Every parliamentary written question tabled by Tristan Osborne this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 98 · this parliament
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the change to police pension commutation rates on officers (a) at and (b) near retirement; and what (i) notice and (ii) consultation was provided to affected officers prior to implementation.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment his Department has made of the distribution of medicines margin across the community pharmacy sector; and when the outcomes of that assessment will be published.
The Department does not assess the distribution of medicine margin across the community pharmacy sector. However, as part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework funding settlement 2025/26, the Department committed to a range actions to try to deliver medicine margin more fairly across pharmacy contractors and reduce over delivery which included improving and validating the medicines margin survey to underpin work on medicines margin distribution.Further, along with Community Pharmacy England, representative body of community pharmacies, the Department assesses the overall medicines margin retained through a quarterly medicine margin survey which samples independent pharmacy contractors’ sale invoices to identify the actual price they paid for a sample of medicines and compares this with the amount reimbursed by the National Health Service. Comparison of the margin that is found in the margin survey, along with the amount of margin set as part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework, determines whether there needs to be any adjustments to payments made to community pharmacies.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of applying the new Nutrient Profiling Model to advertising and promotions restrictions on food inflation.
Awaiting answer.
Whether her Department has made a recent comparative assessment of the adequacy of Vehicle Excise Duty treatment for (a) motorcycles and (b) cars; and if she will review the basis on which motorcycles are taxed.
VED, sometimes known as 'road tax' or 'car tax', is a tax on vehicles used or kept on public roads. Different VED rates apply to cars, vans, and motorcycles, and the rate for each vehicle is calculated according to a range of factors, such as its date of first registration, weight, or CO2 emissions. Revenue from motoring taxes helps to fund vital public services and infrastructure, including investment in roads and transport. VED for motorcycles is currently based on engine size. There are four engine size ranges, with the lowest rate applying to zero emission motorcycles and the smallest engines sized 150cc or less (currently £27). The highest rate applies to engines sized 600cc and above (currently £125). This compares with the standard rate for cars registered on or after 1 April 2017 which is currently £200. Motorcycles also do not pay different rates in the first year of purchase, unlike cars where first year rates vary from £10 to £5,690 for the most polluting vehicles. The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support farmers with the increasing rising cost of fertiliser as a result of the conflict in Iran.
Defra has asked the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) to increase the frequency of its fertiliser price reporting. AHDB now publishes data on their Fertiliser Price page weekly, giving farmers more up‑to‑date information to help with decision‑making. This will give farmers more timely and transparent information to support their decision-making. Defra wants to support farmers to increase their resilience to future fertiliser price volatility by maximising the use of nutrients from both mineral fertilisers and organic materials such as slurry. Defra’s Nutrient Management Planning Tool is a free resource to help farmers plan and manage nutrient use and reduce costs by matching inputs to crop and soil needs. Defra has committed £120 million in funding starting in 2026 to improve productivity, trial new technologies and drive innovation in the agricultural sector. This includes up to £50 million for Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) grants (for the 2026 scheme covering productivity, slurry and animal health and welfare) and up to £70 million available for Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) innovation grants. This funding can help farmers use nutrients from fertilisers and their own organic materials most effectively to increase resilience.
What steps he is taking to increase the production of domestic clean power in supporting energy security.
We are accelerating investment in homegrown clean power to boost energy security and cut exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets. In response to this crisis, we’re bringing forward the next renewables auction to July, introducing low‑cost “plug‑in solar” for households, and we will implement the Fingleton Review to speed up delivery of critical zero carbon infrastructure.
Whether he has had discussions with EU counterparts on establishing reciprocal arrangements for the duration of visa-free tourist stays between the UK and countries in the Schengen Area.
HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period which is standard for third nationals travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what role her Department has in supporting investigations into deaths of people abroad who held Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK but were not British citizens; and what guidance is provided to UK authorities on cooperating with relevant foreign authorities where questions arise regarding investigative jurisdiction.
The Government publishes information on the support that can be provided overseas on GOV.UK, including information about how departments and agencies work together when a British person is a victim of murder or manslaughter overseas. Questions about UK investigations are a matter for the police.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of exempting veterinary treatment for companion animals from VAT, in the context of existing VAT exemptions for certain essential goods and services.
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for public services, and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations. One of the key considerations for any potential new VAT relief is whether the cost saving is likely to be passed on to consumers. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates, meaning that cutting VAT may not be an effective way to reduce prices for consumers.The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances. Since taking office the Government has taken a number of decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability. This stability is critical to boosting investment and growth, and to making people across the UK better off.
What steps his department is taking to help ensure that the Access to Work scheme supports people with multiple sclerosis 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. Case managers will use the current guidance to ensure Access to Work principles are considered when making a decision on support. All assessments are done on an individual basis with all conditions, including Multiple Sclerosis where applicable, considered as part of an individual’s application. We continue to engage disabled people’s organisations and individuals with lived experience, drawing on their insights alongside the National Audit Office’s recommendations as we take forward improvements to the scheme.
How many defendants elected trial by jury in either-way cases in each of the last a) three years and b) five years.
The Ministry of Justice published data on those electing for jury trials in either-way cases covering periods from 2014 up to the first quarter of 2023. This information is published in the Criminal Courts Statistics release in Table_AC10: Criminal court statistics quarterly: January to March 2023 - GOV.UK At present, around 15% of either-way receipts into the Crown Court have an unknown reason for sending recorded in HMCTS reporting systems. Work is underway to reduce this rate of unknowns so that robust data can be published in future releases.
What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of (a) respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions (i) in Chatham and Aylesford constituency and (ii) nationally; and what steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally.
