Written questions by Snowden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 66321 on Schools: Electronic Cigarettes, whether she has had recent discussions with education providers on the potential impact of the ban on single use vapes on the prevalence of vaping in schools.

The sale of vapes to under 18s is illegal, and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban the sale of all consumer nicotine products to anyone under 18. Since 1 June 2025, it is illegal for businesses to sell or supply all single use vapes.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, engages consistently with school leaders and education providers on a range of topics, including pupil behaviour, and will continue to do so.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to regulate second home ownership in coastal communities with housing shortages.

The government recognise that excessive concentrations of second homes impact on the availability and affordability of homes for local residents to buy and rent, as well as local services.Local authorities are now able to apply a premium of up to 100% extra on the council tax bills of second homes. The premium will provide additional funding for councils and help local leaders to address the impacts of second homes and improve the sustainability of communities where they consider it necessary.From 31 October 2024, the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on additional dwellings were increased from three percentage points above standard rates to five percentage points above standard rates. This is to ensure that those looking to move home, or purchase their first property, have a greater advantage over second home buyers, landlords, and businesses purchasing residential property.We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by second homes and short-term lets.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of labour shortages on the (a) tourism and (b) hospitality sectors in coastal areas.

The Government recognises that labour market pressures, particularly in seasonal roles, can affect tourism and hospitality businesses in coastal areas.We work closely with industry bodies, local partners and other Government departments to monitor workforce trends and to understand regional impacts, including through the Visitor Economy Advisory Council and Hospitality Sector Council.The Government remains committed to ongoing collaboration across Government and industry, helping to mitigate impacts and build a more sustainable, skilled workforce to support the long‑term success of tourism and hospitality in our coastal areas.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she had with the Secretary of State for Education on the adequacy of political education in schools ahead of announcing that the franchise would be expanded to 16 and 17 year olds.

Empowering and equipping young people with the knowledge and skills they need to participate in our democracy is central to the Government’s plans for extending the franchise. We want to break down barriers and drive participation. To support this, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is already working closely with the Department for Education. We will continue this engagement to ensure the change is implemented successfully.Teaching about democracy and elections already forms a central part of the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4 and can be taught as a non-statutory topic in primary schools. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is considering citizenship education as part of its work and the Government will consider any recommendations when they are published later this Autumn.We will also work with the Electoral Commission, the devolved governments, civil society organisations - and importantly, with young people themselves - to consider what additional measures can ensure the successful implementation of votes at 16.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many vehicles were seized in relation to waste crime offences in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years.

0 vehicles have been seized in relation to waste crime offences by the Environment Agency (EA) within the Fylde region over the last five years. Within Lancashire a total of 12 vehicles were seized within the last five years. This included 7 vehicles seized and crushed in 2022, with an additional 1 vehicle seized and returned to its owner in 2022. In 2023 a further 3 vehicles were seized, followed by another 1 vehicle in 2024. Please note this response is based on EA data and does not include local authority data on vehicles crushed

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making it a mandatory requirement for defibrillators to be fitted in patient transport vehicles.

Many non-emergency patient transport service (NEPTS) ambulances operated by National Health Service trusts already carry a defibrillator.However, the contractual requirements for the provision of NEPTS services are determined by each integrated care board (ICB), based on their assessment of the needs of the local population. Therefore, each ICB can determine whether they wish to specify the carrying of a defibrillator on non-emergency ambulances as a contractual requirement, along with the cost and crew training implications.Patients undergo regular assessment for patient transport service (PTS) journeys. If significant clinical issues are identified as part of that assessment, then the PTS provider could allocate additional measures for that patient. This might include having particular equipment, including a defibrillator, on board, and/or having crews with a higher training level.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 67568 on Obesity: Drugs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of adverse health incidents associated with weight loss medications obtained through online private providers in the last 12 months.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion meet applicable standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. The MHRA rigorously assesses available data, including from the Yellow Card scheme, and seeks advice from their independent advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines, where appropriate to inform regulatory decisions.Information collected via the Yellow Card scheme in relation to where the medicine was obtained cannot differentiate private providers specifically. A question regarding where the patient obtained their medicine is included on a Yellow Card report, however this is not mandatory and is a free text field. This free text information is therefore available to support signal detection and assessment, but cannot be extracted or analysed in an aggregated format.The MHRA publishes data received via the Yellow Card scheme in the form of interactive Drug Analysis Profiles (iDAPs). These interactive profiles display a complete listing of all suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) that have been reported to the MHRA via the Yellow Card scheme for particular drug substances. This includes all reports received from healthcare professionals, members of the public, and pharmaceutical companies. On iDAPS it’s possible to find information for several different data points such as the number of ADR reports by year, age, and sex, as well as information on the types of reactions included in the reports. Guidance concerning the interpretation of the information included is provided at the bottom of each iDAP page. It is particularly important to note that reports are not confirmed side effects to a medication, and that incidence cannot be derived since a number of factors influence the reporting of ADRs. Further information on iDAPs is available at the following link:https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/idaps

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of introducing votes at 16 on costs to (a) the Exchequer and (b) local authorities.

