Written questions by Dillon.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent increases in petrol and diesel prices at forecourts following changes in global oil prices.

Fuel markets are governed by competition and consumer protection law, overseen by the Competition Market Authority (CMA). The Government and the CMA are closely monitoring petrol and diesel prices in light of instability in the Middle East, and the Energy Minister and the Secretary of State recently met with the CMA who are considering what options they have available if there is evidence of unfair practices. We are also engaging regularly with refiners, importers and distributors to ensure any emerging risks are identified and managed promptly. The UK benefits from strong and diverse security of energy supplies, and there are no issues with fuel supply. This government has also introduced the Fuel Finder scheme, which will increase price transparency so drivers can compare prices to find the best deal and incentivise greater competition.

Whether he has considered the potential merits of moving existing renewable energy projects supported through Renewable Obligation Certificates onto Contracts for Difference.

We have looked at proposals to move generation assets supported by the Renewables Obligation Scheme onto Contracts for Difference. We keep proposals under review and are open to considering measures that will help to lower consumer energy bills.

What steps his Department is taking to improve consumer protections for rural households reliant on heating oil.

The Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing. Ministers have also spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority, who are considering their options available if there is evidence of unfair practices or anti-competitive behaviour. The CMA will now gather evidence on thesituation in the market and look at whether consumers are being treated fairly. Conversations will continue in the coming days and the CMA have the power to launch an investigation into anything relating to unfair contract terms, misleading consumer practices or anti-competitive behaviour. The Government is keeping under review whether any further support or action may be needed to protect consumers and we will work with Devolved Governments if any support is developed.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the Access to Work scheme supports people with multiple sclerosis to remain in employment.

The support that a customer will receive from Access to Work is dependent upon their needs and circumstances at the time they make an application. When assessing customer needs, Case Managers will consider the barriers the customer experiences in the workplace. This will include consideration of how a customer’s disability, or health condition, such as Multiple Sclerosis, may impact their ability to get into, and stay in work. Case managers will use the current guidance to ensure Access to Work principles are considered when making a decision on support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when her Department plans to set out a timetable for restoring official development assistance spending to 0.7 per cent of gross national income.

The Government is committed to returning to spending 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance as soon as fiscal circumstances allow.

What steps he is considering to mitigate the impact of increases in the State Pension age on people with long-term health conditions.

I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave to PQ 116522.

What timetable his Department has set for decisions on a second wave of National Service Frameworks; and whether respiratory conditions are under consideration.

The Government will consider the 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. In relation to timing, 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.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the 2022 impact assessment on the 10 per cent commission payable on the resale of park homes, what additional financial information he is seeking from site owners to inform further policy consideration.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 115901 on 9 March 2026.

What steps he is taking to improve standards in the enforcement agent industry.

The Government strongly supports the work that the Enforcement Conduct Board is doing to raise standards in the enforcement agent industry to ensure that people in debt are treated fairly. On 9 June 2025, the Government announced a balanced package of measures that seek to protect those facing enforcement action, whilst ensuring that there is a fair system of enforcement. As part of this package, we have consulted on how to establish an independent regulatory framework, to build on the work that the Enforcement Conduct Board is doing on a voluntary basis to raise standards.The Government will respond to that consultation in due course and implement reform when parliamentary time allows.

Whether his Department plans to conduct a review of NHS weight management services, including their eligibility criteria.

The National Health Service and local government provide a range of weight management services. Commissioning and funding decisions for obesity services are made locally. NHS integrated care boards, local authorities, and NHS England are expected to take National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance into account when designing services.NICE guidance on overweight and obesity management sets out the core components, standards, and eligibility criteria for weight management programmes.In this context, the Department has no current plans to review NHS weight management services, or their eligibility criteria. The Department and NHS England continue to provide national policy direction, including by providing commissioning guidance for local systems. We are committed to expanding access to obesity medicines and expanding the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme to support an additional 125,000 people over the next three years.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of replacing a proposed cap on the number of branded school uniform items with a monetary cap set by regulations.

I refer the hon. Member for Newbury to the answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 114997.

When his Department plans to publish guidance on Neighbourhood Health Plans.

No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish guidance on community health services. We are developing guidance on Neighbourhood Health Plans to provide greater clarity and consistency for systems in developing and scaling neighbourhood health. We expect this to be available soon.Our upcoming guidance will build on and complement our existing set of publications that set out the actions needed to lay the groundwork for a Neighbourhood Health Service. This suite of guidance, which includes the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework for 2026/27 to 2028/29, the strategic commissioning framework for integrated care boards (ICBs), and the Model Region and ICB blueprints, supports National Health Service operational planning and joined-up partnership work between local government and ICBs.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish guidance on Neighbourhood Health Plans on community health services.

