Every parliamentary written question tabled by Jim Dickson this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 77 · this parliament
What plans his Department has to raise awareness of the link between obesity, kidney disease and heart disease amongst health care professionals and the public.
The Government recognises the importance of raising awareness about the interconnectedness of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and kidney disease amongst healthcare professionals and the public.To tackle unwarranted variation, support c...
What plans his department has to assess the effectiveness of NHS health checks to ensure a) they are targeted at the right patients and b) checking for the correct conditions.
The NHS Health Check is designed to assess the top risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and refer people to further support through behavioural interventions, for example weight management, clinical assessment, and treatment where appropriate.Pro...
Whether the upcoming Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework will consider the impact of obesity and kidney disease on cardiovascular disease.
The Government recognises the importance of raising awareness about the interconnectedness of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and kidney disease amongst healthcare professionals and the public.To tackle unwarranted variation, support c...
If her Department will publish figures on the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children arriving in Kent each month since January 2024.
The Home Office publishes data on the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. This data is published on a quarterly basis and is not broken down by location. As such, figures on the ...
What steps her Department has taken to ensure that children and young people are able to contribute their views to the consultation on updating the School Food Standards.
We know that children and young people’s own experiences are key to shaping effective school food standards. To support this, we have been engaging with children and young people to understand what they eat at school, what they enjoy, and what they would ...
What the timetable is for the publication of a government consultation regarding the health reporting requirements and targets for large businesses under the healthy food standard policy announced
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The plan committed to introducing mandatory healthier food...
When his Department plans to announce a timeline for the implementation of the healthy food standard policy announced as part of the 10-year health plan for England.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The plan committed to introducing mandatory healthier food...
Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department plans to provide to support the improvement of playground facilities in England.
To support the improvement of playgrounds, the Government is providing the £18 million playgrounds fund. This fund is a targeted programme to improve children’s access to safe, inclusive, high‑quality local play spaces in communities where it has fallen f...
What steps he is taking to help ensure consistent standards for lipid testing and reporting across England.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline on cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification provides evidence-based guidance for healthcare professionals on lipid measurement. Healthcare professionals are expected to take NICE guidelines fully into account in the care and treatment of individual patients.To tackle unwarranted variation and support consistent, high-quality care across the cardiovascular pathway, the Government will publish a new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) later this year.As part of this, the CVD MSF will identify the best-evidenced interventions and set clear standards on how they should be used, alongside a clear strategy to support and oversee uptake by clinicians and providers. This approach will help ensure greater consistency in the detection, assessment, and management of cardiovascular risk factors, such as cholesterol.
What plans he has to support the delivery of cardiovascular prevention services within neighbourhood health settings.
To accelerate progress on the Government’s ambition to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next ten years, we will publish a new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) this spring. This will support consistent, high quality, and equitable prevention, diagnosis, and care across the cardiovascular pathway, including in neighbourhood health settings where care is planned and delivered around shared local populations.Alongside the CVD MSF, as announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, Prevention Accelerators will focus on high-impact cardiovascular disease and diabetes interventions, and their impact on population health and demand for National Health Services, including elective and general practice appointments.Beyond these initiatives, the Government and NHS England have also invested heavily in hypertension case-finding for those over 40 years old in community pharmacies. As part of the service, pharmacies have delivered nearly 4.2 million blood pressure and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring checks since October 2021.
Whether her Department plans to publish a national strategy on HGV parking and welfare facilities.
There are no current plans to publish a national strategy on HGV parking and welfare facilities. The Department for Transport has commissioned a National Survey of Lorry Parking which is currently underway. The survey will provide a fresh baseline on the availability of secure lorry parking and HGV driver welfare provision and is scheduled to be published in the autumn. The survey was last conducted in 2022 and provided the evidence base for the design of the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme. With industry, this scheme is delivering up to £35.7 million in joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. The scheme is helping to improve driver welfare facilities, lorry parking provision, site security and decarbonisation. This investment is on top of up to £30 million investment by National Highways and industry at truck stops and motorway service areas along the strategic road network. The government is prioritising improvements to the planning system. Strengthened policy on freight and logistics has been proposed in the recent consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to improve the consideration of freight, including lorry parking, in the planning system.
How many and what proportion of school leavers progressed onto apprenticeships at (a) Level 3, (b) Level 4 and (c) above by type of establishment in each year since September 2020.
The department publishes information on the destinations of students after key stage 4 and 16 to 18 study. This includes whether an apprenticeship was sustained.To be counted, young people need to sustain the apprenticeship for six months in the academic year after leaving.Data on the destinations of students who have completed key stage 4 study is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/059bdddb-673e-47bd-f7ed-08de834d471d.Data on the destinations of students who have completed 16 to 18 study is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7cebeac7-c6b9-475a-f7ef-08de834d471d.
How many and what proportion of school leavers have progressed to (a) employment and (b) economic inactivity by type of establishment in each year since September 2020.
The department publishes information on the destinations of students after key stage 4 and 16 to 18 study. This includes whether a student sustained an education, employment or apprenticeship destination. The data also includes the number of students who did not sustain a destination or where no activity was captured.To be counted in a destination, young people must have sustained participation for a six-month period in the destination year.Data on the destinations of students who have completed key stage 4 is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/40d1474a-30ff-402a-f7ee-08de834d471d.Data on the destinations of students who have completed 16 to 18 study is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5d0582dc-7327-42f2-ab5e-08de834ce335.
How the vape excise tax will be evaluated to ensure that it reduces youth vaping, maintains smoker switching and reduces the illicit market.
From 1 October 2026, the government will introduce a Vaping Products Duty of £2.20 per 10ml, alongside a one‑off increase in Tobacco Duty to maintain the incentive for smokers to switch from tobacco to vaping. To minimise the risk of switching to the illicit market, the government has provided a £10 million funding boost to Trading Standards, up to £10 million from HMRC for Border Force to enhance operational information gathering capabilities between 2026-27 and over 300 new HMRC compliance officers to strengthen enforcement. Consideration will be given to evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the Vaping Products Duty once sufficient data has been collected, particularly among young people and non-smokers. This will be in line with policy objectives and wider government aims of creating a smokefree generation.
What plans her Department has to review taxes across the tobacco and nicotine category in the context of regulation changes to the tobacco and nicotine market via the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and the planned revision of the EU Tobacco Products Directive.
The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the annual Budget process and will continue to monitor the progress of the EU Tobacco Products Directive as it goes through the EU legislative process.
What steps he is taking to tackle backlogs in the courts.
Sir Brian’s report set out a blueprint for pragmatic structural reform in our criminal courts and made clear that action across the process is essential.The Courts and Tribunals Bill is the first step to putting that blueprint into law. Coupled with record investment in sitting days and criminal legal aid and modernisation of listing practices and use of case coordinators and blitz courts to boost efficiencies, we are taking a neglected service and bringing it, finally, into the 21st century.
Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of tobacco companies on (a) AI summaries on topics of commercial interest, including the size of the illicit tobacco market, and (b) the accuracy of those summaries.
The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology has made no assessment of the impact of tobacco companies on the outputs of AI models or their accuracy.
What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people experiencing suicidality or who have attempted suicide receive sustained, trauma-informed and long-term support beyond crisis intervention, including through better integration of NHS services with community-led organisations such as Body & Soul, particularly for people from marginalised communities.
The Government is committed to ensuring that people experiencing suicidal thoughts or who have attempted suicide receive compassionate, personalised, and sustained support.The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England 2023 to 2028 outlines our cross‑sector approach to improving support for people who experience suicidality, including tailored support for priority groups and improved integration between services. Voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations are vital in providing community‑based trauma‑informed support alongside clinical services.The 10-Year Health Plan supports this approach through a shift towards community‑based prevention and services. This includes closer collaboration between the National Health Service, local authorities, and VCSE partners to improve access to integrated, long‑term support.Last year, NHS England published Staying Safe from Suicide: Best Practice Guidance for Safety Assessment, Formulation and Management, which promotes a more holistic, person-centred approach to suicide prevention with accompanying e-learning. The NHS medium-term planning framework requires integrated care boards to ensure practitioners undertake training and deliver care in line with this guidance from 2026/27.
What data her Department holds on the average individual cost of an evidential drink-driving test for (a) blood and (b) urine alcohol content.
The Government’s Road Safety Strategy launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.The Home Office does not hold information on the annual and individual costs of evidential drink-driving tests for the police.Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up, to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.
What information her Department holds on the annual cost of evidential drink-driving testing to the police budget from (a) blood and (b) urine tests.
The Government’s Road Safety Strategy launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.The Home Office does not hold information on the annual and individual costs of evidential drink-driving tests for the police.Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up, to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.