Written questions by Fenton-Glynn.

Whether his Department plans to require the (a) General Medical Council and (b) Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service to publish annual data on sexual misconduct allegations and outcomes.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is independent of the Government, is directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) is a statutory committee of the GMC. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.At the recent Health and Social Care Committee in January, questions were raised about the GMC’s fitness to practise procedures, particularly in relation to sexual misconduct cases. The GMC stated that sexual misconduct is unacceptable and that it had done a lot of work recently to tighten its guidance and expectations of registrants, setting out a new duty for them and adding a new duty for those who witness such behaviour. The GMC produces annual reports on its Fitness to Practise statistics. The GMC noted that the next report was due in July and committed to thinking about what it can publish in future with the aim to be as transparent as it can.The Department takes cases concerning sexual assault and rape by healthcare professionals very seriously.In line with the Ministerial Code, details of all ministerial meetings, including those with the GMC, are published quarterly on GOV.UK at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings

Whether he has held discussions with the (a) General Medical Council and (b) Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service on the erasure and suspension rates in cases involving allegations of sexual assault and rape.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is independent of the Government, is directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) is a statutory committee of the GMC. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.At the recent Health and Social Care Committee in January, questions were raised about the GMC’s fitness to practise procedures, particularly in relation to sexual misconduct cases. The GMC stated that sexual misconduct is unacceptable and that it had done a lot of work recently to tighten its guidance and expectations of registrants, setting out a new duty for them and adding a new duty for those who witness such behaviour. The GMC produces annual reports on its Fitness to Practise statistics. The GMC noted that the next report was due in July and committed to thinking about what it can publish in future with the aim to be as transparent as it can.The Department takes cases concerning sexual assault and rape by healthcare professionals very seriously.In line with the Ministerial Code, details of all ministerial meetings, including those with the GMC, are published quarterly on GOV.UK at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of staffing levels and burnout on incidents of avoidable harm in NHS Trusts.

The responsibility for determining and reviewing staffing levels remains with National Health Service clinical and other leaders at a local level, responding to local needs, supported by guidelines by national and professional bodies and overseen and regulated by the Care Quality Commission.The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will have a focus on supporting our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. This includes the development of a new set of staff standards for modern employment. We will also roll out Staff Treatment Hubs to ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health.NHS organisations have a responsibility to create supportive working environments for staff, ensuring they have the conditions they need to thrive, including access to high quality health and wellbeing support.On staff burnout, relevant questions have been incorporated into the annual NHS National Staff Survey. The Copenhagen Burnout index has been included in the annual survey since 2021, providing a national, regional, and organisational view of burnout over five years. Organisations can use this information to triangulate with other data sets, including on patient safety incidents.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment has his Department made of the potential merits of moderating online porn companies which promote harmful content.

The Online Safety Act’s illegal content safety duties cover illegal extreme pornographic content, ensuring companies put in place safety measures which mitigate and manage risks. Providers must implement safety by design measures to mitigate illegal activity, reduce the risk of users carrying out illegal activity, and take down illegal content when it appears.

When he plans to publish the findings of the statutory review of the Pubs Code.

The third statutory review covering the period 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2025 is in progress and the government’s report will be published as soon as practicable. My officials are currently analysing the evidence collected from last year’s call for evidence and from other publicly available sources. Stakeholder responses to the call for evidence have greatly assisted my officials in identifying emerging themes and are further informing the review’s content. I am grateful for the helpful input provided by stakeholders and will continue to engage with them in taking forward the conclusions to the review.

What recent assessment has he made of the adequacy of Government support for tied pubs.

Pubs are central to local life, which is why we’ve delivered permanent business‑rates cuts for hospitality, retail and leisure businesses and are providing £4.3bn to shield ratepayers from bill increases following the revaluation. On top of this support, the Chancellor announced a 15% reduction in pubs’ new business‑rates bills from April, and their bills will be frozen for two years. Pubs will pay 8% less in business rates in 2029 than they do right now. We are also pressing ahead with further licensing and planning reforms to help pubs, whilst providing £10 million over the next three years that could support over 1000 pubs diversify. For tied pubs, the Government is conducting a statutory review into the operation of the Pubs Code and the Performance of the Pubs Code Adjudicator.

