theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Dr Ben Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve (a) enforcement and (b) arrears recovery in child maintenance cases where the paying parent resides abroad. \p Andrew Western: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) can only be used where the receiving parent, paying parent and any qualifying children are all habitually resident in the United Kingdom (UK). The CMS does not have jurisdiction where this does not apply.

The process for handling cases where the paying parent may be non-resident in the UK is managed according to a range of international treaties under the umbrella term REMO (Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders).

The UK has arrangements with a number of other countries and territories that allow a parent with care to claim maintenance from a non-resident parent resident in one of those countries. REMO can be used to register and enforce child maintenance orders internationally, or for example, when the paying parent is habitually resident in the UK but has assets and/or income in another country. If the paying parent has moved to an EU country, The CMS may be able to enforce collection of outstanding child maintenance arrears.

The CMS works closely with the Ministry of Justice, with whom the process is managed by, and the CMS's caseworkers are trained to signpost parents to that department for advice.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Sarah Olney:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase (a) translation and (b) levels of information support on the benefits system for disabled refugees. \p Andrew Western: Under the Equality Act 2010, DWP must make suitable provision to communicate with claimants where English is not their first language or who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired. DWP provide Telephone Interpreting, Face-to-face interpreting, BSL interpreting service, Video Remote Services, and written translation to meet this requirement. The Language Service Provision is on-demand, and our supplier is suitably resourced to meet our various language demands against our Performance Expectations. We have a designated Language Services team that work closely with our supplier to ensure current service delivery is met and accounted for, and to ensure future demand is anticipated and planned for accordingly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much she spent on providing (a) translation and (b) interpretation services for benefit claimants in the last year. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The spend in the period of January 2024 – December 2024:

a) Translation: £882,118

b) Interpreting: £6,774,336
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has taken to help prevent receiving parents from limiting access of children to those parents paying child maintenance in order to receive higher payments. \p Andrew Western: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates on the principle that a child's welfare is best served by the continued involvement of each parent in their life, provided that involvement is safe and meets the needs of the child. It is aware that paying parents can face difficulties when attempting to spend meaningful time with their child following separation. Issues relating to access and contact are managed by family courts.

The aim of the child maintenance shared care regime is to try and reflect, as far as possible, the actual patterns of care taking place between parents, and the financial consequences of that for the costs of the child. It does not dictate what should happen or require any particular conduct from parents – except that they are truthful in reporting what happens between them in respect of care. Where parents do not tell the truth, the CMS has powers to investigate if fraud is suspected.

Reductions can be made for the extra cost of care where it is shared by the paying parent. The paying parent must have overnight care of any qualifying children for at least 52 nights a year, equivalent of 1 night per week. The amount payable is reduced by a maximum of fifty per cent within bands based on the number of nights overnight care is provided over a 12-month period. The bands are used to give greater stability to maintenance payments and as a result there is greater reliability of payments, which contributes towards the welfare of the children in the case.

Where a dispute does arise, the CMS will seek to collect evidence from parents, for example a Court ordered arrangement, to establish the correct figure.

The evidence acceptable in these circumstances is
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support older people in financial hardship in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Torsten Bell: The Government is committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the financial security and dignity they deserve. The State Pension is the foundation of support for older people and together with the private and workplace pensions system provides for security in retirement. That’s why we have made a commitment to the Triple Lock for the entirety of this Parliament which will see the forecast annual spend on people’s State Pensions rise by around £31 billion.

In April this year, the basic and new State Pensions increased by 4.1%, benefitting 12 million pensioners by up to £470 this year. That’s up to £275 more than if pensions had been up rated by inflation. The standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit, which provides a vital safety net for around 1.4m pensioners on the lowest incomes, also increased by 4.1%. Pension Credit can passport pensioners to a range of extra support including help with rent, council tax reduction, fuel bills (via the Warm Home Discount scheme and Cold Weather Payments) and a free TV licence for those over 75. We have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit campaign across Great Britain since Autumn 2024. Our drive to maximise Pension Credit take-up has seen the Department receive around 285,600 claims from July 2024 to May 2025 with almost 60,000 extra awards on the comparable period the previous year. Further promotional activity is planned from this Autumn through to the end of the financial year, as part of a nationwide campaign aimed at eligible pensioners, their friends and their families – including those in Surrey Heath.

