Written questions by Ramsay.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of comments made by US President Trump about Gaza on the current schedule for the release of hostages under the Gaza ceasefire.

The new US administration played an integral role in negotiating the ceasefire agreement, alongside Qatar and Egypt. The Prime Minister reiterated his thanks for these efforts in his call with President Trump on 26 January. The government will continue to work with the US to sustain the fragile ceasefire, ensure that all the hostages are released, increase the supply of aid, and break the ongoing cycle of violence in pursuit of a permanent, sustainable peace. As the Foreign Secretary has emphasised, we continue to call for the immediate release of all hostages

What notice general dental practice contract holders will receive on changes to the new patient premium; and what the Government's policy is on notifying contract holders of changes to their contractual arrangements.

Any changes made to the New Patient Premium will require directions from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. If any changes are agreed, contract holders will be notified by integrated care boards via NHS England.

Whether he plans to extend the New Patient Premium scheme.

The Government has no plans to extend the New Patient Premium scheme. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) its arms length bodies have made of the potential impact of the Water Industry National Environment Programme on carbon emissions.

Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 (PR24) on 19 December, which included a confirmed £104 billion of water company expenditure between 2025 and 2030. £24 billion will be invested to improve the environment and Ofwat have confirmed this will put the sector on track to meet net zero targets by 2050. For the period between 2025-2030, Ofwat have provided percentage estimates of the emissions reductions water companies are expected to deliver. These can be found within Ofwat's publicly available PR24 company specific documents available on their website: Final determinations in the 2024 price review - Ofwat. Water companies will report on the emission reductions from schemes, using real time data to demonstrate the impact. Ofwat have also introduced price control deliverables (PCDs) for PR24 – a financial incentive mechanism to incentivise companies to deliver projects on time, and if projects are not delivered, funding is returned to customers. This includes a PCD on climate change resilience to incentivise delivery by companies.

What steps he is taking to ensure that (a) hospitals and (b) other publicly owned healthcare settings are compliant with the UK Health Security Agency guidance entitled Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace, updated on 10 June 2022.

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008: Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Infections, NHS England health and social care providers are required to implement measures that protect patients, residents, and staff while providing assurance to trust boards regarding infection risks and outcomes. This obligation extends to the application of national pathogen-specific guidance, including the UK Health Security Agency’s Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/reducing-the-spread-of-respiratory-infections-including-covid-19-in-the-workplaceThe Code of practice outlines 10 criteria used to assess how registered providers meet regulatory requirements for infection prevention and control, including cleanliness.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to roll out mandatory water efficiency labelling.

On 5 September 2024, the Secretary of State reaffirmed the Government’s intention to rollout a Mandatory Water Efficiency Label (MWEL). We will introduce the MWEL in the UK via Secondary Legislation under Section 52 and Schedule 6 of the Environment Act 2...

Communities and Local Government, if she will include in the National Planning Policy Framework requirements for local authorities to make an assessment of the potential impact of proposed housing developments on

Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new water and sewage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of Water Resource Management Plans and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans.The w...

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps under the National Planning Policy Framework to increase protections for (a) chalk streams and (b) ancient woodlands.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, which can include ancient woodland and chalk streams, should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and ...

Whether, under amendments to the Government’s business models for the (a) Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT) and (b) Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) projects, money has been (i) ringfenced fo

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has not ringfenced or committed any funds for compensation related to the entities or matters outlined in the question.Net Zero Teesside’s Development Consent Order (DCO), determined in February 2024, remain...

What progress he has made on outlining the clinical scope of the (a) role and (b) duties undertaken by (i) physician and (ii) anaesthesia associates.

On 20 November 2024, the Government announced that it had commissioned an independent review of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs), led by Professor Gillian Leng CBE. The review will consider the safety of the roles, and their con...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to update the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016.

Work is underway across Defra and the Drinking Water Inspectorate to consider potential updates to the Schedules in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 to ensure drinking water quality in England continues to remain exceptionally high. This ...

If she will include section 17(5) of the Environment Act 2021 in the Green Book.

Ministers of the Crown have a legal duty to have due regard to the environmental principles policy statement when making policy, in line with section 19 of the Environment Act 2021. This is made clear on the Green Book webpage and will be reflected in the...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to consult on Part G of the building regulations to improve water efficiency standards.

The Government is committed to enabling homes to be water efficient as part of the statutory Water Demand Target under the Environment Act 2021, to reduce the use of public water supply by 20% by 2037/38. The target is underpinned by a commitment to lower...

Whether legal costs associated with the case between the General Medical Council (GMC) and Anaesthetists United, regarding regulation of Physician and Anaesthesia Associates will be paid for by the

The Government is funding the General Medical Council (GMC) to undertake the work required to introduce regulations for Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs), to avoid doctors paying for this through their registrant fees. A longstan...

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 901299 on Long Covid: Health Services, what strategies he recently discussed with stakeholders to stimulate further research into treatments f

On 17 October 2024, I co-chaired a roundtable of researchers and people with lived experience to discuss long COVID research. I highlighted the importance of research in supporting this community, as well as recognising the significant burden of disease. ...

Whether he has had discussions with public health stakeholders on ventilation in publicly provided spaces to assess (a) transmission of airborne diseases and (b) air quality; and if he will take st

The Chief Medical Officer’s 2022 annual report on air pollution highlighted indoor air quality as a significant issue for public health. The Department engages both across Government and externally on air quality and health. The UK Health Security Agency ...

What information her Department holds on average waiting times for decisions on (a) offline and (b) digital Pension Credit applications.

We are unable to provide Pension Credit average waiting times for decisions separately for offline and digital claims. Average Actual Clearance Times are measured weekly. The table below shows Average Actual Clearance Times (AACT) from the end of week com...

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring that people who (a) cannot and (b) choose not to be online are not excluded by the NHS’s p

Digital inclusion is a priority for Government. It means ensuring everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to engage in our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances. We understand, however, that some people will remain offline b...

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7064 on Digital Technology: Disadvantaged, whether he plans to update the digital inclusion strategy.

Yes, because digital inclusion is a priority for the Government and we have already set up the Digital Inclusion and Skills Unit (DISU) to address it.

Innovation and Technology, whether the Government has issued guidance to local authorities on providing offline options for people to access public services.

We have not done so as yet, but digital inclusion is a priority for the Government and we understand that some people will remain offline by choice, so alternative, accessible pathways need to be readily available and advertised. We are developing our app...