Written questions by Morgan.

Communities and Local Government, what support she is providing to local authorities which own buildings in need of repair due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

The issues with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) are longstanding and well known. All building owners are responsible for managing building safety and performance risks of all kinds in their buildings, including RAAC, in a proportionate, risk-based, and evidence-based manner, and acting where they deem necessary. To do so, they should continue to follow guidance published by the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) to identify, assess, and manage RAAC. Local authorities are responsible for managing their own budgets and delivering on their responsibilities, including their duty as building owners.

With reference to the Answer of (a) 24 July 2024 to Question 835 and (b) 25 November 2024 to Question 15073 on Whitchurch (Shropshire) Station: Access, what progress she has made on providing step-free access at Whitchurch Railway Station in Shropshire.

Network Rail have completed an option selection report for step-free access at Whitchurch railway station. This will be reviewed alongside 49 other stations across Britain to determine which should progress.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 29014 on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Written Questions, when he plans to respond to Question 24518 on Farming Recovery Fund, tabled on 16 January 2025 by the hon. Member for North Shropshire.

Question 24518 was answered on 4 March 2025.

If he will make an estimate of the number of pharmacies that have been registered in each integrated care board area for each year since financial year 2021-22.

NHS England maintains the lists of National Health Service pharmacies in each Health and Wellbeing Board area. As high volumes of changes take place each month, the consolidated pharmaceutical list is produced and validated on a quarterly basis. Since the second quarter of 2022/23, the consolidated lists are published on the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) Open data portal, which is available at the following link:https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/consolidated-pharmaceutical-listThe following table shows the number of community pharmacies included in the fourth quarter consolidated pharmaceutical list for each integrated care board (ICB) between 2021/22 and 2023/24: ICB31 March 202231 March 202331 March 202431 December 2024Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB146148138138Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB158159151149Birmingham and Solihull ICB317312304301Black Country ICB280275267263Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB167167156156Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB264265249248Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB149151141140Cheshire and Merseyside ICB585578542540Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB98999490Coventry and Warwickshire ICB196194184181Derby and Derbyshire ICB209206198197Devon ICB224225204203Dorset ICB144143138135Frimley ICB137137130129Gloucestershire ICB110110105105Greater Manchester ICB656653631626Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ICB305300284283Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB122121118116Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB286286269266Humber and North Yorkshire ICB324323300297Kent and Medway ICB325323308305Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB395390368367Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB228227222222Lincolnshire ICB117115112114Mid and South Essex ICB217214199198Norfolk and Waveney ICB182181171169North Central London ICB299295290290North East and North Cumbria ICB651648614613North East London ICB380382371368North West London ICB502500477475Northamptonshire ICB127126125125Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB227226221216Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin ICB83838279Somerset ICB1011009191South East London ICB336338326323South West London ICB292293278272South Yorkshire ICB310312305304Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent ICB240238233232Suffolk and North East Essex ICB170171162162Surrey Heartlands ICB176175162160Sussex ICB310311291290West Yorkshire ICB545543514505Source: NHSBSANote: The consolidated pharmaceutical list for the fourth quarter of 2024/25 will be published once the validation process is completed, so the third quarter data of 2024/25 has been provided instead.

What information his Department holds on the number of hours pharmacies were open in (a) 2015 and (b) 2024.

The Department does not hold opening hours data for pharmacies in 2015. Data for opening hours from 2022 is available at the following link:https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/consolidated-pharmaceutical-list

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the reduction of the Rural England Prosperity Fund in the 2025-26 financial year on rural areas.

The Department announced on 4th March that it would be providing an additional £33 million for the Rural England Prosperity Fund in financial year 2025-26. This announcement continues funding beyond the lifetime of the original scheme providing new money for new projects in rural areas. The Autumn Statement on 30 October confirmed Defra’s budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26. Funding allocations for individual programmes have been determined through the departments business planning exercise. Future funding decisions remain subject to the government spending review.

Food and Rural Affairs, how the level of funding for the Rural England Prosperity Fund was decided for 2025-26.

The Department announced on 4th March that it would be providing an additional £33 million for the Rural England Prosperity Fund in financial year 2025-26. This announcement continues funding beyond the lifetime of the original scheme providing new money for new projects in rural areas. The Autumn Statement on 30 October confirmed Defra’s budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26. Funding allocations for individual programmes have been determined through the departments business planning exercise. Future funding decisions remain subject to the government spending review.