The Government will consider 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. 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.Data is available for emergency finished admission episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. Data for Chatham and Aylesford is shown in the table.Activity in English National Health Service Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sectorWestminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence (Office for National Statistics)2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025, provisional)Chatham and Aylesford840530England608,449423,588Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England Available data on trends in respiratory conditions is available at the Department of Health and Social Care Fingertips website. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency, but is available at regional, county, unitary authority and integrated care board level. Information for Kent is available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E10000016/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1The Government has committed to delivering three big shifts that our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country. Through our community diagnostic centres (CDCs), we are building capacity for respiratory testing and enabling people to get diagnosed closer to home. 101 CDCs across the country now offer out of hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around busy working lives. This is alongside action being taken to expand capacity and improve the quality of pulmonary rehabilitation services to support patients living with respiratory conditions.
Whether the Department is aware of (a) any loss and (b) compromise of personal data held by the Pension Protection Fund affecting pension scheme members; and whether communications requesting updates to beneficiary information are part of routine administration rather than a response to any such incident.
The Pension Protection Fund’s recent communications to members about nominating beneficiaries relates to the introduction of its new online beneficiary nomination service, which allows members to nominate or update their beneficiary details directly via the member website. It is a service that’s designed to make the bereavement process faster and more efficient and is not in response to any loss or compromise of members’ personal data.
Whether apprentices who commenced a Level 7 apprenticeship before 1 January 2026 will continue to have government funding protected through to completion under the apprenticeship funding rules; what guidance he has issued to providers and employers to ensure this protection is applied; and what arrangements exist where a provider discontinues a programme or must transfer apprentices to an alternative provider.
Level 7 apprentices, that started prior to 1 January 2026, will be funded through to completion. As with funding for all apprenticeships, this is subject to employer and training provider compliance with the apprenticeship funding rules and the apprenticeship employer and provider agreements. Apprentices concerned about ongoing training provision should contact customer.help@service.education.gov.uk.
What data his Department holds on the number of patients waiting to start treatment with Medway NHS Foundation Trust in (a) July 2024 and (b) December 2025.
The latest publication was on 15 January 2026 for November 2025 data. Data for December will be published on 12 February 2026.At the start of July 2024, the number of pathways on the referral-to-treatment waiting list for the same trust was 43,820.As of the latest published data for the end of November 2025, the number of pathways on the waiting list at the same trust was 37,104. The waiting list at Medway has therefore reduced by 6,716, or by 15.3%.Reducing waiting lists is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission, and we are committed to putting patients first by ensuring that they are seen on time and that they have the best possible experience of care. Since the Government came into office, the waiting list for routine appointments, operations and procedures in England has now been cut by 312,369. This is despite 30.1 million referrals onto the waiting list.Data on elective performance is published monthly, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/
What data his Department holds on the number of patients waiting to start treatment with Maidstone and Tunbridge NHS Foundation Trust in (a) July 2024 and (b) December 2025.
At the start of July 2024, the number of pathways on the referral-to-treatment waiting list at the Maidstone and Tunbridge NHS Foundation Trust was 44,761.As of the latest published data for the end of November 2025, the number of pathways was 49,595. Published data is available at the following link:https://data.england.nhs.uk/dashboard/rttData for December 2025 will be published on 12 February 2026.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reclassifying Ketamine from a Class B to Class A drug.
Ketamine is a dangerous substance, which can cause irreversible bladder damage and in some cases death. Ministers are concerned about the harms ketamine causes and on 16 October 2025 the Department for Health and Social Care launched a campaign to alert young people to its dangers.In January 2025 the Government asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to provide an updated harms assessment of ketamine, advice on reducing those harms and whether ketamine should be moved from Class B to Class A within the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.The ACMD carried out a public call for evidence in August 2025, and we expect to receive its report soon. We will then carefully consider its recommendations.
What steps her Department is taking with schools to help reduce the number of minors being treated for drug use, including in Medway.
Schools and colleges have a critical role to play in protecting children and keeping them safe. Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2, is the statutory guidance that all schools and colleges must have when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.The statutory curriculum for health education requires all pupils in state-maintained schools to be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and the associated risks to physical and mental wellbeing, including smoking, alcohol use and drug-taking.By the end of secondary school, pupils should know the facts about which drugs are illegal, the risks of taking illegal drugs, including the increased risk of potent synthetic drugs being added to illegal drugs, the risks of illicit vapes containing drugs, illicit drugs and counterfeit medicines, and the potential health harms, including the link to poor mental health.This complements content about substances within the national curriculum for science.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to help support the upskilling of the chemical and materials science and engineering workforce to enable the delivery of a circular economy and green growth.
This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy. The Government convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help map that transition; we will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including chemicals and plastics, as well as: agri-food; built environment; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport. It will consider critical enablers such including skills and infrastructure. Defra, in collaboration with experts across Government, industry, academia and relevant non-governmental organisations, will assess what further interventions may be needed across the chemical and materials science and engineering sectors, including any interventions on skills and infrastructure.We have noted the report Jobs and skills for a circular economy: a cross-sector perspective from the chemical and materials science and engineering communities, by the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. The report reflects our emphasis on skills development and the chemicals and plastics sector to support the transition towards a circular economy.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy is aligned with the Critical Minerals Strategy and the Circular Economy Growth Plan.
We are ensuring our upcoming plan for industrial decarbonisation aligns with the Critical Minerals Strategy and the Circular Economy Growth Plan through joint working across government and coordinated policy development. This approach aims to strengthen supply chain resilience and embeds resource efficiency into policy design, helping industry decarbonise while supporting sustainable growth.