theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that people with mental health conditions are not disproportionately disadvantaged by the proposed reforms to PIP. \p Sir Stephen Timms: As I set out in the House of Commons on 1 July 2025, the Government has listened to the concerns raised by Members from across the House about the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Clause 5 of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill would have amended the legal framework underpinning PIP assessments, specifically by implementing a new requirement that claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of PIP.

In light of the concerns raised, I confirmed during the debate that clause 5 would be removed from the Bill in Committee.

(Hansard, 1 July, col 219)

Any changes to PIP eligibility will come after a comprehensive review of the benefit, which I shall lead, co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This review aims to ensure that the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future.
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Paul Waugh:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the five-week wait for Universal Credit on (a) debt and (b) poverty levels. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We are reviewing Universal Credit, to make sure it is doing the job we want it to. We are committed to considering how we can support people during the Initial Assessment Period, often referred to as the 5-week wait, before they receive their first payment as part of the review and will provide an update in due course.

Published research on debt whilst on UC can be found here: Impacts of external debt for indebted Universal Credit claimants - GOV.UK; DWP ad hoc research - GOV.UK and the latest Universal Credit deductions statistics are published here Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 10 April 2025 - GOV.UK
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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to remove the two-child benefit cap as part of the Tackling Child Poverty strategy. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy.

In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action.

As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.
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Sir Mel Stride:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people impacted by the changes to PIP proposed in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill she estimates will (a) lose eligibility to PIP entirely, (b) be eligible for the UC health element under the current system and (c) be eligible for the UC health element under her Department’s proposals to replace the Work Capability Assessment with the PIP passporting mechanism. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out the Government’s intention to abolish the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). This reform will move away from categorising individuals into binary groups of ‘can work’ or ‘can’t work’. Instead, eligibility for additional financial support in Universal Credit (UC) due to health conditions will be determined through a single assessment - the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment - focused on the impact of disability on daily living, rather than on capacity to work.

This change will decouple entitlement to the UC health element from employment status, giving people confidence that taking steps towards or into work will not put their benefit entitlement at risk.

Any changes to PIP eligibility will follow a comprehensive review of the benefit, which I am leading. This review is being co-produced with disabled people, representative organisations, clinicians, experts, MPs, and other stakeholders to ensure a wide range of voices are heard. Its aim is to ensure the PIP assessment is fair, robust, and fit for the future and the review is expected to conclude in autumn 2026.

As the review is ongoing, the Department has not yet developed estimates of how many people will (a) lose eligibility to PIP, (b) be eligible for the UC health element under the current system, or (c) be eligible under the proposed PIP-based system. These figures will be made available in due course, alongside supporting analysis.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the Universal Credit health element on claimants under the age of 22. \p Sir Stephen Timms: As part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation, the Government invited views on the proposal to raise the minimum age for accessing the Universal Credit (UC) health element to 22. The consultation closed on 30 June, and we are now considering responses.

No final decisions have been made.
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Fred Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the eligibility criteria for the Motability Scheme to include Attendance Allowance claimants. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Attendance Allowance (AA) is a weekly benefit for those over State Pension age who require care or supervision as a result of a physical or mental disability. AA is paid at two rates. A higher rate of £110.40 a week for claimants who need help or supervision for both day and night or who are terminally ill. And a lower rate of £73.90 for claimants who need frequent help or supervision during the day or night.

AA provides financial support towards the extra costs faced by disabled people. It is neither means-tested, nor based on National Insurance contributions paid and recipients can choose how they wish to spend it. Receipt of AA can provide a passport to additional amounts in means-tested benefits (notably Pension Credit and Housing Benefit) for those on low incomes and to Carer’s Allowance for the person providing care for them.

AA has never included a mobility component and so cannot be used in payment for a leased Motability Scheme vehicle. Government mobility support is focused on people who are disabled earlier in life.

There is no constraint on what an award of Attendance Allowance can be spent on, and a recipient may choose to use this benefit to fund mobility aids.

There are no plans to review the Scheme’s qualifying benefits.
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Susan Murray:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an estimate of the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in fossil fuel-related holdings; and what plans she has to (a) encourage phased divestment from fossil fuels and (b) promote greater investment in climate solutions through the Pension Schemes Bill. \p Torsten Bell: While the Department does not hold data on the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in fossil fuels, our largest pension schemes are mandated to conduct climate scenario analysis and report on their climate-related financial risks, including those related to fossil fuels. This is done under the framework of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published guidance on climate-related reporting, reviewed how schemes are addressing climate risks, and provided feedback to the industry on areas for improvement. TPR reports that the UK pension sector is increasingly playing a role in tackling climate change, with many schemes setting net-zero targets and actively engaging with companies to reduce emissions.

