Every parliamentary written question tabled by Emma Lewell this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 87 · this parliament
How many under-18-year-old recruits in Army initial training have (a) requested to leave service, (b) been required to observe a cooling-off period, (c) had their discharge delayed beyond 14 days, and (d) been re
The Ministry of Defence holds data on the number of under-18-year-old recruits in Army initial training who have requested to leave service only from Training Year 2023-24 onwards. Data prior to this period is not available. (a) Number of under-18 recruit...
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of revising the eligibility criteria for NHS Healthy Start cards.
The Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority on ways to encourage those eligible to apply for the Healthy Start Scheme to apply.The Department keeps the eligibility criteria for the Healthy Start Scheme under continuous review. There are no current plans to change the eligibility for the scheme.
What recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of local authorities piloting community eligibility, or open access, for the Holiday Activities and Food programme in more deprived areas.
The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme provides free nutritious meals, enriching activities, and safe environments to children and young people from low-income families during the school holidays, benefiting their health, wellbeing and readiness to learn.Local authorities and their providers have flexibility in how they deliver provision to best serve the needs of young people in their area. The department’s published HAF guidance encourages all local authorities to have a varied mix of provision that caters for different ages and interests, including through collaboration with relevant local organisations. We are aware that several local authorities are utilising different delivery models for HAF to better suit the needs and interests of teenagers, including the HAF Plus model, which features an AppThere have been several successful pilots within the HAF programme in collaboration with participating local authorities to further test what works in practice and develop innovative approaches to supporting children and young people We will continue to consider potential future pilots.
Whether local authorities in England have received from the Department for Education information on how they can implement the HAF Plus model of the Holiday Activities and Food programme.
The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme provides free nutritious meals, enriching activities, and safe environments to children and young people from low-income families during the school holidays, benefiting their health, wellbeing and readiness to learn.Local authorities and their providers have flexibility in how they deliver provision to best serve the needs of young people in their area. The department’s published HAF guidance encourages all local authorities to have a varied mix of provision that caters for different ages and interests, including through collaboration with relevant local organisations. We are aware that several local authorities are utilising different delivery models for HAF to better suit the needs and interests of teenagers, including the HAF Plus model, which features an AppThere have been several successful pilots within the HAF programme in collaboration with participating local authorities to further test what works in practice and develop innovative approaches to supporting children and young people We will continue to consider potential future pilots.
What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Local Housing Allowance in helping low-income tenants meet their housing costs.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions reviewed Local Housing Allowance rates and confirmed in his written statement on 26 November 2025 (HCWS1101) that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. Renters facing a shortfall in meeting their housing costs can apply for discretionary support through the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) Housing Payments from local authorities in England. In Wales and Scotland Discretionary Housing Payments apply.
When the NHS Business Services Authority will begin writing proactively to eligible families about their NHS Healthy Start entitlement, encouraging them to apply and offering them support with the application process.
The Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority on ways to encourage those eligible to apply for the Healthy Start Scheme to apply.The Department keeps the eligibility criteria for the Healthy Start Scheme under continuous review. There are no current plans to change the eligibility for the scheme.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme replacement.
Our deepest sympathies are with those who have experienced harm following vaccination, as well as their families.The Government recognises that concerns have been raised in relation to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), including during Module 4 of the COVID-19 inquiry. Following the publication of the COVID-19 Inquiry’s Module 4 report on vaccines and therapeutics on 16 April 2026, the Government will carefully consider its recommendations, including on the reform of the VDPS, and will respond formally in due course.
When will the Children's Commissioner publish her report on the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.
This is a matter for the Children’s Commissioner. Given her independence, my hon. Friend, the Member for South Shields will need to contact her directly.
What the uptake figures were for the Healthy Start scheme in the latest period for which data is available.
We do not hold data on the proportion of families eligible to participate in the Healthy Start Scheme. As of 26 March 2026, there were 354,989 people on the digital scheme across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.The data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household.The data includes the number of people on the digital scheme, formerly entitled beneficiaries, who have been accepted onto the scheme through an online application and issued a prepaid card at a specific point in time. This includes the number of children under the age of four years old and the number of pregnancies over ten weeks.
