theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 June 2025, HCWS736, on Simplified Local Leadership Structures, what her Department's planned timetable is for making those changes to local leadership structures. \p Jim McMahon: Councils operating the committee system which are not part of local government reorganisation will be given one year from the date of the legislation coming into force to make the transition. Where a council which operates the committee system is to be dissolved under local government reorganisation it will be exempt from making the change. All new councils will be required to operate the leader and cabinet model of governance.

Legislation on this matter will be introduced when Parliamentary time allows.
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to issue guidance to (a) charities and (b) the voluntary sector on local government reorganisation. \p Jim McMahon: The Department has no plans to issue guidance to charities or the voluntary sector on local government reorganisation.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 58761 on Parish and Town Councils: Devolution, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) local government restructuring and (b) the abolition of district councils does not lead to an increase in the overall level of council tax. \p Jim McMahon: Decisions on council tax levels will be taken by new councils. Where new councils inherit different levels of council tax from their predecessors, legislation provides for them to be harmonised for up to seven years. The Secretary of States determines referendum principles each year to ensure residents have the final say over excessive increases. Council tax referendum principles are set on an annual basis and no decision have been taken about the principles for future years.
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Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of extending the SEND Deficit Override until 2028 on (a) local authority finances and (b) local authority reserves. \p Jim McMahon: This government recognises the pressures local authorities are facing because of their Dedicated School Grant (DSG) deficits, as well as the impacts on local authority reserves. The extension to the DSG Statutory Override is part of a phased transition to a reformed Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. The Department for Education Spending Review settlement confirmed funding for SEND reform, details of which will be set out in a White Paper in the autumn. As part of this transition process, the government will provide more detail by the end of the year on the plan for supporting local authorities with both historic and accruing deficits. We will set out more detail at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.
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Charlotte Nichols:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to provide free menstrual products to homelessness shelters. \p Rushanara Ali: The Government does not directly commission homelessness shelters or services. In 2025/26 the Government is investing £1 billion in homelessness services, an increase of £233 million on the previous year. Local authorities can use this funding to provide a range of services to meet local need, which may include the provision of menstrual and other sanitary products.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's plans for English Devolution on levels of housebuilding. \p Jim McMahon: As set out in the English Devolution White Paper, Strategic Authorities will play a central role in the government's long term strategy for delivering housebuilding across England. All Strategic Authorities will be empowered to develop Spatial Development Strategies. These strategies, which identify strategic growth locations and the infrastructure needed to facilitate housing growth, will align housing with infrastructure, prioritise social and affordable housing.

We will also grant Mayors powers to intervene in strategic planning applications to support large-scale housing developments, and to raise a Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy to fund the infrastructure required to unlock housing. Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities will receive funding for local priorities through the integrated settlement, and be held to account for local delivery through an outcomes framework.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of housing stock in areas of high deprivation in Cornwall. \p Matthew Pennycook: My Department does not routinely assess the adequacy of housing stock in specific areas of high deprivation.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Solicitor General, if she will publish the guidance issued to the Crown Prosecution Service on the application of the public interest test in cases involving freedom of expression. \p Lucy Rigby: All guidance issued to Crown Prosecutors to assist their decision making is available here: Prosecution guidance | The Crown Prosecution Service. The overarching Code for Crown Prosecutors issued by the Director for Public Prosecutions provides guidance on how to apply the Public Interest Test in all cases that are referred to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Cases involving freedom of expression issues can come in many forms, and so the relevant guidance will be followed by prosecutors depending on the facts and circumstances of the alleged conduct and the relevant statutory provisions.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Solicitor General, how much her Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months. \p Lucy Rigby: Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps with the Mayor of London to help mitigate residential noise pollution from (a) the London Underground and (b) associated maintenance works. \p Simon Lightwood: Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London. They are responsible for the operation and maintenance of London Underground, including assessment of noise generated and any necessary mitigations.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of delivery drivers using e-bikes on other road users. \p Simon Lightwood: Only e-bikes that are fully compliant with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 are legal to use on the roads.

