Written questions by McMurdock.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor and Energy Secretary meet with fuel bosses in No11 as government order crackdown on pump prices, published on 13 March 2026, what representations she received from industry representatives regarding the costs they charge for fuel.

The roundtable was attended by representatives from the CMA, in their capacity as the regulator; relevant trade associations; and major petrol retailers and energy suppliers. Government publishes a record of meetings in regular transparency releases. To ensure we continue to foster an open dialogue as the situation in the Middle East develops, we will not be publishing full minutes of the meeting. The Chancellor has written to Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, expressing support for the CMA’s work to ensure customers are not affected by undue price rises, including for road fuel. Letter to the CMA on vigilance for unjustifiable price increases. The CMA has a statutory monitoring function in the road fuel sector and has released a statement confirming their plans to step up monitoring of petrol and diesel prices. CMA steps up monitoring of petrol and diesel prices - GOV.UK.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor and Energy Secretary meet with fuel bosses in No11 as government order crackdown on pump prices, published on 13 March 2026, what follow-up meetings with fuel retailers are planned following the Downing Street roundtable on pump prices.

The roundtable was attended by representatives from the CMA, in their capacity as the regulator; relevant trade associations; and major petrol retailers and energy suppliers. Government publishes a record of meetings in regular transparency releases. To ensure we continue to foster an open dialogue as the situation in the Middle East develops, we will not be publishing full minutes of the meeting. The Chancellor has written to Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, expressing support for the CMA’s work to ensure customers are not affected by undue price rises, including for road fuel. Letter to the CMA on vigilance for unjustifiable price increases. The CMA has a statutory monitoring function in the road fuel sector and has released a statement confirming their plans to step up monitoring of petrol and diesel prices. CMA steps up monitoring of petrol and diesel prices - GOV.UK.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Government to go "further and faster" in becoming energy secure, published on 15 March 2026, whether the plug-in solar panels will be subsidised for purchase.

As set out in the announcement we are working to make plug-in solar panels available in shops as quickly as possible. Plug-in solar panels are not currently eligible for government grants or loans however we keep technology eligibility for government schemes under review.

What steps he is taking to reduce the need for out-of-area placements in residential and nursing care.

Decisions about care placements are made locally, based on individual assessments of need and personal circumstances. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets and commission services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes commissioning a variety of different providers and specialist services that provide genuine choice to meet the needs of local people and that offer quality and value for money.There is no single national assessment of the impact of out‑of‑area placements on access to family support networks. However, local authorities should engage with people who draw on care and support, and their families and carers, to inform commissioning decisions and to consider the outcomes which matter to them.Under the Health and Care Act 2022, the Care Quality Commission has a statutory duty to assess how well local authorities are delivering their adult social care duties. However, we recognise that out-of-area placements can sometimes occur due to a lack of available provision in the area.

With reference to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s press release entitled UK-first achieved in advanced materials to benefit defence, published on 10 March 2026, whether he plans to export UK capability in Ceramic Matrix Composite manufacturing to allies without domestic production capacity.

Overseas supply of Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) is predominantly available from the USA and Japan, noting that other countries are also looking to develop commercial supply capabilities. Overall, at the present stage of UK development of industrial capability for CMC manufacture the type and magnitude of exports for defence and civil applications is unknown. Export controls are already in place to protect high performing sovereign CMC materials.

With reference to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s press release entitled UK-first achieved in advanced materials to benefit defence, published on 10 March 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reliance on overseas suppliers of ultra-high-temperature materials prior to that programme on defence capability.

Overseas supply of Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) is predominantly available from the USA and Japan, noting that other countries are also looking to develop commercial supply capabilities. Overall, at the present stage of UK development of industrial capability for CMC manufacture the type and magnitude of exports for defence and civil applications is unknown. Export controls are already in place to protect high performing sovereign CMC materials.

With reference to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s press release entitled UK-first achieved in advanced materials to benefit defence, published on 10 March 2026, from which countries the United Kingdom has primarily previously sourced ultra-high-temperature materials prior to establishing domestic manufacturing capability.

