Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what ministerial meetings have been held in relation to (1) school library funding, and (2) school libraries as mechanisms for critical literacy development.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information, as part of developing their literacy skills.
There are a number of strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment, as well as other positive effects, such as improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge and character development.
It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils. Headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by the department. The Autumn Budget 2024 announced an additional £2.3 billion for schools for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.
The government’s reading framework offers non-statutory guidance for teachers and school leaders, including helpful guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or book stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers.
My hon. Friend, the Minister for School Standards, meets with a wide range of individuals and organisations to discuss matters within her portfolio, including English and literacy in schools.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what role they envisage for (1) civil society, and (2) community organisations, in delivering lifelong media literacy programmes for adults.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Civil society and community organisations are instrumental in delivering media literacy programmes to adults, leveraging their expertise to support diverse and vulnerable groups. Libraries and community centres provide accessible locations where adults of all ages can get guidance and advice.
The Digital Inclusion Action Plan also outlines steps toward delivering digital inclusion and media literacy for everyone in the UK, including supporting local and community initiatives to increase digital participation.
Under updated media literacy duties, Ofcom is developing a ‘place-based’ model to embed media literacy into community digital strategies, working with the Good Things Foundation to support Digital Inclusion Hubs.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve media literacy education in schools by providing additional resources, including through (1) delivering teacher training, and (2) improving curriculum support.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
I refer the noble Lady to the answer of 01 May 2025 to Question 47185.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of health misinformation amplified by poor media literacy on public health decision-making.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of health misinformation on public health decision making, but recognises the importance of accurate health information being available to the public and of preventing misinformation.
The Department regularly rebuts factual inaccuracies when they appear in traditional media and undertakes extensive planning, engagement, and strategic work to ensure accurate public health information is available on social media channels, to mitigate misinformation. In addition, the Department strives to ensure that all of the information it publishes is accurate, clear, and accessible to a variety of audiences, including using easy read versions.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the document Guidance for the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence, published by the Association of Continence Professionals and the Royal College of Nursing in February 2023, which states that the number of absorbent products provided per 24 hours must “meet patients’ fundamental care needs, including maintaining independence”, consistent with NICE guidance QS54, CG49 and NG123; and what steps they are taking to ensure that that guidance is followed by NHS and social care providers in England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of the most recent publication by the Royal College of Nursing relating to continence pads. NHS England published Excellence in Continence Care on 23 July 2018, bringing together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for commissioners, providers, health and social care staff. This guidance covers both urinary and bowel, also known as faecal, incontinence. A copy of the guidance is attached.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for making decisions on whether its published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence or emerging issues not in the scope of the original guideline.
NICE maintains surveillance of new evidence that may affect its published guidance and would consult on proposed changes with a wide range of stakeholders if significant new evidence was to emerge.
Both integrated care boards (ICBs) and healthcare providers are expected to take into consideration national guidance when commissioning and delivering services, respectively.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the additional annual cost to the NHS and social care in England incurred as a result of cheap absorbent continence products leading to (1) additional, avoidable treatments being required, (2) laundry and other associated costs, including energy, and (3) staff time spent changing patients and undertaking the additional laundering of bed linen and clothing.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Continence is an important component in a person’s health and well-being at any stage of life, and is also an important factor in the use of health resources. Early assessment by an appropriately trained professional allows a patient centred and cost-effective care pathway to be followed. After assessment, the use of containment products, medication, and the level of intervention can be triaged and escalated.
An absorbent incontinence pad is the ‘most commonly used product for absorbing and containing both light and moderate/heavy leakage’, as per the Continence Product Advisor in 2017. An incontinence pad is classified as a medical device, as per the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2014, and therefore safety and fitness for purpose is fundamental in achieving quality care. The clinician who assesses an individual to provide an absorbent product is accountable for that decision, and needs to ensure that the chosen product is fit for purpose and safe to use at the time of assessment, in accordance with the MHRA.
No current assessment has been made in determining the difference between the brands of continence pads in relation to additional or avoidable treatments being required, laundry and other associated costs, including energy, or staff time spent changing patients.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of avoidable skin infections, pressure ulcers and urinary tract infections caused or aggravated by issuing to patients the cheapest absorbent continence products rather than products which are most clinically appropriate.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Continence is an important component in a person’s health and well-being at any stage of life, and is also an important factor in the use of health resources. Early assessment by an appropriately trained professional allows a patient centred and cost-effective care pathway to be followed. After assessment, the use of containment products, medication, and the level of intervention can be triaged and escalated.