I have previously written to the Chief Executives of food delivery companies, making clear that riders should be fully aware of the relevant legal requirements and that they should only be using safe and road legal e-bikes. This is in addition to guidance on safe use of e-bikes that has been published by the Government, most recently by the Department and Business Trade in their “Buy Safe, Be Safe” campaign.

Furthermore, the Government has tabled amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill to introduce new cycling offences. These new offices will tackle instances where victims have been killed or seriously injured by irresponsible cycle behaviour. These new offences will also ensure parity across the “motoring” offences framework. This is so that all road users, whether they are drivers or cyclists, whose behaviour results in the death or serious injury of another road user, will face the same penalties.
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Greg Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help increase prosecutions of cyclists who jump red traffic lights. \p Simon Lightwood: Enforcement of traffic offences of this sort is a matter for the police. Those who cycle have a duty, like all road users, to behave in a safe and responsible manner and to follow the rules set out in The Highway Code.

It is already an offence for cyclists to cycle without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of bus services in rural areas in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire. \p Simon Lightwood: The government recognises the importance of accessible, frequent and affordable bus services in keeping communities connected, including in rural areas. Buses in England outside London were deregulated by the Transport Act 1985 and at present are largely run on a commercial basis where the operator decides on routes and provision.

The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December 2024 as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire more widely, and rural areas right across England.

In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million to local authorities across the country, of which Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £12.2 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities, including in rural areas.

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming continued funding each year from 26/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots, and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months. \p Mike Kane: Over the last 12 months, the Department for Transport has spent £830,731.27 on social media advertising and £1,488,420.01 on online advertising through the THINK! Road safety campaign.

This has been done to reach and influence the behaviours of our target audience of 17-24 males, who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the road than drivers aged 25 and over. Campaigns have tackled priority issues such as drink driving and speeding to reduce casualties and fatalities. All budgets have been scrutinised to ensure value for money, with behaviour change communications often a cost-effective way to support policy interventions, as well as being a core part of the safe-systems approach to road safety.

As part of the THINK! campaign to reduce speeding among young men, the department ran a media partnership with youth platform LadBible which involved working with two content creators as part of a wider partnership. However, we are unable to provide a cost breakdown on influencers specifically due to commercial sensitivities which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
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Sonia Kumar:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to improve transport connectivity in Dudley constituency. \p Simon Lightwood: This Government is committed to restoring pride and trust in a transport system that works – day in, day out – for the people who rely on it.

That is why we have allocated substantial funding to the West Midlands Combined Authority, to enable it to make the best decisions about how to maintain and improve its local transport network and connectivity, including in Dudley.

This funding includes over £2.4 billion, until 2031/32, from the Transport for City Regions settlements, as well as an additional £8.6 million in 2025/26 for local highway maintenance, and more than £49 million in 2025/26 in bus funding.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much (a) development and (b) capital funding she has allocated for the Midlands Rail Hub in the Spending Review 2025. \p Simon Lightwood: The Chancellor’s commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West in the 2025 Spending Review follows the release of £123 million last year to design the first phase, which could be delivered by the early 2030s.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation or guidance to centralise data collection on licensed drivers' (a) immigration status and (b) criminal history. \p Simon Lightwood: The Immigration Act 2016 prevents illegal working in the taxi and private hire vehicle sector, as either a driver or an operator. Licensing authorities are prohibited from issuing a licence to anyone who is disqualified by reason of their immigration status, and they discharge their duty by conducting immigration checks.

Being disqualified from holding a licence by reason of their immigration status means that the person is in the UK illegally, is not permitted to work, or is permitted to work, but is subject to a condition that prohibits them from holding a licence in this sector.

