Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 9 February (HL13391), what was the legal basis for the compulsory redundancy of the chief executive of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and then filling that role immediately on an interim basis; and what changes were made to the job description of the redundant role for the interim role.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The compulsory redundancy of integrated care board (ICB) chief executives in August 2025 arose from a structural re-organisation following the reduction in the number of ICBs from 42 to 26. Where an ICB was abolished or merged, the Chief Executive office role ceased to exist, and affected postholders were therefore eligible for redundancy in line with their contractual terms and conditions of service.
Employment decisions, including management and restructuring, redundancy and any interim arrangements, sit with ICBs as statutory and independent employers. The redundancy decision in respect of the South Yorkshire ICB Chief Executive was based on the removal of the role and pre-dates any subsequent arrangements for interim leadership cover. Any interim appointment made following restructuring is a separate matter from the redundancy decision and must be managed in accordance with relevant national frameworks including the Very Senior Manager Pay Framework. The Department does not hold centrally collated information on changes to individual job descriptions, as these are determined locally by ICBs.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 9 February (HL13391), what was the composition of the group of integrated care board (ICB) chief executive officers subject to compulsory redundancy in August 2025; and whether that group consisted only of those from ICBs being abolished or merged, or if it included leaders of boards that remained as standalone entities.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold a centrally collated breakdown of individual integrated care board (ICB) chief executive officer cases who were subject to compulsory redundancy, as such matters sit with ICBs as independent statutory employers.
This was a structural redundancy exercise, arising directly from the reduction in the number of ICBs from 42 to 26 under system reform. Only chief executive officers whose roles ceased to exist because their ICB was abolished or merged were in scope for compulsory redundancy in line with their contractual terms and conditions of service. Chief executives of ICBs that continued as standalone organisations were not included in the redundancy group.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 9 February (HL13391), whether the chief executive of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) was offered the opportunity to remain in post under the new 26-ICB framework prior to his selection for compulsory redundancy; and if so, whether his refusal of that offer was considered when determining his eligibility for a contractual redundancy payment.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As referred to in the answer to HL15722 and HL15723, the redundancy exercise arose from structural reform reducing the number of the integrated care boards (ICBs) from 42 to 26, which resulted in the removal of a number of Chief Executive roles.
Only chief executives whose roles ceased to exist because their ICB was abolished or merged were in scope for compulsory redundancy. In the case of South Yorkshire ICB, the redundancy decision was based solely on the removal of the role as part of restructuring, not on the individual occupying the post. The Department does not hold centrally collated information on local discussions about alternative roles or offers made by individual ICBs, as they operate as statutory and independent employers and such decisions are a matter for local employers, not the Department.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect boys from non-therapeutic male circumcisions performed by doctors who have been struck off the medical register.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is in the process of providing a response to the Mohamed Abdisamad: Prevention of Future Deaths report. The Department will respond by the extended deadline and meet with external groups if necessary.
No assessment has been made regarding doctors who have been struck off the medical register for dangerous circumcisions, nor the case of Zuber Bux. No safeguarding assessment has been made regarding the rite of metzitzah b’peh.
The Children’s Rights Alliance and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children report, You feel like you’re nothing, was published in 2006 under a previous administration and there are no current plans to implement the recommendation highlighted regarding working with religious communities to defer ritual male circumcision so that the informed consent of the child can be sought.
The Government would encourage anyone seeking non-therapeutic male circumcision (NMTC) services for themselves, or for someone else, to use the services of a regulated healthcare professional. If an NMTC procedure is carried out by a regulated healthcare professional, they are subject to regulatory oversight by the relevant regulators such as the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Even if a healthcare professional is acting in a religious or spiritual role, they cannot ‘opt out’ of their core duties and responsibilities and therefore any registered healthcare professional wishing to carry out NTMC must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity of surgical procedures.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what safeguarding assessment they have made of doctors who have been struck off the medical register for dangerous circumcisions continuing to circumcise boys as laypeople.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is in the process of providing a response to the Mohamed Abdisamad: Prevention of Future Deaths report. The Department will respond by the extended deadline and meet with external groups if necessary.
No assessment has been made regarding doctors who have been struck off the medical register for dangerous circumcisions, nor the case of Zuber Bux. No safeguarding assessment has been made regarding the rite of metzitzah b’peh.
The Children’s Rights Alliance and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children report, You feel like you’re nothing, was published in 2006 under a previous administration and there are no current plans to implement the recommendation highlighted regarding working with religious communities to defer ritual male circumcision so that the informed consent of the child can be sought.
The Government would encourage anyone seeking non-therapeutic male circumcision (NMTC) services for themselves, or for someone else, to use the services of a regulated healthcare professional. If an NMTC procedure is carried out by a regulated healthcare professional, they are subject to regulatory oversight by the relevant regulators such as the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Even if a healthcare professional is acting in a religious or spiritual role, they cannot ‘opt out’ of their core duties and responsibilities and therefore any registered healthcare professional wishing to carry out NTMC must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity of surgical procedures.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what external groups, if any, they have consulted with regarding the Mohamed Abdisamad: Prevention of future deaths report, published on 28 December 2025.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is in the process of providing a response to the Mohamed Abdisamad: Prevention of Future Deaths report. The Department will respond by the extended deadline and meet with external groups if necessary.