This government is however not complacent and is determined to make the UK a clean energy superpower and meet our net zero goals. The government is currently consulting on the development of UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and our Transition Plans manifesto commitment. These measures aim to improve transparency and accountability across the economy, helping investors—including pension schemes—understand how climate and nature-related issues affect their portfolios. To support this, the Department for Work and Pensions is to undertake a review of the effectiveness of the climate reporting requirements this year considering feedback from stakeholders.

The reforms outlined in the Pensions Scheme Bill do not include a general requirement for pension schemes to divest from certain assets or industries. The larger, more consolidated system, for which we will legislate, will however be better equipped to manage systemic risks, as well as invest more in projects and businesses that support the shift towards a more sustainable and lower-carbon future.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what dates she has raised small boat crossings with the European Commission since 5 July 2024. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Home Office ministers and officials speak with overseas counterparts on a regular basis on a wide range of issues, including representatives of the European Commission.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Minister for Migration and Citizenship plans to respond to the correspondence of 2 May 2025 from the hon. Member for Hazel Grove, Ref LS06151. \p Seema Malhotra: A response will be sent to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove’s letter (ref LS06151) in due course to reflect the latest position on the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024.

As per The British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024 (Commencement) Regulations 2025, the Act will come into force on 22 July 2025.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49682 on Deportation, what estimate she has made of the number of those 24,000 people that entered the UK illegally. \p Dame Angela Eagle: 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.

More detailed published data on returns activity is published in the ‘Immigration System Statistics quarterly release’. Data on the number of foreign national offender returns from the UK can be found in Ret_D03 of the ‘Returns detailed datasets’ and enforced and voluntary returns of small boat arrivals can be found in Ret_06 of the ‘Returns summary tables’. This data goes up to March 2025.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her plans are for the asylum seekers housed in hotels, in the context of the Chancellor’s recent pledge to end all hotel accommodation for asylum seekers by 2029. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil our statutory obligations and deliver our commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on recording the (a) DNA and (b) fingerprints of migrants who arrive in the UK illegally. \p Dame Angela Eagle: As per the practice under successive governments, the Home Office collects biometric data, in the form of facial images and fingerprints, from all people who enter the UK illegally where they are aged over five, for the purpose of verifying identity and evaluating risk to public safety.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications have been rejected on the grounds of unknown nationality in each of the last five years. \p Dame Angela Eagle: 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.

The Home Office uses several processes and tools to identify a claimant’s nationality and other identifying features.
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Mr Alex Barros-Curtis:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many football bans have been given to offenders in the last (a) 12 and (b) 18 months. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office publishes annual statistics on football banning orders in England and Wales in the ‘Football-related arrests and banning orders, England and Wales’ Official Statistics release. The most recent data covering the 2023 to 2024 football season and can be accessed at the following link: Football-related arrests and banning orders: 2023 to 2024 season - GOV.UK

Data on football banning orders for the 2023 to 2024 domestic season are available in the accompanying ‘detailed football banning order statistics data tables’.

Data for the 2024 to 2025 football season will be released on 17 July 2025: Football-related arrests, banning orders: 2024/25 domestic season - Official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in her Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office has a clear policy on International Remote Working (IRW), which is only permitted in very limited circumstances, either on compassionate grounds for up to four weeks where an employee has a seriously ill relative abroad, or to enable an employee to accompany their spouse/partner on a Diplomatic or other Government posting abroad. No other IRW is permitted.

Since January 2025 9 employees have been allowed a period of remote working on compassionate grounds. We also have 11 employees currently working remotely while they accompany their spouse/partner on an international posting.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to appoint an independent ombudsman to provide oversight of the Independent Custody Visiting Association. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Independent Custody Visiting Association on the effectiveness of the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme in Hampshire. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 59321 on Police: Finance, what the grant funding to police is in cash terms in each financial year between 2024-25 and 2028-29. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The police settlement is an annual process and allocations will be confirmed for 2026-27 later this year.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Cambridgeshire constabulary's rural crime action team have been designated as an operational support unit or a neighbourhood policing resource. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Our approach to delivery in 2025/25, which will be year 1 of a 4-year programme, is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible, and can be adapted to the local context and the varied crime demands a force faces. The precise workforce mix proposed in 2025/26 was therefore a local decision.