The requirement to check the immigration status of licence applicants is in addition to the ‘fit and proper’ test.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) provides access to criminal record information through its disclosure service. As at 1 April 2024, all authorities in England required an enhanced DBS security check for all drivers as part of their ‘fit and proper’ test. The statutory guidance issued by the Department for Transport to licensing authorities in 2020 recommends that when an individual has spent an extended period (3 or more continuous months) outside the UK, licensing authorities should seek or require applicants to provide where possible criminal records information or a certificate of good character from overseas to properly assess risk and support its decision-making process. This enables licensing authorities to make an informed decision when considering if a person is ‘fit and proper’ to hold a taxi or private hire vehicle driver.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to announce the outcomes of the Access For All mid-tier scheme. \p Simon Lightwood: We have not currently sought new nominations for another round of mid-tier Access for All funding since 2020 and the successful outcomes were announced by the previous Government at the time.

We are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. We are in the early stages of understanding the full implications of the Spending Review for the Access for All programme and will update stakeholders in due course.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to make funding available to complete accessibility work at Ulverston station. \p Simon Lightwood: In May 2024, the previous government agreed the publication of a list of 50 additional stations selected for initial feasibility work, which included Ulverston railway station. We are in the early stages of understanding the full implications of the Spending Review for the Access for All programme and other rail projects and will engage with stakeholders in due course.

We are committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
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Sir Bernard Jenkin:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the redevelopment of Liverpool Street Station on the economy. \p Simon Lightwood: The redevelopment of Liverpool Street Station will enable £500m investment in the busiest station in the UK at no cost to the taxpayer. Officials in my Department are engaged with Network Rail Property and Planning teams around the redevelopment proposals for Liverpool Street station. These plans are at an early stage and will be subject to planning consents. Both my Department and Network Rail will continue to monitor these plans as they develop.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of how many and what proportion of university graduates are in full-time employment within six months of graduation. \p Josh MacAlister: Administrative Longitudinal Educational Outcome data of 292,945 UK domiciled first-degree students who graduated with a first degree from UK Higher Education Institutions only in 2022/23 academic year shows that an estimated 82.8% were in sustained employment (with or without study) one year after graduation. The full dataset was published in June 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/leo-graduate-and-postgraduate-outcomes/2022-23#dataBlock-d7be0f33-0ec5-4b78-98ed-ba6f25dfb414-charts.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what purposes their Department has used artificial intelligence in the last year. \p Josh MacAlister: ​​As part of our artificial intelligence (AI) adoption strategy, the department has established a secure infrastructure that enables teams to test and evaluate AI solutions within a controlled sandbox environment prior to the development of new AI-based products. Examples of initiatives currently in development include:

​A records management tool, which classifies digital records to identify those that must be retained and archived in accordance with legislative requirements and The National Archives.

​The Find Education and Training tool, which integrates multiple datasets including course offerings, training programmes, and geographic mapping to support 16 to 18-year-old learners in accessing appropriate educational or training provision.

​In addition, we have deployed Microsoft Copilot Chat across the organisation to support staff in their daily work. Examples of how this tool is used include document summarisation, multi-source information analysis, and to support the drafting of briefings and papers.

​Throughout these initiatives, the department has aligned our approach with the government’s AI Playbook, particularly its security principles. This includes ensuring our AI systems are secure by design, resilient to threats, and deployed in accordance with the Cyber Security Standard. Risk assessments and assurance processes are embedded into our development lifecycle to uphold robust security and governance.

​The department also acknowledges and adheres to the mandatory obligation for government departments to comply with the AI Transparency and Risk Standards, which guide our efforts to ensure transparency, accountability, and responsible risk management in all AI deployments.
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government to ensure financial provision is in place for English nursing students studying in Scotland. \p Josh MacAlister: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has regular discussions with the Scottish Government over a range of important matters.

Eligible undergraduate students from England, who are attending a course in nursing at a university in Scotland, qualify for the same student support package from Student Finance England as English students studying in England, which includes a fee loan for meeting the full costs of their tuition, a partially means-tested loan for living costs and, for students with adult or child dependants, means-tested dependants’ grants. In addition, students with disabilities may qualify for non-means-tested Disabled Students’ Allowance.

