Written questions by Snowden.

What plans he has to support partnerships between (a) local pharmacies and (b) drug and alcohol support charities to deliver harm reduction services in (i) Fylde and (ii) Lancashire.

Many community pharmacies provide locally commissioned services aimed at reducing harm from the misuse of alcohol and drugs. This includes supervised consumption of opioid substitution treatment medicines like methadone, needle and syringe programmes, and naloxone provision. Pharmacies also provide free healthcare advice, public health interventions, and signposting to relevant organisations and services.Local substance misuse services and community pharmacies should work together to help provide an effective service to people who use drugs and alcohol. This includes encouraging person-centred and trauma-informed treatment with shared decision-making. In 2024, the Department published guidance for community pharmacies delivering substance misuse services. This outlined good practice for delivering safe and effective care and advice on joint working between services and commissioners and community pharmacies. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-pharmacy-delivering-substance-misuse-services/community-pharmacy-delivering-substance-misuse-services#multidisciplinary-team-and-joint-working The Department is aware of the challenges in the ability of some community pharmacies to provide substance misuse services and has been supporting drug and alcohol treatment services to identify local solutions, including increased payment and some alternative models of provision of these services.In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing Lancashire with £10,424,106 to help improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery systems. All funding is provided at the Lancashire level, and it is for Lancashire County Council to determine how to meet needs in Fylde. This funding can be used to support local community pharmacies and drug and alcohol support charities to deliver harm reduction services.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the successful rollout of the new chickenpox vaccination programme in areas with historically low vaccine uptake.

The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England to promote vaccine uptake by providing diverse delivery methods to make getting vaccinated easier, increasing outreach efforts to under-served groups, and raising awareness of the dangers of vaccine-preventable diseases.The launch of the chickenpox vaccination programme in January 2026 will see a press campaign with UKHSA and NHS England working together to inform and educate the public on the benefits of vaccination. This will continue throughout the year with key bursts of activity on all childhood immunisations.The Department will also launch a national childhood vaccination paid marketing campaign in February 2026 to encourage uptake of all childhood vaccinations for those age 0-5 years and will include high impact advertising across video on demand, online video, radio, out of home posters and social media. This will be supported by partnerships across a range of sectors including retailers, nursery providers and charities. Activity will be upweighted to key low uptake communities and geographical areas across the country.Ahead of launch, NHS England is hosting vaccine confidence sessions for health care workers to help them have vaccination conversations and address any questions or concerns with parents and carers. Communication toolkits and assets are also being issued to primary care teams across all regions to support the launch of the chickenpox programme, which will include material for parents and carers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure sustainable urban drainage systems are effectively (a) adopted and (b) maintained.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and we are looking at what additional steps might be taken to support this. Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on this matter will be made in the coming months. We have made some immediate changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to support increased delivery of SuDS. The NPPF now requires all development to utilise SuDS where they could have drainage impacts. These systems should be appropriate to the nature and scale of the proposed development. See paragraphs 181 and 182 of the NPPF. In June this year, the Government introduced new national standards, making clear that SuDS should be designed to cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits in the form of flood prevention and storm overflow reduction, offering reuse opportunities, reducing run off, and helping to improve water quality, amenity, and biodiversity.

What steps he is taking to enhance transparency on the data used in the approval process for weight loss drugs.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care and regulates medicine, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the UK, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.If a drug is assessed to have a positive benefit-risk ratio, it will be approved. Following approval, the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) will be made available, which includes details such as the patient population and conditions the drug is approved for treating. The PIL containing this information in lay language and a patient-friendly format. In addition, a Public Assessment Report will be made available which contains the non-confidential parts of the MHRA's assessment report for that particular marketing authorisation.We continue to review practices to ensure that transparency is delivered as a key priority of the agency.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of weight loss drugs on (a) public health outcomes, (b) obesity rates and (c) associated health conditions.

