Written questions by Opher.

What steps his Department is taking to meet the Climate Change Committee’s proposed health targets for a well-adapted UK.

Awaiting answer.

Whether her Department plans to produce its own climate adaptation strategy to address the impact of extreme weather on (a) education and (b) infrastructure.

Awaiting answer.

Whether chiropractic integrated Master’s degree programmes currently eligible for Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding at Levels 4–6 will be considered for inclusion in the Additional Priority Entitlement.

Awaiting answer.

If he has considered the potential merits of provision for cure to prevention workstreams and the role of social prescribing in formulating the 10 Year Workforce Plan.

The Government is committed to taking a preventive approach to improve health and address health inequalities. We are determined to improve people’s physical and mental health to support them to live longer and healthier lives, and we recognise the role t...

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a national framework for action for creative health.

In Autumn 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care identified a policy lead for Creative Health. They are now working with partners including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Arts Council England, and the National Centre for Creative Hea...

If she will set out a timeline for the implementation of regulations regarding cosmetic procedures.

In August 2025, the Government announced its plans to introduce legal restrictions which will ensure that the highest risk cosmetic procedures are brought into Care Quality Commission regulation and can only be performed by specified regulated healthcare ...

Whether she will consider the potential merits of aligning biochar with other zero rated soil improvers for VAT classification.

There is no specific VAT relief that applies to soil improvers. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s third largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26. Ta...

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve the enforceability of s106 agreements.

Section 106 agreements are legal agreements. Local planning authorities may take enforcement action in respect of any breach of the obligations contained within them. Enforcement is at the discretion of the local planning authority and it is therefore for...

If the Lifelong Learning Entitlement Loan will be extended to those studying chiropractic at a Masters Level Degree.

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will replace and transform the existing student finance system for higher education at Levels 4 to 6. When launched, it will support individuals to learn, upskill and retrain across their working lives.Those wishing...

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting list times for mental health services.

The Government expects waiting times to reduce over time as reforms take effect. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, this will be supported by expanding the workforce, improving productivity, investing in digitally enabled therapies, and introducing ne...

If NHS England will launch a national procurement for the provision of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia.

NHS England is considering the most appropriate approach to supporting access to digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. Any future commercial activity will be undertaken in line with applicable procurement legislation and associated transpare...

When he plans to bring forward regulatory changes to allow homes and smaller businesses to buy power directly from local renewable energy schemes run by community co-operatives or other not-f

The Government recognises the role of community energy in delivering net zero and is working with Ofgem to address regulatory barriers, including routes to market. Through delivering on commitments in the Local Power Plan, we are working with Great Britis...

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the updated School Food Standards reflect the latest scientific evidence on nutrition.

We are committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. The School Food Standards are being updated because they are over a decade old and no longer fully reflect the latest scientific advice on children’s diets. In summary, the changes we propose to ...

What steps he is taking to help increase the production of domestic clean power.

Since we published the Clean Power Action Plan in December 2024, we are reforming the electricity market through our REMA decision on national pricing, delivered the most successful renewables auction in history with AR7 adding a record-breaking 8.4 gigaw...

What proportion of GPs have left each ICB in the last 12 months.

Thanks to actions taken by this Government, we have the highest number of fully qualified general practitioners (GPs) since 2015, and steps are being taken to grow the GP workforce further. The national leaver rate was 7.8% in the period covering March 2025 to March 2026. The table below shows the proportion of fully qualified GPs who have left each integrated care board, and the total change in full-time equivalent (FTE) fully qualified GPs employed by practices from March 2025 to March 2026. ICB NameHeadcount leaver rateChange in FTE fully qualified GPs employed by practicesNHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB7.6%12NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB6.8%20NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB9.5%1NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB10.3%47NHS North West London ICB7.3%1NHS South West London ICB7.5%22NHS Devon ICB6.6%25NHS Gloucestershire ICB7.4%2NHS Dorset ICB7.5%-2NHS Sussex ICB6.3%25NHS Hampshire and Isle Of Wight ICB7.5%47NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB7.7%71NHS Lincolnshire ICB14.1%-7NHS Black Country ICB7.1%12NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB7.7%12NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB8.8%12NHS Greater Manchester ICB6.8%62NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB8.2%12NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB10.2%-5NHS West Yorkshire ICB5.0%26NHS South East London ICB9.2%14NHS North Central London ICB7.1%25NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB7.0%10NHS Somerset ICB11.0%1NHS Kent and Medway ICB8.2%53NHS Frimley ICB9.5%22NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB7.7%69NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB9.1%-5NHS Northamptonshire ICB8.2%6NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB7.2%0NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB7.1%-6NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB8.1%26NHS North East London ICB7.7%1NHS Cornwall and The Isles Of Scilly ICB8.4%-5NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB4.6%8NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB9.7%-3NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB6.7%0NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB9.6%1NHS Mid and South Essex ICB7.9%-13NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB8.8%-7NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB6.7%26NHS South Yorkshire ICB8.4%6 Notes:data does not include estimates for practices that did not provide fully valid staff records;data does not include GPs employed in primary care networks;data does not include GPs who moved from one ICB to another during the reporting period;the headcount percentage of GPs leaving is calculated based on the period in which the GP last appeared. It indicates the percentage of the cohort workforce that left the cohort prior to the next data extract; andleavers are GPs whose identifying information was present in the relevant dataset at the beginning but not at the end of the specified time period.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is she taking to improve food security.

The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. Food security is a core national priority. Resilience is strengthened by strong domestic production - producing 65% of the food we eat, and diverse import sources through stable trade routes. The Government is supporting the food sector by investing £11.8bn this Parliament to support sustainable farming and domestic food production.

Media and Sport, with reference to Written Statement HCWS1273, made on 27 January 2026, whether she plans to allocate some of the £400m grassroots sports funding to lidos.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to swimming facilities, including lidos, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and play an important role within communities. I was pleased to respond to the recent Westminster Hall debate on this issue. In June last year, we committed £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, over the next four years. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

What steps his Department is taking to identify, review and publish departmental records relevant to Government policy in Palestine.

The Cabinet Office manages its departmental records in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Act 1958. Section 3 of the Act sets out the provisions for selecting and preserving public records. The government does not routinely comment on petitions.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of making a formal public response to the petition dated September 2025 on the United Kingdom’s historical role in Palestine.

The Cabinet Office manages its departmental records in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Act 1958. Section 3 of the Act sets out the provisions for selecting and preserving public records. The government does not routinely comment on petitions.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has issued guidance to local authorities undergoing Local Government Reorganisation on the transfer or sale of assets to community groups.

During the local government reorganisation process, councils are expected to continue to operate on a business-as-usual basis. Assets and liabilities remain locally managed by councils until reorganisation is complete. Decisions about the disposal or transfer of assets, including to community or voluntary groups, are matters for individual local authorities to determine. The Government has issued explanatory guidance to councils undergoing local government reorganisation on financial and asset‑related decision making and has been clear that councils should take a responsible approach to such decisions and avoid actions that could jeopardise the financial sustainability of successor authorities.