The government has increased maximum grants and loans for living and other costs for students from England by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year, in line with forecast inflation, based on the RPIX inflation index.

Students studying on nursing courses also qualify for additional support through the NHS Learning Support Fund. However, this is only available to students who study at English Universities, regardless of where they are domiciled.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including a target of at least 80 hours of enrichment activities in the enrichment framework. \p Georgia Gould: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Rushcliffe to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62871.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children (a) with epilepsy and (b) without an individual healthcare plan in Slough. \p Georgia Gould: The department does not collect data on pupils who have specific health issues, such as epilepsy, and only collects information where a pupil has a learning need. As such, we do not hold figures on either the number of children with epilepsy, or the proportion who do not have an education, health and care plan.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support (a) schools and (b) local authorities to provide education, care and health plans for children with special educational needs in Yeovil constituency. \p Georgia Gould: The duty to conduct education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments, and to issue EHC plans if required, rests with the local authority.

The department monitors and works closely with local authorities that have issues with the EHC needs assessment and plan process. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make improvements, we ensure that the cause of problems is identified and an effective recovery plan is implemented.

A joint local area inspection of Somerset’s special educational needs and disabilities services, undertaken by Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) in March 2020, identified nine areas of significant weakness. Following actions taken, the CQC and Ofsted revisited in November 2022 and confirmed that sufficient progress had been made in seven areas, including the timeliness and quality of EHC plans. Somerset produced an Accelerated Progress Plan to address the two remaining areas. With specialist support from special educational needs and disabilities advisors, sufficient progress was made on these areas and the plan was stepped down in February 2025.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of supplier neutral procurement branding requirements on Teach First schemes. \p Georgia Gould: High-quality teaching is the factor in schools and colleges that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcomes. The High Potential Initial Teacher Training Programme, which has been delivered under contract by Teach First, has played a vital part in boosting teaching quality across the country. The current contract with Teach First is coming to an end and as with any government contract of this scale, it will be retendered in line with the usual fair, open and transparent process.

The successful supplier will have an option to use their own identity and brand for the future programme alongside the new programme identity, which the department will develop. Further details will be available at procurement launch.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including a target of at least 80 hours of enrichment activities in the enrichment framework. \p Georgia Gould: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Rushcliffe to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62871.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the number of cohorts has been reduced in the Future High Potential Initial Teacher Training Programme contract. \p Georgia Gould: The High Potential Initial Teacher Training Programme has played a vital part in boosting teaching quality across the country. The current contract is coming to an end and, as with any government contract of this scale, it will be retendered in line with the usual fair, open and transparent process.

The programme is being adapted to return it to its original purpose - attracting a limited number of the very best trainee teachers to work in disadvantaged areas of the country.

The department is also growing other popular routes into teaching, building on the progress we have already made towards recruiting an additional 6,500 teachers across secondary and special schools, and our colleges over the course of this parliament.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support local authorities with SEND provision. \p Georgia Gould: To improve the consistency of outcomes, the department is funding regional improvement and innovation alliances which promote collaboration and mutual learning between local authorities, driving consistent improvements in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision across regions.

Launched in January 2023, the Ofsted/Care Quality Commission area SEND inspection framework will also inspect all local areas by 2027 to drive better outcomes and consistency. All inspection reports include recommendations for improvement, with departmental intervention to prioritise children’s needs where necessary.

The department is working with 32 local authorities as part of the SEND and alternative provision Change Programme to test reform proposals to improve inclusive mainstream practice, create a sustainable system and deliver national consistency through local delivery.

Regarding financial support, in the 2025/26 financial year, the department is allocating high needs revenue funding of over £12 billion and capital funding of £740 million for places and provision for children and young people with complex SEND in England.
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Gareth Snell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to use digital resources to promote literacy in (a) early years, (b) school age children and (c) adults. \p Georgia Gould: The government's Opportunity Mission aims to remove barriers and ensure every child achieves and thrives by providing the best start in life and essential skills.