What steps his Department is taking to protect natural carbon sinks.

Nature-based solutions are fundamental to achieving net zero and biodiversity recovery. We are investing £7 billion in nature’s recovery, including £816 million for tree planting and £85 million on improving and restoring our peat, in order to protect and enhance natural carbon sinks.

Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to extend Ofcom’s Automatic Compensation Scheme to cover prolonged mobile network outages.

Telecoms consumers should rightly expect to have access to reliable and affordable connectivity no matter where they live, work or travel.We have engaged with providers to ensure customers are eligible for compensation and are assessing options to proactively engage affected customers. While we have no current plans to extend regulatory requirements to include service outages, we and Ofcom keep the regulatory framework under review.Ofcom is responsible for the Automatic Compensation Scheme and so any decision to extend the scheme would be for them. Ofcom also monitors trends in complaints. Operators are required to report significant incidents to Ofcom, who have powers to investigate, rectify and penalise communications providers for any infringement of their duties to ensure their network and services remain available.

Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of consumer protections for mobile phone users impacted by long term service outages; and whether she plans to introduce additional regulation to increase those protections.

Telecoms consumers should rightly expect to have access to reliable and affordable connectivity no matter where they live, work or travel.We have engaged with providers to ensure customers are eligible for compensation and are assessing options to proactively engage affected customers. While we have no current plans to extend regulatory requirements to include service outages, we and Ofcom keep the regulatory framework under review.Ofcom is responsible for the Automatic Compensation Scheme and so any decision to extend the scheme would be for them. Ofcom also monitors trends in complaints. Operators are required to report significant incidents to Ofcom, who have powers to investigate, rectify and penalise communications providers for any infringement of their duties to ensure their network and services remain available.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with mobile network operators on the timetable for restoring mobile coverage in Calder Valley constituency; and what steps she is taking to help expedite that process.

Senior officials within the department have been in regular contact with Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) about the coverage issue in Calder Valley constituency that impacted both O2 and Vodafone customers, along with customers of Mobile Virtual Network Operators using their networks. VMO2 have confirmed that a temporary fix has been put in place to restore mobile connectivity to the Hebden Bridge community. This was implemented on 7 November. VMO2 have told us the solution put in place will ensure that the coverage in Hebden Bridge is equivalent to the level of coverage experienced prior to the outage.While we will be launching a call for evidence as soon as possible to assess the merits of further planning reform to support the deployment of mobile networks, VMO2 has indicated that obtaining planning permission was not a barrier to restoring coverage in the area.Communications providers are legally required to ensure appropriate network availability, mitigate risks, and report significant incidents to Ofcom, which can investigate and enforce compliance. In December 2023, Ofcom launched a Call for Input on power back-up at mobile access sites. An update in February 2025 confirmed further analysis is underway to determine proportionate measures for operators. The Department supports this work and looks forward to its conclusions.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the resilience of mobile networks in rural areas; and whether her Department plans to review (a) planning and (b) infrastructure requirements to prevent prolonged outages.

Senior officials within the department have been in regular contact with Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) about the coverage issue in Calder Valley constituency that impacted both O2 and Vodafone customers, along with customers of Mobile Virtual Network Operators using their networks. VMO2 have confirmed that a temporary fix has been put in place to restore mobile connectivity to the Hebden Bridge community. This was implemented on 7 November. VMO2 have told us the solution put in place will ensure that the coverage in Hebden Bridge is equivalent to the level of coverage experienced prior to the outage.While we will be launching a call for evidence as soon as possible to assess the merits of further planning reform to support the deployment of mobile networks, VMO2 has indicated that obtaining planning permission was not a barrier to restoring coverage in the area.Communications providers are legally required to ensure appropriate network availability, mitigate risks, and report significant incidents to Ofcom, which can investigate and enforce compliance. In December 2023, Ofcom launched a Call for Input on power back-up at mobile access sites. An update in February 2025 confirmed further analysis is underway to determine proportionate measures for operators. The Department supports this work and looks forward to its conclusions.