The Household Support Fund also continues to provide support to those most in need, including older people in financial hardship. The Government has extended it in England until 31 March 2026 with funding of £742 million – and additional corresponding funding for the devolved administrations.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Pension Protection Fund has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years. \p Torsten Bell: Over the period from 22/23 to 24/25, PPF spend on equipment to enable staff to work from home has been minimal (less than £1.5k over the period).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes in the level of funded support through Access to Work on deaf professionals who require full-time BSL interpreters. \p Sir Stephen Timms: As part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme, including how we may better support deaf professionals who require full-time BSL interpreters. Following the conclusion of the consultation, we are now considering our responses and will set out our plans in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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John McDonnell:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will enter into alternative dispute resolution with women impacted by changes to the State Pension age. \p Torsten Bell: This issue is now subject to live litigation and the High Court has granted permission for a full hearing.
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Steve Race:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the Housing Benefits disregard from £5 to £57 for people in supported housing. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those living in Supported and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department is considering the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.

Despite this challenge, the Housing Benefit taper ensures a person is better off in work than wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence, as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to integrate climate and nature-related financial risk into legislative and regulatory reforms arising from the Pension Schemes Bill. \p Torsten Bell: While the Department does not hold data on the proportion of UK pension fund assets allocated to climate solutions, we do require pension schemes to evaluate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including climate change, in their investment strategies. Specifically, trustees of larger schemes are required to assess and report on climate-related risks and opportunities, including investments in climate solutions. This reporting is done in accordance with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations.

We will be considering whether to update sustainability reporting, following our review of the TCFD Regulations this year, and the outcomes to the two Government’s consultations currently underway on UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and our Transition Plans manifesto commitment. Measures outlined in these aims on improving transparency and accountability across the economy, helping investors—including pension schemes—understand how climate and nature-related issues affect their investment choices.

Measures outlined in The Pension Schemes Bill, concerning productive investment and consolidation of UK occupational workplace pension schemes, can significantly benefit social and environmental objectives by enabling larger, more efficient schemes to engage more effectively with companies on ESG issues, and to invest in a wider range of assets, including those focused on sustainability and long-term impact, such as, infrastructure, renewable energy, and other socially responsible projects.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the investigation of the pensions regulator into NHSBSA. \p Torsten Bell: The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is an independent body responsible for the regulation of work-based pension schemes in the UK. TPR conducts its supervisory and investigatory functions independently of the Government. As such, it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on an ongoing investigation being undertaken by the Regulator.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she conduct a review of the effectiveness of the Age Addition for pensioners aged 80 and above. \p Torsten Bell: The Department has not conducted any recent assessments and there are no plans to review the current arrangements. However, a number of Members of Parliament have written to me about the 25 pence Age Addition

The 25 pence a week Age Addition is part of the old State Pension, for those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. It is paid with the basic State Pension when somebody reaches the age of 80.

The 25 pence Age Addition is not part of the new State Pension, but for those people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, the 25 pence Age Addition under the existing rules will continue.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Mike Wood:To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what was the (a) percentage and (b) cash term monetary change in average fees for the House of Commons nursery in (i) 2024-25 and (ii) 2025-26. \p Nick Smith: In May 2024, following benchmarking exercises against other similar nursery provision, and taking account of pay awards for the period 2023-2025, fees were increased by 10% for all users. The rise was the first since 2017. The Nursery is an important service to support Members, their staff and House staff.

Assuming a 5 day a week usage, this saw a cash equivalent of increases of £127.84 a month for children under two years old, and £117.00 a month for children over two years old.

In July 2025, a further increase of 3% was implemented.

