Written questions by Foy.

What the average time taken was to certify a death in (a) hospital and (b) the community in the period since changes were made to the death certification process in September 2024.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, including the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Regulations 2024, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024. The median time taken to register a death since the introduction of the reforms in England and Wales has typically been eight days. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification. Deaths certified by a doctor, that comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, have typically had a median time to registration of seven days. These figures are not broken down by hospital or community setting. It is important to note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September, and this makes direct before and after comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.The core purposes of the death certification reforms are to introduce scrutiny of the cause of death to detect and deter malpractice, to improve reporting, and crucially to put the bereaved at the centre of the process by offering a conversation with the medical examiner about the cause of death. The expectation on doctors and medical examiners is clear, that they should complete certification as quickly and efficiently as possible, and the Government is working with all stakeholders to make sure this is the case.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Regulations 2024 in the context of reports of delays to funeral services.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, including the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Regulations 2024, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024. The median time taken to register a death since the introduction of the reforms in England and Wales has typically been eight days. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification. Deaths certified by a doctor, that comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, have typically had a median time to registration of seven days. These figures are not broken down by hospital or community setting. It is important to note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September, and this makes direct before and after comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.The core purposes of the death certification reforms are to introduce scrutiny of the cause of death to detect and deter malpractice, to improve reporting, and crucially to put the bereaved at the centre of the process by offering a conversation with the medical examiner about the cause of death. The expectation on doctors and medical examiners is clear, that they should complete certification as quickly and efficiently as possible, and the Government is working with all stakeholders to make sure this is the case.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his international counterparts on taking steps to protect places of worship in Palestine.

The UK has always been clear that a ceasefire is just the first step towards a lasting solution to this crisis. We remain focused on pushing for an end to the devastating violence in Gaza, protecting civilians, ensuring the release of all hostages and an increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza. The UK champions, and remains strongly committed to, freedom of religious belief for all. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral organisations, our bilateral work, and our programme funding. The UK is a strong supporter of freedom of religion and belief and calls for places of worship to be respected.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of alleged settler violence in the village of Umm al-Khair in the southern West Bank.

As the Prime Minister said in the House on 22 January, we are deeply concerned by events in the West Bank. We have raised this several times in exchanges that we have had with Israel at both ministerial and official level. It is in no one's interest for further conflict and instability to spread in the West Bank. We are clear that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and harm prospects for a two-state solution. The UK strongly condemns settler violence and provocative remarks. On 15 October, the Foreign Secretary announced new sanctions targeting three illegal settler outposts and four organisations that have supported and sponsored violence against communities in the West Bank. These measures will help bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce health inequalities in City of Durham constituency.

The United Kingdom faces significant health inequalities, with life expectancy varying widely across and within communities. The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the structural inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups.The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ North East and Yorkshire Regional Team collaborates with partners to provide system leadership for public health, reducing health inequalities. The team facilitates the delivery of national and local public health priorities, providing expert advice. It works with Directors of Public Health in local authorities, integrated care systems, Mayoral Combined Authorities, NHS England, and the wider National Health Service. The team also leads for public health workforce development and with Local Knowledge and Intelligence colleagues, and provides enhanced data, intelligence, and insights for population health.North East local authorities received a total of £238 million in Public Health Grant funding for 2024/25, with Durham County Council receiving £53.9 million for 2024/25. This provides services such as stop smoking, drug and alcohol treatment, health visiting and school nursing, and sexual health, among others, all of which contribute to addressing health inequalities. Additionally, Directors of Public Health from each local authority are working in partnership with the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to support action to address inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes associated with health care.Existing initiatives to reduce inequalities in relation to health services, in England, include NHS England’s Core20Plus5, which focuses on improving the five clinical areas in most need of accelerated improvement in the poorest 20% of the population, along with other underserved population groups identified at a local level, including groups that share protected characteristics, and socially excluded groups such as people experiencing homelessness.Durham County Council is one of 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation receiving Family Hubs and Start for Life programme funding. The Government has committed a £126 million boost for families in 2025/26 to give every child the best start in life. Of this, Durham County Council will receive £1.68 million.

If he will make it his policy to prepare a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities in the North East.