What steps his Department is taking to prepare for the expiry of NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust contracts, including the continuity of (a) primary care and (b) community health services.

From 2029, the leases on 308 NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) buildings will begin to expire. The Department has initiated a national programme, Securing the Future, to manage these lease expiries through a structured, phased approach, and has determine which buildings should be retained to meet future health requirements.Securing the Future will be led by Community Health Partnerships (CHP), a Department owned company that manages the LIFT estate. A business case is being developed to determine how best to secure the required estate after LIFT contract expiry, and this will assess the financial impact of different commercial approaches.The Securing the Future programme will be informed by CHP’s expertise in managing Public Private Partnership assets. The business case will ensure that commercial arrangements to manage LIFT expiry are robust, and that any wider lessons from managing private finance initiatives are taken on board.The number of NHS LIFT buildings in each region of England and the percentage of those contracts due to expire before the end of the 2029/30 financial year are as follows:59 buildings in London, with 5% due to expire;70 buildings in the Midlands, with 1% due to expire;67 buildings in the North East. With 6% due to expire;75 buildings in the North West, with 5% due to expire;12 buildings in the South East, with 0% due to expire;14 buildings in the South West, with 0% due to expire; and11 buildings in the East of England, with 0% due to expire.

How many NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust facilities there are in each region of England; and what proportion of those contracts are due to expire before 2030.

From 2029, the leases on 308 NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) buildings will begin to expire. The Department has initiated a national programme, Securing the Future, to manage these lease expiries through a structured, phased approach, and has determine which buildings should be retained to meet future health requirements.Securing the Future will be led by Community Health Partnerships (CHP), a Department owned company that manages the LIFT estate. A business case is being developed to determine how best to secure the required estate after LIFT contract expiry, and this will assess the financial impact of different commercial approaches.The Securing the Future programme will be informed by CHP’s expertise in managing Public Private Partnership assets. The business case will ensure that commercial arrangements to manage LIFT expiry are robust, and that any wider lessons from managing private finance initiatives are taken on board.The number of NHS LIFT buildings in each region of England and the percentage of those contracts due to expire before the end of the 2029/30 financial year are as follows:59 buildings in London, with 5% due to expire;70 buildings in the Midlands, with 1% due to expire;67 buildings in the North East. With 6% due to expire;75 buildings in the North West, with 5% due to expire;12 buildings in the South East, with 0% due to expire;14 buildings in the South West, with 0% due to expire; and11 buildings in the East of England, with 0% due to expire.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the expiry of NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust contracts on the finances of Integrated Care Boards over the next 10 years.

From 2029, the leases on 308 NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) buildings will begin to expire. The Department has initiated a national programme, Securing the Future, to manage these lease expiries through a structured, phased approach, and has determine which buildings should be retained to meet future health requirements.Securing the Future will be led by Community Health Partnerships (CHP), a Department owned company that manages the LIFT estate. A business case is being developed to determine how best to secure the required estate after LIFT contract expiry, and this will assess the financial impact of different commercial approaches.The Securing the Future programme will be informed by CHP’s expertise in managing Public Private Partnership assets. The business case will ensure that commercial arrangements to manage LIFT expiry are robust, and that any wider lessons from managing private finance initiatives are taken on board.The number of NHS LIFT buildings in each region of England and the percentage of those contracts due to expire before the end of the 2029/30 financial year are as follows:59 buildings in London, with 5% due to expire;70 buildings in the Midlands, with 1% due to expire;67 buildings in the North East. With 6% due to expire;75 buildings in the North West, with 5% due to expire;12 buildings in the South East, with 0% due to expire;14 buildings in the South West, with 0% due to expire; and11 buildings in the East of England, with 0% due to expire.

Whether he is applying lessons learned from the expiry of hospital Private Finance Initiative contracts to the management of NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust contract expiries.