Overseas supply of Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) is predominantly available from the USA and Japan, noting that other countries are also looking to develop commercial supply capabilities. Overall, at the present stage of UK development of industrial capability for CMC manufacture the type and magnitude of exports for defence and civil applications is unknown. Export controls are already in place to protect high performing sovereign CMC materials.

Pursuant to Answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 109953, what steps he is taking to introduce policies aimed at supporting parents such as a) affordability of healthy food and b) awareness of the impacts of unhealthy food.

The Healthy Start Scheme helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In April 2026, the value of the weekly payments will increase by 10%. Pregnant women and children aged over one and under four years old will each receive £4.65 per week, up from £4.25 and children under one years old will each receive £9.30 per week, up from £8.50. Government advice on a healthy, balanced diet is encapsulated in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide is a visual representation of the types and proportions of foods needed for a healthy balanced diet, and is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide Government advice on healthy eating, including the Eatwell Guide principles, are communicated through the NHS.UK website and the Government’s social marketing campaigns, which includes Better Health Healthier Families, and Start for Life aimed at families to help make healthier choices The Family hub service expectations 2025-26 outlines that family hubs staff should be able to talk with families about healthy weight in an informed and sensitive way, signpost healthy eating guidance, for example, the Eatwell Guide and five-a-day, and connect children and their parents/carers to local or national weight management services where appropriate. Further information is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67cacd94a175f08d198d80c2/Family_Hubs_Service_Expectations_2025-2026.pdf

What assessment he has made of the impact of out-of-area residential and nursing care placements on individuals’ access to family support networks.

Decisions about care placements are made locally, based on individual assessments of need and personal circumstances. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets and commission services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes commissioning a variety of different providers and specialist services that provide genuine choice to meet the needs of local people and that offer quality and value for money.There is no single national assessment of the impact of out‑of‑area placements on access to family support networks. However, local authorities should engage with people who draw on care and support, and their families and carers, to inform commissioning decisions and to consider the outcomes which matter to them.Under the Health and Care Act 2022, the Care Quality Commission has a statutory duty to assess how well local authorities are delivering their adult social care duties. However, we recognise that out-of-area placements can sometimes occur due to a lack of available provision in the area.

What guidance his Department provides to ambulance services on directing patients to alternative services where an ambulance conveyance to hospital is not required.

On 6 June 2025, we published our Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery Plan for 2025/26, and on 25 October 2025 we published the Medium-Term Planning Framework. To support ambulance services with increased decision making and capability, NHS England in 2025/26 has published a new ambulance commissioning specification for integrated care boards that will drive consistency across England in the commissioning of ambulance services, including actions which support patients to access the care they need in the community. Included in these frameworks was guidance on impactful interventions such as Hear and Treat and clinical navigation of Category 3 and 4 calls so they are validated and where appropriate triaged in ambulance control centres, or in a Single Points of Access to direct patients to alternative healthcare provision in the community such as Urgent Treatment Centres.

Pursuant to Answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 109953, what steps he is taking to support parents where food choices are primarily determined by cost and convenience rather than exposure to marketing.

The Healthy Start Scheme helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In April 2026, the value of the weekly payments will increase by 10%. Pregnant women and children aged over one and under four years old will each receive £4.65 per week, up from £4.25 and children under one years old will each receive £9.30 per week, up from £8.50. Government advice on a healthy, balanced diet is encapsulated in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide is a visual representation of the types and proportions of foods needed for a healthy balanced diet, and is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide Government advice on healthy eating, including the Eatwell Guide principles, are communicated through the NHS.UK website and the Government’s social marketing campaigns, which includes Better Health Healthier Families, and Start for Life aimed at families to help make healthier choices The Family hub service expectations 2025-26 outlines that family hubs staff should be able to talk with families about healthy weight in an informed and sensitive way, signpost healthy eating guidance, for example, the Eatwell Guide and five-a-day, and connect children and their parents/carers to local or national weight management services where appropriate. Further information is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67cacd94a175f08d198d80c2/Family_Hubs_Service_Expectations_2025-2026.pdf

What estimate he has made of the number of people attending accident and emergency departments during winter 2024-25 with minor conditions such as a) itchy skin, b) ingrown toenails or c) a sore throat.

