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1701855

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Pregnancy: Screening
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of non-invasive pre-natal tests branded as NIFTY and manufactured by BGI Group have been sold in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	22292
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>The Department and NHS England do not hold information on the sales within the United Kingdom of the non-invasive pre-natal tests branded as NIFTY, manufactured by BGI Group. The NHS Supply Chain, who manage the sourcing, delivery, and supply of healthcare products, services, and food for National Health Service trusts and healthcare organisations across England, develop procurement frameworks which enable NHS organisations to buy goods and services from suppliers. NHS Supply Chain has confirmed that non-invasive pre-natal tests branded as NIFTY and manufactured by BGI Group, are not on their procurement framework.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 24/04/2024 15:30:31 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1701858

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Genomics: National Security
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Deputy Prime Minister's oral statement of 11 September 2023 on Security Update, Official Report, column 673, whether he has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of designating the genomics sector as Critical National Infrastructure.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	22293
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>The genomics sector is not currently designated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). There is a strict framework for classification: CNI assets and systems are those that have been assessed as having a significant and catastrophic impact to the functioning of the UK – either through the loss of life or limb, on the economy, or national security, defence or the functioning of the state – should they be disrupted or compromised. The threshold is a high bar so that resources are focused on the highest priority, and most critical, assets and systems.</p><p>There are strong and sufficient provisions protecting UK genomics databases, including through the UK Data Protection Act (2018), which delivers a data protection framework tailored to the needs of our criminal justice agencies and intelligence services. The relevant genomics data is additionally held within Secure Data Environments, affording further security protections.</p><p>As with all parts of the CNI landscape, we commit to keeping this position under review.</p><p><strong></strong><br><br></p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 25/04/2024 16:32:15 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1701860

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	Genomics: China
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2024 to Question 14260 on Genomics: China, whether the programme of work to assess risks from biological data will include a review of (a) BGI Group, (b) MGI Tech and (c) other companies linked to the Chinese state.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	22294
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>Through the delivery of our Biological Security Strategy, the Government is committed ensuring the UK is resilient to a spectrum of biological threats, as well as being a world leader in innovation. As part of this Strategy, the Government is undertaking a programme of work to assess how we can minimise the risks from biological data to protect our burgeoning bioeconomy and build confidence in sharing personal data to improve health outcomes in the UK and across the world. This review covers the extent to which the UK shares data with certain companies.</p><p>Currently, organisations which hold sensitive biological data are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, organisations such as Genomics England, UK Biobank and NIHR BioResource actively consider national security in decision making about partnerships with companies overseas. These organisations consult with security personnel on a regular basis to ensure partnerships are aligned with our national security interests.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith question first answered 25/04/2024 08:43:41 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1699953

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Electronic Travel Authorisations
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to update the impact assessment for Electronic Travel Authorisation to include airside transit passengers.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	20970
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>Electronic Travel Authorisations deliver important security benefits. A blanket exemption to the ETA requirement for passengers transiting airside would fundamentally undermine the rationale of the scheme by creating a permission free route of travel into the UK which would be open to abuse.</p><p> </p><p>We will keep our position under review to monitor the impact on transit as the scheme is rolled out.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 22/04/2024 11:47:27 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1700089

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Southern Water: Meters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure customers of Southern Water are able to install water efficiency measures in their meter chambers.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	20971
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>Southern Water is developing its next Water Resources Management Plan and its draft plan included the proposed to update water meters with smart meters across its customers by 2030 through an extensive replacement programme. The company plans to undertake 10,000 household water audits per year. The company is due to reconsult on its plan this summer. It will not be granted permission to finalise its plan until Defra are satisfied that it is appropriate, including assurance that the water efficiency programme is robust, sufficiently ambitious and enables customers to be efficient with the water they use.</p><p> </p><p>Most water efficiency interventions by water companies are directed to water use within properties. Southern Water have not specified measures beyond smart metering that directly involve the meter chamber. Water meters are normally water company property and measures in the meter chamber would not usually be undertaken by customers.</p><p> </p><p>Southern Water reported through its 2022/23 annual review that it had undertaken smart water meter trials in 1500 homes. The average water use across Southern Water households was 128 litres per person per day in 2022/23, in line with its forecasts and below the latest national average of 141. The Environment Agency and Defra track whether water companies are effectively reducing water consumption across household and business customers each year and escalate concerns where applicable.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 24/04/2024 09:43:33 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1700141