The United Kingdom faces significant health inequalities, with life expectancy varying widely across and within communities. The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the structural inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups.The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ North East and Yorkshire Regional Team collaborates with partners to provide system leadership for public health, reducing health inequalities. The team facilitates the delivery of national and local public health priorities, providing expert advice. It works with Directors of Public Health in local authorities, integrated care systems, Mayoral Combined Authorities, NHS England, and the wider National Health Service. The team also leads for public health workforce development and with Local Knowledge and Intelligence colleagues, and provides enhanced data, intelligence, and insights for population health.North East local authorities received a total of £238 million in Public Health Grant funding for 2024/25, with Durham County Council receiving £53.9 million for 2024/25. This provides services such as stop smoking, drug and alcohol treatment, health visiting and school nursing, and sexual health, among others, all of which contribute to addressing health inequalities. Additionally, Directors of Public Health from each local authority are working in partnership with the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to support action to address inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes associated with health care.Existing initiatives to reduce inequalities in relation to health services, in England, include NHS England’s Core20Plus5, which focuses on improving the five clinical areas in most need of accelerated improvement in the poorest 20% of the population, along with other underserved population groups identified at a local level, including groups that share protected characteristics, and socially excluded groups such as people experiencing homelessness.Durham County Council is one of 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation receiving Family Hubs and Start for Life programme funding. The Government has committed a £126 million boost for families in 2025/26 to give every child the best start in life. Of this, Durham County Council will receive £1.68 million.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle shortages of ADHD medication in the North East.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level. The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to...

Whether (a) he and (b) his Department has had discussions with representatives of the vaping industry since the general election.

Since July 2024, no members of the Department have met with the vaping industry. This includes my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Details of ministerial meetings are updated quarterly in arrears, on the GOV.UK website.

Whether the policy paper entitled Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation, last updated on 8 November 2023, reflects his Department's current policy.

The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill was introduced into Parliament on 5 November, and will be the single biggest public health intervention since the banning of smoking in indoor public spaces.This bill goes further than ever before. It will create the fi...

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that new investment in further education contributes to (a) improving staff conditions and (b) closing pay gaps between college and school teachers.

This government is committed to ensuring there is a thriving further education (FE) sector, which is vital to our missions to break down the barriers to opportunity and deliver economic growth.At the October 2024 Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancell...

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing flexible railway ticketing.

Flexible Season Tickets are available across all contracted train operators. They offer most commuters who travel two or three days per week better value compared to both day tickets and other season tickets. All TOCs offer anytime and off-peak tickets fo...

What steps he is taking to increase the number of nurses.

Working with universities we are committed to training the staff we need to get patients seen on time, including more nurses, and will work closely with National Health Service trusts and their local education providers to do so and ensure nursing remains...

What steps he is taking to improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of nurses.

Working with universities we are committed to training the staff we need to get patients seen on time, including more nurses, and will work closely with National Health Service trusts and their local education providers to do so and ensure nursing remains...

Whether she plans to expand the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to milk based drinks.

The SDIL is internationally recognised as a successful tax intervention, with measurable reformulation and consequent health impacts. As with all taxes, the Government keeps SDIL under review as part of its Budget process.

Whether he plans to introduce auto-enrolment for the Healthy Start scheme.

The Healthy Start scheme is kept under review. There have been no discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on introducing auto-enrolment for Healthy Start.The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a h...

Whether levels of food insecurity will be a key metric of the Child Poverty Taskforce.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving the life chances for every child. For too many children, living in poverty robs them of the opportunity to learn and prosper.Child poverty has increased by 700,0...

What steps he is taking to reduce inequalities in dietary health.

Under our Health Mission we will move from a model of sickness to one of prevention, reducing health inequalities and closing the gap in healthy life expectancy, as well as delivering on our commitment to raise the healthiest generation ever. As part of t...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish a response to the consultation in 2022 on public sector food and catering policy.

The Government is reviewing the policy. Our ambition, set out in our election manifesto, is for half of all food supplied into the public sector to be from local British producers, or certified to higher environmental standards whilst being in line with W...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that farmers have a stable income.

This Government strongly believes in the importance of farming. For this Government, food security is national security, requiring a sustainable, resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports British Farmers. The Government underst...

Representing the House of Commons Commission, what the Commission's policy is on objecting to applications received by Westminster City Council for loudspeaker consent in Parliament Square when the Hou

Decisions over loudspeaker consent in Parliament Square are handled by the Serjeant at Arms. Each application is considered on a case-by-case basis and takes into consideration the sitting of the House and Committees, other business planned for the day, t...