Tim Farron MP: written questions 2026
155 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Water SupplyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103727More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many water outage incidents have occurred in each of the last five years.
Answer: Water companies are Category Two Responders under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and have duties to plan for emergencies, including water outage incidents. In England, the Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD) is the main legislative f...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordWater TreatmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103726More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the levels of resilience of water treatment works.
Answer: Ofwat has a legislative duty to further the resilience of water companies’ water supply and wastewater systems to enable them to meet long-term need. The Government is preparing to respond to the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission, includ...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: DeathDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103232More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many attributable deaths there were from fine particulate matter, PM2.5, were there in (a) East Midlands, (b) East of England, (c) Greater London, (d) North East, (e) North West, (f) South East
Answer: The number of deaths attributable to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) is not annually calculated for each region. The current estimate of attributable deaths in the United Kingdom for 2019 was 29,000 to 43,000 deaths for adults aged 30 years old and...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic HealthDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 May 2023 to Question 183643 on Public Health, what methodologies were used to estimate the costs to the NHS for each of the five risk factors specified.
Answer: The applicable methodologies for the National Health Service cost attributed to each of the risk factors outlined are explained in the following reports.The estimated air pollution related costs to the NHS can be found in the Public Health England report ...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSmoking: DeathDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103230More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people died from smoking in England in each year since 2021.
Answer: The latest estimates for smoking-attributable mortality in England are for the period 2017 to 2019. The Smoking Profile, produced by the Department, reports 191,903 smoking-attributable deaths of people aged 35 years old and over in the period 2017 to 201...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Pollution ControlDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103229More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with ‘Heating, ventilation and air conditioning’ (HVAC) professionals and facilities managers to understand how they reduce air pollution in dwellings and no
Answer: The Department and the UK Health Security Agency engage with a range of stakeholders on ways to reduce the health impacts of both indoor and outdoor air pollution.This includes engagement by officials with relevant bodies in the United Kingdom and interna...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: TechnologyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103228More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will update the Health and Technical Memorandum 03-01 for the latest technical standards.
Answer: Published guidance on ventilation in healthcare settings includes the Health Technical Memorandum 03-01: Specialised ventilation for healthcare premises. It gives comprehensive advice and guidance on the legal requirements, design implications, maintenanc...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic HealthDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103227More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which public health factors created the 10 largest direct cost impacts on the NHS in 2024; and how much the NHS spent in 2024 on tackling the health impacts of the following public health factors:
Answer: Global Burden of Disease data considers the top ten public health factors in the United Kingdom in 2023 in order of importance to be: tobacco, high body mass index, dietary risks, high fasting plasma glucose, high blood pressure, high alcohol use, high ch...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSchools: Air PollutionDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103226More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will update guidance titled ‘BB101: Ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality 2018’ for the latest available technical standards.
Answer: All new department-delivered schools are designed and constructed to the department’s own school building standards. These standards include ventilation, thermal comfort and air quality and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emp...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBiofuels: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103225More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress his Department has made in implementing the advice in Table 1 on numbered page 19 of the Climate Change Committee’s report titled ‘Biomass in a low carbon economy’ (November 201
Answer: The department’s schemes support biomass installations only in rural areas and if additional eligibility criteria are met. New ecodesign standards setting higher minimum efficiency standards for solid fuel space heaters, including wood burning stoves, hav...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103224More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, How many people in each of the following regions are expected to be exposed to concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exceeding each of (a) 5 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/
Answer: Defra does not publish air quality data in the form requested. The recently published Environmental Improvement Plan set out a target to reduce average exposure to PM2.5 in England by 30% by 2030 compared to the 2018 value. The emphasis of this approach i...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103223More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any hotspots in zones other than the five zones identified in the Compliance Assessment Summary 2024 exceeded the nitrogen dioxide annual limit value in calendar 2024.
Answer: The localised hotspots identified through Defra’s national modelling and monitoring networks are published annually on UK Air (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/) as part of the national compliance assessment under the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010. Lo...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103222More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which areas in the following zones her Department assesses may delay compliance with the nitrogen dioxide annual limit value beyond 2024 and until when in (i) West Midlands Urban Area;
Answer: The results of the UK’s air quality assessment for 2024 are published online on the UK-Air website (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/). Projections of future compliance for locations in exceedance of the nitrogen dioxide annual mean limit value in 2024 are bei...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSolid Fuels: Air PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103221More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Domestic Solid Fuel Regulations 2020.
Answer: In November 2025, we published the Post Implementation Review of the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020, which assesses the effectiveness of the Regulations. Data suggest that the Regulations have led to consumers movi...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSmoke and Chimney GasesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103220More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department provides guidance on whether premises are permitted to emit visible smoke in England.
Answer: We provide guidance for local authorities on enforcement of SCAs - Smoke control area enforcement by local authorities in England and to the public to help them understand the requirements within SCAs – Smoke control areas: the rules.
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103219More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Clean Air Act 1956, the Clean Air Act 1968 and the Clean Air Act 1993.
Answer: The Clean Air Act is kept under continuous review to ensure it remains fit for purpose. A number of amendments have been made since its introduction in 1956. The most recent changes were introduced under the Environment Act 2021, which included the streng...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordEnvironment: Health HazardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103218More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the largest environmental risks are to public health in the UK.
Answer: There are a number of environmental risks to public health in the UK, including air pollution, noise pollution, climate change and extreme weather, emerging chemical and biological risks and water quality.
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Pollution ControlMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103217More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what Government guidance there is on technical standards to be applied in dwellings and other buildings to improve indoor air quality.
Answer: The government sets standards for indoor air quality mainly through Parts F (Ventilation) and L (Conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations which apply primarily to new buildings with detailed guidance provided in Approved Documents. Appr...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordObesity: DeathCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103216More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people died from conditions related to obesity in England in each year since 2021.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 6th January is attached.
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAlcoholism: DeathCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103215More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people died from alcoholism in England in each year since 2021.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 6th January is attached.
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCardiovascular Diseases: DeathCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103214More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths there were from cardiovascular causes in (a) East Midlands, (b) East of England, (c) Greater London, (d) North East, (e) North West, (f) South East, (g) South West, (h) West Midlands, (i) Yorkshi
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 6th January is attached.
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: Green BeltMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102740More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph TR7 of the proposed revised version of the National Planning and Policy Framework, what criteria he is using to determine an acceptable environmental
Answer: The reference to acceptable environmental effects in proposed policy TR7 is couched in general terms, but the consultation is clear that when using the Framework, the draft policies need to be read as a whole, including in this instance the more specific ...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Health EducationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102739More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the press notice by the Royal College of Physician of 13 November 2025, which called for a UK-wide public health camp
Answer: Clean air is a key part of our shift from ‘sickness to prevention’ as per the 10-Year Health Plan for England, which sets out action to further improve the quality of the air we breathe.Alongside the 10-Year Health Plan, the Department for Environment, Fo...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDeathCabinet OfficeTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102738More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of premature deaths in (i) England and (ii) the UK attributable to (a) smoking, (b) air pollution, (c) alcoholism and (d) obesity in the last 12 months.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 5th of January is attached.
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102737More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39815 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, which of the exceedances mentioned complied with the annual limit for nitrogen dioxide
Answer: The results of the UK’s air quality assessment for 2024 are published online on the UK-Air website (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/). Local authorities are expected to publish the data from their locally managed nitrogen dioxide measurement networks on their...
Answered 7 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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