If he will guarantee funding for the Pharmacy First scheme beyond 1 April 2025.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible front door to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes embedding the Pharmacy First service.We are working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible, to support them in dispensing medicines to patients and in offering a range of clinical services, including Pharmacy First.We will announce the outcome of the consultation in the normal manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.

What steps he is taking to expand access to the Pharmacy First scheme.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible front door to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes embedding the Pharmacy First service.We are working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible, to support them in dispensing medicines to patients and in offering a range of clinical services, including Pharmacy First.We will announce the outcome of the consultation in the normal manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.

If he will take steps to ensure there will be no deterioration in access to the Pharmacy First scheme in the next financial year.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible front door to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes embedding the Pharmacy First service.We are working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible, to support them in dispensing medicines to patients and in offering a range of clinical services, including Pharmacy First.We will announce the outcome of the consultation in the normal manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.

What steps he is taking to prevent pharmacy closures.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible front door to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes embedding the Pharmacy First service.We are working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible, to support them in dispensing medicines to patients and in offering a range of clinical services, including Pharmacy First.We will announce the outcome of the consultation in the normal manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.

What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of increased National Insurance contributions on pharmacies.

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, and this enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.The employer National Insurance rise will be implemented from April 2025. The Government will provide support for departments for additional employer National Insurance contribution costs for public sector employers only, and the level of funding will be confirmed at Main Estimates shortly.

When he plans to publish the 2024-25 pharmacy contract.

The funding agreed seeks to address inflation and activity increases in the sector. We are now working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible. We will announce the outcome of the consultation in the normal manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.

How many pharmacies his Department expect to close in the next financial year if the pharmacy contract remains unchanged.

Community pharmacies are private businesses, and the Department does not have sight of their individual financial positions. We are now working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have secured for 2024/25 and 2025/26 is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible. We will announce the outcome of the consultation in the normal manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.

What estimate his Department has made of the cost increase of (a) delivering Pharmacy First services, (b) dispensing costs and (c) employment of pharmacy staff between 2023-24 and 2025-26.

The funding agreed seeks to address inflation and activity increases in the sector. We are now working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible. We will announce the outcome of the consultation in the normal manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.

Whether provisional results have been shared with him from Frontier Economics' independent economic analysis of National Health Service pharmacy funding in 2024.

Frontier Economics were commissioned to undertake an independent economic analysis of National Health Service pharmacy funding by the previous administration. The interim report has been shared with ministers and has informed the offer that Community Pharmacy England is currently being consulted on. The final project is nearing completion, and will be shared in full with ministers, before being published.

If he will respond to Question 32211 on NHS: Finance tabled by the hon. Member for North Shropshire on 21 February 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 32211 on 24 March 2025.

When she expects to publish the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice on statutory learning disability and autism training.

Under the Health and Care Act 2022, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is required to issue a Code of Practice to guide providers registered with the Care Quality Commission on how to meet their statutory requirement on learning disability and autism training, under the same act. The code must be laid before Parliament for 40 sitting days before it can be issued. We will set out further information on our plans for the Code of Practice in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the readiness of businesses in the hospitality industry for the implementation of the mandatory separation of food waste from recycling from 31 March 2025.

We are working closely with industry partners such as UK Hospitality, the Hospitality Sector Council, and Food and Drink Federation to raise awareness of the requirements and understand the sector’s readiness, which has included hosting a sector specific webinar with the hospitality sector. Our understanding of readiness of the sector is also informed by ongoing discussions with the waste collection industry. Furthermore, we are actively responding to queries and publishing guidance in partnership with WRAP to further support the sector’s readiness.

Food and Rural Affairs, what limits his Department plans to set on effluent released into waste water from commercial food waste extraction and drying systems.

Trade effluent discharges to the public sewerage network are the responsibility of the discharging party to agree consent to discharge with the local sewerage undertaker. Under s.118 of the Water Industry Act 1991, the occupier of any trade premises in the area of a sewerage undertaker may discharge any trade effluent proceeding from those premises into the undertaker’s public sewers if they do so with the undertaker’s consent. Under s.121 of the Act, the sewerage undertaker may place conditions on the consent to discharge Disposal of food waste to landfill or into the sewer system (even if pre-treated) should only be carried out as a last resort in accordance with the food and drink waste hierarchy. Any additional food waste that is not disposed of on-site must be collected separately for recycling as per the Simpler Recycling requirements. Defra has commissioned research into the various technologies that treat and discharge food waste to sewer to better understand their respective environmental impacts.