No assessment has been made regarding doctors who have been struck off the medical register for dangerous circumcisions, nor the case of Zuber Bux. No safeguarding assessment has been made regarding the rite of metzitzah b’peh.
The Children’s Rights Alliance and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children report, You feel like you’re nothing, was published in 2006 under a previous administration and there are no current plans to implement the recommendation highlighted regarding working with religious communities to defer ritual male circumcision so that the informed consent of the child can be sought.
The Government would encourage anyone seeking non-therapeutic male circumcision (NMTC) services for themselves, or for someone else, to use the services of a regulated healthcare professional. If an NMTC procedure is carried out by a regulated healthcare professional, they are subject to regulatory oversight by the relevant regulators such as the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Even if a healthcare professional is acting in a religious or spiritual role, they cannot ‘opt out’ of their core duties and responsibilities and therefore any registered healthcare professional wishing to carry out NTMC must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity of surgical procedures.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what safeguarding assessment they have made of the rite of metzitzah b’peh.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is in the process of providing a response to the Mohamed Abdisamad: Prevention of Future Deaths report. The Department will respond by the extended deadline and meet with external groups if necessary.
No assessment has been made regarding doctors who have been struck off the medical register for dangerous circumcisions, nor the case of Zuber Bux. No safeguarding assessment has been made regarding the rite of metzitzah b’peh.
The Children’s Rights Alliance and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children report, You feel like you’re nothing, was published in 2006 under a previous administration and there are no current plans to implement the recommendation highlighted regarding working with religious communities to defer ritual male circumcision so that the informed consent of the child can be sought.
The Government would encourage anyone seeking non-therapeutic male circumcision (NMTC) services for themselves, or for someone else, to use the services of a regulated healthcare professional. If an NMTC procedure is carried out by a regulated healthcare professional, they are subject to regulatory oversight by the relevant regulators such as the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Even if a healthcare professional is acting in a religious or spiritual role, they cannot ‘opt out’ of their core duties and responsibilities and therefore any registered healthcare professional wishing to carry out NTMC must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity of surgical procedures.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in response to the recommendation in the Children’s Rights Alliance for England and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children report You feel like you’re nothing, published in 2006, that the Government work with religious communities to defer ritual circumcision until informed consent can be obtained from the individual.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is in the process of providing a response to the Mohamed Abdisamad: Prevention of Future Deaths report. The Department will respond by the extended deadline and meet with external groups if necessary.
No assessment has been made regarding doctors who have been struck off the medical register for dangerous circumcisions, nor the case of Zuber Bux. No safeguarding assessment has been made regarding the rite of metzitzah b’peh.
The Children’s Rights Alliance and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children report, You feel like you’re nothing, was published in 2006 under a previous administration and there are no current plans to implement the recommendation highlighted regarding working with religious communities to defer ritual male circumcision so that the informed consent of the child can be sought.
The Government would encourage anyone seeking non-therapeutic male circumcision (NMTC) services for themselves, or for someone else, to use the services of a regulated healthcare professional. If an NMTC procedure is carried out by a regulated healthcare professional, they are subject to regulatory oversight by the relevant regulators such as the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Even if a healthcare professional is acting in a religious or spiritual role, they cannot ‘opt out’ of their core duties and responsibilities and therefore any registered healthcare professional wishing to carry out NTMC must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity of surgical procedures.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case of Zuber Bux, a doctor who has been struck off the register and continues to circumcise boys as a layperson.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is in the process of providing a response to the Mohamed Abdisamad: Prevention of Future Deaths report. The Department will respond by the extended deadline and meet with external groups if necessary.
No assessment has been made regarding doctors who have been struck off the medical register for dangerous circumcisions, nor the case of Zuber Bux. No safeguarding assessment has been made regarding the rite of metzitzah b’peh.
The Children’s Rights Alliance and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children report, You feel like you’re nothing, was published in 2006 under a previous administration and there are no current plans to implement the recommendation highlighted regarding working with religious communities to defer ritual male circumcision so that the informed consent of the child can be sought.
The Government would encourage anyone seeking non-therapeutic male circumcision (NMTC) services for themselves, or for someone else, to use the services of a regulated healthcare professional. If an NMTC procedure is carried out by a regulated healthcare professional, they are subject to regulatory oversight by the relevant regulators such as the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Even if a healthcare professional is acting in a religious or spiritual role, they cannot ‘opt out’ of their core duties and responsibilities and therefore any registered healthcare professional wishing to carry out NTMC must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity of surgical procedures.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any impact that a shortage of residential care placements for learning disabled individuals may have on the choice available to families; and what steps they are taking to ensure that any shortage of placements does not lead to the acceptance of any restrictive contact regimes that infringe on a resident's right to family life.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, they are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all people. This includes commissioning a variety of different providers and specialist services that provide genuine choice to meet the needs of local people and that offer quality and value for money.
Contact with family and friends is a crucial part of a person’s care and no one should be denied reasonable access to visitors while they are a resident in a care home, or a patient in a hospital or hospice. Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices is a Care Quality Commission (CQC) fundamental standard which came into force on 6 April 2024 and sets out what providers must do to make sure they respect the right of each person to receive visits and to be accompanied. Providers also have a responsibility to comply with relevant Court of Protection orders.
In April 2025, the Department launched a review of the effectiveness of CQC Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices, to consider whether it has been effective in meeting its objectives. The Department will be publishing the outcome of the review shortly.