As outlined in the recently published ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government believes that enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all UK elections will foster early and sustained participation in civic life and enhance engagement in our democratic processes. By delivering this manifesto commitment, we want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote.In June 2025, the House of Commons Library published constituency-level estimates of the number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the UK, based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from 2022 for Great Britain and 2023 for Northern Ireland. These figures provide indicative estimates of the population and should be treated as approximations rather than precise counts.The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of this policy change. Accordingly, an Impact Assessment will be published alongside forthcoming legislation in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of introducing votes for 16 and 17 year olds on the size of parliamentary constituencies.

As outlined in the recently published ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government believes that enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all UK elections will foster early and sustained participation in civic life and enhance engagement in our democratic processes. By delivering this manifesto commitment, we want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote.In June 2025, the House of Commons Library published constituency-level estimates of the number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the UK, based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from 2022 for Great Britain and 2023 for Northern Ireland. These figures provide indicative estimates of the population and should be treated as approximations rather than precise counts.The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of this policy change. Accordingly, an Impact Assessment will be published alongside forthcoming legislation in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 67568 on Obesity: Drugs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that private online clinics prescribing weight loss drugs are compliant with (a) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (b) General Medical Council guidance.

The safest way to access medicines privately is to do so via a United Kingdom-registered prescriber and pharmacy, whether in-person or online. All UK prescribers, whether employed privately or by the National Health Service, are expected to take account of appropriate national guidance, and are regulated by UK regulators. Using UK-registered pharmacies also means that the medicines received will meet UK standards of safety and efficacy. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reminded prescribers to explain the possible side effects of these medicines, and the risks around falsified products.Any UK prescriber operating in a private capacity must be a healthcare professional who is regulated by a professional regulator such as the General Medical Council (GMC) for doctors, or the General Pharmaceutical Council or Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, for pharmacists.When prescribing, doctors are expected to follow the GMC’s Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices, which refers to guidance from the MHRA. The General Pharmaceutical Council has strengthened safeguards for online pharmacies, including the need for extra checks to verify eligibility for obesity medicines. Guidance for registered pharmacies providing pharmacy services at a distance, including on the internet, is available at the following link:https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/2025-02/gphc-guidance-registered-pharmacies-providing-pharmacy-services-distance-february-2025.pdf The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care providers in England. Private online clinics that prescribe weight loss medicines need to register with the CQC for the regulated activity of Treatment of Disease, Disorder or Injury as set out by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.The CQC can take regulatory or enforcement action where they find fundamental standards have been breached.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 67568 on Obesity: Drugs, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients accessing weight loss medications through private online platforms undergo appropriate clinical assessments and safeguarding procedures.

Prescribers, whether National Health Service or private, are accountable for their prescribing decisions, and are expected to take account of appropriate national guidance.In addition to the duty of the prescriber, patients themselves must be honest when providing information to an online prescriber so that they receive advice and medicines which are appropriate for them and so that risks can be managed. Prescribers need full information to be able to prescribe safely.In February 2025, the General Pharmaceutical Council published updated guidance for online pharmacies. Prescribers are expected to verify the information given to them by the patient to ensure any medicines prescribed are appropriate, for example, through a video consultation, using a patient’s clinical record, or contacting the patient’s general practice. This helps to safeguard vulnerable patients, including minors.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of additional electors who will be added to the electoral roll following the franchise being extended to 16 and 17 year olds in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Lancashire and (d) Fylde.

As outlined in the recently published ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government believes that enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all UK elections will foster early and sustained participation in civic life and enhance engagement in our democratic processes. By delivering this manifesto commitment, we want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote.In June 2025, the House of Commons Library published constituency-level estimates of the number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the UK, based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from 2022 for Great Britain and 2023 for Northern Ireland. These figures provide indicative estimates of the population and should be treated as approximations rather than precise counts.The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of this policy change. Accordingly, an Impact Assessment will be published alongside forthcoming legislation in due course.

What recent estimate he has made of the number of buildings owned by his Department that have asbestos.

We take the health and safety of our Service personnel and defence employees extremely seriously and have robust procedures around managing asbestos which comply with Health and Safety regulations. We are responsible for circa 1,967 sites and each building with confirmed asbestos is listed on the relevant site asbestos register. This data is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

What progress he is making on reducing waiting times for cancer treatment in Fylde.