All forces, including Cambridgeshire Constabulary, have agreed neighbourhood policing delivery plans. Cambridgeshire Constabulary has been allocated £2,065,069 and will deliver an increase of 30 police officers, 7 PCSOs and 13 special constables by 31 March 2026. Force-level recruitment projections are also published here: Neighbourhood policing grant allocations and projections: 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK.

Additionally, this financial year we are providing Home Office funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit. The unit aims to help police forces tackle rural crime priorities through the provision of specialist operational support, as well as through sharing best practice and encouraging regional and national approaches to tackling rural crime.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of serving officers from Cambridgeshire constabulary's rural crime action team are have been included within the number of new officers for Cambridgeshire under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Our approach to delivery in 2025/25, which will be year 1 of a 4-year programme, is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible, and can be adapted to the local context and the varied crime demands a force faces. The precise workforce mix proposed in 2025/26 was therefore a local decision.

All forces, including Cambridgeshire Constabulary, have agreed neighbourhood policing delivery plans. Cambridgeshire Constabulary has been allocated £2,065,069 and will deliver an increase of 30 police officers, 7 PCSOs and 13 special constables by 31 March 2026. Force-level recruitment projections are also published here: Neighbourhood policing grant allocations and projections: 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK.

Additionally, this financial year we are providing Home Office funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit. The unit aims to help police forces tackle rural crime priorities through the provision of specialist operational support, as well as through sharing best practice and encouraging regional and national approaches to tackling rural crime.
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Cat Eccles:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce violence against women and girls in the West Midlands. \p Jess Phillips: Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for this Government and we have set an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

West Midlands Police is one of the first five police forces to embed domestic abuse specialists in 999 controls rooms under Raneem's Law. ·The domestic abuse specialists are using their expertise to advise on risk assessments, work with staff to quality assure the standard of response being given, and ensure victims are referred to appropriate support services swiftly. Raneem's Law is made in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem's ex-partner. There were 13 reports made to the police reporting concerns for Raneem's safety, but no arrest was made. On the night she was killed, she rang 999 four times. We want to ensure police control rooms are prioritising domestic abuse incidents, so that this cannot happen again.

The Home Office has invested £1.6 million this year in the West Midlands to identify what works to prevent VAWG and to increase the availability of domestic abuse perpetrator intervention programmes in order to improve victim safety and reduce the risk posed by abusers. We are providing over £500,000 to The Children's Society to deliver interventions for children affected by domestic abuse in the North West, West Midlands and the South West. These provide trauma-informed support provision to children and work with frontline agencies to raise awareness of children and young people who are affected by domestic abuse.

In May, I announced the Government was investing up to £19.9 million this year to provide vital support to victims of VAWG. This money is being invested in national VAWG helplines, supporting victims of domestic abuse, 'honour'-based abuse, revenge porn and stalking services to help prevent and improve the response to VAWG. As well as providing funding for national services across England and Wales, we are providing support for children affected by domestic abuse, support for migrant victims, work to increase the understanding and identification of VAWG, work to prevent 'honour' based abuse and improving multi-agency working and risk management.

We will go further than ever before to deliver a cross-Government transformative approach to tackling violence against women and girls, which will be underpinned by a new VAWG Strategy later this year
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to set up an independent body to process Disclosure and Barring Service checks with formalised processing time targets. \p Jess Phillips: As an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body of the Home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is already an operationally independent body. It also already operates to formalised service standards of completing 85% of Basic check applications within 2 days, 85% of Standard check applications within 3 days, and 80% of Enhanced check applications within 14 days.

Its latest performance against these service standards is available at DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
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Cat Eccles:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure the safety of girls and young women in public places. \p Jess Phillips: Ensuring the safety of women and girls in public spaces is a top priority for this Government. We have set out an unprecedented mission to halve the level of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade. That means working to tackle threats to women's safety in all areas of their lives, including in public places. To underpin this ambition, we will shortly be publishing a VAWG Strategy.
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Patricia Ferguson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued on whether applicants for (a) leave to remain and (b) fee waiver who have (i) had their claims rejected, (ii) lost their right to work, (iii) lost their access to funds and (iv) have consequently had a break in their continuity of residence can have their claims reconsidered if their solicitor is found to be at fault. \p Seema Malhotra: Immigration applicants can complain to the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) about either:

If a legal adviser is registered with a professional body such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), an applicant can follow their complaints procedure or contact the Legal Ombudsman.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Palestinian nationals have entered the UK under (a) humanitarian and (b) asylum schemes since October 2023. \p Seema Malhotra: Data on asylum claims, by nationality, is published in table Asy_D01 of the ‘Asylum claims and initial decisions detailed datasets’.