Assuming a 5 day a week usage, this saw a cash equivalent of increases of £42.5 a month for children under two years old, and £39.00 a month for children over two years old.

2023 Cost per month

Increase (10%)

2024 Cost per month

Increase (3%)

2025 Cost per month

Under Two years

£1,278.33

£127.84

£1,406.17

£42.25

£1,448.42

Over Two

£1,170.00

£117.00

£1,287.00

£39.00

£1,326.00
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Leader of the House, if she will require Departments to publish an estimate of the cost of answering a Written Parliamentary Question in cases where disproportionate cost is cited as a reason for not providing a substantive answer. \p Lucy Powell: It is a matter for individual departments to determine how to respond to parliamentary questions from Members. In responding to questions, Ministers should be as open as possible and provide helpful answers to Members.

The Guide to Parliamentary Work (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work), published by my office, sets out guidance for departments in responding to parliamentary questions and the disproportionate cost threshold. There are no plans to change this.

The Guide states that “Where information is being refused on the grounds of disproportionate cost, there should be a presumption that any of the requested information which is readily available should be provided.”

I encourage Hon. Members to raise any specific issues they may have with myself and my office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Sir Bernard Jenkin:To ask the Leader of the House, if she will publish a list of the statutory instruments made since the last general election and set out the provisions in the parent act of Parliament which are relied upon to provide statutory authority for the making of that statutory instrument by 22 July 2025. \p Lucy Powell: The information requested can be found at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government press release entitled UK to purchase F-35As and join NATO mission as Government steps up national security and delivers defence dividend, published on 24 June 2025, when his Department expects the new F-35As to be certified to use nuclear weapons. \p Maria Eagle: The nuclear weapons allocated to the NATO nuclear mission are US weapons and the US needs to certify that any aircraft or personnel allocated to the mission are appropriately trained and equipped. We will continue to work closely with the US on the timeline to deliver this capability for the UK, including certification.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total annual cost of aircraft leasing arrangements is; and how many such contracts involve offshore-registered companies. \p Maria Eagle: The information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase youth involvement in cadets in Bromsgrove constituency. \p Al Carns: This Government is convinced of the benefits of cadets, not just for young people who participate, but for the whole of society. Participation in the Cadet Forces has significant positive impacts on young people, increasing their performance at school, and improving their employment and career prospects. Independent research has shown the cost of cadets is fully covered if the life outcomes of just 1% of cadets change each year so that they are in education, training or employment.

The recently published Strategic Defence Review recommended an expansion of in-school and community-based Cadet Forces across the UK of 30% by 2030. Expanding the Cadet Forces, which provide skills and qualifications to young people from diverse backgrounds, and support economic growth, will benefit all areas of the UK, with further details to follow in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 63151 on F-35 Aircraft: In-flight Refuelling, whether the 12 F-35A aircraft ordered have been specified with (a) solid boom and (b) probe-and-drogue refuelling capability. \p Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 July 2025 to Question 63066.

F-35 Aircraft: In-flight Refuelling (docx, 15.9KB)
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the special clearance for the Royal Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail applies to the whole fleet; and for what reason that clearance is required. \p Maria Eagle: The Wedgetail is not flying under any special clearance. The aircraft Test and Evaluation programme is being conducted under a Military Permit To Fly in accordance with Military Aviation Authority regulations. This allows the aircraft to be flown by Boeing during the test programme until delivery to the RAF. Once in Service the aircraft will have a Release to Service for flying. Safety is our number one priority, and we will always be complaint with regulations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the (a) radar and (b) battle management systems were activated during the Royal Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail test flight on 10 July 2025. \p Maria Eagle: This flight was a post-modification test flight to confirm the aircraft systems function correctly. Mission system testing will commence in autumn 2025 as part of a planned Test and Evaluation schedule.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the Royal Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail fleet will be supported in the United States; and what the cost is of that support contract. \p Maria Eagle: The UK E-7 will be supported and maintained in the United Kingdom. Following the approval of the Full Business Case, the sustainment contract is under negotiation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of South Korea’s decision to explore alternatives for its E-7 Wedgetail replacement. \p Maria Eagle: Procurement decisions by any other nation are fully a matter for that nation.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with NATO allies on the potential procurement of Saab’s GlobalEye as a replacement for the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System fleet. \p Maria Eagle: Procurement decisions by any other NATO nation are fully a matter for that nation and NATO. The MOD will continue with its procurement of Wedgetail to meet national and NATO requirements for Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) which will be interoperable with allies. Wedgetail has superior speed, range, persistence and crew capacity over alternative platforms. Furthermore, the Wedgetail has a more powerful radar with increased detection capability providing far earlier threat detection against more challenging targets at range.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of procurement contracts were awarded to UK companies in the 2024-25 financial year. \p Hilary Benn: In the 2024-25 financial year, the Northern Ireland Office has awarded all procurement contracts to UK companies.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder).

Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023 above £12,000 inc. VAT are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service. This includes a note of the winning supplier (https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search).
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government took to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne in 2025. \p Hilary Benn: The annual 12th July Commemorations are hugely significant to many in Northern Ireland, as I witnessed first hand during my visit to the County Fermanagh 12th July Parade in Irvinestown in 2024.

Earlier this month, I visited Sloan’s House, the birthplace of the Orange Institution, and took the opportunity to convey my best wishes to all those preparing to mark the 12th. On the 335th Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, the Government was represented by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Fleur Anderson MP, who attended the County Armagh Parade in Keady.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to attend parades in Northern Ireland on 12 July 2026. \p Hilary Benn: The 12th of July is a day of cultural and historical significance to many in Northern Ireland. We do not share advance details of Northern Ireland Office Ministers’ movements.
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Robin Swann:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 62482, when he received the review of post-Brexit trading arrangements. \p Hilary Benn: Lord Murphy provided the final report of the Independent Review on 9 July 2025, in line with the Terms of Reference for the Review.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what statutory instruments have been introduced since May 2025 to implement dynamic alignment provisions under the Windsor Framework. \p Hilary Benn: All Statutory Instruments are a matter of public record and are available on the Government’s ‘legislation.gov.uk’ website, or on ‘statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk’.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to (a) decentralise the commissioning of radiotherapy and (b) give English regions more control over (i) treatment pathways and (ii) new radiotherapy technologies. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is investing £70 million of central funding to replace radiotherapy machines, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it, however since April 2022, the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines has been with local systems.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those undergoing radiotherapy treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that retailers (a) provide (i) clear, (ii) accurate and (iii) impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of infant formula products in (A) retail outlets and (B) online shopping channels and (b) display brands of infant formula together on retail shelves. \p Ashley Dalton: Infant feeding is critical to a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.

Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality. Infant formula regulations ensure that all infant formula is suitable for meeting the nutritional needs of babies, regardless of the price or brand.

The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study report on infant formula and follow-on formula. The report included recommendations related to clear, accurate and impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products on product labelling and in retail settings as well as a recommendation related to displaying all brands of infant formula together and separate from other formula milks. We will carefully consider its findings and recommendations and respond in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the NHS-commissioned independent economic analysis of pharmacy funding before the conclusion of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework contract negotiations. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England commissioned Frontier Economics to undertake an independent economic analysis of National Health Service pharmacy funding in 2024. Both the interim and draft final reports of the economic analysis have been shared with Ministers and Community Pharmacy England and are informing the current consultation.

This work is nearing completion and will be published soon.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard applications are processed within 21 days. \p Stephen Kinnock: Processing Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) applications is the responsibility of local authorities. There is considerable variation in how local authorities process and complete their DoLS applications with some areas successfully processing applications within 21 days. It is the responsibility of local authorities to make sure their systems for managing DoLS are informed by best practice.
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Mr Andrew Mitchell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to help reduce the average waiting times for accessing NHS mental health services in the West Midlands. \p Stephen Kinnock: As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services.

Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the Government has chosen to prioritise the funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement & Support schemes, demonstrating our commitment to addressing the root cause of mental health issues and providing support for people with severe mental illness to contribute to the economy by remaining in or returning to work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that hospice care services across England are sufficiently funded; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of an ageing population on demand for palliative care services. \p Stephen Kinnock: Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between integrated care board (ICB) areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.

We are pleased to confirm that the Government has released the first £25 million tranche of the £100 million capital funding, with Hospice UK kindly allocating and distributing the money to hospices throughout England. An additional £75 million will be available from April. We are also providing £26 million revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant.

No formal assessment has been made of the potential impact of an ageing population on demand for palliative care services, but we know that currently approximately 600,000 people die per year in the United Kingdom. We are aware that the Office for National Statistics has projected that, by 2040, approximately 800,000 people a year will die in the UK, meaning that, the number of people needing palliative and end of life care is expected to increase by 42% by then.
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_7
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_7

Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve early diagnosis rates and (b) support the (i) development and (ii) availability of treatments for dementia. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

The Department of Health and Social Care funds research into dementia via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Alongside Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society and the People’s Postcode Lottery, the NIHR is funding the Blood Biomarker Challenge which seeks to produce the clinical and economic data that could make the case for the use of a blood test in the NHS to support diagnosis of dementia. The NIHR has also invested nearly £50 million over five years into the Dementia Trials Network, which seeks to significantly expand the United Kingdom’s early phase clinical trial capabilities in dementia which will support the development of treatments.

To prepare for the new generation of dementia treatments in development, we are working to ensure the diagnostic and treatment capacity, clinical pathway redesign and investment are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended treatments as soon as possible.
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_8
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_8

Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle inequalities in access to end of life care services. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England has published statutory guidance which outlines areas for consideration when commissioning palliative and end of life care services and, within this, there is reference to improving equity of access and reducing inequity in outcomes and experience. Additionally, NHS England has developed a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling integrated care boards to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.

NHS England’s statutory guidance for palliative and end of life care states that integrated care board (ICB) commissioners should work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care service providers available to deliver high-quality end of life care, paying particular attention to access to mental health and wellbeing support and spiritual care.

National Health Service counselling and psychological support is principally provided through local NHS Talking Therapies services, which provide treatments, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, to adults with common mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. People can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies Services or be referred by their general practitioner. All ICBs are expected to expand services locally by commissioning NHS Talking Therapies services integrated into physical healthcare pathways.
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_9
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_9

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the impact of social media addiction on (a) (i) adult and (ii) children's mental health and (b) the cost of mental health provision in the NHS. \p Stephen Kinnock: In 2019, the UK’s Chief Medical Officers reviewed the evidence on the relationship between screen time and mental health in children. The commentary found an association between the two but could not establish a causal relationship.

In 2023, The National Institute for Health and Care Research commissioned a longitudinal study exploring the potential causal impact of social media use on young people’s mental health in the United Kingdom. The study found little evidence to suggest that spending more time on social media is associated with more mental health problems in young people.

Our focus is on keeping young people safe, while also benefitting from the latest technology. By the summer, robust new protections for children will be in force through the Online Safety Act to protect them from harmful content and ensure they have an age-appropriate experience online.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology recently announced a feasibility study on methods and data to understand the impact of smartphones and social media on children; this began on 2 December 2024 and will be completed in May 2025.
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_10
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_10

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to work with faith groups to support the terminally ill. \p Stephen Kinnock: We do acknowledge the importance of access to psychological, social and spiritual support for those who wish to access such support, including those at the end of life, as well as those important to them.

NHS England’s statutory guidance for palliative and end of life care states that integrated care board commissioners should work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care service providers available to deliver high-quality end of life care, paying particular attention to access to mental health and wellbeing support and spiritual care.