An absorbent incontinence pad is the ‘most commonly used product for absorbing and containing both light and moderate/heavy leakage’, as per the Continence Product Advisor in 2017. An incontinence pad is classified as a medical device, as per the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2014, and therefore safety and fitness for purpose is fundamental in achieving quality care. The clinician who assesses an individual to provide an absorbent product is accountable for that decision, and needs to ensure that the chosen product is fit for purpose and safe to use at the time of assessment, in accordance with the MHRA.
No current assessment has been made in determining the difference between the brands of continence pads in relation to additional or avoidable treatments being required, laundry and other associated costs, including energy, or staff time spent changing patients.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 11 May 2023 (HL7210), what progress they have made in developing and promoting to NHS trusts and integrated care systems in England an effective methodology for assessing value, including on patient experience and outcomes, and on whole system costs, rather than item price, when purchasing medical devices and consumables; and what future plans they have to do so.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is working with NHS England and the NHS Supply Chain to develop and promote a standardised methodology for National Health Service trusts and integrated care systems (ICS) to assess value when procuring medical technologies, including devices and consumables. As part of this, the Department is engaging medical technology suppliers, patient forums, as well as broader networks of financial teams, clinicians, and NHS procurement professionals.
The methodology will provide a consistent and transparent approach to assessing value, for use at both the national and local levels. This aims to shift the majority of the weighting in procurement decisions towards value over upfront cost. The guidance will include a bank of questions, model answers, and scoring criteria showing how to assess defined values consistently, such as patient experience and outcomes, and whole system costs.
The Department will be testing this guidance with the NHS at the ICS and NHS trust level over the coming months, with the ambition to refine and publish the guidance in Autumn 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings set out in the report Eroding the right to family life: human rights violations in Britain’s child protection systems, published by the Children and Families Truth Commission on 15 November, and whether they will produce guidance to ensure that local authorities intervene early, fulfil their duty to provide support services to families in need, and regularly review care plans to ensure that children in the child protection system can be reunited with their families at the earliest possible opportunity.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Local authorities are required to provide services for children in need for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting their welfare.
All local authorities must adhere to statutory guidance including ‘Working together to safeguard children 2023’, which is attached and can also be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2. The guidance is clear that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children relies on providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge.
Ofsted inspects whether local authorities are delivering appropriately for children.
On 18 November 2024, the department published ‘Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’, which is attached and can also be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67375fe5ed0fc07b53499a42/Keeping_Children_Safe__Helping_Families_Thrive_.pdf. This sets out this government’s approach to reforming the system of support for children and families, including rebalancing the system toward earlier intervention through the national roll out of family help and child protection reforms. The local government finance policy statement published on 28 November 2024, by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed that the rollout of these reforms will be supported by £500 million of funding from April 2025. The statement is accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-finance-policy-statement-2025-to-2026/local-government-finance-policy-statement-2025-to-2026.
Family Help is a seamless, non-stigmatising offer of support delivered by multi-disciplinary community-based teams. It combines the strengths of targeted early help and section 17 work, with an emphasis on whole-family working and greater flexibility on who leads work with families, ensuring children and families receive the right support at the earliest opportunity, crucially improving their outcomes and also reducing costs to public services.
Through the £45 million Families First for Children Pathfinder programme and Family Networks pilot running in ten local authorities, the department is testing models and approaches to parental support and advocacy, so that parents feel empowered to have a strong voice when navigating the child protection process. Through the same programme, we are also testing stronger multi-agency approaches to support families. This includes new Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams and Lead Child Protection Practitioners, who are qualified social workers with strong expertise in child protection and assessments. These teams will see local authority, police, and health and other relevant agencies work together in an integrated way to help families overcome challenges, stay together wherever possible, and thrive whilst keeping children safe.
The introduction of Family Help and reforms to child protection from April 2025 will produce a fundamental shift in the way the department is able to respond to children and families who need help. The changes will form part of an improved end-to-end system that offers a seamless system of support, ensuring children and families access the right support at the right time, delivered by the right person.
More detailed guidance on these reforms will be published in the new year which will confirm the changes we expect local authorities and their partners to deliver, including minimum expectations for delivery and opportunities for local flexibility.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish any legal analysis supporting their assertion in paragraph 77 of the Mental Health Bill: Memorandum on European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), published on 14 November, that the Mental Health Bill complies with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The measures in the Mental Health Bill will give patients greater choice, enhanced rights, and support, and will ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment. The Government’s view is that the Mental Health Bill is compatible with both the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and does not plan to publish further legal analysis.