We are building the evidence base on the impact of technology in education through the EdTech Evidence Board, the Testbed Programme, and research into technology and cognitive development. Evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation shows technology can accelerate learning by up to three months. Technology should support learning, not replace high quality teaching and interaction.

The national curriculum requires teachers to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. It also emphasises the importance of listening to, discussing, and reading a wide range of stories, poems, plays and non-fiction books for themselves.

The department respects the autonomy of teachers to choose to use or recommend resources based on individual need in their own educational context and circumstances. Schools are free to choose to use a range of formats, including different forms of digital technology such as Kindles and audiobooks.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the BBC Panorama programme The Truth About Baby Food Pouches; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of existing regulations on (a) front-of-pack labelling, (b) permitted sugar content, and (c) minimum nutritional standards for commercial baby food. \p Ashley Dalton: Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influence many aspects of wellbeing in later life.

The BBC Panorama programme highlighted issues with levels of sugar and misleading labelling and nutrition claims in some commercial baby food products. The Government has recently published voluntary industry guidelines for commercial baby food and drink which challenge manufacturers to reduce levels of sugar and salt in their products. The guidelines also set out actions that businesses should take to improve the labelling and marketing of these products. Businesses have 18 months to deliver the required changes, and we will monitor and publish their progress towards achieving this. The guidelines are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commercial-baby-food-and-drink-voluntary-industry-guidelines/commercial-baby-food-and-drink-voluntary-industry-guidelines

We have regulations in place that set nutritional, compositional and labelling standards for commercial baby food. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure that the composition of infant food and drinks reflect the latest scientific advice and dietary guidelines. The voluntary industry baby food guidelines should support improvements in this area.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of irregular migrants arriving by small boat receive health screening. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department and NHS England do not hold the information requested.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the tightening of eligibility criteria for NHS Continuing Healthcare by Integrated Care Boards on disabled people's ability to (a) access and (b) remain in employment. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department is responsible for Continuing Healthcare (CHC) policy and legislation. We have provided statutory guidance, setting out clear processes for CHC, which all integrated care boards (ICBs) must have regard to. CHC is funded by ICBs, and it is for individual ICBs to make assessments and decisions in a consistent manner in line with their statutory duties and guidance. This guidance has not changed and ICBs are expected to maintain CHC delivery in line with their statutory duties.   NHS England holds ICBs accountable and engages with them to ensure that they discharge their functions. This includes monitoring eligibility rates and undertaking detailed work to compare ICBs with similar demographics, including further investigation of outliers for drivers of variation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-06)

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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) general practices and (b) GP premises there were in each integrated care board area in each month since June 2024. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England has provided a table showing the number of general practices (GPs) by integrated care board (ICB) and the number of branch surgeries by ICB. It also shows the number of GPs that opened and closed since June 2024 and the number of branch surgeries that opened and closed since June 2024. A copy of the table has been placed in the Library due to the size of the data.

Updated data is published daily at 14:00. This information is available in the public domain and can be extracted by using the Data Search and Export website, at the following link:  https://www.odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk/

The data in the attachment is accurate as of 23 July 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-06)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to allocate funding for a dental school in West Dorset to increase the local dental workforce. \p Stephen Kinnock: Tackling the geographical disparities in access to National Health Service dentistry is vital, and the Government welcomes efforts to help deliver this ambition.

Government approval or funding is not required to establish a new dental school in West Dorset. We encourage prospective dental schools to approach the General Dental Council (GDC), who need to approve any new programmes.

Provided a prospective dental school meets the requirements of the GDC and the Office for Students, it would be considered for any future Government-funded training places.

The GDC published guidance for prospective dental schools in January 2025, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/education-and-cpd/das-guidance-for-providers-gdc-january-2025.pdf?sfvrsn=75d82e2a_3/DAS-guidance-for-providers-GDC-January-2025.pdf
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-06)

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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with local authorities to ensure that social services act quickly following reports of potential grooming of vulnerable adults. \p Stephen Kinnock: Any form of abuse or neglect is unacceptable. The Government makes it clear, in the statutory guidance of the Care Act, that local authorities must ensure that the services they commission are safe, effective, and of high quality.