Obesity is estimated to cost the NHS £11.4 billion per year and wider society around £74.3 billion.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of new medicines and health technologies for the National Health Service in England. NICE uses a structured process, including the assessment of clinical and economic evidence and the use of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), to determine if a new treatment offers good value for money. NICE takes into account all health-related costs and benefits, which may include public health outcomes and impacts on associated health conditions. These assessments allow NICE to make evidence-based recommendations on whether a medication should be routinely funded by the NHS. The newest obesity medicines, semaglutide (Wegovy®) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) have been assessed and recommended by the NICE as clinically and cost-effective treatment options on the NHS for obesity. They can provide an effective tool, when prescribed alongside diet, physical activity and behavioural support, to support some people living with obesity to lose weight. Clinical trials of Mounjaro® have found an average weight loss of approximately 20%. Weight loss is associated with significant improvements in both the management of existing conditions and the risk of developing weight related health conditions. Generally, greater weight loss is associated with more health benefits so obesity medicines could have a potential impact on a number of obesity associated health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obstructive sleep apnoea and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as on obesity rates.

Whether she has made representations to (a) Eurocontrol and (b) other relevant European bodies on the delays at UK airports caused by inadequate air traffic control (i) staffing levels and (ii) out-of-date systems.

The UK is a member of EUROCONTROL, a Pan-European inter-governmental body, which is responsible for working with Member States and their Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP’s) to ensure that the airspace across Europe is used efficiently. My department has and continues to engage with European states and industry to discuss air traffic control capacity and mitigations to delays which impact UK airspace users and passengers.

What discussions she has had with the (a) Law Society and (b) Solicitors Regulation Authority on the consequences of legal advice that may contribute to the suppression of evidence during police interviews.

The legal profession in England and Wales operates independently of government. This framework is set out in the Legal Services Act 2007. Regulation of the sector is carried out by the approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and law firms, while the Law Society represents solicitors in England and Wales. An independent legal services sector is a key pillar of the rule of law, and it is therefore important to maintain this regulatory independence. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate for ministers or their officials to seek to influence how solicitors are regulated. Solicitors advising clients during interviews are bound by professional duties, as set out in the SRA’s Code of Conduct. Where necessary, the SRA has a duty to investigate allegations of professional misconduct by solicitors. It has a range of disciplinary powers available at its disposal, including the ability to impose fines and refer matters to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, which can suspend or strike a solicitor off the roll. Complaints about a solicitor’s conduct can be made directly to the SRA at: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/. The Ministry of Justice will continue to engage with legal regulators to ensure that consumers are protected and public confidence in the justice system is maintained.

What steps her Department is taking with her European counterparts to (a) improve air traffic control capacity and (b) reduce delays for UK travellers (i) during peak summer travel periods and (ii) at all times.

The UK is a member of EUROCONTROL, a Pan-European inter-governmental body, which is responsible for working with Member States and their Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP’s) to ensure that the airspace across Europe is used efficiently. My department has and continues to engage with European states and industry to discuss air traffic control capacity and mitigations to delays which impact UK airspace users and passengers.

What discussions his Department has had with the Department for Business and Trade on the potential impact of UK-US trade agreements on the price the NHS pays for medicines from American suppliers.

The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with the Department for Business and Trade to assess the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on the life sciences and pharmaceutical sector. The Government is clear that we will only ever sign trade agreements that align with the UK’s national interests and the price the NHS pays for medicines will never be on the table for any trade agreement.

Whether any regional pilot schemes will be introduced prior to the national rollout of the chickenpox vaccine for children.

From 1 January 2026, general practices will offer eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) as part of the routine infant vaccination schedule. There are no plans for regional pilot schemes prior to the national rollout of the chickenpox vaccine for children.The eligibility criteria for children will be set out in clinical guidance, which will be published in due course, covering which age groups will get the MMRV vaccine and when, to ensure the most effective protection for children.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of adopting the Welsh model of sustainable urban drainage systems approving bodies in England.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and we are looking at what additional steps might be taken to support this. The Welsh Government adopted Schedule 3 as the delivery model for SuDS in 2019. Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on this matter will be made in the coming months. We have made some immediate changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to support increased delivery of SuDS. The NPPF now requires all development to utilise SuDS where they could have drainage impacts. These systems should be appropriate to the nature and scale of the proposed development. See paragraphs 181 and 182 of the NPPF. In June this year, the Government introduced new national standards, making clear that SuDS should be designed to cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits in the form of flood prevention and storm overflow reduction, offering reuse opportunities, reducing run off, and helping to improve water quality, amenity, and biodiversity.