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Bowel Cancer: Screening
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve genomics testing for bowel cancer patients.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	20972
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>A National Health Service testing programme is helping to diagnose thousands of people with a genetic condition, Lynch Syndrome, that increases the chance of developing certain cancers including bowel cancer. The national programme ensures all people diagnosed with bowel cancer are offered genomic testing, with a diagnosis for Lynch Syndrome not only helping to guide more personalised cancer treatment but enabling their families and relatives to be offered testing too. Relatives who receive a diagnosis of Lynch Syndrome can be referred to genetic services to discuss regular testing options to help catch any cancers as early as possible, as well as to consider preventive options such as taking aspirin or undergoing risk-reducing surgery.</p><p>Genomic testing in the NHS in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory (NGTD) which outlines the full range of genomic testing offered by the NHS in England including tests for 3,200 rare diseases and over 200 cancer clinical indications, including both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing. The NGTD sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing as well as the genomic targets to be tested and the method that should be used, including testing for bowel cancer patients.</p><p>The NHS GMS cancer genomic testing strategy has facilitated a move to a consolidated laboratory network through the seven NHS GLHs delivering more extensive panel testing using cutting edge high throughput Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology. For patients, including those with bowel cancer, this technology enables testing for a larger number of genetic variations to give a more precise diagnosis, identify biomarkers to target treatment and opportunities to access innovative medicines, and can support enrolment into molecularly stratified clinical trials.</p><p>Testing is available for all eligible patients across the whole of England. Individuals should discuss with their healthcare professional (for example, their general practitioner or other healthcare professional if they are already being seen in a relevant service) whether genomic testing is appropriate for them. Their healthcare professional will then make a decision whether to refer the individual either directly or via an NHS clinical genomics service or other relevant clinical speciality for genomic testing following clinical review of their and their family’s medical history if known, and the relevant genomic testing eligibility criteria.</p><p>The 17 NHS Clinical Genomic Services (NHS CGSs), commissioned by NHS England, deliver a comprehensive clinical genomic and counselling service that directs the diagnosis, risk assessment and lifelong clinical management of patients of all ages and their families who have, or are at risk of having, a rare genetic or genomic condition. As part of the NHS CGS, the patient and their family will access diagnosis, and management relevant to their particular condition, but also receive support and guidance so that they are able to understand their condition, its implications, and their options in relation to reproduction, screening, prevention and clinical management.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 22/04/2024 13:43:08 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1697548

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Marine Protected Areas: Fishing Vessels
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to prohibit the use of bottom-towed fishing gear in Marine Protected Areas.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	19593
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2024 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Devon, on 22 January 2024, PQ UIN <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fquestions-statements.parliament.uk%2Fwritten-questions%2Fdetail%2F2024-01-15%2F9706&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Cdac54863fba24d48038208dc4a6be6c4%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638467074492213138%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ISD4h6iMO25HStI%2BBZKhytqKE2vysfGLeaJJBfLQNsI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">9706</a>.</p><p> </p><p>A byelaw restricting the use of bottom-towed fishing gear in 13 Marine Protected Areas mentioned in that answer came into force on 22 March 2024.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 19598 question first answered 27/03/2024 14:27:16 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1696438

	registered interest
	date	15/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Animal Welfare
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the findings of the post-implementation review of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	18880
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>Defra has undertaken a post-implementation review (PIR) of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) as mandated by the regulations’ review clause. This evaluation assesses the extent to which the regulations have achieved their intended goals and identifies areas for potential improvement.</p><p>The PIR will be published soon.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 19/03/2024 16:40:15 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1696309

	registered interest
	date	14/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Airports
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the review of slots policy will clarify the exemption for non-use of slots for reasons outside the control of the carrier.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	18696
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>We published the airport slot reform consultation on 4 December 2023 putting forward options for longer term reform of the slot system, including powers to provide alleviation from slot rules in exceptional circumstances. The consultation closed on 8 March. We are considering responses and will set out next steps in due course.</p><p>In addition, a permanent expansion of justified non-utilisation provisions to include pandemics and other health crisis is being taken forward separately using powers in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Cambridgeshire answering member printed Anthony Browne question first answered 21/03/2024 15:06:23 answering member 4801 label Biography information for Anthony Browne
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1696533

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Personal Savings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help people save for the future.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	902037
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2024 answer text <p>Retirement saving has been transformed with over 11 million employees put into workplace pensions since 2012.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to the expansion of Automatic Enrolment in the mid-2020s. Our reforms will benefit younger workers and increase overall amounts being saved, with 3m people saving £2bn extra a year.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 18/03/2024 17:06:19 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith