Adam Dance

We are committed to improving the accessibility of the railway for all users, including those with a range of disabilities. The Department for Transport recently completed an accessibility audit of all 2,577 stations across Great Britain. This data is being used to guide how the government and rail industry can most efficiently invest through programmes such as Access for All, which has delivered step free access at more than 250 stations since 2006.

We are committed to improving the accessibility of the railway for all users, including those with a range of disabilities and in rural areas. The Department for Transport recently completed an accessibility audit of all 2,577 stations across Great Britain, including those in rural areas. This data is being used to guide how the government and rail industry can most efficiently invest through programmes such as Access for All, which has delivered step free access at more than 250 stations since 2006.

This Government is committed to championing the rights of disabled people and to working with disabled people to design our reforms.

The Get Britain Working White Paper announced that DWP will establish a panel to consult disabled people as part of our wider efforts to ensure that the views and voices of disabled people are at the heart of the design and delivery of the reforms set out in the White Paper. We will expand our engagement with Deaf and Disabled people's organisations and disabled people, and work collaboratively to ensure their voices are heard.

The Minister for Social Security and Disability regularly meets with disabled people and Disabled People’s Organisations, including through the Disability Unit’s Regional Stakeholder Network and the Disabled People’s Organisation Forum England.

The Youth Guarantee will be available to all young people in England aged 18-21, not just those on benefits, and therefore sanctions are not relevant for many in scope of the Guarantee.

Young people on benefits can access DWP’s Youth Offer and Jobcentre Plus support offer. If young people on benefit do not engage with activity mandated by a work coach, without good reason, they may be subject to a sanction. However, emphasis is placed on protecting vulnerable claimants and decision-makers always take all the individual circumstances of the case into account before making a decision. Our work coaches regularly explain benefit conditions and the consequences of failing to meet agreed requirements to our claimants to ensure understanding.

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we will explore a new approach to the benefit rules for young people to ensure they support the intent and design of the Youth Guarantee. For example, supporting young people to focus on improving their skills. We will engage widely on this issue to ensure all young people, including those with mental health or Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, have access to opportunities in employment, education or training.

As part of the biggest reforms in a generation, DWP will shift from being a department for welfare to being a department for work.

The Get Britain Working White Paper published in November set out plans to deliver fundamental reform of our health, employment and skills system, including:

• Delivering a new jobs and careers service to support people to enter work, progress in their careers, earn more and find higher quality work, this will apply to everyone who seeks support, regardless of whether they are in receipt of benefits.
• Working with local areas to tackle economic inactivity and increase participation in the labour market through the delivery of localised work, health and skills plans and the introduction of trailblazers.
• Delivering a Youth Guarantee for 18-21 year olds in England so that young people benefit from education, training or help to find work.

The Get Britain Working White Paper can be found at Gov.uk. GBW White Paper.

Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a globally recognised care model and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%.

FLS are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs), which make decisions according to local need. This is the case for all ICBs in the South West, including the NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB and the NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB. We remain committed to rolling out FLS across every part of the country by 2030.

In the meantime, we are investing in 14 high-tech DEXA scanners, which are expected to provide an extra 29,000 scans to ensure that people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing guidance for the National Health Service on whether Brineura (cerliponase alfa) can be recommended for routine NHS funding, taking into account real-world evidence collected during a period of managed access. The NICE and NHS England are actively engaging with BioMarin, as well as other stakeholders in the development of the guidance. These discussions are complex, and given the exceptional nature of this evaluation and the impact on patients and their families, it is essential that they take the necessary time and care to reach the best possible outcome. All parties are also committed to providing updates to stakeholders, notwithstanding the necessity that discussions are undertaken in a confidential setting.

There are no plans to assess the impact of prescription charges on people who have undergone a kidney transplant.

There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with long term or chronic conditions may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three-month and 12-month certificates available. The 12-month PPC can be paid for in instalments.

No assessment has been made of the number of people not taking prescribed medication due to prescription charges.

There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with long term or chronic conditions may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three-month and 12-month certificates available. The 12-month PPC can be paid for in instalments.

Shifting the focus from sickness to prevention is one of the three shifts in the Government’s mission for a National Health Service fit for the future, and is a cornerstone of supporting people to live healthier lives. We are working collaboratively across Government to deliver a resilient food system that promotes health and food security, protects the environment, and champions British farming.

Consuming fruit and vegetables are critical parts of the Government’s dietary recommendations under the Eatwell Guide. Consumers in the United Kingdom would need to eat at least 30% more of a variety of fruits and vegetables by weight to meet the Government’s dietary recommendations. For fruits and vegetables, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affair’s data suggest UK farms provide 53% of vegetables that are sold domestically, as well as 16% of the fruit. This means the farming sector plays a critical role in the sustainable and resilient food and nutrition security of the country, with a direct impact in preventing obesity and improving diet-related health.

The food strategy will work to provide healthier, more easily accessible food to help people live longer healthier lives, and will support the Farming Roadmap to reduce the impact of farming on nature and biodiversity.

Access to nature, including green spaces provided by farms, plays a crucial role in preventative healthcare. Studies have shown that exposure to natural environments can reduce stress, improve mental well-being, and lower the risk of conditions such as heart disease and obesity. Green spaces linked to farming, such as walking trails, woodlands, and agricultural land, help encourage physical activity, and foster social well-being.

The Budget will provide support for government departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer NICs costs only. Pharmacies are independent contractors and therefore will not be exempt from these changes. This is consistent with the approach to previous Employer NICs changes, as was the case with the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy.

At the Budget the Chancellor announced a £22.6 billion increase in day to day spending for the Department of Health and Social Care from 2023-24 to 2025-26. This is an average increase of 4% in real terms funding growth for the NHS, the highest since before 2010 excluding COVID-19 years.

The Department of Health and Social Care will set out further details of how detailed allocations will be spent, including pharmacy funding, in due course.

From 1 April 2025, the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 6.7% to £12.21 per hour for eligible workers aged 21 and over. This represents an increase of £1,400 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the NLW and is expected to benefit over 3 million low-paid workers. In accepting the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations, which balance the impacts on business, competitiveness of the labour market and wider economy, as well as the cost of living, the government is providing support to the lowest-paid workers in the economy whilst ensuring that wider economic conditions remain stable and create the conditions for growth.

We are creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. To deliver our manifesto pledge, from 2026-27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including pharmacies, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier.

The government has conducted thorough and detailed analysis of the impacts of this policy.

A Tax Impact and Information Note (TIIN) has been published which sets out this analysis. This assessment includes exchequer impacts, economic impacts, impacts on individuals and families, business impacts, equalities impacts, and HMRC operational impacts. This was published online and can be found here: Private school fees — VAT measure - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

At the Autumn Budget the Chancellor announced a £22.6 billion increase in day to day spending for the Department of Health and Social Care from 2023-24 to 2025-26. This is an average increase of 4% in real terms funding growth for the NHS, the highest since before 2010 excluding COVID-19 years.

The Department of Health and Social Care will set out further details of how detailed allocations will be spent, including pharmacy funding, in due course.

At the Budget in October, the Government committed to increasing spending on early years and family services to over £8 billion in 2025-26. This includes an additional £1.8 billion which will be paid to early years providers to continue the expansion of government-funded childcare and help more parents, particularly women, stay in and return to work.

Business rates are a broad based tax on the value of non-domestic properties including nurseries.

To protect small businesses, the government announced at the Autumn Budget that it would freeze the small business multiplier next year. Taken together with Small Business Rates Relief, this intervention ensures that over a million properties will be protected from inflationary increases.

In addition to this support, standalone nurseries are also eligible for charitable rate relief where they have a ‘charitable purpose’.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this parliament. Over 80 banking hubs are already open and Cash Access UK, who oversee banking hub rollout, expect 100 hubs to be open by Christmas.

The specific location of these hubs is determined independently by LINK, the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network. Criteria that LINK considers includes whether another bank branch remains nearby, the local population, the number of cash-accepting businesses and the financial vulnerability of the community.

An alternative option for accessing face-to-face banking services in rural areas is via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, cash cheques, and check their balance at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.