We will reduce cancer waiting times so that patients are diagnosed and treated faster, including patients in Fylde.We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, and we have now delivered over three million more appointments as the first step to ensuring faster diagnosis and timely access to treatments.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country, including in Fylde, as well as speeding up diagnosis and access to treatment. It will ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.

How many buildings managed by his Department have been found to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation determined what buildings on Ministry of Defence land might potentially contain Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) material based on the period in which they were constructed and their construction type. Surveys are currently being conducted on all buildings which may have been constructed using RAAC.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 67568 on Obesity: Drugs, whether his Department has issued any guidance to the public on the risks of obtaining weight loss medications through online-only providers.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) continually monitors the safety of all medicines, including weight loss drugs such as GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs).Patient safety is our top priority, and no medicine would be approved unless it met the MHRA’s expected standards of safety, quality, and effectiveness. The MHRA has safety monitoring and surveillance systems in place, and when a safety issue is confirmed, the MHRA will act promptly to inform patients and healthcare professionals and take appropriate steps to mitigate any identified risk.In December 2024, January 2025, and June 2025, the MHRA published communications on the safe use of GLP-1Ras, namely:‘The MHRA reminds healthcare professionals to advise patients of the side effects of GLP-1 agonists and to report misuse’, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-reminds-healthcare-professionals-to-advise-patients-of-the-side-effects-of-glp-1-agonists-and-to-report-misuse;‘UK medicines regulator warns against buying weight loss medicines without a prescription this New Year’, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-medicines-regulator-warns-against-buying-weight-loss-medicines-without-a-prescription-this-new-year; and‘GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know’, which 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.The first communication advised healthcare professionals on the safe use of GLP-1 RAs, including being alert to the potential for misuse and that the benefit risk is only positive when used within the approved indications as detailed in the product information. The MHRA also advised that those purchasing privately online should do so from an authorised source such as a registered pharmacy.The second communication was aimed towards the public with similar messaging, warning the public of the dangers of accessing medicines from unregulated sources, such as online-only, unverified providers, and emphasised that GLP-1 RAs should only be used with a valid prescription and under clinical supervision. The guidance also urged healthcare professionals to advise patients on recognised side effects and to report misuse via the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme, with further information available at the following link:https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/Most recently, the MHRA issued some general guidance to the public on how to safely and effectively use GLP-1 RAs. The MHRA strongly emphasised the importance of obtaining these medicines from a legitimate pharmacy, including those trading online, with a prescription issued by a healthcare professional. The guidance directed the public in Great Britain to check on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) website that it is properly registered, and for Northern Ireland to refer to the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) website. Further information on the GPhC and the PSNI is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/registershttps://registers.psni.org.uk/The MHRA continues to keep the safety of these medicines under continual review.

How many people are on the waiting list for tinnitus treatment in Fylde constituency.

The Department does not hold information in the format requested.

How many buildings managed by his Department have been found to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The National Health Service has been surveying hospital sites to identify the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) since 2019. The table below shows the number of NHS sites found to have RAAC in the Fylde constituency and Lancashire:AreaNumber of sitesFyle Constituency0Lancashire3Note: the three sites in Lancashire were the Blackpool Victoria Hospital, now eradicated, the Royal Blackburn Hospital, and the Blackburn Ambulance Station. The Department has published a full list of sites with confirmed RAAC on GOV.UK website, at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-in-hospitals-management-informationOnce the presence of RAAC is confirmed at a hospital site, the trust joins NHS England’s national RAAC programme, which has delivered mitigation and eradication works across all hospital sites with confirmed RAAC to keep facilities safe and open, and which is working to remove RAAC fully from the NHS estate.The Government is committed to removing RAAC from the NHS estate as a priority and will continue to support NHS England’s RAAC programme with £440 million in 2025/26.

How many buildings managed by her Department have been found to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

We have undertaken a substantial programme of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) inspections across the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) estate and, as a result of this work, RAAC was found in one MoJ property in Lancashire. No MoJ properties in Flyde were found to contain RAAC.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on (a) due diligence and (b) vetting procedures for external contractors used for public service delivery.

Local authorities are responsible for the award of contracts in line with the procurement regulations at the time of the award. This would include undertaking due diligence on suppliers as required by those regulations.The government must ensure that there are sufficient safeguards in place to ensure appropriate suppliers are awarded public contracts. The Procurement Act 2023 has strengthened our ability to respond where issues arise and to address poor performance. Cabinet Office has published extensive guidance to support contracting authorities, in addition to a robust and wide reaching training offer to support the implementation of the Procurement Act.