From 2029, the leases on 308 NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) buildings will begin to expire. The Department has initiated a national programme, Securing the Future, to manage these lease expiries through a structured, phased approach, and has determine which buildings should be retained to meet future health requirements.Securing the Future will be led by Community Health Partnerships (CHP), a Department owned company that manages the LIFT estate. A business case is being developed to determine how best to secure the required estate after LIFT contract expiry, and this will assess the financial impact of different commercial approaches.The Securing the Future programme will be informed by CHP’s expertise in managing Public Private Partnership assets. The business case will ensure that commercial arrangements to manage LIFT expiry are robust, and that any wider lessons from managing private finance initiatives are taken on board.The number of NHS LIFT buildings in each region of England and the percentage of those contracts due to expire before the end of the 2029/30 financial year are as follows:59 buildings in London, with 5% due to expire;70 buildings in the Midlands, with 1% due to expire;67 buildings in the North East. With 6% due to expire;75 buildings in the North West, with 5% due to expire;12 buildings in the South East, with 0% due to expire;14 buildings in the South West, with 0% due to expire; and11 buildings in the East of England, with 0% due to expire.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of introducing a presumption against building onshore wind developments on deep peat on the UK’s ability to meet its carbon emissions reduction targets.

The Government has considered the impact of planning regulation around wind farm development on peatland, including on deep peat, recognising the importance of England’s peatlands for biodiversity, water, and carbon storage. There are existing protections for peatland habitats and deep peat within the National Policy Planning Framework. The Government also recently consulted on updated National Policy Statements for renewable energy development, including guidance around peatland and onshore wind. This will ensure a balanced approach to onshore wind development and peatland protection, where Government can enable nature’s recovery while not impeding our commitments to Net Zero and Clean Power 2030.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing a presumption against building onshore wind developments on deep peat on the Government’s (a) biodiversity and (b) peatland restoration targets.

The Government has considered the impact of planning regulation around wind farm development on peatland restoration and biodiversity. The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands for biodiversity, water, and carbon storage. That’s why we are investing significantly in protecting and restoring nature, including peatlands. There are existing protections for peatland habitats within the National Policy Planning Framework. In addition, this Government recently consulted on updated National Policy Statements for renewable energy development, which included updated guidance around peatland and onshore wind developments.

With reference to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee’s Second Report of Session 2024–25, Gridlock or growth? Avoiding energy planning chaos, published on 7 July 2025, when he plans to publish the Government’s response.

Government is grateful to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee for its scrutiny of the draft updated National Policy Statements. The Committee’s conclusions and recommendations have been carefully considered and the Government response will be published once the final updated National Policy Statements are laid in Parliament later this year.

What assessment he has made of whether the absence of mandatory strike‑off in the new MPTS guidance for proven sexual misconduct by doctors adequately protects patients.

The new guidance for Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service tribunals includes more detail about assessing the seriousness of an allegation and the features that may increase the seriousness. The guidance now also includes sanction bandings. These indicate the range of outcomes that can be expected in different case types, once a tribunal has decided whether a doctor poses a low, medium, or high level of risk to the public.In cases relating to sexual misconduct, because the level of current and ongoing risk to public protection will generally be considered medium or high, tribunals should consider suspension or erasure. The guidance sets out that in cases where misconduct is found to be sexually motivated, the inherent seriousness is likely to be high, and that makes any outcome short of erasure from the register inappropriate.The Department monitors how regulators perform their duties and will continue to engage with the General Medical Council, including assessing how the new guidance impacts the outcomes of tribunal findings in cases of sexual misconduct.

What recent discussions his Department has had with the (a) General Medical Council and (b) Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service on the implementation of the new Guidance for MPTS Tribunals, published in October 2025.

Discussions have taken place between the Department and both the General Medical Council and the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service to understand how the updated guidance will influence tribunal decision making and whether the new sanction bandings in the guidance, which set out recommended sanction levels based on the type and severity of the case, will lead to more consistent outcomes.