What recent assessment he has made of waiting times for NHS treatment of plantar fasciitis.

No recent assessment has been made specifically on plantar fasciitis waiting times. However, as set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for fibromatosis care, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029. We provided additional investment in the Autumn Budget that has enabled us to fulfil our pledge to deliver over two million more elective care appointments early. More than double that number, 4.9 million more appointments, have now been delivered.The majority of treatment for plantar fasciitis is done within primary care settings, with only a small fraction of patients requiring treatment at hospitals. Data presenting a more detailed breakdown, specific to plantar fasciitis wait times, is not held by the Department.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 in Wales in reducing surface water flooding since 2019.

This is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the Welsh Government. The Welsh Government undertook a review in 2023, the results of which can be found here:https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2023-07/sustainable-drainage-systems-suds-schedule-3-post-implementation-review.pdf

Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate she has made of the number of properties currently being let in (i) Fylde constituency and (ii) Lancashire without a valid EPC.

The government published a consultation on reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime via gov.uk here, which included an impact assessment containing assessment of EPC compliance. ONS analysis suggests around 60-80% of PRS dwellings in England and Wales are covered by an EPC since records began. Further details can be found here.The enforcement of the EPC regulations is the responsibility of local weights and measures authorities. The government does not keep records on the levels of compliance with the EPC regulations in the private rented sector.

What regulations are in place to ensure the accuracy of health claims made in the marketing of protein supplements.

Legislation on Nutrition and Health Claims sets out the legal framework for businesses wanting to make nutrition and/or health claims on their products. A health claim is any claim that states, suggests or implies that health benefits can result from consuming a given food. These require health claims to be authorised on the basis they are supported by evidence and only health claims that are on the Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims (GB NHC) Register of approved health claims can be used. The Register is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/great-britain-nutrition-and-health-claims-nhc-register.Protein supplements are also regulated under Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003, along with equivalent legislation for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as all other applicable food law. The labelling requirements set out in the regulations state that labelling needs to be clear and easy for consumers to understand.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of compliance with EPC regulations in the private rented sector.

The government published a consultation on reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime via gov.uk here, which included an impact assessment containing assessment of EPC compliance. ONS analysis suggests around 60-80% of PRS dwellings in England and Wales are covered by an EPC since records began. Further details can be found here.The enforcement of the EPC regulations is the responsibility of local weights and measures authorities. The government does not keep records on the levels of compliance with the EPC regulations in the private rented sector.

What steps he plans to take to improve access to information for (a) healthcare professionals and (b) patients on the risks and benefits of weight loss drugs.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) works hard to ensure that patients and healthcare professionals are provided with accurate and up to date information which allows them to make informed decisions about weight loss treatments.Information about the benefits and efficacy of weight loss medicines such as GLP-1 receptor agonists are made available within the Public Assessment Reports (PARs) for each product on the Products section of the MHRA website. Information on how a medicine works, how to use it, as well as all known side effects, are made publicly available through the product information. These documents are issued at the time of licensing and are updated as any new side effects are identified. This includes the Summary of Product Characteristics, which is intended for healthcare professionals, and the Patient Information Leaflet, which is provided to patients with the medicine. These documents are also published on the Products section of the MHRA website, which is available at the following link: https://products.mhra.gov.uk/.In addition, members of the public and healthcare professionals can access anonymised data on suspected side effects reported to the Yellow Card scheme via the interactive Drug Analysis Profiles (iDAP) platform. This ensures full transparency and enables anyone to view the types and numbers of suspected adverse reactions reported for a particular medicine.In addition to this, if new information becomes available about a risk of treatment, we communicate this to healthcare professionals and patients using a Drug Safety Update (DSU), which can be found on GOV.UK and are also flagged to key stakeholders or patient groups. These communicate what the risk is, how it can be minimised, and what healthcare professionals and patients should do if a patient suffers the side- effect. DSUs and other safety communications are also published in a monthly newsletter, the MHRA Safety Roundup, to which readers can subscribe to receive e-mail alerts when a new MHRA Safety Roundup is published. Users can use the search function to find Safety Roundup’s relevant to weight loss medications, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts?alert_type%5B%5D=mhra-safety-round-up.Due to the public interest and increasing use of GLP-1 receptor agonists in particular, in order to improve access to key information about these medicines, we have published public guidance online designed to raise awareness among patients about key safety considerations, including how to safely acquire and use GLP-1s, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and when to seek medical advice. This is a live document, which we update as necessary when there is safety information that we would like to highlight or if there is an area of public interest for which we can provide guidance.The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know.Reach of our safety messages has been strengthened by MHRA’s Head of Enforcement, Andy Morning, who has spoken publicly about how to gain safe access to GLP-1s across a number of media platforms including radio interviews and television appearances, to raise awareness of the risks associated with unlawful supply of weight loss medicines.The MHRA works closely with other organisations such as the General Pharmaceutical Council, who regulate pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), who produce guidance for the NHS and wider health and care system, and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), who regulate advertising, to collaborate on communicating with the public and sharing links to guidance and information within those communications.