The latest data relates to the year ending March 2025. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a replacement to the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme. \p Seema Malhotra: The Immigration White paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues including refugee sponsorship and resettlement, further details of which will be set out in due course.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many claims for compensation her Department has received for the Windrush Compensation Scheme since that scheme began; and how many and what proportion of those claims were (a) rejected and (b) successful. \p Seema Malhotra: Information on the number of claims received by the Windrush Compensation Scheme is published as part of the monthly Transparency Data release. The latest published data, covering the period up to the end of May 2025, is available here: Windrush Compensation Scheme data: May 2025 - GOV.UK.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered granting British National (Overseas) visa holders parity with EU nationals who retain a five-year route to settled status under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement. \p Seema Malhotra: The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in due course.

We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when decisions on applications for (a) leave in line and (b) status in line will resume. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office has not paused decisions for leave in line applications. Children born in the UK to parents with protection status may claim asylum in their own right in accordance with the validity requirements set out in paragraph 327AB of the Immigration Rules. These decisions have also not been paused.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Windrush Compensation Scheme will (a) deal with outstanding claims and (b) be closed. \p Seema Malhotra: Our priority is to ensure people receive the compensation they are due as quickly as possible. We have reduced the time to allocate a claim for a substantive casework consideration, from four months a year ago to less than six weeks now. The six-week period includes all essential eligibility checks, together with a Preliminary Assessment to make an initial payment of £10,000 wherever possible.

The department does not impose time limit targets for concluding claims, as each person’s claim is deeply personal and deserves to be processed with the utmost care and sensitivity. This holistic approach necessarily takes time but is ultimately beneficial to individuals.

There is no cap on the amount of compensation that can be paid by the WCS overall, and the Scheme has no end date – ensuring that no one is prevented from applying for compensation.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, when she plans to publish the (a) eligibility criteria and (b) application process for (i) employers and (ii) sectors for occupations listed on the proposed Temporary Shortage List; and if she will set out the criteria for inclusion on the proposed Temporary Shortage List. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to UIN 63590 on 8 July.
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Andrew Ranger:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce a national screening programme for prostate cancer; and what steps his Department is taking to improve outcomes for people affected by the disease. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is guided on screening policy by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC does not currently recommend a national screening programme for prostate cancer, as the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen test, lacks the necessary accuracy. It can lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment, as well as false reassurance for some men. This is particularly important given that many prostate cancers are slow-growing and may not cause harm during a man's lifetime.

However, the UK NSC has commissioned a university to carry out a high-quality review and cost effectiveness model of the evidence for a national prostate cancer screening programme. This includes targeted approaches to high-risk groups and an offer to all men defined by age. The UK NSC expects to receive the report later this year.

In addition, the Government has invested £16 million in the £42 million United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, led by Prostate Cancer UK, which aims to identify new ways of detecting prostate cancer at an earlier stage, including in men without symptoms. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of participants are Black men, reflecting their higher risk and the importance of ensuring new tests are effective across all groups.

The National Cancer Plan will include details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including for those living with prostate cancer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Sir Gavin Williamson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to financially respond to increases in the number of children affected by Valproate in pregnancy. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the national cancer plan will consider (a) astrocytoma and (b) other types of brain tumours. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.

The plan will include further details on speeding up diagnosis and treatment and ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase levels of life expectancy for people with (a) low grade glioma and (b) astrocytoma. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.

The plan will include further details on speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.

The Government recognises the significant impact of rare cancers, such as glioma brain tumours, on patients and on their families and carers, and has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours, and increasing life expectancy. The Government fully supports Scott Arthur’s Private Members’ Bill on rare cancers. The bill will facilitate clinical trials in England by ensuring researchers can easily contact eligible patients.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Authority administering the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme on (a) the number of claims made, (b) the number rejected and (c) the proportion of claimants who have been successfully completed. \p Ashley Dalton: The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) regularly publishes statistics on compensation progress on its website. As of 1 July 2025, 2,043 people have been asked to start their claim, 616 people have received an offer, and a total of 460 people have had their compensation paid.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not discussed claim statistics with the IBCA, as it is an arms-length body which is sponsored by the Cabinet Office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to retain (a) job numbers and (b) existing terms and conditions when NHS trusts create subsidiary companies. \p Karin Smyth: Contract award decisions in the National Health Service fall directly to individual NHS bodies, who are responsible for running their own procurement exercises. Ministers at the Department do not have general powers in legislation to direct trusts in relation to the exercise of any of their functions, including in relation to specific contractual decisions. The NHS has established governance processes, in line with Government procurement policy and best practice, to ensure that appropriate contractual decisions are made that represent value for money.