How many and what proportion of families are eligible to participate in the Healthy Start scheme.
We do not hold data on the proportion of families eligible to participate in the Healthy Start Scheme. As of 26 March 2026, there were 354,989 people on the digital scheme across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.The data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household.The data includes the number of people on the digital scheme, formerly entitled beneficiaries, who have been accepted onto the scheme through an online application and issued a prepaid card at a specific point in time. This includes the number of children under the age of four years old and the number of pregnancies over ten weeks.
If he will instruct the UK Health and Security Agency to add service personnel (a) who flew atomic surveillance missions and (b) for whom he recently extended the eligibility criteria for the Nuclear Test Medal to the long-term Government study into the mortality of nuclear veterans.
This Government has reset the relationship with Nuclear Test Veterans and the organisations that support them. We remain committed to listening to their concerns and working collaboratively to address them. In consultation with scientists at the UK Health Security Agency, we have established that it is not possible to add new individuals to the Nuclear Test Veteran longitudinal studies without biasing or affecting the results of the fifth and final analysis. It is important that these studies are carried out to the highest standards, therefore no new individuals have been added to the cohorts.
With reference to the recent declassification of the Merlin database and file reference ES 38/ZGWGV, whether service personnel took part in a mission to sample the Soviet nuclear weapon known as Tsar Bomba.
The information in ES38/ZGWGV suggests that Service personnel were involved in at least one sampling sortie after the Tsar Bomba test in October 1961. However, the unit records from this time are now held by The National Archives, and it is not possible to complete a full search without incurring disproportionate cost. No further information is held by the Ministry of Defence.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a respiratory Modern Service Framework, in the context of (a) NHS winter pressures and (b) health outcomes for long-term respiratory conditions and short-term respiratory illnesses such as flu.
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.
What estimate his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in South Shields constituency compared with national averages; what steps he is taking to ensure that respiratory health is prioritised; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs for South Shields and England where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025)South Shields1030890England608,449423,588Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for South Tyneside can be found at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E08000023/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1
If he will publish all radiation research on British servicemen held by The Technical Cooperation Programme of the Ministry of Defence.
The Technical Cooperation Programme (TTCP) is a defence innovation network that has enabled cooperation in Defence and Security Science and Technology for nearly 70 years between five nations’ Defence organisations: UK, US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The subject of this question dates back many decades. In the years since the activities in question, there have been various changes to organisations and the TTCP arrangements themselves. These complicate the matter of identifying information which may be held in our historical records; and establishing whether any information held can be released under the terms of our international agreements. I will write to the hon. Member with further details.
What assessment she has made of the reasons why the recent business rates revaluation results in projected increases of up to 76 per cent in liabilities for pubs over the three-year revaluation period, after transition, compared with projected increases of around 16 per cent for distribution warehouses.
The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. Government support also means that most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, including grassroots music venues, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. However, because of the support the Government has put in place, this has fallen to just 4%.
Whether it is her policy that the business rates system should level the playing field between high street businesses and online retailers.
The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. Government support also means that most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, including grassroots music venues, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. However, because of the support the Government has put in place, this has fallen to just 4%.
Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to amend policies on non-stun slaughter in the upcoming animal welfare strategy.
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year. We will set out our priorities for animal welfare in the strategy upon publication.
What contingency plans the government has to (a) identify and (b) remove asbestos in schools scheduled for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete remediation.
The department takes the safety of children and those who work with them incredibly seriously.By the end of this parliament, every school and college in England, that is not being fully or substantially rebuilt, will be reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) free.For those schools needing to be rebuilt, under the School Rebuilding Programme every project will be in delivery by the end of the Parliament, with over half already underway.When asbestos is encountered in the process of removing RAAC, it will also be removed.More broadly, responsible bodies are duty-holders for asbestos management within their buildings and must follow requirements and standards set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The department requires responsible bodies to have robust asbestos management plans in place to manage their buildings effectively, in line with their legal duties, drawing on appropriate professional advice. HSE advice remains that it is generally safest to manage asbestos-containing materials in place, providing they are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether the issue of non-stun slaughter will be included in the animal welfare strategy.
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year. We will set out our priorities for animal welfare in the strategy upon publication.