What estimate she has made of levels of pensioner poverty in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire in winter 2024-25.

Statistics on the number of pensioners living in relative and absolute poverty both before and after housing costs are produced on an annual basis and published in the Households Below Average Income statistics. Statistics on the number of pensioners living in relative and absolute poverty are not available at a constituency or county level. The latest available data covers financial year ending 2024, and is published by the Department here Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK Poverty figures relating to the financial year 2024-25 will be published in due course.

What steps he is taking to (a) inform and (b) educate parents about the new chickenpox vaccine, and to tackle vaccine hesitancy.

On 29 August 2025, the Government announced plans to introduce chickenpox vaccination into the routine childhood immunisation schedule from 1 January 2026, using the MMRV vaccine which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (varicella).The launch of the chicken pox vaccination programme in January 2026 will see a press campaign with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England working together to inform and educate through the use of low and no cost communications. This will continue throughout the year with key bursts of activity on all childhood vaccines.The Department will also launch a national childhood vaccination paid marketing campaign in February 2026 to encourage uptake of all childhood vaccinations for those aged 0-5 years and will include high impact advertising across video on demand, online video, radio, out of home posters and social media. This will be supported by partnerships across a range of sectors including retailers, nursery providers and charities. Activity will be upweighted to key low uptake communities and geographical areas across the country.Ahead of the launch, NHS England is hosting vaccine confidence sessions for health care workers to help them have vaccine conversations and address questions or concerns with parents and carers.Communications toolkits and assets will be issued to primary care teams across all regions to support the launch of the MMRV programme, which includes material for parents and carers on the new vaccination programme.

If he will take steps to fund specific communications campaigns in (a) Lancashire and the (b) North West to (i) raise awareness of the chickenpox vaccine and (ii) address misinformation.

On 29 August 2025, the Government announced plans to introduce chickenpox vaccination into the routine childhood immunisation schedule from 1 January 2026, using the MMRV vaccine which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (varicella).The launch of the chickenpox vaccination programme in January 2026 will see a press campaign with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England working together to inform and educate through the use of low and no cost communications. This will continue throughout the year with key bursts of activity on all childhood vaccines. The last national childhood vaccination campaign was elevated in the North West area, with outdoor advertising up weighted in funding and exposure in the North West’s lowest uptake areas.The Department of Health and Social Care will also launch a national childhood vaccination paid marketing campaign in February 2026 to encourage uptake of all childhood vaccinations for those age 0-5 years and will include high impact advertising across video on demand, online video, radio, out of home posters and social media. This will be supported by partnerships across a range of sectors including retailers, nursery providers and charities. Activity will be upweighted to key low uptake communities and geographical areas across the country.Ahead of the launch, NHS England is hosting vaccine confidence sessions for health care workers to help them have vaccine conversations and address questions or concerns with parents and carers.Communications toolkits and assets will be issued to primary care teams across all regions to support the launch of the MMRV programme, which includes material for parents and carers on the new vaccination programme.