Every parliamentary written question tabled by Luke Akehurst this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 221–240 of 323 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to mandate that at least 10% of social homes be let as furnished; and if his Department will make an assessment of the feasibility of such a policy.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.
What assessment his Department has made of the importance of furniture provision as an element of the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
We will be working closely with local authorities and external stakeholders on the detailed design of the Crisis and Resilience Fund and we will issue further information on our planned approach in due course.
Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department have made of the levels of furniture poverty in North Durham; and what assessment he has made of the potential role of furnished tenancies in tackling such poverty.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to make provision for a portion 1.5 million homes planned to be built over the course of the Parliament to be let as furnished.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.
Whether his Department plans to (a) (i) develop and (ii) adopt a list of hazardous medicinal products and (b) require safety data sheets for finished medicines; and if he will take steps with the Health and Safety Executive to make such a list publicly available to NHS employers.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no current plans to develop or adopt a list of hazardous medicinal products. The GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals Regulations 2009 (GB CLP) is disapplied to medicinal products in their finished state as outlined in Article 1(5)(a) of GB CLP. Furthermore, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals Regulations 2006 include an exemption from the need to provide a safety data sheet (SDS) for substances and mixtures intended for medicinal products. This occurs to avoid duplication when other more specific legislation exists to regulate those uses. Medicinal products for human and veterinary use, which are within the scope of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 or the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, are partially exempt from REACH for this reason. The responsibility for the REACH legislation lies with the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
If he will make it his policy to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 to ensure that hazardous medicinal products with reprotoxic effects are controlled to the same standard as carcinogens and mutagens.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no current plans to amend The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) (as amended). These regulations place duties on all employers to assess the risk and ensure that the exposure of their employees to substances hazardous to health is either prevented or, where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled. This includes any hazardous substances within hazardous medicinal products. COSHH requires employers to carry out their risk assessments to establish the hazards arising from work activities, including the products and processes being used, and for the employer to put measures in place to control those risks. The risk assessment must take into account the properties of the hazardous substance and how and when they can give rise to risks to health. If exposure cannot be prevented, employers must implement an effective programme of management procedures and put in place and maintain suitable and sufficient control measures to mitigate against the risks to health posed by any such exposure.
Whether he will require NHS employers to provide ongoing (a) education, (b) training and (c) health surveillance for all staff who (i) handle and (ii) may be exposed to hazardous medicinal products.
Where hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) are substances hazardous to health within the meaning of The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) (COSHH), every employer is required to provide that employee with suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training. COSHH sets out specific requirements for where health surveillance is appropriate for the protection of the health of employees who are, or are liable to be, exposed to a substance hazardous to health. This includes where the exposure of the employee to a substance hazardous to health is such that –(i) an identifiable disease or adverse health effect may be related to the exposure;(ii) there is a reasonable likelihood that the disease or effect may occur under the particular conditions of his work; and(iii) (iii) there are valid techniques for detecting indications of the disease or effect and the technique of investigation is of low risk to the employee. It is therefore for the employer to determine if health surveillance is appropriate as part of it’s duties under COSHH.
What steps he is taking to promote the use of (a) engineering controls, (b) biological safety cabinets and (c) closed‑system drug‑transfer devices during the (i) preparation and (ii) administration of hazardous medicinal products; and whether he plans to allocate funding to implement these controls to NHS Trusts.
Where hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) are substances hazardous to health subject to The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) (COSHH) employers, including NHS Trusts, are required to comply with the requirements of these regulations. The regulations require employers who prepare and administer substances hazardous to health to undertake a risk assessment, the purpose of which is to make valid decisions about the measures needed to prevent, or where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately control the exposure of their employees to substances hazardous to health. If it is not reasonably practicable for an employer to prevent exposure, the regulations require that the exposure of employees is adequately controlled and through the risk assessment process that the employer considers and identifies the control measures that should be implemented. Priority should be given to those controls that contain or minimise the release of contaminants and the spread of hazardous substances into the workplace. The Approved Code of Practice and guidance to the COSHH regulations provides employers with detailed information and guidance on the requirements of the regulations. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has also produced specific guidance on it’s website on the Safe handling of cytotoxic drugs in the workplace, which are one particular type of HMP.
What estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) nurses and (b) other healthcare professionals exposed to hazardous medicinal products.
The Department has not made an estimate of the number of (a) nurses and (b) other healthcare professionals exposed to hazardous medicinal products.Any incidents involving staff exposure to hazardous medical products are reported and handled through local National Health Service body reporting procedures. Risk assessments should be undertaken routinely and mitigations put in place to minimise any environmental exposure to health care professionals (and others) relating to “hazardous medicinal products”.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of whether the Palestinian Authority's decision to end the martyr payment system, announced in February 2025, has been implemented.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 17 September to question 74029.
What research his Department has commissioned on (a) reproductive health outcomes and (b) long‑term health effects of the occupational exposure of nursing staff to hazardous medicinal products; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of sickness absence related to such exposure.