The number of people attending accident and emergency departments for all type services (including Type 3 Minor injuries and urgent treatment centres) during winter (from November to February) 2024/25 with a) itchy skin, b) paronychia due to ingrown toenails or c) a sore throat is published by NHS England in the ECDS Open Data which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-accident--emergency-activity/2024-25

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve the collection of data on the locations of fly-tipping incidents.

Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents, including fly-tipping incidents by land type to Defra, which are published annually here. Defra has published guidance for local authorities to support them to improve the quality of their data collection and reporting. This can be found here. The Environment Agency investigates fly tipping where the waste is more than 20 tonnes, a specified amount of hazardous waste, or is suspected to be linked to organised crime.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s Eastern Neighbourhood Small Projects Programme, how much has been spent on the project entitled AZE: Support Azerbaijan to develop Carbon Market.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 to Question 120276.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s Eastern Neighbourhood Small Projects Programme, what evaluation she has made of the effectiveness of the project entitled AZE: Support Azerbaijan to develop Carbon Market.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 to Question 120276.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Government launches consultation on making public services quicker, easier and more secure to access with digital ID, published on 10 March 2026, whether the proceedings, findings and recommendations of the people’s panel will be published.

The People’s Panel will convene throughout May and June to hear expert evidence, concluding their work on 21 June 2026. Outputs from the People’s Panel will be weighed alongside the broader consultation feedback to inform the design and delivery of the voluntary digital ID system. As announced in parliament on 10 March 2026, the People’s Panel will form part of the legal consultation on digital ID. The Government will respond to the Consultation in the usual way.

What steps he is taking to help ensure patients with minor ailments are directed to appropriate NHS services before they attend accident and emergency departments.

The Government is committed to continuing to improve National Health Services, including NHS 111 to ensure patients can access the right care first time, only visiting accident and emergency when necessary.The Urgent and Emergency Care Plan is backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding, including £250 million of capital investment for the continued expansion of co-located urgent treatment centres and same-day emergency care. This provides additional capacity for minor urgent health problems, ensuring that resources are targeted appropriately and that emergency care remains available for the most acutely unwell patients.The plan also commits to reviewing NHS 111 services and incorporating the recommendations from the review, to make the service more effective, quicker and simpler to navigate.We are also expanding urgent care in primary, community, and mental health settings, increasing vaccination uptake, and offering health checks to the most vulnerable. Integrated care boards and trust winter plans have been stress-tested to ensure resilience, reducing pressure on accident and emergency.

What steps he is taking to support NHS trusts to maintain an appropriate level of bed occupancy during winter months.

As set out in the 2025/26 Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, the National Health Service is focussing on improvements that will see the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care performance during winter, including:- improving hospital flow, with a focus on reducing the number of patients waiting more than 12 hours and making progress towards eliminating corridor care;- reducing ambulance handovers to a maximum of 45 minutes, ensuring patients are transferred more quickly into hospital care;- agreeing local pathway profiles to support discharge capacity planning and eliminate internal discharge delays of more than 48 hours in all settings;- reducing the average length of stay for patients requiring an overnight emergency admission by at least 0.4 days returning closer to pre-pandemic levels;- expanding access to urgent care in primary, community, and mental health settings - including increasing the number of people supported by Urgent Community Response teams and treated in virtual wards; and- improving vaccination uptake among frontline staff, aiming to raise coverage in 2025/26 by at least 5% towards the pre-pandemic 2018/19 level.We started planning earlier and have taken more action than in previous years to prepare for winter pressures. We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the NHS over winter months, providing additional support to services across the country as needed.

If he will make a comparative assessment of bed occupancy levels at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust between October and December 2025 with the national average during the same period.

NHS England publishes data on general and acute bed (G&A) occupancy and capacity. Between October and December 2025, the average G&A bed occupancy rate at the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust was 94.8%, compared to 93% nationally.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Government launches consultation on making public services quicker, easier and more secure to access with digital ID, published on 10 March 2026, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure that People’s Panel panellists are not unduly influenced by a small number of influential voices.

The People’s Panel will be facilitated by our suppliers, Ipsos UK. Ipsos have a trained team of skilled facilitators who will guide discussions and ensure all members of the People’s Panel have equal opportunities to contribute.