Where a local authority has reasonable cause to suspect that an adult in the local authority’s area has care and support needs and appears to be at risk of, or experiencing, abuse or neglect, and is unable to protect themselves as a result of those needs, the local authority must carry out a safeguarding enquiry.

Workers across organisations should be vigilant about adult safeguarding and share information and concerns, whether they be in health and social care, welfare, policing, banking, fire and rescue services, trading standards, leisure services, faith groups, or housing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-06)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain subsequent to having been convicted of an offence in the UK since 4 July 2024. \p Mike Tapp: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-06)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often her Department checks that UK visa holders are living at the address provided. \p Mike Tapp: Home Office decision makers can make enquiries as part of the visa consideration process to confirm that a person is intending to stay at the address provided in their application. Customers are encouraged to update their personal details, including their home and postal address, in their UKVI account. There is no routine check to confirm whether UK visa holders are living at the address previously provided.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-06)

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Clive Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data the Government holds on the percentage of prison officers employed via the worker visa route. \p Mike Tapp: Published visa data is available at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-06)

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Chris Law:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total value of UK trade with Israel has been since 4 July 2024. \p Josh Simons: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th September is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 107.9KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the potential savings to the public purse from reduced usage of on-framework staffing agencies. \p Karin Smyth: We have answered this question referencing the Planning Guidance for 2024/25, where NHSE England stated that trusts should end the use of off-framework agencies.

The 2025/26 NHS priorities and operational planning guidance aims to improve procurement, contract management, and work to accept operating models that meet commercial standards.

Use of off-framework agencies, which tends to be more expensive, is at record lows, contributing to a forecast cost reduction of £1.4 billion from 2024/25 (approximately 38% reduction) - NHS England » Financial performance update.

Off-framework use is actively monitored through NHS England governance mechanisms, with additional oversight applied to Trusts with recurring non-compliance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing dental apprenticeships on shortages of dental professionals in each region. \p Stephen Kinnock: Ministers regularly meet with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues.

Dental apprenticeships are available for roles such as dental nurses and technicians but are not available to become a qualified dentist. These apprenticeships provide skills and experience, combining work-based training with a degree.

We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions. A core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of dental school capacity on long-term access to NHS dentistry. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions.

To achieve these aims, we will work with partners such as the General Dental Council to explore the creation of new dental schools as necessary in currently under-served parts of the country, as well as with the Office for Students, which has statutory responsibility for allocating Government funded dental school places.

We have also launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of Government’s five long-term missions, a central part of which will be our workforce. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to personally meet with cross-party representatives to discuss social care reform. \p Stephen Kinnock: Building a cross-party consensus is fundamental to the national conversation that the Prime Minister has tasked Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock to facilitate.

The commission is independent and Baroness Casey has the full support of my Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in taking this work forward and deciding how best to engage other political parties and in building cross-party consensus.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of disabled children who do not have the equipment they need. \p Stephen Kinnock: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, meets regularly with external sector partners on a variety of issues.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) in England are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population, including for disability equipment. Each ICB must have an executive lead for children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), who will support the board to perform its functions effectively in the interests of children and young people with SEND.

We expect ICBs to follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). In 2022, the NICE published the guidance, Disabled children and young people up to 25 with severe complex needs: integrated service delivery and organisation across health, social care and education, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng213/chapter/Recommendations-on-service-organisation-integration-and-commissioning

Local authorities are responsible for providing social care services for disabled children, which can include specialist equipment. The guidance on supporting disabled children and their carers can be found at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669e7501ab418ab055592a7b/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_2023.pdf

Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from clinical commissioning groups, now ICBs, on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required. NHS England is taking several steps to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of National Health Service wheelchairs, and to support ICBs to reduce delays in people receiving wheelchair equipment. Data on the length of time taken to provide other equipment for disabled children is not collected centrally.