The ombudsman’s report has been laid before Parliament and it is under active and considerable consideration at the present time.

My Department works closely with the Scottish Government and their agencies to promote Scottish products in overseas markets. We have recently delivered

our Made in Scotland, Sold to the World exporter roadshow in Glasgow. On top of that, I am pleased to say that the PG Paper Company, a brilliant Scottish business, has just received an award in this year’s Made in the UK, Sold to the World awards.

All community pharmacists, whether working on a high street or online, have a duty of care to their patients. We would expect pharmacists to take reasonable steps to ensure that all the medicines they dispense are against legally valid prescriptions, and appropriate for the patient under the authority of the prescriber. This includes both National Health Service prescriptions and private prescriptions. Registered pharmacy professionals and premises are independently regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and guidance has been issued for those providing services at a distance, including online pharmacies.

While pharmacists are responsible for a final clinical check, ultimately the responsibility for the product prescribed rests with the prescriber. We are looking closely at what can be done to address any loopholes in prescribing practices, including work with the GPhC to define the dispensing responsibilities of pharmacists providing private prescriptions, as recommended by the Cass Report.

Following the initial roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in December 2020, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had a comprehensive surveillance strategy in place, enabling continual close monitoring of emerging safety evidence including studies, published literature, and data arising from the widespread use in the United Kingdom and globally. This included the article and Norwegian reports highlighted. The MHRA communicates safety advice based upon consideration of the totality of evidence from all relevant information sources, rather than the strengths and limitations of individual data sources.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) role is to ensure that the benefits associated with a medicinal product outweigh the known risks, at the time of first authorisation and thereafter. Whilst the MHRA seeks expert advice from the Commission on Human Medicines and its expert advisory groups on the likelihood of an association between a COVID-19 vaccine and a safety concern, this is based on the totality of evidence from Yellow Card data, and relevant information from other sources. Should a new link between a medicine and a safety concern be confirmed, the MHRA will take necessary regulatory action, such as updating product information to include a warning for patients and healthcare professionals.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not assign causality at the level of individual reports, as this is not the responsibility of the MHRA, and as such a process is not held. The MHRA holds processes for cumulative analysis of Yellow Card data, as well as assessment of data from other sources, for patterns or evidence which might suggest a causal link between the vaccination and the reported reaction, alongside other relevant data. In relation to fatal reports, it is the role of a Coroner to determine the likely cause of death for an individual. The MHRA’s approach to post authorisation surveillance of COVID-19 vaccines is outlined in the published Report of the Commission on Human Medicines Expert Working Group on COVID-19 vaccine safety surveillance.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has received 489,004 spontaneous suspected adverse drug reaction reports relating to a COVID-19 vaccine up to and including 28 February 2024, within the United Kingdom. 2,734 of the reports were associated with a fatal outcome. Reporters are asked to submit Yellow Card reports even if they only have a suspicion that the vaccine may have caused the adverse reaction. The existence of an adverse reaction report does not necessarily mean that the vaccine has caused the reaction. Reporting rates can be influenced by many factors, including the seriousness of the adverse reactions, their ease of recognition, and the extent of the use of a particular vaccine.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) fulfils the requirements set out in the Human Medicines Regulation Part 11, in respect of obligations on the licensing authority to conduct surveillance of all medicinal products, including COVID-19 vaccines.

For COVID-19 vaccines, the MHRA implemented a proactive strategy, which included prospective safety data collection, and use of a range of domestic and international data sources and methodologies. For all products, events and outcomes, each data source is assessed based on its strengths and limitations, using appropriate methodologies and, where appropriate, statistical thresholds for those data. The MHRA also work closely with public health partners in reviewing the effectiveness and impact of the vaccines, to ensure the benefits continue to outweigh any possible side effects.

The MHRA keep all available evidence under review including studies, published literature, and data arising from the widespread use of COVID-19 vaccines in the United Kingdom and globally. Ministers routinely engage with officials from the MHRA on a number of issues.

Following the initial roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in December 2020, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had a comprehensive surveillance strategy in place, enabling continual close monitoring of emerging safety evidence, including relevant safety information from international regulators. This included engagement with the European Medicines Agency to discuss data emerging from European Member States and countries in the European Economic Area, such as Norway. The MHRA communicates safety advice based upon consideration of the totality of evidence from all relevant information sources, rather than the strengths and limitations of individual data sources.