No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish guidance on community health services. We are developing guidance on Neighbourhood Health Plans to provide greater clarity and consistency for systems in developing and scaling neighbourhood health. We expect this to be available soon.Our upcoming guidance will build on and complement our existing set of publications that set out the actions needed to lay the groundwork for a Neighbourhood Health Service. This suite of guidance, which includes the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework for 2026/27 to 2028/29, the strategic commissioning framework for integrated care boards (ICBs), and the Model Region and ICB blueprints, supports National Health Service operational planning and joined-up partnership work between local government and ICBs.

What plans he has to review the NHS dental banding system to reflect the treatment of patients with complex needs.

We are introducing three new care pathways for patients with significant dental decay and gum disease, with payments to dentists ranging from £248 to £709.Under the new care pathways, patients will agree a single care plan with their dentist, setting out the prevention, treatment, and appointments they need. Patients will pay one charge for the whole course of care, normally a Band 2 charge. This approach benefits patients by reducing the need for repeated visits and avoiding multiple charges, while supporting more effective, joined‑up care.By incentivising complex treatments, we’re encouraging dentists to undertake vital National Health Service work, benefiting patients across the country who will pay one charge for the whole course of treatment.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available from the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

What steps he is taking to improve child dental health in Newbury constituency.

The 10-Year Health Plan confirms that child dental health is a priority. We are introducing changes to dental access that will benefit children. Following public consultation, from April 2026 we will introduce a new course of treatment for fluoride varnish for children to be applied by suitably trained dental nurses in between regular check-ups. We will also increase remuneration for dentists for fissure sealants, to support increased use of this effective treatment for primary prevention purposes.In the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board, 26,221, or 12%, more NHS dental treatments were delivered to children in April to October 2025 compared to the same period before the election.The Government is also prioritising the prevention of poor dental health in children. Through the national supervised toothbrushing programme, the West Berkshire Council has been allocated approximately £33,000 over the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years to target three- to five-year-olds in deprived areas. The West Berkshire Council has also received approximately 700 free toothbrushes and toothpastes through our five year collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of local authority funding pressures on recruitment and retention in the adult social care workforce.

No specific assessment has been made on the potential impact of local authority funding pressures on recruitment and retention in the adult social care workforce.English local authorities have a responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care. The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth and improve the retention of the domestic workforce.The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements. This includes £500 million to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028 to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce.

What assessment his Department has made of whether current local authority funding for adult social care will be sufficient for projected demand over the next three years.

The Department regularly assesses the demand and cost pressures facing adult social care. These pressures were taken into account as part of the wider consideration of spending within the Spending Review process.The Government is making additional funding available for adult social care to support the sector in making improvements. The total additional funding available for adult social care in 2026/27 compared to 2025/26 is over £1.6 billion, rising to over £4.6 billion in 2028/29.This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the National Health Service contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with the Department’s Spending Review settlement.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on providers of council-commissioned adult social care services.

The Government took the cost pressures facing adult social care, including changes to employer National Insurance contributions and increases to the National Living Wage, into account as part of the wider consideration of local government spending.To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government has made available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26. The Government also made an extra £502 million of support for local authorities in England to manage the impact of changes to employer National Insurance Contributions announced at the Autumn Budget for 2025/26.In addition, the final Local Government Finance Settlement has confirmed an increase of over £4.6 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are responsible for shaping their care markets to meet local needs. In doing so, they should have an understanding of the local market, work effectively with local providers, and maintain oversight of local workforce pressures. It is for them to determine what is a sustainable rate, suitable to their local circumstances.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has considered introducing an exemption from the Community Infrastructure Levy for householders.

Householders building residential extensions and residential annexes to their homes can obtain an exemption from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), subject to completing the procedural process for obtaining the exemption within required timescales. The CIL guidance, which can be found on gov.uk here, sets out all the criteria that must be met and procedures that must be followed to obtain an exemption. I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 105228 on 21 January 2026.

What assessment his Department has made of the (a) prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Newbury constituency compared with the national average; and what steps he is taking to prioritise respiratory health nationally.

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 where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for the Newbury constituency, 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)Newbury895695England612,855511,558Source: 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 Newbury can be found under the West Berkshire county at the following link: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E06000037/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1