Chaplains promote pastoral, spiritual and religious wellbeing through compassionate, person-centered care. This is available to patients, their families and carers, and to National Health Service staff, volunteers and students.
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_11
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_11

Christine Jardine:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure blind and partially sighted people have access to health information in an accessible format. \p Stephen Kinnock: Under the Equality Act 2010, health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard which details the approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment or sensory loss, including blind and partially sighted people. NHS England has been undertaking a review of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) to help ensure that the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss are met in health and care provision. A revised AIS will be published in due course. In the meantime, the current AIS remains in force and therefore there should not be a gap in provision for people using services.
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_12
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_12

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to Question 35425 on General Practitioners: Finance, how regularly GP practice lists of registered patients are updated. \p Stephen Kinnock: General practices are responsible for maintaining their registered patient lists in a current and accurate state, so that it does not contain any duplicated patients, namely patients who have either died or who have moved and/or are registered elsewhere, that may cause list inflation.

The global sum is a capitated payment, calculated based on the size of a practice’s registered list of patients, weighted using the Carr-Hill formula. These payments are calculated quarterly to reflect changes in registered patients lists and other factors such as patient list turnover, sex, and age of registered patients.
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_13

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the new 2025-26 GP contract will lead to an increase in the proportion of the NHS budget allocated to general practice once the increase in employer National Insurance contributions has been taken into account. \p Stephen Kinnock: We have made necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025.

Primary care providers, including general practices, are valued independent contractors who provide almost £20 billion worth of services in the National Health Service. Each year, we consult with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract.

We concluded the consultation on the 2025/26 GP contract in February 2025 and we are pleased that the England general practitioners committee of the British Medical Association is supportive of the contract changes. We are investing an additional £889 million in general practice to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26.
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_14

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 33570 on General Practitioners: Unemployment, which bodies hold data on the number of unemployed GPs; and for what reason that data is not held centrally. \p Stephen Kinnock: While the General Medical Council register contains data on the number of qualified general practitioners (GPs), the National Health Service is not the is not the sole employer of GPs. They may choose to undertake private work, to work in other settings outside of general practice, for example, prisons or army bases, or to work abroad. Since the NHS only collects data on GPs employed through the NHS, unemployment figures are not available.
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_15

Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve mental health services for (a) young men, (b) young women and (c) vulnerable people in Heywood and Middleton North constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: We know that waits for children and young people's mental health services are lengthy and that some vulnerable groups are less likely to access support. That is why the National Health Service’s planning guidance for 2025/26 makes it clear that one of the priorities for children's mental health services is to reduce local inequalities in access to children and young people’s mental health services between disadvantaged groups, including in Heywood and Middleton North constituency, and the wider population.

The Government will also recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across child and adult mental health services and provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school through expanding Mental Health Support Teams, so that every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

Early intervention and prevention support in the community is vital. That is why we are providing £7 million of funding to extend support for 24 early support hubs that have a track record of helping thousands of young people in their community.
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_16

Graham Stuart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who the designated board-level executive leads are for Down Syndrome in each ICB in England. \p Stephen Kinnock: It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make information public about executive leads for Down syndrome in England. In accordance with statutory guidance published by NHS England on 9 May 2023, ICBs should be open and transparent about who holds these roles and should make this information publicly available. We are giving systems greater control and flexibility, and it is for individual ICBs to decide how to publicise these details.

The statutory guidance sets out NHS England’s expectations about fulfilling executive lead functions and outlines the responsibilities of these roles in more detail, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/executive-lead-roles-within-integrated-care-boards/
wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_17
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-20 conversation_17

Daniel Francis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS special schools eye care service will have an oversight and evaluation programme in 2025-26 (a) monitoring coverage and uptake and (b) assessing whether it is delivering comparable health and education outcomes to the proof of concept. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England is in the process of publishing a final service specification for sight testing in special educational settings that will provide for comparable health and education outcomes to the proof of concept. A process is also being established for ongoing reporting against service delivery which will be confirmed with integrated care boards shortly.