified Bodies in the European Union. The MHRA is not responsible for the procurement aspects of the NHS organisations, as that is outside the MHRA’s remit.
If she will publish the TA 501 safety assessment and Scheme Appraisal Report for the removal of motorway lighting on the M4 between junctions 8 and 12; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the TA 501 methodology is applied transparently where safety infrastructure is removed.
National Highways has a thorough, consistent and documented approach to the management of construction schemes. National Highways assessed the removal of lighting on the M4 between junctions 8 and 12 using TA49/07, which was the assessment tool before TA 501 was published in March 2020. National Highways has published the M4 J3-J8/9 and J10-J12 Road Safety Lighting Review, which included a summary of the personal injury collision data for the 5 years prior to the removal of lighting. Road casualty statistics and the underlying data are published annually by the Department for Transport.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of motorway lighting removal on the M4 between junctions 8 and 12 on road safety; and if she will publish Personal Injury Collision data for that area (a) since lighting was removed and (b) for the five years prior to removal.
National Highways has a thorough, consistent and documented approach to the management of construction schemes. National Highways assessed the removal of lighting on the M4 between junctions 8 and 12 using TA49/07, which was the assessment tool before TA 501 was published in March 2020. National Highways has published the M4 J3-J8/9 and J10-J12 Road Safety Lighting Review, which included a summary of the personal injury collision data for the 5 years prior to the removal of lighting. Road casualty statistics and the underlying data are published annually by the Department for Transport.
Whether NICE has been asked to evaluate Scrambler Therapy for the treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not been asked to evaluate scrambler therapy for complex regional pain syndrome. Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process and under this process, decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by an integrated, cross-organisational Prioritisation Board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer. The Prioritisation Board has been made aware of scrambler therapy, and the topic is likely to be considered by the board in the first quarter of 2026. Any decision or updates will appear on the prioritisation pages of the NICE website in due course, with further information available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/what-nice-does/our-guidance/prioritising-our-guidance-topics
If she will review arrangements allowing academies to act as admissions authorities, particularly for children who (a) live within a school’s designated catchment area but do not attend a primary school operated by the school’s sponsoring trust and (b) attend a trust‑run primary school outside the catchment area receiving higher priority for admission; and what steps she is taking to ensure that admissions policies do not disadvantage local children.
Admission arrangements are set and applied locally. Provided they are lawful and comply with the School Admissions Code, it is for the school’s admissions authority to decide what criteria to set, as long as they are fair, clear and objective.Admission authorities may choose to give priority to children living within a designated catchment area or those attending named feeder schools, however, these must be clearly defined and made on reasonable grounds.Admission authorities must consult locally before making any changes to their admission arrangements, or at least once every seven years, to ensure they continue to meet local need.Once a school’s admission arrangements have been determined, anyone who believes they are unfair or unlawful may submit an objection to the Schools Adjudicator. Where the Adjudicator finds that a school’s admission arrangements are unfair or unlawful, they must be revised.
What criteria his Department is using to assess the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's compensation recommendations for women born in the 1950s affected by State Pension age changes; and whether he will publish the full methodology and evidence considered before announcing his final decision.
The Secretary of State announced in his oral statement of 11 November 2025 that we will retake the decision made in December 2024 as it relates to the communications on State Pension age. Retaking the decision should not be taken as an indication that Government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress. The process to retake the decision is underway and it is important that we give this full and proper consideration. We will update Parliament on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached and on 2 December 2025 we committed to re-take the decision within three months.
What progress has been made on the review of compensation for women born in the 1950s affected by State Pension age changes; and when the review will conclude.
The Secretary of State announced in his oral statement of 11 November 2025 that we will retake the decision made in December 2024 as it relates to the communications on State Pension age. Retaking the decision should not be taken as an indication that Government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress. The process to retake the decision is underway and it is important that we give this full and proper consideration. We will update Parliament on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached and on 2 December 2025 we committed to re-take the decision within three months.
What steps her Department is taking to incorporate equestrian safety guidance into the driving theory test.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards (DVSA) driver theory test already contains questions relating to equestrian safety, and has done for many years.DVSA has recognised the need to promote the recognition of hazards by drivers when sharing the road with horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. These are well represented within the hazard perception part of the test, a CGI video test which requires candidates to identify developing hazards on the road in good time.Both the multiple choice and hazard perception parts of the theory test are continually being updated and added to, with one of the focuses being on vulnerable road users such as horse riders.
What assessment he has made of the types of trade barriers faced by Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises when exporting to the UK; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce regulatory and customs friction for Canadian exporters following the UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
My Department is committed to supporting British exporters, including by ensuring they can trade under CPTPP terms with Canada as soon as possible.UK businesses will benefit from the CPTPP Customs Chapter, which promotes efficient, consistent, transparent, and predictable customs procedures, while also allowing Parties to maintain effective customs control. CPTPP members have also committed to updating and enhancing the customs Chapter, as set out within the General Review Report in the CPTPP Ministerial Joint Statement, November 2025.These enhancements will apply to the UK-Canada relationship once CPTPP enters into force between our countries, which should be later this year.
What steps will be taken to implement the recommendations of the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group.
In line with the commitment made between our Prime Ministers in June 2025, the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group met over the course of last year in order to identify ways in which the UK and Canada can deepen cooperation, tackle market access barriers and grow our bilateral trading relationship, which was worth £30bn in the 12 months to June 2025. The Working Group has identified a number of priority bilateral workstreams for 2026, including updating the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement’s Rules of Origin, and deepening cooperation on critical minerals, carbon border measures, economic security, and defence procurement and trade.The joint report for Prime Ministers itself is subject to ongoing discussions with the Government of Canada, and will be finalised in due course.