The three NHS Dorset foundation trusts have undertaken two months of engagement concerning proposals to establish a wholly owned subsidiary company to deliver estates and facilities management services. Relevant papers concerning the proposal were placed in the public domain in June 2025 for board meetings held in that month. Under the proposals, the trusts have advised NHS England that there will be no job reductions, and that transferred staff will keep their pay and terms and conditions exactly aligned with the NHS. This covers both current and new staff. NHS England will review the level of assurance around the trust boards’ self-certification as to their readiness to proceed to the next formal consultation stage, which will involve staff and unions.

The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations allow for terms and conditions of service to be protected or frozen as they stand on the date of transfer to a new employer, like a wholly owned subsidiary. NHS trust wholly owned subsidiaries can apply for access to the NHS Pension Scheme for compulsorily transferring staff, and new starters.

The Government expects that any outsourced services are delivered by trusts in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money, as part of the broader commitments on procurement, as set out in the Make Work Pay programme, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/make-work-pay

NHS staff continue to work incredibly hard on delivering the best possible care for patients, and wherever they work across the health service, we expect the highest standards and good terms and conditions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce ambulance waiting times for elderly patients in North Cornwall constituency. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises that ambulance response times, including in North Cornwall, are not meeting the high standards patients should expect.

We are determined to turn things around and our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025-26, backed by almost £450 million of capital investment, commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year.

Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will reform the National Health Service, including urgent and emergency care services, with a key focus on shifting urgent care into the community through new Neighbourhood Health Services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of funding for the (a) Medical Research Council and (b) National Institute for Health and Care Research. \p Ashley Dalton: Funding levels for health and care research have recently been set as part of the 2025 Spending Review. The Department will receive £9.8 billion for research and development over the period of 2025/26 to 2029/30. This funding will support research and development through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Genomics England, and the Office for Life Sciences, and will support global health research through Official Development Assistance. This funding will ensure that research can provide the evidence needed to support the delivery of the 10-Year Plan and wider Government missions. Funding for the Medical Research Council is determined by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with colleagues in the Department for Transport on the potential impact of access to public transport on access to healthcare. \p Karin Smyth: Ministers regularly engage with Cabinet colleagues on a variety of issues, including, but not limited to, areas impacting access to healthcare. As set out in the Plan for Change, by March 2029 we will deliver the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment. The Government is clear that reforming elective care must be done equitably and inclusively for all adults, children, and young people.

It is important that patients do not miss or cancel hospital appointments due to a lack of affordable and/or accessible transport options in their area. This is why the Elective Reform Plan, published January 2025, committed to reviewing existing national health inequalities improvement initiatives, to develop them and increase their uptake. Specifically, the plan committed to reviewing local patient transport services and improving the signposting to, and accessibility of them for patients, to make it easier for vulnerable groups to travel to, and access appointments.

This includes improving the accessibility, awareness, and efficiency of the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, with a focus on reducing health inequalities and improving the patient experience.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of family hubs playing on (a) neighbourhood health and (b) the delivery of integrated community-based health services. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan outlined proposals for a new Neighbourhood Health Service, which embodies our preventative principle, that care should happen as locally as it can. Neighbourhood health services will build on, and will coordinate with Best Start Family Hubs and Start for Life services to continue to integrate children’s services, National Health Services, and public health.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean that millions of patients are treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of health professionals, providing easier, more convenient access to a full range of healthcare services on people’s doorsteps.

The impact of Family Hubs and Start for Life services will take time to be realised. The current Family Hubs and Start for Life programme is subject to two national, independent evaluations to understand its implementation and impact.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 10-year plan on waiting lists in the North East. \p Karin Smyth: We are committed to delivering the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029, including in the North East and Yorkshire.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a transformed vision for planned care by 2035, where most interactions no longer take place in a hospital building, instead happening virtually, online, or via neighbourhood services. Planned care will be more efficient, timely, and effective, and will put control in the hands of patients.

By 2035, two thirds of outpatient care will take place digitally or in the community closer to home, with patients able to access the best of their local hospital in a much more responsive way via their phones. For patients who do need to be admitted, we will carry out more procedures as day cases and will reduce the time spent in hospital and recovery, as providers make greater use of surgical robots and innovations in anaesthetics and postoperative care.