The Government has not commissioned any research on the reproductive health outcomes or long-term health effects of the occupational exposure of nursing staff to hazardous medicinal products. No assessment has been made of the cost to the National Health Service of sickness absence related to this.Sickness absence is managed at an organisational level across the NHS. NHS organisations have their own policies and procedures in place to manage and reduce sickness absence, including any reasonable adjustments to allow people to return to work and/or prevent future absence. It is important that employers across the NHS take a preventative and proactive approach to supporting their staff and keeping them healthy.
For what reason she considers that further legislation is required to help tackle threats of terrorism by (a) the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and (b) other state bodies.
The National Security Act 2023, includes a broad range of tools to ensure law enforcement and our intelligence agencies have the powers they need to counter all malign foreign actors, including the IRGC.However, the Government is determined to enhance our powers as necessary. For that reason, we commissioned Jonathan Hall KC (the Independent Reviewer of State Threats Legislation) to conduct a review evaluating what powers under terrorism legislation could be emulated to tackle state-based security threats to the UK. Mr Hall KC recommended introducing a State Threats Proscription-style Tool that would be more effective in disrupting state-linked organisations, along with other proposals.The Government is committed to taking forward his proposals as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
When she plans to create a new power of proscription to cover state threats.
As the previous Home Secretary set out in her oral statement on 19 May 2025, the Government is committed to taking forward legislation to implement all of the recommendations made by Jonathan Hall KC, Independent Reviewer of State Threats Legislation, in his review of legislation to address state-based security threats to the UK.One of the recommendations made by Jonathan Hall KC, was to create a State Threats Proscription-Style Tool which will more appropriately tackle threats from state-linked entities, and which will provide operational partners with enhanced capabilities to disrupt the activities of the most egregious organisations. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s policy paper entitled UK-Occupied Palestinian Territories development partnership summary July 2023, published on 17 July 2023, whether the Palestinian Authority has informed her that it has (a) completed textbook reforms for grade 12 and (b) introduced revised textbooks for grades 1 to 4; and what mechanisms are in place to verify that these materials meet UNESCO standards.
In President Abbas' letter to President Macron, dated 9 June 2025, he set out his commitment to the principles of non-violence, the organisation of elections, the development of a school curriculum that is free from incitement, and the implementation of a new social security system, which will revoke so-called prisoner payments, and ensure that any future welfare payments are needs-based and delinked from violent actions. The Palestinian Authority must now ensure that an independent audit is conducted to verify that these reforms have been completed.
Pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2024 to Question 69090 on Challenger Tanks: Supply Chains, what proportion of the (a) UK Challenger 3 work will be in the tier 2 supply chain and (b) lead consortium work will be undertaken in the North East.
The Manufacturing phase contracts for the tier 2 supply chain are being agreed by RBSL, the Prime Contractor. The programme will award approximately 60% of supply chain contracts to the UK with a significant contribution from the North East. RBSL have sites in Telford and Newcastle; the proportion of work undertaken at each site is a matter for RBSL.
Whether the contracts for the (a) Ajax, (b) Challenger 3 and (c) Boxer programmes included targets in relation to generating social value in the (a) UK and (b) North East.
In line with prevailing procurement rules at the time, the contracts for the Ajax, Challenger 3 and Boxer programmes did not contain specific targets in relation to generating social value. The Ministry of Defence actively monitors opportunities to enhance social value and UK prosperity through these programmes. Suppliers in the North East support jobs and social value across Defence.
What steps his Department has taken to reduce the time taken to award compensation payments to victims of the Horizon Scandal.
This Government has greatly accelerated redress. We have launched the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) and Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process. We have begun payments of a £75,000 fixed offer for those postmasters in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) who want to accept it. We deliver 89% of offers within 40 working days of receiving full claims. The total amount of redress paid under all schemes has more than quadrupled since July 2024. As of 29 August 2025, approximately £1,176 million has been paid in total redress to over 8,600 claimants across the three live Horizon schemes.
What components of the Challenger 3 will have been manufactured in the UK; and what other industrial processes associated with the programme will have taken place in the UK during its (a) demonstration and (b) manufacturing phase.
The design, development and manufacture of the Challenger 3 tank is being undertaken by RBSL from its sites in Telford, Shropshire and Washington, Tyne and Wear. Challenger 3 sub-system design and manufacturing, including the fabrication of the turret structure and manufacture of the sighting systems, is being carried out by the wider UK supply chain.
What proportion of the supply chain for the Challenger 3 programme is based in the (a) UK and (b) North East.
Approximately 60% of the Challenger 3 supply chain will be provided by UK suppliers. North East suppliers represent a significant contribution to this figure.
What proportion of the supply chain for the Boxer programme is based in the (a) UK and (b) North East.
The Boxer programme is planned to deliver 60% by value of the original production contract from the UK.The long-term support solution for the programme is still under development but will look to build on the hundreds of UK jobs that have already been protected during the manufacture of the platform. It is not yet known what proportion of that supply chain will be based in the UK and North East.