While the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency carefully assesses Yellow Card reports of suspected adverse reactions, including those with a fatal outcome, to determine whether additional information is required to facilitate assessment of the link between a medicine and the reported adverse event, they do not assign causality at the level of individual reports.

Cumulatively, Yellow Card data is thoroughly analysed for patterns or evidence which might suggest a causal link between the vaccination and the reported reaction, alongside other relevant data. In relation to fatal reports, it is the role of a Coroner to determine the likely cause of death for an individual.

We have always been clear that children’s safety and well-being is paramount, so we welcome this landmark decision by the National Health Service. Ending the routine prescription of puberty blockers will help ensure that care is based on evidence, expert clinical opinion and is in the best interests of the child.

We expect the private sector to follow suit. There are no private providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to prescribe puberty blockers to children under the age of 16. If a private organisation registered with the CQC fails to meet the conditions of its registration, then the regulator can take enforcement action.

Equality Hub Ministers regularly engage with their counterparts across Government on matters relating to LGB equality. This is because this Government is committed to improving the health and well-being of young people and we recognise that gay, lesbian and bisexual young people often face specific challenges.

This is why spending for children and young people’s mental health services has increased from £841 million in 2019/20 to just over £1 billion in 2022/23.

A further £3 million of funding has also been divided between five anti-bullying organisations to tackle bullying in schools. This includes projects that target homophobic and biphobic hate-related bullying.

In October 2022, we launched a Victim Support Service for anyone affected by or at risk of conversion practices, regardless of their sexual orientation, sex or transgender identity. The helpline can provide a safe, confidential listening and information service to anyone over the age of 13.

UK Research and Innovation has a list of research in carbon capture and storage by area. It is available at https://gow.epsrc.ukri.org/NGBOChooseTTS.aspx?Mode=ResearchArea&ItemDesc=Carbon+Capture+and+Storage

The UK ferry sector is a highly competitive commercial market. There are currently a significant number of links to Europe offering a variety

of freight and passenger routes from many locations, including five new routes since 2021. Ferry routes are developed on a commercial basis by private sector operators to provide services that meet wider passenger or freight demands. As such, the Department does not currently intend to undertake any such assessment.

This Government is committed to improving the health and well-being of young people. We recognise that gay, lesbian and bisexual young people often face specific challenges.

We have ended the ban on blood donations from sexually active gay men, and are eliminating barriers for same sex couples to access IVF.

Spend for children and young people’s mental health services has increased from £841 million in 2019/20 to just over £1 billion in 2022/23.

And in 2021, we published our HIV Action Plan which sets our commitment to ending all new HIV transmissions, AIDS and HIV-related deaths within England by 2030.

£210 million (matched by £261 million from industry) has been allocated through the UKRI Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge (IDC) since 2019 to drive the decarbonisation of the UK’s six major industrial clusters, of which £150 million has been allocated to projects within HyNet, East Coast Cluster, Acorn and Viking CCS clusters. The breakdown of funding allocated (all funding will be allocated by the end of March 2024) and funding provided to date through the IDC to projects within the clusters mentioned are as follows:

• HyNet North West
• Total Allocated – £32,850,730
• Funding Provided to Date - £29,732,965
• East Coast Cluster
• Total Allocated – £73,726,209
• Funding Provided to Date - £63,317,114
• Acorn
• Total Allocated – £31,376,167
• Funding Provided to Date - £26,451,986
• Viking CCS
• Total Allocated – £12,692,911
• Funding Provided to Date - £10,992,417

The clusters have also received funding through other sources other than the IDC. Since 2019, a) the HyNet cluster was awarded £8.5m, b) East Coast Cluster was awarded £1.3m c) the Scottish cluster was awarded £9.3m and d) the Viking CCS was awarded £7.9m of innovation funding under the BEIS CCUS Innovation, Advancing CCS Technologies (ACT) and Hydrogen Supply programmes.

The Government has committed £1.1bn for the Green Industries Growth Accelerator (GIGA) to support the expansion of domestic green manufacturing capacity and strengthen clean energy supply chains across the UK. No funding has been awarded to projects yet.